Chapter fucking four

Chapter Four
Merrick laid on the bed in the cheap motel trying to watch the scrambled porn that flashed across the cheap television set. His arm was beginning to fall asleep behind his head that was also starting to ache. Although the sounds came through clearly, the image was terrible. He might get a glimpse of an ass every now and then but it did little to help his headache. There just wasn’t enough clear picture to work from. Giving a frustrated groan, he sat up and turned the T.V. off with a click of the remote. Mad at himself for wasting an entire hour he stood up from the bed and walked over to the door. He couldn’t fathom why even a shitty motel would still have a dinosaur fossil for a T.V. and why the porn channel would be scrambled. It’s not like people brought their children here, or maybe they did. What did he care? He felt like he traveled back in time when he’d stepped into the room.
Merrick threw the door open and the outside heat rushed in, “What kind of place is this!?!?” he bellowed into the dark.
The only thing that answered him was the screech of an alley cat and the clanging of tin cans. Figures, he thought and shut the door in front of him. He had a knack for picking out the worst places to stay.
“So much for cheap thrills.” He said to himself as he walked back over to the bed and fell onto it.
He propped his pillow up behind his head and gave an irritable sigh, “how in the hell did I forget my fucking laptop?” he questioned himself, only pissing himself off even more.
He started to pull out his phone but he decided against it. He was already out of the mood anyway.
“At least the air conditioner works.” He said, laying a hand on his chest and looking to the old window unit.
It sounded like it would explode at any minute but he didn’t care. At least it was cool. Merrick stared at the gaudy yellow and green wall paper as he relaxed on the creaky bed. The dim lamp light was actually soothing his headache away without the obnoxious flickering of the television flashing in the small room. As he lay on top of the dusty covers his thoughts turned to the woman he was searching for. Although it had been a day since he left L.G’s office he hadn’t begun just yet. He thought about the description the man gave him of her. Red hair, 5’3 with blue eyes, wearing a black trench and smoking a cigarette. He tried to imagine what she might look like but it was hard. He ended up picturing Ariel from the little mermaid smoking a cigarette and wearing a black trench coat looking like she just left a metal concert. Of course he made her older. He didn’t want to be the freak who sits around imagining sixteen year old cartoon ladies.
“Wow,” he laughed at where his thoughts had gone, “it’s pretty sad that the only redhead I can think of right now is fucking Ariel.” He chuckled and rubbed a hand over his face to clear his thoughts.
His mind started to wonder over the facts again and his own questions arose. Why would she run away if these people care for her so much? Why was this man willing to pay so much for her return? Why couldn’t he have her name? What kind of things makes her so dangerous? The questions buzzed around his head like flies you couldn’t swat away. Normally he never put this much thought into his cases, he just did his job, got paid, and disappeared, but this case was different. Something was odd and he wasn’t sure what. He did know one thing for sure though, these people were hiding something, a big something. That wasn’t out of the ordinary in his line of work, but his past clients were at least honest and forthcoming with intricate information. He felt that, if he did happen to find her off what little he was given, he shouldn’t take her back. Who was he to say what should and shouldn’t be done though? She wasn’t his concern personally, she was just an assignment. He would find her and get his money then he would move on, nothing to it.
Merrick turned to his side quelling his thoughts. He needed some rest if he was going to find this woman who had apparently disappeared. He made no move to get under the covers as he settled down. Although his mind was still whirring, sleep quickly overtook him.

“Who is this piss ant?” Gates asked irritably and tossed the photo onto the counter where it slid across back to Halsey.
Halsey snatched the photo before it could slide off the counter. She looked back to Gates, matching the irritability on her face.

“This is the man your father sent after you. He’s a killer Gates, supposedly the best in the business. He will find you if you’re not cautious enough.” Halsey warned trying to make Gates hear the concern in her voice.
“I know you gave me a description, but this man doesn’t look anything like I pictured. He certainly doesn’t look like any killer.” Gates stated simply as she walked around the bar and into the living room of her newly furnished apartment.
