Blood Week Read online

  The Saint & the Sinner

  Blood Week

  By J.D. Martin

  www.jdmartinbooks.com

  Chapter 1

  Some men will do anything to get what they want. The pain of others has no bearing on their decisions. The only thing that matters is achieving their goals, and the methods to get there are of little consequence. Under the night sky with the dim illumination of the waning-gibbous moon, one such man rose from the grass with the smug grin of accomplishment.

  Reaching sure footing, his unfastened pants drooped around his knees, exposing his backside to the light. Surrounding trees cast shadows across the paleness of his cheeks that were visible for only a moment before he pulled up his jeans. The metal of his buckle clinked together as he pulled the leather strap of his belt through it. Stuffing a pair of lime green panties in his pocket, the man peered down at his latest conquest and was filled with pure satisfaction.

  A skinny blonde lay before him with a disheveled skirt that exposed her to the world. Her manicured pubis pleased him as she rolled over to her side. Trying to cover her shame and fear brought the man further satisfaction. The features of his unshaven face were hidden in darkness as he was backlit by the night sky. Regardless of how she felt at the moment, her admirer couldn’t remove the smile from his face.

  They met earlier that night in a bar a few blocks away. He’d seen her from across the bar as she entered and he immediately wanted her. She was in her early twenties with a fit physique that accentuated her bosom. Her hips were hugged by a checkered miniskirt that exposed the centers of her milky thighs which connected to smooth and shapely legs tucked into black heels.

  Not one to waste time, he moved to where she sat with friends and offered to purchase their first round of drinks. He introduced himself as Justin and began the game. As the evening went on, he continued courting her until he’d finally been able to separate her from the herd like a lion going in for the kill.

  A couple hours and many cocktails later, she started to feel the effects of everything she’d consumed. Standing with Justin near the bar, she began to stumble from the effects of what had been hidden in her beverages. With her unaware of what was happening, Justin asked if she wanted to go for a walk in the park to which she agreed.

  Normally she would never leave with a stranger, but everything around her was spinning slightly from her inebriation. Escorting her out the front door, Justin marveled at his prey. He noticed the way her body moved as she traveled down the sidewalk. Her skirt was just short enough to give the illusion you might catch a glimpse of her ass each time she took a step.

  Once they were deep in the park, he wrapped his arms around her and steered her to a small area of grass and trees that was devoid of spectators. With the drug’s fallout in full effect, it didn’t take much to have his way with her. The fight was minimal, allowing him to reach climax quickly with the evidence secure in his hand.

  Taking the used condom with him, Justin decided to part ways with the foggy-headed mistress. Once he’d gotten what he wanted, there was no further use for her. Barely conscious of her surroundings, the woman rolled her head to the sky in a stupor, tears lining her grass-stained cheeks. Turning away from the girl crying in the dirt, he said “Thanks for the ride, babe” and walked away.

  Basking in what had been a chance encounter, he strolled down the deserted sidewalk with a spring in his step. He couldn’t wait to brag about the bitch he’d picked up. Justin would tell his friends of the slut that was aching for a good sticking. He would say that he was all too happy to scratch her itch, and that she was such a freak that she’d fucked him in the park where anyone could have seen. Drunk on his own power, he tossed the condom in a receptacle along the sidewalk and began looking for his next conquest.

  Across the street from where he gave into primal passions, he spotted a figure leaning against a wall. Justin couldn’t make out the face of the man shrouded in the shadows, but it caused him worry. They weren’t far from where he left that girl, and he wondered if the man might have seen any of the night’s public display.

  It was then that a thought caught him by surprise. Could that be him? The odds were ridiculous, but it was about that time of year. Justin knew that the odds of running into him had to be astronomical. For all Justin knew, the guy didn’t even exist. The vigilante from the news could easily just be a media ploy for ratings. He’d never met anyone who could verify the guy even existed. Although, supposedly the vigilante never left any witnesses to make that assertion anyway. Just in case, Justin made a quick turn and hastily walked in the opposite direction.

  Glancing behind him a few times, he no longer saw the shadowed figure. In a wave of relief, he chose to dismiss the thought. After all, it was so dark out, what could the guy have even seen? Like a caged beast craving another meal, he turned at the next corner to head towards the club district. With all the ladies there, he was sure to find further sustenance. The dance clubs were always full of eager young women ripe for the plucking, and he planned to bag him a fresh one.

  The subtle sounds of deserted streets were soon overtaken by a dull thumping in the distance. Loud rhythmic bass slowly increased in volume as he rounded the last corner and found himself on club row. Taking a moment to choose which club to patronize, he was interrupted by a fresh piece of cotton candy jaywalking across the street. Another early-twenties girl, she wore a black form-fitting spaghetti strap and tight jeans tucked into knee high leather boots. Her golden hair was in curls that bounced with each step.

  As she stepped onto the sidewalk, she spotted him and gave a smile and a wink. That was it for him, as the decision was made. Before the night was over, he would have her. It looked like luck was about to strike twice this night as he couldn’t wait to sample the sweet sugar tucked in those tight jeans.

