mode. He was spoiling for a fight. What better
pass him to the street.
way to exorcise his demons?
Sean pulled the hood closer. The shocked com-
“Step away from the lady.” he said in a
dangerously low tone.
ments and scornful stares were exactly why he
lived in the shadows.
The men spun around. One of the men growled.
***
“Walk away friend. This doesn’t concern you.”
Sean stretched out on the dusty, rancid mat-
“A damsel in distress always concerns me.
tress in the corner of the abandoned skyscraper
Let her go and walk away and you won’t get
that was home to him and many other persons
hurt.”
who had, had nowhere to go.
“You’ll be the one getting hurt!” The other
He stared at the stars through the bare rafters
men snarled. He grabbed a stick from the gar-
of the building and hoped it didn’t rain. It wasn’t
bage and swung it at Sean; he dodged it effort-
perfect, but it was home. He pulled out the photo
lessly and gave the guy a swift jab to the neck.
of Rosalie, and smiled. “’Night Rosa.”
He crumpled to the ground like an unstable
house of cards, coughing and moaning in pain.
***
“The mysterious vigilante strikes again.”
The guy who remained picked up his fallen
Margarie dropped the paper in front of him.
friend’s weapon and came at Sean just as a car
“Sean, you need to stop doing this!”
passed, illuminating the alley with its bright
“I’m saving lives. Stop worrying. I don’t
light. The man’s eyes widened in horror. “What
know why I told you.”
happened to your face?” he asked scornfully. He
“You didn’t tell me, I figured it out. They de-
dropped the stick. “I’m not fighting some scar
scribed you.”
faced freak! I’m outta here.” The man ran down
“No. They described the scars. ‘Ruby Face’,
the alley, his companion slowly following. Sean
that’s what they call me.” He put down the fork
pulled on the hood that had come off when he
and pushed away the plate. “I’m not doing any-
was running into the alley. He looked at the
thing wrong.”
woman. “Are you alright?”
The woman stared at him, and then nodded
“You broke a man’s arm. Criminals have
rights too. Of course he was going to go to the
slowly. “Thank you.”
reporters. And that one man opened the door for
“Word to the wise. Dark alleys aren’t safe for
other criminals who want to play victim to get
women who can’t defend themselves.”
sympathy and probably less jail time to come
She nodded again. “Okay.” Then hurried
forward. And the police don’t much like people