Chapter 1
A Pathetic Human Being
In a dark street of Brooklyn near a small children’s park that linked two streets together, a taxi was seen coming out of the dark and under the street light that was faded and near to die. Mosquitos hovered around it as if it gave them life. The taxi stopped with a screeching noise. When there was nobody in sight Rust came out. He was a young skinny man with an incredibly shaped face. His chin longing out of his face. He slowly proceeded out of the taxi and grabbed the back door. He glanced over his shoulders once again then opened the door.
A teenage girl fell after losing her support by the door. She quickly got up pushed every muscle in her body but was not successful in doing so. She was scared and moving everywhere. Rust looked at her and smirked, at the moment looking like a pathetic human being that he was. He grabbed the girl from her blonde hairs and pulled her face up and looked into her soul like a predator. Her eyes were widened and full of tears asking him for letting her go without saying a word. He pushed the girl from her hair and slammed her on the ground. The girl was being dragged on the road and then was on the park's grass. She was unable to scream because of the tape on her mouth.
In the middle of the park, Rust let go of her hairs but when she tried to stand up and run away he grabbed her again this time from her neck and then slammed her on the ground. After a moment of struggle, the girl gave up and let go. "Just do it now," she said and spread her arms on the wet grass of the park. While his one arm on her neck Rust took a knife out from his pocket and showed the girl.
“Don’t worry you will be okay” he said looking at the knife. “Why are you doing this?” the girl asked. “I don’t know, you see sometimes I just get this urge…this…this voice in my head telling me to do it and when I don’t bad things happen to me” He explained himself without a single breath taken in his sentence. One last tear came out of her eyes as she spoke. “Isn’t this bad?” she asked Rust but he smirked and slowly brought the knife near her neck.
“No” he answered and slit her neck open. The girl moved here and there screaming her last moments of life but then as her life went out of her body she stopped and was lifeless. Rust looked at her and then bent his neck and smiled continuously looking at her. A moment later he sighed and looked as if all his problems and stresses went away with the girl’s breath.
Chapter 2
The Slaughterer
Meanwhile, that night detective Cole's phone rang on his side table when he was sleeping with his wife. He hurled himself up and put his glasses on. He looked at the phone’s screen with brightness flowing out of it. It was difficult to see but he still looked anyway. His wife moved continuously being disturbed by the high pitched ring tone on Cole’s phone. Detective Cole quickly picked up the call and glued his phone to his ear and got out of the room. His wife was still laying down as she saw his shadow going out of the room.
She was half asleep but was woken up by Cole, “What! I am coming right now!" Cole shouted and ran back into the room. He picked his shirt from the chair and wore the pants that were on the floor and ran outside. "What's wrong Cole?" She asked but Cole did not respond. She laid back down as she knew Cole picked up his clothes from what he called emergency chair which meant an emergency occurred.
Detective Cole was driving like a drunk man on an empty road, later on, he pushed his brakes making a screeching sound and the car stopped in front of another cop car. Cole ran outside and in the park which seemed to be the place of murder. Police stood all across the body, taking pictures and checking the body. As Cole walked towards the gathering he met Detective Brady, a skinny black haired lone wolf, whose records were not as clean as other detectives but was one of the best at his work. Brady was carrying a yellow notepad in his hand and looked fresh as always, hairs combed right, and his shirt without even one wrinkle. Cole, first of all, looked at Brady and made an unsatisfied face. "What the hell is wrong with you? Its 3 am how could you be like this? What time did you wake up?” he asked. “I don’t sleep” Brady answered and turned his head around the dead body.
"Liz, 17-year-old female, death by slitting of the throat by a well-sharped knife, the killer must be a clean slitter. That takes to our suspects, the slaughterer". Brady explained. They both walked towards the body. “What time did you come here?” Cole asked but Brady kept silent.
The slaughterer was the name of the unknown killer who killed people by slicing their throat and was good at it.
While looking at the body Cole nearly fainted to see the marks on her body, she was in pain when she died. On the other hand, Brady was inspecting the body himself. "Looks like she was raped before being killed, the bruises on her body are severe," Brady said and Cole's heart could not bear it and he looked away. "That son of a bitch is not a human” Cole said. Brady stood up and walked near Cole, “He sure was not, but it’s our job to make him” Brady said as he glanced over at Cole.
They both then walked towards the car.
Chapter 3
Unfaithfulness
Meanwhile, Rust was in his small little apartment with no bed but one little mattress on the dirty floor. It was a very small place and dirty. He was laying down with his eyes closed and smile on the face.
He had these flashbacks of a few hours ago.
Anyhow his alarm broke out at 7 in the morning and he sat up. He looked around and then took off the blanket and walked towards the bathroom. His creepy steps creaked the old wood on the floor and could be heard from the room under. He looked at his face in the mirror, the white background of the bathroom reflected his black sins even more.
An hour later he was out on the road in his yellow taxi. Looking around for passengers. He burned his cigarette after dropping off a passenger and drove off. The clouds reflected on his windshield blocking the outsider's view on him. As he was constantly smiling while having last night's flashbacks.
When the moon was at its peak looking down on his car he stopped near a curb in a street. He sighed and then went back on road. It was like a moment as if something had entered into him. On the road outside a theatre, he saw an old man waving his hand over at his taxi. He purposefully passed ahead of him and stopped near another girl. She hugged the man who had waved for the taxi for her. The man then walked away leaving the girl alone.
She sat in the taxi as her long pink dyed hairs waved. "Hey" she greeted. Rust looked into the mirror and her eyes, "Hi" he replied in his heavy voice. He accelerated as she unlocked her phone and started typing. He drove the car off into the darkness of the night.
He pulled the taxi over near a dark alley. Trash cans were around it all and no human presence near. The door was at the side of the alley. As the taxi stopped, the girl looked up from her phone for the first time. “What’s wrong?” she asked. Without answering her Rust got out of the taxi and stood outside for a moment. Looking right at the girl struggling to open the locked door.
