The Night of Justice MW2017 non writer

It was a cold night. Not as cold as it would be in December, but the kind of cold that makes you feel lonely when you find yourself outside and alone in the dark. The moon was hiding behind dark clouds and the only light came from the street front of me at the end of the alley. I was hiding behind a large trash container, kneeling on the wet pavement. Nothing broke the total silence, apart from the occasional cars on the street ahead and even that noise reached me muffled. Behind me the alley ran towards the other cross street farther ahead. Dark wet and quite, the perfect night to commit murder.

I blow some hot air into my palms, trying to warm them up if only for a moment. I was invisible for the eyes, hiding in the shadow waiting for my victim. The man who made my life empty, exactly two years ago. On that day he killed my son, along with his girlfriend. He ended their life with two single shots in a nightclub, over a small argument. He was known in the nightlife as the ‘Rat’ or some called him the ‘Teflon Rat’. A well-known criminal with money and connections, which allowed him to be untouchable by law, nothing could stick to him, hence the name ‘Teflon’. He was quite proud of that nickname, but not so much for the other, the ‘Rat’.

He was called the Rat not because he was a snitch, he never did that, but because of his looks. A skinny short man with short black hair on a small head, small black eyes and an extremely pointy nose that slightly moved up and down when he was speaking. He had very slim lips and to perfect the picture, his two front teeth were abnormally large, giving his face a look of a rodent.

On that faithful day two years ago he was in the same nightclub where my son celebrated his twenty first birthday with his girlfriend, a beautiful young lady who just happened to have the same birthday and also twenty one as my son. According to the police report, an argument broke out when my son accidentally bumped into the Rat. Words had been exchanged and the argument escalated into a situation where both young people were gunned down by him in front of other guests. By the time the police arrived, the Rat has been disappeared, but the case seemed like a done deal. There were witnesses and a security camera just in the right place. A few days later the Rat showed up in the police station lawyered up. The trial began shortly and that’s when the trouble started.

First it has been announced that the security tape has been lost before anyone could have seen it. Then the witnesses started to disappear and the remaining ones changed their testimony saying they didn’t see anything. Whatever the district attorney tried has run into walls. After a few months it was clear that the Teflon Rat will walk away free, once again. I will never forget the day when I saw him leaving the court with his attorney, smiling and happy. He was cleared of all charges declared not guilty by the law, but everyone on the street knew what he did. I had to take matters in my own hand.

Finding him was easy all it took was time. I knew his associates as once I was also involved with criminals. I knew all I had to do is get in touch with his closest partner. Once I did that I just asked him to set up a very private meeting, in the middle of the night in a quite alley the kind only a large metropolis can provide. He eagerly helped me, but not because he wanted to. I suspect the silenced gun pressed against his temple persuaded him to comply. Once he did what I asked him to do, he obviously had to go. Of course I promised him to leave him alive, but like many of them I was a liar too. An hour later he was sleeping with the fish, his body disposed in the river not far from his house.

So now here I was in the shadows waiting for the Rat. I knew he would come, and I guessed he will be alone as the meeting was about something of a huge importance to him. Money. This time I didn’t have a gun. All I had was a knife sharp enough to cut a piece of paper. I was against a gun as in my mind this killing had to be personal, I wanted to see the life leaving his body, wanted to see his face when he recognize mine and when it registers who am I.

He arrived like clockwork exactly at the time of the meeting. He pulled into the empty alley and came to a stop. Turned the headlights off but kept the engine running as he didn’t want to be cold. I knew better, he will be colder than ice after tonight. It was time for me to make my move. I was about to get up and go to his car when I saw a person, coming from the street ahead turning into the darkness of the alley. I immediately moved back to the shadow cursing myself not being careful enough, not checking if he would bring anyone with him. I saw the person walking up to the car, hands in the coat’s packets. I saw the Rat rolling down his passenger side window. Then things sped up and I saw the person taking out a hand holding an object. The next second all I heard was the familiar noise only a silenced handgun can produce. A semi loud gun shot, then another then another and so on until I heard the click of an empty clip. The Rat has been shot eleven times through the open window. I stepped out from behind the trash cart and stared at the scene. The person looked up and our eyes met, only for a second but it felt like an eternity. I knew this face. She was the woman from the court room, the mother of my son’s girlfriend. She must have been following the Rat for a long time, looking for the opportunity to bring justice, just like I did.

I watched her face as emotions ran through on it. First anger that turned into surprise, then fear and slowly into relieve as she recognize me as well. Keeping our eyes connected I slowly nodded without a word, then turned around and walked away into the dark wet silent night.

I never saw her again.

THE END