She sat on the couch and pulled the ashtray across the coffee table where it slid to a stop in front of her. She smoothed back her hair as she pulled and cigarette from the pack and put it between her lips. She saw Halsey in her peripherals set beside her but still a good distance away as she lit her smoke.
“The fact is Gates, he is a killer, he finds and kills people for a living. Although he wasn’t sent to kill you he could find you very easily if you’re not careful.”
“I know.” Gates breathed and snatched the photo from Halsey’s grip to look at it more closely.
As she looked she noticed he was quite a muscular man, lean and tall. His face was indeed handsome but looked dangerous. His beard shadowed his face adding to the enticing feral quality of his demeanor. His black hair was mused back but still had volume. Gates brows furrowed irritably at the pair of dark sunglasses on his face. She flicked the collected ashes from her smoke and laid the picture on the coffee table before her. She took a drag and deeply inhaled the minty nicotine as she turned to Halsey.
“You couldn’t have found a picture of him with no sunglasses?” Gates chided giving her a droll stare.
Halsey gave her an unamused stare and got up from the couch, “I have to go before my husband gets home. Watch your ass Gates.” She said grasping the door knob in her hand but turning back to see Gates staring out the window and exhaling smoke to let it flow throughout the room.
“I’ll be fine.” Gates crushed out her smoke giving Halsey a quick side glance. She hated that Halsey was trying to be casual with her.
Halsey sighed and pulled the door open. She took a step out but looked back once more. Gates hadn’t moved, she sat like a statue waiting for her to leave. Halsey couldn’t help but think of Gates spending the night here alone. She supposed it wasn’t so different than the facility. She had heard some of the orderlies gossiping about how Gates would scream at night, either from terror or anger. That thought only added to her guilt. Halsey let the thought go with a sigh and shut the door behind her.
Gates felt the pressure from Halsey’s presence relieve her as soon as Halsey stepped out her door. She got up from the couch then and walked over to the door to peer through the peephole. A relieved sigh escaped her lips as she saw that Halsey had really left, the distorted view of the empty hallway put her nerves at ease. She found it hard to focus with Halsey around, her very presence filled her with the intense need to run, flee from danger. Gates removed her trench and tossed it on the back of the couch irritably. What choice did she have but to trust Halsey now? Even though she had threatened the woman’s life multiple times she still didn’t know if she could count on that to scare Halsey enough not to betray her. The anxiety of the knowledge that Halsey could betray her again wormed its way into her mind although she tried to force it away. She was like a mouse in a maze. She didn’t know the way out but the person looking over her could lead her to certain demise if they chose to.
Gates ran a hand through her hair and pulled at it nervously. Her instincts told her to run but she remained for a reason that was lost on her. Walking to the front of the coffee table, Gates pulled another cigarette from her pack and lit it with shaking hands. She tossed the lighter behind her where it landed noisily onto the wood and faced the dimming sunlight from the window. She took a long drag and exhaled the smoke along with the treacherous thoughts of Halsey. Now something much more terrifying invaded her mind as the fading sunlight cast over her face, causing her cerulean eyes reflect the cast of the day as it slowly turned into night. This would be the first night she’d spent completely alone in years. At least while she was in her father’s custody there was always someone around to make sure she was still alive. The smoke from her cigarette hazed around her as her dread rose with the setting sun.

Merrick opened his aching eyes slowly, his vision hazy. The morning sunlight cast dully through the thick curtains and into his eyes. Although he knew it was early morning, the green color of the heavy curtains made it appear much later, making the rundown motel room much more dreadful. His eyes focused on the dust particles that drifted in the sun ray beaming through the window as he rose to sit on the edge of the bed. It creaked from his shifting weight, making him think that the noise had come from his aching back. He stretched his arms above his head relieving the pressure on his spine. He sighed his satisfaction as his back cracked in several places. Although he was used to sleeping in shitholes, this was a time when he missed his own bed the most. He stood from the bed and tore off his shirt, the heat in the room suffocating his skin suddenly, not noticing how hot it was in the room until he’d sat for a moment. He turned his eyes on the air conditioner that no longer clanged with the protest of being on.
