When the Night Calls Read online

  “You pussy,” the man said and burst into laughter.

  He doubled over and put his hands on his knees. The light illuminated his face and Daniel sighed then started to grin.

  “Tom, Tom Naph…get the fuck outta here!”

  “Geez, when did you become such a girl, Danny boy?” Tom asked as he ran a silver comb through his hair. “You almost shit yourself.”

  “Yeah, you fruity bastard, this ain’t the place you wanna make friends with a stranger. Jesus, you gave me a damn heart attack.”

  Tom shook his head and chuckled. “I guess the rumors are true.”

  “What rumors?” Daniel cut his eyes.

  “I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard it. Real awful stuff they were saying about you.”

  “Yeah, you gonna let me hear it or do I have to beat it out of you?”

  Tom had a sly grin on his face. “Just girls talking, Danny, nothing to get all bent out of shape over. I mean it’d bother me a bit, but that’s just me. Like I said, looks like the rumors are true.”

  Daniel jumped at him and Tom put his hands up in a pleading gesture.

  “Okay, okay…I heard through the grape vine that the bad ass sniper I once knew was giving strippers fake tits in the Big Easy. Judging from this shady garage and your odd hours, seems they weren’t that far off.”

  “Well shit, can’t spend my whole life hiding in bushes. I’m doing my civic duty,” Daniel laughed and patted Tom on the arm. “So, what brings you down here? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind the visit, but it’s been years.”

  “Tracking you down wasn’t easy, you’re a hard man to find. I had to bribe a midget and payoff a goat for the intel,” Tom said.

  Daniel laughed.

  “Seriously though, I took this security gig that led me to Louisiana. Figured I’d see how far you’d fallen while I was at it.”

  “Hmm, so you’re still trying to relive your glory days, huh?” Daniel asked sarcastically.

  “Hey, don’t get mad at me if you aint got it no more. You know what they say? Those that can, do and those that can’t...”

  “Give strippers fake tits,” Daniel finished. “So, where ya staying?”

  “Down the road at the Hilton. Hey, sorry about missing the wedding by the way. I was you know…off the grid.”

  “Yeah, yeah don’t worry about it, I don’t’ even want to hear who you were hiding from. No hard feelings, you can meet the misses tonight after the bar.”

  “The bar?”

  “Yeah, I’m meeting Victor for a drink.”

  “Victor!” Tom said in surprise. “How’s that fat fucker doing? You mean to tell me he’s a surgeon now?”

  “Yeah, we’ve been at this gig together for maybe five years. He’s damn good, but you know him. Give him a little power and he’ll try to stick his dick in everything that walks in the door.”

  They both laughed.

  “So, Montague Medical huh? After-hours plastic surgery, what’s that all about?” Tom raised an eyebrow.

  “You know, hookers don’t really work banker’s hours,” Daniel replied.

  "Okay, okay...you gonna bust my balls all night? Sorry about insulting your life's work.

  “Nah, just more convenient…more of a niche really, but it pays the bills.”

  Tom smiled and looked at the black BMW. "Well you certainly seem to be doing alright. I'm thinking I should've followed your lead. Anyway, let me run back to the hotel for a few and I’ll meet you at the bar. Then you can show me this cow you decided to marry.”

  Daniel chuckled. “You never change." Shaking his head, he took a pen out of his bag and scribbled an address down, then handed it to Tom.

  “Guess I’ll see you there,” Tom grinned. He stuffed the paper into his coat pocket then wrapped his arms around Daniel. Squeezing him in a bear hug, he lifted him off the ground.

  “Calm down, big guy,” Daniel grunted.

  “Ha! Guess the married life has made you weak,” Tom said and set Daniel back down. “So, I’ll see you in a few then.”

  With a nod, he began to walk off. He put his hands into his pockets and whistled as he vanished back into the shadows.

  Daniel turned back to his car. He swung open the door and tossed his brief case into the backseat.

  “Tom Naph,” he chuckled. “Who would’ve thought?”

  Daniel had known Tom since elementary school. But it wasn’t until their time together in the war that he really got to “know” him. After the things they’d been through one could easily say they were best friends. Although they’d fallen out of contact over the years, Daniel didn’t trust anyone more than Tom. It was hard not to feel a sense of brotherhood with someone who’d saved your life a dozen times.

