Into the Depths of the Underworld Chapter 1: Into the Darkness
Into the Depths of the Underworld Chapter 1 :Into the Darkness Characters and story © Michael .B Disclaimer is as it always will be. As my friend says...I don't hold responsibly for what happens to you if you forget to lock your doors and cover your E-tracks. So don't whine to me about it...now on to the story. Thank you. Intro song is copyrighted to the owner. ( Let Go - Soil Did you think you'd be alone? Did your life turn out the way you wanted? You worked your fingers to the bone. Now you stare at the four walls that own you. You must break, you must break away. All your world has turned to grey. The color in your life has gone and left you. What once you had, has gone away. Consuming are the thoughts you just won't let go. The photos that you have will fade. Isn't that enough of a sign, to show you That everything in life will change? The hand that you have been dealt, must not own you. ) Chapter 1 : Into the Darkness The night was cool, somewhat peace-full ...steam wafting from the curbside drains and the manhole covers along the empty street, the mornings newspapers flowing down along the asphalt on a wave of soft air before it became wrapped around a lamp pole. It was mid August 1954 in downtown Chicago and all the roads were empty besides a few people wondering to and from the nightclubs...but one long figure stood out among the darkness in a tan trench coat and matching hat, a soft haze of gray blue smoke raised up over the person before turning around, the eyes of a young man gazed out at the darkness behind him. The corner of his lip turned up in a grin while a plume of smoke from a cigarette flowed from his nose before he turned back around walking off as a yell exploded from somewhere inside the city full of anger and shock. "WHAT?!" a deep rough voice yelled from behind the doors of a private office inside a local nightclub fallowed by a another voice, a voice of a high yet soothing pitch like a bird replied "He said he was coming fer ya boss.". A heavy set bobcat slammed his fist on the desk standing up his voice nearing a roar "You go out there and hunt him down! I want him Dead...you hear me...DEAD!" he looked at a middle aged Doberman who only replied with a quick nod before he darted out of the room with a scotch glass fallowing behind him slamming into the wall. The bobcat sat down in his chair looking at the door "Damn you Michael...you nosey prick." he growled closing his eyes trying to relax grabbing another scotch glass from his desk along with a bottle. * * * Morning came by just a little to fast for Michaels taste as he sat up slowly in his chair looking around his office, his coat hanging on side of his chair along with his hat...he closed his eyes trying to think right but he sighed softly running his fingers through his medium length blonde hair. He pulled his pack of smokes from his shirt pocket lighting one just as a knock came from the door...he breathed in deeply before he spoke causing the smoke to roll out with each word "Come in.". Soon the door opened and in walked a young collie, about five foot five, and a body to die for...her golden fur blending in with the white that formed the front of her body...The only thing that made her more lovely was the dress she had on, a royal blue with a small red rose that sat right between her breasts. Instantly as she walked through the door Michael had put out his smoke and rubbed his right brow slightly with a smile that was suppressed but his eyes betrayed him ever so easily as the collie spoke "I see you slept here again...you know you can stay at my place.". He did his best to stifle a yawn "I like my chair." he rested his arms upon the redwood desk looking at her "So what do you have?" he asked pointing to the morning news paper in her paws causing her to look puzzled slightly before she smiled "Oh...it seams you made another front page headline...you know its gonna come back and hurt you Detective." Michael gave a smirk as she placed the newspaper down in front of him "Ah well you know how it goes Sasha." he looked at the paper with a slight laugh "Mafia king pin Marcus Dmitri threatens to sue Detective Michael Valentine.". he shook his head slightly "Well we know what it means...he'll soon send a hit out for me.". Sasha gave a slight nod as she turned and walked away "Yeah....oh...and Michael...you owe me dinner." she said as she turned around to look at him, in turn he raised his brow looking at her before he nodded "Yeah yeah I know. How about tonight around seven?". She gave a nod "Don't be late." she smiled closing the door leaving him to just sit there within his own mind trying to understand why he always became so hypnotized around her. He then lit up his smoke and picked up the newspaper and started looking over the headlines and then the sports and stocks, after a while he pulled off the front page, standing up and moved to the wall pinning the front page headline on the cork board along with all the other articles he had collected over the years before he stepped back looking at them. He had been a detective for almost 4 years going on 5, but his true start was when he joined the Chicago Police Department after the death of a friend. Slowly he had worked his way up into the spot he was in now and he enjoyed every second of it...soon his mind was pulled back as the phone started to ring. He moved over picking it up slowly "Detective Michael Valentine.........yes.......okay I'll be right there." he then