Chapter 1 – Tobias POV
"Keep your eyes on the prize" I mumble to Zeke as I look around the corner.
"My prize is at home dude" Zeke mumbles and I roll my eyes at his response. Ever since he and Shauna got together he has become a totally different guy. Before I can respond, I see the red signal light far in the distance that gives us the all clear signal and we move in.
"Collins, Jackson. Go left." I whisper as we creep up on the house "Smith and James on the right". We enter the now unlocked house and Zeke and I go up the winding stair case, my rifle in my hand and Zeke right behind me. I hear the footsteps of two other members in the squad move to the right and the last two go left, searching the bottom half of the house.
"Watch my six" I mumble to Zeke as he turns around to watch behind our backs as we creep up the stairs of the rickety house. I stop at the landing; first making sure the hallways is clear and then signal Zeke to move up. I hand sign him directions telling him to check out the rooms on the left and I will do the right. He nods and we get in the position. I stand in front of one of the rooms on my right and with a forceful kick, the door thrashes open and I aim my gun into the darkness. I scan the room quickly, using my sharp eyes for any movements and release my stance when I find nothing
"Clear" I shout as I hear Zeke do the same. I continue down the hall and do the same thing to the last two bedroom on the right as Zeke finishes his last one on the left.
"Think they ran?" He asks and I shrug my shoulder.
"I would if I were them" I say. I sigh and scan the already clear hallway, letting my mind wonder for a few seconds. I look at my hand and aim the gun down, hating how it feels in my hands. But this is the life I choose, well rather it chose me.
Ever since I could remember I have had a crappy life. After my mom died when I was 2 years old in a car accident my father Marcus became heavy influenced and started to hit me. He was a political leader and was very well respected, powerful and had connections all around the world. However, he blamed me for my mother's death although I was only two fucking years old at the time. Apparently I was sick and she had gone out to buy some medicine for me, when a truck collided with her car. Ever since that day, my father hated me and then he started to beat the living shit out of me. As years went by the abuse started to get worst and one day he had become so drunk that he had took his studded belt to my back and then used his cane and beat me unconscious. I woke up to find myself in the rain, outside near an ally way. I didn't go home that night and instead for the next few weeks I dived in trash cans and stole food to feed myself. I slept on park benches or in dark alley ways with nothing but the clothes on my back. Occasionally I'd find an abandoned building in which I could sleep in, somewhat peacefully but it never lasted long because I would eventually hear the sirens of police cars and bolt. Every night I had terrifying nightmare about Marcus, ones that made me shudder and sweat and scream into my hands but then I would have to get up and try survive the next day otherwise the police would take me back to him, everyone knew I was his son and they would drag me back. I started to jump trains and busses, anything to get me away from my father and I somehow ended up in NYC. I hadn't eaten in days when I arrived in NYC and I was so hungry that I tried to break and enter some high class house. It was the biggest house I had ever seen. I thought that I was clever enough to evade their security team and ended up being caught by the arms and legs. Fortunately I had given the security guard some nice bruises. That's when I met Amar. At the time, I thought Amar was just another snobby rich dude and nothing more. How wrong I was.
For unknown reasons he took me in. He gave me a place to live and fed me. He basically gave me a home and a chance at some kind of stable life, something that my biological father neglected to do. However I slowly realized that Amar wasn't some ordinary rich guy. I later found out that Amar was the commander of NYPD. He was the best in the business and everyone respected and loved him. Amar never asked me where i came from but one day I was watching TV in the living room and a picture of my face was on every news and TV channel. Marcus was giving a speech about how I was abducted and they would do anything to get me back. He stopped and looked at the camera, narrowing his eyes as if knowing I was watching him and said "Where ever you are Tobias I will find you, I will get you back. I swear my life on it and I will never give up" and shiver went through me. Amar was standing behind me and he knew my name and you could also clearly see that it was me in the picture that the Chicago police where searching for. I thought he would drag me back to face my nightmare but I begged him not to. "Please Amar, don't send me back" I pleaded with him and for some reason he didn't even bat an eye as he continued on to the kitchen, never once bringing the topic up again.
I realized I needed to learn to protect myself and asked Amar to join his team. To Amar's credit he did push me into another direction, telling me that if I got into the business then there was no out. At the time all I wanted to do was help the person who saved my life and learn to protect myself from anyone. I never wanted to feel that weak ever again. I wanted to prove to him and Marcus that I was capable of anything, that I was stronger then what he believed, but Amar couldn't understand my need and want to help him even after he heard my screams during the nightmares. Finally he asked me about the said nightmares and I told him. I told him my whole gory and gruesome past
"Please Amar, you don't know what it's like to lay in bed and worry that someone's after you. To feel so weak and helpless. To not be able to fight back. I need this. I need your help. You have seen the news; he says he's never going to stop looking for me. I swear I will work my ass off. You won't regret it" I had pleaded with him and he finally relented. He never said anything to anyone and for that I was grateful. He started training me right away and I worked my way up the ranks and by 20 I was the leader of a small squad. Now 25, not only am I the leader of the biggest and most dangerous squad 1A, but also Amar's second in command and a training officer.
