Chapter One
The boy was about thirteen years old. He was tall for his age but looked pale and depleted of energy. He had short cropped black hair that shone blue in the lights of the bar and his eyes were a dull grey in colour with a faded look as if they had been washed out by a tiredness that did not fit his age. He stopped briefly at the door his eyes adjusting to the dim lighting. The patrons all turned to look at the youngster some of them shaking their heads in disapproval at such a young lad being in a bar. Having surveyed the bar he strode up to the counter and called the barkeep over. He leant in and asked a quick question of the man who pointed out a person sitting in the far booth around a table with four other people. The young boy thanked him and proceeded in the direction of the table the barkeep had indicated.
He stopped at the table looking at the five people sat around it. One was a beautiful young woman with long blonde hair who stared openly at him. The other was an older lady who was seated next to the man he had come to see. She too had long hair but it was as black as the night and she had eyes that matched. The fourth man was a black guy with big eyes who also was looking at him curiously and next to him sat a young man with long brown hair; he looked tense as if he was a snake ready to strike at any minute. The other man at the table was the one he had come to see. He was older than the others with black unkempt curly hair and blue eyes that were also somehow washed out. He looked at the boy as if he was seeing a ghost and a strange kind of sadness swept over him as he took in the sight.
"Nathan Ford?" The boy asked hesitantly.
"Yes"
"My name is Benjamin Crystall and I would like to hire you to find the man who killed my father…" The boy paused slightly before continuing… "And punish him!" The boy ended forcefully.
Nate was not sure what to say to this incredible statement. He just sat and stared at the boy.
"Well then little man you better sit down and tell us about it." Eliot Spencer said standing up and pulling a chair over to the side of the table. He was not sure what this was about but obviously something was very wrong and he was not going to turn a young boy away after such a request.
Thanking Eliot for the chair the boy sat down. The team introduced themselves and then Nate asked him to tell them his story.
Nate's demeanor darkened during the story but no word was uttered by him or any other member of his team. The tale was a sad one of a young boy with a terrible disease whose dad had tried to get the money he needed to help his son but ultimately had not succeeded and had taken his own life out of the false hope that the insurance company would pay out his life policy which would at least pay for some of the hospital treatment. The boy having finished his story sagged into his seat his energy completely sapped by the effort. Eliot again came to his rescue offering him some water. The boy thanked him but never took his eyes from the man he had come to see. The question was plain on his face. Would Nate help him avenge his fathers' death and would he be able to do it before he, Ben died.