John had been following him for a while.
He was just like any other garden variety teenager John had seen before. Average, soft-spoken, perhaps a little on the short side, but nothing too spectacular in the eyes of the many. In John's eyes Daniel was anything but ordianry. Daniel was important to John and his work. Daniel was very important and a key piece to Jigsaw's puzzle and he didn't even know it yet.
Most days Daniel just walked aimlessly around town because he didn't want to be at his house most of the time. His parents just went through a divorce so he tried to avoid them as much as possible. That's also when all the shop lifting had started as well. It was Daniel's way of lashing out against his father for ruining their content, yet somewhat strained, family. It was clear that Daniel resented what his father did but that doesn't mean he loved him any less.
And then there were days like today when Daniel would find himself at the mall. John noticed that Daniel never came with friends, and he figured the young man didn't have any, so it was mostly to kill time by window shopping. But looking at things wasn't enough for the boy, John soon found out.
Daniel wasn't a kid who came from a poor family but he wasn't wealthy either, far from it actually, but anyone could look at him and figure that he was at least lower to middle class. Daniel also looked like the type of kid who got allowance weekly, but despite the frankness of his family's financial background it seemed that his cash flow had stopped when his parents split because Daniel had resorted to stealing when he wanted something.
Most times he was sneaky about it, John wouldn't be surprised if the kid got a few past him before, but everyone eventually makes a mistake. A fault in their plan.
Today John had followed Daniel into a store that sold a wide array of things: clothes, belts, keychains, wallets, backpacks, shoes, and various other things that appealed to the teenage population. It was a very typical place someone like Daniel would find himself in and pretty much standard compared to any other store in a mall. It was a little more spacious than some stores, though.
It was probably a little suspicious for someone like John to be in a store like this but no one paid him much attention and Daniel was still completely oblivious of his presence. There weren't many customers and the only person working was on their phone. No wonder so many people shop lift. The security, or lack thereof, is a joke and the employees could care less about stolen inventory. Distasteful...
John was pretending to look at graphic shirts when he spotted Daniel taking an interest in a keychain. He watched Daniel eye it precariously and being the nice guy that he is, John couldn't let the kid leave without paying for it. So he circled around a shirt rack to come up behind the unsuspecting kid. Daniel looked around the store to see if anyone was watching and when the coast was clear he turned around sharply.
Just when Daniel was about to pocket the keychain he was caught firmly by a hand around his wrist, the one with the keychain, and ran face first into what felt like a wall. He tried pulling free from the iron grip, hoping to find some resistance that was willing to budge, but it was useless. He had been caught and the jig was up.
At first Daniel was afraid that it was a security guard and his heart started to race with adrenaline, but when he pulled back to see that it was only an elderly and somewhat sickly looking man he was able to calm down a bit. It was just a good samaritan trying to play the part of law bringer.
"I hope you plan on paying for that," John asks after Daniel stops trying to pull away. Daniel is staring wide eyed up at John's intimidating presence.
"I was gonna," Daniel lies, but it's weak at best and John knows it.
"Because it looks like you were about to walk right out of the store without the decency to pay for it first," John continues to say.
He releases Daniel's wrist after a moment and sticks his hand out instead, as if asking Daniel to hand it over. Daniel sighs but obliges anyway because he knows his little charade has been foiled by this mysterious man. Where the hell did he come from anyway? What was a man like him doing in this store? Maybe he was one of his dad's more undercover narcs? No way...
"Was this really worth stealing?" John inquires, holding up the keychain of some obscure band's logo.
Daniel feels like he's five again and being scolded for drawing all over the walls with crayon. This stranger standing before him almost reminds him vaguely of his dad or grandfather, having a go at him for doing something stupid, and Daniel is suddenly a blushing wreck. He couldn't feel more ashamed and embarrassed.
"No, sir," Daniel murmurs politely, hanging his head down in defeat as he's scrutinized.
John takes this as a genuine admission of guilt as he sets the keychain back on it proper hook before looking down at Daniel again. His gaze is intense and somewhat judging. He's not judging Daniel for the things he does but for the things he has the potential to do instead of stealing.
"You're not turning me in, are you?" Daniel asks a little hesitantly, worrying at his bottom lip to feign innocence.
"How old are you?" John asks curiously, deflecting Daniel's question.
"I'm seventeen," Daniel tells him timidly.
"Practically an adult now," John observes as Daniel shrinks under his gaze. "A boy your age should be out looking for a job so he can buy the things he wants instead of stealing them."
"Yeah? What do you know?" Daniel mumbles back with a little bit of sass and he regrets it the moment it comes out of his mouth.
"I happen to know a lot. More than you could ever fathom," John whispers sharply, grabbing Daniel's wrist again. It's fair to say that this scares the boy. "Youth these days take so much for granted. Including their parents. They could give you the world and you'd still be spoiled.
"You're hurting me!"
Daniel protests but it's not loud enough to draw any attention to them. He pulls away and stumbles back slightly, chest heaving in a jagged up/down motion as he settles his racing heart. Who the hell did this guy think he was, grabbing Daniel like that and lecturing him as if he were his child? He had no right to handle Daniel so roughly, even if he was shop lifting.
"No one appreciates what they have until it's taken away from them," John adds as an after thought when he lets go of Daniel. His own fatherly instincts kicked in despite his best efforts. Too far, he thinks. Too involved.
"You sound just like my dad," Daniel uses as an insult but it falls short and hits the ground like a limp fish.
"You should probably listen to your father more," John lectures, vaguely thinking if Gideon would've been rebellious like this if he were given the chance to live and grow up. "He might just save your life one day."
It's a cryptic warning foreshadowing Daniel's immediate future and it could mean any number of things but it flies completely over his head as this old man imparts his wisdom to him. Daniel doesn't read too much into this comment now but it certainly makes a hair or two stand on end along his neck. It's been a weird, if somewhat enlightening, encounter to say the least.
"Now go home," John tells him, nodding his of in the direction behind the kid. "And don't let me catch you stealing again, Daniel."
Daniel turns around to speed walk away, pushing past people in a hurry to get outside and follow the old man's advice but when he gets to the parking lot he stops dead in his tracks. The old man called him Daniel. How could that old man know his name? He looks back towards the mall one last time before running home.
Soon after Daniel is gone John goes to the bathroom for a reprieve and to splash some water on his aged face. When he looks at himself in the mirror John can see himself getting weary and weaker. John can feel a tickle in his throat and before he can stop himself he goes into a coughing fit.
He runs into one of the stalls to grab some toilet paper and coughs harshly into it. When he pulls it away from his mouth he can see faint spots of blood. He knew this would happen soon and while it didn't surprise him much John still had only so much time to get things done. John composes himself as best as he can before he leaves the bathroom.
He had big plans for Daniel Matthews.