The Man Who Walked in Darkness by Strange Chris

Author:Strange, Chris [Strange, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Urban Fantasy, male protagonist, hardboiled, Pulp
Amazon: B00DH367MM
Goodreads: 21236005
Publisher: Cheeky Minion
Published: 2013-06-17T07:00:00+00:00

TWENTY

Desmond ended his call, stuffed the cell phone in his pocket, and put the steering wheel in a death grip. “I finally managed to get through to the cops and let Detective Reed know you’re alive. Sounds like there’s been at least three Limbus attacks all over the city. They’ve only just got them under control. I gave them the Collective’s address. They’ll do a raid as soon as they’ve got people together.”

“They’ll enjoy that,” I said.

“Goddamn it, guy. God fucking damn it.”

I lay in the back seat, my shirt undone so I could inspect the damage from the shotgun blast. It looked like another trip to the doctor was in order. Lucetta was in the front passenger seat, tending to a graze on her hand. She hadn’t said a thing since we got in the car and tore away from the old factory.

“You know how lucky you are?” Desmond said. He jerked the steering wheel to the side and passed a slow-moving van. “If Lucetta hadn’t called me, you’d be dead by now.”

“A slurry.”

“What?”

“They were going to turn me into a slurry.”

He tugged his fingers through his sandy hair. He was a Tunneler, so he must have sensed what I’d done with the Limbus animals. But he hadn’t mentioned it. He was too busy playing the angry mother bit.

“You couldn’t just let the cops handle this, could you? You had to get involved.”

“Hey, I didn’t walk to that factory by myself. I was bird-napped. From the same goddamned police you’re so fond of.”

He shook his head. “You’ve been digging yourself a grave since this thing started. Are you trying to get yourself killed? You really think that’ll make up for whatever sins you think you’ve committed?”

The sun flickered between buildings as we passed. It made me nauseous, so I closed my eyes.

“I’m trying to get answers.”

“By yourself? I don’t think so. You’re trying to be a martyr.”

I was too tired for this. “I’m not trying to be anything.”

“Then why aren’t you working with Detective Reed on this? She contacted me. She told me about the—”

“Look, thanks for the save, Des, but I’m fine,” I said without opening my eyes.

“Then you’re going to drop this?”

I said nothing.

“You need that shoulder looked at,” he said.

“Screw that. Take me home.”

“You need—”

“I don’t need a hospital. I’m fine.”

“No, guy, you’re not. I’m taking you to the hospital, and then I’m calling Detective Reed.”

“You do that, and I tell the cops about all this quasi-vigilante stuff you’ve been up to.”

He hit the brakes. The car skidded to a stop, making my stomach lurch. Des twisted around to stare at me. His eyes were hard. Mine were harder. I wasn’t going to a hospital. I couldn’t afford to waste a second. No matter what—or who—it cost me.

“Do you mean that?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

Des nodded slowly, turned back to the road, and started driving again. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet, emotionless. “Then you can hold on a few minutes. I need to do something first.

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