Beware The Red Shadow - Cat and Mouse

SecretSociety · 7 years ago

They called it the 'Roaring Twenties'. A time of wonderful nonsense. Clubs and speakeasies were filled with gleefully inebriated men and women without a care in the world. But behind the glamour was a criminal underworld that provided the liquid joy the people so craved, bootleggers and rumrunners who found themselves becoming the most successful businessmen in the country. But with every business came competition, and rivalries between such men often involved violence. Blood flowed with the wine during these petty feuds, and this night would be no different.

The rained poured onto the city streets, almost assaulting whoever was unfortunate to be caught outdoors. At this time of day, most speakeasies were packed with patrons, with the current weather conditions discouraging most of them from leaving, if they even had any motivation to leave in the first place. But only one would make the tomorrow's headlines. Morrison's Dive was an establishment thoroughly in the pocket of the local boss, but it was also the site of a secret meeting organised by Antonio "The Baron" Angelo, one of his subordinates. The Baron was growing tired of playing second fiddle and gathered a group of like-minded individuals in the storage room of the speakeasy to discuss business matters.

While the mobsters conducted business, a young boy endured the pouring rain as he unloaded the trucks of hooch and moonshine that Angelo had brought to maintain the facade of an ordinary delivery. The gruelling work and the battering rain almost made the boy miss the sight of a man in a beige trench coat loitering the premises. A hat covered the man's eyes, but what caught the boy's own was the Trench Gun the man was slowly and deliberating loading, inserting shell after shell in the same casual way one would flip the pages of a magazine. The boy found himself frozen with fear, unable to even move an inch.

"How old are you, kid?", said the trench coated man, his tone strangely nonchalant.
"F-fourteen, s-s-sir.", replied the boy, his voice shaking along with the rest of him.
"You best get home soon. Your mother must be worried sick.", said the man, with almost genuine concern in his voice.

The boy immediately complied, dropping the crate of booze he was carrying and letting the contents smash into the concrete pavement as he dashed away as far as he could, never even thinking of looking back. The trench coated man chuckled before mentally steeling himself in front of the door to the storage room. One mistake, and all he would get was a lot of bullets for his trouble.

With a kick, the door flew open, and the man slam-fired his Trench Gun into the room with controlled precision. In the dark, cramped quarters of the storage room, every muzzle flash must have been blinding. The sheer volume of each blast was deafening as the shots tore through the mobsters while they reached for their weapons, spraying blood into the air as they fell, dead before they hit the floor. When his shotgun had expended its payload, the trench coated man simply drew his Mauser and unloaded the fully automatic pistol into whoever was still standing. One of the mobsters had managed to take a single shot, but only hit the door behind the assassin before he was pumped full of bullets. Soon, almost every man in the room was dead, with the only sound being the clattering of shell casings hitting the ground. The trench coated man entered the gunpowder smoke-filled room, its distinctive stink permeating the air while he made sure not to trip on the scattered bodies.

The Baron himself was hit, but not quite done, as he crawled towards a discarded M1911 on the ground. Before he could even get his fingertips on it, the trench coated man had kicked it away and turned the Baron onto his back. Reaching into his coat, the man tossed a card onto the Baron; an ace of spades. It was then that the Baron knew who he was dealing with: Ace. While the Baron could only sputter out panicked apologies at one of the deadliest assassins in the country, Ace loaded a single shell into his shotgun, chambered the round and placed it against his mark's head.

"You had a good run, Tony, but you made one big mistake: you overplayed your hand."

And with the squeeze of a trigger, the Baron was no more.

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Eva Clarke was a woman born into a family of respectable reputation, as she was the daughter of the late Randall Clarke, an esteemed businessman and explorer. Following her father's death during her young adulthood, Eva inherited his business assets and vast fortune, becoming one of the richest women in the world. While most young heirs that suddenly gained their inheritance would spend it on luxury goods and pointless displays of wealth, Eva turned out to be a shrewd businesswoman, using the fortune to make investments that increased the company's profits. Yet despite her success, Eva was a taciturn and emotionally withdrawn woman with very little friends. Furthermore, she was still unmarried, an uncommon trait for a woman in her early 30s. That wasn't to say she didn't have her fair share of suitors. She was an incredibly elegant woman with wavy, chin-length raven hair (as was the fashion) and brown eyes that betrayed none of her emotions, yet had a mysterious and alluring quality to them. She had very delicate and soft facial features, though Eva received many complaints for rarely ever smiling, as she most often wore a stolid expression that most found impossible to read. Still, men found her fetching enough to extend multiple offers of marriage, all of which she bluntly rejected.

The reason for Eva's almost emotionless demeanour could be traced back to her childhood, before Randall's untimely demise. After her mother tragically succumbed to illness, Randall took Eva on his excursions, resulting in her spending the bulk of her childhood in Asia, Africa and South America. During their travels, Randall had Eva trained in the Oriental fighting arts to both develop her character and allow Eva to defend herself. During her tuition, Eva's masters taught her to control her emotions and keep them contained.

It was on Eva's eighteenth birthday that tragedy struck. During Randall's early adventures as a young man, he had acquired a mysterious Mayan statue from an old temple. It appeared that others who sought to claim the artifact and had finally tracked it down. Despite Randall's ferocious attempts to fight them off, the statue was shattered in the struggle and Randall himself was murdered. Eva was unfortunately caught in the crossfire while attempting to protect her father and was left for dead. But both Randall and the assailants were unaware of the entity inhabiting the statue, which was freed when his murderers destroyed it. Desperate for a vessel, the entity chose the mortally wounded Eva as its host.

When Eva awoke, she found herself imbued with the entity's supernatural energy that healed her near-fatal injuries. It took her years to understand and master her use of the energy, but after nearly a decade of training, she was able to channel it through various means, not only able to enhance her blows to superhuman levels, but to also protect herself by channeling it across her entire body. Eva also learned to become accustomed to the entity's constant presence, with it almost becoming her companion, although its advise tended to be unwelcome

Her training complete, Eva returned to America and was initially taken in by the glamorous facade most saw. But soon it became clear that a hidden darkness was lurking beneath the surface that she simply couldn't ignore. Criminals were waging war on the streets of America, and innocent men and women were being caught in the crossfire.

Finding her calling, Eva resolved to punish those responsible for the bloodshed and targeted the operations of mobsters across the country, wearing a disguise to protect her identity. While she, like all women her age, had an active nightlife, it was quite different from the norm. The media took to calling her "L'ombra Rossa", which was what a mobster was heard repeating after the vigilante was done with him. Eva gladly appropriated the name, knowing it would make it easier to strike fear in the hearts of the superstitious and cowardly.

Today, Eva found herself another criminal in dire need of punishment. That would be the man called Ace, a hitman who seemed to mostly work for the highest bidder, evidently having no real loyalties to anything but cold, hard cash. His most recent crime was the murder of Antonio Angelo, also known as "the Baron", a mid-level bootlegger. All of Ace's crimes were linked by a literal calling card: the ace of spades. Above all else, Eva dreaded the thought of dealing with a psychopath who thought he was being funny.

While Ace himself was a hard man to find, Eva had a lot of leads to work with. One in particular stood out, a man called Frankie DeSimone, a low-ranking member of the organisation who had a bad reputation for running his mouth. It was about time he made that trait useful.

In her apartment, Eva went through her regular motions, preparing the various items of her disguise; a tight-fitting crimson aviator jacket, a pair of dark trousers, sturdy leather riding boots and black gloves. A domino mask affixed to her face by spirit gum completed her transformation into L'ombra Rossa, scourge of the underworld.

L'ombra then opened the window and leapt out onto the adjacent building, disappearing off into the night to dispense justice, a routine that might as well have been like clockwork.

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In a poorly-lit bar in one of the seedier neighbourhoods, DeSimone was sitting in his usual spot, pouring himself another glass of whiskey after telling his gathered associates a tall tale of generally dubious validity. The group of mobsters accompanying DeSimone had driven out every other customer, leaving only them and the anxious bartender. The thought that their revelry was soon about to be interrupted never crossed their minds.

One of their own, who had previously gone outside to relieve himself, was sent crashing through the front door, causing DeSimone and his four remaining men to draw their handguns and the bartender to flee out of the back.