Let me tell ya the road to this position was not fucking easy. The amount of times I got the shit beat out of me and all the obstacles I faced during training was a fucking nightmare. Not to mention because technically I lived with Amar for most of my life – the time I cared to remember anyways- everyone just believed it was favoritism and not my own merit that brought me to this position. After the third time some lower rank member tried to challenge my authority, I had to put my foot down. I had to show all these asshole that it wasn't because I lived with Amar for my teenage years that I got this position; it was because I fucking deserved it. I woke up every single day at 6 am and started training while everyone slept dreaming about puppies, girls and shit. I worked my ass off and I didn't do it to be up scaled by some ass-shat who though that challenging me would help their rankings in the group or get them more respect.
That all changed on a single day. I was doing a routine patrol when I got called into assist with a drug deal that went sore. I had only been on the force a few weeks. When i arrived on the scene, SQUAT was there as well, yelling things to Amar. Apparently, there was one drug group who had taken over a bank with hostages inside. They already killed one person and where threatening to start random fires on the rest of them if they didn't provide them with a bullet proof getaway vehicle and demanded that SQUAT and the rest of the police be cleared out. Of course no one gave me any attention until I realized i could use that to my advantage. I slipped away from the rest of the cops and scored the building for an opening. I found a vent on the side of the building and taking everything off, except a small hand gun, a black undershirt and my pants i crawled through the space. I excited out a small department store in which the window were broken. There were 3 guys inside and somehow managing to distract each one i had killed the 3 gun man. I walked into t clear the hostages out- there were only 4- but didn't realize that the leader of the organization was in the room with the hostage. After a long battle, i was able to shoot the guy right between the eyes. He dropped and I assisted all the other hostages out.
Amar was crazy mad as fuck- I kind of figured by how red his face was at the time- he literally chewed me up and spit me out threatening to kick me off because i didn't follow protocol and ditched the vest and everything. But everything was said in done he told me how proud he was of me and after i told him exactly what happen, he promptly gave me my name- Four. Ever since that day, that's the only name I tell people. I always hated being connected to Marcus, scared that someone may recognize me and take me back and so I never told anyone my real name. Even the first few years in this life I gave people different aliases. No one knew my name except Amar, Zeke and his girlfriend Shauna
"Four, let's get out of here. Shauna's expecting me back early" Zeke says, bringing me out of my day dream. I shake my head to clear it and re-attach my gun to the shoulder holster.
"You're such a girl" I laugh and was cut short by a shot. I look at Zeke for a split second and then we both take the stairs two at a time. I un-holster my gun and scan the area until I see Amy Collins, one of the newest members of the pack injured and clutching her leg in pain.
"Fucking asshole came out of nowhere" She hisses at me.
"Zeke, you and Smith take Amy back to the medic. I'm going after this guy" I don't wait for their reply as I sprint down the back door that the person must have taken. From the map I was looking at earlier the only logical way as an escape would be through the forest by the back yard. I take a quick sharp turn and smile as I see the white of someone's clothing. I shoot and unfortunately miss. I speed up, pumping my legs harder than before and realize that there are actually two people, looking at the two separate sets of footprints that are embedded into the muddy forest floor. The people are fast, but I'm faster as I start pumping my legs faster. I see another piece of clothing, this time black and aim and shoot. I hear the satisfying sound of a body hitting the ground and stop to catch my breath. My lungs are on fire and every time I take a breath, my throat aches in pain but shove the pain aside and walk up to the dead body, covered in black from head to toe. As I carefully approach the body, I frown and furrow my eyebrows.
"What the fuck?" I mumble as I stop by the body. The size of the body is small. Like really fucking small and as I squat down my eyes widen. I slowly remove the hood and drop to my knees, my jaw hitting the floor. What the fuck did I just do? I hear Zeke calling my name but I can't stop staring at the blue eyed boy because that's what he is, a boy. His eyes look around frantically and finally settle on my face
"I'm...sorry... tell ...I...love her" He grunts out
"Kid! Hey kid wake up!" I yell at the kid. His eyes close and a shiver rolls through my body. Images of Marcus beating me as a kid pops up and it quickly transforms to show that it's actually me who was beating a helpless kid. I quickly shake my head and focus on reality. I quickly close kids' nose and start mouth to mouth. His chest rises and falls with every breath I blow into his mouth but doesn't seem to be helping. I quickly take off my jacket and try to stop the blood coming from his torso but it's no use. I start CPR as his breaths start to slow down and eventually stop. I stop my movements and stare at the little boy.
"What the fuck happened" I hear Zeke voice behind me but I can't get my knees to work. I keep staring at the body, my eyes lock on his.
"Four?" he slowly approaches me and shakes my shoulder. I reach down and close the kids baby blue eyes, standing up and turning to a confused looking Zeke.
"I just killed a kid"