  Her boot heels clicked across the pavement as she strolled towards the entrance of Friction, one of the many dance clubs along the row. Watching her enter, he followed her inside to go make a new acquaintance.

  The music was deafening as it beat against the side of Justin’s skull. It came in just shy of shattering his eardrums. Exiting the hallway that led into Friction’s main dance floor, he entered a whole new world. The expansive room, formally a manufacturing warehouse, shook with the beat of the music. The only light in the room came from a mixture of neon signs along the walls, spotlights on the DJ, and green lasers slicing along the dance floor. It was enough to bathe the area in a dim hue allowing everyone to move about the floor without falling over one another.

  He looked around for his black-clad beauty but was having trouble locating her. Justin had entered only a moment after her, so he knew she was around, but there must have been a hundred people on the dance floor alone. This made it difficult to separate the needle in that haystack. Noticing that the bar sat slightly higher than the rest of the room, he figured it to be a good vantage point to find her.

  The wood on the bar had been painted black in an attempted to cover the wear-and-tear it had seen over the years. Since Friction had only been open a couple years, the materials were most likely recycled from the bar of a former club. It gave a rustic contrast to the flashiness of the rest of the space.

  At the higher level, Justin watched the people on the floor grinding to the music. They rubbed their partners in ways that would make their parents cringe, but the display only brought him excitement. The live Skinimax show made him smile.

  Ordering a beer, he continued scanning the crowd in hopes of finding what had brought him. As he searched, his gaze locked with the eyes of a man staring right back at him. His pulse jumped a beat as it looked like the man had been watching him, but a shift in the dancers below and the face was gone. Justin tried to find him again but didn’t see him anywhere
. Eventually, he realized that he must have been mistaken. The lights could play funny tricks in a place like this.

  The song ended just as his beer arrived and was followed by a blood-curdling scream that echoed throughout the room just as he was taking his first drink. Slipping from his hands, the bottle bounced around splashing beer everywhere. Before he could ask, the scream dissipated and the DJ yelled “LETS GO!!!”

  The bass slammed hard from the speakers to an electronic rhythm that rose in frequency before dropping again. The people in the pit responded by cheering as they jumped up and down. Looking at his bartender in shame for his party foul, Justin requested another beer.

  “You aren’t used to this music, are you?” the man asked as he handed him another bottle and began wiping away what was spilled.

  “What makes you say that?” The drink master glanced over the edge of the bar at the bottle by Justin’s feet then looked back at him with a smirk. “Okay, you got me,” said Justin as he retrieved the dropped bottle and handed it to him to discard. “I wasn’t expecting to hear a woman screaming like that. How is that even considered music anyway?”

  “Yeah…you definitely aren’t part of the club scene. It’s called dubstep and most of the joints have guest DJ’s playing it nowadays.”

  “It’s not horrible but it should come with a warning label. It’s crazy what people will listen to.” The bartender laughed as he returned to his duties helping another customer.

  Drinking his beer, Justin listened to the sounds and watched the floor. As if out of nowhere, the crowd split to reveal a sight that sucked the air out of the room. She drew all attention her direction as she exited the dance floor.

  The girl he’d been searching for stepped up next to him and asked for a Coke. It was like the lamb stepping up for the slaughter. After looking everywhere for her, she had simply walked right to him. He couldn’t ask for a better setup.

  “Mmmm….if only,” he spoke aloud as his eyes wandered the landscape of her body. This got her attention and she looked at him with a smirk.

  “If only what?”

  “If only you were a bad girl.”

  “And why is that?” she laughed.

  “Because then you might be willing to moan for me.”

  “Is that what you use to pick up girls?”

  “Well it certainly gets my point across,” he smiled.

  She stared at him for a few seconds as her eyes searched his and pondered what to say next. Seemingly coming to a conclusion, she leaned forward slowly and put her lips to his ear. She let out a slow moan heavy with her breath that felt warm on his earlobe. “Who said I wasn’t a bad girl already?” she whispered before pulling back away again.

  Licking her lips, she chugged her soda and walked back to the floor and struck up with a dancer in need of a partner. The boy was eager to oblige the blonde beauty and stepped from the edge of the floor to join with her.

  With the music pounding, she began grinding up against him to the beat. Justin watched her unblinking as he craved to take her as his prize. She straddled the boy’s leg and slid her crotch up and down his thigh, arching her back in a way that accentuated her curves. Her hands were in constant motion sliding through her hair, across the side of her neck, and down the crease between her breasts. Turning her back to the boy, she pressed her ass into the front of his jeans and pulsed to the beat.

  While giving the young boy the best dance of his life, she passed the occasional glance towards Justin. She knew she was being watched and seemed to enjoy the voyeurism. Although she could have easily disappeared back into the crowd, she kept her show right on the edge, making sure to keep her audience completely immersed in her vision. Justin was captivated.

  As the song finished, she left the boy who frowned at her dismissal. She moved her attention to a voluptuous brunette that had just descended into the pit. Whispering into her ear, they both glanced up at the bar. Turning this one-woman show into a duet, they both locked eyes with Justin as they gyrated together.

