Summary: A tragedy leads a man of the shadows on a vengeful and bloody path which eventually ensnares Adam.  A series of vignettes written for the 2025 2nd quarter Chaps and Spurs Challenge.

Rating: PG, Word Count 7016

 

The Shadow Man

PART 1

A large yellow moon hung in a black sky above the roof line of New York’s Metropolitan Opera House. As guests made their way down the marble steps to waiting carriages, one couple crossed the street to begin their stroll to their favorite restaurant. 

 

“Victor, look at the moon. It’s huge and yellow. I’ve never seen a yellow moon before. Is it a good omen?”

 

“Ava, my love, it is a very good omen. It means many successes will come to us in the future.”

 

Ava squeezed her husband’s arm. “That makes my heart leap with joy. I know you have worked so hard within the company, and –”

 

“And with the ever-increasing revenue of the company, tonight we celebrate my success as the new Vice President.”  Victor paused in the shadow of a building to kiss his wife. When they stepped back into the glow of the gas lamps, a shot rang out and Ava crumpled to the ground. 

 

Victor threw his body over his wife as another shot whizzed by his head. Screams, shouting, police whistles were all deadened by the man’s pleas for his wife to respond to his words and caresses. He was blind to the pool of blood beneath her lifeless body. Part of him screamed for control, order, and logic to prevail, but another part gave in to the naked shock and emotions that this happiest of nights had come to the most tragic end in a matter of seconds. 

 

Victor tenderly kissed his wife’s cold lips and whispered his final promise to her, “You shall be avenged my darling. I will exact a pound of flesh from each guilty man so that you may rest in peace. This I swear with a blood oath, my love.” 

 

With his word given, Victor remained with his wife until an ambulance took her away. He waved off the police officer wishing to interrogate him, claiming he would not discuss the events until morning. The knowledge that the police would be busy with other issues by then brought a deep pleasure to Victor. Wrapping his cloak about him he disappeared into the black shadows of the night to begin his hunt. 

 

PART 2

The man menacingly poked Adam’s chest with his cane.  “Tell Pennington that Cecil T. Barlowe is ready to take control of this project. He can’t cheat me out of what was rightfully mine.” 

 

Adam relayed those exact words to Jackson that evening outside a Boston pub. Jackson scoffed at Barlowe’s blustering. “Barlowe hasn’t the money or power to renovate a garage, much less this hotel. He’s all hot air and an abomination to us true businessmen. He cheats his clients, takes the lowest bids, and has been accused many times of shoddy construction. I truly don’t know how the man stays in business. I guess that’s why he’s after my company, it’s successful and his is not. In truth, he’s been known to vandalize some of my other projects and those attacks have been getting more violent. Adam, I guess it’s time to take Barlowe seriously, and keep a sharp eye on him.”

 

A week later, in the middle of the night, Adam received a cryptic note from Jackson. 

 

Adam, we’ve got troubles with Barlowe. I need you at the hotel immediately.  Police are on their way.  – Jackson

 

As Adam approached the hotel he kept to the shadows between the street lamps. At the late hour all the businesses were closed except for a pub across from the hotel. Observing the area he noticed a few men staggering across the street away from the pub.  He could hear strains of music wafting from the establishment and men laughing  and cheering.  But it was the hotel that had Adam concerned.  All was quiet, too quiet.  Not a soul was around. Guards were supposed to be at each entrance and two more patrolling inside the hotel. All Adam could see was a light emanating from the lobby windows. It shifted around indicating someone was moving within. 

 

He drew his pistol and crept up to the front door. Testing the latch, he found it unlocked.  Easing the door open just wide enough to slip through, he spotted a few lit lamps across the lobby but no people. As he pushed the door closed behind him he felt a sudden jab of cold metal against his neck.  

 

“Drop the gun.”

 

Mentally kicking himself for falling into the trap, Adam did as he was told, the gun landing with a heavy thud on the carpet by his boots. 

 

“Move to your right and face the wall.”

 

As soon as Adam began to move he saw several more men appear from the far shadows of the lobby.  Two men pinned his arms while a third searched him.  The man easily found his other two guns and the extra bullets.  Next Adam was stripped of his jacket, hat and gun belts.  Finally allowed to turn around he found himself facing five men, each as large as his middle brother. 

