Beyond A Shadow of Doubt

Pt. 1 - Rock Bottom

It was getting colder, now. The few leaves you could find in the city, had lost their color and were beginning to fall. Days were still pleasant enough, but the nights were getting to be a challenge. The shelters were filling up more quickly now, and they always gave priority to the kids and women. Jake chuckled, with a bit of resentment.

'And they say men have all the advantages. Not when your poor, starving or cold', he thought as he passed by the hookers on K street on his way to the soup kitchen. He pulled the zipper on his hoodie up further, under his American Eagle sweater and buttoned his coat. It was gonna be cold tonight. Maybe even flurries. He picked up the pace to make it in time for the hot soup, before the meal.

"Valley Place and Central Union shelters are already full up. Any ideas, guys?" Mikey was asking the group as they sat down with their soup. He was a gulf war vet who had been a bit 'off' since he got back. PTSD, or something. Still, Jake liked him well enough.

"I'm gonna take my chances on the Mall", Wayne was saying. He was dirty, even by homeless standards. The volunteers always gave him travel size soaps and deodorants when he came in, and he had to hit the bathroom before sitting down for a meal.

"They patrol the Mall, jackass. Especially when the temperature drops", Jake told him. "We want useful, ideas". Wayne shot him a dirty look. Jake ignored it.

"Actually, I got a place. Kase said he'd give me a place and a little cash if I helped him out later", Craig told them. "Said he needed one more to help, if I knew anyone?"

"No way, man! You know that boy's trouble. What's wrong with you?" Mikey said. He was older than the rest, maybe in his early 50's, though he looked older.

"What's the worst that can happen? I get arrested? Ooooo, 3 hots & cot for the winter. Bring it on!" Craig sneered at him.

"Were you born stupid? You could get dead! You don't know what he's planning."

Everyone was looking around the table, wondering if anyone was gonna take the offer Craig had put out there. Then Jake spoke up...."What's he want us to do?" He could feel Mikey eyeing him, but refused to look over at the man.

"We just need to deliver a message and then see where this guy goes. That's it. He'll do the rest".

"Ok, I'm in", he said and then slurped down the rest of his soup and went to the line for the boiled chicken and pasta they were serving.

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Kase was trouble and Jake knew it, but it seemed like a simple enough gig. All they needed to do was give this burner phone to a man on the corner, wait for a reply and then let him leave. Then, they had to follow him and see where he went; then report back to Kase. Craig had the phone and Jake had the picture of the guy, Kase had given them. As they approached the man, he was surprised. The guy looked like a banker for Christ's sake. He was wearing a grey suit, glasses that had practically no frame, and seemed mildly gay to Jake. He sure as hell didn't seem like the type who would be getting messages from mid-level drug dealers via homeless couriers.

He took a second look at the picture to be sure and then nodded to Craig, who walked over to him. It seemed like the guy was trying to find a subtle exit, all while patting down his pockets to indicate he had no cash. The assumption, of course, was that Craig was a beggar. 'Typical', Jake thought. He watched carefully as the man looked confused, then seemed to understand and he took the cell phone. It rang.

Jake couldn't tell what was being said, but it was clear by the look on the man's face that it wasn't a pleasant chat about their last squash match. Then he just listened for awhile and gave the phone back to Craig and nodded agreement. The man immediately walked away, and Craig started to follow...and so, did Jake.

After a few blocks, the man stopped at some sort of fitness club. He came out a few minutes later and slipped down an alley with a gym bag. He placed the bag in the dumpster and walked out to the street and then Jake watched as Craig answered the phone. He waved for Jake to come to him and he watched as the man disappeared into the crowd of pedestrians. The whole thing seemed surreal, but Jake walked down the alley to where Craig waited, after breaking the phone and smashing it underfoot.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Kase said we did fine. Now we just wait here til he shows up to pick up the bag. We don't let anyone near the bag", Craig said. "I wonder what's in it?" he said with a sly, grin.

"Don't know. Don't care", Jake said flatly.

"How can you not care? It's human nature to be curious, dude. What will it hurt to look?" He turned to lift the lid of the dumpster behind him.

"What does Kase do for a living?" Jake asked him, astounded by his stupidity.

"What? He's a banger. You know that".

"No, he's a fuckin drug dealer, Craig. There are drugs in the bag, money in the bag, or guns in the bag. Either way - stay out of the goddamn bag!"

"You think there's money in there?" Now Craig was opening the dumpster and reaching in for the gym bag.

"Did you hear a word I just said!? I'm not gettin shot in this alley 'cause you've got trust issues!" he yelled, slamming the lid of the dumpster down on Craig's hand.

"Ow! What the fu..."

"You're not, goin in the bag." There was a menace to Jake's tone that even he hadn't expected, which stopped Craig mid-sentence. The two men stared at each other for a moment, and then Craig looked away. Jake leaned up against the dumpster, content he had been taken seriously, at last. So it was quite a shock when the board came crashing across the side of his head, and Craig started kicking him on the ground.

Jake couldn't see out of his left eye, because of the blood pouring from that side of his head. He was trying to catch his breath as Craig kept kicking at him. He was yelling something, but Jake had no idea what he was saying. He caught his foot on the next kick and pulled him off balance, sending him back against a broken pallet that was leaning up against the wall near the trash. He lunged at Craig as he fell back and climbed on the man, punching him in the crotch, stomach and chest and he climbed his way up. He was so busy trying to block Jake's attack, that he made no counter-attack of his own. Then, Jake saw the broken bottle beside Craig's head and grabbed it suddenly. He began stabbing down into Craig's neck and face until the man lay still.

The sound of car breaks snapped Jake back to reality and he stood up, throwing the broken bottle down and grinding it under his shoe. Kase got out of the burgundy Lexus and walked down the alley.

"What's this shit, now?" he said, staring at the dead man laying at Jake's feet.

"He was gonna look in the bag", Jake said looking towards the dumpster and then back at Kase. "I didn't think it was any of our business".

Kase stared for a moment and then laughed out loud. "Well damn, playa. You old school, huh?"

Jake just stared blankly. He opened the dumpster and brought out the bag for Kase.

"Yeah, you old school fer sho'. Here's your paper", he said and handed Jake $300 and a key with a #10 on the plastic keychain. "That's a room at the District Motel. It's paid for the week", he said looking down at Craig. "Take that phone and holla if you want more work. Now, get gone", he said as he grabbed the bag out of Jake's hands and walked away.

Jake had a hot shower that night. He laid on a real bed and fell asleep eating beef jerky and watching T.V as the first snow of the season fell outside. He had imagined he would be kept awake with guilt of killing Craig, but he slept well. But that was only the first night....