Knight Casefiles Book 0: Genesis

Genesis [Chapter 3]

Chapter 3

We’d stopped at yet another alley, though I didn’t recognized what part of town it was in. The houses around us were old and rundown, the metal fire escapes running down the sides rusted with age. Aside from a few ragged people aimlessly milling about and a few parked cars that seemed on the verge of collapsing, the streets were barren.  

“We’re not through!” I protested as Sigrun got out of the car.

She glanced at me over her shoulder. “You’re right, we’re not. But we have something to deal with right now. Stay in the car.”

“No way!” I said, scampering out of the car. “I’m coming with you.”

Sigrun scowled. “Would you please listen – just this once?”

There was a loud slam that made me jump, though left Sigrun unfazed. I turned to glare at the man who’d been driving the car as he smirked at me, slinging something resembling a golf bag over his shoulder. I hadn’t paid much attention to him back in the car but now that he was towering over both Sigrun and I, it was kind of difficult not to notice him. What the heck was up with people being taller than me? I thought being almost six feet would make looking up a myth to me.

The man had been gifted with decidedly stereotyped masculine features. Broad shouldered and large-muscled, it would have been pretty difficult to tell him apart from a bear, or maybe a tractor. His head was mostly bald, though I wondered if the bristles of salt-and-pepper covering his mouth and jowl were just migrants from his scalp. He wore a denim blue jacket and overalls of the same material.

He gave me sly smirk and nodded at Sigrun. “Let the kid come. He can decide if he wants you to stay after.”

I never took my eyes off him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He rolled his shoulders, making me worry about its effect on the laws of gravity. “What’s life without its surprises?” He walked over to me and held his hand out. “The name’s Claude, in case you’re wondering.”

“Chris,” I nodded but refused to shake his hand. “How do you know Sigrun, again?”

Claude shook his head and let out a loud guffaw. “We go way back, son. Helped me out a couple of times while I was on the run.”

“From what?”

“From who,” he corrected, stroking his beard. “We can talk about all this after the job.”

I turned back to Sigrun who was rubbing her temples. “This is a bad idea, Claude,” she whispered but didn’t seem like she was up for an argument. “But you’re right, I guess. You need to see this, Chris.”

I didn’t speak, but went back to the car to rummage through the compartment. I’d loaned Sigrun my car that morning when she’d left for her “day-off.” She’d resisted at first but I managed to convince her by driving the car to our house’s gates and parking it there, refusing to unblock the path unless she took it. That being the case, I was glad to find my favorite Glock still in place, fully loaded with several spare magazines stuck to the ceiling of the compartment. After another second’s thought, I decided to take my gun permit as well. I checked the safety before shoving it down the back of my pants and making my way back to the two.

“Where to?”

Claude smiled at me and jerked his thumb down. At first, I thought he was showing his disapproval at something. Perhaps he’d seen me mishandle my gun. Looking back, I wished he really had been criticizing me.

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“There must be a better way to do this,” I complained. “Maybe we could rent a boat. Or a submarine.”