 

With his eyes darting to each of the five large men surrounding him, Adam’s attention was drawn toward a sixth man who stepped away from a shadowed doorway and into the low light.  He was tall and slender, with a chiseled face and dark, neatly cut hair. The two men eyed each other with equal contempt.

 

“What is going on here? Where’s Jackson Pennington?”

 

The five muscular men sniggered, apparently finding his questions humorous.

 

The well-dressed man spoke with the silky tone of a serpent’s hiss.  “Come, come Mister Cartwright. Surely your inventive mind can conjure up the answers. However, I shall indulge your inquiries for my own pleasure. First, it is rather obvious that Mister Pennington is not here.  Second, it is also obvious what is “going on” here, or rather what is about to go on here. What happens to you will send a strong warning from my employer to Mister Pennington. After tonight’s events, Mister Pennington will be ready to sign over his contract in full to Mister Barlowe.”

 

“Jackson will never do any such thing and Barlowe knows that!” 

 

That part is not of your concern, but this next part might pique your interest. It has come to my employer’s attention that you have been spending time with his niece.  Mister Barlowe is not pleased that his niece should be in the company of any man not of his choosing but he was quite, how shall I put it, enraged to learn that it was someone who worked for his greatest enemy.  He has ordered me to make sure you never see Miss Locke again.”

 

Adam’s heart quickened as the news hit him – Cecil T. Barlowe is Caroline’s uncle? Thinking back, he realized she had never mentioned him by name, only referring to him as “Uncle”. So many questions flooded Adam’s thoughts. Why keep it a secret from him? As he tried to absorb the information another part of his brain was working furiously to find a way out of the impending fight. He struggled to keep his face neutral so as not to reveal his inner turmoil, but the shock slipped across unchecked. 

 

The man of the shadows scrutinized Adam’s face hoping for any reaction to his words.  He was not disappointed. His lips curled into a rueful leer when he noticed the look of shock on his victim’s face at the mention of the familial connection of Barlowe and Miss Locke. 

 

The shadow man took advantage of the fact that Adam had no clue of who his lady friend was. He stepped closer to his victim. “I see that you were unaware that Miss Locke is related to your employer’s enemy. I can’t help but wonder if she kept that little bit of information from you. Perhaps to use you to bring her uncle closer to Mister Pennington?  Well, it does not matter now as the truth is revealed, but sadly you won’t have the opportunity to confront her about it.”

 

Fury filled Adam’s eyes before his mask slipped back into place. “Miss Locke’s uncle has no control over who she chooses to spend her time with, and she has not deceived me in any way.  And as for this little party you’ve invited me to, I’m not interested.  If Barlowe has a complaint against me he needs to show himself and deal with it man to man.  But I sense he’s a coward.  He has you and these goons of yours do his dirty work while he sits in his estate, smokes his expensive cigars and drinks his imported wines.  He won’t deign to get his hands dirty with the murder of innocent people who get in his way. Jackson was correct about Barlowe, he’s not only an abomination to honest business men, but to humanity itself!”

 

The shadow man squinted his eyes ever so slightly. Adam noticed that struck a chord, giving him a bit of satisfaction. Both men knew he had described Barlowe perfectly.  

 

“Whatever you may think of my employer, Mister Cartwright, will be kept here, and will be your last thoughts. It is time for me to leave as I must collect Miss Locke and return her to her uncle. A pity though, it would have been intriguing to match wits, and even strength, with you. But alas, that too is not to be.  I bid you farewell, Mister Cartwright.”  The man returned to the shadows at the other end of the lobby but turned to add one more comment, “Oh, and with you gone, Miss Locke will fit perfectly into my future plans.” He snapped his fingers as he disappeared through the darkened doorway. The five men moved forward from different directions effectively trapping Adam against the wall.  

 

The last thing Adam saw before the five henchmen closed in on him was the well-dressed man sauntering to the back of the lobby and out of sight.  Adam attempted to fight his way out of the cocoon of over-sized attackers by looking for openings between them as he punched and swung as hard as he could.  He used every tactic Hoss had taught him in their own sparring matches, but after receiving too many blows to the face, ribs and back, Adam collapsed to the floor gasping for any bit of air he could get.  