He looked at her while chaos was spread inside the taxi, he opened the door by the side of the alley. Smiling, his face looked pathetic and creepy. The girl struggled but could not do anything as Rust was standing in front of her like a wall. “What are you doing?” the girl screamed. “Helping both of us” Rust replied with a smile still on his face. He grabbed her by the hairs and dragged her to the end of the alley.
After a few minutes of struggle, the girl finally got the upper hand and got away from the hand of Rust. She ran towards the opening of the alley. "I always appreciate a bit struggling" Rust screamed behind her. He took the knife out of his pocket and threw it towards her. The knife went in circles, looking like a scene out of a comic book.
The knife hit her on her thigh, it got into her and she fell, screaming with pain. "But I do not appreciate unfaithfulness," Rust said while walking towards her. He pulled the knife out of her thigh and slit her throat. As blood gushed through her neck, a smile came on Rust’s face and he sighed once again that night before he did more sins.
Chapter 4
Bam!
As the sun for the next morning came out as slowly, the police sirens increased near the alley. Two police cars stood in front of the alley and stopped the entrance of it. In another car came Cole and Brady. They both got out and walked towards the newly dead body. As Cole was wearing his gloves, Brady sat down near the body and started to investigate.
"Bad bruises on the body, hairs are pulled by the killer really bad, knife hit on the left thigh, and of course rape and good old slitting of neck" Brady explained the condition to Cole. As the forensics were taking picture Brady walked towards the end of the alley, standing near the dumpster he looked straight towards the dead body. Cole walked towards him and looked in the same direction. "The girl tried to escape, but our killer was skilled enough to throw the knife at her in her thigh and then bam! She fell" Brady said while looking at Cole. Cole looked astonished. "You're getting smart" Cole shrugged while looking at Brady.
Cole and Brady both met back at the precinct, they were sitting on their desks. “No one was in the alley or even near it so we do not have any evidence of someone seeing her or the killer, No one heard anything as always the doors are shut on the case" Cole said while writing something on a piece of paper. "The girl must've come from somewhere, somewhere in the world, she can't just be there and the killer killed her, there is something we are not getting," Brady said while clicking his pen continuously.
“Thanks for telling me that Brady, really helpful of you” Cole teased him. “What are you writing?” Brady asked Cole. “Nothing just our application to be off this case” Cole smiled while saying. Brady sat down attentively losing all the thoughts. “Are you insane you dammit!” Brady shouted in front of the whole office as Cole looked at him in anger. "First of all you work under me and are not going to talk to me like that, second that I have the power of making this decision and this is a national threat now dammit” Cole whispered. Brady silently sat back. “But we got the interview with the girl’s parents in an hour, we will find something out” Brady implied. “We have a few hours before that person kills another girl in the darkness of the night” Cole looked at Brady as Brady nodded. They both relaxed back on their chairs.
"You owe me a coffee now," Cole said. "I'll think about it" Brady replied. An officer came by their desk, "We got the girl's parents in. Both Brady and Cole stood up and went towards the little isolated room.
They opened the door and saw the parents sitting down, eyes red with tears and faces looking tired. "Hello, sir" Cole greeted. They nodded and kept looking at the detectives. "What happened to my daughter?" The mother asked in a shaking voice. "She was raped and then killed by slitting of the throat" Brady answered and the parents both broke out and cried. Cole looked at Brady in anger. "I am sorry for your loss," Cole said. "But now we need your help to find the one who did this to your daughter," Brady said while leaning over a table near parents.
"When was the last time you saw your daughter?" Cole asked. When the father saw the mother devastated and crying he opened his mouth. "She went to a theater with her friend" his voice cracked. "And who was this friend of hers?" Brady asked him without a pause. The father then told Brady the friend's whereabouts and Brady wrote it on his little notepad and ran outside the door.
Chapter 5
The First Encounter
It was a sunny afternoon, people were out shopping, walking and happy with their families. Rust was sitting in his taxi in front of a shopping mall waiting for a passenger so he could make some money. Then came two kids with their mother, they walked outside and the woman peaked inside the taxi. Rust unlocked the door for them. As they sat in, Rust smiled and nodded through the mirror looking at the woman and the kids.
This family was Rust's favorite feast but it was not the right time for him. He then accelerated the car and took the family to their house. Rust stopped in front of an apartment complex. Kids got out and ran inside. The woman was struggling with bags when Rust decided to get out of the car and hold the heavy bags for her. "I'll take them," he said and grabbed the bags. The woman let him take the bags and nodded while looking at him.
He climbed the stairs and left the bags outside the apartment door while the woman unlocked the door. "Thank you," she said with her kind angelic voice. He nodded and smiled and then walked away. "Thank you!" the kids shouted behind him. Rust looked back and smiled at them and then looked at the woman who was proud of her kids.
He came out of the building and saw two men walking towards the building, they were indeed Cole and Brady. They looked at Rust while he unlocked his taxi. Rust looked back at them and nodded and said, “Officers”. Cole got astonished and looked back at him. “Wait what did you say?” Cole asked.
“That’s what people will say if you wear your badge outside showing everyone," Rust said while smirking as Cole looked down on his police badge on his belt. "Hey mind your business a-hole!" Cole shouted at Rust as he shrugged and sat in his taxi. Brady and Cole matched their eye contact as Brady gave Cole a disappointed look.
“What?” Cole asked in anger. They both walked inside the building as Rust drove off in the traffic.
Chapter 6
Apartment 200
Brady knocked on the door of apartment 200 as Cole had his arms around his chest looking angry and annoyed with everything but now with his badge in his pocket. The door opened and a young blonde-haired man stood there in front in his pajamas. He looked confused and scared. Brady looked at him and tried to speak when Cole barged inside.
"Hey, where do you think you're going," the man said with his girly voice. Brady stopped the man from going behind Cole. "Mister Jackson we need to talk about your friend, maybe you have time for that" Brady said. "What are you talking about?" Jackson looked confused but then Brady showed him his badge and came inside.
He sat on the chair nearby and waited for Jackson to sit down but he was continuously looking at the way Cole had gone. While Jackson sat, Cole came back zipping his pants and sat near them. His hands were still soaking with water. Brady looked at Cole in embarrassment. "It was an emergency, shall we start?" Cole said and they both then focused on Jackson.
