Page 19 of Whisper

“Yeah, but his motive makes no sense to me. He’s hunting middle-aged men who might be predators. I’m not sure.”

“So a predator hunting predators? Interesting.”

“I think so too. Maybe a former victim? A vigilante type?”

“Hmm, maybe.”

We approach the lump on the sidewalk, and sure enough it’s a man. He’s just like the other victims I’ve stumbled upon recently. He’s been beaten, his face covered in blood, but a single bullet to the forehead finished the job. His wallet is on the sidewalk right next to him, open with all his cards and ID intact.

I notice one of the kids and call out to him. “Did you see what happened?”

The kid hesitates, walking just a little closer. “You guys cops?”

Stealth snorts. “Do we look like cops?”

“You could be, like, undercover or something.”

“No, kid, we’re not cops.”

He nods, glancing around. “So this guy comes out of nowhere, right? It was intense. He just jumps on the guy and starts pounding on him. Beats the shit out of him, you know?”

I nod. “And then?”

“And then he just pulls a gun out and shoots the dude. He said something like how he wouldn’t be able to hurt people anymore. Then he took the guy’s wallet out, took the cash and handed it out to us before he took off.”

“Did you see what he looked like?” Stealth asks.

“Nah. He was wearing a mask and a hoodie.”

“See what he was driving?” I ask.

The kid shakes his head again. “He came out of nowhere. Maybe Marbles knows. He was talking to the dead guy before he was attacked.”

“Marbles?” Stealth asks.

The kid points to a small group of kids standing by a beat-up picnic table in the old park. It’s full of weeds and dead grass since the city doesn’t keep up with it anymore.

Stealth and I walk in that direction. The kids tense up but don’t run, which is nice. They are, rightfully, rattled easily.

“Which one of you is Marbles?”

A small kid, way too skinny, in a ripped t-shirt, baggy jeans, and dirty sneakers raises his hand. “I am, but I didn’t see nothing.”

“We’re not the cops. We just want to know what’s happening.”

Marbles looks at an older kid, who nods.

“Okay,” Marbles says. “This old guy was bugging me. He tried to get me to go with him for a blow job, but I don’t do that. When I said no and tried to walk away, he slapped me.”

Anger flares in my gut. “And then?”

“Then out of nowhere this other dude shows up, yanks the guy off me and just starts beating the shit out of him. He was so pissed, yelling at him that he’s a creep and the worst kind of human. He let the guy get up and run for a few seconds, then he went after him, pulled out a gun, and shot him. Just like that.”

The older kid grins. “It was pretty badass. No one checks on us or cares, you know? No one looks out for us, but he does.”

“Has this happened before?” Stealth asks.

“Not here,” the older kid says. “But I heard it happened across town at a park a couple of weeks ago. I think it might be the same guy.”