 

While being dragged across the lobby and through a side exit door the pain he felt in every fiber of his body was nothing compared to the pain in his heart as he realized this was how he was going to take his last breath.  The cold night air barely registered on his skin through his ripped clothing as he was dragged across the chilled ground. When one of the men yanked him up by his left arm he felt it snap and a searing pain shot through his shoulder as he was tossed like a bag of rubbish onto the pile of discarded lumber.  He landed on something hard that stabbed into his back. After that he felt nothing. His final thoughts remained on Caroline, wishing so much to see her again. Doubts and love mingled together as his consciousness ebbed away. 

~~~~~

Strolling through the shadows of downtown Boston, the Shadow Man found his thoughts mixed with regrets and intrigue concerning his latest victim. Since his wife’s death, he researched his victims thoroughly, to understand their habits, their strengths and their weaknesses. After all he had discovered about Adam Cartwright, he was surprised Cartwright could be so easily led astray. Yes, he had been foolish to fall for the fake note, and to allow himself to be so easily captured, but this evening the Shadow Man noticed an obstinance in this man which puzzled him. Most of his victims tried to babble their way out of their predicament, but this one remained silent and stoic. He felt his eyebrow rise as he realized Cartwright had been analyzing his situation and calculating his odds of a healthy exit, much as he himself would do. He felt it would have been interesting to get to know this man a bit more before killing him, but, to his regret, that was not to be. He had his orders from Barlowe, but he had his own agenda as well. Indeed, Cartwright was a link to Pennington, and Barlowe wanted that link broken in the hopes of weakening Pennington, but Cartwright also was connected to Barlowe’s niece which Barlowe would not tolerate. However, once Cartwright was dead, Miss Locke became available once more. That thought pleased the man quite well and brought a rare smile to his solemn face. Putting aside his desires for the lovely Miss Locke, he returned his thoughts to the assignment at hand which ended as he had planned. Yet one thing still troubled him: what made him break his one rule – to let no one see his face. Perhaps he felt a kindred spirit in Cartwright. Truly, he would have made a worthy adversary. However, it was a moot point. Cartwright was dead, and no longer a threat to him.

~~~~~

The midday sun was trying hard to brighten the small hospital room, to spread its cheer to those inside but the shade over the window made it a futile attempt. For a long, torturous week the sleeping occupant had not stirred.  A quiet, musical voice filled the air in the room.  Its sweetness was incongruous with the sharp smell of medicines and antiseptics.  The voice ebbed and flowed with the words of Emily Dickinson, Henry David Thoreau, and the Psalmist in the Bible.  Now the voice quivered and broke, too tired to continue.  The words from the writers could not bring peace to the broken soul.  

 

A silence filled the room.  No sound was more deafening to the ears that were eager for that lyrical voice.  Another sound now made its presence known, barely audible but there nonetheless. 

 

“Do-n’t…shtop.”  It was weak, no more than a sigh but Caroline would have known the sound anywhere.  She opened her tired eyes and found gentle hazel eyes staring at her, full of love, yet full of questions as well. 

 

Caroline moved to sit carefully on the bed so Adam could see her better.  Tears of joy filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.  She brushed them away as she took his hand in hers.  He lifted his fingers toward her in a feeble attempt to give reassurance, but to Caroline it was all she needed.  

 

“Don-” Adam cleared his throat and tried again. “Don’t cr-y”

 

The two simple words were music to her ears.  In response she leaned forward to gently give Adam a kiss on his cheek.  When she leaned back he frowned through the bruises on his face.  He managed this time to squeeze her hand and speak more clearly.  

 

“Not-right. A-gain.”  He strained to put his lips together.  Caroline understood immediately. She leaned over him and, this time, kissed his lips, lingering there for a moment as he squeezed her fingers again.

 

Caroline sat back and smiled.  “Better?”

 

“Mush-bet-ter.”  Adam managed more of a smile this time.  “You shmiled.”

 

At that moment, all was right in the little room.  As the sun continued on its path across the sky a few rays managed to sneak around the shade and land on the foot of the bed. The couple didn’t notice, so absorbed as they were with each other. 

 

PART 3

Adam escorted Caroline out to the rose garden. The refreshing May air caressed their skin.  Both were quite warm from dancing and they also wished to spend some time alone.  The last waltz of the evening was beginning and as the melody wafted across the cool night air, Adam took Caroline into his arms and guided her around the garden while humming to the distant music.  After a while Adam slowed their dancing to the point that they were simply swaying in place.  

