Cain - Runnel City

By Shane Bowen

This is the first novel featuring Cain. Yes,
that Cain. He was sentenced to walk the
earth as his punishment and he has
become the anti-hero everyone wishes
they could be. This is the story of his time
in Runnel City, tracking down sexual
predators with the help of an unlikely
sidekick. Enjoy!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: May 15, 2019
• ISBN: 9780359663613

Book preview

Cain - Runnel City

Cain

Runnel City

The Ninth Novel by Shane Bowen

Published by Out The Window Books, Inc.

Copyright 2019 by Shane Bowen

1

The dull thud of the music from the juke box pounded through the brick walls of Ashley’s Place, a dive bar along the riverfront in Runnel City. The late fall rain poured down. An old man, one of the regulars, sat near the window and saw a man in a leather jacket make his way across the street. He paused a few yards from the front door, but the shadow from the brim of his hat made his face impossible to make out. The rain ran off the left side of his Fedora as if his head were cocked to the side. The old man lost interest, looking back to the young bartender.

As he turned away from the window, a woman in jeans and black tee shirt ran up to the front door. She carried an umbrella and drew the attention of a few other men when she struggled to close it before coming inside. The old man noticed her and then glanced behind her, but the man in the street was gone. The woman stopped inside the door to shake off the chill from the rain. She put her umbrella in a black metal stand to the right of the door. She looked annoyed with the rain.

Becca! Where exactly have you been? yelled a man from half way down the bar. His voice somehow cutting through the booming music. A few people turned to see what was going on. I told you to be here at 7! It’s not that hard to be on time, is it?

Becca shook her head, took off her jacket, and draped it over her arm before walking down to where the man sat. Water dripped from the jacket to the black and white checkerboard tiled floor.

Gary, it’s 7:02 and I didn’t get off work until after 6. You knew that, she said. It looks like you’ve been here for a while, though.

I got off work early a little early. Sue me. Besides, I figured I’d get a head start since you cash out early on me all the time.

Are you already drunk? You are. Pathetic, Becca said. I think I’ll call Jen and go to her house tonight.

No, you won’t, Gary said, turning back to the tv and taking another long drink from his beer. Sit down. I’ll buy you a drink. Something fruity, I bet.

Becca sighed and sat on the stool next to him. She faced away from the bar, debating whether she wanted a drink or not. She didn’t like the song on the jukebox, thinking a little peace and quiet would be nice for once. She glanced to her right when the door opened just enough for the man in the leather jacket to slip in. The rain ran from his hat onto the mat in front of the door. He took the hat off and gave it a tap, sending a few more droplets to the floor. He hung it and his jacket on the vacant wooden coat stand near the far wall.

The old man at the window had been watching Becca, but he paused mid-drink to look at the man with the leather jacket. There was something different about him. He had a shaggy mustache, which was the only part of his head not clean shaven. He saw the old man looking at him, so he stared back for a moment. He put down his drink and turned back around to watch the hockey game. It was tied in the third period, but the old man wasn’t too concerned.

You know what, Gary? Becca said, getting up. I’m leaving. I don’t feel like being here tonight. I’ll call you tomorrow.

She started for the door, trying to put on her coat. Her left arm got hung up and she got flustered. She was mad at Gary, but took it out on the coat. She had stopped walking to straighten out the sleeve and Gary came up behind her. He didn’t say anything before he grabbed her by the back of her collar. A few people turned to look as he jerked her toward him, but no one got up. Gary was a little over six feet tall and weighed in around two-fifty. His messy, black hair hung down into his face, covering his right eye.

You’ll leave when I say you can! Gary yelled and yanked the jacket back, harder this time. Lucky for Becca, he only managed to spin her around since one arm was not in its sleeve. She planted her feet and pulled her right arm from the coat. He reached out to grab her arm, but missed. She stepped away from him.

Leave her alone, the man with the shaggy mustache said. He had almost taken a spot at the bar when he saw Gary go toward Becca. He took a few steps toward Gary, who was much larger than him. The rain started pelting the windows, creating a curtain that blocked a view outside. The old man was watching them, again.

Gary looked up at the man and Becca started for the door. He smiled an angry smile, but his eyes struggled to focus on the stranger. It was clear he was ready to fight.

Who do you think you are, baldy... interfering in a... personal matter?

I’m nobody, the man said. Becca pulled the door open and Gary went after her. The stranger shoved him on the way by. Gary stumbled to his left with no hope of regaining his balance. He slammed into the side of a wooden booth and went to one knee. He kept himself from going all the way down by grabbing the back of the bench seat. He gritted his teeth and stood back up.

I’ll be back for you, Gary said and stumbled toward the door. The mustached man started after him, but one of Gary’s friends grabbed him by the arm. The door slammed shut behind him.

Let him go, man. Have a beer, the friend said. He’s just drunk.

