The black cloth witch’s hat artistically perched atop Ada’s head – only just lint rolled for the tenth time that evening – came dangerously close to dropping as her gaze shifted to the banging on the door. Her fingers raised to temporarily plug her ears until the volume lessened, and she let her enthusiasm overcome any remaining discomfort. To be honest, even as a child, Ada never really grasped the complexities of the holiday or why so many extolled its rituals with such zeal. Not to mention, she lacked the ability to identify many of the prevalent pop culture tropes parading about. Yet, she awoke bright and early and spent the majority of the day in her kitchen creating special Halloween snacks for any trick or treaters that were kind enough to visit. She even, at the urging of her friends, put together a tasteful and subtle costume to ‘get into the spirit’.
Ada felt incredibly ridiculous carrying around the fake wand, but she certainly didn’t want to be labelled a spoil sport. Her interaction with the first round of children to arrive earlier that night hadn’t gone exactly as planned. She soon discovered that children didn’t want to hear a lecture about the improbability of the classic horror tropes they were masquerading as biological and rational impossibilities. The parents, in particular, radiated feelings of displeasure and condemnation. Right Ada, no scientific facts, children do not find them interesting. Just hand them the spider oreos and smile nicely.
Clutching the plate of treats in her hand, she hastened to the door and took one final glance at her reflection in the hall mirror. It was critical that her hat remained exactly positioned and that her grin did not appear artificial. Her lips widened into a practice grin just to be certain before she gave herself a tiny confidence nod. “Happy Hallowe—” her somewhat overzealous greeting was effectively cut short, her smile gradually fading and her gaze hardening in the direction of the lanky figure in her doorway. Would she never know peace again…
“I do not intend to engage in whatever unpleasant predicament you have chosen to impose on me today,” she stated as calmly as she could, her fingers already curling around the door in preparation to close it in his face. “Would you kindly leave before my neighbors see you? Thank you”
The clattering sound of the discarded clip bounced off once pristine hardwood floor. He watched the blood soak into the fine slots between the boards. This could have ended much simpler if you compiled. Maddox grimaced at the inconvenience of the white, searing pain that torched his shoulder. Stepping through the cotton costume webs that spidered through the ghoulishly festive house, he kicked over the brimming bowl of candy with a soured frown. The bastard didn’t have the money to pay his dues to the king but could squander it on cheap tricks? It was a good thing that the dirty little rat decided to resign himself to such a cowardly path. A slippery political figure with an axe to grind with Captain Singh wouldn’t think twice about implicating a good boy in blue, right? Fabricated material outlining the gruesome details of that cold evening his little brother was frame fanned across the man’s study. Maddox couldn’t help but smirk at his own handy work. A hard drive filled with footage, bank statements, and a ledger of all of Baron’s other questionable moral actions with all the t’s crossed and i’s dotted. It was too easy; almost like fate strummed the strings of his scheme. What he didn’t expect was for the man to fight back. A feeble attempt but semi-honorable final act. Breathing out a unamused sigh, Maddox bundled up whatever business material the man had been gifted by Roman and tossed it into the shallows of his black duffle bag. Not a single trace of the society left to be unwoven by the idiots at CCPD.
Slinging it over uninjured shoulder, he dipped through the back window and into the ascending shadows. Maddox felt the warm trickling of his own blood soaking into the cotton white shirt beneath the heavy black flight jacket. Luckily, the dwindling twilight coupled with innocent chaos of the spookiest day of the year provided him with the cover he needed. He was far enough from the Kane residence to keep the bloodhound from sniffing him out in her pointed Balenciagas; yet, he was a little too far from his own little safe haven. If he didn’t assess the slow bleed, he’d surely pass out before making it. Maddox’s gaze tipped up gauge his current location as he continued wandering down the streets. The chortling sound of children’s glee echoed off the streets. Something about this area felt familiar. He took him a moment to pin it down. An image of her pout lips, infuriatingly deep brown eyes, and intoxicating intolerance for his presence.
He quickened his pace a half step to fade further into the throng of people bustling across the sidewalk brimming with joy and buckets filled with candy. She may be weird but these are delicious. His brows furrowed at the backhanded twinge to the two young men dressed lazily like the Walmart productive of Scream. A smug pair speaking ill of the young scientist too innocent for this world. Maddox hated how she allowed the world to pick at her. When would she bare her teeth at them like she did at him? Stalking closer, he waited for the winding sidewalk to clear before he grasped their hoods and tossed them into nearest shrub. A cacophony of groans ebbed from the short patch of foliage. Maddox’s grin spread subtlety despite the tightened pain that shot through his shoulder.
Crossing across the grass, his fist met the door with a heavy thud. Maddox hiked the duffle back up along his shoulder as he leaned into the frame. He wondered how she would greet once she’d opened it.
The soft light illuminated her sinful figure with striking curves and straight lean of witch’s hat. “No candy for me, sweetheart?” Maddox’s hand shot out in preparation for the inevitable slam of the door, each lithe finger curling around the frame. “What? You wouldn’t want them to assume anything? I mean you don’t get many men showing up, huh?” Maddox didn’t like the sourness that burned his tongue thinking about other men here. He pushed it down and dismissed such a carnal thought to possible blood loss. “I need to use your bathroom,” he brushed pass her without hesitation. The duffle back clattering to the floor as he stalked through her place. It’s not like he hadn’t already studied the lay out. “Nice outfit by the way.”