A storm brewed on the sea beyond the horizon. It was a cold, dark night on the bay outside the city. Looking out, i could see the pallet. The blending of gray to navy then transitioned to black. The flicker of white was dulled by the layers of gray. As I turned, the wind pushed up against me. My jacket did its best to hold on to my body. With my back against the sea, my eyes gazed in wonder on the beauty in front of me, my beloved city. She never looked more beautiful. Her fingers reaching up with her many diamond rings. Her dark beauty stretched all the way to the grey above me. Between each of her fingers were the luminous pearls that shined on the silk scarfs. Each night i can feel her stirring, trembling in fear. I learned early that my love was infected. She was plagued with crime.Crime that festered like maggots on an open wound. She was suffering each night. With a beauty like her, there was bound to be trouble. Each night i could hear her gentle plea in the wind. She came to me, only me. No one else heard her; no one else bothered to.
I struggled to take five steps to be closer to her beauty. My nose was itching, but a runny nose and the chills were the least of my problem. My clothes were soaked and my shoes were encased in the remaining concrete that i couldn't chip off. A lone harbor lamp lit the area around me. The gray was growing darker above me. The light offered minimal in both warmth and sight. I wrapped my arms around my chest beneath my coat and made my way down the pier. Reaching into my coat pocket, I found my keys: two for my apartment and one to my 51 hornet. I examined my keys closer; my apartment keys were bent. I figured from the tussle I had earlier with Raph.
Raph! I almost forgot. I remembered the events than transpired, putting me at this exact moment in time. I was searching the crates on Pier 12. I heard a pipe behind me clank. The moment turned, headlights blinded me and I was struck in the right side of my face. I fell backwards, scraping my palms. The dark figure lifted the pipe above his head, intending to bash my head in. He didn't get the chance. I launched a kick into his groins and he let out a squeal in agony. Two more figure emerged from behind the headlights. I picked myself up and pulled my keys out of my right pants pocket. I worked my two door keys between my index and middle finger. While the first man laid on the ground gasping, I took a swing at the second man. He came rushing at me with appeared to be a billy club. I grabbed his right arm with my left and swung with my right. He fell to the ground, and I leaned in, still grasping his collar to lay in two more blows. I felt warmth washing over my cheek. It ran down to my chin and dripped on to my sleeve. I was breathing hard and i struggled to calm myself. My mind almost went completely blank. The rage was swelling, but I had to keep a leveled head. Wait a minute... where was the third guy?
A gun cock echoed in my ears, and I could faintly smell cologne. I turned to the side. There he was, the third man about 12 feet from me. You see, he was smart. With the right hand placement, you can overpower a guy holding a blunt object. But with a bullet, how can you overpower anyone especially at this distance.
" Roman wanted to tell you personally, but he couldn't make it. Looks like retirement came early for you detective." The man's face was hidden in the shadows behind the lights. He stood between the two hoods. His gun was pointed right between my eyes.
"Why couldn't he tell me himself?" I was in a bad position. My eyes struggled to make out him. I was squinted, blocking out as much light to make him out. It was useless.Then it hit me, that strong odor. "You know with that cologne, it made think for a second that you were Raph." I stepped closer, my hands still to my side.
" I guess that's why youz a detective, ayy?" I saw his head tilt in the shadow, but not enough to reveal anything." How's ya mother Eddie?" He took a step closer, but it still wasn't enough.
" Good. She's probably hoping to see me tomorrow around lunch" I take two baby steps. My eyes were fixated on the dark area above his shoulders.
" Hold it! Where you think ya goin'?" His tone was too calm. He was still ten feet away from me. " Bless your mother, she's a wonderful woman and best cook on the street. I love to go down around lunch time to her bistro. Not many good places open around there that can serve like her... How old is she, by the way?"
My voice is stuck in my throat. I choke to reply. " 52." I needed to act fast, I didn't like where this conversation was heading.
"52, eh? Roman he loves your mother a lot too. Yeah, says she has the best spaghetti he ever tasted, perfect amount of sugar and pepper." He hesitated, the two fellows on the ground were moving more. I needed to go now.
