Young Writers Society

Alis

I walked up and down the line of cars in a sort of heaven. these were cars I had only ever dreamed of, laid out here, mine for the taking. I hop in the nearest one, and start driving full speed along the road. I push the pedal down as far as it can go, and then ease to a stop. Then, I turn around and go back.

I repeat this pattern with several other cars, until I see it in the third row. The Covini. It was a six wheeled Italian sports car. Made to order, only about 10 a year. Right here, in front of me.

I step in gently, and put the keys in the ignition. It was almost soundless. I drive back to the warehouse.

"I've made my choice." I tell Howard. I step out of the car, and run my hand along it's flawless paint job. If this got a bullet hole in it, I would personally hunt down and kill the person who put it there.

"Why doesn't this surprise me?" Howard asked, scanning the car. I run inside, and grab a bunch of explosives off a shelf.

Howard gave me a look when I walked out, arms full with grenades, bombs and similar things.

"My sister loves explosives." I explain, and then grab a few guns for myself.

Spoiler

Howard

The cars were filled, but I still wanted SS's Manhattan. I couldn't shake the idea out of my head...or the money. My hands were a bit full for the time being, so we just went back to the mansion when the cars were filled up. I took the motorbike out of the van and reved it up.

"Where're you going?", Alis asked, her arms filled with her explosives.

"Closest impound lot to Heptate Park"

"Isn't that-"

"-PK showdown? Yeah, I'm looking for SS' car"

I wasn't stealing some money, I was stealing a full car. Another person with me would be far too much trouble. I zoomed away on the bike without a further word, nothing more than a goal ahead of me. I promised I'd get money, and that's what I was getting...the car, though, was going to be mine. There was money and satisfaction in that thing, and I wanted both of those.

As I rode, my phone rang. I didn't know who it was and didn't care, I'd be back soon enough. I picked it up and said the only thing I needed.

"I'm getting some money, be back in a few hours", I said. I hung up and kept going.

Eve

Riley and James left to go get some pizza, and after that the mansion seemed really...empty.

Howard and Alis weren't back yet, and Reg was up in his room doing whatever it was that he wanted to do. Cleo and I never talked, and that's the same with Aurelie. Ace was crumpled up on the chair in the living room, and I didn't know where Maitea was, or Jimmy.

I went to talk to Chris in the kitchen, but for some reason, there was nothing to talk about. It was just silent. I wasn't used to silence with Chris around. She and I always talked about something. I decided to go up to the library.

Sal was in the library. I had forgotten about her. She and I used to talk, but for some reason we hadn't recently.

"Hey." I said, thinking about what to talk about.

"Hey." she replied.

"So, you excited about the heist tomorrow?" I asked her. She nodded.

"It'll be good to get out for a while." she said. I nodded, even though I knew that I wasn't going to be able to.

Reg Carter

I came down the stairs with a heavy handed pistol in my grasp. Passing the kitchen, I hesitated in my stride before peering inward and looking at Chris and Eve. "You," I grunted, my finger pointing at Eve. "Come with me."

She didn't reply, but nor did she seem to refuse. She merely followed me out of the house in a small jog as though it were an effort to keep up with me. Getting into the 4x4, I turned on the engine as she clambered into the passenger seat at my side. I began to pull out of the driveway before I noticed her confusion at the situation.

"Don't look so bewildered," I mused.

"I'm not- well, I am - but don't I have a right to be?" she asked hesitantly, "I mean, where we going?"

"You're a good doctor, I need a good doctor," I replied, keeping my gaze on the dirt road ahead as I accelerated north. "Don't worry. We'll be back for Riley's little heist."

"I'm not worried about that," she said, looking at my pistol.

"Alright," I muttered, "All I need you to do is come with me to an urban estate about 3 miles north. There's been a mix-up over some lads posing as the Fishers gang and a bunch of ex-Cops who are too dumb to realise they're frauds. Anyway, the posers shot up the cops and plastered their remains all over the streets, but that weren't before they'd plastered the posers remains all over the streets. I got a phone call, from an old mate. Her name's Jane. She'd witnessed the whole thing and thinks we'd like to talk to one of 'em posers, he's alive, but I doubt for much longer. So I need you to keep him alive for me. Comprend?"

"Oui," she said, smiling.

"Good."

We pulled up at a dirty estate, it was laced with blood and bullet holes crammed into almost every section of the walls that built up the tall houses around. As we got out, we walked over to a shivering wreck of a body. Still alive and no doubt our man. Beside him was a thirty year-old woman, her hair a thick brunette and her skin pale white. She was kneeling over the half-dead man, her slender fingers pressed against the spurting blood of the poor sod's leaking gut.

"Eve, 'tis your job now," I said. I knew she was the right person for it, so lets hope she lived up to my expectations. After Eve was happy with his state... then I'd ask him some questions, before he died.