placed the receiver back on the hook grabbing his coat and hat walking out the door. The air was crisp and cool despite the cars traveling up and down the streets, his hands in his pockets walking up to his car before he opened the door getting inside driving off toward the docks. As he arrived at the docks the area was already swarming with cops, he sighed slightly getting out of the car after he parked it. He walked slowly through the crowd moving to the Chief standing beside him "So what can you tell me about this one Chief?" he didn't even look to the man as he carefully studied the body in front of them covered by a white sheet. "The victim is 23....female...a wolf also...your favorite" the chief looked at him with a smirk; he was a elderly man around 50 or 60, salt and pepper hair and gray mustache. Michael only snorted slightly, the chief knew of his fondness for the wolf breed and this only added to the insult "Get to the point Schiffer." Schiffer sighed with his hands in the pockets of his trousers "She's just like the rest...Sexually assaulted then shot. We don't know much more than that...the one who committed this act isn't on record in any thing...not even foreign agencies have anything." Michael sighed slightly "But still...this victim...Turk?" he looked at the blood stained sheet lighting up another smoke tossing the match into the gutter before he looked to Schiffer. He shook his head "No...she's from Istanbul...a new face in town." he then crossed his arms tilting his head some then turned to see Michael walking away "You know something?" Michael stopped looking back "No but I have a hunch." he then turned back around walking to his car and driving away just as the ambulance arrived. As he drove he thought about all the murders that had been unsolved, every crime the criminal was always invisible and it was starting to piss him off, not only did he have to deal with the underground mafia boss Dmitri and now this mystery killer adding a 4th victim to the list but now a woman from Istanbul. He stopped at a red light and closed his eyes thinking trying to figure out what was really the cause of all this trouble, he then started down the road again the streets full of traffic clogging up the road like a stopped drain...at least now he had more time to think on the case. * * *
(May 19th 1954) Michael leaned against the wall of a broken down apartment looking at the body of a young she-wolf, her brown fur stained with blood, her body stripped bare of any clothing and her golden yellow eyes looking up at him with silence and innocence. "A sad sight huh Michael...your beautiful breed the only one to fall victim to this crazy. Do you wish you was still on the police force?" Schiffer moved from the darkness looking at the body as the medics moved to take the body to the ambulance. He looked to Schiffer slowly "Just because you hate there breed don't mean I have to sit around with you...Besides you can't change the past." he sighed standing up straight looking to the blood stain on the floor, it had been his first murder case since he stared his job as a detective and it gave him quite a shake. 'I've seen enough dead bodies...why am I shocked at this one.?' he looked to the side walking away to his car and driving away into the darkness. * * * Michael had pushed back his thoughts as he sat in a small diner down town with a cup of coffee, his hat resting in the seat beside him on-top of his folded coat, he was running on lack of sleep and vast amounts of coffee staying up nearly all night looking through the case files for anything he might have over looked. Three months and still no lead on who was doing the killings the only thing he knew for sure was that every one of the victims was a wolf, female, and young...before he thought it was all a group that consisted of girls from Turky but the last one being from Istanbul had shattered his ideas and now he had to start over once more from the ground up. He was pulled from his thoughts when Sasha sat down in front of him resting her leather coat beside her "You okay Michael.? You look awful." she tilted her head looking at him intently as he gave a slight nod. "Yeah I'm fine...just under a lot of pressure." he stretched the truth a bit but to his fault Sasha saw through it easy "Michael...I have worked for you going on 3 years...don't think you can slink your way out of telling me the full truth.". He sighed in defeat, she was good...damn good at reading him like a book but yet he didn't seam to mind much when she did "It's the case....another one but from Istanbul...my leads are shot. Three months of work down the drain all because I didn't watch carefully enough." he looked at her slowly "If he switched from Turky to Istanbul...who's to say he wont switch targets...and..." he trailed off into silence. Sasha reached out placing her paw on his hand "And you fear it might be me one day if there not stopped." she got her answer by the way his eyes glazed over in fear "Don't worry...I'm always around you..." Michael smiled softly with a smirk "Yeah yeah...its in my nature..." he stroked over her paw softly while she just watched him before she gave a soft laugh "You sound like the wolves I have met. Always saying it was there 'Nature'." Soon he looked up to see Schiffer walking toward them then stood at the end of the table looking to Michael "Can we talk?" He gave a nod "Yeah" he watched as Schiffer looked to Sasha then back to him before he spoke "Some where in private." Michael only snorted and