This is my first "Third Watch" fic. My other work can be found in the JAG section. Hope you like this one.

This chapter will be short. Just a teaser. More will come, I promise!

Early morning darkness surrounded the lone man walking along the deserted sidewalk. The steady drizzle that had persisted all through the night had saturated his light jacket, which hung from his shoulders, long since failing to keep the moisture away. His hands were stuffed as far as they would go into the pockets of his jeans and his shoulders were slumped, as though the jacket he wore was a leaden cape. His close-cropped dark hair effectively repelled the rain, sending it trickling down the sides of his head and face. There was an air of wearied defeat about him, and he walked along without paying any attention to where he was going.

Two young kids lurking in the shadow of a nearby alley watched the man pass by. They exchanged glances, and the larger of the two nodded. The pair got to their feet, leaving behind the small paper bag that had been resting between them, and followed the man silently. He never noticed that he had picked up two shadows. Grinning cockily, the larger boy increased his stride to grab the back of the man's jacket.

'Hey, man.' The kid said, giving the man a sneer. 'Lovely morning for a stroll, huh? Give us your wallet.'

The man stared at his assailant with lifeless eyes. 'I don't have one.'

'C'mon, man, everyone's got a wallet. Search him.'

As the other kid obeyed, his larger companion glared at the man. 'Don't you know this ain't a place you wanna be?'

'Does it matter?'

The kid sneered. 'Man, you gotta be jokin'. Round here, you ain't a chance, man. Walkin' alone, man, that ain't smart. Gets ya killed.'

'He ain't got nothin'.'

'What? C'mon, man, you gotta have some cash somewhere.'

'I don't have any.'

'Man, you're wastin' my time. Where's your cash?'

'I don't have any.' The man repeated.

'Don't be lyin' to me, man. I ain't got much patience.'

'I'm not lying.'

The larger kid threw the man back against the foundation of the nearest building and pulled out a knife from his jacket. 'Man, I warned you. Ain't nobody lies to me.' He stabbed forward, aiming at the man's chest.

With startling speed, the man dodged the strike and grabbed his assailant's wrist and twisted it until the knife fell to the ground. With his free hand, he dealt the kid a sharp blow to the side of his face before tossing the kid down to the sidewalk.

'What the hell, man?'

'Didn't think I'd fight back, huh?' The man said. 'Picked the wrong guy to mug.'

'Get him!' The larger kid cried, lurching to his feet. His companion lunged forward, only to meet the man's fist head on. He fell as the larger kid came forward. The man ducked the first swing and landed one of his own, knocking his opponent back a step. As he moved in for a follow-up, the other kid picked up the discarded knife. The man never saw the attack coming.

With a pained, startled gasp, he froze, his eyes registering his disbelief. His mouth hung open in a silent cry of agony as he slowly dropped to his knees. Both kids stared at the body, the knife protruding from his back. Blood was staining the jacket around the blade, a steadily growing patch of crimson against the light blue fabric.

'What are you standin' there for? We gotta move him!'

'I, I stabbed him… is he dead?'

'Who cares, man? We gotta get him out of sight. Someone will see him!'

The smaller kid shook himself and bent to the task of dragging the body into the alley, his eyes never leaving the sight of the knife in the man's back. His companion tugged urgently at his arm, eager to get away from the scene.

'C'mon, man, we gotta get outta here. Before the cops come.'

'What if – '

'Who cares? Let's go!'

The pair ran off down the street, never looking back in the direction of the alley. Neither one had the courage.