Eve

I went right to work on the man, glad to have something to do. It was good that he was conscious. That would help, and it would probably take less time.

There was a bullet hole in his leg and one in his arm. Both terrible places to be shot. I knew that if I didn't hurry, he would bleed out.

I got out my first-aid kit and started. I wrapped some gos around his leg to help stop the bleeding, and did the same to his arm. It was wrapped tight, so I knew it hurt, but putting pressure on it would help. The man winced at the pain whenever I did something to his wounds, but I tried to ignore it. I hated seeing people in pain.

After a while, he was ready for Reg to talk to. I didn't know for sure if he would live, but I knew that right now he wasn't hurting too much. I had given him a special medicine that would keep the pain low, but keep him conscious and alert.

I motioned for Reg to come over.

"You need to hurry. I don't know how long he has, but I think it'll be enough time. Better safe than sorry, though." I said. He nodded, and got right to his questions.

Howard

Fraud would've been easier, but unfortunately, SS died with his wallet in his pocket. When I got to the impound lot, it had one officer at the lot's fence and another at the office door, on the inside. I got off the bike from a block away, and pulled out something a little extra that I took from the PK base; a pistol modded to the point where it was just about the most accurate in the world, scope and all. That with its range, it was a monster. Well, not so much now; I filled it with rubber bullets.

I aimed through the door and fired a bullet at the chest of somebody behind a service desk. The people inside panicked, with the exception of the guards, who all ran into the room. I made my chance and jumped the fence, and sprinted over to SS' Manhattan. It really stood out amidst the others, but a lot of that was it's pink paint job. The joke around PK was that SS didn't have time for a girlfriend in the PK, so he just had a car. Nobody's really too certain why it was pink, but nobody dared ask him.

SS was prepared if things like this happened; sure, the regular keys were in the office, but he kept a spare in a pocket hidden in the unlockable trunk. I pulled it out and felt the comfort of the driver's seat. It felt exactly as I expected to be behind the wheel of somebody who didn't deserve a car like this; fantastic. I checked the glove compartment and used a knife inside to cut open the passenger seat at its side; both filled with money.

I got out quickly and thought of something. Nobody could easily let a car looking like this escape. I'd repaint it later, but for now, I did a quick license plate change with another car in the lot. I drove at full speed right out, breaking through the gate and making the sharpest turn I could.This car, the SS' Manhattan, was fast, strong, and one of the coolest looking around. And with it being filled with money...I had no regrets. Not that there were any to have in the first place.

I pulled into the mansion and grabbed some spray paint. I took the money out of the car into some garbage bags, and sprayed the entire thing in red and orange. When the painting was done, I went inside and threw the money bag into an armchair, and took a deep seat in another. I had a new home, car, and job. Things were good.

Alis

I walk in on Howard, "You know, I think you went a little over the top with the paint job. Far from inconspicuous."

"And your car isn't?" He raised an eyebrow and laughed.

"It's grey!" I protested. Then I saw his point, but didn't let it on. I think Howard knew, though, because he laughed again. I think for a minute, then say, "You know, you don't need to be inconspicuous with the Fishers. To be honest, if your caught, you just take out a gun and open fire."

As I said this, Jimmy walked in. "I wonder where Riley's going to put you tomorrow," Jimmy said, glancing down at Howard.

"Most likely with me, her, and the other two. that's where she put all the real good fighters, except maybe Maitea. I have to give it to her, she knows what she's doing. Not compared to me, though." I laughed.

"Thanks a bunch." Jimmy said coldly, and walked out of the room.

"Wha'd I say?" I demand, looking around.

Jimmy

Cursing under my breath, I slammed the door behind me. I know that I was being immature and pretty darn stupid really, but I couldn't help it. I hadn't said a word to that Howard guy and I didn't like him already. I knew that I was being judgemental, but I couldn't help it. It shouldn't have even been him that I was angry with, it should have been Alis. She was the one flirting with him right in front of me, after all.

Without turning around once, I headed out of the room and into my bedroom. Still cursing to myself, I jumped onto my bed. It was stupid. If Alis didn't like me, she could have just told me. She didn't have to show that fact so bluntly. Mind you, that was Alis for you. She wasn't really one to speak, action was more her thing. It didn't take a genius to know that.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" A voice snapped angrily.

Turning to the doorway, I saw Alis. She was leaning against the door-frame, her hands placed firmly on her hips. Her dark brown eyes were narrowed into a pair of small almonds. Was she serious? She'd been flirting with that Howard guy for the past God knows how long. Ignoring her, I jumped off my bed and grabbed my bag from under it.

"Hello?" Alis was clearly annoyed. "Jimmy?"

