Maria sat on the edge of the bathtub, silent as Eddie detailed what was in the pictures that he had left behind. His hands shook as he remembered how bruised the girl in the photos had been.
The boys were asleep in the bedroom when Eddie returned to the room and motioned her to set her book down and meet him in the restroom. He sat on the toilet, leaning against the wall opposite her.
“He’s still a killer, Eddie.”
“But he’s not a cold-blooded murderer like we thought. This vigilante justice is still wrong. The killing is still wrong, but killing bad people that continue hurting our community while the justice system does nothing isn’t the same as killing people indiscriminately.”
“He’s still a killer, Eddie.”
“What if he’s not, though? What if—” Eddie put his hands in front of him as he talked “—instead of a killer, he’s just a person who kills?”
“That’s the same thing.”
“No, it’s not. A killer is irredeemable. A person who kills, though, that’s a person that can change if given the chance. Maybe he just needs that chance.”
“People are dying, Eddie. Regardless of what you want to call him, these streets aren’t safe with him out there. We have to stop him.”
“I know. I know. Wait. We? Did I hear you correctly, Maria? Are we back on the same team?”
“We were always on the same team. But you have to realize that we rely on you, Eddie. We’re a team out here, too. We’re a family. We trust you. If something happened to you, and we were on our own, child services would have us picked up in a week if something worse hadn’t already happened.”
“I know, I know. You’re right. I’ve had your lecture playing in my head on repeat while I’ve been patrolling. The whole community is my family, but you and the boys are, like, my actual family. I don’t know what I’d do without you three, and I’m sorry that I made you feel like I didn’t realize that. And, hey,” Eddie responded with a grin breaking across his face, “nice to have you back on Team Street Rat.”
“I’ve just decided I’m a free agent again,” Maria answered with a shake of her head as she walked back to the bed.
Eddie laid on the little pallet of blankets he had made for himself on the floor and, for the first time in weeks, slept through the night.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Eddie groaned at the noise coming from the door. Maria and Tomas lifted their heads to see what the noise was, but Alex slept soundly through the commotion.
Bang. Bang.
Eddie got to his feet and walked to the door. The lights outside seeped into the window to guide him through the room. His hand froze, though, as it touched the handle. No one knows we’re here. Eddie silently put the chain lock on the door and prepared to open it.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The door yanked open three inches as the last knock faded.
“Frank?” Eddie asked, rubbing his eyes to adjust to the light coming from outside the door, letting out a sigh of relief as he saw the giant man. “You scared me, man. What’s up?”
“I’s needs to talks to youse, Eddie. It’s urgent. I can’t stays outs here. Not safe.” Frank’s eyes never landed on Eddie as he talked. They were darting back and forth, surveying outside the room.
“Yeah. Yeah, of course. Give me a sec to get the chain off, and I’ll let you in.”
Eddie closed the door to unlock it and then welcomed Frank in before gesturing Frank to the bathroom and told Maria and Tomas to go back to sleep.
They didn’t question it.
Frank sat on the toilet while Eddie perched himself on the side of the bathtub as far away as he could get from the dripping shower head.
“Dids youse lock the door back after youse let me in?” Frank rushed the words out as soon as Eddie sat.
“Frank, buddy, what’s going on? Yeah, I locked the door. What is all this? How did you know where to find us?”
“I’s knowns youse were tryin’ ta find a room to stays in for these cold months. Figured I’s start heres. Lucky guess, I’s guess. I’s talks tah Sarah jus’ now an’ she tolds me the room numba.”
“Okay, that checks out, but why are you here?”
Frank leaned forward and put his large hand around Eddie’s upper arm. “Eddie, youse gots tah help me. One of these notes youse were talkin’ ’bouts the other day at the bar came fer me’s this morn. I’s can’t let them hurt my family. I’s can’t.” Frank pushed a piece of paper into Eddie’s hands.
Eddie looked down at the handwriting and took a deep breath.
This can’t be happening. He started reading.
Frank, I know about the job at the docks. Meet me on the rooftop of the Oaks Apartments, Thursday night at 1:00am. I have some things I want to discuss with you.
That’s the building Derrick was on when he was shot, Eddie thought to himself.
“Okay, okay. We can figure this out, Frank. You have an advantage here. You came to me, so we already know what’s going to happen. That’s a big thing. We’ll figure this out.”
“I’s really ’preciates it, Eddie. I’s really do.”
“I know, Frank. I know. I’m going to go wake up Maria. She can help us with figuring out a plan.”
It was still early, and Maria wasn’t happy being woken up again. “The sun is barely even up,” she muttered as Eddie gently shook her.
