Folk Games

Chapter 18: Moonlight.

The number you are trying to reach is not in service.

I tried again.

The number you are trying to reach is not in service.

I threw my phone to the ground, cracking the screen. I can’t get in touch with Jerry.

Today, Skylar and his family will be holding a memorial service for those who were killed in the bombing six months ago.

The ace will be there and so will we.

Dober was checking the equipment as I looked over the blueprint.

“I will need about ten minutes. Once I'm done planting the explosives, I will meet you here.” I tapped the location on the paper. “Avoid full engagement, we are merely sending a message.”

“Understood,” Dober zipped up the minimi. “Load the rest of the items into the car, I will be down in a minute,” I ordered him, while Dober obediently does what he was told for a change.

I carefully pulled out my damaged phone when the coast was clear and tried calling Jerry again.

Nothing.

What should I do? I may have instructed Dober to keep certain people alive but one can’t control stray bullets.

I took a deep breath before releasing it. It's all up to fate now, I prayed that Jerry canine instinct would keep him safe.

I grabbed my bag and head down to the vehicle. “Out, I’m driving,” I opened the driver's door, ushering Dober to move.

“Negative,” he spat out, refusing to budge. “Out. I know this place better than you do, so I’m driving.”

After going back and forth, Dober finally surrenders the car to me.

The air was a little tense between us, but when was it not.

“Good hunting,” I wished him when I dropped him off at his designated spot. Dober gave me a curt nod before disappearing among the people on the street with the large duffel bag over his shoulder.

I continued circling the area until I found a spot to park about two blocks from where I should be.

My hands were shaking as I turned the ignition off. This never happened before. Why was I so nervous?

Jerry.

“I can't do this,” I gasped as I rested my forehead on the stirring wheel. I was not ready to face him yet.

It has been nine days and seven hours since I last saw him. Not ready. I was still not ready to see him.

What would I say? Sorry for running away because I don’t understand my own emotions?

“I am such an idiot,” I banged my head on the wheel. “Get your shit together, this is more important. The Academy is counting on us. Can’t let them down.”

One. Two. Three.

I breathed in and grabbed my gym bag. “Twenty minutes before ten,” I checked my wristwatch. The show starts at ten am sharp.

“Piece of cake." I needed to hurry, Dober was waiting for me.

                                                                     +++++++++++++++

Erika's felt the hair on the back of her neck stand. There was an electricity in the air, something bad was going to happen.

“This doesn’t feel right,” she whispered out to her partner, who nodded in agreement. “You feel it too?”

“All these people gathered here feels like a setup,” Erika scanned the area. “Skylar planned this, yet he is late to his own event and do you see any of his men here?”

“No,” they both came to the same conclusion, it was a trap. “He is willing to sacrifice innocent lives to catch the killer.”

George pulled out his phone. “Two minutes to ten.”

“We need to clear the area, we are not letting him use these people as bait.” Erika signaled to the officers on duty. “Get these people out of here! Clear the area!”

Someone had walked up to the stage and gently tapped the mic. “Attention everyone! First of all, I would like to thank all of you for coming today.”

It was too late, someone decided to start the event earlier than planned.

“By coming together, we are showing those who try to hurt and strike terror among us, that what they have truly done instead was unite us al-" The speaker dropped to the ground. His wife who stood beside him on stage looked on stunned. There was a deafening silence, and then hell broke loose, following the first blood-curling scream.

Shots were repeated fired as people scrambled for safety. It was a stampede.

Erika took cover and tried to pinpoint the location of the shooter. “George! Do you see anything?” She gently touches her earpiece, there was no response.

“George!” She peeked up from her spot, hoping to catch a glimpse of him in the panicking crowd. “Fuck!”

She needed to find him, George could be in danger.

The killer's next target.

                                                                     +++++++++++++++

Jerry inspected the bodies on the ground with a frown. Skylar’s new boys were overpowered, necks snapped clean. This kind of work needed brute size and strength.

The Doberman.

He felt a little relieved that it wouldn’t be her up on the roof. Jerry held up his hand, signaling his men forward as he led them up the staircase, gun ready in hand.

He raised his fist up when they reached the rooftop door before kicking it open and charging out.

Empty.

They searched the place, there was nowhere to hide.

“He ain’t here!”

“He was here,” Jerry crouched down and touched the shells left behind on the ground. It was still warm.

“He couldn’t have gone far, we could still get him.” They hurried down, he followed after them, mind recalling every route in the area.

Halfway down, there was a loud boom causing the building to tremble.

“What the fuck!” One of his men cussed out. “The guy is nuts! Is he planning on blowing the whole city up?”

Jerry grabbed on to the rail for support when another explosion went off, this one felt and sounded much closer than the first one.

He had a feeling it won't be the last. He needed to find her. He needed to make sure she gets out of here safe and alive.

Jerry slipped away when his men got distracted by the third explosion. There were too many people on the street, it seemed almost impossible.

He needed to recall those on her hit list. For a job this big, she must be going after those on top, if it was not the boss then it must be the two agents.

Last he saw of them was on the main street, in front of the condominium.

Jerry did his best to navigate through the screaming people. Halfway down the block, he caught sight of the blond agent chasing a petite figure wearing black and a baseball cap.

They took a turn in to an alleyway, Jerry tried to catch up. They disappeared when he reached the other end.

Impossible. Where could they have gone?

A gunshot echoed from the old building on his right. His blood ran cold.

He carefully looked along the narrowed path, there was a rusty door that he had overlooked.

“Morin!” Jerry called out as he forced the door open. Another shot was heard, he followed it.

The old apartment building was closed off to be torn down for a skyscraper. The place was dark and damp with graffiti on the cracked and dirty walls.

He made it to the third floor when he heard her.

“Step on a crack and you break your mama's back. Step on a line and you break your father’s spine.”

“Morin!” He called out again. There was a strange stomping sound coming from above, followed by a gunshot and a giggle.

“Morin!”

Jerry finally found her. She was standing over the blond agent who appears to be dead on the floor, but that’s not what caught Jerry's attention. It was the large Doberman, glowering menacingly behind her with a gun aimed at her back.

“Jerry?” She was blinking at him in surprise, unaware of the real danger only a few feet away.

There was a click and her neck snapped in the soldier's direction.