I didn't answer her. Instead, I grabbed a pile of my clothes and shoved them awkwardly into the bag. It didn't take Alis long to realise the point behind me grabbing all of my stuff.

"You act like a five year old!" Alis walked over to me. "It's as if everytime I look at you, you get angry and throw a tantrum!" She grabbed my bag from my hands, throwing it onto the floor, and looked at me. "Seriously, Jimmy, what have I done?"

James~~

I pulled back m jacket, revealing the pistol hidden in the side sling as the old Impala hummed along happily.

"Honestly, I can't remember the last time I didn't carry a loaded pistol. We haven't necessarily been normal people the last couple of years. I feel like death is all I know. It's gotta be worse for the others though, like Reg. I can't even imagine."

Riley looked out the window and muttered "yeah."

We sat in silence for a second before I spoke again, "So, you trust this new guy?"

Howard

I can't say I'd know why Jimmy hated me as much as he did. Sure, there was the whole PK thing, but nobody freaked like Jimmy at me. I did nothing, and I figured it safest to do nothing. I went for a walk around the mansion, try and get more comftorable. The place was really something strange for people like this...well, us, now. People hated me, but I was really a member of them now. I was in. It felt cool.

Cool wasn't what I came across during the wandering; the one big stop I made was one of the top floor bedrooms with window facing out from the front of the house. It was pretty small, like some storage attic, but it had a chair and a bed and, wierdest of all, a sniper rifle on a tripod aimed out to the front. I only guessed from that, but I was certain when I saw a guitar in the closet; it was Max's room. It was a little wierd...all this time I'd wanted the justice over SS, and I already got it with Max. Now all my steps in his shadow seemed...awkward, if nothing else. Maybe that was the price of going with those PK in the first place.

I didn't think there was a thing to be afraid of, so I put the sniper in the closet and closed it with the guitar inside. I was like the eye of the storm here, between Jimmy and Riley's first reactions of me. But that hecticity would end soon. Not too soon, from the sound of it. Jimmy and Alis were arguing pretty loud. I could almost hear them yelling at each other from rooms away.

Sorry it's long. Kay - what do you think of plot ideas?

Reg Carter

"Cheers Eve," I said putting a hand signal upto Jane go and take her away why I talked to the bleeding cripple. It was best that she didn't watch, just incase I had to take certain measures. Once I was happy that both Jane and Eve were out of sight, I knelt down to the body. He had serious bleedings in his arm and his leg but with Eve's handywork there might even be a chance he would survive. No good for me. I pulled out my pistol and pressed it against his gut.

"Listen up, son," I said softly into his ear, "You got into some pickle with these ex-Cops here because you were posin' as one o' us. That means crap for us, 'cause it proves someone's on our tail like a hungry puppy dog. That means I need answers; not just about your stupidity o' posin' as somethin' you don't know ears hail 'bout, but 'cause now you've got us in a bit'a pickle n' all. Specially since these ex-copper lads were meant for us."

"You--you're a... a Fisher?" he murmured.

"Indeed Sherlock. Though, unfortunately for you, I ain't that much'a good gumdrop like the rest'a them. Such as that darling Eve who just bandaged you up, may'a even saved your life, son. If I have to though, I'll blow a hole in your gut and you'll be fucked. In fact, you'll bleed out so badly, nothin' anyone... even a top darn hospital, is gonna save your life. A hole in y'arm, leg and gut? Pfft, ten minutes at the least."

"O-okay.." he spluttered as he quivered in fright, "I'll tell--t-tell you what ya wanna know, honest. J--just don't waste me, man!"

"Best talk, 'cause I ain't a patient fella," I grinned.

"W-we were lacking money-- so w-we decided to nick f-from the rich. We'd 'eard about your gang, we used the name.. that's all honest. W-we'd been going no more than three days when these crazy bastards showed up. S--shot... shot us all down look."

"I can see that dip-shit and the fact of the matter is, you ain't told me nothin', so you best in what you say next or your gut is finished, got me?"

"Y-yeah... err-- ohh! I kn-now your leader... Riley... A m-media storm ratted her out. S-something gone by a Minister of speech politician t-to the local senate. This s-shits government, man. P-proper high -- high up. Big n' all."

"Christ. I'm not surprised. I was the one who blew the hell out'a the previous president. Though, that matter weren't Fishers, that was personal."

"W-well that's who those g-guys are. They think t-that the Fishers gone n' killed the President--man. You--you've screwed your gang. Th-these are CIA. I c-can tell -- look -- look at their weapons. I g-guess it was y-you.. who killed that Journalist too.. they think that was Fishers n' all. Man--man that's a shit storm. Th-they think Fishers are a full-headed corruption gang plannin' on liberatin' a free government."

