Free Crossroads Shadowland by Keta Diablo

no doubt
burned to provide heat. Several
mattresses, thin and flea-infested, sat in one corner of the room, more evidence transients had passed
through at some time. A leaky roof with stains bigger than mud
puddles caught his gaze when he looked up. Right now, the room
emanated heat like a furnace, but it could be the result of fear
wracking his body.
    A surge of adrenaline
coursed though Rand's blood and his palms broke out in a cold sweat when Martin snatched an electrical cord
from the floor and took up a position
behind him. His shoulders groaned in pain when his wrists were
bound and his body dragged backwards toward a cement
pillar.
    "This should do," Martin said.
    Ringo set the gun on the
floor and advanced, his heinous grin preceding the blow he delivered to his face. At the last second, Rand
instinctively turned his head and took a
closed fist to the cheek. Pain shot into his brain and for a minute his world spun.
    "Cock-sucking faggot."
Martin's words wound through his dazed mind. So that's what this was about? "Where's your hard-ass lover
now?"
    Rand dragged his chin
around and looked Martin in the eye. "I don't need a hard-ass against pussies like you." His knee jerked
upward and out and caught Martin's groin
head-on. He tumbled to the floor, clutched his balls and groaned like a sick calf.
    Ringo charged like an
enraged ball, pummeling his face with both fists. Bones cracked and warm, salty blood poured from
his nose and trickled into his mouth. Rand
fought to remain conscious against the enveloping darkness. They meant to kill him, he knew that now,
wouldn't dare to leave a witness.
    Through a mind-numbing fog,
he saw Martin clamber to his feet. He limped toward him, his contorted face a mask of hate. "No one
will ever find you, and if they do it'll
be too late you sorry piece of shit."
    Garbled words fell from
Rand's mouth. "Maybe not, but make no mistake McGuire will find you."
    A rib snapped and the
breath flew from his lungs after a series of punches to his torso. He prayed he'd lapse into
unconsciousness…or die soon. Black lights converged and a gurgling
rasp spewed from his chest. Choking, he
was choking on his own blood.
    A white beacon swept over
the room. Ah, the angels had come at last. Through one eye he
watched an expression of shock cross Ringo's face, and Martin's raised fist stopped in mid-air. Naked
fear passed through the man's eyes as he
focused on an unknown entity over Rand's shoulder.
    Feet shuffled and then the
sound of panicked screams running from the building echoed around Rand. He felt a presence, unknown,
vague and compassionate. "Too late, but
thank you for coming," his swollen lips ground out. "Sorry, Frank," he whispered and felt his chin fall to
his chest.
     

Chapter Seven
     
    Malevolence rode the wind.
Frank smelled the musty, rank scent when the cab pulled up to the front gate of Lafayette and he
stepped into the night.
    Sister Francoise slipped
out the back door of the LX10, her bold exit bolstering his flagging courage. "I knew you could do it,
Frank." She looked up at the full moon
chasing the stars across the sky and then glanced at the taxi
as it pulled away. "Where is
Rand?"
    Frank shifted his weight from one hip to the
other and stammered. "He- he took a flight back to Baltimore."
    She searched his face, her
voice quiet. "I'm sorry to hear that. I'll pray he returns safely."
    "Valmont said I have one
chance." Frank extended his arm with the flashlight, an indication she should lead the way to Doucet's
grave. "Tell me the words I have to recite
to grant him peace."
    "How good is your Latin?'
    Lighting their path with
the flashlight in one hand, Frank scratched his head with the other. "Latin?"
    "Uh-huh," she said with a nod.
    "Tell me the words and I'll memorize them
before..."
    The wind picked up and a
stream of clouds smothered the moon. A roar louder than a freight train whipped through the cemetery.
Frank looked down and realized they'd
arrived at Valmont's broken