That doesn’t mean he should treat her like that. Let go of my arm.

Julie! the friend said to the bartender. Get us a couple of shots of Jager.

You think I’m going to drink with you? the man said.

Yes, the friend said, the smile gone from his face. Go to the bar.

The friend gave the mustached man a gentle push toward the bar. That drew a glare, but he didn’t fight back.

Here’s to relaxing and staying out of other people’s business, the friend said and took his drink. The mustached man threw his drink in the man’s eyes and punched him in the nose. He watched the man fall to the floor, yelling in pain. His head bounced off the tile and the stranger turned to the door. He rushed over to get his hat and coat before going out the door. He knew Gary would have a sizeable head start on him, but he couldn’t let him get to Becca. She reminded him too much of his daughter.

Somehow, the rain was coming down even harder by the time he got to the street. He could not see anyone to his left through the downpour and decided to go right. There was a gust of wind, sending rain sideways in a sheet. He thought he saw someone about Gary’s size on the block ahead of him. He started running.

Gary had climbed on his motorcycle and gone left, knowing that Jen’s house was that way. No sane person would ride their bike in that rain or after that many drinks, but Gary had only one thing on his mind. He wanted to show Becca that he was in charge.

Jen’s place was less than a mile away and there was no hurry. Becca would be there when he rolled up. She would have had a nice cold walk to bring her to her senses. Probably ready for a hug. Then, they’d go home together.

He saw headlights approaching, but he stayed just inside his lane. The car swerved into the other lane at the last minute, but they wouldn’t have collided. He felt the bike shake from the wind of the passing car. He grinned.

Gary’s blue tee shirt was plastered to his body and he was using his left arm to wipe the rain from his eyes when he got to the block where Jen lived. He slowed and looked at the front door to the long building. He remembered that she would have to push a buzzer to let him in and thought it might not be quite that easy.

The cold, sobering rain continued to fall. Gary stared up at Jen’s living room window and debated what he should do. Then, he thought of the alley behind the apartment building. He had gone in that way with Becca once when they had thrown a surprise party for Jen. The light fixtures on either side of the front door seemed to be tempting him to try that entrance, but at the last moment he decided to go to the alley.

He parked the bike along a chain link fence meant to keep people out of the neighbor’s yard. A woman’s red strapped sandal rested against the base of the fence a few feet ahead of the bike. It looked familiar. Definitely something that Becca would wear. He convinced himself that she had been wearing it at the bar. Gary bent down, grabbed it with a swipe, and saw a broken buckle. He thought Becca probably broke it as she came around the corner, choosing to leave it there in her haste to get inside.

I’ll fix this for you and then you’ll see I care, Gary said and started along the alley, still looking at the sandal. He was almost to the plain white door that led to the back staircase when a man started walking toward him from the other end of the alley.

Gary squinted through the rain at the man. The man looked a little shorter than the guy at the bar, but who else would have followed him here. He felt his temper flare and said, Seriously? Can’t you take a hint? Head on back to the bar and I’ll handle you there in a while. I gotta see my girl first.

The man took a few more steps forward. Gary saw this man was shorter and thinner than the guy in the leather jacket.

Wait, are you trying to rob me little guy? That’s a laugh, Gary said, smiling at the man. The pole light over the dumpster cast a shadow over the man’s face. You know what, give it your best go. Jen’s not going anywhere, so I’ll just take my frustrations out on you first.

The man continued walking without saying anything. The shadows shifted as he approached Gary. The light from the fixture mounted over the white door revealed his face. His skin was brown, but Gary couldn’t tell if it was from being in the sun or if that was just his color.

Gary thought the man must have been waiting for a victim and that he would be doing everyone a favor if he took care of the guy. He took a few quick steps toward the man, bringing up a fist, planning to use his body weight to deliver a vicious blow. The smaller man ducked at the last second and pushed Gary’s arm the other way, directing it into the side of the building with a mighty thump. Gary stumbled on by, yelling out in pain as the powerful blow came to a sudden stop against the brick wall.

He steadied himself and shook off the pain. When he turned to look at the man, he saw that he was standing there, waiting for him. Gary frowned, continuing to shake off the pain. Blood trickled from the fresh cuts on his split knuckles. The rain seemed to be letting up, but Gary focused only on the man he now wanted to kill.

I’m done playing around, he said, but the man didn’t move. Gary took two quick steps and brought his leg around to kick the man in the ribs. The man caught Gary’s leg between his left arm and side, absorbing the attack. Gary had connected and even though he heard a rib crack, but saw no sign of pain on the man’s face. He brought his right arm down, elbow first, on Gary’s trapped knee. It gave a wet crack and the big man collapsed in pain.

He cried out again when the man let his broken leg fall to the ground. The man still said nothing, but watched as Gary tried to scoot