  Daniel left the garage behind and headed down the street to the local bar. When he pulled up to the bustling pub there wasn’t a parking spot in sight. He drove a little further down the road and ended up parking in an empty lot almost half a mile away.

  Cursing the cold, he quickly strode down the street. Even though it was close to two in the morning, crowds of people were stumbling up and down the sidewalk. They bobbed in and out of the different bars which didn’t close until sun up.

  After walking for an eternity, Daniel stepped into the smoke-filled warmth of Whistling Joe’s. He could immediately tell that Victor had consumed a few too many drinks. He was encircled with a large group of large women. Boisterously, he was explaining how through his able hands, they could have the body they’d always dreamed of.

  The group of ladies obviously had too much to drink as well. They took turns allowing Victor to guess their cup size, weight, and other measurements by fondling their breasts.

  “Hey, Daniel, over here,” Victor yelled. He waved furiously like he was trying to swat a fly. “That’s my counterpart ladies, but hands off he’s married. You’re all mine.”

  Daniel rolled his eyes as he made his way to the table. Sighing, he ordered a shot of bourbon then turned to Victor. “So, guess who showed up at the office after you left?”

  “You lucky bastard, Meg came back for some one on one, huh? Come on, Daniel, you know I’ve been working on that piece of ass for months,” Victor replied anxiously.

  A skinny, dark-haired waitress sat a small cup onto the table and turned to walk away. Victor grabbed her wrist and winked at her as she pulled her arm back. Daniel eyed him for a moment and then drained the glass of bourbon.

  “You know, Vic…you’re a lawsuit waiting to happen.” He shook his head and ordered another drink. “Anyway, like I was saying, Tom Naph stopped by.”

  “Tom…Tom! Holy shit, I thought that guy would definitely be in some POW camp eating his own fingers by now.” Victor clapped his hands together and laughed.

  “Yeah, well he’s here and should be headed down pretty soon.”

  Victor threw his arms around two of the women and leaned back. “Well as long as he knows this is my town we should be okay.”

  Daniel suppressed a laugh.

  “What is he doing down here anyway?” Victor continued.

  “Some security thing. I’m taking him to meet Monica after we leave here,” Daniel said and raised his hand for another drink.

  “Oh no, you mean he hasn’t met the warden yet?”

  “Don’t be an ass, Vic.”

  “Yeah sure, but check out the set on this brunette. Cindy, right? She had ‘em done over at Glazer’s office, that farsighted bastard. It looks like there’s a good three hundred cc difference between each one. Oh now, honey don’t cry. We can definitely fix that.”

  Victor loved to brag about his skills at shaping the female body. Sad thing was he was damn good. And there’s nothing worse than a conceited bastard that’s actually right.

  “Somebody get this broad a drink, so she can drown her sorrows,” Victor shouted to the bartender.

  Ignoring Victor, Daniel finished another glass of bourbon. He had just sat the cup down when out of nowhere, a wave of Guinness splashed ove
r his face.

  “Shut your damn mouth!” someone yelled.

  As Daniel wiped the thick beer from his eyes, he looked up and found a burly man standing over Victor. He was wearing a stained white tank top, with sprinkles of chest hair sticking out like dry grass. He had one arm around Cindy, her face pressed against a pizza stain as she sobbed into the filthy shirt.

  “Get your fat ass up! You need to learn some respect!” the man raged.

  “It’s ok, Doug,” Cindy whimpered, attempting to quell the situation.

  Victor laughed and threw several twenty-dollar bills onto the table. “Yeah, Doug it’s ok, why don’t you sit down and have a drink sir.” He patted the man on his shoulder then turned to continue speaking to Daniel. “So how long is Tom gonna be here?”

  With his honor insulted, Doug was left with little choice. He let go of Cindy and grabbed a half-empty bottle of Smirnoff. With a deathly scowl on his face, he raised it high into the air. In one swift motion, he brought the bottle crashing down towards Victor’s balding head.

