Yin-Yang 02: The Return of Jack Daniels

*****

JACK

"Do you mind me sitting here, Mr. Samuels?"

"I'm sorry. You've mistaken me for someone else. Please go away."

Rawlings pulled out his badge. "I think I'll stay."

"Am I supposed to be impressed?"

"I don't care if you are impressed or not. I just wanted you to know I know who you are, or more importantly, what you've done."

"And what is it you say I have done?"

"Committed the Yin-Yang murders."

"Isn't that the serial killer that disappeared years ago?"

"Yes, but he's made a return as you well know."

"And you think that I am he?"

"Let's just say I think that if I tell you something, he will know what I said right away."

"By all means, if I happen to see him, what message should I give him?"

"I want you to tell him I have an offer. He can either watch you be arrested, or he can perform a community service after which he should leave town."

"Explain, please."

"You see, I had a daughter. Beautiful, talented girl. Took after her mother. The trouble was that she was also rebellious and stubborn. Since her dad was a cop, she tended to be attracted to bad boys. Bad boys got her into drugs and indiscriminate sex. Drug addiction programs were not successful. She wound up just another overdosing slut. Her drug dealer/pimp/boyfriend, Derrick, got off after he was tried for her murder. Her body was found at one of his crack houses. In my opinion, he should have gotten the death penalty."

"I think I see where this is going."

"This piece of paper tells you enough to get you started about how to find him. I expect to find clues that might link who killed him with the Yin-Yang Killer. Understood?"

"Understood."

"After that, he would need to disappear again. If I ever catch him again, he's going to prison, maybe the gas chamber." Rawlings got up and left.

Jack breathed a sigh of relief. He had gotten lucky again and he knew it.

Jack prepared for his task. If Derrick was a pimp, that meant he had a stable of whores, probably meth or crack whores. Detective Rawlings gave him the territory where his prostitutes operated. That helped make Jack aware of one other thing that he wanted to do before he left the area: get laid. The one night with Marla had re-awoken his long suppressed sexual desires. Then there were several nights he had masturbated to the thoughts of the girl in Room 104. He imagined her rewarding him for disposing of her abusive boyfriend right before he killed her.

Jack figured he could deal with both his needs at one time. Get the information on Derrick from one of his whores after he had sex with her. Of course, that meant she would have to die also. No loose ends.

Even though it was horrible weather, Jack went to the area of town he knew Derrick's prostitutes made themselves available. He thought he needed to find the worst of his whores as she would be the most likely to inform on Derrick's whereabouts and be better dead to society than alive.

He toured around the area and saw several prospects. As the night went on, the number of choices diminished until there were no girls. Jack was driving to his condo and saw one woman still working the streets a couple of blocks away. She appeared to be out of Derrick's territory, but Jack really wanted to get laid. There was a chance she might be one of Derrick's girls.

At this hour only the skankiest women were left. The rainy evening helped make this one look like the poster child for one of those 'Chuckie's Bride' movies. She was dressed up like a little girl, but the heavy makeup and lipstick reminded him more of killer clown than a little girl. She was skinny, with scraggily hair, and acted nervous like she needed a fix. Jack figured no one would miss this poor member of the world's despicables. It was hard for him to determine her age. The woman was now crying. He approached her quietly.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but you look like you need some help."

"Fuck you. I don't need any help."

"You're crying. You don't have enough clothes on for the weather. You look like you haven't had a meal for a while. Are you sure I can't help you?"

"Yeah, and all I have to do is suck your dick."

"I never said anything about wanting anything from you."

"You mean I'm so bad looking you wouldn't take the chance of sticking your dick in me."

"Why do you think I'm after having sex with you?"

"In case you haven't noticed, you're a man and I'm a whore. You must be hard up to approach a slut like me. You're just probably too cheap to pay for a good-looking whore. Go away, I'm not working anymore tonight."

"I am a man, but I'm also offering a warm place, a meal, and an ear. I admit I would also be willing to trade money for sex. If that's not a good enough deal for you, I'll be on my way."

"Hold on. If I come with you, you've got to pay for me the rest of the night. I don't want to come back out in this shit again."

He chuckled. "Come on." She followed behind him and got into his car. The warmth in the vehicle made an immediate favorable impression on the young woman. "Unless you want a blowjob while you're driving, I'd like to take a little nap, okay?" She was soon snoring.