"Do you have any idea who you're fucking with?", DeSimone hollered, his voice brimming with ill-earned confidence.

The mobsters were so focused on the front door that they failed to notice one of the men being dragged behind the bar, unable to scream as he was choked into unconsciousness. A thrown object careened into the bulb in the ceiling, the only source of light in the bar, enveloping the entire room in darkness. Most of the mobsters had lost their nerve at this point, firing wildly at nothing in particular, with the muzzle flashes lighting up the bar at irregular intervals. Glass shards and splinters flew into the air with each gunshot until the handguns were spent.

Something, faster than the naked eye, rushed at them from out of the shadows. A palm strike straight to the nose sent one of the men careening to the ground, clutching his bloodied face. Another had drawn his knife, but felt himself being effortlessly tossed to the ground after the knife was twisted out of his hand. He soon let out a guttural yell when he felt his arm snap at the elbow. The last of DeSimone's men was forced onto the ground by a kick to his legs, then was soon sent into unconsciousness by another strike to the face.

Now only DeSimone was left. His legs collapsed under him as he was overwhelmed by complete terror, and the once proud mobster was cowering on the ground, mewling like a kicked puppy.

"Oh God! Oh God! Please, I've got money!", he whimpered.
"Ace. Where is he?", replied a voice with an inhuman reverb.
"I . . . I don't know! I swear!"

DeSimone didn't tell the truth much, but he was now being more honest than ever. When he was forced to the ground by a boot heel pressed against his neck, DeSimone felt a warm, growing wetness in his trousers.

"I swear to God, I got no idea where he is! He's an outsider! A gun-for-hire, that's all!"

The boot pressed harder on his throat, and DeSimone was slowly finding it more difficult to breathe.

"Then you're useless to me."
"Okay! Okay! The boss has got another hit planned for tomorrow night, another guy that was in league with the Baron. I can tell you where its happening."

DeSimone breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the pressure coming off his throat. His relief was suddenly replaced by terror when he was grabbed by the collar and forced back onto his feet. The ghostly voice then spoke again, its tone slow and deliberate.

"I'm listening."

Void · 7 years ago

Yeah, sign me up. Great start. I pretty much like everything.

The tone of the story is right up my street and I'm already sold on the red shadow character. Look forward to getting to read more.

Just a tiny gripe with the dialogue - it still needs to end in punctuation like you use for any written sentence. Only mentioning it because the story is otherwise perfectly presented.

SecretSociety · 7 years ago

DeSimone had told her everything. The target, location and the approximate time of the hit. The morning after her interrogation of DeSimone, Eva went to scope out the location, dressed inconspicuously in ordinary clothes to avoid drawing attention to herself. It was a seedy neighbourhood, filled with illegal drinking holes, gambling dens and brothels, all in the pocket of the criminal gangs that infested this city like locusts. One could get a sense of the kind of debauchery that took place here, even this early in the day. Eva had to admit that she was quite disgusted by the circumstances, and yet this wasn't even the worst the city had to offer. She made a mental note to come back to this neighbourhood once Ace was properly dealt with.

Returning home, Eva spent the rest of the day mapping out the location, marking any possible routes Ace would take to the target's apartment while deciding which vantage point covered the most ground. Once nightfall came, Eva began her ritual, transforming into her other self; the walking shadow who hunted down the predators of this concrete jungle.

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She was in position. The clock was nearing midnight and she was more than ready. As Eva was perched on the best vantage point she could find, all she had to do was sit and wait for Ace to arrive. Unfortunately, that meant she had to listen to the voice in her head in the meantime. It was going to drive her insane one day, she just knew it.

You hate them, the voice said, as if it was accusing her of something.
Who?, Eva replied, somewhat confused by the choice in conversation starter.

Learning to communicate with the voice without speaking out loud took quite some time to learn, but it was necessary for keeping a low profile. She wasn't keen on being sent to an asylum for talking to herself either.

Your adversaries. You enjoy hurting them, the voice said, its tone inquisitive.
Have you been trying to read my thoughts again?
I am connected to your emotions. Such occurrences are inevitable.

Eva simply rolled her eyes and continued to watch out for Ace, trying to ignore the entity's unwelcome comments. She couldn't afford to be distracted, especially not today. Ace was dangerous, and a killer like him couldn't be allowed to walk the streets any longer than he already had.

Waiting for Ace to arrive required great patience and a keen eye. At this time of day, the neighbourhood was absolutely bustling, with men and women either drinking, gambling or satisfying their more . . . carnal desires. Eva scanned the crowd below, watching out for whoever fit Ace's description, as sparse as it was. After a few minutes of careful searching, she spotted someone who stuck out of the crowd. Not in appearance, but in demeanour. While the rest of the people below were aimless and occupied by whatever vice they were looking to partake in, the man she saw walked with purpose, as if there was something important that needed to be done. He was wearing an ordinary trench coat and hat, clearly hiding something out of view. Eva followed the man like his own shadow, sticking to the rooftops while the man navigated the narrow alleyways leading up to the location DeSimone gave. His steps were regimented and disciplined, not like the common gutter scum of the city, indicating that he had some kind of training. Just another reason not to underestimate him.

The man stopped in an alley near the apartment building where Eva was told the mark was. As he prepared to enter the building, Eva got a clear look at the object he had been hiding: a Winchester Model 1897. That was all the confirmation she needed. Descending from the rooftops to the streets with unmatched grace and skill, Eva was poised to strike Ace before he even knew what hit him.

Unfortunately for the vigilante, Ace's senses were sharp, and he noticed a strange movement in the shadows of the dimly lit street. Turning around, he was surprised by a fist aimed at the back of his head, bringing up his shotgun to parry the blow. The strike was powerful enough to knock Ace off-balance, and his assailant followed through with a painful blow to the liver that forced Ace against the wall behind him. Eva prepared a final strike, imbued with the entity's power, to finish the fight.

But Ace was quick, and his mind was sharp even when enduring intense pain. Managing to load a single shell and chamber it during the brief scuffle, Ace swiftly pointed the barrel straight at his attacker and fired.

While the protective shield Eva channeled across her body was enough to stop the buckshot from tearing into her, she still felt the full force of the blast. The dark avenger was knocked to the ground onto her back, completely winded from the impact on her chest. As she writhed on the ground, coughing and gasping for air, she could hear Ace's footsteps getting closer. The assassin stood over Eva, a Mauser C96 in his right hand.

But for a single moment, he hesitated. Eva didn't know why, nor did she care. All she saw was a window. Focusing on controlling her breathing, Eva was able to quickly recover and make her next move. Sweeping Ace's legs from under him, Eva couldn't help but feel a wave satisfaction as she watched him hit the ground hard. Just when she was about to pay him back tenfold, two men came rushing into the alley brandishing their handguns. They must have been local gang members, alarmed by the shotgun blast. Before they could fire off a single shot, Eva pounced on them like a jungle cat, knocking the first one out cold with a swift roundhouse kick to the head, using the force of her entire body to send the man straight to the ground. As the other attempted to track Eva, she grabbed his gun arm, pointing it away from her, and placed her other hand on his chest. The streets were briefly filled with a blinding golden light as Eva released the energy into the gunman, who was sent flying back through the alley with several broken ribs.

She brought her attention back to Ace, but found that he had slipped away in the seconds she had taken her eyes off him. Growling in frustration, Eva nimbly climbed her way back to the rooftops and scoured the neighbourhood with no luck. He had disappeared like a ghost, and although Eva was able to prevent another murder, there was a bitterness inside her that was almost overwhelming. After watching in silence, the entity finally decided to strike up a conversation.

Is it a bad time?

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"You''re shitting me, Ace!"

The hitman only shrugged in response to the incredulous reaction of the towering brute sitting opposite him at the restaurant table, chunks of spaghetti and marinara sauce flying out the giant's mouth with every syllable. While simple-minded thugs were common in this city, this particular brute was Rick Gigante, enforcer of the local boss. The man greatly resembled a shaved gorilla and had the brains to match, also possessing rather horrific facial scars Ace was always hesitant to ask about. Despite, or perhaps because, of his looks, Rick was undoubtedly one of the most dangerous men in the city, not just because of his position within the organisation, but because of his great stature and strength as well. If there was a problem that needed taking care of, Gigante was the man to call, his single-minded brutality serving well to discourage any opposition. Gigante's latest assignment was preventing the fabled "L'ombra Rossa" from disrupting the organisation's operations any further, but the vigilante eluded him at every turn.

