The Gateway

Issue 1 (-- represents thought) (title chc. is Mason Gates)

Scene setup-
Tuesday, Stakeout, Mason Gates, inside car, older car, smoking a cigar, facing a rundown apartment building which is across the street from the alley he is parked in, dumpsters, trash scattered in streets, sign on apartment building says “Gateway Heights apartments” 10 P.M., winter

-Paper says this is the cleanest Gateway has been since the depression, heh, guess I’m one lucky SOB. There’s alotta things you can call this town, but clean sure as hell isn’t one of them. Crime rate has hit its lowest mark in the last two years; part of that is commissioner Snyder, part of that is the Cape. Rumor is he left town for a while, hard to say, on a nightly basis people don’t ever really see him unless there’s a bunch of loonies in costumes running around. In fact, I’ve been in this city for almost a year, and I’ve never seen a cape in person, any cape, not once. It’s kind of like a religious faith of some sorts, you may not see them, but you just gotta hope their there, watching over you. I believe, yea I believe alright. How can you live here and not believe; only a legend or a higher power of some kind could keep this city alive. Earthquakes, crime wars, insane, suicidal, sadistic criminals, yet this city still stands, I mean, you gotta believe in something.-

scene setup-
Sits up as door opens to the street from apartment, two women walk out talking, MG picks up and looks at a pic of a woman, then back at the girls, he sighs

“Not her, come on I know your in there whore, show yourself to the camera one time so I can collect.”

scene setup-
Sets pic down, puts cigar out, clock says 1:19, sets back in seat

-Fidelity is a thing of the past, now a days people will cheat just for the hell of it. Human nature I guess, from what I’ve seen, adultery is the most deadly of all sins. Nothing will alter ones state of mind like a broken heart, or as in most of my cases, a broken wallet.-

scene setup-
Glances at clock, 1:41am, Wednesday morning, starts car

-Time to call it, she’s staying tonight, this is gonna get ugly, pics of her going in wont cut it, gotta get the money shot, gotta get her with him.-

scene setup-
Wednesday afternoon, at the office of George Kane

GK- “then what the hell am I payin ya for?” “I need hard evidence, otherwise she’ll deny it forever, she’ll get away with it, and she won’t stop.” MG- “then I need your permission to get closer, I understand that you don’t want anyone to know you hired me, but….” GK interrupts, “that’s cause your slim, making a living off of taking pictures of cheating wives, invading peoples privacy, your worse than the government!” MG-sighs, “you want evidence or not?” GK- shakes head, looks out window, “yes, do what you have to do.” MG-while walking out, “and your bill just doubled.” GK-“YOU SONVA!” door slamming cuts him off.

scene setup-
Wednesday night, 10:00 pm, same scene as before, but snowing.

-I’ve learned over time that these broads move like clockwork, same time, same areas, stupid sure, but NO ONE thinks they will get caught, everyone is just to slick for that. And the pricks they sleep around on, their all the same, money first, broads second. Sometimes I wonder if I’m doing a favor for the lesser of two evils or not.-

scene setup-
Takes an aspirin, a fire alarm goes off in the building next to him

“What the…?” “Man that’s loud; I take it that’s my queue.”

scene setup-
Gets out of car walks across street to apartment building, goes up to intercom and presses buzzer for apt. 48.

Man- “yea?” MG- “Carlito’s pizza.” Man- “We didn’t order a pizza.” MG-“is this apt. 46?” man-“no, this is 48.” MG- “oh sorry about that, the eight kinda looks like a six on the board here, sorry to trouble ya.” Man-“it’s ok, I’ll buzz ya in.” -buzzer.

scene setup-
Opens door walks inside

-People are willing to believe anything if you say it in a nice enough manner, human nature again, and sadly, I make a living off of peoples naïveté.-

scene setup-
Apartment lobby

-Once I’m in the lobby I just wait, have a smoke, look inconspicuous. Then she walks in, later than usual tonight, must’ve really had to lie her pretty little tail off to make it here this evening. She doesn’t even acknowledge me, she doesn’t have the slightest idea that I’m about to take her down. Trailing the broads is always fun, the fellas don’t cover their tracks well enough, but the broads, they plan it all out. Step by step.-

scene setup-
Starts to walk after her, keeping a distance

-Take the stairs woman, take the stairs.-

scene setup-
She hits the elevator call button

-Augh! Didn’t want to have to go face to face yet, gotta play this right.-



MG-“uh, hold the elevator please!” “thanks” “alright, I’m going to 3 too.” TK(tracy kane)-“interesting.” MG-“you live here?” TK-“yea, you?” MG-“no, no just visiting someone.”

scene setup-
Elevator opens

MG-“have a good one ma’am.”

-Pathetic, your man’s got money, and your getting yours, so you think you can just shut out the world. You got another thing coming. I watch her walk down the dark hallway, wait till she enters her room, then I proceed. 319, time for the show.-

scene setup-
Knocks on door

Man-“who is it?” MG-“landlord” man-“yea whatdya need?” MG-“think I might be charging you too much for your electric, did the same thing to your neighbor, need to check the thermostat, only take a second.” Man- “ok.”

-Money talks, and some people are way too gullible.-

scene setup-
Door opens

Man-“your not the landlord.”

-She’s sitting on the bed, clear shot, one chance.-

MG-“nope, but ur gonna help pay my rent.”

-I take the shot, I know I gott’em both in it, checkmate.-

Man-“what the hell man?” “you got a death wish?”

-No, because I’m already walking, the shock of what just happened will keep him standing there for a few seconds, he’s gotta weigh his options first, just gotta hope the elevator is still on the 3rd floor…jackpot.-

Man-“wait just a second! You think you can just snap pictures of me and my girl and then run away!”

-Doors closes before he even gets close, he thinks I’ll be going to the lobby to exit, so he’ll take the stairs down, of course I get off on 2, bide my time until it all calms down. As I move down the hall, I notice a door halfway open, room 203. It’s dark, real dark, which makes me curious, and I got time to kill. I tuck my hands into my sleeves; if this was a B&E I’m not taking the fall cause of prints. I gently push the door open.-

MG-“hello?!?” “anyone here?!?”

-Empty, I hit the lights. The sight before my eyes is so grotesque; I can hardly bare it, two women, both nude, one on the floor, the other on the bed. Both of their throats slit ear to ear. Nothing is out of place in the room, no struggle; I see no weapon in plain site. I’m standing in a crime scene, this isn’t my line of work, but I put it in anyway, I snap 6 shots before I hear the elevator running. Gotta get away from the room, can’t be seen here. I leave the door open so the next person who walks by will find the two slaughtered birds, then they can call the GCPD. I won’t be able to explain why I was here, so I won’t. As I make my way out I almost forget why I was there in the first place, but then I remember. I look at the name on the intercom, 319, Craybill. Wild night, got the money shot, got the name, along with something else, something I didn’t plan on……… intrigue.-