  As the next beat dropped, it caused the crowd to bounce around with their arms in the air. The ladies rubbing their perspiring skin against each other; lips mere inches away from touching. It all became too much for him. No longer wishing to be a bystander, he pushed away from the bar and joined them.

  As Justin descended to the dance floor, the blonde spun around putting her back to the brunette. She caressed the girl’s face from over her shoulder while rubbing her back against her. Justin approached the two of them with one thing on his mind. When close enough, he placed his hand on her waist and pulled the blonde over to him. Swaying with her to the pulsating rhythm, he leaned forward to kiss her, but she dodged effortlessly and whispered into his ear instead.

  “Am I really so captivating?” she asked.

  “Honey, you’re the only woman here worth my attention.”

  With a smile she responded, “Flattery will get you everywhere with me, stranger.” Placing a hand on his neck, she slid her tongue from his cheek to his ear, ending with a kiss on his lobe. “How about we finish this show elsewhere?”

  “Oh, I think that’s the best idea I’ve heard yet.” Taking her hand, he led her off the floor towards the exit.

  Back outside, Justin put his arm around her neck as they walked side-by-side and tried to grab her breasts. She pushed his hand away before he could get what he wanted. “What happened to the next episode of this show, sweetness? Don’t you want to moan for me again?”

  “Not here,” she said coyly. “I have a car down the street.”

  Getting the picture, he proudly displayed a grin as he followed her towards her vehicle. He was amazed how easy this one had been. She must be truly hurting for it to be so easy.

  The further they walked, the more he started to feel strange. He began to feel a little groggy and stumbled a few steps before using a wall to balance himself. Noticing his stumbling, the girl put an arm around him to help guide him towards the car. “It’s only another block away,” she said. “Everything will be better once we get there, baby.”

  He wanted to believe her, but he had to increasingly rely on her support to walk with each step. The closer they got to the car, the more he couldn’t keep himself upright. Justin wasn’t sure what was happening. He’d only had a few beers the entire night and only one in the last hour.

  As they arrived at the back of a black sedan, the blonde beauty had had enough. “You know what? I’m done carrying your drunk ass!”

  Letting go of him, the man fell hard and slammed into the sidewalk. “This was as far as I needed to get you anyway. I’m out of here.” Trying to clear the blur from his vision, he tried to make sense of what she was saying as she started walking away. As the sound of her heels got fainter, he was left alone on the pavement; or so he thought.

  “Something tells me she didn’t leave satisfied. Do you make a habit of leaving women with less than they expected? Eventually the rumor will get out and you will be the laughing stock of the female community.” Struggling to see who was speaking to him, Justin rolled around trying to focus. The newcomer leaned down over him and spoke so only he could hear.

  “Poor Justin, don’t you know you should always keep an eye on your drinks? I suppose not, seeing as you were spending all your energy on watching that young woman. You didn’t see me slipping you something special, did you?”

  “Flunitrazepam has quite the kick when mixed with alcohol doesn’t it? Of course, you already know that, don’t you? Oh, where are my manners, I’m talking like an egghead when I should be using laymen’s terms. I’m sure someone such as yourself is more familiar with the term rohypnol.”

  “Who are you?” Justin mumbled quietly.

  “That’s not what’s important right now. What is important, though, is how you got here. We’ll review that after we take a quick drive together. You’re up for that right? In your state, it would seem that you could use a designated driver, and I’m happy to volunteer.”

  Opening the
trunk, the stranger spread out the plastic inside to cover as much of the interior as possible before turning back to Justin. “I must apologize ahead of time as you won’t be riding shotgun.”

  The man hoisted Justin up, dragging him over the bumper and rolling him into the compartment. After folding his legs in with him, the man shook his head at the limp body in the trunk. “The accommodations might not be to your liking, but you’ll have to deal with it for now. However, as you’re probably seconds away from unconsciousness, we can just assume you won’t remember the ride anyway. Sound good?”

  Justin peered up at the person speaking and realized that it was him. This was the man he’d heard about on the news. The vigilante was real. Justin tried to plead for his release, but the words wouldn’t form on his lips. He felt unconsciousness take him as the man closed the trunk lid, placing him in total darkness.

  Chapter 2

  The clock on the dash read 11:37pm on a Sunday evening as the black sedan coasted along a deserted East 12th Street. Surrounding buildings reflected off the freshly waxed side panels. The late model Ford crept along while the air conditioner attempted to overcome the intense heat and humidity infecting the night air.

  Every year around this time the high temperature became nearly unbearable, but luckily the city was at the tail end of the latest heat wave. It meant that the cooling system was working overtime. Even with the sun down, the heat was enough to cook an egg on the street.

  A popular coffee shop known as the Java Break was a few streets over. The driver knew that the shop’s owner arrived each morning at 4:00am to prep his store to open at 5:30am. Research was the key to his actions on that night, and knowing the area’s daily routine was pertinent information to have.

  Impressive so was the black bean coffee and croissant he’d purchased on his first visit that he pondered the possibility of another stop there soon. He decided to stop in tomorrow to celebrate the start of another week.