"It's fine, Chloe; these assholes think they will get away with hurting you, but that is not going to happen."
A friend of Joey's noticed something the other guys had not known, the guy with the gun had a dollar sign tattooed on his neck.
Tom, "let it go;" Jimmy had known that Joey came from a rural area with gangsters.
Joey's upbringing was not easy, having a drug addict of a father.
The tattoo was more than just an ordinary tattoo; it was a rank, "these guys have been in and out of prison, and the dollar sign was a ranking of twenty-six.
The number twenty-six was high ranking amongst other prisoners, indicating they do not fear returning to prison.
The guy with the tattoo, who was six feet grabbed Jimmy and pushed him to the window, then removed his gun.
The train stopped by the next station, and people ran out as the train reached a standstill.
"Hey, man, let him go." Said Joey; the other two men, surprisingly, also had guns; Joey had noticed the tattoo of the other two guys; one was a rapist and the other a killer.
The two men pointed their guns at Jimmy's friends; "empty your pockets," said the killer, "come on, man, it does not have to be this way," said one of Joey's friends. Without hesitation, the guy on the left shot their friend in the leg, "does it look like we are joking right now? Hand over your stuff."
Chloe had never seen someone get shot at close range before; as she screamed, the rapist gripped his hands around her throat and started to choke her; she bit into his wrist to break free; as he called, he hit her unconscious with the elbow.
At that moment, five armed cops ran to the train door, aiming their weapons at the three guys. The swat team came afterward, emptying the station. "Drop your weapons and let the kids go," commanded the cop as the man then laughed out loud and pointed the gun at the cops holding Jimmy as a shield, "if you want to take me, you would have to kill me," the swat team then pushed in front of the cops, standing in a steady pose, as they had their lasers on their guns aimed at the man's head.
Joey's friend was lying on the ground holding his leg, as he had lost a lot of blood. He became pale; the swat immediately noticed his injury, and they insisted they lower their weapons; it had become evident the swat had taken over.
There was no getting out of this; the other two men raised their guns, aiming at the swat, "we have a clear shot; take him out." As the swat opened fire on the one guy in the chest, he fell; if Jimmy had known this would be the outcome, he would have found an alternative method to dealing with this.
No people were dying. "Jimmy had tried to break free, as the man grabbed him around his neck, choking him and holding him in front of the swat and police as a shield, "we are leaving here, and you will get us a chopper and ten million in the next hour."
Agent Voss is taking over, and he arrives at the train station; he has over two decades of experience negotiating with criminal minds and immediately recognizes the tattoo on their bodies.
The number twenty-eight was the highest ranking, and the twenty-seven marked the number for a killer who shot Agent Voss. Thankfully he was wearing a bulletproof vest when the number gang shot at him.
He insisted that in this time frame, the amount of money they requested couldn't be made; you would have to give us more time.
"You have two hours,” said the twenty-eight.
"Please be reasonable; we need at least twenty-four hours; the banks won't have the kind of cash."
“Well, that is not our problem;” Chloe slowly started to gain consciousness as the officer told her to stay down.
The negotiator maintained eye contact with the twenty-eight; okay, we will have it in two hours; do not do anything stupid. "I can't promise, don't be too long;” Jimmy hit the guy on his side using his elbow, and the guy opened fire and shot Jimmy in the back. The swat raced over and nailed both the men to the ground.
Rushing to Jimmy's aid, he was dead; there was no pulse as Chloe crawled over to Jimmy; the cops pushed her away as the paramedics checked for signs of life and shook their heads, his dead.
Chloe sat on the train floor in tears; everything had happened so suddenly, yet every second of what had happened felt so long.
Chloe was shaking; as she looked around, there were cops everywhere; Joey was in shock as they were removed from the crime scene.
They saw Jimmy's body being put in a body bag when just a few moments ago, they were talking and joking.
Joey sat in the ambulance as the paramedics shined a small light on his eyes; he then realized he had to tell Jimmy's family.
Joey was dating Jimmy's sister Claudia; Joey took his phone from his pocket and scrolled down to her name.
Hesitantly he clicked on her name, and after a few seconds, he pressed the call button.
"Hey baby, I thought you guys were at the game, is everything okay?"
The words couldn't escape his mouth as he opened; words couldn't come out; instead, tears rolled down his cheek.
"You are scaring me, is everything okay, and why do I hear sirens around you?"
" It's your brother,” he gulped.
"What about Jimmy? Is he okay?"
"He was shot."
Mom and Joey heard Claudia yelling on the other end of the phone.
"Yes, honey?"