“Mr. Jackson how do you know Ms. Angela?” Brady asked looking at his notepad. “Umm…we are college friends” Jackson hesitantly replied. “So only friends’ right?" Cole confirmed. "Yes," Jackson replied. Silence took over the room as all of them looked at each other.
"Wait is she okay?" Jackson asked. "She was- Cole cut Brady and then continued, "She was murdered and we are trying to investigate her case and what we know is that the last time she was with someone was you". "That's why she was not replying to my texts" Jackson put his hand on his face and started crying under his breath. "Mr. Jackson tell us about her when she was with you that last night," Brady asked. "She was just as normal as always, we enjoyed that night in the theatre…and then I called the taxi for her and then she just…” Jackson replied and started crying again.
“Okay enough with this shit, now tell me everything without crying and tell me the truth otherwise we might take you to the station where everyone tells the truth eventually!” Brady shouted at Jackson. “Do you think I’m lying, are you in your goddamn mind, why would I lie about it, you-you need to believe me!” Jackson shouted even louder. Silence took over again and then Cole stood up and walked outside. There were only two of them left in the room. "I need to see your text messages with Angela, so you better not delete them, you will be called at the station," Brady said while looking down at Jackson.
Then he walked outside and met Cole in the car. “Let’s keep an eye on the guy, and also keep the case” Cole smiled as Brady nodded back.
Chapter 7
A Good Man
The next evening when Rust was wandering around the roads of Brooklyn, a thought struck into his mind like an electric shock. He slowed down the car and took a U-turn out of nowhere and looked at the old driver behind him shout at him. After ignoring it all, Rust came to a stop in front of a familiar building. The same building where he dropped the woman and her kids.
He peeked outside the taxi and at the building door. He sat in the car for fifteen minutes but then opened the door slowly and got out of the taxi as slow as he could. He walked up the stairs but then the locked door opened, he was pretty lucky at the moment as he got in. Jackson, on the other hand, came out and sat in his car. Before Jackson sat down he looked over at the taxi and then glanced over at Rust walking inside the building.
Rust went inside and stood in front of the woman's room. He looked straight at the door as he had x-ray vision and was looking inside. Then he heard a sound from the inside and Rust panicked. He started walking outside the building when the room door opened and the woman came outside and looked at Rust. "Hey you're the taxi guy" the woman shouted as Rust turned around with a completely different face and a smile. "Yeah I think so," Rust said while smirking.
"How are you here again?" she asked. "I was just dropping a passenger and they needed help with their stuff," Rust said while using his hands a lot. "Yeah, there's this old couple, it's very nice of you," She said while smiling as she was impressed with him. Rust nodded, "Yeah the old couple". Rust sighed in his heart. There was silence spread everywhere. “Hey I’m going to the mall again, are you free now? I wanted a taxi anyway" She said looking at Rust. "Yeah sure," Rust said happily but did not give the whole happiness away.
While in the car, Rust looked over at the woman from the mirror. She looked back at him that panicked Rust and he looked away. "What were you looking at?" she asked. "Nothing I was just looking at the road" Rust replied. "Right" she nodded. "So what's your name?" she asked "Rust" he replied. "That's a very unusual name," she said. "My father named me after…I don't know but he believed that every human being has some rust on him in any form and he just can’t get rid of it” he replied and shrugged. “I get it” she replied. “I’m Julissa by the way," she said while looking at Rust in the mirror. Rust nodded while looking back. "So why are you going back to the mall again?" Rust asked. "Well I bought something for my kids and now they don’t want it and I’m going to exchange that stuff…Kids” She smirked. Rust nodded. “Do you have any kids?” she asked. “No” Rust replied quickly. “Not even married” he continued. “Why? If you are okay to tell me that” Julissa asked.
"I don't know, I think I never found someone maybe," he said while looking outside the window. "I think you will find someone, you just need to be patient about it," Julissa said. Rust pulled over at the mall and Julissa got out and walked away. Rust looked at her till she walked inside the mall. Rust stood there for minutes and then parked at the spot where he could see the entrance and the way out of the mall. He was waiting for Julissa to come out like a predator.
After an hour when the moon came up and looked down over the world, Julissa came out and walked towards the road looking for a taxi when Rust stopped in front of her. "She looked inside and saw him. "Rust?" she asked. "Yes," he replied. "How are you here?" she looked confused. "I was just dropping a passenger, It looks like you need a ride," he said. "I do need a ride but…don't lie you were not dropping a passenger" she claimed as Rust looked down and started smiling. He took his hands off the steering wheel and hovered them up as a criminal. "You got me," he said.
She sat inside the taxi. "I thought it was not safe to let you be on your own like that because of the killing and crimes in the city that's why I said, why not wait and take a little nap too," he said as she looked at him with pureness in her eyes. She was smiling as she was too impressed with Rust at the moment. "That's too nice of you," she said.
Rust was driving in the dark and looked over at a dark alley, he slowed his car but then something came into his heart, it was a message, a message that told him something but he was unable to know what it meant. But for the first time his urge to kill died itself. He knew Julissa was someone else, someone he might not want to torture, someone to cherish as she was the one and he found her. He passed the alley and then looked at her through the mirror.
"So what about your husband?" Rust asked. Julissa was silent for a minute but then she said, "He is no more, he died…actually he killed himself" she said in disappointment. "I am sorry about that," Rust said. "No it's okay Rust, he was a bad man, he used to do drugs, beat me and was a complete mess, and it’s okay that he's dead," She said as Rust nodded. "Some people deserve to die right?" Rust said and tried to burn the matchstick. "Yeah I think so, I believe that men are either good or really bad," she said in a broken voice. Rust nodded as he pulled outside the apartment building.
As she was getting out of the taxi, she looked over at Rust and said, “You Rust are a good man” she looked him in the eyes. Julissa walked inside as Rust smiled and started to drive again. For the first time, he was genuinely happy.
