The red light district was the worst place for stargazing. There were too many neon lights advertising tits and booze, polluting the sky with light and obscuring the void and all of its stars. It was almost as if they grabbed all the heavenly bodies and reshaped it into their image, bending and twisting it into images that matched their own depraved nature. There was something endlessly sickening, and poetic, about bringing the gods down to earth and shaping them into objects you can fuck. Felix didn't like the red light district for this reason. Everyone here liked to play god. Call him old-fashioned, but he still had reverence in his tired old body.
Luckily, he didn't have to soak himself in its filth for long. He was here for utility purposes. They were carrying out their plan outside the eyes of the law — baiting Billy "The Butcher" Graham, and ending his activities for good. What that entailed would depend entirely on how cooperative Billy was going to be. Felix tracked him like a blood hound the last few months, followed his movements, and learned of his new home base. Felix knew how to hide easily. Billy never suspected a damn thing. He and Toby watched him leave the base. As soon as he was out of sight, Toby went in position and Felix rigged the place with traps. Smooth, easy and efficient. It would be over before it even began.
Felix scaled the top of Gomorrah and hid behind its sign, giving Toby a little signal to show him he was in position. Gomorrah was a particularly good vantage point for staking out activities, mostly because Baltimore rooted it at the center. He could see anyone here, and they couldn't see him because he'd be obscured by blinding red light. He watched Toby through his binoculars, watching for suspicious activity of course, but also with an almost painful fondness.
Toby was almost painful to look at these days. He was glad that Toby was having less and less time for him these days, busy with work or other people maybe. He wasn't sure if he should believe him on that anymore. He was disappointed, but after that was over with, he was elated. If Toby didn't want to be as close with him anymore, that just meant there was nothing to tying him to this place. Empty hospital rooms and empty apartments. Felix Verma would be gone without a trace. Nobody would notice, nobody would care. He'd be free.
He'd already started his disappearing act bit by bit. He was going out in public less. He was talking to people less. I'm just tired, he'd say, before they'd move on to other things. He was tired, but not in the sense they thought. He was tired of living here, this place and all the promises it never kept and all the potential he never met. He wasn't going to grow here anymore. It was time to wrap up loose ends so there would be a sense of finality, with the biggest project being The Butcher. After him, it was smooth sailing.
It was starting.
Felix snapped out of his thoughts when he saw The Butcher moving in on Toby slumping against the alley. Billy covered Toby's mouth with his hand and started dragging him off. The first part done. Felix was giddy with excited and nervous energy, sliding down the stairs and getting on his motorcycle, hoping to get to the warehouse before them.
Luckily, he didn't have to soak himself in its filth for long. He was here for utility purposes. They were carrying out their plan outside the eyes of the law — baiting Billy "The Butcher" Graham, and ending his activities for good. What that entailed would depend entirely on how cooperative Billy was going to be. Felix tracked him like a blood hound the last few months, followed his movements, and learned of his new home base. Felix knew how to hide easily. Billy never suspected a damn thing. He and Toby watched him leave the base. As soon as he was out of sight, Toby went in position and Felix rigged the place with traps. Smooth, easy and efficient. It would be over before it even began.
Felix scaled the top of Gomorrah and hid behind its sign, giving Toby a little signal to show him he was in position. Gomorrah was a particularly good vantage point for staking out activities, mostly because Baltimore rooted it at the center. He could see anyone here, and they couldn't see him because he'd be obscured by blinding red light. He watched Toby through his binoculars, watching for suspicious activity of course, but also with an almost painful fondness.
Toby was almost painful to look at these days. He was glad that Toby was having less and less time for him these days, busy with work or other people maybe. He wasn't sure if he should believe him on that anymore. He was disappointed, but after that was over with, he was elated. If Toby didn't want to be as close with him anymore, that just meant there was nothing to tying him to this place. Empty hospital rooms and empty apartments. Felix Verma would be gone without a trace. Nobody would notice, nobody would care. He'd be free.
He'd already started his disappearing act bit by bit. He was going out in public less. He was talking to people less. I'm just tired, he'd say, before they'd move on to other things. He was tired, but not in the sense they thought. He was tired of living here, this place and all the promises it never kept and all the potential he never met. He wasn't going to grow here anymore. It was time to wrap up loose ends so there would be a sense of finality, with the biggest project being The Butcher. After him, it was smooth sailing.
It was starting.
Felix snapped out of his thoughts when he saw The Butcher moving in on Toby slumping against the alley. Billy covered Toby's mouth with his hand and started dragging him off. The first part done. Felix was giddy with excited and nervous energy, sliding down the stairs and getting on his motorcycle, hoping to get to the warehouse before them.