They entered his apartment. She asked for and was paid $250. "So, Brandy, how much of this does Derrick get and how much do you keep?"

"Derrick? He's not my pimp. I'd rather die first. He gets all his girls strung out on H or meth and throws them away when they're all used up. I steer clear of his territory."

Jack sighed. Brandy was only going to meet one of his needs. He hoped that she would enjoy her last bout of sex of her life. Jack asked her if she wanted a drink. She asked for any kind of liquor. He made her an Irish coffee to provide alcohol and warmth. After she had some time to warm up, she told him she liked to be called Brandy. He introduced himself as Jack and asked for her story. She gave a story. It just wasn't true. Well, part of it was the true story of her sister.

"My mom was a junkie and a whore. My step-father physically and sexually abused me. At age 13 I started running away. I was finally successful at age 16. I was finally free of unwanted sex and drugs. Hah! Guess how a sixteen-year-old makes a living for herself. I went into prostituting. A pimp forced me into his stable and kept me on drugs to keep me from running. One time I was arrested, I was offered a trip to rehab and help relocating away from my pimp. I took the offer.

"So, I became an 18 year-old female with a drug record and no high school degree. The only job I could get was waitressing. It was not enough to support me. I started 'dating' some of the customers who hit on me. I charged them for my dates. My boss caught on and fired me. I went back on the street selling myself without a pimp. It dangerous, but I have been able to avoid trouble so far. That brings me up to tonight. I am now 23 years-old and a whore with nothing to live for. I'm yours for tonight at a bargain price. I'll do anything except bondage or S&M."

"Give me your clothes."

"So much for foreplay. I guess I was right about you after all." She started removing her clothes. Upon taking all her clothes off, Jack went over to her. She was skinny but not completely emaciated. Her skin was smooth and there were no tattoos, scars, old needle tracks, or cigarette burn marks. That didn't make sense with the story she had given. Although this was a red flag, he could see her body had the potential to please men. Instead of touching her, he stooped down and picked up the pile of clothes. Then he walked away. "Hey, where are you going with my clothes?"

"I would prefer to be taking them to an incinerator, but my washer and dryer will have to do. I'll get you one of my tee shirts for you to wear."

"You don't want to fuck? Are you one of those Jesus freaks who's going to save my soul?"

"Oh, I would still like to fuck, but not you as you are now. In fact, I don't want to even touch you until you bathe. Hit the showers while I get you a towel and the shirt."

Brandy was standing in the shower enjoying the hot water and the scented body wash and shampoo. She saw Jack come in with the towel and shirt. She started to move to some unheard music. As she moved, she began to sensually touch the private parts of her body for Jack to see. His bulge began to become apparent at the peep show. She grinned. "I think you'd like to fuck me now."

When she dried off, she went to Jack. He was waiting for her, nude with his penis at half-staff. They went into the bedroom. Brandy shed her towel and got eye level with Jack's crotch. She was surprised Jack's appendage was no longer showing any sign of interest in her. "It looks promising but needs some encouragement." She took him in her mouth and created a suction designed more for speed than enjoyment.

Jack had two problems: her techniques challenged the old adage that 'there is no such thing as a bad blowjob.' He expected better out of a professional. The sight of her body was creating feelings of pity instead of lust. Her mouth action, however, eventually worked and a load of his cum was swallowed. She lay down beside him and snuggled next to him. Brandy had decided to enjoy the warmth first before reducing the John population by one.

Brandy spoke, "Whew, that took a lot longer than normal. You must have masturbated just before you picked me up. My jaw is sore. If it's okay with you, I'd like to rest before we do more." After a few minutes rest and restoration, Brandy climbed on the bed while Jack put a condom on. Their first sex was a plain, quick fuck. Their second round was also a fuck, but a slower one. They snuggled on the bed until sleep came.

Once Jack was sure Brandy was asleep, he reached under the bed for his machete. He had trouble finding it and had to almost get out of bed to reach it. It was a good thing for him. Brandy had woken up as quietly as she could not to disturb Jack. She reached into one of her boots and pulled out a switchblade. She felt for his body, but he wasn't in the same position. It was too dark for her to see, so she turned on the overhead lamp with her left hand while preparing to strike with her right.

