Without Remorse

This is a crime thriller with some romantic sex, and a smidgeon of violent non consensual sex and interesting by-play between various characters whom I hope you'll enjoy.

Definition of a Sociopath -- someone unconcerned about the adverse consequences for others of one's actions and with a total lack of moral compass.

*

Archie the contract killer wandered around the Embankment area of London where the two detectives had led him to yesterday. He looked at every girl as he passed them, scrutinising them, checking them to see if they were the one he had been sent to silence.

As he wandered he didn't realise that he was being observed by a young bobby on the beat. Keeping his eye on the man the officer watched, not sure what the man was up to but with a bad feeling about him. Down in this part of town it was not unusual for men to pick up a woman, especially those who gave out favours for cash, but this man was looking a little rumpled, his clothes creased as if he had slept in them, stubble on his cheeks and a little too much interest in the women of the street.

A possible candidate for the Homeless Rapist.

*

Kelly also was wandering down by the Embankment area trying to find Janice when she spotted the greasy haired girl she had spoken to days ago. Walking over to where she stood begging next to an ATM machine she said, "Hi, remember me?"

"Yeah....you is that rozzer that is searching for the girl in the photo."

"You look hungry. Want to come and get something to eat? I'm paying."

At first the girl looked like she was going to refuse, so Kelly continued, "I know of a great café here where they do a really big fry up. Sausages, bacon, egg and chips..."

The lure of the hot meal was almost too much to bear and Kelly could see her wavering. "....plus mushrooms and a hot cup of tea....."

Nodding the girl followed Kelly as they made their way to the café, her stomach rumbling at the thought of the hot food and warmth the café was going to provide.

*

Unknown to Kelly when she left Mikes flat that morning he had followed her. Phoning in sick he had taken the day off to see if she would try to find his fifth rape victim. Tucked in a bag in his hand was a baseball bat and he was going to finish off the bitch that could witness him and had brought the focus onto where he worked.

He had moved up from rapist to possible murderer without a second thought.

Lagging back at a distance he watched as Kelly, and the stick thin little cow, went into the café and sat down at the table next to the window. Stepping into a shop doorway he stood and waited.

*

Jake and Ben returned to the Embankment area to look for the girl with the greasy hair, and as they too walked down by the river under the bridge they were observed by the bald headed and tattooed man that shared the Arch recess with Hanny and Janice.

Today had been rough, not able to get enough money to buy himself some extra strong cider to drink he was starting to get the shakes, and his terrible thirst was engulfing him.

He was getting desperate, and desperate begging did not obtain results.

*

In the café Kelly and Hanny were eating, Kelly being careful not to scare off the hungry girl, asking none-threatening questions as she watched her stuff food into her mouth.

"So how long have you lived on the street?"

"Long enough."

"Must be tough."

"It's ok."

As she stuffed a bite of bread and butter that she had dipped in the egg yolk in her mouth she told Kelly, "People are close on the street; they're like your family. I ain't had no family before."

Kelly saw this as a way in to ask about Janice. "She like your family Hanny? Is Janice like your family?"

Chewing on the last bit of sausage Hanny stared at Kelly before answering, "She's like a sister to me, I don't have no sister really."

"She was raped and hurt Hanny. She needs medical attention. Rape does damage. Her arm was broken, head wounds, slight concussion. You know where she is?"

"She don't want no help. I asked her and she don't want no help. She's scared."

"Hanny I promise to not let anything bad happen to her but let me see her and talk to her and if she says no, then I promise to leave it. Ok."

"You promise?....only she's got a fever and the pain killers I got her aren't helping."

"Come on Hanny show me where she is."

Taking the last gulp of her cup of tea the girl stood up. "She's not far from here. Come on."

*

Walking into the back of the arch, stepping over the discarded and dirty refuse that littered the area, Kelly squinted as she passed from the light to the shadowed and dingy depth of the old Victorian arch that formed part of the railway line running eventually over the bridge across the River Thames. The smell was sour, stale sweat mingled with the sweet pungent smell of smoked spliffs. Cardboard covered the floor at the back of the arch along with a discarded shopping trolley filled with a mish-mash of belongings acting as a kind of closet. At the back of the arch, lying in a corner under a filthy looking blanket lay the body of a woman.

Janice.

Kelly rushed over to kneel by the unconscious girl, her hand feeling the forehead for signs of fever. "This girl needs help Hanny, I'm going to phone for an ambulance."

Turning around to speak to Hanny she then had the shock of her life. There stood Mike, his arm around Hanny's neck, the girls face turning purple as the breath was cut off by the pressure on her windpipe. Her eyes stared ahead, her small hands grabbing at the strong arm that pushed against her throat, her small feet on their tiptoes as they tried to get purchase.

