Chapter One

Eating a hot dog in public is always awkward. You have to stretch your mouth to fit the whole thing in for a decent bite, and then you look like a fat a*s. Not to mention, there’s always that one group of kids who snickers at you as you try and take a bite. It’s a food you usually save for family picnics and home life, not restaurants with little children in them. I don’t know why I ordered the damn thing, but when the waitress brought it out, I regretted it. As I was staring at the pressed meat, feeling the people’s eyes on me in anticipation for the first bite, something merciful happened for once.

My phone rang. I pulled out my little prepaid and tapped the green phone, pressing the device to my ear, giving all the people around me a triumphant smile.

“Yes?”

The voice on the other line was distinctly female, her tone hard and more than a little upset.

“Nicholas, it's Sheryl. I need you to come down. I have a new assignment for you and I don’t think you’ll like it.”

I grimaced; coat already in hand, a ten on the table for the hot dog and coke. I would rather have been laughed at for eating my lunch, since anything Sheryl wanted me for was probably going to hurt.