Chapter 24:  Familiar Faces

Avery rubbed his temples, fighting off the mother of all headaches. How many lives was he juggling now? Convenience store clerk, Night Gallery Cleaner, Third Street gang boss... Oh, and can't forget Enigma, the twisted online personality he had to maintain.

Speaking of which, he needed to upload a new video soon. His mind drifted to the bones and teeth from that Cleaner he'd killed. With the right touch, he could turn them into "art." 

Who'd be able to tell if they were fresh or not?

Then, the memory of Siren Song's creepy smile flashed through his mind. A serial killer playing hero, "saving" families by murdering sex workers. What kind of messed-up backstory created a monster like that?

"Ave! Gimme a hand over here!" His manager's voice snapped him back to reality.

"Coming, Mr. Takeda!" Avery called back, grateful for the distraction.

This – the fluorescent lights, the hum of the refrigerators, the occasional customer – this was the life he craved. Mundane? Maybe. But it beat the hell out of the blood-soaked world he was trying to escape.

Avery made his way to the manager's office, where Mr. Takeda was drowning in a sea of resumes. Ever since that robbery attempt, the old man had been dead-set on hiring a bodyguard. 

Problem was, Takeda could barely work the coffeemaker, let alone sort through online applications.

"What do you need, boss?" Avery asked.

As he helped Takeda wade through potential candidates, Avery felt a pang of longing. How nice would it be if this was his only worry? But he knew better. The shadows were always waiting, ready to drag him back into the darkness.

A few days back, Takeda had roped Mina into posting a job ad online. Now they were drowning in applications. Avery had briefly considered getting one of his Third Street guys to apply, but quickly nixed that idea. He needed his crew for... other business.

"This one looks good!" Takeda's eyes lit up as he waved a resume with a glossy headshot attached.

Avery peered over, fighting an eye roll. Zero relevant experience, no training... just a pretty face. He shot Takeda a look.

"What?" Takeda huffed defensively.

"Boss, we're looking for skills, not... um, face value."

"What's wrong with being beautiful?" Takeda protested. "Kids these days treat it like a crime! Think of all the customers we'd get! Mina's pretty, but, you know..." He glanced around nervously, as if Mina might materialize to smack him. "He has some problems here" pointing at his head.

Avery sighed. "There's no decent candidates here, Manager."

"No way! We got tons! Look, this guy's ex-military!"

Avery pulled up the applicant's social media. "Claims to be. But there's zero proof, and he's not even using his real name online."

"Okay, okay. How about this one? He's got a legit training certificate!"

"True, but he got fired from his last gig for 'ethical reasons.'" Avery air-quoted.

Takeda slumped in his chair. "Why's it so hard to find a halfway decent security guard these days?"

Avery bit back a laugh. If only Takeda knew how many actual killers were lurking in this town. Finding a run-of-the-mill rent-a-cop should be a cakewalk in comparison.

"Don't worry, boss," Avery reassured him. "We'll find someone solid. Maybe we should check with local security firms instead of randoms online?"

The convenience store door chimed, and Avery's blood ran cold. In walked Siren Song, all boyish charm and innocent smiles. This couldn't be happening.

"Heard you're hiring!" Siren Song – or 'Edward Stow' as he was calling himself – bounced up to the office. "I got my resume right here!"

Avery stood frozen, his mind a jumbled mess. His safe haven, his slice of normal life, was about to go up in flames.

"Let's see..." Takeda mumbled, scanning the paper. "Advanced security training, customer service experience... Oh! You can butcher meat too?"

'Edward' beamed. "Sure can! Always happy to lend a hand with fresh meat."

Avery fought back a shudder at the double meaning.

"What do you think, Ave?" Takeda turned, expectant.

"Huh? Oh, uh..." Avery scrambled for words. "Maybe we shouldn't—"

"Why not?" 'Edward' pouted, looking like a kid denied ice cream. "Did I do something wrong?"

Takeda frowned at Avery. "Yeah, what gives? His credentials check out. Seems like a great fit!"

Avery's mind raced. How could he explain that this cheerful applicant was actually a deranged killer without blowing his own cover?

"I... uh..."

"You know what? I'm sold!" Takeda clapped 'Edward' on the shoulder. "Welcome aboard, son!"

"Really? Thanks, Manager!" 'Edward' grinned, shooting Avery a look that sent chills down his spine.

As Takeda led 'Edward' off for paperwork, Avery gripped the counter to steady himself. His normal life was slipping away, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

The game had just changed, big time. And Avery had a sinking feeling he was about to lose.

…

Days crawled by, weirdly normal despite their new security guard being a serial killer with a twisted obsession. Avery's skin crawled every time he saw "Edward" bouncing around the store, chatting up customers with puppy-like enthusiasm.

Finally, Avery caught a moment alone with Siren Song.

"What's your game?" Avery growled, trying to keep his cool.

Edward's eyes went wide, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Game? Are we playing something?"

"This whole security guard act. Why?"

"Oh, that!" Edward beamed, practically vibrating with excitement. "I saw you doing it and it looked super fun! Like playing dress-up, but for grown-ups!"

Avery's jaw clenched. "There are plenty of normal jobs out there."

"But..." Edward pouted, lower lip quivering. "That night, when you caught those needles? It was so cool! Like a superhero! I thought maybe if I hung around you, you could perhaps stop me while I'm on the job!"

"What?" Avery's head spun.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone your secret identity," Edward whispered loudly, eyes darting around dramatically. "Pinky promise! I just wanna see what it's like to be a normal once. It's kinda fun!"

Avery knew better. Edward was riding the high of a recent kill. The bloodlust would return soon enough.

"You're a criminal," Avery spat. "This isn't some game."

Edward's face fell, like a scolded child. "But... but you do it too. Aren't we like... secret agent buddies or something?"

Avery's fists clenched. He wanted nothing more than to shake some sense into Edward. But he was trapped. One wrong move, and his carefully built house of cards would come crashing down.

…

Sheriff Davis drummed her fingers on the table, fighting the urge to bang her head against it. Across from her sat Rico, the Pizza Planet delivery guy, looking as confused as she felt.

"So, you're absolutely sure this wasn't the person who took the pizza that night?" Davis asked for what felt like the millionth time.

Rico nodded emphatically. "No way, Sheriff. That dude was... different."

Davis glanced at the "sketch artist" they'd scraped together – some guy who claimed to be a cartographer. The result looked like Tim Burton had a nightmare after eating bad sushi.

"You call that a professional sketch?" Davis snapped.

The cartographer shot her a look that could curdle milk. "You get what you pay for, Sheriff. Maybe if the department sprung for actual equipment..."

Davis bit back a groan. Welcome to small-town policing, where your crime lab was held together with duct tape and prayers.

She turned back to Rico, desperation creeping into her voice. "There's got to be something you remember. Anything?"

Rico's brow furrowed as he concentrated. Davis and Jenkins had been too hangry that night to notice details. Now, their jobs (and maybe their lives) depended on this pizza guy's memory.

Suddenly, Rico's eyes lit up. "Wait a sec... I think I've seen that guy before!"

Davis leaned forward, heart pounding. "Where?"