But then the urge struck him and his eyes narrowed as he looked over at a drunk woman walking in the middle of the road. He slowed down and let her sit inside and then he drove into the darkness of the night.
Chapter 8
Batman
Brady was sitting on his chair in front of his desk hitting the space button on his computer continuously when Cole walked behind him. "He's here," Cole said as Brady suddenly stood up and walked towards the interrogation room.
They both walked into the room slowly to see a man standing in a black suit with a yellow tie tied to his neck as narrow as it could get. Cole was disappointed to see him. "Are you serious?" Cole said looking at Jackson. "It is my right and you cannot take it away from me!" Jackson shouted at Cole. Brady walked towards Jackson but was stopped in between by the lawyer. "Bruce Wayne" the lawyer gave his hand to him to shake. "As in batman?" Cole asked behind Brady. Silence took over as Bruce looked at him with a confused face.
"I will be here with Mr. Jackson," Bruce said. "Sure, the rich daddy of Jackson paid you good didn’t he," Brady said looking annoyed. Brady and Cole sat down in front of Jackson and looked him in the eyes. He looked scared until the lawyer came by. "Mister Jackson I asked about the text messages," Brady asked. "That detective is some personal info and I am sorry I can't let that out” Lawyer said. There was silence all over, the detective did not know what to say so they both got out of the room. “So?” Cole asked Brady outside the room. I don’t know, I think I need to get to the strict methods” Brady said “Well let’s fool them first” Cole said and smiled as they both walked back in.
“So Mr. Jackson tell me about that night?” Cole asked while sitting down. Jackson glanced over at his lawyer as he nodded.
"I already told you, detective, that we went to the theatre and then I called a taxi for her, then she went," Jackson said while looking right at them. "So do you remember the taxi driver or the taxi number plate?" Cole asked. "How am I supposed to?" Jackson replied with a question overpowering the detectives. "Fair enough," Brady said. "Thank you for coming sir" Cole continued.
“Wait is that it?” Jackson asked. The detectives walked outside without answering.
The precinct was nearly empty as everyone was packing and going home. Brady was sitting on his chair playing with the space bar on his computer continuously while Cole was packing up. The phone on Cole’s table rang. He picked up, Brady glanced at him. Cole’s face changed. He dropped his telephone back and looked at Brady with disgust. "Helena, a 22 years old woman, killed the same way found in an alley" Brady stood up and wore his jacket. "So it's not him, that coward Jackson can never do that" Brady said. "We need to find that sick son of a bitch" Cole looked at Brady with anger as his eyes widened.
Chapter 9
Coffee, Gift and a new neck to slaughter
Rust woke up suddenly on his little mattress as he was experiencing a nightmare. He quickly went into the bathroom and got out after twenty minutes, clean as a newborn after taking the shower. "He wore his clothes and went outside, sat in the taxi and drove off. He stopped outside a coffee shop and stared into its glass walls. He saw Julissa standing inside with her kids, laughing and drinking the coffee one sip at a time, her lips were wet with moisture of coffee and eyes filled with tiredness and days of sleepless nights. It was the biggest coffee shop in the city, Rust parked his taxi and went inside the shop. He looked at them sitting now on the table, conversing. Rust’s uninterrupted staring slowed the coffee line.
He grabbed his wallet and ordered one of their sweetest coffees. He was giving the cashier money when he felt a hand crawling up his back, he looked back and saw Julissa smiling at him. "Rust!" "Hey" he replied. '"How are you here today, I saw you here for the first time," she said in disbelief. "Yeah I thought I should give it a try," he said as she nodded. "Well if you're free you should join us," she asked in a soothing voice as Rust nodded with a smile.
After taking his coffee, he walked towards the table, the kids looked at him weirdly but Julissa smiled. They talked, about coffee and other things for some minutes as Rust made faces after taking every sip of the coffee. Julissa, stood up and grabbed her purse, "Hey you should join us tonight, its Joe's birthday and we're celebrating, we would like some company" she looked at him and stood there for his response. "Sure, I would love to," Rust said while looking at Joe. They walked out and disappeared in the crowd of potential targets for Rust.
Rust was sitting there alone, he knew to win Julissa he needed to win the kids first, and for her, he had to the most difficult of works. He drove to the nearest gift shop and browsed for an hour to get the perfect gift for Joe. It was the first time he was buying a gift, he was blank.
A girl came up to him as he was searching and looking here and there, she stood near him looking at him being confused. "Are you getting a gift for someone?" she asked. "Yeah" he replied. "I can help" she continued. Rust was annoyed as he said to himself, "Nosy extroverts". "So who are you getting the gift for?" she asked. "It's a boy, 10 years of age" Rust replied with nearly approximating the age. "Okay," she said and walked away, looking at the aisles of gifts.
Five minutes later she returned with a colorful box that had space ships over it, Rust did not know what it was. "I think he would like it, it's the trend in ten years older kids nowadays," she said as Rust nodded. He noticed her phone, an online taxi application was opened. She noticed him looking and creeped out. “Oh I’m sorry, I am a taxi driver actually and I can drop you wherever you want, just as a thank you for helping me” she smiled and nodded unknown of what she was going into. Rust paid for the gift at the counter and they both walked out. She sat in the taxi and he drove off.
Meanwhile, in the precinct, both Brady and Cole were sitting on their desks when an officer came, "Boss needs to see you both" they looked disappointed. "Oh, shit" Cole said as they both got up and walked towards the office.
Chapter 10
The Fight
They both walked in the office, smoke was filled in because of lieutenant's cigar addiction. He looked at them with eyes red with anger. Cole took the lead and sat on the chair first and Brady followed. Lieutenant bent over his desk with his cigar burning. "You both disgust me," He said. "Sir we- he cut Cole off. "Shut up Cole!" he shouted. "Another death, this time a formerly known celebrity was killed in daylight, the body was found in a corner of children's playground dammit!" he shouted again.
Cole and Brady both looked down. "How many more people do you want dead?" Lieutenant asked. "Sir we might have the situation in control" Cole tried to explain. "Really!, go on Cole enlighten me with your plan" Lieutenant paused. "Great you don't have anything do you?" the lieutenant said as Cole looked embarrassed.