“Of course.” He breathed as he stepped over to it and kicked it with the side of his foot. Parts rattled on the inside hollowly before the front panel fell off of it completely.
Merrick looked to the ceiling and sighed in defeat as sweat began to roll down the bridge of his nose from his forehead. As he wiped the accumulated sweat from his face, his eyes found the bathroom door. An eager smile touched the edges of his lips as he made his way to take a cold shower. He flicked on the light ignoring its dull buzzing as he wrenched the cold water nob on. The water came out in short unsteady spurts and the pipes protested loudly inside the walls. He put his hand under it to make sure it was at least cold as the rusted color of the water began to fade. He turned the nob a little further trying to make the flow even out. It didn’t help much.
“Oh fucking well.” His accruing irritation at the ever increasing dreadfulness of the room flowed from his voice and straight to his hands as he yanked his pants and boxers off.
He tried to stay under the sputtering water to get himself cooled off and clean, but the longer he stayed, the angrier he got. It was taking entirely too long to rinse the soap from his hair and the half ass spraying water was doing little to cool him off. In fact, it wasn’t even wetting him completely, leaving the dry parts of his body still burning with heat. Succeeding in rinsing most of the soap from his hair, he wrenched the nob to turn it off with a little too much force. Raising his hand, he looked at the godforsaken nob just lying in his palm begging to be thrown through the wall. He stepped out of the shower and pulled his pants on angrily without bothering to dry off. He wouldn’t even waste his time to look for a towel he knew wasn’t there. His feet beat the floor as his walked quickly from the bathroom, dust flying in his wake. His hand gripped at the faucet nob, his anger building. He needed some kind of release and he was going to get it. Flinging the door open making it slam hard into the wall he took a step out, his eyes searching. He saw his target, taking a few more steps closer to the door of the office. He drew back the hand grasping the nob and threw it hard and extremely fast. The shattering glass of the office door window was music to his ears.
“The fuck was that!” the assumed owner screamed fearfully greeting Merrick’s ears soothingly.
Merrick opened his eyes wanting to see the look on the small insignificant man’s face. He was crouched behind the counter with only his eyes glaring at him through the broken glass. Merrick couldn’t help but smirk at the man’s obvious terror. Perhaps if he were that puny and a large mysterious looking man threw a heavy metal object at him through a glass door he’d be afraid too. Merrick took a step towards the cowering man, ignoring the heat of the pavement against his bare feet.
“Listen here you little pussy, I know you probably own a hundred other slums like this or your boss does. Unless you want another guy like me hurling things at you and breaking your shit I suggest you make some improvements.” Merrick stopped just before the door, his eyes severe on the small man as he stood on shaking legs behind the counter.
The man took a hard swallow, his eyes never leaving Merrick’s, “y-you could’ve just used the complaint box s-sir.” He said shakily indicating the box on the wall with a quick point of his finger.
“Those things are about as useless as this place. Now, do I make myself clear?” the man shook his head nervously and quickly, “good.” Merrick finished with a low menacing tone. He couldn’t help the satisfied smirk that plastered his face as he turned to walk back to his room.
“So, is this what you do in your spare time? Go around terrifying people and busting out windows?”
Merrick looked up at the familiar smooth gravelly voice, his smile widening, “you see all that?” he asked making his way back to his room, his eyes squinting to see just the silhouette of a man standing beside his room door with a suitcase.
Anderson Stone let a laugh escape through his nose as he squinted at his partner through the bright sunlight. His head fell forward and shook with silent laughter before he met Merricks squinting eyes again.
“Enough to know that glass isn’t the only thing that poor guy is going to have to clean up.” His hand brushed his hair smoothly as Merrick stood before him.
