When the Smoke Clears

Chapter 14

The service elevators opened to the back end of the Levesque's lower level, where shipping units passed in and out of the building. The room Frank found himself in was filled with neatly stacked crates of wine, auction items, and other trinkets he didn't take the time to look at. He could hear Karen's conversation with Eleanor as he moved, though some of Bishop's words were muted due to distance and the activity going on around them. From what he gathered, Eleanor was under Fisk's thumb too, but she was scheming to get out of it.

Even though he could hear Karen, not being able to see her made him restless. The quicker he regained visual, the better. Recalling what he could of the building's blueprints, Frank worked his way out of the storage room and into a dimly-lit corridor he hoped would take him closer to the other auction floor. His hopes were dashed, however, when he saw a silhouette standing in the middle of the hall, several feet down. It took him all of two seconds to realize who the shape belonged to.

"Figured you'd show up soon enough," Frank said.

Poindexter stepped into the low light of the sconces lining the wall. He was holding a small knife in his hand, skillfully flipping it by the tip of the blade. He was so nonchalant it made Frank's teeth grind.

"Frank Castle." His voice slid through the hall, smug and certain. "I've heard a lot about you."

Dex came to a halt a few yards away and observed Frank with a hard glare. "The big bad Punisher," he said. "You've built quite the reputation for yourself. I might even be impressed if your work wasn't so sloppy."

Frank bristled. "Is that right?"

"You're the hand grenade in the fishing pond." He flipped the knife again. "I'm the hunter with the bow."

"Grenade sounds a hell of a lot more effective to me."

"Depends on the game," Dex said.

"And what's the game, huh? You run your mouth 'til I put a bullet in it?"

Poindexter smirked. "You're a man of action. I can appreciate that, but your glory days are behind you, Frank. You're out of your depth, here. Best thing for you to do is walk away."

"Not a chance." Frank had enough of walking away. He wasn't going to make that mistake again. He reached for the gun tucked in the waistband of his pants.

Before he could make a move, a loud boom echoed through the halls. The walls shuddered and the floor shook from the tremor. Screams erupted from further inside the building. Both Frank and Dex turned toward the sounds, clearly aware that something was up. Frank's first thought was of Karen.

"Karen!" He called into his earpiece, but all he could hear was static on the other end. Shit.

"This your handiwork, Frank?" Dex asked, now eyeing him warily.

Frank returned his stare. He held his ground despite the nerves rattling inside of him, screaming at him to move; to find Karen. "Not this time," he said. "Seems like you need to get a little better at your job."

Poindexter's expression darkened. He slid a knife into his hand and gripped the handle, pointing the blade toward Frank. "Suppose I should start with you, huh?" He took a few steps forward.

"Come on, then!" Frank growled. "I ain't got all day." He needed to be done with this son of a bitch so he could get to Karen.

The shadow of a smirk passed over Dex's face. Then, in the next second, he was letting his knife fly. It soared toward Frank with deadly precision and lodged into his shoulder. Frank released a growl of pain before grabbing the knife and wrenching it free. He held it firmly in hand while Dex closed the distance between them. When he got close, Frank gave a few quick swipes with the bloody weapon, forcing Dex to lean away.