"I'm telling you, Rick. Took it point-blank and got right back up, no problem."
"Must've been wearin' armour or something."
"If we had stuff like that in the trenches, the war would've been a lot shorter."
"Ain't that the truth!"

The liver blow Ace received during the scuffle still ached in the morning, but what hurt more was his pride. While the fact that he managed to get the drop on his attacker was some consolation, the hit was botched and Ace's reputation was going to suffer as a consequence. Not to mention that the contract was unfulfilled, meaning he didn't get paid. Worst of all, it was all on him. He allowed himself to get caught off-guard in that moment of hesitation, that moment of weakness, and it was all because -

"There's another thing buggin' me. You sure it was a lady?", Gigante inquired.
"Unless it was a man with a hell of a figure and a pair of tits . . . yeah, I'm pretty sure."

Gigante looked pensive, which was unusual for him. The idea that the person terrorising the organisation's business happened to be a woman just wasn't a concept he could quite wrap his head around. Even with Ace's word, he still couldn't quite believe it. Regardless of the vigilante's gender, they needed to get down to business.

"The boss ain't happy with your recent performance, Ace, and he ain't gonna be any happier when he finds out you got your bog-trotting ass kicked by a dame. So here's the deal: if you wanna make it up to this organisation, you're gonna have take care of this problem directly."

Ace thought back to the moment he got a shot at her. True, it didn't do any lasting damage, but it must have done something. It didn't keep her down for long, but the fact that he managed to knock her down in the first place meant he had a fighting chance. The only thing he was really sure of was that he needed something a lot bigger than a shotgun.

"Give me a week. I'll make a few calls."

DrDominator9 · 7 years ago

Nicely written. Terrific pacing and fun fight scene. She's powerful but not invincible. I look forward to where you take this.

Void · 7 years ago

More good stuff. Slick, visually appealing fight, and more great setup.

The whole situation with the entity is very juicy, and a great way to explore Eva's character during any given scene (not to mention that of the entity, who could easily be the most interesting character we encounter). I certainly wouldn't object to more banter between them, or just generally more insight into their relationship and what kind of people they both are.

I'm loving it so far.

flirty_but_nice · 7 years ago

Very enjoyable! I look forward to this story being continued.

SecretSociety · 7 years ago

Eva crawled through the window of her apartment, making sure nobody was around to see her enter. Once inside, she closed the window behind her and pulled the curtains together. Eva took a few moments to control her breathing, her heart still beating like a drum inside her chest. Once everything had calmed down and the adrenaline seemed to settle, Eva went to check the extent of her injury. She pulled the gloves off before carefully taking off her aviator jacket, revealing a midriff-baring camisole that displayed the often hidden muscles of her arms and abdominals. Feeling the spot on her ribs where the buckshot made impact, Eva hissed through gritted teeth as she registered the pain. Fortunately, the entity's powers allowed her to heal from most injuries at an accelerated rate, and she was sure it would recover properly by morning.

The way Ace had managed to get the drop on her was almost embarrassing. Despite making sure not to underestimate him, he still managed to take her by surprise. The wound he inflicted on her was as figurative as it was literal. Unfortunately, time for payback would have to come later, as Eva was completely exhausted for tonight.

Stepping into the bathroom, Eva carefully removed her domino mask before turning on the sink. Bending down, she quickly splashed water onto her face, the cooling sensation relaxing her. It had been a long week, with only between four to five hours of sleep in its entirety. One could only push themselves so far before they cracked under the pressure. Turning the tap off, Eva silently stayed at the sink for quite some time before taking her leave.

Collapsing onto the living room sofa, Eva pulled off her boots, finding some respite in the newfound freedom of her legs. Stretching them out and lying back into the sofa, Eva closed her eyes and tried to forget tonight's events. She could deal with them tomorrow, but what she needed more than anything was some rest.

The path you walk will only lead to pain.

Sighing in frustration, Eva attempted to ignore the voice's judgement and lose herself in sleep, but those words still echoed in her head. Giving into temptation, she responded to the entity.

Mine or theirs?
If you continue down the path, you will find the answer very soon.

Typical.

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It had been a week since Frankie DeSimone's fateful encounter with L'ombra Rossa. He would have liked to think that his reputation had taken a massive hit, but it stayed mostly the same. DeSimone remained the same big-mouthed joke he was last week. In fact, the only things that seemed to have changed were his trousers.

This would turn out to another eventful week, as DeSimone had been assigned to some kind of delivery job. Of what, he didn't know, nor did he really care. He was just around to do the job and get it over with, no questions asked. Predictably, he had run his mouth off about it to his buddies, and the word spread through the grapevine, attracting the attention of a certain someone.

Always a creature of habit, DeSimone had spent most of the hours preceding the delivery job drinking his liver away, making failed passes at any unfortunate woman he caught sight of. After downing a rather significant amount of alcohol, the gangster promptly went outside to relieve himself in an alleyway.

As DeSimone emptied his bladder, whistling to himself, he heard footsteps approaching behind him.

"Fuck off, asshole", slurred DeSimone, not even bothering to look at the target of his ire.

When the person failed to comply, DeSimone considered pulling out his piece and blasting the nosey rube. That was until he heard an all-too familiar, inhuman voice.

"Long time no see"

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Following Eva's brief skirmish with Ace, the trail seemed to have gone cold. An entire week had gone by without a single hit with his signature calling card. While Eva was quite pleased that she had discouraged any further murders by his hands, there was a sense of injustice in the fact that he was still a free man. It was possible that he may have skipped town after realising that he was a target, but Eva would have known known if that was the case. The most likely situation was that Ace had decided to lay low for a while and was letting the heat settle. He would eventually go back to his old ways, and when he did, she would strike.

For now, Eva's attention was drawn towards the news of an important delivery conducted by the organisation. It seemed to be quite important, given the way that it was talked about by the lower-ranking members of the organisation. Thankfully, a familiar source happened to be involved with this delivery: Frankie DeSimone.

Much like before, DeSimone had told her everything. Thankfully, he had learned not to put up a fight this time. There would be a truck delivering the cargo to a mob-owned warehouse somewhere in the docks. While DeSimone didn't know where exactly the drop-off point was, he did give information on where the meeting point for the crew was. All she had to do was intercept it at the right time and follow it to the docks. Unfortunately, DeSimone had no idea what the package was, leaving it to Eva to find out herself.

From a high vantage point over the cramped alleyways of one the city's residential district, Eva spotted a truck with two men gathered around it. Assuming that it was the delivery vehicle, Eva skilfully descended to ground level, hoping to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Where the hell's Frankie? He's late."
"Don't know, don't care. Let's just do the job without him. Who needs the guy?"

After coming to their decision, the two men entered the truck and began to drive off. Quietly rushing over, Eva climbed onto the truck with catlike skill, clinging onto the moving vehicle as it made its way to the drop-off point. She wondered to herself the exact nature of the delivery, as it certainly wasn't alcohol, and Eva speculated that it was a weapon of some kind.

The distinctive aroma of the sea registered to Eva as they eventually arrived at the docks. She wasn't particularly keen of the docks, especially not at night. Eva suspected that a lot of the organisation's alcohol came through here, or at least the alcohol that wasn't cheap, homemade moonshine. Once the truck reached the drop-off point, one of the men exited the vehicle and unlocked the gate to the isolated warehouse before pushing it open. As the truck slowly entered the building, Eva hopped off the vehicle and quickly dispatched the man outside, silently choking him into unconsciousness before dragging him out of sight. Creeping into the warehouse, Eva was uneasy with the location. The structure was littered with towers of stacked crates, with only thin openings between the stacks for people to walk through. The tight corners and the poor-lighting made Eva suspicious. Despite the cramped conditions, the area of the warehouse was about as large as it was tall, and it seemed to be the kind of place where one could get easily lost.

