chapter one

It was a cold night out, typical for this time of year, cold and wet, and if you were really lucky, windy. This tended to be more painful then the other two, which were just mild annoyances, especially for someone who’s lived their whole lives in this old, dirty city. The only places open at this time of the night or is it morning, I was never sure when that exchange was made, were derelict buildings or buildings of derelict behavior. My home from home was the local casino, when I wasn’t working or sleeping I was wasting my time and money on drinks and the occasional whore that was left over. The neon lights now became my bedtime light, without the bed. You could waste hours and days in here without knowing what was happening out there in the dark, or the day, the streets had grown to feed off anyone that would look them in the eye. I swear our own species will end up killing ourselves with the seven deadly sins before we know what’s going on, and we have nothing left but to decay into fossils, for another time to find us. I wonder who else can see it all happening right before their eyes, but still do nothing. I just sit here night after night throwing cash into chips and whiskey. Lucky or unlucky for me, I never win big, nor lose big, I generally break even each night, maybe because money never concerned me, probably why I’m never chasing that big win, that will make me rethink my whole life and quite playing while I’m ahead. “Thanks dear I’ll have another on the rocks. Hey did you get your hair down? You’re looking amazing tonight.” “Shut up, you’re always talking sweet but when are you going to take me out for dinner?” “Ha ha ha trust me it’s for own good, I’m no good for you.” “I think I’ll be the judge of who is good for me and who isn’t.” “Hmmmmm ok when I win big I’ll take you out to a movie and dinner, any where you want to go.” “Bhaaaa your so old fashioned aren’t you?” “It’s how I was bought up. Well I’m off to drain out the old whiskey to make room for that drink I’ve been waiting for, for the last 20 minutes.” “Yeah you’re real romantic aren’t you.” “I told you I’m no good for you.” After so long you get to know the local girls, they no longer look attractive, especially when they all try to act like your mother. I never got on with that women, so I’ll be damned if I let another one like her into my life. I knew this place like the back of my hand, I must of done this journey a million times, a million drunk, so I never needed help getting around the flashing lights and whizzing and banging that when on at all the machines and tables, as people won and lost their life savings. I always wondered if the guys in the offices that run this place ever cared about what happens to a husband, father, son, mother, grandmother that’s feeling lucky and decides to put down all the money he or she saved up for years only to lose all that work in 5 minutes. I guess you couldn’t run a place like that if thought the way I did. Opening the door, I caught the flash of a gun going off, and a guy all in black run past me with a briefcase, almost shoved me to the floor, maybe I’m not as drunk as I thought I was, took me a few seconds to realize what happened. Who the fuck took that iron? I ran back in and say a guy on the ground, a red pool was already surrounding his head, where did he get it, in the head? I saw him clutching his chest. “He got me in the fucking chest, that fucking motherfucking I’m gonna take you to hell with me, if I get up from this floor, you fuck, I’m not dying on a toilet floor, come on buddy don’t just stand there get me out of this shit fucking room.” “Look buddy if I move you it might get worse.” “If I’m fucking dead it’s not gonna be any worse is it. Just move me you fucking bitch” “Well if you’re dead what difference does it make if you’re in the toilet?” “Fuck you buddy, your fucking taking the piss aren’t you?” “Okay relax, let me try and pick you up.” He was really heavy almost as tall as me, but he was way bulkier, and couldn’t help at. “Ok that’s enough you need to stop the bleeding.” “Why did he shoot you, and what was in that briefcase?” “What the fuck are you a cop or what?” “Argh yeah, I’m a detective, but I’m on leave at the moment, so we can do this off the books, how’s that sound? I won’t tell anyone, if you wont.” “How the fuck can I trust you pig?” “Well buddy if you’re not dead in 5 minutes you will be on the way to the hospital and there you will be in even more danger, because I’m pretty sure if they find out where you are they will come and finish the job. And you won’t get any protection without my help” “Ok I will talk to you, but no one else, you need to help me, but I can’t tell you what’s in the case.” “Who was that guy that shot you?” “I don’t know his name, his code name should have been Zorro, and he was just supposed to drop off the cash and take the case, but he told me he didn’t have any money, so he said he was just going to kill me instead.” “How did he know to meet you here?’ “Usually my boss just sends word online, to their boss, and then at the end we buzz at the end, to make the final drop.” “Ok well your ride is here, you might actually survive, I’ll come round and see you later, I’ve got some work to do.” “You better not cheat me” “I don’t think you’re in a good position to be telling me what to do.” “Fuck you.” “Ok guys take care of him, I need him alive, at least for the next 48hrs. And make sure the blue put a couple on watch for him till I get back tonight, or tomorrow” “Hey what the fuck I’m not going anywhere soon.” “Yeah we’ll see” “Hey come on sir please just remain calm and lie down.” “I am fucking calm, I didn’t kill that pig did I, yet.” “The way you’re looking buddy, you’d be lucky to do anything right now.” As I watched them rush this guy off to his ride into heaven or hell, I knew he wasn’t being honest with me, and if I was to help him, id need help, and to take a trust nobody kinda liking to everyone I meet “Here’s your drink darling.” “Haaaa come on now, you know that kinda talk won’t get you anywhere with me.” “So what was the deal with that guy?” “I don’t know but I’m gonna find out soon enough.” I knew if I was going to find this guy I would need to get to a computer, and without my own details. “Hey Cuper you up aren’t ya?