 

Caroline rested her head against his chest and Adam rested his cheek against her soft curls.  Both were content to feel each other breathing to the rhythm of the waltz. 

 

“I’m so happy Adam. I could stay like this all night.”

 

“So could I.”  Caroline felt his sigh move through his chest. “You have filled my life with so much joy.  There’s so much light in my heart.”  He stopped moving and took her face gently in his hands.  Leaning down, he let his lips rest against hers in a soft kiss.

 

Caroline looked up into his golden-hazel eyes. “I see your love reflected in your eyes, Adam.”  She leaned in to return the kiss.

 

Out of nowhere there was a loud crack and a shot whizzed by Adam’s head.  Instinct had him crouch to the ground as Caroline screamed. He pushed her behind him so he could shield her with his body.  At the same time he drew his pistol from under his jacket.

 

“Cartwright!!  You and Pennington ruined me.  You’re dead, Cartwright.  Do you hear me?  Dead!!”  

 

Another shot split the night air.  Adam rotated to keep Caroline behind him and whispered for her to stay down.  She didn’t move when he shifted.  Since they were in the shadows near the building, Adam could stay hidden and scan the area.  Shrubbery across the terrace moved and Barlowe stepped out into the lantern light.  Each man held his pistol steadily aimed at the other’s chest; Adam was vaguely aware of the sounds of chaos emanating from the ballroom. 

 

“Drop your gun, Barlowe!  I can’t miss at this range.”

 

“Neither can I, Cartwright.”  He cocked the gun and fired again.  Adam flattened his body to the ground as he felt a burning sensation in his arm. He fired his gun.  Barlowe stumbled back and fell into the shrubs, firing the last of his bullets wildly.  Adam dropped his head to the ground for a moment trying to catch his breath and stem the pain in his arm, then he pushed up with his good arm and staggered over to where Barlowe lay.  With glassy eyes, Barlowe looked up at Adam and gave a sinister smile while gasping for his last breath.  Blood saturated the front of his shirt. 

 

Adam, feeling a strong arm around him, turned to look into his father’s face, his adrenaline starting to cause him to shake. Joe and Jackson rushed to check on Caroline.  Hoss and several  other men had gone to scour the area for anyone else who might be lurking, but they found no one. Barlowe apparently was acting on his own.   

 

Joe came up, squeezed Ben’s arm and urgently whispered to his father who spun around to look back toward the building.  Adam, sensing something was wrong, turned and froze at the horror before him. 

 

“NO!”  

 

He ran over and shoved Jackson out of the way. Falling to the ground and gently taking Caroline in his arms, he brushed her soft curls from her face with his fingertips, all the while calling her name.

 

“Caroline, sweetheart.  Oh, God, please open your eyes.”  His hand shook as he caressed her cheek and he rocked her gently back and forth, unaware of her warm blood soaking his shirt.  

 

Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled up at her love’s face.  Her voice was weak. “Adam? You’re safe? You’re alright?”

 

“Yes, my love. I’m fine. You’ll be fine too.”  He gasped for breath. “Don’t leave me.”

 

“I won’t, my love.”  She struggled to place her gloved hand upon his heart. Adam frantically pulled the glove off and wrapped his hand around hers, holding it against his heart.  “Adam.  Promise me you’ll keep the light in your heart.  Don’t let it grow dark again.”

 

“No, don’t …I promise, my love.  You’ll always be in my heart.”

 

“A-dam…I…love…”  Caroline’s eyes closed slowly and she went limp in his arms.  Adam crushed her body to him as if to keep her spirit from slipping away.  

 

Ben, Hoss, and Joe looked on in shock and dismay as they stood side by side, forming a protective shield around Adam. Jackson leaned heavily against a wall, his fists clenched in rage and his eyes filled with pain as he beheld the heart-wrenching scene before him. All the while Adam rocked his beloved Caroline, his heart-rending moans filling the night air.  

 

PART 4

After Caroline’s funeral, Adam departed for England. Staying in Boston was suffocating to him. He needed a clean break from the violence that had invaded his life. Settling in Liverpool with a country doctor and his daughter, Adam’s heart began to heal and he found life returning to his soul. Until his friend Jackson arrived at the same time Adam received his letter.. 