The driver eventually stopped truck and exited, moving towards the back to unload what was inside. Before he knew it, the man was grabbed from behind in a chokehold. As he struggled, he found it harder and harder to breathe. A voice with a strange reverb spoke into his ear, causing his spine to tingle from the sensation.

"What's in the truck?", the voice questioned, its tone urgent.
"We . . . we weren't . . . told . . .", the driver grunted, struggling for air.
"What?"

As if on cue, someone burst out from shadows, armed with a familiar shotgun. Shoving the driver away from the man's aim, Eva dashed into cover with practically superhuman speed as the attacker unloaded all of his shells into her general location, every blast illuminating the dark warehouse with the muzzle flash. The unharmed driver ran as fast as he could out of the building, leaving only Eva and the man with the shotgun. There was no doubt regarding the identity of this attacker. It couldn't have been anyone other than Ace.

"You call that an ambush?", Eva taunted, her voice echoing across the warehouse.
"More like a friendly greeting.", Ace responded, his own voice steady and confident.

Ace was in fact frustrated that he managed to lose sight of her. She could have been anywhere in this vast labyrinth, ready to pounce at any moment. Nonetheless, he was determined to win the fight this time. His back pressed against one of the many crates in the warehouse, Ace begun to reload his shotgun with unmatched focus. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.

Taking a long and deep breath, Ace chambered the first shell into the barrel.

"Alright. Let's go"

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Author's Note: Thank you all very much for the kind feedback, I'll make sure not to disappoint. Not to give too much away, but this is when the real fun starts.

flirty_but_nice · 7 years ago

More real fun, please.

DrDominator9 · 7 years ago

You've got me hooked. Reads fast and easily except for some pesky missed words here and there.

Void · 7 years ago

It may want a quick once-over to edit, but it still reads beautifully. This ticks a lot of boxes for me - I'm thoroughly engaged with the story here. Great pacing and you do a good job setting the scene.

This encounter is wonderfully set up, and I'm very interested to see what comes next! However you play it from here I'm confident I'm going to really enjoy it.

SecretSociety · 7 years ago

In this very moment, victory mattered more than anything else. The two nightstalkers prowled around what might as well have been an arena, where brute force alone wouldn't suffice. It was a battle that could only be won with physical skill and quick thinking. L'ombra Rossa and Ace were engaged in a game of cat and mouse, yet neither knew which role they played.

Ace had the advantage of range, one he was intent on keeping. The last time he allowed her to engage him up close didn't end well. All he had to do was try to find a way to draw her out. Perhaps talking would do the trick.

"I've done some reading on you. The papers gave you quite the name: L'ombra Rossa! The Red Shadow!", jeered Ace, imitating the melodramatic narrator of a radio show, "Its a little . . . theatrical, don't you think?"

Surprisingly enough, he got an answer.

"Is 'Ace' any better?", Eva responded, reading the intentions of her unseen opponent.

Seeing movement out of the corner of his eye, Ace spun around and fired. Splinters flew into the air as the buckshot tore into a crate, but there was no sign of L'ombra Rossa. Pumping his shotgun, the sound of the empty shell casing clattering on the ground echoed through the structure. Ace cursed himself under his breath for being so jumpy. He had to be patient. Being mobile was just as important, and Ace carefully moved through the maze, cautiously scanning the area around him. The cramped battleground, where your enemy could be anywhere around the corner, was eerily familiar to Ace.

"You prowl around in the dark like some kind of bogeyman, but I've seen what you really are. You're human, just like everyone else. What are you doing all this for? Is this how you get your rocks off? You in it for the thrills?"
"I do this because the thought of men like you walking the streets disgusts me."
"So its a moral high ground thing, huh? You can tell yourself that to help you sleep at night, but some part of you must enjoy it, right?"
"Do you enjoy murder?"

Ace contemplated the question for a good while, unsure of the answer himself.

"Maybe, maybe not. Doesn't make a difference if I do, it pays the bills either way. Judge me all you want, but some of us are desperate for a steady paycheck."
"That doesn't excuse the deaths."
"Of who? Backstabbing scumbags who'd do the same to me? I don't know if you were paying attention, but I have standards. I'm a professional, not some maniac with a gun."

As much as Eva hated to admit it, Ace did have a point regarding that. All the victims marked by his calling cards were members of various criminal groups that were often high in rank. Adding on to that was the fact that there was little to no collateral damage from his attacks. For a hitman, Ace was very clean with his technique, another hint towards his possible history.

"A killer with a code of honour. How charming."

One of the crates was sent hurtling straight in Ace's direction after a bright golden flash briefly filled the warehouse. It slammed hard into the hitman, knocking him onto the ground, still gripping his Trench Gun tightly. As he saw his adversary come at him like a shadow, he took aim and fired two shots before quickly jumping back onto his feet. Eva narrowly avoided the buckshot by swiftly taking cover, her heartbeat quickening from the close call. She needed to close the distance, but Ace's focus made the task difficult. Ace had tried to get into her head, maybe it was time she did the same to him.

"I take it that you were in the military. Your skill with firearms is enough evidence of that. Served in the war, no doubt. Must have seen things you wish you hadn't. Did even worse. When the war was over, you came back a stranger in a world that you didn't recognise anymore. You couldn't find work that satisfied your needs, so you did what you became good at: killing. But you tried to cling to your humanity, didn't you? You created a code of conduct to fool yourself into thinking you were more than just a killer-for-hire, to pretend that you still had a moral compass. Admit it, you're a murderer, and you will be judged as one."

Most of that was admittedly conjecture, but Eva presumed it was largely accurate. She got no response at first, which itself acted as a form confirmation. The assessment cut Ace deep, but he was begrudgingly impressed, not that he would ever admit it.

"You're a regular Sherlock Holmes.", Ace growled through gritted teeth.

His mind clouded, Ace didn't see the next move coming. Like a phantom, Eva had seemingly materialised next to the hitman, grabbing his shotgun to force the barrel away from her and towards the ceiling. The first instinctive shot was sent through the roof, and Eva followed through with a kick Ace's leg, forcing him onto his knee, then smacked the Trench Gun hard into his face before he could eject the empty shell. His grip loosened, Eva easily pulled the shotgun away from Ace, who rolled back and drew his C96 pistol with practiced skill, knowing he was at a disadvantage in close quarters.

To his shock, she had completely disappeared. A loud crack was heard before the two halves of what was once his shotgun were thrown at his feet.

"Fuck me running.", Ace exasperatedly muttered to himself.

Despite his frustration, Ace felt a part of himself almost enjoying the game that they played. The thrill of it was exhilarating. Still, with the weapon that was best suited for tight spaces now gone, Ace knew that his opponent could take him by surprise in the vast labyrinth of the warehouse. Before he could even try to escape, Eva once again closed the distance, sending a glowing fist straight at Ace's pistol. The gun completely shattered, sending pieces of metal flying into the air. Soon after, Ace felt an impact on his chest that sent him flying hard through the crates, shattering many of them on the way, and out into the open.

"No more hiding, Ace. No more games.", declared Eva as she emerged to meet him.

As a seasoned street-brawler and boxer both before and during his service, Ace was no stranger to a dust-up. But Eva was in a league of her own. She casually slipped Ace's series of jabs, getting close enough to send a palm strike straight towards his chest. The impact shook Ace, who's concentration suffered greatly from the hit. Throwing a right cross, Ace only had a moment to register the way she used his own momentum against him, grabbing his arm before tossing him onto the ground like he weighed nothing. Ace's impact with the ground left him completely winded, two swift punches to the face took away the possibility of further resistance.

The fight was over, and Eva was the clear victor. She couldn't help but feel pride at the sight of the incapacitated Ace. He would finally meet justice, but Eva had something to take care of first. Her curiosity regarding the contents of the truck was still unsatisfied, and she was eager to figure out its importance. It must have been significant if they had Ace protecting it. Keeping a close eye on her defeated opponent, Eva made her way over to the back of the truck, throwing open the doors and entering. There, she saw a single locked wooden crate, slightly smaller than the others in the warehouse. Using the entity's energy, Eva tore the lock off and threw the lid open.

