CHAPTER ONE
I slowly inhaled the cold, sharp scent of the night before stepping through the rusted tin door of 'Jacks Bar and Grill' the only place to serve alcohol in this damn town without having to drive a long way out. The bar itself was dimly lit, the faded wood of the floor no longer held a shine, the red leather on the booths no longer soft, but ruff with age and wear. I kept my head low and sunk into the springy cushion of the booth, away from the prying eyes of old, drunken men, drinking themselves away from reality and the seriousness of their mortgages. I waved off the waitress when I had given her my order, a large Corona beer and a cheeseburger with no pickle. According to the nametag her name was Beatrice, according to her face she was approximately 40-45 years old, had 3 part time jobs just to keep her head a float and her two kids at school. She likes pina coladas and taking long walks on the beach – or at least she would if she'd ever tasted a pina colada, and she's sure she'd like the beach if she went. She has 3 brothers, 2 sisters and a cat called Bingy. How did I know all this? Ever since I was younger I have always been good at reading people, the look in their eyes, the crinkle in their brow. It's just been something I've always been able to do. But this ability of mine has never been an easy thing to have, imagine knowing everything a person has ever felt about you before, knowing they're private thoughts, feelings, knowing whether they hated you or not. That's how I found out about my dad. When I was five years old, I saw it. My first time id ever transported into another's body and mind. My first time was when I changed into my dad, one moment I was giving him a high five the next, I was sucked into his body, my whole body goes numb with pain, sweat trickles down my neck. Only to discover my father has been having a double life with a woman in California, Margeta and her two kids Haylie and Daren. From age five, I was broken, abandoned, alone. Sure I am now aged 15 and independent, but that is a long time to be by yourself, which is what brings me here, to downtown Sydney, Australia. Well actually I'm on the run from the FBI who want me for their criminal investigation program FACU– Federal Adolescent Criminal Unit. In other words a place for the serial killers who tend to be under the ages of 18. My job? To figure out their next move and to stop them, not such an easy task if every time you see some thing like a weapon, fingerprint, hair etc. you go into a trance and basically transform into the killer. But ignoring the FACU's requests don't come easy so here I am, six months later, on the run from the biggest spy agency in the world all at the age of 15. I haven't even gone to prom yet alone had a boyfriend! Last time I went shopping? Was about 4 weeks ago to buy a flash light and some AA batteries in Woolworths. Last time I had a haircut? When I was eight. Truth be told, life on the run really does, suck shit. My cheeseburger and beer arrived, with what looks to be a tiny, miniature glass filled with a clear colored liquid. I held the glass to my nose and sniffed, only to be hit with the over powering wave of tequila. On the house tequila. Sounds pretty good to me! I knocked it down in one go and wiped the side of my mouth with my sleeve, the burn of the alcohol rushed down my throat, warming my chest and my insides. I smiled at the thought of it, all my problems gone in a flash. But suddenly I didn't feel so good anymore, not hungry, not thirsty either. My eyes blurred and watered as my head spun the world around me. Toilets. Bathroom. Toilets. Bathroom. My mind thought, commanding my body to surge forward until I found the familiar universal sign for the 'Ladies' room. I swung the heavy door open to find a modest, dirty yet clean bathroom with a mirror and a sink and three stalls. I walked to the sink, my shaking hands leaned against the sink and wall for support. In the mirror I saw the reflection of a girl. She was tired, her brown eyes sunken, dull and lifeless. Her skin was bleak, a sickly tinge to her porcelain skin, her mouth set and determined. I turned the tap on hard and fast, the water gushed, blocking out my thoughts and finally allowing me to rest. All of a sudden there was movement to my right, a dark figure flashed, darting out of the left hand side stall, striking my in the neck with a needle. My eyes slowly shut, as my body unforgivably gave in to the drug shutting its system down.