When Darkness Falls

Read When Darkness Falls for Free Online

Book: Read When Darkness Falls for Free Online
Authors: James Grippando
Tags: thriller
without realizing it.
    “Sorry,” said Falcon. “Didn’t mean nothing by it, buddy.”
    The Bushman grumbled as he pulled himself up to the seated position. A tattered old blanket was wrapped around his shoulders. He had the thickest, longest dreadlocks of anyone outside of the Australian Bush, which was the reason Falcon called him the Bushman. Normally, those dreadlocks would hang down loose, all dirty and gnarly, like the tufted fleece of a yak. Tonight, however, they were wrapped around his head like a turban, held in place by an old metal colander that made a pretty nice helmet. His jeans were filthy, as usual, but the sweatshirt looked to be clean and in good shape.
    “New sweatshirt?” said Falcon.
    “Folks from the shelter came by an hour or so ago. Passed out some goodies.” He held up his hands to show off a pair of socks that he was wearing like gloves. “You missed out, mon.”
    “They take anybody back with them?”
    “Nope. Not a one of us.”
    Just ahead, barely visible in the moonlight, a heap of cardboard started to stir. It was Uhm-Kate. Whenever anyone asked her name, the response was always, “Uhm, Kate.” She looked twice her normal size. It was a trick Falcon had taught her: stuff your clothes with old newspapers on cold nights. There were other ways to keep off the chill, but they usually came in a bottle.
    “Hey, Falcon’s back,” she said.
    More moving cardboard. The underbelly of the old drawbridge was like one big homeless slumber party. There was the Bushman, Uhm-Kate, half a dozen more. Eager as he was to get home, Falcon thought he might just stay here tonight, until he saw Johnny the Thief. He didn’t actually see him-just the glinting eyes in the darkness. It was the cough that revealed his identity. Johnny had one of those deep, lung-shredding coughs that hurt your ears just to hear it. He denied having AIDS, but everybody knew. When he first came to the street, he was Johnny the Pretty Boy. He wasn’t so pretty anymore. Now he was Johnny the Thief, always stealing everybody’s dope.
    “Got any shit, Falcon?”
    “Nothing for you, Johnny.”
    “Come on, man. You’re a celebrity now. One of the beautiful people. Beautiful people always got the shit.”
    “I’m not a celebrity.”
    “Yes, you is,” he said, and then he started coughing. “You was on TV. I saw you. I watched in the emergency room over at Jackson. I told everyone in the joint: Hey, that’s my friend, Falcon!”
    Falcon could no longer feel the cold air. Hot blood was coursing through his veins. “I’m not your friend, Johnny.”
    The Bushman rose and came to him. “Take it easy, mon. Don’t pay Johnny no never mind.”
    “What you mean you ain’t my friend?” said Johnny.
    “I don’t have any friends,” said Falcon.
    The Bushman seemed genuinely hurt. “Aw, now dat can’t be true, mon.”
    “Bushman’s right,” said Johnny. “That’s not true at all. I know it, you know it, everybody who was watching you on the TV knows it. You gots a friend, all right. You gots a girlfriend.”
    “You shut your ugly face, Johnny.”
    “It’s true. That’s why you ended up in jail. You wanted to talk to your girlfriend.”
    “She’s not-”
    “Falcon gots a girlfriend, Falcon gots a-”
    Before the taunting could even build up a rhythm, Falcon lunged straight at Johnny’s throat and took him to the ground. Johnny landed on his back. Falcon was kneeling on his chest. He had both hands around Johnny’s neck and was squeezing with blind fury.
    “Stop!” the Bushman shouted.
    Falcon kept squeezing. Johnny’s face was turning blue. He clawed and scratched at his attacker, but Falcon did not let up. Johnny’s eyes looked ready to pop from his head.
    “Let him go!” shouted Bushman. But Falcon didn’t need anyone telling him what to do. He knew what Johnny deserved. He knew how much suffering a human being could take. He gave one last squeeze, pushing it to the limit, then released.
    Johnny

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