What Eva found wasn't quite what she expected, but it was certainly a weapon. First came a bright light, then a deafening bang. Everything went numb for a few moments before Eva realised she was lying on her back, having been thrown onto the ground from the back of the truck. The intense ringing in her ears began to subside while her vision gradually returned. But then she suddenly felt it. The pain was absolutely overwhelming. Yes, Eva was quick enough to stop the shrapnel and heat from doing further damage, but the shockwave was unlike anything that had hit her before. Every part of her was in complete agony, and all Eva could do was weakly squirm on the ground, lightly groaning in pain.

She could barely make out the silhouette of Ace as he approached her prone form. Wiping the blood seeping from his mouth with the sleeve of his trench coat, the hitman crouched down, clearly quite pleased with himself. The "game" that the two played was just a diversion, to draw her attention away from the possibility that the "package" was a trap intended just for her. He never intended to win the fight, at least not directly.

"I've had my fair share of thrills, but that . . . that was something else. You're a hell of a woman, Red", Ace said, not a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Ace reached into his trench coat and pulled out two objects. Eva's eyes widened in alarm when she realised what they were: a bottle full of colourless liquid and a white cloth. Carefully pouring the liquid onto the cloth, Ace tightly clamped it over her mouth and nose while using his other hand to hold her head up. Eva could only let out a quiet cry that was quickly muffled. She weakly kicked her legs and grabbed Ace's arm in a futile attempt to pull it away, but she couldn't gather the strength to do so. Even the entity's power was completely spent protecting her from the blast. It was all over.

The fumes slowly but surely brought Eva closer and closer to a deep sleep, sapping her energy bit by bit. Her arms, which attempted to pry the cloth away, fell limply to her sides, and her kicking grew steadily weaker. Her cries became quieter and quieter, until there were only a few gentle moans. Eva's eyelids seem to grow heavier by the second, opening and closing irregularly, until they eventually stayed shut. Her entire body relaxed as she finally succumbed to the fumes. Ace kept the cloth over her face for another minute before removing it, just in case she was playing possum. Now L'ombra Rossa, the living shadow who once prowled on the city's most dangerous men, was reduced to a helpless victim.

Ace found that he was unable to stop himself from staring at her prone form. This was the first time he got a proper look at her, and needless to say, she took his breath away. The way the leather jacket hugged her muscular figure would have caught the attention of any man, and Ace could tel she was an attractive woman even with the domino mask. While strands of raven hair messily covered parts of her face, Ace could still make out her unexpectedly soft and feminine features. Carefully brushing her hair out of the way, Ace then slowly caressed her cheek with one hand, savouring every second.

Ace was overtaken by admiration. Admiration of not just of her physical appearance, but everything else as well. Her unmatched skill and unshakeable fighting spirit only made her more desirable, and the mystery surrounding her was alluring. Just who was she? Where did she acquire such skills? So many questions just dying to be answered.

The hitman's train of thought was interrupted by the sound of car engines. Many of them. Soon, the entire warehouse was bathed in the rays of the headlights. Men poured out of the cars, one of them being a gargantuan tower of a man. Rick Gigante. Ace swore under his breath before turning to face his associate. The brutish mob enforcer walked over to Ace, observing the aftermath of the battle, and whistled when he caught sight of the slumbering woman laying on the ground.

"Well ain't she a pretty thing? Get Sleeping Beauty into the truck, Ace, we're taking her for a ride."

Ace silently nodded and lifted her up onto his shoulders. The hitman carried her with ease, and he couldn't help but be enticed by how limp she was, arms and legs dangling helplessly. As he made his way to the truck, L'ombra Rossa in tow, Ace could feel something growing inside him. It almost felt like regret.

DrDominator9 · 7 years ago

Very enjoyable chapter! Smoothly paced with a nice noir feel, it all worked. The question is how will they be able to restrain her?

Void · 7 years ago

This continues to push my buttons like few stories do. The encounter was great, and both the physical and verbal sparring of the rivals was well done. The defeat had real impact.

Excited to see where you go from here. I wonder if they were expecting to be picking up a living Red Shadow or not, and what Gigante's plans are from here.

SecretSociety · 7 years ago

Eva slowly stirred awake, her entire body still aching. She could tell right away that she was in a moving vehicle. Feeling that she was unable to separate her arms, she looked down to see that her wrists were bound together tightly with rope. Looking down, she saw that they had done the same to her legs. Briefly panicking, Eva felt a wave of relief when her fingers touched the domino mask still on her face. Despite Eva's best efforts to summon the entity's power, she had spent far too much of it without properly resting. She was all on her own, without even its guidance to help her out of this. The feeling of helplessness while Ace administered the drug was still a sore memory. She wasn't used to defeat, especially not one so humiliating as that. Pushing those thoughts away, Eva got to work on the binding of her legs, managing to untie the knots and free them from the ropes.

She begun work on the bindings of her wrists when vehicle made a sudden stop, and Eva heard footsteps approaching the enclosed space she was held in. Despite the immobility of her arms, she was determined to fight her captors tooth and nail. There was a long moment of tension as the men hesitated to open the back, in case they would be faced with an angry L'ombra Rossa.

The door suddenly flung open, and on the other side was a bald, scarred man with the body build of a bear. While Eva tried her best to fight back, he was strong, almost inhumanly so, and he simply grabbed and tossed her from the back of the truck to the ground. She landed hard and painfully on . . . grass. They weren't in the city anymore.

Eva immediately got to her feet and was surrounded by what seemed like a dozen thugs, each one rather hesitant to be the first to try to restrain her. One that was either brave or foolhardy rushed in, and Eva swiftly slammed her boot into his nether regions, causing him to collapse instantly while his compatriots laughed hysterically.

"Still got a little fight in ya, huh?"

Ace watched grimly from the sidelines, betraying no emotion as he watched the men jeer and taunt the woman.

A dozen men went in simultaneously to restrain her. While she managed to get a few hits in, their sheer numbers were too much to handle, and she was soon tackled to the ground, her legs pinned to the ground. As she struggled, a horrifying sight caught her attention: a coffin, next to a pre-dug grave. It didn't take long to figure out what they were planning. Eva only fought harder, but she was physically spent and the entity would be no help here.

"C'mon boys, is that how you treat a lady?"

The guttural voice came from the giant who had thrown her from the truck. While she didn't recognise him at first, Eva realised who he was soon enough: Rick Gigante. More brawn than brains, he had been trying to catch her for close to a month with little success. At least until now, of course, with a little help from Ace.

After Gigante motioned towards his men, they stood the woman up to her feet. The mob enforcer approached her with leering eyes, scanning every inch of her body with malicious intentions. Eva got an idea of what he was likely thinking, but as horrible as the thought probably was, it at least gave her more time to properly assess the situation and plan things out. She felt large, strong hands wrap around her hips, pulling her closer. Her struggles were futile, as Eva was only leanly built, while Gigante was a gorilla of a man who could outmatch most in a test of brute strength.

Gigante grinned as his hands wandered down from Eva's hips to her thighs. She felt him suddenly grab her by the crotch, rubbing and feeling her through the tight fabric of her trousers with one greedy hand. Eva's entire body shivered with disgust at the perversion, and she quickly reeled back and slammed her forehead straight onto Gigante's nose. He stumbled back with a guttural yell, clutching his face while blood poured out from between his fingers.

"Little schifosa broke my fuckin' nose!"
"I'd say its an improvement, Rick.", Ace chimed in, trying his best not to laugh.
"Fuck yourself, you little Irish prick."
"I would, but your mother's too busy doing that for me."
"I swear, if I wasn't such a nice guy . . ."

Enraged, the brutish enforcer grabbed Eva by her messy raven hair and forced his fist into her gut. Eva fell onto her knees, coughing from the blow. She recognised the impact of knuckledusters all too well. Ace briefly looked away from the sight, trying to hide his disapproval from the others. As Eva clutched her stomach, reeling in pain, she thought about the ways she would pay Gigante back. She let out a scream when she felt the brute tightly grip her hair once again while reaching for his belt with the other hand.

"Havin' trouble breathin', sweetheart? That's nothin', I'll give you somethin' to choke on!"

At this point, Ace felt the need to personally intervene.

