Into The Dark

Chapter 10

After a day of tiresome searching and questioning, Alan and Maira had reached a dead end.

After getting the names and addresses of the car owners Alan was hopeful they would finally catch the Raven. Yet they couldn't. They had come so close and lost the trail of bread crumbs in the void of darkness.

Alan and Maira drove through the streets in the silents. None of them had the enthusiasm or even wanted to talk about anything now. They had lost their only lead to the Raven whom they had been looking for the last seven years.

It was now about eight pm. The streets were quite busy since the shops were scheduled to close at nine pm. People were now shopping and buying items in the last hour before the end of the day. The streets were lit up by the lights of the shops and streetlights. The moon was shining brightly in the sky but its glow got lost amid the artificial lighting.

Alan and Maira drove slowly amidst the people who didn't know what they were feeling at that moment. Hopelessness and sadness.

'Wanna go somewhere?' Alan broke the silence.

'Where?' Maira said looking surprised.

'You'll see.'

Alan steered the car and drove out of town and towards the mountain. They stopped at the spot where Alan usually comes and got out of the car.

Maira looked at the scenery with awe and fascination. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

Alan could tell she was amazed at what she was seeing.

'I guess you've never been here before.' Alan ventured.

'Never.' Maira said still gazing at the town away below and at the horizon far in the distance. 'How did I not know of this place?'

'Most people normally don't. The teenagers do. I know of this since I was a child. My father used to bring me here.'

Maira looked at Alan with a surprised expression. He didn't normally talk about his past. 'Really?'

'Yeah. We used to come here all the time when we felt down or sad. The view always made us smile. At night it was gorgeous. Even after my father died I still come here from time to time. Just to look at the town and the limitless sky. Free from all bonds and shackles.

Maira looked at the night sky. The moon was out shining in the sky. It was already in the West sky going closer to the horizon. There were countless stars twinkling beautifully in the sky. Since the town was from any city or factories there was a lot less pollution leading to the sky is so clear and the stars being so bright and beautiful.

'You never talk about your family.'

Alan's face turned dark.

'I guess. My father died when I was about eleven years old. He was a taxi driver. Funny I know. A taxi in a small town such as this. Anyways one day he was driving his taxi and got into a car accident with a big truck at a crossing. His car got thrown back a couple of meters and turned over. He got an injury to his head which lead to his death a few hours later.'

'And your mother?'

Alan slowly turned towards the horizon and gazed over the mountains on the other end of the town. 'Never met her. She left me in my father's hands after I was born.'

'Oh.' Maira said and looked down towards the town.

'Yeah. Somehow did school on minimum money. First did a few odd jobs here and there. Then worked as a delivery guy boy for a few years. Then as a waiter. Then decided I wanted to become a police officer. Ten years later and now I'm here. Chasing an uncatchable enemy and hopelessly standing here overlooking the town I grew up in while he is roaming somewhere in the streets or sitting somewhere in his house below feeling high and mighty of himself for us not being able to catch.'

Alan smashed his hand on the hood of his car in frustration.

'I just want it all to end.' Alan said with tears in his eyes. 'I just want it all to be over. I just want to be in peace.'

Maira came around Alan and consoled him. 'Don't worry Alan. We still have time. We'll catch him. I know we will.'

Alan nodded slowly and they both stood there for a few moments admiring the silence and beautiful view.

Alan and Maira got back in their car and drove back down the mountain and into the town again. They were heading towards the police station to finish their work for the day.

While almost near the police station, Alan spotted a familiar bike with a familiar rider.

'Oh shit is that . . .?' Alan started to say but then he noticed the biker pulling out a gun and he tried to stop the car and swerved the car to its left leaving Alan's side of the car in front of the biker. 'Crap!'

The biker shot a few bullets. The bullets hit the car in the side doors making a dent in the metal and the windows shattering them. One bullet penetrated Alan's right arm through the open car window.

'Fuck!'

'Alan!' Maira screamed.

'Get back and stay low.'

Alan painfully took out his pistol and fired a few bullets at the biker through the car window.

The biker tried to dodge the bullets by swerving his bike.

Alan continued firing his gun until he ran out of bullets. 'Goddamn it!'

He threw out his empty magazine and quickly reloaded a new one into his gun. He shot another three bullets with the last one hitting the biker's leg.

The biker lost control of his bike and crashed into the side of a building. The few amount of people that were on the streets were running around in chaos. Scared for their lives.

Alan loosed the grip on his gun and let it fall into his car. His right arm was bleeding and he could feel the bullet touching his flesh inside. The pain was overcoming him by the seconds. Alan thought the bullet must not have hit the bone since he could still move his arm with pain but still moveable.

Next to Alan Maira quickly unfastened her seatbelt. 'Alan are you okay?'

Alan tried to unfasten his but he was too tired and in pain to move. 'I'm okay. It's okay.'

'You're bleeding! We need to get you to the hospital.'

'No need. I'm fine-' Alan tried to say but veil a darkness came over his eyes and everything went black.

Alan had lost consciousness.