Page 2

He came upon a building that barely looked like it was standing. Backing his bike into the alley between it and the building next to it, he shut the bike down. Pulling the key from the ignition, he locked his handlebars so the bike couldn’t be moved and eased off it.

Sticking to the shadows, he made his way into the building through a broken door. Sliding his gun from his waistband, he made his way deeper into the building until he came to the steps leading to the second floor. He didn’t need more than the moonlight to navigate. He could manage blindfolded. Climbing the stairs, he kept a hand on the crumbling wall for support. The stairs creaked under his weight, giving him pause.

When his foot hit the landing, he second guessed coming. Something in Truck’s words had his own demons dancing in the recesses of his mind. He just needed to remind himself where he had come from and how far. The place had changed little. He was surprised there wasn’t anyone squatting in it. Probably because it was falling down faster than any of the other abandoned buildings in the area.

He stopped at the back corner and stared at the small wooden boxes that still stood stacked against the wall. Light from outside highlighted something in one box, drawing his attention. Crouching down, he reached in with his free hand. His fingers gripped the item. Pulling the item out, he saw it was a quarter. Tears flooded in as his memories threatened to drown him. The emotions hit him so fast he ended up on his ass, slumped over his knees and shaking uncontrollably.

“Damn it. I’m not that kid anymore,” he said as his body calmed down. Wiping at his face, he sniffed and shoved off the floor. He looked at the quarter and remembered how he’d hide money so he could get a candy bar or a bottle of water when he had nothing else.

He rubbed the coin between his fingers and was about to put it back when he heard a noise from the first floor. “Shit,” he mumbled and moved like a ghost across the floor back towards the stairs.

Using a support beam, he leaned behind it, obscuring his shape some. Flipping the safety off on the gun, he readied himself for whoever was coming.

The stairs creaked, letting him know they were not only on the steps, but exactly where they were. It unnerved him how he remembered every sound those rickety steps made.

“Hemlock,” He heard his name said no louder than a whisper.

“Vicious?” Hemlock clicked the safety back on the gun. “Why are you lurking around here? And why the fuck are you whispering? It’s not like you’re gonna wake anyone up.” Holstering the gun at his waist, Hemlock pulled his shirt over it.

“I saw you roll this way and wanted to check on you. What are you doing, kid?”

“Sometimes I need to remind myself I’m not that scared, hungry kid anymore.”

“Well, did you remind yourself?”

“Yeah. I’m good.”

“Good, because I’m starving, and you stole my money.”

“Won, not stole, and you could’ve left the table at any time.” Hemlock led Vicious back down the steps, instructing him where he should step.

“What’s the fun in that, kid?”

Hemlock chuckled at Vicious. “And that’s why your money’s in my wallet. Come on, I’ll treat you to breakfast down at the diner.”

“Cool. I’m not ready to drag my ass home. Sway and Lottie are having a girl’s night.”

“You scared to be alone, Veep?”

“Screw you. I just don’t wanna interrupt.”

“If you say so,” Hemlock said right before they stepped out of the building. Grabbing Vicious by the vest, he pulled him back behind the broken door as a cop rolled past with his light shining into the building. “Where’d you park?”

“Backed in next to you.”

“Shit, I didn’t hear you,” he mumbled as he watched the cop car slow down almost to a crawl.

Vicious couldn’t see shit from his vantage point. “Are they gone?”

“Fuck no,” Hemlock growled, pissed he’d come there. “How much heat you wearing?”

“Two pieces. You?”

“Same.” They couldn’t search them or their bikes without probable cause.

Thinking fast, Hemlock told Vicious to slowly give him his guns. He was hidden enough by the wall and door he could stash the guns where no one would find them. Lifting his foot onto the step closest to him, he placed all four guns inside and closed the wooden slate back into place. “Here’s what we’re gonna do. You walk out looking worried while I head out through the side window and come around the corner.”

“And why are we going out instead of waiting?”