After more negotiating with Maria and a bit longer getting Tomas and Alex up and dressed, they headed to the diner for breakfast, the promise that finally got Maria to get out of bed.
“So, what is this all about?” Maria finally asked after her first bite of eggs.
Frank had happily bought the five of them breakfast from the diner in exchange for their help.
The diner was between rushes. The early eaters had already eaten, and the late risers hadn’t made it in yet, the diner only half full.
Tomas and Alex sat in their own booth behind Eddie, Frank, and Maria as the three of them talked.
Frank opened his mouth, but Eddie put his hand on Frank’s forearm and shook his head.
“It’s about our, uh, new friend,” Eddie answered, surveilling the diner as he spoke. “He wrote to Frank this morning and wants a meeting with him. Tomorrow night.”
Maria sat, unblinking, across the table for a few moments. “Did he say why?”
Frank looked down at his food as Eddie and Maria looked from one another to him.
“He did, but it was cryptic,” Eddie responded, still looking at Frank. “The only thing he said was that he knew what happened at the docks.”
“What happened at the docks, Frank?” Maria pushed.
Frank chewed on his bacon for longer than he needed to and took a drink from his coffee before responding. “I’s hasn’t… always… been a good man. I’s had beens workins’ for a man who operated outs of the docks. I’s had beens workins’ for ’im as muscle. Nots usually violent, to lift and moves things for ’im mostly. But there was the understandin’ that if violence were needed, I’d provides it.
“Anyways, we’s were workin’ on a shipment at the docks one night, with some not too wholesome cargo, mind you, when somes people showsed up with guns. They’s had gotten the drops on us. Alls our men hads their guns in the cars whiles they were unloadin’ the boat.
“I’s had been pullin’ ups the truck tah start the loadin’ when’s these new guys op’ned fire. Three of the ten guys I weres with fell before they could get tah safety. We’s had the numbers. Theres was only four of thems, but they had the guns.
“I’s didn’t even really think ’bout what’s I’s was doin. I just did it. Theys didn’t sees me so’s by the times theys heard the truck it was too late. I hit thems all at forty-fi’ miles per hour, and they all ended up in the bay. The rest of my’s guys all loaded what they could and lifted the three that’s was wounded into the truck and we’s got outta there. I’s stopped doin’ that kinda work after that. ’Bout a month later, I ran into Eddie here, and I’s beens makin’ an honest livins’ since.”
Maria and Eddie sat in silence as Frank talked and kept quiet, even after Frank finished and went back to his bacon.
“Did—did those men die?” Maria finally asked, breaking the silence.
“I’s don’ts know,” Frank answered, setting the bacon on the plate. “Sometimes, I’s will wake up in a sweat froms the nightmares I get about it. I’s wished I knew what had happened. I’s would turn myself into the authorities—honest, I would—buts Alice gots a bad back and can’ts work well.”
“This guy isn’t the authorities, Frank. He thinks he is some final authority, but he’s not. And he can be beat. And we’re going to figure out a way to do it.”
“Well. Okay. Now, what do we do? How do we beat him?” Maria asked.
“I have an idea, but it’s risky. I wanted to hear your thoughts on it as well as seeing if Frank is up to it.”
“I’s trusts you, Eddie,” Frank answered through a mouthful of food. “If youse has a plan, I’m in.”
“I trust you, too, but I also know you too well. I’d like to hear the plan before okaying it,” Maria said, eyeing Eddie.
“Fair enough. So, here’s the deal. I know where the vigilante was standing the night Derrick died. I found evidence after the fact on another building. My guess is he uses a few different buildings. But when he reuses one, he uses it the same way since he already knows it’s the best shot.
“I think Frank goes to the meeting wearing some sort of body shield under his clothes. This dude shoots for the chest every time, and he doesn’t miss unless someone makes him. If Frank shows up wearing his body shield, he’ll walk away from getting shot and I can, hopefully, take down the vigilante.”
“Sounds goods tah me.” Frank nodded.
“This is the dumbest idea you’ve ever had, Eddie, and that’s not a low bar to clear.”
“Why do you say that?”
“You could get Frank killed! Where are we going to get a body shield? Also, what are you going to do once you ‘take down the vigilante’? This is lunacy.”
“I’ll probably do the same thing I have with other criminals: tie him up with evidence and leave him for the police with a note from their friendly neighborhood Street Rat. I’ll figure that out when I get there. And I’m not sure what to do about the body shield. That’s why I wanted to talk with you. How many shirts would he need to wear to stop an arrow? Or maybe we could get cardboard?”
“Oh, I see the misunderstanding now. I thought Frank was your friend and you were trying to keep him alive. My mistake.” Maria rolled her eyes, leaning back into her booth and looking out the diner window. “But now that I know your goal is to get him killed, I see that this is actually a great plan.”