"I wouldn't recommend that, Rick. This one'll bite your pecker right off, no doubt about it."
"Then I'll knock her fuckin' teeth out!"
"Listen, Rick, the longer you fuck around, the more time you give her to come up with something. Its not worth the trouble, believe me."

After considering Ace's warning, Gigante pushed the men holding Eva away and grabbed her by the back collar of her jacket, effortlessly dragging the kicking and screaming figure. Lifting her up into the air with one hand, Gigante roughly threw Eva down into the coffin.

"Take a nice, deep breath, darlin'. You're gonna need it."

Before Eva could even attempt to crawl out, the lid was pressed over the opening. Soon after, the sound of nails being furiously hammered into coffin caused Eva's heart to skip a beat. The emotion she began to feel was something she hadn't felt in years: fear. In a futile attempt to fight her fate, Eva pushed and struck at the lid with all of her remaining strength to no effect. Meanwhile, she could feel the coffin being moved inch by inch. The six foot drop came suddenly, leaving Eva little time to brace herself. Soon after, the dirt above the coffin piled up, with the sound of its impact becoming gradually muffled as the layers grew. By the time it stopped, the weight of the soil seemed like it could crush her all on its own.

It took a short while to register, but a horrible truth made itself known. Eva was trapped six feet underground in the middle of nowhere and with no one to help her. This was how she was going to die.

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Perhaps an hour had passed. Maybe two. Maybe even three. Eva had completely lost track of time. All she knew was that she had little time left before the air in the coffin inevitably ran out. She had managed to loosen the ropes and free her arms, though her repeated attempts to batter the coffin lid open were for naught. The thought of lying back and accepting her fate was becoming increasingly tempting, attempting to fight it would only end with her dying tired. Given how much oxygen she wasted trying to escape, Eva must have hastened her eventual death. She knew the risks of her task, the fact that death was a very real possibility when starting a war against killers. The indignity of it was tragic, but not unexpected.

Focus

Eva's mind snapped to attention at the sound of the voice. It was a sound she never thought she would be more relieved to hear. But it didn't make too much of a difference. Despite her best efforts to summon it, the entity's power had been completely spent.

If you wish to survive, you must focus. Remember your teachings. You have yet to unlock your full potential. Your mind is clouded with emotions.

It was then that Eva realised what the voice meant. Her tutors had taught her that martial arts was not only meant for combat, but could also act as a pathway to spiritual enlightenment. Of course, the young Eva was more eager to learn how to fight, but those teachings stuck in her mind after all those years. If she could achieve a certain mental state, there was a chance that she would be able to tap into the entity's reserves. There was also a chance that it wouldn't work, but Eva was willing to try anything at this point.

She tried to remember the advice to clear her mind of all thoughts and to embrace emptiness. But the entity was right, her mind was a chaotic mess of muddled thoughts and conflicting emotions. After a few frustrating minutes, Eva felt her temper begin to flare, taking away any chance of it working.

Find the drive within yourself.

That was it. Perhaps a strong emotion was exactly what she needed. Eva's mind went back and forth, until it focused on one terrible night.

She remembered rain, and how it poured through the broken window. She remembered masks that obscured the faces of men and women in dark robes. She remembered lying in a growing pool of her own blood. She remembered the shattered stone idol that lay pathetically on the ground. But most of all, she remembered the sight of Randall Clarke, beaten and bloodied as he was surrounded by the sinister figures. He was on his knees, having lost the furious fight. A masked figure stood behind him, holding a sword over his head. Before the blade was brought down on Randall's neck, Eva could vividly recall the last words she would ever hear from him.

"I love you, Eva. Close your eyes. Don't look."

Eva felt a surge of power. One could call it an awakening, if they were feeling dramatic. Placing her hands on the lid of the coffin, Eva closed her eyes and focused.

The blast practically blew the lid in half, letting in a torrent of soil that risked crushing Eva. Using what little of the entity's power she had left, Eva protected herself as she clawed her way with fierce determination, a burning will to survive. Digging her way out seemed to take an eternity, and Eva's muscles burned like they never did before, screaming at her to stop. But she couldn't, not when she had already gotten this far. The soil became gradually softer as she rose, indicating her steady progress. After much effort and pain, she felt her hands break free to the surface, and she pulled herself out of the ground.

Crawling out of the grave like one of the risen dead, Eva took in the air with a deep breath before forcing herself onto her feet. She soon realised it had began raining, and she basked in it as the filth was washed off her. Those few moments were spent in utter bliss. It was only after staring death in the eye that she felt so alive.

Her quiet celebration was cut short when she noticed a bright light in the distance, where the silhouette of a man brandishing a shovel was visible. As he got closer, Eva quickly figured out who it was: Ace. Once he caught sight of her, he had stopped dead in his tracks, only able to stare dumbly at the impossible. Eva wasn't sure why he had come back, but she was ready to fight with everything she had. Unfortunately, she didn't have much left in her. The events of the night took their toll, and Eva suddenly felt it. Her legs, unable to support her any further, seemed to lose all strength, and Eva felt the rest of her body begin to collapse. Ace tossed the shovel aside and dashed over to the falling heroine, catching her before she made impact with the ground.

"Jesus Christ!"

Placing his arms under her back and knees, Ace carefully, perhaps even tenderly, lifted Eva like a bride, holding her closely in a strangely protective manner. He silently held her for a good while, unable to believe his own eyes. Eva herself was too drained to even resist, only able to make a token effort by squirming in his arms to little effect. Eventually realising how pointless an endeavour it was, Eva gave up her attempts at fighting Ace, instead supporting herself by clinging to him.

After what seemed like an eternity of contemplative silence, Ace began to make his way towards the light with Eva cradled in his arms. Weakly resting her head on his shoulder, Eva finally got a proper look at Ace, his face unobscured as the light illuminated his features.

To Eva's surprise, he looked younger than she expected, possessing rather boyish features. Not even the stubble forming around his jaw seemed to make him look any older. He was admittedly handsome, and the diagonal scar that ran from just under his right ear to the middle of his chin gave him a rugged quality. Eva wondered why she was even thinking of this. Perhaps the exhaustion was making her delusional.

Regardless, Eva found some amusement in a simple fact. And it was that Ace had turned out to be the wild card.

DrDominator9 · 7 years ago

Ouch! Loved every bit of this chapter except for the painful pun at the end.

Can't wait to see what other adventures await this heroine. And to hear more about the back story of the entity within her.

flirty_but_nice · 7 years ago

I look forward to reading of Eva's revisiting Rick Gigante!

SecretSociety · 7 years ago

Private Sean O'Sullivan was an eager young man with dark red hair and deep green eyes. Born and raised in Boston, Sean was a boy of Irish descent who joined the war at the behest of his father, a war veteran himself. He was only seventeen when he enlisted and, like many eager boys his age, ignorant of the truth. He learned it soon enough. War may have been a noble thing on the home-front, where men became heroes for their great acts of heroism, but on the frontline, he was just another faceless soldier, cannon fodder that was counted in the millions.

He remembered lying on his back, staring above as the flyboys passed overhead and engaged the enemy's own flying machines. He watched as they fell from the skies in great balls of flame, like fallen angels cast out from heaven. It was beautiful, in a morbid sort of way.

Sean was jolted out of his daydream by the sight of his Sergeant standing over him.

"On your feet, Private! We've got to - "

The good Sergeant was interrupted by a bullet that passed through his skull. Sean sprung to his feet, realising that he had lost his rifle during the chaos of the artillery barrage. Frantically searching for it, the boy was horrified by the scene around him. He stood in the middle of the devastated French countryside, where American and German soldiers charged at each other, survival at any cost being the only true desire in their hearts. Men killed each other with bullets, and when the bullets ran out, they used everything from bayonets to knives to clubs and even their own bare hands.

Catching sight of a bayonet-wielding German charging straight at him, Sean fell to the ground in fear as the man neared, but managed to quickly knock away the rifle at the last moment, leaving the bayonet imbedded into the mud, and followed through with a right hook. Already off-balance, the German stumbled to the ground from the blow, and Sean got to his feet just in time to see his enemy brandish a fighting knife. A downward slash caught Sean under his ear, and the feeling of the blade dragging down caused a flash of pain.