“Poor guy my ass, I am the poor guy in this situation. You’ve no idea what I’ve had to put up with.” Merrick returned with irritation as he stepped through the dreadful threshold of the room.
Stone took a step in behind him, his eyes casting over the obnoxious wall paper. His lips curled and the scent of dust and cigarette smoke was strong in the air. The dust was like fog as it floated inside the sunlight, making the air stale. He felt dingy as soon as he stepped inside, the stale air clinging to his skin.
“Why the fuck would you choose this place over all the places in the city to stay?” Stone asked and tossed the suitcase onto the bed. He immediately regretted it, more dust puffed from the bed and settled in the air. Christ on a bike, he thought, his sneer pulling his lips even more.
Merrick gave him a droll stare as he zipped and buttoned his pants, “I’m sorry, did you take stupid pills this morning? Have you forgotten what I do for a living?” his tone was as smartass as he could muster as he slipped his shirt on.
“Look smartass I know you have to keep a low profile and I’ve seen you stay in some rat holes, but this isn’t a rat hole, this is the rats shit hole. Surely you could’ve found something a little better, given as smart and resourceful as you’re supposed to be.” Stone returned his snide tone and arched his brow at Merrick.
Merrick laughed and ran a hand through his hair as he sat down on the bed adding more dust to the air, “We’ve both slept in worse places Stone.” He slipped on his boots and began to lace them, “did you get my equipment?” he asked, feeling Stone’s eyes on the back of his head as he tied his other boot.
Stone nodded his head even though Merrick wasn’t looking, “it’s in the car,” he stated as Merrick stood and cocked a questioning brow, “Sorry Merrick, but as soon as I pulled into dirty needle and used bandaids-ville I knew I wouldn’t be leaving alone.” He finished and grabbed his suitcase from what had to be the dustiest bed in the world.
A chuckle broke Merricks face into a smile, “all right, let’s get the fuck out of here.” He was out of the room before his words met Stone’s ears. Shaking his head at his partner, he stepped back outside into the bright sunlight. Before making his way to the car, Stone walked up to the busted office door. His boots crunched the glass as he opened the door and only stepped halfway in. The scrawny man behind the counter still stood shakily, his eyes snapping from Merrick walking to the car to the busted door where Stone was only partially inside.
“Keep this little incident to yourself,” his voice was low and he reached into his pocket and pulled out a neatly rolled up cylinder of cash from his pocket, “got it buddy?” he asked holding the cash up so the man could see.
His face relaxed a degree and he nodded quickly, seeing the cash. Stone gave a half smile and tossed the wad across the room. He laughed at the small sound that escaped the cowering man as the rolled up bills flew towards him. Stone saw him flinch but he managed to still catch it.
“I suggest you use it wisely.” His brows arched suggestively to the man before he slid out the door before he could hear a response.
Merrick stepped into the cool, fresh air of Stone’s lavish hotel room. The clean air instantly made his skin feel fresh although he felt like he still needed another shower.
“Anderson Stonecifer does not go without.” He stated under his breath as his eyes took in the elegant beauty of the room. The floor was a reflective cream colored tile and the walls were the same only black. In the center sat a large black sectional couch, an intricately carved dark wood coffee table, and then a large stained glass entertainment center with a fancy flat screen television that sat against the wall. Across the living room there was a fully stocked bar and kitchen. Merrick gave a whistle of appreciation and he made his way to the bar. Stone followed him and sat on a barstool as he stepped around the bar and leaned his back against it, looking at the large selection of expensive top shelf hooch.
“God damn Stone, who are you trying to impress? The emperor of China?” he said, giving him a glance over his shoulder.
“Sorry that I choose not to sleep in piss troughs like you. It’s called aliases and cash Merrick.” He glared at the back of Merricks head from under his eyebrows as he pulled his laptop from his suit case.
“Jee, I wonder why I never thought of that.” Merrick shot back with strife sarcasm as he selected a bottle of malt scotch. Grabbing a shiny whiskey tumbler, he said it down on the bar and poured himself half a glass. He took a drink and let it sooth his throat.