“Me ’n Eddie are friends!” Frank turned to Eddie; “What’s ’bout phone books? I’s gots a bunch layins’ ’round the house. I’s used tah do these programs where’s I’d rip ’em ins half for money. We could straps those to me. That’d stop an arrow.”
“Frankie, you’re a genius!” Eddie’s exclamation tapered down quickly as his eyes darted across the diner.
A few guests looked over, but his outburst hadn’t drawn too much attention.
“You’re a genius, Frankie!” Eddie whispered this time. “We’ll strap phone books to you to make sure an arrow can’t get you. This is going to work.”
“I’m still not so sure.” Maria crossed her arms, leaning back into her booth.
“Maria, you said so yourself. As long as this person is out there delivering his own justice, nobody is safe. We may never have another opportunity to know when he’s going to try and make a move. And if Frank doesn’t go, it could turn out even worse for him. It’s a risk, but it’s a calculated one. We have to try.”
“Fine. If you feel that strongly, I’ll back you on it.”
Eddie gave Frank a big smile and a small pat on the shoulder as Maria answered, leaning back up to the table. “Let’s go get those phone books ready.”
“How you feeling, Frank?” Eddie whispered to his friend as they sat in Frank’s living room.
Eddie was on the oversized cloth couch, Frank in the peeling brown leather recliner next to the wooden clock. They waited the excruciating length of time from getting the phone books tucked under his oversized jacket to when they would need to leave. The fireplace crackled as the logs shifted next to them.
“I’s been betta’, Eddie. Can’ts lie to ya. I’s just readies fors it’s tah all be o’er.”
“Me too, pal. Me too.”
Maria and Frank’s wife, Alice, came back into the room from upstairs, where they could hear the kids’ muffled voices. Maria had brought Tomas and Alex to stay the night here with Frank and Alice’s kids, while Maria kept Alice company until Frank returned safely.
“It’s almost twelve-fifteen, Eddie. You should probably head that way,” Maria suggested.
They had agreed Eddie should leave a bit early so he could be in place on the rooftop before Frank arrived, so they wouldn’t be seen together, and so Eddie could call an audible if something unplanned happened.
“Good catch, Maria,” he answered with a big grin.
He wasn’t happy. Or all too confident. But Maria was scared, and maybe feigning confidence would help him feel feel it, and it would rub off on her.
Maria walked outside with Eddie, in part to give Frank and Alice time to say goodbye. Alice hadn’t been as hard to convince as Maria had expected. She didn’t like the plan, but she understood that they couldn’t do nothing and this seemed as good a course as any other she could come up with on the spot. Maria also wanted the time to say goodbye to Eddie, too. Just in case.
Eddie stood on the sidewalk, stretching next to the bus stop as though he was just going out for a late-night jog. Maria shook her head but smiled at him while she sat on the stoop’s concrete steps. She’d never once seen him stretch in all the time she had known him.
“Please be safe.”
“Everything is going to be fine. It’s all going to go according to plan. It’s going to make an excellent conclusion to part one of my biography.”
“Just promise me you’ll be as safe as you can. I know you can’t just be safe, but please don’t be unnecessarily reckless.”
Eddie held his left hand up to his side and put his right hand over his heart.
“I, Edward Danson, do solemnly swear to only be moderately reckless, or may my biography never be written.”
Maria stared at him. Her eyes welled with tears, but she still couldn’t help but smile at his dumb jokes.
Eddie enveloped her in a hug. “I’m going to come back to you, Maria. I’ll be here in the morning. Tomas and Alex will never know I was gone. I’m going to be okay.” Eddie gave her a kiss on the top of her head and pulled her into a tighter hug. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
With one last smile over his shoulder, Eddie started toward the meeting spot.
Something is wrong.
It was five until one and there was nothing—no sign of the vigilante. The phone book suit was just a contingency. The plan was for Eddie to incapacitate the vigilante before Frank was on the building, but that plan was in jeopardy now.
He’s going to shoot from a different rooftop. Eddie’s heart dropped with the realization that his earlier theory was wrong. How could I be so stupid? Of course he’s not shooting from the same rooftop. I have to get Frank out of there.
Eddie hopped out of his crouch and creeped to the fire escape. Surveying the surrounding roof tops, he couldn’t see another person.
Wait.
Eddie assessed again, looking for something new.
There.
Another stairwell on top of a building.
He always shoots from the high ground, and that’s the only other place within shooting distance that would work.
Eddie rushed across the rooftops, stumbling on the second one and almost falling off. Steadying himself, he took off again, still at a quickened pace but not as rushed so as not to make another mistake.