When the light went on, Jack had his machete ready and Brandy had her knife ready. They were both startled. Brandy's blade was much smaller and caused her to surrender.

She dropped the switchblade and sighed. "Okay, you got me. What will it be? Kill me? Call the police? Or just let me go? You know, I gave you a good fucking. You should at least consider letting me go. I'll give you another blowjob as a going away present. What do you say?"

"My current preference is to go ahead and kill you, but I think the story you told me before was crap. How about the real story?" He kept his weapon at ready.

Brandy told him about her sister and the frustration of getting no help from the system. She took the law into her own hands and killed her first John. In making sure he was dead, she saw he had a wallet full of money. She thought she could get revenge and make money. She prostituted again, but with a difference. Brandy wanted to go after the men who liked sex with little girls. Brandy made herself look as young as possible. After she had killed the first pedophile John and took his money, she felt no guilt. She said she envied the Yin-Yang Killer's publicity and wanted the Dear John Killer to have equal time.

Jack was intrigued with her new story. "That seems more believable. Maybe we could help each other. I asked you about Derrick before. I have a proposition for you. If you help me kill Derrick, I'll give you $5000 and I won't kill you."

"You're going to try and kill Derrick? You're crazy. Unless you got a small army somewhere, you don't have a chance. I hear he holds up in a bunker house and never goes out without protection and I don't mean a condom."

"Will $1000 do for you to stay long enough to see if I can come up with a plan?"

"As long as you don't stop me from killing another John or two."

"I'd prefer you waited or go to another territory until I'm ready."

"Okay. What can I do to help?"

"Tell me all you know about Derrick and how he operates."

Brandy could not provide much information, but she knew several of Derrick's girls. Jack asked if she thought any of the girls that she had met that might be willing to help. She mentioned Jasmine. Derrick had tortured her recently when she shorted him some money from a trick. She was desperate to get away from him. Brandy pointed her out to Jack during a ride around the block. A plan began to form.

Jack picked up Jasmine one night and agreed to pay for the rest of the night. Jasmine reported to Derrick she had a high roller who was paying for the night. She promised a big payday for Derrick.

Jack took her to the Baldwin House, one of the nicest hotels near Derrick's territory. One inside, Jasmine saw Brandy there. "So, we're doing a threesome. That will cost you extra."

"How much money would you need to run away from Derrick and get started over in a new place?"

"Don't talk about shit like that. Derrick would torture me slowly before he killed me."

"How much would it take?"

"$10,000." She looked like she expected Jack to be shocked at the amount.

"I think that's low. I'll give you $20,000 if you help us get rid of Derrick."

Jasmine frowned while she thought. The hope of getting away from Derrick with money in tow battled the fear she had of what Derrick would do to her if they failed. "How you going to get past his beef?"

"I have a plan." Jasmine looked at Brandy who was nodding in agreement.

Brandy, however, was pissed at his offering Jasmine $20,000 and her only $5000. She would take that up with him later.

*****

"Derrick, baby. I need help."

"What's the matter this time, bitch?"

"The John died! I don't know what to do."

"How stupid are you? Just walk out the door. Be sure to wipe the place clean of your fingerprints. Oh yeah, take all his money and jewelry."

"I can't. He handcuffed me to the bed. I only have one hand free and I can't reach his body to get the key. I need someone to come get the key and unlock me."

"Okay. I send a couple of boys over. Where are you?"

"The Baldwin House. Room 1224. You got to be real careful. The staff here gave me the evil eye when I walked in. I don't think they get many of our color in here. Can you come for me, baby? I'm scared, and I need you."

"Shit. I know that place would call the po-po two seconds after any one of my home boys set foot in the lobby. Damn, I guess I'll have to put on my business suit and do this myself. Get yourself under control and I'll be there in less than an hour."

Forty-five minutes later, Derrick left two of his men outside one entrance. He went straight to the elevator avoiding eye contact with the front desk. At the room, he knocked on the door. Jasmine cried out, "Derrick?"

"Yeah. Call down to Room Service. Order something for them to bring up to your room."

Thirty minutes later a waiter brought up a tray. Derrick greeted him with a big smile. Derrick said that he had locked himself out of the room after he had gone down to the vending area and gotten a soft drink. He handed the waiter a $100 bill to let Derrick in with the food. No problem.

