The Dark Streets

Chapter one

It was a dark rainy night, I was a beat cop, just a rookie when I came across a body in the alleys of Chicago. The body was so hacked up that I couldn't recognize who it was. I threw up on a pile of garbage, the smell didn't help either I saw the wallet of the victim was laying beside the body. I picked it up and looked inside and saw a badge and the ID said, that the name of the officer was Detective Rick Darring.
"He was a good detective Jack, the blood seems fresh, so it hasn't been long since he was killed... You know what Jack, go and get some rest, I'll call you in the morning " I nodded,
"Yeah, I'll do that but I don't think I'll get much sleep... My father just died... I may need a drink before I go home." I walked away from the gruesome crime scene of my father's death. I was walking towards my usual drinking place, Cajan's. As I was walking the streets towards the bar, I saw the night life of people and stated thinking that these people have no idea that someone just got hacked to death. As I was coming up to Cajan's, I looked up and saw the neon sign that spelled 'Caan's' because the owner, Mr. Cajan hasn't fixed, said it made the place look old and familiar but I know it's because he can't afford to fix it. I opened the door to the inviting smell of alcohol and Cajun,
"Hey Jack, you're here early, did you get off earlier?" I walked towards the voice of the bartender, the beautiful yet intimidating Willow,
"Yeah I did, but not for a good reason." Willow goes to the fridge and grabs me and her a beer,
"What happened, it looks like you seen a dead body but isn't that common in your line of work?" I managed to smile and took a sip of my beer,
"Yeah that's true but tonight I saw something straight out of a horror film, I saw my father's body hacked up in an alleyway, it was so hacked up that I didn't know it was him till I looked in his wallet laying beside him." My eyes welled with tears but I quickly wipes them away,
"Oh my God! Rick's dead!? I can't believe it." Mr Cajan came in from the back,
"What can't you believe?"
"Rick's dead." Mr Cajan's eyes grew wide,
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry to hear that Jack, was he killed?" I took my last sip and put my empty beer bottle with the other empties and got up,
" Yeah he was, his body was hacked up probably by an axe." Mr. Cajan shook his head,
"This city is just getting worse for murders, i wouldn't be surprised to find out it was a drug related killing, your father being a volunteer for the city's drug recovery program." I nodded,
"Yeah probably, Willow, mind driving me home?" Willow looked at Mr. Cajan and he nodded,
"Go ahead, I'll lock up tonight and Jack if there's anything I can do to help you let me know, me and your father were close friends." I nodded,
"Thanks Mr. Cajan, I will." Willow grabbed her jacket and purse and I opened the door for her, "I see your still keeping the 67' Mustang in good condition." Willow nodded,
"Yup I am, it works like a charm, no need to get a new car...yet." She unlocked our doors, she opened her door and got in, I did the same, she inherited the car from her dad, she's had it for ten years. Her father was murdered and my father was the one who caught her father's killer. "You live at the same place right?" I nodded and she started the car and started to drive,
"How about you? You still living at the same old place?" She shook her head,
"No I moved out of that dump. I now live in your neighborhood." My eyes grew wide,
"Really, how long have you been living there?" She stopped at a red light,
"About five months now." I looked at her and saw her beautiful brown wavy hair coming right to her shoulders,
" I see, surprised I haven't seen you but I'm usually out working all the time." She stopped the car in front of my apartment, a guy was standing outside smoking,
"Yup, I'll have to come over and visit sometime." I nodded,
Yeah I'd like that." She smiled,
"Yeah, same here." I opened my door and unbuckled my seatbelt and got out, I bent down to look at her,
"Have a good night Willow."
"Yeah you too Jack and again I'm sorry that your dad is dead." I shut the door and she drove off. I walked up to the front door of my apartment building,
"Hey Jack, you and Willow a thing yet?" I smirked,
"No but it's a work in progress." He laughed, I took my keys out of my jacket pocket and unlocked the door and walked to my mailbox and unlocked my mailbox, number three zero five and grabbed my mail, "god damn bills." I turned away from the mailbox and walked down the the end of the hallway, and turned left and pressed the call button for the elevator. After watching the number countdown to the main floor, it dinged and the elevator doors opened and I walked in, I pressed the three button and the doors closed and the elevator started going up. It dinged and the doors opened, I got out and turned left and started walking down the hallway past the apartments until I got to mine, three zero five I took my key out and unlocked my door and opened it, "home sweet home." I took my shoes off and put them on the shoe rack facing the right wall, I took my jacket off and put in the closet. I walked in my kitchen and opened the fridge and took out a beer and opened it, I walked into the living room and plopped down on my couch and turned my TV on, "let's see what's on." The TV flashed on and the local news channel was playing, they were talking about my father's death,
"In later news it appears Detective Rick Darring has been murdered in an alleyway this evening, sources say that his son, rookie cop Jack Darring discovered his father's death, Rick Darring was involved with the arrest of several lawyers, doctors and cops ten years ago, after a father was brutally murdered in a similar fashion, could the cult that was responsible for the murder be back it again?, back to you Ryan." I turned the TV off, ten years ago my father's first case as a homicide detective. My father probably did make some enemies because of that case. I finished my beer and put it on my kitchen counter, I walked into my room and took my clothes off and put them in the hamper and got pyjamas out of my dresser and put them on and got into bed and closed my eyes.
"Hello Mr. Darring." A dark figure was sitting on a chair that was made out of human flesh,
"Wh...who are you?" The dark figure chuckled,
"Don't play dumb with me, think hard and you'll know exactly who I am." I tried to place a memory to the voice and then I remembered who it was,
"I remember now, you're Stake."