by Kevin Paul Shaw Broden
(Copyright 2011 Kevin Paul Shaw Broden)
Chapter 14 – “A Ghost Escapes”
The Masked Ghost leapt from the building in an attempt to reach the other side of the alley, but in escaping the police he didn’t have time to gauge the distance properly.
Donald Raymond watched as certain death flew up at him in the form of the ground below. He closed his eyes and the face of his lovely wife appeared before him. He had let her down, unable to find out whom had killed her brother, but if he was to die this night there was no greater image to be his last than of Margaret who he loves so dearly.
Suddenly, Donald felt himself being yanked upward. He opened his eyes to find his fall had slowed. Looking about quickly, he was shocked to discover that the inner lining of the large trench coat of the Masked Ghost had billowed outwards catching the air and acting as a parachute.
It slowed his descent by a few seconds, but he knew hitting the ground would still be quite hard. Shifting his weight, the Masked Ghost adjusted his fall towards the opposite wall of the alleyway, and grabbed hold of a drainpipe, though only by his gloved fingertips, which allowed him to slide and control the final dozen feet of the fall.
Letting go, he tucked himself and rolled as he hit the ground. Surprisingly, he found himself leaping to his feet.
“My God, I’m alive.” Donald said, completely surprised. The lining of the coat hung loosely. The Masked Ghost had just saved Donald’s life. “Thank you, Adrian.”
He looked up with amazement at the six-story building he had just leapt from. It was so unbelievable. How could he possibly have survived such a fall, and yet he had. His amazement was cut short when the head of one of the police officers appeared over the roof edge.
“There he is,” the officer shouted.
“Shoot him,” came another.
Donald heard the bullet strike the brick wall behind him even before the gunshot. He wasn’t going to wait for the second.
The Masked Ghost took off running out of the alley and down the street. He was less then a block away when flashing lights of a patrol car sped around a corner heading for him. Spinning on his heals; he took off running the way he had come, and passed the apartment building just as the police from the roof came thundering out the front door.
He reached the end of the next block when another vehicle pulled up, blocking his path. “Get in!” Shouted Cabbie and the Masked Ghost leapt into the back of the cab as it took off again.
When the police reached the corner, they only saw the taillights of a car turning down another side road. When the police car arrived, the taxi was already gone.
“So how was your night, Boss?”
Donald was so out of it that he didn’t even realized the driver was addressing him as boss.
“I’m not…”
“You are the Masked Ghost.”
“The Masked Ghost nearly got me killed.”
“You weren’t killed.”
Donald looked at the silken folds of the coat’s lining. It was obvious to him now that it had been designed for the very purpose it had served him tonight. He wondered just how many harrowing escapes the Masked Ghost had been in to require the design of this coat. How many more would follow?
“The police are after me now.”
“The police have been hunting the Masked Ghost for a very long time.”
“How long until they finally catch him?” Donald said, removing the mask as they pulled in behind his penthouse apartment building. He looked up at the building with concern, “I know Margaret is up there worried about me. How many nights must she sit there terrified and then one night I don’t come home?”
He paused, thinking about that. Thinking about his wife and how much he loved her.
“No! I won’t do that to her. I’m not putting this damn mask on again.” Donald said climbing from the cab.
“Whatever you say. Good night, Boss.”
Pulling off the coat and hat, Donald watched the taxi pull away and then headed through the back door of the building. The same door which they had carried the dead body of Margaret’s brother only nights before, a dead body wearing the costume of The Masked Ghost.
Opening the door to the penthouse, Donald found himself tackled by his wife.
“You’re alive,” Margaret shouted with glee and with tears; throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him she pulled him inside.
“I am, if you don’t choke me to death,” he replied and hungrily kissed her back.
So terrified they wouldn’t see one another again they wrapped their arms around each other, feeling every part, to reassure them that the other was real. Fear fueled adrenalin and passion burned through their bodies. Clothing flew about as they made their way to the bedroom, where they would remain in each other’s arms all night long.
To Be Continued…
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