  Daniel jumped up at speed only matched by wild animals. He caught the bottle in one hand and grabbed Doug’s wrist with the other. With a quick twist, Doug found himself on the floor staring up at the dirty ceiling fans.

  “What the hell?” Daniel glared down at him. “Are you crazy, asshole?”

  "Doug!" Cindy cried out.

  She rushed to his side as Daniel took a step back. Doug shoved her away and slowly shuffled to his feet. As he brushed off his pants he stared Daniel and glared at Victor. Biting his lip, he clenched his fist and grunted.

  “Hey!” Daniel snapped.

  Doug blinked, then his eyes slowly met Daniel’s, and the look that was returned had no hint of pleasant intentions. Gone was the plastic surgeon, gone was the mild-mannered husband. What stood there now was a killer. A man without compassion, a man that had done things that even God couldn’t forgive.

  "You!" Doug growled. "Touch me again and your fat friend won't be the only one who's gonna need an ambulance."

  "I don't think so," Daniel said and took another step toward him.

  "Come on, Doug let's just go, please," Cindy pleaded.

  She grabbed Doug by the arm and pulled him toward the door. He started to resist and jabbed his finger at Victor.

  "Next time buddy!"

  With that, he wheeled around and kicked the door open. Cursing under his breath, he charged outside. Cindy quickly ran after him, sobbing as she went.

  “Whew, close one, Dan. Thought I was gonna have to rough somebody up,” Victor said as he burst into a fit of laughter. Still chuckling, he grabbed another glass and began to gulp the amber colored liquid.

  Daniel watched him with agitation. Victor was such a spineless prick. He’d almost gotten his ass beaten to death and here he was bragging to ladies as if he’d stormed the beaches of Normandy. Daniel's anger felt like it was about to boil over.

  "I tell you what ladies, that guy was two seconds from bringing out the monster in me. He's glad Daniel stepped in when he did. I got a dark side and he almost met him."

  "Victor, shut the hell up," Daniel snapped.

  "What? Come on, Danny, you know I'm just kidding."

  “That guys long gone by now. Just… just go home, Vic,” Daniel said stern-faced as he pointed at the door.

  Victor gave him a compunctious look then stood up. “I…I,” he mumbled.

  Daniel glared at him and narrowed his eyes. Frowning, Victor scurried out of the bar into the cold night. He looked back one last time, then hurried to his car.

  Daniel put his face into his hands and let out a long sigh. He hadn’t lost his temper in a while, hadn’t felt that rage that brought back so many familiar memories. He felt guilty, he felt wrong, but it felt so good to lose it for even just a little bit.

  Daniel looked around the bar. There were two girls still sitting at the table across from him. One was a chubby blonde and the other was thin with black hair and green eyes. They smiled and licked their lips then slid closer to him.

  “I liked your moves. Maybe I can buy you a drink,” the heavier one said. Her lips were smeared with a cheap red lipstick, her eyes caked with mascara.

  “Or just take you home,” the other woman added and they both giggled.

  “Ladies,” Daniel mumbled. Without another word, he stood up and headed to the bar. He took a seat on one of the rickety stools and stared into a dusty bowl full of cashews.

  “Beer,” he said as he flagged down the bartender.

  Leaning his head back, Daniel yawned. He stretched his arms then brought his head to rest on his hands. Damn Victor and his big mouth, he thought. Somebody’s gonna kill that guy.

  “Closing out your tab?” the bartender asked as he sat a cup in front of Daniel.

  Daniel looked up and grabbed the chilly mug from the counter. He nodded then emptied the entire glass in one gulp. Squinting, he slammed the cup back down and made a rattled groaning noise.

  The urge to sleep suddenly washed over him. His head was heavy, his eyelids like boulders teetering over a cliff. He slowly felt himself drifting away and he was defenseless against it.

  Gradually, the sounds of the noisy bar disappeared and all was silent. He felt like he was floating on a cloud across an endless sea. He was lost in nowhere, yet somehow, he felt right at home. He'd learned that fighting it only made it worse.

  So into the recesses of his mind he fell. Down the tunnel of deep, dark thoughts and primal urges that reminded man that he too was animal. This was Daniel's peace, this was his reality that he'd never overcome. Night held only pain for him and there was no tomorrow to look forward to.