Ignoring the intense sting, Sean managed to grab the German's knife arm before he could stab at his abdomen. Bringing his right fist back, Sean slammed it into the German's face, and his enemy fell onto the ground. Completely overcome by his instincts, the boy pounced and slammed the German's head on a rock, snapping his neck. Sean froze in shock at the sight, ignorant of the bloody carnage around him.

That was the first man Sean O'Sullivan killed. The first of many.

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Ace woke up with a jolt, soon realising he slept seated at the dinner table the entire night. He didn't even feel himself drift off. He was in a small two-room apartment, with the kitchen, dinner table and bed all in the same space. This wasn't his place of residence, of course, just a safe-house he used in situations like this. On the bed lay a raven-haired woman, sleeping soundly under the covers of Ace's trench coat. Ace himself was dressed in only his trousers and an A-shirt that showed off rather impressive biceps earned through his years as an amateur boxer. Brushing a hand through his red hair, Ace stood up and looked out the window. It was early in the morning, when it was still dark and the city had yet to wake in full. Perfect.

One may have asked why he chose to return to the grave site, and Ace could have given many reasons. But the biggest one was the sheer indignity of it. A woman like her, someone who could give Jack Dempsey a run for his money, someone who had the sheer audacity to face an army of killers with only her bare fists, deserved better than the fate Gigante had in store for her. As a man of honour, Ace couldn't have allowed her to suffer like that. Ace always disapproved of Gigante's methods, by virtue of the needless cruelty he often employed. That was his opinion of the enforcer as a professional. Personally, Ace saw Gigante as a sadistic monster who got his kicks from an unhealthy dose of rape and murder. He'd eventually get what was coming to him.

That wasn't to say selfishness wasn't a factor, either. Their little game of cat and mouse was a thrill that only left him wanting more. Just one night with her wasn't going to satisfy his needs, he was starving for more. She was one of a kind, and killing her was taking something wonderful out of this world. It was practically a sin.

Getting her here at all proved to be quite a challenge. It was hard not to draw attention when you were carrying a half-conscious woman around, even in the late hours. There was a fairly tense moment where an old tenant had spotted the two, but she simply muttered something about "today's youth" before continuing on her way.

Ace walked over to the bed to check on his slumbering house guest, the mask covering her eyes and some of her nose still secured. He had considered taking it off, but decided to allow her some privacy. She was going to wake up sooner or later, and Ace wasn't keen on being around when she did. She crawled out of her own damn grave, after being nailed into a coffin, no less.

After slipping on his shoes, Ace draped his dress shirt over his shoulder as he prepared to leave the safe-house. Opening one of the kitchen drawers, he grabbed the spare M1911 pistol inside, loaded a magazine and pulled the slide back to chamber the first round before holstering it. It would do until he could schedule a meeting with his dealer. As a parting gift, he placed an ace of spades onto the dinner table next to her clothes, which he dried overnight. Glancing at the bed, Ace considered taking his trench coat with him.

Well, he had another one . . .

Ace put his hat on and went to the door, but not before stealing one last look. Once she woke up, there was no doubt that there would be hell to pay, but Ace wasn't discouraged in the slightest. In fact, he was looking forward to it. Let the games begin.

Closing the door behind him, Ace carefully locked it and went downstairs to his car, smiling to himself the whole time.

"Until we meet again, Red."

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She remembered the feeling of weightlessness as she was carted into a dimly lit room. She remembered being carefully lowered onto the bed and being tended to. She remembered comforting warmth as a blanket was draped over her shivering body.

Eva snapped awake, immediately sitting up on the bed. Her eyes darted around, scanning her environment as if it was a programmed skill. She was alone. Looking down, Eva noticed that she was only wearing her underwear, exposing her lean and muscular arms, legs and midriff. Thankfully, there were no signs of any abuse done to her while she was asleep. She could still feel her face redden with embarrassment, whether it was from the exposure alone or the fact that Ace had actually undressed her while she was asleep. Eva then noticed that the "blanket" she had clung to the entire night was in fact Ace's trench coat. He even had the courtesy to keep her mask on. Strange. Very strange, indeed.

Seeing that there was no sign of him anywhere in the sparse room she was kept in, Eva tossed aside the trench coat and got onto her feet. She noticed her clothes carefully prepared for her in the table in the middle of the room. Approaching, she caught sight of Ace's poor attempt at a joke: his calling card, no doubt left behind to taunt her. Growling in frustration, she threw the card back on the table and grabbed her clothes.

She slipped on her trousers, tightening the belt, before putting on her aviator jacket. Finding her boots at the foot of the bed, Eva pulled them on, her disguise now complete. Ace had taken her to some kind of hideout, left her unrestrained and allowed her to keep her privacy, all without taking advantage of her when she was most vulnerable. What kind of game was he playing at?

No matter, what was important was that she would live to fight another day. And fight she would. Gazing out the window, Eva was irritated by how bright the morning sky was. Getting back home would be difficult, especially since she didn't know where exactly she was, but Eva was sure she could handle it.

The most pressing matter at hand was paying back the men who tried to kill her. Eva wasn't quite sure if Ace could be classified under that category. He apparently came back to dig her up, if the shovel was any indication, and had given her shelter for the night. On the other hand, he was the one who put her in that predicament in the first place. Regardless, it was unlikely that Ace would be so easy to track down, even if she was actively gunning for him. The last time they met, he found her.

But there was another that stood out in her mind: Rick Gigante. The memory of the way he felt her was still fresh. If it hadn't been for Ace, he would have done much worse. Gigante would be far easier to find; as far as he knew, she was dead and buried in the middle of nowhere. Even if Ace knew about her survival, it was unlikely that he would tell Gigante, by virtue of his plans to work directly against the latter's interests.

Opening the window, Eva thought about how exactly she would make Gigante suffer. If there was one benefit to last night's events, it was that she had the element of surprise. As for Ace . . . she didn't know what to make of him.

flirty_but_nice · 7 years ago

Anthe excellent instalment.

I like how Ace is now to be confused between being friend or foe. A really interesting developing dynamic. Btw, nice back story on Ace, too!

As per my previous comment, I can't wait to see Eva's revisiting Rick Gigante. Somehow I suspect that, although he may be easy to find, poor Eva will not have as easy a time in her revenge as she arrogantly anticipates. Juicy stuff!

DrDominator9 · 7 years ago

I agree with Flirty_but_Nice's opinion above. And yes, I look forward to how she deals with both Gigante and Ace in the upcoming stories. This feels like an ending at the moment? Is there more to follow? Some denouement?

SecretSociety · 7 years ago

Rick Gigante was in a good mood today, perhaps in the best mood in a long time. To relay a message to anyone stupid enough to challenge the organisation, Gigante sent an anonymous tip to The Town Crier, one of the city's biggest newspapers, giving them the location of the burial site. There they would find the suffocated remains of L'ombra Rossa, showing the organisation's enemies that any opposition would meet the same fate. With L'ombra Rossa gone, the organisation's operations would run smoothly once again, maintaining the status quo that the vigilante was so keen on disrupting.

The enforcer had chosen to celebrate his victory at The Cat's Call, an establishment that attempted to pass itself off as high-class and respectable. But a bordello was still a whorehouse. Gigante was rather frustrated that he was unable to enjoy his moment with L'ombra Rossa in full, and had come here to relieve some of that stress. His men were sampling the goods of the establishment, while Gigante himself was being attended to by two enthusiastic workers, who playfully fed him grapes. Ace sat uncomfortably opposite of the mob enforcer, trying not to let his eyes wander off to the other workers and their loose dresses.

"C'mon Ace, you've gotta enjoy yourself some time. I'll even pay for the first one."
"I'm busy today."
"Jesus, keep this up and people are gonna think you're a finocchio. Heh, I don't think you've even popped your cherry yet!"

Gigante guffawed loudly at his own joke, with the two workers giggling along with him. Ace merely shifted in his seat before getting straight to business.

"The money, Rick."

The mob enforcer's amused grin turned into a scowl as he reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a wad of cash, slamming it down into the table. Ace picked it up and began carefully counting. After double-checking the amount of cash he was given, Ace stood up and took his leave.

