"You know..." Jerry turned suddenly, glaring at Nick's bizarre posture, but continuing anyway, oblivious to his near brush with his own demise. "Maybe we could actually leave the painting here."

Nick had segued his position of attack into an ordinary tired stretch, adding a yawn for authenticity.

"Stay with me here, bud, no nappy nap time, we've got work to do"

Bide your time Nick thought to himself Bide your time,as the noxious yellow eyes of "the Darkness" peered down on the scene playing out before him. 

"Yes, Yes, I'll pull a few strings," Jerry blabbed on, "I'll buy the property, painting and all."

Nick realized the price of a run down crack house was pocket change for Jerry.  An inspector would think the masterpiece was just some addict's grafitti and wouldn't give it a second look. It would be an easy transaction for Jerry, a few handshakes, phone calls, small donation to the city and he would own his very own block of hell on earth.

"I'll make it look legit, buy up a row of these shanties, say it's a community developement project, yes!, get a tax write-off on top of it," His expression had the diabolical look of one of those cartoon characters who is always trying to take over the world.

"Then Bam! " he continued his maniacal monologue "I discover the artistic treasure of the post modern era! The news will pick it up- big publicity Nick- big publicity!"

Nick was seething. I discover, I? Bide your time. He must think logically here and although reluctant to admit it, at least for right now, he needed Jerry. The two had a dysfunctional sort of symbiotic relationship, like those miniature fish who help the whales by eating the algae off of their bellies on the Discovery channel. They got in eachother's way, but they needed each other to survive. Nick was the little fish.

"Well, you coming or not? Let's get out of this hell hole" Nick didn't know how long Jerry had been talking.

They stepped gingerly over the refuse, on the alert for the vermin that claimed this shelter as their own and the waste of their human counterparts unfazed to live among them. 

They didn't know that behind the piercing eyes of "the darkness", other more human eyes were watching them too.

Bide your time the voice said, watching the mens' exodus through an undiscernable opening in the ceiling above. Bide your time.