Page 13 of The Silent Night Stalker
That waswaytoo close.
Four more days.
Now I need to prepare. It’s almost time. No more following and watching him. Everything needs to be planned down to the smallest detail and potential risks, especially since he’s a fighter and bigger than me. He’ll need a higher dose of ketamine. I want him incapacitated, but I don’t want him fully out of it or to suffer. Most importantly, he needs to see me before he takes his last breath. He needs to know that I’m there as his deliverance. His savior.
When it’s over, the clean-up is always the hardest part. I make sure I’m covered head to toe, but still, there’s always the chance I’ll leave behind a hair or something to mark my DNA. If he fights me, it puts me at risk. I need to be ready for that.
Chapter 6
Enzo
Haveyoueverhadthe feeling that you’re being watched? It’s tingly in the back of your mind, or the hair rises on your neck. That’s been me for nearly a week. I can’t shake the feeling that someone is out there, watching my every move. It doesn’t matter if I’m at home, at the gym, or fucking grocery shopping. I constantly feel like I’m not alone, so I’ve been having to keep a loaded gun close by at home, and a knife on me when I’m out in public. My body itches with wariness and tension from it, and I’m still hurting over Enrique’s death.
We haven’t found Enrique’s killer yet, so now I’m beginning to believe they’re hunting me next. We don’t even know why he was taken out. I mean, his death was execution style, so it must be gang-related. It has me perpetually on high alert, on top of my grieving. It’s stressing me the fuck out.
On top of everything else, I’m getting impatient. It’s taking too damn long to find his killer. I’ve called Alfonzo a couple of times, but he doesn’t have any answers for me. All my willpower to keep from calling and nagging over and over to Alfonzo is nearly depleted. I’vealready pissed him off a couple of times, so I need to back off, as much as I hate it.
Now it’s Christmas Eve, and I’m alone. I don’t feel like celebrating the holidays without Enrique. He was truly my only family. He was my brother. It won’t ever be the same without him.
My phone suddenly rings, and I answer it. Alfonzo’s calling me. Fuck, did he finally find Enrique’s killer? Please, please, please tell me he did.
“Halcón,” I greet, out of breath and gripping my phone tightly in my hand.
“Enzo. How are you?”
“It’s an honor that you’re calling me, sir.”
And it is. It’s rare for him to call someone like me, a person lower on the rung of hierarchy, but he’d always been taken by Enrique and me.
“I unfortunately do not have the news you are seeking. I’m waiting, and there are some leads, but that is not why I’m calling. We would like you over for dinner tonight. I realize it is last-minute, but Marianna insists I should ask you, though I explained to my beloved wife that you are still not well.”
My gut clenches with nerves because turning down Halcón isn’t the smartest move. But he’s also given me an out, so I take it. “Please tell your wife I am grateful to her for her kindness, but you’re right. I’m not in a good place to socialize right now.”
He’s silent for a minute before he breathes heavily, probably debating whether to convince me to change my mind on her behalf. Instead, he says, “I understand. How is your training coming for the fight? Will your face be ready after Manny bested you?”
“Yes, I’ll be ready. I’m training every day.”
“You will win, yes? I have placed a great deal of confidence and money on you.”
“Manny beat me because it was the night Enrique was found. I assure you my mind will be clear. I’ll win for you.”
I’ve been studying my opponent thoroughly. Cruz is in my weight class, and while he’s good at fighting, I’m better. And I’ve yet to lose a fight.
“Very good. I will trust you.”
“Thank you, Halcón”
“Good night then.”
Before I can say ‘bye,’ he’s hung up.
I shove my phone into the back pocket of my jeans and head outside to stand on my porch before lighting up a cigarette. I take a drag as I stare out into the blackness. There are some porch lights on from the other homes, but most are off. And one solitary streetlight illuminates the block. There are a few homes with colored Christmas lights, but this is an impoverished area, so many don’t really decorate the outside.
Usually, my house has some colored lights and a wreath on the door, but I couldn’t be bothered this year for obvious reasons.
I can afford a better home, but this is the first house I purchased after getting a job running some weapons with the Diablos Carmesí. The pay had been enough to put down on this dump. Eventually, I fixed it up and made the place my own after pulling in some decent money selling weapons and fighting, on top of training potential fighters at the gym. So, I do pretty damn well. I’ve grown attached to the place and don’t feel the need for a bigger home. It’s just me, so why bother?
When I take a drag of my smoke, I get that fucking tingling again. Someone’s watching me. Smoking in the darkness makes me a targetevery time I take a drag, but I don’t care. Something pulls me out here. Something is hovering, hiding, and waiting. I canfeelit. I can sense the imaginary fingers slowly wrapping around my throat to choke the life out of me. It’s ominous. Foreboding. And I can’t fucking shake it.
