Jon Merz - Vicarious

Steve, hurry!

The wind rose and the dogwoods moaned, bending and weaving like eerie wooden specters. Lauren shivered and shrunk into the depths of her overcoat. She gripped her house keys in her right hand, trying to remember the self-defense techniques she’d learned in that course from years back.

A clap of thunder boomed. She jumped again.

A flash of lightning lit up the whole street.

And on the edge of her vision, she saw him. The details came at her fast. Fragmented by the brevity of the illumination.

A man.

Black overcoat. A cape? A mustache.

And…a smile?

From the subway the other night!

The darkness swallowed him up again.

And Lauren heard his footsteps. Clear this time. She felt sure he was coming for her now. Felt sure he knew she was alone.

Vulnerable.

Twin blazes of white light cut down the street at speed. She heard the car’s engine gunning, heard the brakes squeal as the driver slammed his foot down. A blue strobe light rebounded off the homes nearby.

Steve!

Dr. Kwon came out of the car and Curran came out of the other side. He rushed over to her and she fell into his arms. And breathed in the security of his body warmth, felt his arms wrap around her.

“Where is he?”

She looked up and saw a different man. Gone was the steely-eyed detective she’d met days ago. In his place she saw the ferocity and determination of a man who hunted.

She pointed. “Over there.”

Curran looked at Dr. Kwon. “Look after her.”

“You got it.”

A flashlight and a pistol materialized in Steve’s hands. He edged across the street, the heavy beam of the flashlight arcing through the darkness. The barrel of his gun moved where the beam did. Tracking. Ready to fire.

She felt Kwon’s arm come around her shoulders. “Don’t worry about it. Steve will bag him no sweat.”

“You’re sure?”

Kwon chuckled. “Seen him work a few times. He knows what he’s doing, that’s no lie.”

They watched him cross the street. He moved slowly, always panning left to right. He bent down once and then stood back up. He checked further down the street.

But after five minutes, Curran came back, pistol and flashlight lowered but still ready. “No one there.”

“I saw him. He was waiting for me.” She looked at him. “Steve, you’ve got to believe me.”

He nodded. “I do.” He gestured to Kwon. “Let’s get in the car.”

Kwon hopped in the back seat while Lauren took the front passenger’s side. Curran got in the car and locked the doors. He turned and faced Lauren.

“When did you notice him?”

“I don’t know really. It was like one minute I was perfectly fine and the next I knew he was out there. Like I could feel the weight of his stare. And I just knew.”

Curran nodded slowly. “What did he look like?”

“When the lightning flashed I only saw him for a moment. A mustache. Black overcoat. I thought it was a cape at first, but I think it was just a flowing coat of some sort.”

“Was he white, Asian, black — what?”

“He looked white, but not pale. Swarthy kind of. Almost olive skinned if that makes sense.”

“Would you recognize him if you saw him again?”

She paused. Would she? The light had been on and off again so fast that she wasn’t sure. “I don’t know. But I think he was on the subway with me last night.”

“Last night?”

“After you left. On the way home.” She glanced back at Kwon who was already shooting Curran a dirty look. “I insisted on taking myself home, Dr. Kwon.”

Kwon’s gaze softened and he leaned over the seat. “You sure there was someone out there, Curran?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“But you didn’t find anyone.”

“No. I didn’t. But I found this.” He held up his right hand and Lauren saw the circular object.

“What’s that?”

Curran handed it to her. She turned it over in her hand and examined it under the dim glow of the car’s interior light. “Some kind of button?”

“What I’d guess,” said Curran. “But it’s old. Very old.”

“It looks like it’s made out of…bone?”

“My guess, yeah.” Curran took it from her and handed it over to Kwon. “Ever seen anything like this before, pal?”

Lauren heard Kwon clear his throat. “Looks like it’s definitely bone. Hard to tell from what though.”

“Could it be human?”

“I can’t tell without running it through the lab. But yeah, it could be, I suppose.”

“Could you tell how old it is?”

“Sure, we could carbon date it. Take a little time, though.”

Lauren looked at him. “You really think it’s human bone?”

Curran shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“You sure this came from our guy?” asked Kwon.

Curran pointed through the rain-slicked windshield. “I found it over there in a recessed portion of the brownstone’s wall.”

“Could have been dropped by anyone, though,” said Kwon.

“It wasn’t wet yet,” said Curran quietly. “Which means it must have just dropped onto the ground. Presumably when whoever was over there heard us roll up.”

Lauren shivered. “Can you turn the heat up, Steve?”

“Sure.” He flicked the fan selector up and she felt a rush of hot air flood the car. It felt good on her skin. But it did little to warm her insides.

“I’m glad you got here when you did.”

Curran nodded. “Me, too.”

“Any later,” said Kwon, “and it might not have been good.”

Curran sniffed. “I’m sure that cheered up Lauren plenty.”

She tried to laugh but it died before it came out. “He’s right, though. I hate to think of what would have happened.”

Curran slid the car into gear. “Okay, first things first: we drop Kwon off at home and then I drop you off at home. How’s that sound?”

“It would sound better if I didn’t think I had someone out there stalking me.”Curran smiled. “I think he’s long gone now.”

“Steve, what if it was…him?”

Kwon’s head popped over the seat. “The Soul Eater?”

Lauren looked at Curran. Curran looked back and grinned. “It’s okay. I told him about it.”

Lauren steeled herself for Kwon’s insinuations that she might be crazy for thinking such things about the supernatural. Instead he simply cleared his throat.

“Yeah, Curran told me all about it. But don’t worry. I’m much more of a believer than he is.”

“You are?”

“Uh huh.”

“But I thought you science guys were all — “

“Science? Yeah, we are. But when I run up against something that defies my facts and logic, I don’t dismiss the unorthodox. Which is pretty much what I think this thing might be.”

“If it was him,” said Curran, “why’s he bothering with you? You aren’t even remotely evil.”

“No,” said Lauren. “I’m not.”

“And he supposedly only kills evil people?” asked Kwon.

“Supposedly,” said Curran. “Although Lauren says something killed two nuns last night in Brighton.”

“I didn’t see the bodies,” said Kwon. “You holding out on me?”

“No bodies to be seen,” said Curran. “We didn’t find any.”

Kwon whistled. “Freaky.”

“They were there,” said Lauren quietly.

“Relax,” said Curran. “I trust you on that, too.”

“You’re awfully trusting all of a sudden.”

Curran laughed. “Yeah, well good ol’ Dr. Kwon back there has a way of making me see the error of my mistrustful ways.”

Lauren turned and smiled at Kwon. “Thank you.”

He bowed. “Think nothing of it.” He tapped Curran on the shoulder. “Drop me at Copley. I’ll grab the Green Line to my place.”