Prey

Prey

By Paulie
Celt

Smashwords
Edition

Copyright 2011
Paulie Celt

Discover other titles by Paulie Celt on Smashwords at:
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/PaulieCelt

The sky loomed
above, pregnant with full, grey clouds, their wet contents already
spilling onto the area below and its sparse population. A steady
stream of rain glistened through the air, the countless droplets
glittering in the unrelenting glare of the street-lights.

Susan Blakeston
stood under a cracked porch which jutted out from a deserted
building on the corner. Her fingers shivered, turning a darker
shade of blue by the second, as they hugged the remains of a
cigarette. She sucked on the filter with great gusto, as if trying
to inhale the heat from the fiery tip, itself, into her lungs. Her
eyes darted through the rainfall, attracted by what little movement
they found, pausing every now and then to watch the bellowing mist
of her exhalations rise and dissipate into the cold February
night.

A small red car
rounded the corner, slowing as it did so, before straightening out
and gaining back its speed. It drove off, a spray of water
catapulting from the back wheels with a low, liquid hiss.

Susan reached up a hand and rolled back the sleeve of her coat
to reveal the darkened readout of her digital watch. She pressed a
button on the side of the timepiece and sighed as it illuminated.
20:37.
Thirty seven minutes and
nothing.
She turned her body to face down
the length of the road and her teeth gripped the back of her bottom
lip, as she took in the empty street.
I'll
give it until nine, and try somewhere else.
She leaned her bodyweight back and forth, filling the air with
the clickety-click of her high-heeled shoes, and pulled her arms
inward to retain what little warmth her body still
contained.

A chorus of
voices erupted from a few streets away.

She froze to
the spot, cigarette clenched between her taut lips.

A man shouted
unrecognisable words, and other unknown people laughed in
appreciation. They faded within a few seconds and left behind
nothing but the slushing and sloshing of rain assaulting the
ground.

She withdrew
the cigarette from her lips and flicked the ash off the end, before
easing it back to her tongue for the last lungful of carcinogens.
Her eyes jolted to the corner of the street on the other side of
the road. She swallowed, and the action turned into a gulp.

A tall, well
built man, dressed in a black Puffa jacket, its hood hiding most of
his features, and dark, bulk-some trousers, strode over the
pavement.

Susan finished
the cigarette, tossed the butt to the ground and with the toe of
her shoe she trampled it into an obscene mush on the concrete. The
faint scent of damp tobacco tickled her nostrils and they
twitched.

The approaching
stranger paused at the edge of the road, looking in both directions
before crossing over in a diagonal line. Heading toward Susan.

She coughed and
cleared her throat. Both her hands pulled up toward her hair and
her fingers combed through the long, chestnut tresses. She lapped
her tongue around the roof of her mouth. Her chest pounded and an
uncomfortable flutter surged through her veins.

He slowed his
pace and made eye contact. His lips shot an introductory smile.

Susan opened
her mouth to talk. The words caught in her throat and she retreated
into another cough. She lowered her gaze and caught the shake of
her hands. They rushed to the safety of her coat pockets and
clenched into fists, as if to ward off the weakness. She looked up,
refusing to blink. “Can I help you, love?” She widened her
shoulders and stood tall.

“
I hope so.” He halted a few feet in front of her and his eyes
roamed the surroundings.

With a long,
deep breath to abate the pounding behind her ribs, Susan spoke in a
steady tone. “What is it you're after?”

“
What's on offer?” His eyes roamed again.

“
Are you a cop?” Her voice croaked a little towards the end of
the question, and she forced her chest forward and chin up, as if
to reinforce her nerve. She searched his eyes.

He chuckled.
Catching her stare, he spoke with an air of bemusement. “No. I can
assure you I'm not a cop.”

“
Do you have a car?” Susan let her eyes stray to the street
facing. The kerb lay barren as far as her gaze reached.

The man
grinned, revealing almost perfect white teeth between his rugged
lips and amidst a fresh-shaven face. “Yeah, I'm parked up a few
streets back.” He leaned back and nodded his head in the direction.
“Can't be too careful.” Another chuckle.

“
Let's go to the car, we can talk there.” Without waiting for
an answer, Susan hunched her shoulders together, bracing herself
against the cold, and strode past the man in the general direction
of the vehicle. The plinking of her heels reverberated on the
ground beneath.

He followed.
“So... What's your name?”

Susan picked up
her pace, rushing through the chill of the rain. Her teeth
chattered as she moved. She didn't reply.

The man
quickened his step and caught up to walk alongside her.

She looked
across and her eyes widened a little, upon realising the full size
of her companion towering over her own sleight frame. She forced a
cough. “Where's the car?”

He reached out
a long, thick forefinger and pointed out a lifeless, grey car
perched up on the kerb.

“
Does the heating work?”

“
Yeah.” He edged ahead of her and jingled a set of keys in his
jacket pocket, approaching the passenger door.

Susan glanced around the area and a shiver broke her
countenance.
Not a soul.
She slowed her footfalls and watched the car door
click open.

He swung the
door ajar and turned to face her. “Ladies first,” he smiled and his
eyes sparkled in the luminescence emanating from above the
dashboard.

Her lips
attempted to return the smile, but lost heart half way through and
froze in an awkward fold. Pushing a hand on top of the car for
balance, she helped herself into the passenger seat and
straightened her clothing.

