Searching for Sheila Ch. 03

Tobe noticed that the light in Lenny's office was still on and so was the no-vacancy sign, although there were only a few cars in the lot. He yawned, rolled up the window and locked the truck. That tune Johnny Cash was singing back at the lounge popped into his head and he started whistling as he stepped up to the walkway. They came at him out of the darkness - heavy, hard-breathing phantoms. Something which felt like a pile-driver struck him over his kidneys. His knees buckled, but he managed to stay on his feet. He got off a chopping punch into a fleshy neck and heard an explosion of breath. He turned away from a fist and took it under his ear, then counter-punched the chin of a phantom who grunted in pain. A fat arm came around his neck, but it was removed when he managed a kick to the groin of the phantom behind him. He heard the phantom hit the pavement and he cocked his fist to get at another. But both arms were quickly pinned behind his back by a hundred grasping fingers.

A phantom faced him and said "Fuck you, Lanscott! "and applied his fist forcefully to Tobe's stomach and kept doing it. Tobe knew this phantom - Calvin Hoagly, called Hogg, the muscle-man who had fucked Sheila, who had corrupted Angel into prostitution. A spike of rage flashed through Tobe and he brought his knee up into Hogg's groin. But then all the pain that was ever created erupted in his head. He felt himself topple over a ledge, hearing voices all the way down. He couldn't understand what they were saying, but it didn't matter, because the voices went away. Then everything went away.

The search for Sheila continues in chapter 4 in which patient readers who want to stay on the search will finally meet Sheila herself. Promise.

beware