"Jimmy was shot."
"Honey, what are you saying."
"He was shot mommy Claudia cried hysterically."
Pass me the phone, honey, "Joey, is this you?"
"Yes, mam."
"What sick game is this of yours?"
"It's not a game, mam."
The mother heard sirens around; “where are you guys now?” She was in disbelief, "Is my son at the hospital? What hospital is he in? Tell him I am on my way.”
Joey shook his head as he couldn't find the courage to tell her that her son was dead; Negotiator Voss then looked at him and walked up to him; he saw Claudia on the phone. Claudia, he said curiously, “is that family of agent Voss?” then paused, “is that family of Jimmy."
Jimmy nodded his head; agent Voss took the phone, "Hello, who is this?” The lady on the other end said, "Hello, Mam, this is agent Voss. Can I please come and see you?"
"Why is my son in trouble?"
Jimmy's mother was a church-going community leader.
Jimmy's father entered the room; Jimmy's dad was an average construction worker and family man.
"Honey, why are you and Claudia crying?” He then reached for the phone; as his wife was speechless and handed him the phone, he looked at the name with a frown, Joey? "What is happening?"
“It is not Joey, Sir; I am agent Voss; I am afraid I have some unfortunate news relating to your som. May I come and see you?” Jimmy's dad gulped as he breathed in more profoundly, “is my son okay?”
"Sir, I am afraid not. Would you and your wife mind coming down to the station?"
"Yes, of course, we are on our way;” Claudia was close to her brother, hearing her brother was shot and he could be dead in the tone Joey said; tears ran down her cheeks as she tried to control her emotion.
"Come, honey, we have to go." Jimmy's mother felt something was not okay. She was dreading the worst; as she sat in the window up at the sky, she was suddenly calm and looked over at her husband; “I am sure he's just in trouble like every other teenager these days; he will be okay, right?”
Her husband looked at her and had not answered; he had known it had to be serious, Jimmy was not a kid to get in trouble, and he had a bright future ahead of him.
Let's go, honey. Claudia, who was in her blue jeans and black leather Jacket with her red hair loosely hung down her shoulders, looked over at her dad, " I am also coming."
"No, honey, you should stay here in case he gets home, and there is no one to lock open."
Her dad knew what to expect at the station and couldn't bear to let his daughter hear the news they were about to receive; it had started getting dark as Jimmy and his parents left the house. Claudia kept on buzzing Joey's phone; everything still felt unreal.
The friend shot in the leg was unconscious and rushed to intensive care.
This has been the worst day of Chloe’s life. It's a day that left a scar on everyone's heart.
Angela stood up and got ready for the day ahead. Today she was leaving the house; little did everyone know she had money saved up enough money to start a new life. The money she saved she had saved up was her online sales of lingerie; Angela had been doing this since she was eleven and had a mind of an entrepreneur. Jack was Loafing around the house all day; he is due to start college next month. The disappearance of Nicole had everyone on eggshells; there were all sorts of rumors and speculations. The detective had a suspicion that Jack had something to do with it. As for his dad, he had slowly started to believe his son was hiding something, but like any other parent, he would protect his family. It had been three days; as Angela glanced out of her window, She saw the detectives opposite the road, "Jack, she shouted from her room; those detectives are still out there. Jack walked over to the window; he had seen the car parked there. "Are you sure you had nothing to do with her
"What are you telling me? How did I raise an idiot like you? I had known you had something to do with the disappearance of Nicole. Who’s idea was it to get rid of the body?" Mr. Fox rolled up his sleeves as Jack stood by the kitchen sink. “Do you realize everything I worked so hard for would be all for nothing? When they convict you, you won't see the light of day again.” Mr. Fox ran his hand over his beard, thinking as he paced up and down, "So you were not driving?" Jack shook his head; “Rick was driving;” Jack nodded, "you still never told me whose idea it was to dispose of the body." Jack looked down, "Mine, dad." Mr. Fox then walked calmly behind Jack, suddenly placed his arm over his neck, and started to choke. "dammit, you are a bigger idiot than I thought you were.” Mrs. Fox placed her hand over his shoulder. "Let go of Jack" Angela stood in shock, watching her dad's outburst, not daring to speak up, knowing her father might run up to her and start fighting with her. He
The dawn chorus is the herald of spring. It starts with a lonely, serenading minstrel, usually a blackbird. She is clear and harmonious, as fresh and sweet as the gardens she will later raid. In the neighboring tree, her saucy fanfare dares others to match their salsa song of the canopy. The competition rouses them from their slumber, opening their beaks to the heavens. The avian aria slowly becomes a fugue, bouncing through bough and bower. The lilting majesty of their song cascades into open spaces, through glassy windows, and onto the smiling lips of the dreamers within. Spring is here. What are the triggers for the comforting cannon of tree music? Is the lace of morning fog slowly receding as the months roll by? Is it the gently unfurling flowers, velour soft and receptive to warmth? Is it the baked oven smell of grass as the sun purges it of water? It is this and more. It is the world moving from iron grey to fairyland–green. It is the spools of lambs' wool hanging from straggly
