Blood Covered Snow

The Lit Cigarette

Tonight was frostbitten with the wind whipping against the window almost as if it were screaming across the office. I could feel the draft through the window, covering my neck with the rest of my jacket. Most nights, I would be down at one of the corners, smoking away the last bit of hope that this city ever had. Watching as the hookers were picked up by greasy lards that only wished they could get a decent girl. Or the echo of sirens that ran through the streets day in and day out. But ever since January came, there has been a new storm brewing and I just don't mean the falling snow. There's been whispers around, people are becoming scared as all crime seemed to come to a standstill. It was like the calm before the storm. This dreadful night already had me in a bad mood. I had just received a notice in the mail, reminding me to pay my bills along with a Dear John letter from my now, ex-wife. My desk was covered in ash, tears, and the slight stench of Jasmine perfume that only she wore. Inhaling the stench of my cigarette, I enjoyed the peace and quiet of the city streets, not letting reality slip through just yet. That is until I received a knock at my door.

A small woman and her fragile son stood in my doorframe as the flickering light from the hall illuminated their faces. She looked just as I felt, exhausted and beaten down. Her hair was in rats, and dirt drifted around her like Pigpen from Peanuts. Her son didn't look much better, clearly, they were homeless. "This ain't a charity home," I shouted, watching the ash float down to the ashtray. "Detective Sullivan, my name is Charlotte Adakai and this here is Eli. We need your help." Her voice was quivering with her words coming out between chattering teeth. "Sorry. No money, no help." I replied, hoping they leave me alone but no cigar. She stood in the doorframe for a few awkward seconds until she came closer while reaching into her coat if that's what you would call it. She pulled out an array of objects from cigarette butts to lose napkins until she pulled out green. "Please, sir. This is all I have, just listen, and if you don't want to do business then we'll leave." She handed me three, crinkled twenty-dollar bills. I stared back at her, seeing the desperation in her eyes and the sadness that carried them to me as well as my need for money. "Okay, shoot," I exclaimed, burning out the cigarette. Her lifeless eyes shot open with a sense of hope as she let her son play with a bobblehead of mine, explaining her predicament.

This time, last Tuesday, Miss. Adakai and her son were sleeping out at one of the small parks. For her to sleep out there by herself is one thing but having her son with her, it's a death wish. Anyways, while she was sleeping, her son had spotted a kitten, of all creatures, and decided to follow in an ally. However, when he heard shouting that followed him, he ducked under a few cardboard boxes. He had no idea what kind of danger he just put himself into by making that one mistake. He heard the shouting come closer as he peered through a flap just as he saw one of the men pull out a gun. The next thing he knew, the other man was lying dead in the alley, bleeding over the sidewalk as the other man pounded his feet into the ground. But here's the real kicker, before the man decided to scurry his way out of the ally, the boy saw his face. This was intriguing. Once the murder spree had settled, people began to gather around the body, noticing that it was Tony "The Boss" Simmons. The city's biggest crime boss but I guess, he's the city's deadliest crime boss. Soon after, this hit the news, spreading worse than a California wildfire. And that's when Charlotte thought it would be best if she and her son had some protection, leading her to me.

"Ma'am, that's all and well but how am I supposed to protect you when the killer might not even know you're son was there?" I asked, popping out another cigarette. "They know. Haven't you felt it? The streets have gone quiet, it's as if time froze," she replied. I rolled my eyes, about to light my cancer stick until I felt a small breeze whip by me and the sound of glass breaking. Confused, I meant eyes with Miss. Adakai as her face looked perplexed. "Ma'am? Charlotte?" Red rubies soon seeped from her mouth as she doubled over my desk. Awestruck, I threw my cigarette down, diving for her son. Suddenly, a hail storm of bullets came crashing through my office. It sounded as if a million acorns were hitting every inch of the walls. Then after what felt like hours, the storm stopped but the glass continued to fall. It wasn't until I heard the last shard of glass hit my floor, that I looked up. The office walls were filled with bullets and my window was now just a hole in the wall. I almost couldn't believe what just happened until I heard crying. The sound was coming from Eli, whimpering over his mother who now lay on the floor, blood everywhere and bullets throughout her entire body. "Son, I need to get you to the police."

I reached down, his tear-filled eyes stared back at me and I knew exactly what that kid was saying to me. Don't take me away from my mother. I felt sorry for the kid but if we didn't get out of the building, we would be eating lead. "I'm sorry kid, but we have to move!" I yelled, pulling him up from the ground as he strained and struggled to free himself. Let me say this, that kid could hit. "If we get out of this, you could be the next Muhammad Ali," I stated as he continued to pound me. Dragging him down the stairs wasn't much easier. About halfway down, I had had enough of this kid and stopped just at the second-floor emergency door. "Alright, enough!" I yelled as my voice echoed throughout the stairwell. Eli stared at me with a face that he obviously learned on the streets. "You gotta stop hitting me. I know you want to see you're mom but she's dead and we will be too if we don't get outta here." His face froze in a pout as I just sighed, that is until I heard whispers coming from the first floor. Looking down through the spirals of stairs, I saw two hoods making their way up, both holding automatic weapons.

I didn't want a meet and greet anytime soon, so I picked up the kid and busted down the emergency door. Of course, this let out a wail that went throughout the entire building but I couldn't stop now. Eli squirmed in my arms but I was too focused on getting our keisters out of there alive. My feet were carrying me like a jet stream carrying snow as I heard the loud yells coming from the goons. Running down the fire exit while holding a squirming child is hard enough but when bullets are flying by your head, it makes the job damn near impossible. But, finally, I reached the bottom heading straight to my car but I had a trick up my sleeve just for the goons. Every time it snows, waterfalls down the drainage pipe, right in front of the fire escape. So if you know it's there, you can hop right over it but unfortunately for these gorillas, their asses are about to be concrete crumble. I had made it to my Cadillac just as I heard the painful groans coming from the fall. I couldn't help but chuckle as I threw the kid in the back and sped off.

The snow had accumulated on the roads a good inch, causing frequent sliding but I had to make it to the police station for the kid's sake. At this point, he was tearing up in the back as I tried to drive us to the station as safely as possible. Those gorillas didn't seem to chase after they landed on their rear ends back at my office. This was getting insane. I lit up another cigarette while cracking the window. "Mister, I'm cold." Eli's voice rang from the back. I sighed with annoyance flinging the cigarette out and watching the ashes float atop the snow. "Hey, kid. Why don't you make your way up here?" I said, patting the ripped lining of the passenger seat. He managed to squeeze his small body up and over the center console and this was the first time I got a good look at him after his mother died. He looked like hell had spit him out and then stomped on him to finish the job. "Here kid." I handed him an old granola bar from the glove compartment. "Ya look hungry." He chowed down on that like a ravenous bear. "Where are we going?" He asks between falling crumbs. "Police station. Maybe they can help you there, now that you...well..." I didn't want to finish that sentence and by the look on his face neither did he.