"This case is official a national threat and now the government will do what needs to be done, you guys are done fooling around and failing continuously," Lieutenant said embarrassingly as he lost faith in two of his best detectives. Brady tried to talk but was cut off by Cole. “We will submit our files on the case" Cole said and got out of the room. Brady looked shocked at Cole's instant decision and stood in the room like a statue. Lieutenant signaled Brady and he walked out the door too.
Brady ran towards Cole, “Hey what the hell did you do in there!” he shouted in front of everyone. “We had nothing on the killer you knew it” Cole replied while sorting his files. “We could try harder man come on we have a clue, a taxi like Jackson said” Brady tried to convince but Cole continued to work on his files. “Cole! Come on dammit!” Cole paused and looked at Brady. “You think you will do all this and try to do good and that will redeem you from what you were but the truth Brady is that you are as bad as the killer, you ever think of yourself as a bad man?” Cole asked but whispered.
Brady’s rage was now seen in his eyes. “I was a bad man but at least I am trying Cole and of all people, you are the one telling me that, you know you are a failure, you couldn't even save your first marriage and is now cheating again!” Brady replied as everyone heard. Cole was the angriest he had ever been and he punched Brady. Brady replied with punches of his own and they both got aggressive and fought each other in their office.
Detectives came and separated them after struggling too hard but at last, Lieutenant came outside running. "You both in my office right now!" Lieutenant shouted pointing fingers at both of them.
"Both of you are suspended right now!" Lieutenant said. "Doesn't matter, I quit!" Brady said as he spat on the floor and left the room.
Chapter 11
The Birthday
Rust stopped outside the apartment building, the gift was wrapped inside the gift wrap and sitting on the passenger seat. He picked it up and walked towards the door. He had a new orange shirt, it was ironed perfectly and had no wrinkles even though he was sitting in the car before. He rang the bell and Jenny opened the door, she was wearing a pink dress and looked like a little princess, Rust smiled, "Hey princess" he said as she smiled at the appreciation and let him in. As he walked in he saw Julissa standing over at the counter and working on the blue creamed cake.
She saw Rust and a quick smile came onto her face, she walked towards him and greeted him. "Rust, you are on time, thank you for coming," she said with her eyes smiling as well as her mouth. Rust looked at her and nodded and made a sincere face. “Where is the big guy at” Rust asked while he looked around the apartment. “Oh, we locked him in his room before decorating," Julissa said as Rust looked around the apartment again and noticed balloons and decorations on the walls. "That is some kind of child abuse, to be honest," He said while Julissa walked back towards the cake but after hearing she turned back and smiled at Rust and then continued walking.
Rust turned his head back and saw Jenny struggling to put a swirly decoration on the wall as she was standing on the edge of the sofa. Rust walked and picked her up and helped her put the decoration. Julissa flipped her hair catching the moment and then just looked at them with a beautiful smile on her face as usual. After a while, they all walked towards Joe's room and opened the door and saw him sitting on his bed in a blue colored shirt. He ran outside and got excited to see all the decorations. He jumped around the apartment and then got caught by Julissa in a warm hug.
Rust stood there and saw it all with a smile on his face. Tears fell from Julissa's eyes and she let go, Joe. Joe with his sister went to see the cake leaving both teary-eyed Julissa and Rust. Rust put his hand over her shoulder and looked into her teary eyes. "You are an amazing mother to them Julissa" Rust threw facts at her. She chuckled, "Thanks, let's cut the cake now”. They both walked towards the cake and sat around the table.
The table was filled with smiles and laughs, people looking at each other, a perfect humane scene was seen at the table. Joe blew the 10-year-old candle and cut the cake. He then received his gifts and hugs. He opened the gifts and was surprised to see Rust's, Joe jumped off the chair and shouted, "Galaxy wars!" "That sounds too good, but you didn't have to Rust," Julissa said. "It's alright, I guessed that ten years old kids are interested in this stuff so I bought it, did you like it joe," Rust asked while smiling at Joe as he nodded speechlessly. "Very thoughtful of you" Julissa chuckled.
After eating food and talking, Julissa sat in a corner looking outside the window, Rust caught her crying and walked towards her. “Are you okay?” he asked as she panicky nodded. Rust knew something was off and he sat down near her. “I know something is not right, you can tell me” Rust insisted. “My husband had an orange shirt like you, he always wore it on special occasions, it reminded me of him, I think Joe and Jenny are incomplete with only me, I don’t think I can be enough for them” Julissa stopped. “And? Julissa you are going to be great for them and you should know that otherwise look at them, they wouldn't be happy if you were not enough" Rust said.
She looked at them while the kids played and then looked at Rust. "Thank you," she said as he nodded. "You know what I think, they need some ice cream to make this night even better" Rust stood up and walked towards the kids. "No Rust you don't have to" Julissa insisted. Rust turned back and walked towards Julissa and held her hands into his. As he looked into her soul, "I do…I do Julissa" he said and then walked while holding her hand.
“Let’s go, get some ice cream guys” Rust shouted and kids responded in “Yay”. Julissa looked happier than before and looked at Rust and kids bonding like a real father and kids, it was like a dream to her to see someone like Rust loving her kids.
Chapter 12
The Dream
A couple of months passed by as Rust got closer to Julissa and her kids, they started spending more time together as they knew that it was special and for a reason. Rust's urge was finishing as he only killed one person over time. He was happy for the first time in his life and felt stable but deep down there was still something eating him and the voices in his head were screaming and telling him to kill but he fought them as much as he could.
One night when the children were asleep, Julissa and Rust were sitting and drinking beer, they talked about their pasts and their presents. A feeling of affection could be felt between but both of them were scared to accept this big of a change in life and what promises it brought.