“Don’t drink all that, it’s my favorite.” Stone said smoothly as he typed in the password to his laptop with quick fingers.
Merrick snorted through a drink, “I wonder if I drink enough of it if I’ll turn into a pompous asshole like you.” He joked, his voice thick from laughter in his throat as he took the glass away from his mouth and sat it onto the bar. His eyes sparked from the tight smile he bore as he looked at Stones unamused face.
“Obviously it just turns you into a bumbling idiot.” He shot back, keeping his face stern but feeling a laugh swell in his chest. Before a smile could betray him, he turned his eyes back on the laptop screen, ignoring Merrick’s goofy grin.
Merrick only chuckled and finished his glass. He knew Stone was trying to hide his amusement through a façade of seriousness. The man couldn’t hide the spark of humor in his eyes when he got the chance to insult him. Merrick shook his head in amusement as he poured another glass. As he took a sip, he turned his thoughts back to the missing woman and the steps he needed to take to find her. He knew first that he was going to search Godfrey’s home, to gain some insight on the man. He just seemed a little to snaky, like he was hiding something. A search of his personal effects could help him find out why this woman was so important. The man had hundreds of patients, people who stayed or came and went as they pleased. Why her? Why is her leaving so significant? The facility he controlled wasn’t an institution, it didn’t hold people like a jail or a mental asylum. He was positive she was being detained there against her will, away from other patients, alone in a dark room that wasn’t meant for a person. Why? The question bounced around in his head. He thought about L.G. again. Perhaps if he could find his home he could find something significant, a file or records on this mysterious patient of his.
“Stone.” He said, catching Stone’s eyes over the laptop
“Where do we begin Merrick?” he asked, his brows arching at Merricks faraway look.
“I need to find out more about this Godfrey. About his facility, about his home life, about the man. He seems a little too interested in this woman. She’s just a patient. Although I’m pretty certain she was being detained there I need to know why. Why this particular patient is so important to him when he has a hundred others.” Merrick kept his brows furrowed as his eyes cast around the room with his thoughts.
“I’m sure although his address is blocked and all the patient files aren’t accessible on the internet, that I can find something that’ll lead you in his direction.” His eyes were now intent on the screen as his fingers flew over the keyboard, “I’ll start by researching the facility.” He added lowly, his statement punctuated by a click.
Merrick paced along the bar with his drink in his hand, his thoughts rapidly filling his mind. He thought about the doctor in Godfrey’s office. Maybe she was the personal connection to this woman. Her eyes never met his but he could see sorrow in them. Maybe she was the mother, maybe she made the woman stay there to receive treatments. It seemed to have a thread of sense to it. He took another sip, his eyes squinting at a thought. If the doctor was in fact her mother, the woman had to be in some deep psychosis for her own mother to detain her there. He knew the doctor loved the woman, he could tell. But why keep her locked away for nightmares? It was in fact a dream research facility. Surely, the woman wasn’t actually dangerous. The more he thought about it, the more it didn’t make sense. Why these two people were going haywire over a person who had night terrors was completely lost on him. One thing he knew for sure, something definitely wasn’t right about Godfrey. He seemed sadistic, hollow, and incapable of feeling. Again, the thought of whether he should return her if he found her crossed his mind.
“His full name is Lawrence Kal Godfrey, an only child to Alabaster and Judas Godfrey. He started the facility in the 70s mostly treating soldiers with severe shell shock and small children. The company grew successful as more and more people started to come in, wanting him to treat them for bizarre, terrifying dreams. He specialized in patients with lucid dreaming and sleep paralysis. One patient states, “he actually appeared in my head and took away the monsters. I never saw them again.” He treated his patients with a variety of sleep medications either pill form or injection. More severe cases of sleep paralysis he treated with brain stimulations, claiming he could get inside someone’s head and erase their demons. He became widely known amongst his patients as the “Midnight Man” because when he put them to sleep it was always at midnight. “I always see him, his shadow in a doorway, the clock reads midnight. He makes them leave me alone,” one patient states. In the early 80s he married the daughter of Louis and Gates LaStat, Constance Joan LaStat. Her family were owners of a saw mill, LaStat Mill outside of Bantom City. They Married and built a home about seven miles out. Says, 1013 highway east 9.” Stone finished and looked up at Merrick to see if he’d been listening.