 

After a filling English lunch, the friends explored the area around the clinic, then headed to a local pub.  Having brought Jackson’s letter with him, Adam hoped to find out all the latest details of the case concerning Barlowe.  As they sat in a corner, enjoying their beers, Adam skimmed the letter then peered over the top at Jackson.  

 

“The man assisting Barlowe was actually the Shadow Man and the head of a syndicate operation?  Somehow that doesn’t surprise me, but why work for Barlowe?  What was he after?”

 

Jackson rocked his chair back on two legs and nursed his drink.  “I wish I knew.  No one has been able to figure out why he infiltrated Barlowe’s company.  Records found at Barlowe’s attorney’s office showed that the company itself was nearly insolvent.  Barlowe was all hot air in his threats to take over Pennington Engineering. He wanted my company because we made money.  His company was failing because he refused to put money or effort into it. He also took bribes to cut costs in workmanship and materials, most times resulting in poor construction. My business sources confirmed he had plenty of his family money but refused to invest it in his business.”

 

“So his company was actually in financial troubles.  Perhaps that’s why the syndicate was interested.  They loan Barlowe funds to keep going then eventually take over and own him.”

 

Intrigued by that thought, Jackson rocked his chair forward. “That’s entirely possible. If that had happened, they would have the business but I’m quite certain Barlowe wouldn’t have been running it. However, after Barlowe was killed the paper trail led to a few underground groups that police were eventually able to shut down, effectively shutting down the entire syndicate operation in Boston. Near as the police can tell, only a few members remain on the loose. The main man they want is one called Orpheus.  And by all indications he seems to be the same man who was Barlowe’s right hand man, the ‘Shadow Man’ some called him. They worry that as long as he’s on the loose he can start up a new syndicate operation.”

 

Adam sipped his beer as a cold chill crept through him. He tapped a couple of his long fingers on the glass as he considered Jackson’s words, his eyes losing their focus.  

 

“Orpheus is an intriguing choice for a name.”

 

“How’s that? Does it mean something to you?”

 

“You don’t recall your Greek mythology?”

 

“Never was an interest of mine. More of a mathematics fellow, you know.”  Jackson’s eyes twinkled, but dimmed when Adam’s face remained passive. 

 

In a subdued monotone voice Adam recited the myth, “In Greek mythology Orpheus was a musician who played the lyre perfectly. He charmed man and beast with his songs. One day he fell in love with a beautiful woman named Eurydice. They lived together happily until a prophet told them it wouldn’t last. Later, wandering in the woods she was bitten by a snake and died. Mourning for her, Orpheus descended to the underworld to beg Hades to return her to him. Hades, persuaded by Orpheus’ music, agreed but only if Orpheus agreed not to look at Eurydice until she had entered the light, or he would lose her forever. Orpheus agreed but just before they were fully in the light, he grew impatient and turned to look at her. Her shadow was whisked back to Hades forever. Failing to get her back a second time, he filled the world with mournful songs. One tale says that Zeus killed him with a lightning bolt to keep him from revealing the secrets of the underworld to humans.”  

 

Silence settled between the two men as music and conversations flowed through the rest of the pub. 

 

Jackson turned his mug in his hands. “So exactly how does this story and this name connect to our Shadow Man?”

 

“I don’t know, but I have a feeling his choice of the name was not random.” Adam refocused his eyes on his friend. “How can the police be sure both men are the same person?”

 

Jackson’s sudden low tones had Adam straining to hear him. “All the men who worked for him that the police questioned gave the same details – he was a tall man, kept to the shadows, and usually remained silent or gave a one- or two-word command. And all those found dead were men who had some type of connection to Barlowe, whether as an employee or a business man. The one missing link is what he really looks like.” 

 

Jackson scanned the room then leaned in to close the gap between himself and Adam. “The police seem to think that you are the only one who knows what he looks like. Is that true?”

 

Adam drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes. Images of that night when he was nearly beaten to death still haunted him. He recalled the conversation with the man after he’d stepped from the shadows into the hotel lobby. Even after the beating, the man’s face and voice were forever etched in Adam’s memory.  

 

Jackson’s persistent voice brought him out of his melancholy thoughts.  “Adam?  Did you hear me?”

 

“Yes, I heard you.”