"Thank you for being there for me and my kids," Julissa said while holding Rust's hand. "No, thank you for being there for me, I was unstable before meeting you and now I am better” Rust replied. They both smiled and accepted the fact that they indeed completed each other. “I think my children need you and most importantly I need you Rust, you are a good man, someone I needed and prayed for every day, I dreamt of this life that I have with you Rust," Julissa said as tears fell out of her eyes and Rust wiped them off from her cheeks. "I will never let you cry Julissa, I think as much as you need me, I need you too and I think I do Love you," Rust said and grabbed her hands tightly.
They both looked at each other and smiled, as the affection increased and they both embraced each other.
The next whole month was like a dream for Rust, he became sane, he was happy and got married to the woman who accepted him. On the day of their marriage, Julissa wore a white dress and looked the most beautiful woman to Rust. Rust, on the other hand, wore a black suit. In this moment of his dream, he saw kids running around and people smiling, being happy, his urge now ended when he found what he was looking for, which was being accepted.
When the days of his dreams ended he found himself on the bed beside Julissa. While the television was on and the news said that the killer was unknowingly done killing, Rust chuckled over them and then looked at Julissa sleeping, he pushed the hairs away from her eyes and then went in the bathroom.
Chapter 13
A Year Later
A year went by and the city was then back to normal. The government shut down the case and the securities were lifted. Rust and Julissa lived a very happy life now with the kids and a newborn girl who came into their life and spread happiness. Rust became sane every day and lived happily with the first family he ever had.
Detective Cole on the other hand still worked as a detective in his department and was promoted back to his position after a year of the fight that demoted him. He lived with his wife happy as his secret was never out of the precinct.
Detective Brady was considered to be out of the town as no one ever heard or saw him. It made Cole suspicious about whether Brady had done something crazy. But Brady was somewhere secretive, hiding and continuing the investigation. Brady bought storage out in the city away from everyone he ever knew. He studied the case and the storage served as an office for him.
One night while Cole unlocked his car and sat down. He suspiciously looked out of the window as he felt something moved. Then out of the darkness, he saw a body walking towards his car from the back, he put the car in reverse and hit the gas pedal as hard as he could. The man as he saw behind jumped away from the car. Cole turned the car and headlights flashed on the resembling face which he remembered by the name of Detective Brady.
Cole quickly got out of the car and ran towards Brady who laid down on the ground. Cole grabbed him by his neck and tried to push him to stay down but Brady pushed him away. "What are you doing prick!" Brady shouted. "You destroyed my career dammit, I'm going to kill you," Cole said and grabbed Brady again. "I could've destroyed your marriage too but I didn't because I didn't want to Cole" Brady whispered as Cole grabbed his neck and slowly let him go. Brady coughed and Cole tried to catch his breath.
"I thought you were dead or something" Cole said. "You wish I was" Brady mocked in reply. They both stood up and headlights flashed on their faces as they saw each other after more than a year. Cole looked older than his age, hairs gone with a partially bald head. Brady, on the other hand, had wrinkled clothes for the first time and an uneven mustache. He looked skinnier than he used to be. “What the hell happened to you” Cole said while catching his breath. “Buy me a beer and I’ll tell you all” Brady replied as Cole walked towards his car.
"You sure this isn't a way to lure me in some alley and then killing me?" Cole asked as they sat in the car. "Maybe" Brady replied. They both chuckled. "It's nice to see you again," Cole said. "I would say the same but it's because of a reason that would concern you that's why I came here, otherwise I might not have seen your grumpy face," Brady said. "Fair enough" Cole replied.
Chapter 14
Storage
Brady and Cole reached a bar in the city, they sat down on a small table. After a minute when they were starting to talk a half-drunken skinny guy sat near them. Brady gave him a look. "Hey scoot away," Cole said coldly as the guy stood up and walked away casually.
Brady sighed. "Brother we left something undone, we have to fix it now," Brady said. Cole looked confused. "What exactly are you talking about?" Cole asked. "The slaughterer, he is still out there somewhere" Brady whispered. "Dude are you drunk already? He is done now, may be killed in a shootout or something but he is done, no killing in a year and also the case has been shut" Cole assertively explained.
"No, he is still out there, the government never found the guy" Brady whispered again. "They did, how would you know anyway, you quit on your job, I was there when they killed him" Cole said. Brady chuckled, "How much would you lie to yourself Cole?" Brady asked and Cole paused for a moment. Both were silent when the skinny man came back and sat down near them. Cole looked at him and then pushed him as the skinny man passed on the ground. Brady looked at him and sighed. He stood up, "Let's go," Brady said.
They both walked out as the people gathered around the skinny guy and some peed over him.
"I'll drive," Brady said as Cole tossed the keys over at him. While on the dark road silence took over the car but was broken soon as Cole looked outside the window. “There is something in the shadows that should remain as it is, you think I am stupid enough to believe that we killed the slaughterer? He is not killing anymore that’s what matters" Cole said. "I know you are not Cole, that' why I am taking you somewhere," Brady said. "Yeah, I forgot to ask, where are we going now?" Cole asked. "Somethings shall remain in the shadows," Brady said while smirking. “Don’t you dare use that on me!” Cole shouted.
Brady pulled the car outside a storage building. "I am truly scared now," Cole said. They both got out of the car and walked in. Brady opened the storage. Cole looked at him in surprise as Brady turned the light on and saw case files and papers all around a table. Cole walked in and saw the drawing and things written on the walls. "This is some real detective shit," Cole said as Brady closed the door. Brady gave Cole a seat to sit as he looked over at it and sat down.
Then Brady picked a file from his table and handed over to Cole. "This is my investigation, I found the real slaughterer Cole, and there is only one person who can help catch him, and that is you," Brady said and turned back at the table picking some more papers. "Wait what do you mean, and how can I help you?" Cole asked in a higher voice. "Shut up and read it," Brady said as he handed more papers to Cole. Brady walked outside while lighting up his cigarette as Cole opened the files.
Chapter 15
The Plan
While Brady lighted his third cigarette, Cole walked outside and stood beside him. Brady offered him the cigarette and he accepted it. Cole looked pale, scared and disappointed. "So how did you…do it all?" Cole asked while breathing in the cigarette. "Nothing difficult just had to travel through the city with all the registered taxi drivers, and ask questions from all the families who lost someone because of him" Brady replied taking back his cigarette. "But how are you sure about it?" Cole asked as Brady paused for a moment to take in the cigarette.