“Great, got an address. That’s at least a stasart.” He said before Stone could speak.
“Did you even hear the rest of it?” Stone asked, his hands falling against the keys making them click.
“Of course, if I can I’m gonna speak to his wife.” He rushed around the bar and grabbed his bag of equipment Stone had sat on the couch, then headed for the door, “Gates, what a name.” he tossed a smirk back to Stone before he slipped swiftly out the door.
“Like you’ve got any room to talk Fox.” Stone shook his head before grabbing the empty tumbler and pouring himself a drink. Before he could even take a sip the door opened again, Merricks head peeking through.
“Oh, I also need you to find about a doctor that works with him. A woman, older, silver shoulder length hair and green eyes. She may have been working with him for about ten or fifteen years so be sure to search for a younger version if you come across any pictures.” He said erratically, almost too quickly for him to process, then smiled with a quick nod and left once again.
Stone could only sigh and rub his eyes. He was surprised that man could think straight long enough to complete any task. He supposed that’s why he was here, to help him track and hack files. Giving another tired sigh, Stone turned back to his laptop and downed the scotch before he began his search.

Omfg Suz. The first thing I want to say is how fucking much I love Merrick. He is my fucking favorite. Not that I don't love Gates, but she has so much emotional baggage attached to her. Merrick is just totally nonchalant and shit. He's hilarious. I remember the scene at the beginning with the scrambled porn, and of course that reminded me of Muldy. But when you went back to him and the fucking air conditioner and the fucking shower knob lol, I can see that this character is really becoming your own. I can see that he's inspired by Mulder, but I can see that he's isn't and that's refreshing. You know how much I worried about that with Ben and the others, I just want you to rest assured that in no way does this guy seem simply just Mulder to me. In fact, I actually have a different mental picture of him. His hair is black, and I'm still going to argue that Mulder's is blonde-brown. Anywho, your writing is so poetic but not in a bad way! I can tell you know exactly what words to use for every moment, and I'm super Jell. My Flav scene was definitely when they were in Stone's hotel room. I loved Merrick's inner dialogue, and his interaction with Rose is fluid. It has a natural cynisism that I always admire between characters who are obviously close/old friends. When Merrick poked his head back in I fucking loled. And he's totally badass for throwing that knob straight through that fucking window. Like, that was the perfect way to introduce Anderson Stone. He's just all, "Is this normal for you, to intimidate desk clerks?" Lol I know that's not exactly what he said, but that was amazing!! And another honorable mention was Gates throwing her lighter over her shoulder. But why? Doesn't matter. Was cool. Gates is too cool to explain. Also, fucking awesome section of dialogue telling us about Lawrence. Like wtf, Suz. Where did you come up with such a cool concept? The Midnight Man! I swear to god there were fucking stars in my eyes at that point. That's just too fucking cool. Imglad I got some more info on the facility. I can't believe how you're taking this horrible thing in your life and channeling it into something so amazing, telling such an obviously epic story. I feel like you have your concept nailed. You know exactly what the fuck your story is about. That's admirable suz. I don't feel completely in the dark about what this story will entail although I know very little at this moment. I know the broad concept, and that keeps people hooked. You're amazing suz. You're a great writer, and you should never be self conscious about it. Your voice came through this very clearly. I got some literature prose and some suz, the perfect story-telling blend. You're a reader, and it's not a bad thing. You have more beautiful words and ways to arrange them to get the moment or feel across.

We can totally text about it now. Love you suz. You're amazing.

Love
Your No 1
Suz

PS. I'm cool so I can leave PS's too. LaStat.....LaVerant. We're extremely cool.