 

“And?”

 

“I know what he looks like.”

 

Jackson blew out his breath and ran a shaky hand through his hair. “When did you get a chance to see him?”

 

Adam clenched his jaw, not wishing to vocalize the answer. But his friend deserved to know the answer. “When I was attacked at the hotel.”

 

Eyes widening at his own memories of that horrific time. Jackson considered his next words carefully, “Everyone said he always remained hidden so why reveal himself then?”

 

Adam shrugged as he recalled that conversation. “I believe he was curious as to why I didn’t beg for my life, much the way I’m sure others did. He seemed to want to match wits with me, perhaps seeing me as an intellectual equal. He was carrying out Barlowe’s orders to get me out of the way. He gloated over the fact that I hadn’t known that Caroline was Barlowe’s niece. He also was pretty clear that he had inclinations toward her, and relished tormenting me with that idea, that he would claim her after I died.”   

 

Jackson shook his head. “I find it difficult to believe there’s no one else who can identify him.”   

 

Adam’s face sobered. “Probably because they’re all dead.”  

 

In the ensuing silence a small clock chimed behind the bar.  Adam slowly rose, suggesting they leave and walk around the town a bit more.  After their somber discussion he needed to move and clear his head.  He tossed a few coins on the table, then he and Jackson left the pub and made their way toward the docks and back to the clinic.  As they walked and reminisced about old times and made plans for their trip to London, a tall, slender man slipped from the shadowy doorway of the pub, watching the two friends stroll away. He had heard and seen enough to know he had found his prey.  Heading back to his hotel room his thoughts turned to the next step in his plan.  Being a patient man, he would wait until Adam Cartwright was alone, then silence him forever. 

 

PART 5

Filled with an inner peace, and a plan, Adam arrived in Paris. Exhausted from the cat and mouse game between two countries with Orpheus, Adam rented a room nearby in order to rest. As midnight approached he unlocked the door to the tiny room. Stepping in and securing the door, he immediately laid down for a brief respite from the day’s travels. He needed sleep, for the next day would bring its own trials. 

 

As Adam slept, the Autumn air became chilled and misty, swirling round the Parisian streets. A block away, a gaunt face appeared in a grimy window of an abandoned apartment. Something about the dark, the mist, the shadows brought a calm to this man who had taken the name of one from the underworld. Letting his eye draw in and focus on his reflection Orpheus felt a satisfaction come over him as he knew the time was near, the end of his nemesis was close at hand. The face disappeared from the window, as the slender man turned toward the interior of the room. A fire barely burned in the grate while a small lamp provided just enough light to the table it rested on. 

 

An unbridled fury churned through his chest as his impatience mounted. He slammed his fist down on the table, causing the lamp to rattle. Oh how he longed to see Cartwright writhe and die.  The man was the only one left who could identify him to the Boston authorities. It was his own foolish arrogance that had allowed Cartwright to see him and it was now his responsibility to rectify that fatal error in judgement. By morning he would make sure Cartwright died a most unpleasant death.  

 

Leaving the filthy room as he had found it he drew his cloak about him. Disappearing into the mist and darkness Orpheus sought a place to await the arrival of his prey. 

 

As the hours passed, the cool mist became a deep fog in the Parisian night. A breeze drifted by causing the fine water droplets to swirl and dance in the air as if in an ethereal ballet. The predawn hour brought a deep chill but the man in the shadows was unaffected. More than a year ago, he had witnessed the worst of human civilization. The so-called human society with its well developed social organizations was what killed his beloved wife, and shoved him onto a path of vengeance, to wipe out every life connected with her murder. Once completed, he was able to build his empire until one man appeared. One obsolete employee whose mannerisms intrigued him, giving him a desire to match wits with him. And that in one weak moment he revealed himself. Now he was paying the price and had no choice but to kill this man who seemed to have more lives than a cat. 