  “Sir, Sir!” a voice broke the silence.

  Daniel jumped up and looked around. The bar was almost empty, but the smell of cigarettes and liquor was still fresh in the air. The jukebox was playing some obscure Harry Connick Jr. tune and a glass of ale still sat on the pool table.

  “We’re closing. Figured I’d let you sleep it off, but you’re the last one here.” Chuck, the ailing bartender, surveyed Daniel as he cleaned off a mug. “You okay, I can call you a taxi?”

  “Sorry about that. I’m fine,” Daniel muttered.

  He reached into his wallet, pulled out a few bills and left them on the bar. Staggering, he clumsily wobbled to his feet and headed towards the exit. He swung open the shabby wooden door and breathed in the frigid night air.

  Grimacing, he stepped outside and was almost knocked over by a tall, slender man dressed in jeans and a baseball cap.

  “Danny!”

  “Tom? Hell, I forget all about you.”

  “Yeah, I um ran into something. Everything ok in there? I heard some guy come out earlier talking about smashing somebody’s face.”

  “Earlier, that had to be over an hour ago,” Daniel replied and eyed him inquisitively.

  “Well yeah,” Tom replied and patted him on the back. “I was gonna head in and check it out, but um then some nice ladies came out. So of course, I was a gentleman and escorted them to their car.”

  “It didn’t happen to be a short blonde and a skinny chick with green eyes?”

  “I see you spotted them first,” Tom said with a grin on his face.

  “Yeah, well I guess you could say that.”

  Tom had a knack, or really an addiction, for locating the sleaziest women in any town. Although he wasn’t a bad looking guy, he never let an opportunity pass him by. It was a vice of his and he didn't seem too keen on trying to fix it.

  Daniel sighed and shook his head. “Well, everything was fine anyway, just Victor up to his usual. How long have you been here?”

  “About two hours…here as in the parking lot. Had a taxi drop me off, figured if you weren’t here one of these nice New Orleans ladies would be more than willing to take me home."

  Daniel grinned then suddenly realized how much time had passed. He looked around at the empty streets. Every business except the bar they were standing in front of had turned thei
r lights off and the only noise aside from them was the bitter wind as it blew through the alleyways.

  “Let’s get out of here, I’m sure I’m gonna catch hell from Monica.”

  Daniel and Tom started the half mile hike to his car in silence as their teeth chattered from the bitter cold. The empty streets were like dark hallways cascaded in the thick fog that had begun to blow in from the shore. They moved like shadows, gliding through the cool mist, an echo of their earlier days where the shadows were their home.

  “You sure it’s ok, me coming over so late…so early?” Tom asked as they walked down the quiet sidewalk.

  “Yeah,” Daniel waved him off. “It comes with the territory. Us night slashers tend to keep odd hours and Monica likes to wait up.”

  Tom started to laugh. “Night slashers, huh? Can’t hack the business anymore so you gotta make tit surgery sound dangerous?”

  “I thought it sounded cool. Heard it at a conference once and just went with it.”

  Daniel took a deep breath and continued down the road as his mind began to drift to his childhood. The snap of the cold wind was a complete contrast to the scene playing in his head. He thought of the lively summers he enjoyed growing up in the Big Easy. He couldn’t help but feel complete awe at times for how truly beautiful a city New Orleans was. It had a real renaissance feeling about it with the old Victorian homes and the bustling crowd that flooded the streets daily. He felt like he was the Great Gatsby as a child, standing atop the world ready to take on anything.

  But there was also tragedy hidden in his past. The shadows of New Orleans concealed that well, but it was always just under the surface like the legs of a swimming duck. As his mind settled on things better left forgotten, the smile faded from his face and he frowned. Darkness and pain was his real reality and now he'd fallen down a hole not easily escaped.

  Daniel absent-mindedly trotted down the cobbled streets. Fully engrossed in his daydream, he didn’t notice the small puddle in front of him. Before he could react, he found himself on his back staring up at Tom, who didn’t bother to hide the grin on his face.

  “Balance not what it used to be, huh?” Tom offered him a hand and helped him to his feet.

  “Thanks. Shit that hurt,” Daniel complained while rubbing the back of his head.