The stranger
closed the door and rounded to the driver side. He jumped in and
fastened his safety belt. His fingers fiddled with the hood of his
jacket and pulled it back to reveal short, salt and pepper toned
hair.

Her vision
moved to the windscreen and the many droplets of water which
smashed against the glass and formed tiny rivers. A strong waft of
aniseed drifted through her nostrils, and perhaps a hint of mint.
Her stomach grumbled and the sound muffled under her winter coat.
“So what are you looking for?”

Reaching an
outstretched digit to the heating dials, the man annunciated his
words. “Like I asked before, what's on offer?” He pushed a button
and hot air buzzed into the enclosed space.

The heat,
although welcome against the cold bite of the street, conspired
with Susan's racing heart and formed a few droplets of perspiration
on her forehead. She rose a hand to her face and with the nail of
one finger and scratched at the moist, pale flesh under her
hairline. “Depends how much money you have.” The words lingered in
her mind and a smile born of bemusement forced its way through her
lips.

“
I have the money. Don't worry about that.” He shifted in his
seat.

With
imperceptible slowness, Susan turned her head and sneaked her eyes
toward the man sat next to her. She sat back a little, upon
noticing he now faced her. “Anything you want, then,” she offered.
“I guess.”

A hearty grin
spread across his lips and ignited the stark blue of his eyes.
“Cool.”

Her pulse
pounded through the thumb on her left hand and, upon looking down,
she noticed how tight it pressed into her knee. The tip shone
purest white and, with a shuffle in her seat, she released the hold
and exhaled long and slow. She rubbed both hands against the
leggings which covered her legs, drying off some of the rain.

A car drove
past, breaking the silence. The headlamps illuminated the downpour
and disappeared as the vehicle continued its journey.

“
So... Do you have a place we can go?” Her chest tightened a
little, as she spoke, aware of the cloying, warm air inside the
car. She inhaled deep, and released it in silent bursts between her
parched lips. The thudding behind her ribs slowed, but thumped all
the harder.

Slotting the
key into the opening at the side of the steering column, the punter
twisted it and the vehicle whirred into life. His legs moved and
the engine revved. A flick of a button set the windscreen wipers to
moving and he paused to look in the mirrors, while his other hand
turned the headlights on, before edging off the kerb and turning
the Ford Sierra 180 degrees and cutting through the heavy
rainfall.

“
Is it far?” She chuckled under her breath, against her better
judgement, realising how the words made her sound like an impatient
child going on holiday with her parents.

“
Nah. Maybe five minutes away.” He twisted the wheel and turned
a corner.

Beneath her chair, Susan rubbed her shoes together. Her eyes
scanned the dashboard and every now and then she lifted them to
stare out through the window.
So much
rain.

They left the
city and the surroundings turned residential. The inside of the car
brimmed with silence as neither of its occupants spoke for long
moments.

Susan picked at
her long fingernails, pausing every few seconds to inspect them.
She inhaled warm, dry air through her lips and expelled it through
her nostrils in ever-slowing streams. She winced for a split second
as the beginnings of a headache coursed through her temples. With
one hand she reached up and rubbed the bridge of her nose, relaxing
back into the seat as it eased her sinuses.

The car pulled
into a large driveway and bumped a little as it crackled over
gravel. It stopped, and the lights and roar of the engine died, as
the punter removed the key.

Susan sat bold
upright, and ran her gaze around the her new surroundings.

“
This is it.” The driver undid his seatbelt and opened the
door.

Susan opened
her own door and kicked her legs out over the side of the seat. She
pushed herself up and almost lost her balance as her pointy heels
dug into the loose stones beneath.

The driver door
slammed shut.

Susan's hand
shot to the side of her coat. She gripped at the handle in her
pocket. Her limbs stiffened and her eyes glared.

The stranger
plodded through the gravel and paused at the front door of the
house, jingling the set of keys as he fumbled for the right
one.

She eased her
fingers from the wooden ridges and paced to the shelter of the
doorway.

“
Welcome to my humble abode.” The middle-aged host swung the
door open and nodded his younger companion inside the well lit
hallway, his features relaxed and accommodating.

With small,
hesitant footsteps, the twenty-three year old entered the building
and shook the rain from her hair, before wiping her face and
exhaling through loose, reverberating lips. She kept her eyes on
her host.

The door closed
and the punter stepped through to open another, entering the new
room.

The young
woman's hand slid back into her pocket. Her fingers teased the
wooden handle. She eyed the simple décor and somewhat old fashioned
furniture. On a small table in the living room, a picture sat in a
fancy frame.

The punter
stood smiling on a beach, his arm around a woman of his own age.
Both grinned for the photographer.

Charming,
Susan mused, shrugging her
lips.

The man stopped
in his tracks and removed his coat, throwing it on the sofa.
Without a word he stepped in front of Susan and pushed the photo
face down onto the table. “Sorry.” His gaze dropped to floor.

Susan smirked
and scrolled her eyes around the room. Her fingertips tapped on the
side of her jacket, finding comfort in the hard outline of the
object inside. She opened her lips to talk, the words gargling in
her throat and lost in translation. Phlegm gathered on the back of
her tongue as she cleared her throat. She swallowed and attempted
to speak again. “How much are you spending?”

The older man
chuckled. “This is your first time, isn't it?”

“
No. Of course not.” Her tone nipped through the air. She
refused to make eye contact, and shuffled her feet on the
carpet.