“No, that can't be. It was barely a week ago when I saw my Mom; what happened to her?” Angela Questioned. She had a heart attack. It felt like the world had consumed her; everything crumbled down. For a moment, she thought its some sick prank relating to the call she had received earlier. Then her brother Jack came and took the phone. "How did this happen? Mom was healthy and fine." Jack was crying; It was midnight when she passed away. "How is dad handling it?" "He looks fine." "I wonder if he had something to do with it, that son of a.” Angela paused; what if he heard on the other end? Her brother needed her, and she would stay strong for them both, "how are you holding up? Are those detectives still trailing you?" "Yes, they are still outside," "Jack, you will have to come clean, sooner or later. Have you searched for her?" “Yes, I have; she is nowhere to be found.” "What about up the river?" "We were there also." "Who are we, Jack? Those detectives are watching you l
“What are you saying?” “You heard me loud and clear." The guy holding the knife to Jack's throat said; Jack slowly reached to the back of his leather jacket and pulled out a 9mm pistol, pointing it to the monster's head, as the four guys ran off, dropping their weapons. The Leather jacket he was wearing was the one his sister had gotten him for his birthday; after losing his mother and the girl he had once loved, fear never struck him. He walked in areas, not an average man would walk through; people had been shot and stabbed. Jack was driving through the area on his motorbike when he heard a woman screaming. For a moment, he thought it was Nicole. Jack turned to the side and saw a group of guys mugging a woman. Without hesitation, he drove up to the Alley. Thats when the man let go of the woman and approached him. "You know we charge people for driving through this neighborhood?" The guy had a dagger tattoo on his neck with
"Jack, slow you down far up ahead." They are walking through an umber-brown, ancient forest. It reeked of age. Its woody incense was from centuries of snapping branches crashing to the forest's floor and rotting silently. The composting, organic smell rose in waves like a vapor. Every sprawling tree we passed under reminded me of a watchful guardian, a silent sentinel of the groves. Jack and Rick decided to venture deeper into the tangled heart of this ancient forest. “I hope to find Nicole.” The deeper they went into the woods, the more it revealed its dark secrets to them; the sounds of the unknown creatures surrounding them as it echoed like a surround sound system playing through an open room, hardened leaves cracking like crushed chips in a sealed packet. The further Jack and Rick went, the more mystical and spellbinding it became. Massive roots spread-eagled the ground, twisting like the great backs of sea dinosaurs. The foliage became thick and lush, f
A log cabin lies deep in the woods, in an opening found only through some soul searching. A place made from logs of oak, the wood's natural beauty radiated welcome for the travelers who had learned the forest's ways to make it this far. It is a small, one-room cabin lit up by happiness, the glow of which is visible miles away. Inside, the cabin is cozy, with a fireplace radiating Gratitude's warmth. On one wall is a shelf with a collection of books, each volume in the group representing a stage of life – birth, childhood, teenage years, high school, college, career, etc. There are two sets of the collection, each book with some pages and others waiting to get filled with the traveler's journey through the woods. In the middle of the cabin lies a bed covered in the softest cotton sheets and covers, inviting the travelers that have journeyed for miles to rest in contentment. Jack and Rick have never really stepped into these woods, preferring to stay by the ban
After sunrise, it was a sunny morning in the heart of the Rain Forest.Rick was still tired; he built himself a hammock using a sheet; as he lay down in it, he was sipping from his cup of coffee. Rick had the displeasure of seeing this dangerous creature as it slithered from branch to branch in the tree above him. The deadly serpent was about 6 feet long. It was yellow on the belly and black on the back, and at times, it stuck its forked tongue out and wobbled it in the air. Its movement was as effortless as flowing water pouring itself across the leaves, limbs, and branches. What mechanism of action produced such seamless movement? He did not know what to do, but it was remarkable and striking. Sometimes, it launched on frail limbs that miraculously did not crack under its considerable weight. At other times, it lifted half its body into thin air as it reached for another limb. The snake effortlessly bridged significant gaps that humans with hands and feet would