Dong.
One o’clock. The building was still two away. Eddie stopped being careful and resumed sprinting across the rooftops. Frank had just arrived on the roof next to the grocer, and Eddie only had seconds to spare.
A silhouette on top of the stairs came into view against the partially lit skyline, bow already drawn as it rose.
Thwip.
The vigilante loosed his arrow as Eddie made his final leap. Eddie landed on the terrace and turned to watch the arrow find its mark in Frank’s chest.
Before Eddie could turn back, the vigilante was already on the run, having heard Eddie land. Eddie risked a glance towards the other building to see Frank lifting a thumb into the sky.
The plan worked. Frank is okay. This ends tonight.
Without another second of hesitation, Eddie gave chase.
“Bada-dada-dada-da,” Eddie sang to himself as he leapt from one roof to the next, trying to catch up to the vigilante.
It’s important to stay lighthearted amid the life-and-death situations. Otherwise, it just starts to feel like any other job. Just punching the clock and going through the motions. But having a theme song really does a lot for morale. Even if it’s still too short.
The vigilante made a right turn and lunged again. Rolling out of his landing, the man sprinted to the fire escape. Gotcha.
Eddie made it to the fire escape and dropped from one flight to the next as the vigilante took the ladder.
Eddie hit the ground two seconds after the vigilante and renewed his chase. Without slowing, the man turned and lifted his bow, firing an arrow towards Eddie. Eddie leapt over the trash can that had been knocked into his way and kept running, ducking under the clothesline drying shirts in the alley as he went.
Horns blared as the vigilante sprinted across the street through traffic, another chorus of horns followed as Eddie crossed behind him, never slowing in his chase.
Crash.
Back in the next alley, a flower pot fell to the ground in front of Eddie after it was struck by another arrow shot.
The man took a sharp left out of the alley, and Eddie followed, still a couple of seconds behind. Rounding the corner, Eddie sprinted into an empty dirt lot surrounded by brownstone apartment buildings. Eddie tried to catch his breath, with both hands behind his head, before giving up and propping his palms on his knees.
Where is he?
Where am I?
“Come out here, man,” Eddie called out, panting. “I just want to talk. I’ve seen you shoot before.”
Eddie looked around the lot and up at the surrounding roof tops, but it was too dark to see anything from the ground.
“You don’t miss, which means you weren’t aiming to hit me, just slow me down. There was no reason for you to do that. I was chasing you. One shot, and you could have stopped running. Wouldn’t even need to have been a kill shot. But you didn’t. You refused to shoot me.
“I don’t think you’re a villain. I don’t think you’re the bad guy. I get why you do what you do. I’ve been tempted to do so myself. But if you stay on this path, you’re going to live long enough to see yourself become the villain. You’re going to live long enough to be the target of the next vigilante that comes through delivering justice on their own terms. They won’t make any special accommodations for you. Just like you don’t for anybody else. It’s the circle of life, man.”
Eddie stood, having gotten some of his breath back. He leaned against a wall, turning back and forth in a half circle, looking for any sign of life to show him he wasn’t alone.
“Only you can make the choice to end the cycle. I know you’re better than this. I know you’re not a cold-blooded killer. But you’re on your way to becoming one if you don’t step back and look at what you are doing.
“Frank is a good man. He’s had a rough life and a tough past, but he’s getting better. A little bit better every day. That’s all any of us can really do. But the way you are going about this, killing people who’ve done wrong, gets rid of any hope for redemption. It gets rid of any hope that they can be better, too. And we can’t live that way, man.
“If we don’t have that hope, if I can’t have that hope, then just go ahead and finish me off, too. But I don’t think you will. You’ve had plenty of chances tonight. You had a chance the other night, too. I don’t think you’re going to do it now either. I think you know that you can be better, too.”
Eddie felt it before he saw it. An arrow sailed into the night sky, passing over his head, as he spoke and buried itself into the brownstone wall behind him.
A cord stretched from the arrow up into the darkness on the rooftop across from Eddie. A silhouette came into view zipping down the cord, using the bow to slide to the ground. Releasing his grip on the wire a few feet in front of Eddie, he rolled with the fall back to his feet and stood. He was half a foot taller than Eddie’s small frame and athletically built.
He stared Eddie up and down before removing the hood to reveal a light-brown face with intense dark eyes and a black buzz cut. When the vigilante spoke, he did so in a whisper, just loud enough to be heard over the sirens in the distance.
“You must be the Street Rat. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
The Street Rat continues with season 2 in The Street Rat 201!.
For more stories set in this world, buy The White Knight – out now! Subscribe below to be the first to know when new stories are released!
K. B. Kirtley 
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