"Remember the last woman he killed, Alice, she didn't die, she was shut up by the government to not talk about it, but I found a way and talked to her, but something that bothers me is that he did not want to kill his last target, he even left her at a hospital and from there I got some information and concluded that Mr. Rust is indeed the slaughterer” Brady explained and took one big puff of the cigarette and gave it to Cole.
Cole chuckled, “Detective’s curse, it was always under our nose but we never gave attention to the right clues, Jackson told us about a taxi and we didn't care enough, we messed up," Cole said. "Yes we did, but now is the time to make it right brother, that man killed the women first and then raped them, he deserves the worst” Brady looked at Cole. “So what’s the plan?” Cole asked as he threw the cigarette.
“We catch him and this time actually kill him if needed, because you know the corrupted government won't let it out now, I have been looking over at him for three days now, it seems like he left all that stuff behind but still he deserves it right?" Brady asked. "He sure does" Cole replied. "We go to his apartment and take him out, what do you say?" Brady asked. "You are making it sound too easy, but I'm down for it, let's get that son of a bitch for real now," Cole said in anger.
Chapter 16
Kidnapped
The same night an hour before Brady and Cole’s meeting, Rust walked into the apartment. He locked the door and looked at a vas broken on the floor. He slowly walked inside the apartment and looked at the horrible situation.
The kids were sitting down on the floor in the corner and the whole apartment was upside down. Rust's face was white because of fear as he looked over at the kids who ran towards him and hugged him in fear, finding safety in the shape of him. "Where's your mother?" He asked Joe. "I don't know, some people came and they took her" Joe replied while sobbing.
"What-what people, did they say something," Rust asked in a panic. Joe remained quiet. "They said to tell him we are Red jackets, and they gave this" Joe said while he held a piece of paper in front of his face. Rust panicked and grabbed the paper from his hand.
Rust stood up like a bullet and ran towards the door, he opened it but then returned. He held the kids from their arms softly and took them in the bedroom where the newborn laid. "Stay here, I will be back with your mother," Rust said to Joe as he nodded with his scared face not knowing what was happening. He closed the door on his way back and ran towards a drawer.
Rust searched through all his keys and then put one odd key in the drawer as it opened with a strange noise. “He briefly looked inside, and then put his hand in and grabbed a knife that he used to use before and then grabbed a pistol. He put both the things in his pocket and ran outside to save the only person he cared about in the world. He sat in the taxi and glanced over at the piece of paper that had the address. He arrived at the place without looking at the address again as he was experienced and knew the city by heart.
He sat in the taxi for a few minutes as the road was empty and was a dead-end in front. He saw a building on the right that looked abandoned from years. Rust got out of the car and stood with his face towards the abandoned building.
He heard a footstep from behind and he quickly turned back. Before he could see he felt an impact on his head. Rust tried to look but his sight blurred and he fell. He was faint as dead.
Chapter 17
The Red Jackets
Cole stopped his car in front of Rust’s apartment. They walked in with their pistols loaded and in their hands. They saw the apartment door and got shocked as it was slightly open. They walked in and saw thigs upside down. They saw no one in the apartment but then Brady heard a kid crying. They walked into the bedroom and saw the kids sitting on the bed.
The kid’s started crying after seeing the pistols in their hands. Cole and Brady quickly put the pistols back and walked towards them. Joe came in front of his siblings and looked the detectives in their eyes with anger. “Hey we will not hurt you, we are police, and we will help you," Cole said as he came closer to Joe. "Where's your dad?" Brady asked as Cole gave him a grumpy look.
“He went to save Mom” Joe replied as he embraced Cole’s hand over his head. “Do you know where they are? “Brady asked. Joe nodded. Jenny looked at Cole and shouted. “They were wearing red jackets!” Brady and Cole both looked at each other in bewilderment. Brady ran outside like a lightning bolt.
“I will be back alright?” Cole said to the kids as he walked outside, but he came back again. He reached in his pocket and took his wallet out. He grabbed some cash and gave it to Joe. “And if I don’t, just use it and try to be safe”. He said and rushed outside as he heard his car horn.
He sat in the car with an angry face. “You never told me he had kids, you asked me to kill him in front of his kids” Cole shouted as Brady started the engine. “I know it was wrong but we need to think it through now because now it has to do something with the red jackets," Brady said and Cole became silent.
Red Jackets were a gang in the city, which was responsible for all the wrongdoings but was never caught doing any. Brady worked with the red jacket when he was a teenage boy.
"It is dangerous to go there," Cole said. "We are going there," Brady said before Cole even finished the sentence. Cole looked at him, "I didn't sign up to die, they will kill us the second we put our foot over there, and you know your history with them, they will shoot you when they see you!" Cole shouted louder than the radio in the car bursting 70's songs.
"I know, but we have to do this, to save people, to do something good, that's what you have signed up for," Brady said and they both took the dark road towards life-taking danger. "And we might catch the red jackets considering that they possibly held hostage of a woman and have a serial killer with them," Brady said. "It's a long shot but let's try" Cole said and brought a box from under the car seat and opened it.
He took two pistols from it and countless bullets. "That's the Cole I deserve," Brady said as he increased the speed of the car.
Chapter 18
The fire
Rust's eyes opened and he saw a fire burning in front of him. He found himself laying on the ground with his hands tied in the back. He had a severe headache as he could feel the blood in his hair. He sat on the ground and looked into the fire. His vision was still not fully back. Rust was shocked to see who was on the other side of the fire.
Julissa was sitting with her head down and scratches all over her body. As soon as Rust saw her he tried to get up but then a couple of big men came from behind and hit him on his legs with baseball bats. Rust cried and fell back down. Julissa noticed and saw Rust. She looked broken and out of the world. Her hairs pulled off and her face was swollen because of the bruises. They both exchanged looks for a minute and tried to take everything in.