Shocked Kelly knelt, "Mike, what are you doing?"

Smiling a parody of a smile he told her, "What I should have done in the first place with all the stupid cows. They were so easy to fuck. You were so easy to fuck."

"I don't understand......"

Letting go of the woman in the crook of his arm, she fell choking to his feet. "Women! You all think you rule men. You all think you're so superior. Well you're not. You're stupid, weak and rubbish. Easy to fuck, easy to hurt, easy to do what ever I want to do with you." Stepping over the prone Hanny at his feet he lifted his other hand carrying the plastic bag and removed the baseball bat, dropping the bag to join the other rubbish on the concrete floor. "I was going to use you as an alibi, but I think now I'll just finish you all off. The police will find you all dead and think that one of the layabouts has gone berserk. It will keep them looking for a vagrant, take the heat off of me."

"You're mad."

Stepping another step forward he raised his arm, the baseball bat menacingly hovering high above his head, "After I finished beating in your head I'm going to enjoy beating in the other two little sluts heads."

*

The tattooed and thirsty beggar sidled up to the two detectives and asked them, "How much will you pay to find out where the stupid bitch is that you're looking for?"

"You know where she is?"

"Yeah but it'll cost you."

Ben grabbed the jacket of the man snarling in his face, "Tell us or I'll fucking rip your balls up through your mouth."

"Five quid, I'll tell you for fiver."

Reaching into his pocket Jake held up the five pound note, moving out of the way from the grimy filthy fingers that the desperate man tried to grab it with. "Not so fast, take us to her and you get the money."

Ben let go of the man as he agreed, and the two detectives followed him up the street and into an alley leading up to the arches.

*

The contract killer had watched the exchange, recognising Ben, and when they moved off started to follow them, his hand slipping into his pocket and wrapping around the gun that nestled in there. Slipping into the alleyway he removed the gun, and quietly made his way, the sounds of the crowds in the street fading behind him, his body tense and ready for anything.

Behind him the copper watched and followed, his mouth talking into his radio softly, giving notice that he was in pursuit of a suspect with a gun and giving out his position.

*

Kelly screamed as the baseball bat came down on her, raising her arm to protect her head, the sound of the bone cracking rung out loud, the pain burning and intense. As he raised his arm again to hit her he staggered, his back hit by a flying figure knocking him off balance. Turning around he found a furious Hanny who had got back her second wind hitting him with both her fists, "YOU FUCKING BASTARD, IT WAS YOU WHO HURT MY FRIEND."

Grabbing the girl as she attacked him he threw her down across Kelly and Janice as they cowered in the corner. Kelly sat holding her broken arm, shock on her face. Raising up the baseball bat again he aimed it at Kelly's head, "This time I'm going to get you, you fucking slut."

Ben threw himself at the man as he entered the arch, grabbing the raised arm and the two men started to struggle. Mikes knee landed a bruising hit in Ben's groin, but the detective kept on fighting, forcing the baseball bat out of his hand. Jake had run past the two fighting men to check on the sobbing Kelly, bending down to check on her and the sick Janice he started to pull out his cell phone to get an ambulance and backup when he, along with everyone else heard the loud shout, "FUCKING STOP IT. EVERYONE FUCKING KEEP STILL."

No one moved in the now crowded space, and all eyes turned towards the shouting voice to see a crumpled man pointing a gun towards them. "STAY WHERE YOU ARE, DON'T FUCKING MOVE."

Cursing, Archie the contract killer stepped sideways to get a better line of sight of all the shocked people, the gun pointing in the general direction of the two fighting men who stood gripping each other still, and glanced at the prone body of the sick woman. Angry at the situation he was in, he had found the contract target, but now he had five other people to deal with. Witnesses to the fact he had a gun, witnesses that could identify him.

Things were going from bad to worse on this trip down south to this stupid capital city.

No matter the gun was loaded and he had a silencer in his pocket. It would be a bit messy but he could do it. Noticing a length of rope on the floor he waved the gun at Hanny and told her, "Get the fucking rope, I want you to tie the men up. Tie them up together." When she didn't move quick enough he screamed, "NOW OR YOU'RE THE FIRST TO GET THE BULLET."

As he screamed at Hanny the young copper came out of the shadow from where he had been hiding and threw himself at Archie, knocking the arm holding the gun so that it moved down at an angle and in reflex Archie's finger tightened on the trigger, the sound of the shot echoing in the brick surrounded space that held all the players in this drama that was unfolding at a fast and furious pace.

There was a scream and a shout as the bullet connected with human flesh.

Someone had been hit.