" You ever hear about little Nick?" My mind stopped. My eyes involuntarily widened." Good fella, good boy. He worked for me and Roman. This was way, way back. I wasn't such an old man then. You see, Nicky boy was a sweet kid,but his mother was sick and he needed money. So he comes to me and says," Raph i need your help, my mother is sick and needs medication." I said, anything you need, me and Roman will help. So we put Nicky on to the streets, and it starts booming. He racking in money, tons of it each week. In no time, he's able to pay for his mother's medication. But after three months, we notice Nicky's coming in shorter than before. Turns out, Little Nicky boy, he was keeping a share of the money. Can you believe that, stealing from Roman and me? So what does Roman do? Well he's got to make an example of the kid. So, Nicky boy comes home one night, his mother sitting in the kitchen, across from Roman. I'm sat in the living room, sipping a pop, minding my own business. I didn't look, not one peep, but i heard only bits. Roman asked Nicky to sit down and talk with him. After five minutes, I don't know what happened. What Nicky said to set Roman off, I'll never know. I looked over my shoulder and saw Roman pull back his chair and off Nicky's mother. The boy was screaming. I don't know what he was thinking, but Nicky grabbed the kitchen on the counter and ran to Roman. Without a flinch, Roman fired off three into Nicky. That boy fell back and hit the edge of the counter."
Raph, stood silent for a minute. He walked closer and closer to me. His face was finally in the headlights. "You see, Roman killed Nicky and his mother, because that boy was stealing from our business. Unfortunately, you have been muscling and hurting our business." His eyes were fixated on mine. They were cold; no life behind its lenses. " Shame, your mother doesn't deserve that..."
Bingo.
" You're right, she doesn't." I lunged forward, he fired and missed. I threw the billy club I apprehended from the second goon at Raph's chin. He fell back, grabbing the hood of the car to prop himself up. He lost his grip on the gun. I sprinted at him, landing a high-kick to his jaw. I grabbed his collar and dished out five hooks with the keys. He surprised me with a block to my right arm and hit me with an uppercut. I stumbled back. My jaw was buzzing, but that didn't stop me. I twisted my body and pushed myself back up. He stood a foot in front of me and met my ascension with a bear hug. I gasped for air, until he released his grip and flung me to the ground. Raph tried to stomp my chest in, but I grab his ankle and twisted it with one loud crack. He fell down, holding his leg and screaming. I crawled to him, throwing his arms to the side and threw in twelve ambidextrous hooks. I grabbed his collar, laying in three jabs. My heart was pounding like a greyhound on the racing track. But then I hear a familiar clank from my left side. I turned and was met with black. I laid on my side, my head pounding with pain. I felt the warmth of veins meeting the cold air. I got pulled to my feet and bent for back, barely standing right. Raph threw six shots to my ribs and a left hook to my cheek.
" You got nice shoes sonny, but i think you're going to love the new ones i brought you." My mind scrambled all over. I couldn't think straight. I'm was losing it. My eyes were closing by themselves. No, I can't, not now. But I was tired, I didn't want to go. My beauty, she needed me. My city was suffering yet here I was, tired and bleeding. I was too weak, not fast enough to dodge that pipe. I feel my limp body being raised. I was weightless for a moment before I was met with cold water. I felt an eruption in my eardrum. The air escaped from my lungs. I sank to the bottom of the bay. My heart grew heavy and its pace slowly diminished. I failed my city. Her beauty, I would never gaze upon it again.
I'm sorry my lovely... MOTHER!
No, I can't give up. My mother, I'm all she has. I can't leave. My city needs me, but my mother! I need her. I don't want to lose her. I can't lose her. My eyes broke open from their slumber, The sea of emerald held me, pushing itself into my lung. I exhaled hard. Looking down, my legs are encased in concrete. NO!, not now, not this. My breath is going. My mind fading into black. Ahhh, to heck with this. I grab a stone from the pile next to me. I squat lower and start pounding. Each hit, the concrete's grip loosens. I won't die like this. I won't let my mother die like that, not by Roman Prosetti. I slammed harder and harder. My pace grews faster. I screamed in the noiseless void.
I finally smashed the boot and start clawing to the surface. I ascended faster than I ever could have. My city may have needed me, but right now, my mother needed me more than ever. I can hear her voice calling out for me, tearfully begging me to come home. I broke the surface of the water and started climbing the pier. Pounding heavier than before, my heart pained me. I swallowed each breath down. My lungs almost bursts, but there was not time. I climbed over the railing, gasping. The air was brisk and chilled, whipping around me. Shivering, I looked up to the sight of the sea. A storm was coming.
