She curled up in a corner of her kitchen, trying to comprehend the letter that had been sent to her. The mascara tears rolled down her face and stained her pale cheeks as she silently slid down the fridge in her run down Brooklyn apartment. The sun rained through the skylights would have suggested it was a good day but the letter she held in her hand only ruined her.

"To Whom It May Concern, we regret to inform you that Sarah Donahue was found...." the girl whispered before breaking down again into tears, rereading the letter over and over until she had memorized it.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Cait Donahue blared the music in her headphones as the train continued on along the Charles. The rain pelted the windows as the train sped thru the city, stopping at its periodic mandatory stops. Cait pulled her black hoodie over her chocolate hair and covered her camera as she stepped into the rain. Boston was a nicer city that NYC, if you could call it that. Her trip wasn't for pleasure, more along the lines of her own pilgrimage; and her weapon was her camera.

Cait continued to walk farther and farther through Boston, hoping the sun would shine and peak its head thru the clouds. She had sighed only for the rain to pour harder. As she hid under an awning, she eyed the neon lights of a small restaurant flickered. She entered; looking at the company she would be keeping for the undisclosed time and deemed it safe.

"Got any beer?"

The large man behind the bar eyed her camera and then back at her. He walked away and ignored her. Cait sighed and laughed quietly to herself. She heard a snicker to the left of her. Another girl looked back at her, her hair tied haphazardly and looked like she hadn't slept in a long while.

"Was it something I said?" Cait chuckled.

"You're not from around here are you?"

"Well, kind of, it's a long story"

"I got the time, up for a walk; I have to head to work anyway."

"Sure why not."

Cait got up, adjusting her bag, placing her camera back in the bag. She followed the woman out of the restaurant and down the street.

"So, I didn't catch you name?"

"Oh, sorry, my name's Vanessa, but I go by Cherrie; what's your name?"

"I'm Cait, but pardon me but Cherrie?"

"I work at the Sin Bin hun, adult entertainment. It ain't the best, but it's a job.'

Cait smile left her face, as they turned a corner. They walked in silence for a few moments. Cait's feet constantly splashed in the puddles, causing the bottom of her jeans to become soaked.

"Well shit," Cait laughed, Vanessa smiled.

"So you never told me why you're here in Boston."

"Oh well, I work for a photo company, and I'm the photographer. My job is to take photos of the seedy underworld. If you can believe that," Cait laughed, "so basically, try to get photos of the mob."

Vanessa froze, "You're shittin' me right," the girl stopped in her step. "Girl, do you know how fuckin' dangerous that is?! 'Specially here, you got the Italians & Russians, girl Ima pray for you."

"I can take care of myself Vanessa, I've been doin' this for a while, and if you can help me, that would be all the better."

Vanessa sighed and twirled stray hair in her hands, debating quietly to herself. Cait pulled out a cigarette and lit it, seeing as the rain had stopped and the clouds were parting for the evening. "Well?" Cait exhaled, letting the smoke rise into the clear sky.

"Okay, you're a nice girl and I kinda like ya, so if I help you out, you gotta listen alright?"

"Fine, what?"

"I get a couple regulars that come in tonight, maybe if you stay in the dressin' room, you would just have to be quiet, you got me?"

A smile crept across Cait's face, "Thank you so much!"

"Yeah, yeah, just don't make me regret this."

x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x

The evening had proven productive for Cait. The girls had got it down to a science: Vanessa would lead the mean to their room for some "private fireman time" but making sure to had turned his face towards the dressing room. Cait would press the shutter, instantly getting her closer to finding out about her sister.

After an hour, Vanessa stepped thru the hanging beads and into the dressing room. She rolled her eyes as she leaned in close to the mirror, fixing her lipstick.

"How you doing?" Cait inquired, running a hand thru her hair and placing her camera on the table.

"God, sometimes I wonder why I do this for a living!" Vanessa sighed, brushing her hair and fixing her makeup.

"Would me saying 'Thank you so much' make you feel better?"

Vanessa laughed, "Not really, but hey, you get enough pictures?"

Cait nodded, "Yes, thanks a ton, mind if I come back some other time?"

"Sure, lemme give you my number so we can keep in touch, you got a cell?"

"Nah, but I'll keep your number on me."

"Okay," Vanessa's scrawl was on a small tissue. She handed the tissue over and gave Cait a small one armed hug. "You take care of yourself okay?"

"I'll be fine, I'm a tough bitch like that," Cait laughed, exiting the Sin Bin and rummaging in her bag. As she walked down the alley and down the street she pulled out a cigarette & lit it, taking in the smoke, and sighing. The sky was cloudy and started to mist as she continued down the street.

"Hey there hot stuff!"

Cait kept walking as the remark was followed by a cat call. A car had pulled up beside her and rolled the window down. Cait rolled her eyes as she continued to walk and smoke.

"Come on, what's a girl like you doin' out this time of night?"

"Not talkin' to men like you."

"Oh come on, I'll give ya a ride, where ya headin'?"

"I'm just headin'."

"Come on."

"FINE! If you stop pestering me and bring me near Southie, will you shut up?!"

