THE VIGILANTE: THE SERIES[BOOK 2]

Ep.8 - Dark Knight

Today was different than most days. Today, dark thoughts started to creep in. I had no food, no water, been chained to this pillar for days. I contemplated my escape, or my inevitable end. I didn't want to go out like this. I always imagined when I'd go it'd be in a blaze of glory. The spotlight shines on me, as I deal my final blow. I close my eyes to see the white light, accepting my fate, but then I awaken. I awaken to a defeated enemy and a damsel crying for help. I save her, and I'm renowned forever as a legend. That's how I would imagine I would go. Now, I can't see past the broken subway train and the utter darkness of this hole I've been condemned to. I see the ferocity in his eyes, while I stare down the barrel of my bitter end. His last words echo through my mind, and then-...Coup de grace.

"Can't see anything down here. How far in am I?" Officer Kelly said, trying to force his footsteps through the damped waters. He was using the burner phone & earpiece Mike gave him to track the signal to The Vigilante's transponder.

"You're about 180 feet underground, thankfully your modulator is still working. Just try not to get it wet." Mike said, triangulating Officer Kelly's location. They had been searching for days, looking under every substation station, underground cavern, and now sewage tunnels.

"What makes you think he'd be down here?" Officer Kelly asked, using his flashlight as a guide.

"I've been unable to connect to his transponder. So either it is badly damaged, or he's somewhere very deep where the connection is faulty. Liberty City has dozens of old subway tunnels that run underground, they lead all over the city."

"So that's how he gets everywhere so fast." Officer Kelly replied.

"No." Mike replied, trying not to give away any secrets. "We just need to find him as soon as possible."

"You really care about him don't you?" Officer Kelly asked. Mike remained silent, reluctant to answer the question.

"I failed him once, I won't fail him again." Mike replied, going back to tracking the signal.

"You know I have two daughters. One is 13, the other is 6. My 13-year old girl all she's obsessed with her Netflix and what new TikTok dances she can learn, but my baby girl. Man, she hugs me everyday before I leave. Every day. At first I thought, 'oh she must really want some cookies when I get home later tonight, trying to sweeten me up'. But then I realized, it's because she was scared, scared I might not come home, scared that might be the last time she sees me."

"It's the price we pay for this line of work." Mike said.

"But the children shouldn't, it's not their burden to bear. It's our job to protect them, to guide them, so when they get older they can do the same for their children." Officer Kelly explained.

"So what do you do, to stop her from being scared?" Mike asked.

"I hug her back, tell everything's going to be okay. Also, instead of one pound of snicker doodles, I'm going to get her two." Mike chuckled a bit.

"Wait, stop where you are!" Mike yelled. Officer Kelly stopped right where he was, using his flashlight to survey the area.

"I'm getting a soft ping from down below. The signal is low, but it's his."

"Below me?" Officer Kelly said.

"Go back twenty clips, and head south west. I can guide you to a different vantage point." Mike said, formulating a new path. He sent the ping to the burner phone he gave Officer Kelly.

"Alright, let's find our man." Officer Kelly said, checking the new directions on the phone.