"You're kiddin'..." I mused. I'd got the gang in a hell hole. It wouldn't be one we couldn't get out of, it just meant we were probably due to a hell-load more government attention than we'd been given previously. "Cheers for the information, son."

The firing of the bullet made a loud crackle around the estate. I'd done the poor sod a common courtesey, not shooting him in the gut, but square between the eyes. He knew too much, specially Riley's name. Not to mention the fact he'd seen me, the bloke that caused this crap. Death was a small sacrifice.

"C'mon Eve," I yelled and her and Jane turned the corner. "Thanks for the 'elp, Jane."

She nodded and walked off into the distance. Wouldn't see her again for a long time.

Eve

I could have heard that gunshot from a mile away. It rippled through my mind, and tears filled my eyes. I wiped them away before Reg could see me like that, though.

"C'mon Eve," Reg said, grabbing my arm and pulling me away from the scene. I couldn't keep my eyes away from the dead body in the middle of the street.

"Thanks for the 'elp, Jane."

She nodded, and we continued to walk to the car. Finally, the man was out of sight. I hated seeing that, so I was grateful when we were out of there.

We didn't talk much on the way back to the mansion. Reg only said one thing, "Thanks Eve." That was it. He didn't even look at me when he did, but I smiled anyways. I felt good inside, and I had a feeling he had a lot more respect for me. Reg and I weren't very close. I had treated him a few times, and I felt that was all he thought I was good for, but now I figured that was good enough for me.

When we arrived at the mansion, we heard yelling right away. Jimmy and Alis were arguing...again. Ever since Jimmy found out that Alis liked him, they haven't been getting along. You'd figure it would be the other way around, but they were both just weird like that. I knew that them fighting so much only meant that they liked each other, even if the other didn't know it.

Riley

"So, you trust this new guy?" James asked after a minute.

"Yes, I'm sort of trusting my intuition on this, but...." I thought for a minute, "My intuition got my sister killed, almost got me stabbed, I'm being careful, though. He's not leaving my sight once we start stealing." I lean back against the seat. All the mistakes I had made flooded into my mind. Everything I had done, everything that had end up killing someone. Every fatal mistake. And yet, here I sat, alive. It didn't seem fair, people dieing for my mistakes.

I couldn't even begin to list every person I had cared about that, though one of my many mistakes, was dead. Faces flash into my mind; Jerro, Antonio, Marion, Kelli, Marie, Max, Arnold, Bree. All my friends, and one a member of my family, dead because of me.

My thoughts are cut odd as we pull up at the pizza place. We step out, and walk towards the little restaurant. Then, a green flier catches my eye. Normally, I didn't read signs, and I wouldn' t have noticed this one either if one thing in particular didn't stand out.

It was my face on the poster. With four, terrifying words: "Wanted, Dead or Alive". The reward, one million, printed in ink at the bottom, shocks me. I run up, and grab the flier off the window.

Someone had scribbled, in rough handwriting under the words dead-or-alive, "Preferably dead". Another, in a neater print, "She killed our president,". Still another had wrote, "Let her die," I put my hand over my heart, shocked. I knew I was wanted, but it was four words, scribbled at the bottom, that really hurt me. "Death to Riley Evans,".

"James, we need to get out of here," I say, trying to keep my voice calm.

"Why?" He asks, he comes up, and takes the flier from me. My hands stay frozen in the position from where I was holding the flier. All this time, I had thought the other criminals might be on our side. But now I knew the truth.

We were alone.

Alis

"You act like a five year old! It's as if every time I look at you, you get angry and throw a tantrum!" I pick up his bag, and effortlessly toss it halfway across the room, "Seriously, Jimmy, what have I done?"

"I bet you're real glad Howard's here." Jimmy said. He is more angry than I'd ever seen him.

"Jimmy. He has fast cars and...."

"Oh, I see how it is," I realized, in that second, what Jimmy thought was going on. And not a speck of it was true.

"No, listen, Jimmy!" I yell when he starts towards the door, "You didn't let me finish. But that's it, he has fast cars, and he let me have one. And have you seen him? He's like 50 years old! And he's handy with a gun. But, Jimmy, don't you get it? There's no attraction whatsoever." I went up and put my arms around Jimmy. He pushed me off.

"Then why were you flirting so damned hard?"

"That wasn't, Jimmy, I wasn't..... trust me!" I say, my eyes beginning, for once in my life, to fill with tears.

James~~

I grabbed the poster and read it, "you know this is all a lie right? We can fix this."

"How?"

"Well for one, if we don't want to be caught, we won't be caught; and two, we don't kill anyone from now on. If someone has to die, I handle it, and make sure no one knows about it."

"We've tried this before. It hasn't worked before."

I smiled as I turned back to the car, "well then, we'll have to try harder. I ran away from the most accomplished hit man in the world, and Reg; I can do it again."