Chapter 1

Maisie

Truthfully, no one looks twice at a homeless kid normally. Then, I screwed up. I picked the wrong pocket. A blonde woman was following me. I looked in the wallet I had just taken. There were several IDs. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder; I spun around ready to run. "Come with me." She said. I must have looked terrified because she the said, "Please come. I won't turn you in I promise." We then walked around the block into a house across the street from a bar called McRoy's Tavern.

"What do you—" I was about to ask out of curiosity what she wanted me for when she cut me off.

"I'm Parker. Sit on the couch." she ordered as she sat on the chair directly across from it sitting cross-legged like a child. "What's your name?"

"Maisie" I answered. I scrunched my nose I hated the fact that I had told her my name without learning about her first.

"You're a good thief, Maisie. You almost picked me clean." I just stared at her wondering why she was complimenting me. "Too bad I'm better." She said as she held up her own wallet as well as another from my own stash. "Listen, Maisie, you're bright. I want to help you. Do you have any family?"

"No."

"How old are you?"

"Does it matter?"

"Oh, answering a question with a question, good." She still stared at me. I felt self-conscience in my torn jeans, sneakers, dirty hoodie, and t-shirt. My bag was at my feet. It held my possessions that I could not live without. I still had no clue why I was here or what this girl wanted with me.

"Are you hungry?" I nodded. I was starving since she had taken the money I was going to use for dinner. She walked over to the small kitchenette in the corner of the room and brought me back a bowl of sugary cereal. The apartment was small with a hallway that led off to three doors. I guessed two were a bedrooms and the third was the bathroom. "I would like you to stay here for tonight at least. Is that okay?"

I looked her in the eye to see if she was serious. She was.

"I will stay on one condition. If I can get another bowl of cereal." She grinned and retrieved a box and another bowl from the kitchen. Making herself a bowl, She turned and looked at me.

Parker

She was just a kid. I remember being like her. I wanted to help her. Protect her. She needed someone and we needed someone. Tomorrow I would test her skills and introduce her to the team, but tonight I will let her rest. I sent her to sleep in the guest bedroom and gave her some pajamas. She was small, but she would fit perfectly in an air duct. I slept on the couch ready to catch her if she tried to sneak away, but I doubted it she was tired. She need the rest and she new it. The boys would come by in the morning. This was there new headquarters since Sophie and Nate were away. They were set to return next week, but even I felt that that was very unlikely.