grabbed Sasha's arm when she started to move "What you have to say can be said right here Schiffer." he had hoped the Chief of police had come to make a mockery of his work and to try and make him look like a fool but only look like a fool himself. Schiffer sighed softly "Very well. I came here to apologize for the past few months...I know how you have felt about what's been going on...and it was wrong of me to poke at it." He couldn't believe it the "Chief" of police was apologizing to him of all people this was a new turn "Well now Schiffer...that's very kind of you..." his gaze turned into that like a knife staring at the Chief "Now cut the shit and tell me just why you are here." truth be told ever since he joined the force he had come to hate Schiffer for all his racist to the wolves that had haphazardly stumbled into his grip. Schiffer blinked slightly but fully expected it from his old friend "I guess your words made me think different about this all...and if there is anything you need...you just let me know. I will get it for you even if I have to do it my self." Michael could only grin, he had finally broken down the guard that Schiffer had so proudly gloated about with and now he would have the whole Police Department to his disposal "That's very kind of you Schiffer...maybe I could have something for you to do. I need all the medical files, passports, and personal items that each victim had." Schiffer only nodded and walked out with haste in step disappearing into the crowd of people outside. Sasha looked at Michael slowly and tilted her head, she was going to ask what it was about but put it off instead "So...how about we have the dinner right now?" she watched him carefully as he chose his words carefully her smile never leaving her muzzle. Michael gave a nod "Okay where at?" "I know of a great place looking out at the park." "You know how I am about the park Sasha." "I'm sorry...I forgot...we can go somewhere else." "No...we can go. I need to face my past one way or another." * * * Dmitri sat along a poker table with his buddies, the air thick with cigar smoke that wafted up into the air making a gray haze in the light "So what shale we do with Mr. Valentine? He's getting closer to the "Cargo"..." he looked up slightly from his cards at the group at the table. "We all know that this shipment is very vital...what ever it is we have to do it fast...but still he has been running around the city on the trail of this new killer." spoke up one of the people seated at the table still looking at his own cards. Soon a young woman knocked on the door as she entered "Sir...he's here waiting in your office... is there anything else you would like me to do?". Dmitri shook his head standing up "Deal me out boys...I got another matter that might just solve our problems." he moved to the door looking at the woman "No you can take the night off." he then disappeared through the door and down the hall to his office. Sitting behind Dmitri's desk was a middle aged Ocelot dressed in all black, his yellow green eyes watching the mafia boss walk in "I hear you're having trouble with a certain person....a Detective Valentine. Am I correct?" Dmitri walked over slowly "Depends who's asking...and get the fuck out of my chair." he growled slightly watching the brown furred Ocelot sit up slowly with a grin that was truly evil before standing up. "My name is Luis...and I can solve your problem with Mr. Valentine. But it will cost you some my friend." he walked from around the desk, a Russian Luger holstered at his hip along side a military grade combat knife. Dmitri narrowed his eyes slightly "I'm not your friend yet...how much do you want?" he moved sitting down behind his desk resting a paw upon the knob of the upper side drawer that held his small .38 revolver. "Don't bother going for your gun.." he raised his paw, the bullets falling to the floor "In my line of work...it's a bad thing to let your enemy have the upper hand. As for payment...two million..." Dmitri had looked down to the drawer before a click was heard making him look up now facing down the barrel of the Luger "Your insane!. No way I would pay that much!" Luis only laughed, his aim not wavering before fixing him with a solid glare "I know you have trillions put away in this club...shipping...and wine. So don't toy with me and think you can push me around because I don't happen to have a gun to my head just yet." he had kept cool and steady in his stance and his voice. Dmitri sighed slightly "Fine...do it. Kill him, I don't care how just do it." he snorted completely annoyed that he was being forced into a contract with this wonderer who had looked for a simple job...but this wasn't simple this was war. * * * Michael sat silently at his desk, smoke hanging in the air above him as he idly looked through files, records, and other things on the 4 dead women...a soft stream of smoke flew from his nose as he leaned back in his chair rubbing his head some closing his eyes, the clock on the wall said one AM and he was still stuck in a dead end. "Shit...how the hell dose this guy move around...?" he sighed 'who said it was a guy...it could be anyone.' he opened his eyes looking back down at the files while resting his cig in the ashtray as he stood up walking to the window looking out at the city streets. "Maybe Sasha's right...maybe I am trying to hard...and I'm just letting it all slip past me." 