"Ladies. Rick."

Ace walked away with a wry grin, washing his hands of the whole affair. There was a storm coming, and he wasn't going to get caught in the middle of it.

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Finding Gigante proved to be an easy task, just as Eva predicted. His reputation as a sexual deviant preceded him, and he was predictably at The Cat's Call. He and his men would be drunk and overconfident from their brief victory, meaning that they would be easier to pick off in a fight. She remembered each and every one of their faces from that night. As she was perched on the rooftop of an adjacent building, Eva relished the thought of revenge.

This is a mistake

Eva appreciated the entity's help in the coffin, but now was not the time for its comments. Nothing would stand between her and retribution. However, it did give Eva a strange sense of deja vu, like they had this "conversation" before.

Given that the reception hall at the lowest level of the three-story building would most likely be packed with Gigante's men, Eva elected to make her way in from a window on the third floor, which she could access through the roof. Given that it was likely to be the VIP section of the establishment, there was a higher chance of finding Gigante. Of course, there would be a few guards that would watch out for him during his "private time", but they wouldn't be too much of a problem.

Leaping from the taller building, Eva rolled upon landing on the roof to break her fall. With the skill of a cat burglar, Eva descended from the roof and carefully scanned inside the closest window. Seeing that there was no one around, Eva cautiously opened the unlocked window and crept inside.

She could hear intense thumping and muffled low-pitched grunts coming from the walls. Someone was clearly enjoying themselves. Not for long.

Slowly moving towards those sounds, Eva found herself standing in front of the door to an unguarded private room. With no one in sight, Eva was astounded by the overconfidence Gigante displayed. No matter, he would be pay dearly for it soon enough.

Eva kicked down the door, greeted by the sight of a naked giant and two equally naked and bruised ladies of the night. While the women screamed in horror, Gigante grabbed the bedside table and effortlessly tossed it at Eva, who braced herself for the impact. The piece of furniture split apart when it made impact, sending splinters flying into the air, and Eva was knocked to the ground. She was able to recover quickly enough to see Gigante pull out his pistol, and managed to roll out of the room as he fired wildly in her general direction.

Hearing footsteps from the stairwell, Eva realised she only had a few moments to spare before Gigante's entire crew was upon her. She dashed towards the window as fast as her feet could carry her, jumping out just in time to hear the automatic gunfire of Tommy Guns. Grabbing the ledge below the window as she fell, Eva heard bullets smash through the window above her, and made sure to avoid the falling glass.

Eva cursed herself for rushing in. Her desire for vengeance clouded her mind and almost got her killed. If only she had been more patient. Regardless, it appeared that stealth was (quite literally) out the window. Predicting that Gigante would try to make his escape from the brothel, Eva decided to go in through the reception hall. Conversely, the "employees' of the brothel would most likely flee towards the upper-levels, minimising the risk of collateral damage.

Descending down to ground level, Eva took a moment to catch her breath before formulating a plan. It was too risky to charge in again, especially now that Gigante's men were fully alerted of her presence. Suddenly catching sight of their parked automobiles, Eva smiled to herself as an idea sprung to her head. Standing near the automobile directly in front of the door to the brothel, Eva pulled her fist back before closing her eyes and focusing. Slamming a fist enhanced with the entity's power into the vehicle, she watched as it smashed its way through the door and into the reception hall, hearing the panicked yells of Gigante's men on the other side.

Like a ferocious predator, Eva seized the moment and ran in, ready to pounce on the dazed gangsters. Due to the dust kicked up by the crash, visibility was low for Gigante's men. Eva quietly dispatched the most vulnerable ones slowly and deliberately, savouring each attack as she remembered the night's events. She choked and pummelled them, taking her time with each individual, and their numbers slowly but surely dwindled.

Yet despite having taken care of almost all of Gigante's crew, there was no sign of the enforcer himself. That was until he emerged from the chaos, still in the buff, brandishing a Tommy Gun in one hand. Eva quickly dived into cover before he wildly fired the weapon, paying no mind to the remaining men that were caught in the crossfire as he screamed in rage.

"Fuckin' cunt! Fuckin' kill you, fuckin' whore!"

The bullets of the gun eventually ran out, and the enraged Gigante discarded the weapon, allowing it to clatter onto the pile of spent shell casings. He saw his bullet-ridden men on the ground, but there was no sign of his intended target. Eva stuck to the shadows, not daring to challenge his brute strength directly, at least not until the time was right. Gigante was apparently still processing recent events, evidently struggling.

"We fuckin' killed you!"
"Did you? Did you really?"
"I'm gonna make real damn sure you're dead this time! I'll snap your neck and fuck your twitchin' corpse! You hear me!?"
"Every word."

The dust settled, and Eva stood confidently in front of Gigante, who towered over the woman. He looked as if he could crush her skull with his bare hands, especially in his current demented state. Letting out a primal roar, Gigante charged, wildly swinging his fist at her. Eva simply sidestepped the blow, assessing what could easily be taken advantage of. He overcommit, placing too much weight in each blow. She could see that his right leg was supporting most of his considerable mass. Slamming a boot heel into his knee, Eva could hear a loud crunch as the joint was snapped, followed by Gigante's massive frame slamming into the ground.

With Gigante's knee kicked in, the fight was over before it started. He pathetically screamed curses and foul names to Eva, who coldly watched him writhe on the ground in agony as she thought of what to do with him. She initially considered leaving him the way he was. Let him stew in shame for years to come. But then she remembered the way he grabbed her, the way he threatened to defile her as a woman. Cold indifference made way for a growing fire that burned inside her. Then she thought of the women too unlucky to escape the fate he had intended for her, all the horrible things he had done to them, and that fire became white-hot rage.

Satisfied?, the voice asked, its tone that of a nagging parent.
Not yet.

He would beg and scream for her to stop, and she would only give him a single word, a solitary syllable.

"No."

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That concludes the first story of Eva Clark A.K.A. L'ombra Rossa A.K.A. The Red Shadow. Again, thank you all very much for the kind feedback, and I will make sure to keep it up. Although Rick Gigante may not have been a great physical challenge, I promise that the next few villains will be more than a match for our unfortunate heroine. For those who prefer more devious and calculating villains, Ace is still around to inconvenience Eva.

Stay tuned for the next story: "Beware the Red Shadow - The Most Dangerous Game"

DrDominator9 · 7 years ago

Nice job, guy. I look forward to more stories of the Red Shadow and the entity that resides within her. An intriguing and entertaining first story of this heroine.

Damselbinder · 7 years ago

I've finished reading the first two entries of this story, and I must say you're doing a stand up job. 'L'ombra Rossa' is an intriguing character, and her low-key, but still potent powers make her a perfect fit for this setting. I'm really buying the 20s aesthetic as well. Ace is proving to be an interesting early nemesis - I like how both of them were dissatisfied by their initial encounter.

Abductorenmadrid · 6 years ago

What a cool tale! The time period selected was of course a source of all sorts of 'serials' and yet neglected for our genre so well done seeing that gap. Our heroine is lovingly described, as is our anti-hero Ace who from the off gave off a hint of his potential to be a good bad guy. Fights are descriptive without being too laborious to read and scenes and set ups paint an easy to follow mental image. In truth I am jealous at all the things you do well that I can only wish I could LOL. I am just glad, now I've just paused in my writing (a little more AMAZOS), that I got to read something fun and different!

Good luck in future works!

Void · 6 years ago

Big apologies that I took so long to finish this - I lost my reading time for awhile there.

I enjoyed the whole story immensely, and I thought that events unfolded and were portrayed perfectly from where Eva was captured. The writing was really slick throughout, with some awesome descriptions and turns of phrase. Good details are dripped in to show us who these characters are, without going so far as to give us everything in a massive info-dump, which is great storytelling. The peril in the coffin was great, and I really liked how it forced Eva to have to look inwards and connect with the entity. Ace's anti-hero antics were intriguing, if inevitable, and I liked the strangely intimate moment he shares with Eva - no doubt that relationship/rivalry will be fun to watch develop. The showdown at the end was very well depicted, and I'm left suitably excited at the prospect of what could come next.

Speaking of which, the second instalment is next on my forum reading list!