A dark man walked towards Julissa from behind, “Hey!” Rust cried in a broken voice. Without answering the man came and stood beside Julissa with a pistol pointing at her head. Rust shivered and looked at him, he had flashbacks of this resembling face. He was scared as he tried to sit back but couldn’t as his legs were not moving. The man smiled.
"Hey Rust, I know you remember me," the man said as Rust looked into his eyes as his face became pale. Rust while laying down on his stomach nodded. "Now you would also remember that you killed my wife, and we talked after that". The man in the red jacket said as he clinched the pistol on top of Julissa harder. Rust looked at Julissa as his secret opened. "Don't worry I told her about your whole thing, she was angry I think" he looked at her as she was dizzy and out of the world. "Well before she was drugged," the man said while smirking. "Look you have a problem with me, don't involve her please" Rust begged while tears fell off his cheeks.
“Come on Rusty, I told you years before that the only way I will take revenge from you is by taking the life of someone you loved, now at that moment I thought I messed up and should’ve killed you because you would never care about someone, but oh boy how the tables have turned now”. The man said while looking at a helpless Rust. “And I have to give it you buddy, she is a wonderful woman, trust me I tested her, and she gets wild after the drugs, and these scratches, well I am guilty of them I’m sorry” the man touched her scratches as Julissa moved away in pain, the man looked at her and chuckled.
Rust tried to stand up quickly and attack the man but then the two guards broke every bone of his legs. Rust cried like a baby while he looked at the pistol hanging over Julissa’s head. “I beg you please don’t do it” Rust whispered knowing the man won’t stop.
"What the hell am I doing!" the man yelled looking at his pistol. He threw the pistol away and took a knife out of his pocket. It was Rust's knife that he used to kill other women. The man looked like the devil while he put the knife on Julissa's neck as she was dizzy, but Julissa looked at his face and then looked in the soul of Rust through his eyes. Rust nodded as he begged the man not to do it. “You deserve it Rust, don’t run away from your punishments for what you did, I was wrong…you’re not even bad, you’re the worst man" Julissa came back in the world as the drugs wore off. Both their eyes were filled with tears. "Nice last dialogue girl, I like you even more," the man said and then looked at Rust as he slit through Julissa's neck.
Chapter 19
Deserving
Blood splattered all around and on the face of Rust. The warm blood covered all the tears he had cried. He sobbed like a newborn baby. Julissa's body contorted until all the blood came out. Rust on the other side of the fire was laying down with his bloodied face on the ground. The man threw the knife in the fire. "I hope you understand the pain now Rust" the man spoke in a serious tone for the first time.
The guards untied Rust’s arms and they walked away leaving only both dead Rust and Julissa there. Rust used his hands to pull himself towards Julissa, he cried and then pulled himself until he could touch her hairs with his hands. "I'm sorry, this was all my mistake," he said with his broken voice. "I meant no harm to you," he said as he grabbed her hand filled with blood and kissed it. The blood on the ground was all over him.
Rust was crying without a stop but then looked at the fire. He saw the knife still in its right form. He went towards the fire, pulling his lifeless body.
He put his hand in and screamed until he grabbed the knife in his hand. He threw the knife on the ground and let it cool down before killing himself.
In the meantime, he looked at Julissa's dead body again and cried the last tears.
He heard footsteps coming near him and he went for the knife again.
“Detective Cole! Put your hands on your head” Cole ran towards the fire as his pistol was loaded and ready to shoot whatever came ahead. Brady walked behind him with his pistol. They both ran and stood by the fire and were shocked to see the scene. Rust was pulling himself towards the knife even though he saw them coming. The Detectives saw Julissa dead on the ground and were shocked.
"What the hell happened here?" Brady asked Rust. Rust continued his journey towards the knife without answering. Brady picked up the knife and threw it in the fire again. Rust looked at the knife in as it started melting. Rust started laughing. "I didn't do this it was not me" Rust cried. "I know but you deserve this. Did you call backup Cole?" Brady replied. “Yeah” Cole replied. Rust saw the pistol on the ground and reached towards it without the detectives knowing it. He picked it up and opened fire towards the detectives.
The detectives backed out saving themselves. Rust shot carelessly but then a voice struck into his brain. “You should not run from your punishment, you deserve this”. Rust stopped firing and then put the pistol on his head. He was ready to shoot. “No!” cried Brady and shot towards the pistol. The bullet hit his hand and pistol went flying into the fire.
The detectives ran towards him as Rust cried, “I deserve this!” Cole came near him. “That’s it” He stood upon Rust and shot the bullet in the back of his head. Rust suddenly kept and quietly got what he deserved at last. Brady stood behind Cole and sighed. "It was a shootout, so we won’t have any trouble” Cole said as Brady sighed again and looked up as he accomplished something. "Hallelujah," Cole Brady whispered to himself.
Chapter 20
The New Chief
Cole and Brady were driving back from the crime scene towards the station for the statements. The radio blasted, "The real slaughterer was found dead in an unknown ground with his last slaughter". They both looked at each other and gave each other a look of discomfort. "We know he didn't kill his wife," Brady said. "Yeah but as you said he deserved it, and we can't always just find everything, It was impossible to catch the ones who set him up for this, but we did it, we found the slaughterer" Cole replied while turning towards the station. He stopped in the parking lot and they both got out.
“They still don’t know you were behind all of this, you can still take your deserving credit” Cole said to Brady as he locked the car. Brady did not answer. "Maybe it will help get your job back, and we can be a team again," Cole said. Brady chuckled. "No Cole, I'm done, the day I said I quit that was the day I promised myself to never be here ever again, I can't go back," Brady said.
Cole nodded while he grabbed the case files. “And I can’t stop from you being the new chief now with this case," Brady said as he walked away and disappeared. Cole smiled as he walked away and clinched the files and walked inside.
Cole was greeted with huge claps as he walked inside the station. People patting his shoulder and most of all he saw the City manager standing by the chief’s office showing him the way in. Cole looked back once again and nodded to Brady walking far away knowing that Brady did it all for him. He walked into his new office and sat on the chair he once dreamed of.
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