'remember that its not always easy...remember the basics my son, think like the criminal, act like them...to catch what you want you must sink to there level and fallow them.' It was noting more than the words of a old gray wolf who was the "Master Detective" when he was starting his run in the police force and took him into his care to train. He moved to the desk once more looking at the papers, and soon the photos before he came across something that caught his eye...a mark along the muzzle of every girl that was consistent with hookers that belonged to a group in the down town district "Gotcha." he grinned slightly picking up his coat and hat walking out of the office. (Red Rose :Downtown District) Michael walked along the crowded streets of Downtown, the most dirty part of the city home of drugs, Prostitutes, and also the Mafia of Marcus Dmitri... he looked around slightly passing by people stopping in front of a large nightclub and walked inside. Once inside he made his way to the office that belonged to the owner, once he stepped inside the room he was looking at a young man sitting behind a large oak desk with two she-wolves at his sides in nothing more than lacey bras and panties... the guy was most definitely a pimp and it showed by the look of his purple and blue suit with a matching hat, a eagles feather nestled in the hat band. He also had large diamond rings on a few of his fingers and a gold necklace. "Ah Mr. Valentine...what do I owe the honor of this visit.?" the pimp smiled slightly as he ran his hands down along the two she-wolves sides "A bit of fun with these lovely bitches?" "Cut the shit Mark... lose the girls this is personal." he pointed to the door his eyes hidden by the brim of his hat making it hard to judge his look. Mark sighed softly and sent the girls on there way and once the door was closed he looked at Michael "You do know that was rude to speak like that in front of ladies." he grinned before he froze in shock when the crime scene photos landed upon his desk. "They worked for you ya slime ball. No one else knows that mark on there muzzle besides me and your workers. Besides this is all underground so you better start telling me answers you sick fucker or I'll beat them out of you." he slammed his fist into the desk causing Mark to jump slightly. "Honest I don't know what you are talking about...I never--" he was cut off when a punch sent him from his chair and to the floor, he rolled onto his back just to see Michael jump over the desk knocking the chair to the side, he then started to crawl backwards till his back hit the wall. "Bullshit Mark...there your whores! And while there getting killed you sit there and act like you don't know a damn thing." he grabbed his shirt pulling him up and slamming him up against the wall "WHO ARE THEY!!... WHAT DO YOU KNOW!!" he slammed him once more into the wall. Mark groaned before yelling "I DON'T KNOW DAMN IT!! I NEVER SEEN THEM IN MY LIFE!!" he was then sent stumbling into the desk before Michael grabbed the back of his head leaning close to his ear "You will remember who they are when I'm done with you Mark." and with those words he slammed his face hard into the desk, the sound of Marks nose breaking was heard over the large thump. He pulled him back once more, blood pouring from Marks nose before he slammed him once more into the desk face first holding him there as blood started to pool on the polished wood "OKAY OKAY!!! I'LL TALK!!" he cried out as Michael pulled him up once more. Mark groaned "There immigrants...I bought them out of the country and had them shipped in...all to make more money...please....let me go...I told you all I know." he whined as the blood streaked his face dripping to the floor before his face hit the desk once more. "Who would want to kill them Mark....Innocent women are dieing...Why!" Michael growled pulling out his nickel plated Colt 1911 .45auto and pulled the hammer back pressing the barrel to his head, then pulled the trigger the hammer hitting on a empty chamber with a loud click before he kept Mark pinned to the desk he loaded a round in the chamber pulling the hammer back once more and placed it to his head. "TERRY HENNAMEN!!" he yelled out at the feel of the gun being placed to his head once more before Michael tossed him to the floor standing over him with the gun aimed at his face. "You better pray your right...or I'll come back and finish this." he lowered the hammer with a smirk "Wipe your self off...a self respecting man wouldn't piss himself.." he then walked out of the office holstering his Colt in the shoulder strap holster and walked out of the building tilting his hat to the ladies on his way out and back to the office. Terry Hennamen was a all time drug lord in league with Marcus Dmitri but what puzzled him the most is why would the all-time drug runner revert to killing a few hookers, did they learn something they wasn't meant too or was there something bigger going on that he hadn't seen just yet? One thing was for sure that Terry Hennamen was just as bad as Dmitri if not worse and if he was going to get to the bottom of it all he would have to penetrate the layer's of the Underworld that housed the mafia and drugs, it wouldn't be easy but he was the only one who knew just what to do. To Be Continued. (Will Michael Valentine find out who's behind the killings, and will Luis prove to be a major challenge for him? And will he ever gather up the courage to become more than a friend with the lovely Collie named Sasha or will he fall for a she-wolf who happens to befriend him? Stay tuned for the next chapter of Into The Depths Of The Underworld.)