Free From Hell by Tim Marquitz Page B

I’ve
something for you.” My fingers closed about the Webley’s grip as I
pulled it loose from my pocket. I cranked the hammer back. The
bobbies on their way, subtlety could go fuck itself.
    “ You won’t catch me,” Jack
called out from the other room. A sharp crack followed his boast, and then
another. Through the haze of my wound, I recognized the sound as
wood splintering.
    “ Shit! He’s going out the
back.”
    Scarlett started forward
but the roar of a pistol forced her back against the wall. The shot
whined through the room and struck the far wall. A heavy thump sounded in the
back room right after. Another blind shot ripped through the
doorway and was followed by a muted crunch and the slap of boots on
stone.
    I ducked low and bolted through the
doorway, gun leading the way. On the other side of the room, a
window stood open the city. The light of dawn glimmered outside and
I spied a flutter of movement on the street. The vague wash of
mystical energy pinged my senses as I raced to the window. The
brown-coated target of the Ripper’s back was less than thirty feet
away, and I recognized him as the guy from the bar. I raised my
gun.
    “ Don’t hurt me,” a small,
terrified voice screamed, a flash of movement appearing just to the
right of me.
    I spun just as a woman toppled to her
knees beside me and wrapped her arms around my thigh. She clutched
to me with all her strength, nearly bowling me over as she pleaded,
sobbing into my leg.
    “ Don’t…please,
don’t.”
    My eyes snapped back to the window to
see Jack disappear around a corner to the accompaniment of
screeching whistles. It was the second time he’d slipped
away.
    A growl slipped loose. “Damn it,
woman,” I said, shaking her free of my leg. “I’m not gonna hurt
you.”
    She fell away, staring up at me with
puppy dog eyes. Her hands trembled as she held them between us.
That’s when I realized I’d seen the woman before, too. She was the
redheaded prostitute who’d been draped over Jack’s shoulder. My
eyes darted to the window, and then back to her. Jack must have
been planning on making her his next victim. She had no idea just
how close she’d come to being hacked to bloody little pieces by the
sick bastard.
    “ You need to go home and
never come back here again,” I told her, motioning toward the open
window as the whistles closed. “That was the Ripper,
girl.”
    Her eyes widened even further, hands
moving to cover her open mouth. A tear slithered down her
cheek.
    “ We need to go, Frank,”
Scarlett said from the doorway. “We don’t have time for this .” She pointed at
the woman’s draping neckline, drawing my eyes to the soft, pale
flesh on casual display.
    For once, I hadn’t even thought of
sneaking a peek…not until Scarlett mentioned it, that is. A quick
glance down the woman’s blouse would have to do, so I did just
that, memorizing the view for later. Then I nodded to my sneering
cousin and climbed through the window, grumbling as the maneuver
tugged at my wound. Scarlett followed right after, and we ran down
the street, circling away from the closing police.
    Jack had gotten away—again—but the
puzzle was starting to come together. At least now I had an idea as
to where to look for him.

Eleven
     
    Joseph opened the door, his eyes
narrowing at seeing me. “Mister Yardlow.”
    Scarlett glanced at me and mouthed the
name, giving a subtle shake of her head. I shrugged.
    “ Good morning, Joseph.
Call me Thomas, please. Can I speak to your father?”
    His eyes drifted from me to Scarlett,
suddenly widening. While I’d had her stash her blades so she wasn’t
walking around town like Blackbeard the pirate, I doubted the kid
would even notice if she were dragging a cannon along behind her.
He was enthralled in a heartbeat, and hadn’t even noticed the bit
of blood that stained my jacket. I couldn’t blame him for being so
smitten, but I could, however, take advantage of it.
    “ My associate here,”