The Take Back

chapter 1

I don't understand how a person can believe that a cheap dollar-store-bought lock can keep anyone out. It's as simple as one chop with a bolt cutter and-BOOM, it's useless.

The lock broke open with a low thunk. There were quieter ways to open them, but I honestly just felt like being simple these days. Besides the bolt cutter was fun!

As I swung the gate open I looked around, searching for the all the potential hiding places. Behind me was the long dirt road. On one side was a field of knee high grass, but on the other held a rushing river. And when I say 'rushing' I mean hard-core, faster than sound rushing. It was a bit worrying to have my beautiful baby so close to it. And no, I do not mean a pooping, crying, waking-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-to-eat baby. I mean my bright red 2010 Dodge Challenger with a black racing strip down the middle. It could go 0 to 60 in five seconds. Not exactly stealthy, but like I said before, I was living the life of simplicity now. Besides I don't really need to be nondescript any more. Why did I ever need to be, you ask? Long story, I'll explain later.

Inside the rusted metal gate was a abandoned building. With  every other window busted or boarded over, graffiti covering every corner, and trash carpeting the place, I'd say the lot had seen better days. And unfortunately for me, every nook was shadowed and created hundreds of perfect places to hide.

"Come out, come out where ever you are." I sang in a sickly-sweet voice. I had the lock cutter leaning against my shoulder in case this little meeting made a unexpected turn. I waited a few seconds before saying, "Now or I'm leaving."

"Ah Doe, patience never was your strong point." Said a familiar amused voice from the shadows.

"Or maybe I just don't like being called back into things that I washed my hands of months ago, Patrick." Was my annoyed answer.

Patrick. The one man- No, the one person in the whole who could get me angry without worrying about the threat of bodily harm. I think it was all those hours that he spent in the gym drilling the fact that he is the boss into my head. Or well, he was the boss. Then I left for good. At lest I though I had.

"Now, now Doe there is a reason I called you here." Patrick stepped from one of the many shadows and stood in the moonlight. He was a older man with plain salt and pepper hair. he also had a plain face and plain brown eyes. Nothing about him stood out and that was just how he liked it. plain, simple, forgettable. It was the way of the world we- No, he worked in.

"Are you going to tell me that reason or are we going to play twenty questions for it?" I said. Rude? Maybe. But I wasn't known to be nice.

"Again Doe, patience." Patrick said and then he changed. His face lost its emotion his shoulders stiffened and his stance widen. Once again he was in boss mode. "I need your help. Frankie is in trouble."