Derrick walked into the room with his gun out. He surveyed the room. He saw the body of a man lying on the floor on his side with his right arm under the bed. Jasmine was sitting nude on the other side of the bed with her right hand handcuffed to the headboard post.

"Thank goodness, you came for me baby. I thought sure the police would come and arrest me. I ain't never been this close to a dead white man before. His wallet and the key to the handcuffs are in his coat. I think he has a lot of cash. Please get these cuffs off me."

"Yeah, yeah. Since I had to make this trip myself, I'm not giving any of what I find to you." He placed his gun back in its holster as he bent down to turn over the body. As he did, Jack rolled and brought out the machete in his right arm. Unfortunately, Jack hit the bottom of the bed when swinging the machete. Immediately, he was in a struggle with Derrick which Jack quickly figured out was not going to end well. Just as Derrick was about to end the fight with a smash to Jack's head, a skinny female came quickly out from the bathroom behind Derrick and reached around to slit his throat. It was like a geyser of blood coming from his throat.

Jasmine was unlocked and given a cashier's check for $20,000 and told to leave town immediately and not stop until she figured she was safe. She wasted no time in doing so.

Jack looked at Brandy and thanked her. He began to draw the Yin-Yang symbol on the wall and placed the bottle of Jack Daniels that Brandy had carried for him in her bag. Brandy spoke. "You're the Yin-Yang Killer? I'll be damned. Hey, wait a fucking minute. The credit should go to the Dear John Killer. I'm the one who slit his throat!"

"Sorry, this was a special order and requires my signature. You can have the next one."

"This partnership sucks. You give that bitch $20,000 and me just $5000 then I save your ass by killing the prick. Now you want all the credit. Tell me how that's fair?"

"I never said I was fair. You will get the payment you deserve. Don't worry about that."

*****

DETECTIVE RAWLINGS

I knew I would be assigned the case even with my history with Derrick. No one else knew as much about the Yin-Yang Killer. There were several differences in the crime scene though. One bed post looked like it had a handcuff or chain wrapped around it, but that could have been fresh or sometime in the recent past. If it was fresh, it meant someone, probably a woman, had been here. The busboy confirmed his suspicion. He said the woman was African-American just like the man he let in the room. He had not seen anyone else. There were a few blonde hairs found in the bathroom. There were analyzed to be from a white female. He speculated that Jack and two women had made it out alive. And the Jack Daniels bottle was just the regular label -- not the Legacy Edition. The most glaring difference was that Derrick's throat was cut and his body mutilated after. That MO was in some ways more like the new serial killer, the Dear John Killer. It was almost like the two serial killers had teamed up. Rawlings planned on using confusion of the evidence to make sure the clues led nowhere. He cared more about Derrick being dead than to catching the killer or killers.

*****

JACK AND BRANDY

"Jack, where do we go from here? I think it makes sense for us to be partners." Her recent complaint about fairness seemed to have disappeared.

"I thought you were upset about the money and the credit from Derrick's killing?"

"Well, I was but then I got to thinking, we could really make the Yin-Yang thing something special. We have lots of time to kill more creeps."

"What does the Yin-Yang symbol have for us being partners, and that's assuming I would even take a partner?"

"Did you know that the two parts of the Yin-Yang symbol stands for male and female?"

"So?"

"Don't you see? You are the male part and I could be the female part. Together we could be the Yin-Yang Killers."

"I don't know. I kind of like being on my own. I'll have think about it."

"While you're thinking, you know that the object of the Yin and Yang is to fit together? We fit together pretty good the other night. How about we try fitting together again?"

"Now, that sounds like an idea we can agree on."

Brandy took her shower first. Brandy didn't offer for Jack to join her. He got some juice to take his night pill with and wandered into the living room to see that the two weapons were still on the coffee table. He and Brandy had agreed to keep their weapons in the living room as a precaution against one of them deciding to end their arrangement. His machete was in its usual place. There was a switchblade there too, but something looked different about it. He picked it up and inspected it. The knife was scratched up but not from use. The scratching was like from a scouring pad. It was newer than the blade he had seen Brandy use. Leaving his machete in its place he hurried to his closet and pulled out a smaller machete he was intending to try sometime in the future. Quickly, he put the new machete under his pillow. He heard her coming. He was just in time as Brandy came in the bedroom after her shower. "Your turn."