Gaslight (12) in Gaslight

Lydia sat in the car unmoving after Kate excited the vehicle. Kate walked around to the other side of the car and opened the passenger door. Instead of her normal demanding nature, Kate said,

“You know you don’t have to come along if you want to. I can handle this. My hands are already bloody. You don’t have to go down this road with me. This guy will get his due with or without you.”

Lydia sat facing forward and kept her silent. Her heart was beating fast but overall she was maintaining her calm.

“Does it make anything better detective? Will the memories, the pain go away?

Kate knelt in the open doorway and replied with an air of empathy and concern.

“It doesn’t get better kiddo, it just gets different. You pretty much have to settle for these bastards not consuming anymore air on the planet and not fucking up other’s lives.”

Lydia finally turned and looked at Kate. Nodding her head up in her final thoughts. Lydia made up her mind.

“Let’s do this.”

“Now yer talking sweetheart. Got to get a couple housewarming gifts out of the trunk then let’s go a knocking.”

Lydia got out of the car and closed the door softly. She leaned against the car as Kate popped the trunk. After the trunk slammed shut Kate came over to Lydia and handed her a pair of black leatherette gloves and a blackjack.

“What is this thing?”

Kate laughed and replied,

“Just in case you want to give someone a whack you won’t mess up them pretty finger nails of yours.”

“Your fuckin’ nuts you know, plain fucking nuts.”

Lydia and Kate walked right down the sidewalk with no attempts to conceal themselves or look suspicious in any way. Kate figured the dark of night was enough and the neighborhood was just seamy enough to keep people off the street at night.

The women cut through the church back parking lot and came to the front of the parish home. Kate walked right up to the front entrance of the dwelling before turning to Lydia.

“Okay cutie pie, time to stick that pretty little face right in front of the peek hole with a great big smile. I figure these save the world churchy bastards will open right up for the likes of you.”

Lydia looked at her with an expression of doubt.

“Just knock on the door. That’s it? Hello, Mind if I come in and kick yer ass. That’s your great plan?”

“Indeed it is” Kate replied with a wink, toothy grin and thumbs up gesture. It would have been sort of cute if it wasn’t for the dark greasy smear of a face.

Lydia spotted a ornate door knocker and gave the door and triple knock. Kate stood off out of view and seemed very nonchalant.

Marion Pritchett was a bit surprised to hear a knock at the door after ten o’clock. Most of the flock would certainly call if they wish to see her husband. Still, there many who thought the church pastor was at their disposal and eternal damnation kept no hours of convenience.

Marion looked out the peek hole and found a young, petite, yet unfamiliar face waiting her reply. She slide the security chain from it bed and opened the door to the innocent smiling face.

Kate was immediately on the move and pushed by Lydia. Kate turned on Marion and with both hands slammed her in the chest sending her to a hard fall flat on her back. Kate turned to Lydia,

“Get the door locked.”

Before Marion could grasp what was happening Kate had her by the hair and was dragging her deeper into the house.

“Move it Bitch.”

Marion tried her best to assist Kate dragging her across the floor. She could feel her scalp losing the battle to stay attached to her skull. Kate finally let go once she felt she had shocked the woman into delirium and kept a fast pace to find her true target.

Marion’s screams made the job easy as Hubert Pritchett was coming around the corner from the kitchen into the hall way where Kate was trotting toward him. Kate made a gesture with her arm shaking out a periscoping billy club. Pritchett never had a chance against Kate’s attack and took a full blow straight across the temple.

The chaos was all happening too fast for Lydia. She followed Kate until she dropped the screaming woman in the dining area. Lydia stood over the sobbing woman making sure she stayed put and away from any phone.

Lydia jumped at the shriek of a young voice coming the hall behind her. There stood a young girl, ten or eleven years of age screaming at the sight of her sobbing mother. While wondering what to do Kate walked back into the room eyes wild from adrenalin. Kate was not pleased. The amount of noise radiating from the house seemed deafening. A bloody club in one hand and a blade in the other Kate glared at the weeping child and said,

“Little girl, you and me got a problem.”

Last updated March 05, 2018