The gentleman guido opened his passenger side door, slicking his hair back. Cait sat as far away from the man as she could; he still rested his hand near her leg as he drove farther away from the Sin Bin. As they crossed the Longfellow Bridge, the man continued to try to talk to her. Cait gave one word answers, fuming and mentally kicking herself as she regretted getting in the car with this thug.

As they had turned another corner, the guido who had by this time revealed his name to be Aberto, slowed the car and parked a distance away from any streetlight.

Cait squirmed, and began to unbuckle her seat belt. Aberto grabbed her hand, leering at her with his yellow teeth and greasy hair.

"Just where do you think you're goin' girlie?"

Cait jammed her fist upwards at his chin, causing him to yell in pain. She wrenched her bag whilst kicking open the passenger door; she ran as fast as she could as the car sped off, showering a couple shots off.

After running faraway as possible from Aberto, Cait stopped for a moment to catch her breath. Wheezing, she whipped out her pack of cigarettes and lit one, trudging along the harbor. Not knowing where she was to end up, she kept walking until she had made it to a church, which was luckily open.

Cait slipped into the church, kneeling in the pew and stared into the moon shown

stained class. Propping her bag, she curled up on the pew and fell into a deep sleep.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Miss, Miss, Miss," a voice said as Cait felt her shaken gently. She shot up from her position in the pew, rubbing her neck and moving the hair from her face. A priest looks down at her with sympathy and concern.

"Miss, I'm afraid that you cannot sleep here, but there is a shelter down the street you're more than welcome to head to Miss-?"

"Cait, sorry to disturb, I'll be leaving now."

As the priest called out to her, Cait sped up her step, turning into a small restaurant a ways down the street. Bee- lining it for the bathroom, she grab a semi clean shirt changed; arranged her hair, brushed her teeth and washed up with what she had.

Exiting the restaurant, she retrieved her camera from her bag and continued throughout South Boston. Cait sighed with relief as she counted the numerous churches she could sleep in and smiled to herself.

Taking pictures of daily life was more soothing that sniffing out lowlifes and thugs. The Farmer's Market was full of colorful characters, happy smiling faces, and Cait thrived, continuing to take photos. Pushing through the market, she came upon on a fountain and changed the film. As she passed an alley way, a nice white Mercedes was parked at the end of it; two men stepped out of the vehicle and shook hands. Cait found this odd as she slightly lifted the camera to her face. After pressing the shutter, she panned the lens to focus on the driver.

The driver stared down her lens, sending a shiver down her spine. The driver started to move, unbuckling his seatbelt and getting out of the car.

Cait turned on her heels, booking it back thru the market. Her heart raced as she tried to find a place to hide. Making through the market, she saw St. Anthony's ahead, a beacon of hope and protection. She pushed aside people, grabbing the handle of the large brass doorknob, shuffling into the church.

Panting, she walked swiftly into a couple of pews down the aisle, sitting and resting her face in her hands.

"What the hell am I doin'?" she breathed to herself as she still tried to catch her breath. Removing her face from her hands, she surveyed the church. There were the two altar boys, preparing for mass.

Looking at her watch, mass would be conducted in an hour or so, so she had enough time to clear out of there but not without taking a break. Sighing deeply, Cait closed her eyes for a moment, sliding down, to eventually laying down in the pew.

A couple minutes later there was movement in the pew behind her. The voices were hushed and sounded in sync. Not being subtle, Cait shot up from her position, causing her to come face to face with two men. Her eyes darted back and forth between the two. The one across from her on the left had blondish hair, and was giving her a once over as well. The other, with dark hair and blue eyes had cocked his head to one side, confused. Cait spoke first.

"I apologize for disturbing you, I was on my way anyways." She spoke quickly, scooting out into the aisle.

"Now ye don't hafta leave so soon love." The blonde one stood along with her, following close behind.

"No, it's alright, please, just leave me be..." Cait stared at the two men directly behind her; the dark hair one had caught up.

The dark haired one grabbed her arm, causing her to drop her bag.

"Jesus fuckin' Christ!" she cursed

"Lord's fuckin' name." The boys said in unison.

Cait rolled her eyes as she signed the cross, bending down to replace all the items that had fallen out of her bag. The blonde one bent down to help her.

"No, it's alright, I got it..." Cait sighed as the man pulled his hands back towards him over his head like he had just got caught by the police.

"I'm sorry alright," she sighed, "It's just I'm havin' a bad day, sick and tired of all this..."

"Shhhh," the blonde one hushed her. "Ye don' hafta to apologize, we were finishing anyways. Right?" he finished, elbowing the other.

"Yeah," he coughed, putting on a smirk.

Cait shrugged, turning to the exit of the church. Exiting, she pulled out her lighter and lit a cigarette. Surprisingly, the boys had followed suite, retrieving their own lighters and cigarettes.

"Oi!" The blonde came over, standing in front of her. "What's yer name?"

Cait exhaled a cloud of smoke, sighing. She held out her hand, "Cait. Cait Kennedy."

"I suppose tha's short fer Caitlyn?"

"Yes, and you are?"

"Connor McManus," he smiled, whilst yanking the other over, closer to the conversation, "And this fuckhead righ' here is Murphy."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

There you have it folks! Just a first chapter, if ye want me to continue, reviews are quite encouraging for me to move faster. :)