 

Orpheus scoffed at that absurd thought. Blending into the blackness of a dismal, smelly alley, Orpheus observed the small cluster of rental rooms across the street, specifically one room on the second floor. Soon, he was rewarded with a faint light appearing in the window. No sooner had it been lit, it was extinguished. Orpheus counted precious seconds until Adam Cartwright left the building.  He drew his knife and mentally ticked off the footfalls as they grew louder. Only a fool would think he was safe from Orpheus and Adam Cartwright was proving himself to be that fool. Pushing himself away from the wall he prepared to attack. 

~~~~

Watching from his darkened room, Adam didn’t miss the drifting shadow that settled into an alley across the street. It had been a long tense few days of playing a hide and seek game with Orpheus. As time wore on, Adam’s tension deepened and his instincts were telling him the final encounter was close. He’d learned years ago to trust those instincts but now he wondered if he was prepared enough to end this cat and mouse chase?  Would he finally rid himself of his sinister shadow? 

 

In the last hour before sunrise, Adam stepped from the ramshackle building into the cold fog, drawing his jacket tighter about him. It wasn’t so much the cold as it was the niggling feeling he had. As he crossed the street he relaxed his grip on his jacket, letting it swing open as he made his way to the sidewalk.  With each step his body warmed, his muscles became taut, his senses heightened. 

 

In spite of the physical preparedness, he still was caught off guard when a knife appeared from nowhere, slicing through his jacket sleeve.  He shifted away from his attacker and drew his own knife. A small pistol was securely hidden near his left arm under his jacket but he didn’t want to use it except as a last resort. The report of a gunshot would bring the police down on them in a heartbeat. This needed to be a silent battle. As he crouched and scanned the dark passageway for his assailant, he noticed that only his jacket sleeve was damaged. His left arm was fully functional. 

 

Hearing a faint intake of breath, he crept into the alley seeking its owner.  In the anemic glow of a street lamp the two men quickly assessed one another and began to circle around the alley. 

 

“I see I have your attention.”

 

“A bit annoying actually. It was a favorite jacket.”

 

“When I am through with you, you won’t care about anything as mundane as a jacket.”

 

“You can try but I doubt you will succeed any better than you did the other times. I’m still alive.”

 

“Those times I made the mistake of allowing others to do the work.  I have since learned that it is best to deal with one’s enemies oneself.”

 

“You seem to make a lot of mistakes, especially concerning your enemies.”  

 

Orpheus lunged at Adam swinging the knife at his abdomen, then switched the knife to his other hand and began circling the other direction, slowly closing the distance.

 

“Enough talking. It is time for me to savor watching you die one piece at a time.” Orpheus lunged, sweeping his knife in a high arc toward Adam’s neck.  The fight had begun. 

 

Adam dropped to his knees, the move lessening the pressure of the blade. His thick jacket was protecting him but it also was a hindrance to the fight. He would have to shed it eventually. He rolled and brought his knife upward, nicking his opponent’s leg. Jumping to the side, unphased but the cut, Orpheus lunged for Adam straight on. Adam fell to his back using the momentum to push Orpheus off balance. Rolling to a crouch, he waited for his attacker to lunge, giving him a well-placed punch into his ribs, then swept his other arm at Orpheus, knocking him to the ground. As he fell, Orpheus countered with a sweep of his blade, cutting across Adam’s tall boot. Adam stumbled back against a stone wall and Orpheus scooted toward a crate and pulled himself up to lean against it. 

 

Adam threw off his jacket and rested his head against the rough wall, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. His punch to Orpheus’ midsection had slowed the man only momentarily. In the few seconds’ reprieve he saw only one way out, and a plan began to form. He adjusted his reactions to the internal fury that drove the man in each attack. From Orpheus’ perspective this was a no-holds-barred fight to the death. 

 

Orpheus pushed away from the crate and straightened to his full height, a few inches taller than Adam. His black eyes flared, “You have more fortitude than I expected for one who has nothing to fight for. But no matter what, you are still outmatched.”

 

Adam straightened up, his knife at the ready. “Your arrogance will be your downfall, Orpheus. You let it blind you when you stepped from the shadows that night in Boston. You saw me as a conundrum to be solved.  That was your weakness, revealing yourself to me, then thinking your goons would succeed in beating the life out of me.”

 

“Perhaps I was curious why you didn’t try to escape like all the others. But it was more than that. You were in my way and you also had something that should have belonged to me. I wished for you to know who would be her rightful suitor after you were dead.”

 

Adam stiffened at the reference. That sorrow rose up in him creating more loathing for the man. He would use it for strength when the time came. Unlike their last encounter, Adam kept his face neutral and his eyes on Orpheus’ black orbs, his plan of attack was almost in place in his mind. 

 

“Caroline never belonged to you and because of you she’s dead as is her uncle, not to mention many others. The trail of death you’ve created ends here.”

 

“You really are a fool.  The trail of death as you call it, began in New York when a competitor’s bullet took my wife’s life. Those men have paid for their greed. Now, Miss Locke was to be mine as soon as I divested her uncle of his business and property,” the man sneered, “and his life. You did me a favor when you killed him but you will pay for her death.” 

 

Although Orpheus’ revelation stunned Adam, he kept his focus on Orpheus’s eyes, waiting for the exact moment to attack. When those black eyes flinched, Adam didn’t wait for the man to charge; he ran at his attacker, releasing a primal yell. As the men collided, Orpheus flipped one knife in an attempt to drive it downward into Adam’s back. Adam twisted at the last second to avoid the thrust and instead felt the cold blade slide across his shoulder, at the base of his neck. The second knife sliced through his pants grazing his thigh. Ignoring the pain while struggling to keep his balance, he pushed on, driving his own knife into Orpheus’ midsection. The man gasped once when Adam’s knife entered and another time when he pulled the knife out, inflicting more damage. Orpheus fell to the ground, eyes locked on Adam’s face.  

 

“You cannot hide from Orpheus. You…will…pay!”  His eyes fluttered as his breathing became ragged.  

 

Before Adam could kneel down to check for a pulse, he heard pounding footsteps and the long tweets of a whistle.  Quickly wiping his knife on Orpheus’ bloodstained shirt, he slipped it into his boot, grabbed his jacket, and climbed up onto a crate under the fire escape stairs.  From there he disappeared over a fence into the night, not knowing if Orpheus would be able to carry out his threat. 

 

Two policemen stood at the entrance of the alleyway. Not seeing or hearing anything, they glared at the bedraggled child who led them there. “This is where you saw the fight?”

 

“Qui. Two men with knives.” 

 

The officers drew their pistols and proceeded into the black alley. The fog swirled around as it thinned with the rising sun, revealing a body on the ground. One officer bent over the form then shrugged and shook his head at his partner. The other frowned then spun quickly when a crate fell behind him. Running that way he caught sight of a shadowy figure jumping over a fence. Climbing up to look for himself, he saw a shadow disappear into the gray mist. With no hope of a chase he returned to the bloodied body to await a wagon to carry the victim away.

