Those dark eyes glanced over the TV and Dal joined in the laughter. "I bet it was a happy ending." What he saw of it made him think it was going to end well for the fictional couple. Once that show was over, they went through to find another, then another after that. They watched TV from their respective sides of the couch until early in the morning. It wasn't as late as Dal would normally stay up, but he also didn't want to keep Gabriel awake. He was putting so much into the case, he deserved some good rest, too.
The next day, Dal's place was open again. Thankfully, when Gabriel took him to check, they'd thought ahead and wrapped up some of the pizza for Dal to take with him. Just in case. He was glad to know he'd had something to eat in the morning when he was done working. The next few days were pretty routine for Dal, save for a few text check-ins with Gabriel so the man would know he was doing alright.
The days stretched into a week, then a bit more. The threat of the killer still loomed over the street workers. He hadn't struck since Tommy was found, but that wasn't unusual. It's not like he picked someone off every night. And he had to be aware that the Feds were involved by now.
Everything was fine on Dal's block since then. But Dal still had to make a pit stop at the local shelter. Not for socks, those were still good, but to pick up more condoms. It's always good that they give them away for free. Maybe he could blame being tired from being up all night and then some due to a few last-minute calls.
It was almost 6am before Dal was stopped on his approach by one of the men he'd seen in the shelter so often. Not someone like him, but one of the volunteers. Someone who wasn't just there to spoon out soup and sign in people who wanted to talk to a pastor or see a doctor. He's pretty sure the guy was one of the people actually responsible for running the place. He called Dal by name, which surprised him, but then he was asking for help picking up some grocery donations.
They were already in his car before Dal felt that something was wrong. They definitely weren't headed in the direction of the church where the donations usually came from. His heart started to race, but he kept his panic under the surface, just barely. One thing Dal was good at was hiding his feelings when he needed to. This was definitely a needed to situation. He somehow managed to reach into his coat pocket without being detected to dial the first person in his list of contacts: one Agent Gabriel. Dal never put last names in his phone.
Obviously, he couldn't say anything. He did try to say something to the man he was with, asking where they were going and how far away it was just so Gabriel would know he was in a car with someone he felt unsafe with. Hoping maybe they could track his phone and find him in time.
It wasn't long before they were well out of the area Dal was familiar with. And then the man was assuring him everything would be fine. But he started sounding... unhinged. Talking about the filth on the street and how it needed to be cleansed. That was his mission. He was a tall man, broad and stronger than Dal, for sure, so there was no point in trying to fight when he pulled Dal from the car and led him into what looked like some nondescript house. Dal would later discover it was supposed to be used to house women trying to get out of bad family situations.
This was the guy. Dal knew it when he felt the iron grip on his arm leading him in through the attached garage. The rest got a little blurry. The guy was one about his mission, that he had to cleanse them before they could enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Hadn't Gabriel suspected someone street-smart folks who'd been vanishing would trust? Someone they wouldn't hesitate to wander off with alone? His heart was pounding as the man tugged his clothes off with no help from Dal. Was he fucking them before them??
No, no, he simply led Dal to the bathroom to get him washed while he prayed. He might not have wanted sex, but there wasn't an inch of Dal that went untouched, and somehow that felt like more of a violation than most of what he's ever experienced on the street. Dal was shaking when he done, standing on the tile floor and taking particular note of how cold it felt under his feet. That's why he was shivering, right? The sound of water filling the bath was almost as loud as the blood rushing in his ears. He didn't even hear the guy praying. He didn't even fight when he was guided into the bath. Nor did he beg when he was oh-so-gently guided back... Not until his head was under the water and that urgent will to live kicked in.
Then hs struggled. He grabbed at his assailant's arms as they tried to keep him under the water. He kicked and splashed, coming up for too-small sips of air, which he foolishly used to plead to be let go. Why, why, why? Suddenly he was gasping in water, trying cough beneath surface. ANd his vision started getting dark around the edges.
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The next day, Dal's place was open again. Thankfully, when Gabriel took him to check, they'd thought ahead and wrapped up some of the pizza for Dal to take with him. Just in case. He was glad to know he'd had something to eat in the morning when he was done working. The next few days were pretty routine for Dal, save for a few text check-ins with Gabriel so the man would know he was doing alright.
The days stretched into a week, then a bit more. The threat of the killer still loomed over the street workers. He hadn't struck since Tommy was found, but that wasn't unusual. It's not like he picked someone off every night. And he had to be aware that the Feds were involved by now.
Everything was fine on Dal's block since then. But Dal still had to make a pit stop at the local shelter. Not for socks, those were still good, but to pick up more condoms. It's always good that they give them away for free. Maybe he could blame being tired from being up all night and then some due to a few last-minute calls.
It was almost 6am before Dal was stopped on his approach by one of the men he'd seen in the shelter so often. Not someone like him, but one of the volunteers. Someone who wasn't just there to spoon out soup and sign in people who wanted to talk to a pastor or see a doctor. He's pretty sure the guy was one of the people actually responsible for running the place. He called Dal by name, which surprised him, but then he was asking for help picking up some grocery donations.
They were already in his car before Dal felt that something was wrong. They definitely weren't headed in the direction of the church where the donations usually came from. His heart started to race, but he kept his panic under the surface, just barely. One thing Dal was good at was hiding his feelings when he needed to. This was definitely a needed to situation. He somehow managed to reach into his coat pocket without being detected to dial the first person in his list of contacts: one Agent Gabriel. Dal never put last names in his phone.
Obviously, he couldn't say anything. He did try to say something to the man he was with, asking where they were going and how far away it was just so Gabriel would know he was in a car with someone he felt unsafe with. Hoping maybe they could track his phone and find him in time.
It wasn't long before they were well out of the area Dal was familiar with. And then the man was assuring him everything would be fine. But he started sounding... unhinged. Talking about the filth on the street and how it needed to be cleansed. That was his mission. He was a tall man, broad and stronger than Dal, for sure, so there was no point in trying to fight when he pulled Dal from the car and led him into what looked like some nondescript house. Dal would later discover it was supposed to be used to house women trying to get out of bad family situations.
This was the guy. Dal knew it when he felt the iron grip on his arm leading him in through the attached garage. The rest got a little blurry. The guy was one about his mission, that he had to cleanse them before they could enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Hadn't Gabriel suspected someone street-smart folks who'd been vanishing would trust? Someone they wouldn't hesitate to wander off with alone? His heart was pounding as the man tugged his clothes off with no help from Dal. Was he fucking them before them??
No, no, he simply led Dal to the bathroom to get him washed while he prayed. He might not have wanted sex, but there wasn't an inch of Dal that went untouched, and somehow that felt like more of a violation than most of what he's ever experienced on the street. Dal was shaking when he done, standing on the tile floor and taking particular note of how cold it felt under his feet. That's why he was shivering, right? The sound of water filling the bath was almost as loud as the blood rushing in his ears. He didn't even hear the guy praying. He didn't even fight when he was guided into the bath. Nor did he beg when he was oh-so-gently guided back... Not until his head was under the water and that urgent will to live kicked in.
Then hs struggled. He grabbed at his assailant's arms as they tried to keep him under the water. He kicked and splashed, coming up for too-small sips of air, which he foolishly used to plead to be let go. Why, why, why? Suddenly he was gasping in water, trying cough beneath surface. ANd his vision started getting dark around the edges.