~~~~

Gulping for air and fighting pain from his injuries, Adam hid in a doorway next to the alley. His shoulder burned with each deep breath and movement of his arm, and he could feel blood trailing down his leg. Hearing voices closer to him he listened to the broken conversations from the police.  Apparently someone had noticed the fight and called for the police but there was no way to ascertain the condition of the victim they found. As soon as he was sure the men would remain in the alley for a time, he fled to his apartment. Inside he quickly lit a fire, poured water in the wash basin, and slipped off his shirt. He hissed and bit down on his lip as he pulled the fabric away from the wound. That caused the bleeding to start again so he ripped a sleeve off the shirt, folded it and pressed it hard against the gash near his neck. It didn’t take long for the flow to slow to a thick ooze, and he was able to clean it with water then alcohol. Bandaging it was another matter but Adam managed to get the padding to stay in place after wrapping strips from a clean shirt across his torso and back.  Checking his leg he was pleased to see the wound was not deep. Cleaning it and tying another strip around his thigh stopped the bleeding immediately. He donned his black shirt and pants, a different jacket and threw his bloodstained clothes and scraps into the fire.  

 

As they burned he packed up his few belongings. Once the evidence was destroyed, Adam poured the bloodied water from the bowl over the fire, cleaned up the room, and left.  He needed to get to the train station as soon as possible.

 

Stopping in the doorway to his building he saw a stretcher being placed in the back of a hospital wagon.  The police were beginning to canvas the nearby buildings for witnesses so Adam slipped down another alley, making his way to the station. Since discovering Orpheus, Adam felt like he was drowning in a sea of molasses – thick, dense, suffocating everything it touches. With a sense of freedom at last he would leave Paris, and Orpheus, behind, ready to begin a new life in Spain. 

 

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Chaps and Spurs words – Abomination, Civilization, Revenue, Molasses, Naked.

This story was derived to help me formulate the character of Orpheus for a much larger story.