Chapter 1

Moving

The Men of A-shift at station fifty-one where all gathered in the locker room changing into their street clothing.

"Remember guys, I need you to help me move tomorrow." Mike said, "You come and provide the labor and I'll provide the doughnuts and the beer."

"What time do you want us there?" Marco asked.

"Meet at my apartment around nine o'clock in the morning."

Johnny, Roy, Marco and Chet all promised to that they would be there.

Mike hurried straight home from the station and got back to work packing boxes and cleaning his old apartment. He wanted the place to look good when he left because he really needed to get the deposit back. He didn't want to move, but his apartment complex had sold and the new landlord raised the rent. Whether he liked it or not, he couldn't afford to stay.

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At nine o'clock the next morning Roy showed up ready to work. He knocked on Mike's door and waited. It took a minute for Mike to get to the door. He had been up late packing and had over slept. As he made a groggy dash for the door he tripped over one of the boxes resulting in a loud crash followed by a few curse words. When he opened the door, he saw Roy standing there with a concerned look on his face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, come on in." Mike opened the door allowing Roy to come on inside. "Give me a minute to get dressed." Mike said as he headed back to his bedroom and pulled on the clothing he had worn the day before because it was quick and easy. He was just coming out of his room when the door bell ranged again. Roy answered the door and welcomed Chet and Marco in.

"Where are the Doughnuts?" Chet inquired after making a quick scan of the packed boxes stacked along the walls. And the empty counter in the kitchen.

"Sorry guy's I over slept." He turned to Roy and asked. "Would you go to the store for me?" And he held out a twenty dollar bill for Roy to take.

"Hey for twenty bucks I'll go to the store for yah." Chet said as he made a grab for the money in Mike's hand. Roy took the bill first though to ensure that Mike would get the change back. After Roy left Mike instructed Chet and Marco to start loading boxes into Chet's Van.

Just as Roy returned with the doughnuts and beer, Johnny pulled in up. "Way to go partner, show up just as the food gets here."

Chet and Johnny quickly converged on the doughnuts with the other's getting some too. After the doughnuts were gone they got back to work. About and hour later Chet's van and Johnny's Rover and Mikes pickup were filled. They convoyed, with Mike leading the way, to his new apartment. Quickly parking their vehicles they followed Mike up a flight of stairs to his new apartment. While Mike was unlocking the door, his friends looked around. This move was defiantly a down grade from the apartment Mike was leaving.

"Is this the best you could find?" Chet said shaking his head.

"Hey, the apartment is clean, not too far away from work, and the price fit's my budget. If you don't like it you don't have to visit." Mike said. He opened the front door and the guys filed in to take a look. Just as Johnny was stepping into the empty apartment he caught sight of a little girl watching them through the window next door. Her hair was light brown and un-combed and she had big brown eyes. Putting on his best smile he waved to the little girl but she quickly ducked out of the window. Johnny shrugged and stepped inside.

Mike gave them a quick tour and indicated where he wanted them to place certain boxes. They quickly got to work and soon had all the boxes unloaded. Thirty minutes later they were on there way back to Mike's old apartment to load up the last of his things. With the apartment cleared out, they helped finish cleaning the apartment. While Mike did a walk though with the manager, they stood around visiting by their vehicles.

Once again they convoyed back to Mike's new apartment and got to work unloading his furniture and the remaining boxes. As they came and went Johnny pointed out the little girl to the others and they all stared to smile and wave at her. Soon it became a game. Every time one of the men walked by they would smile and wave a free hand or wink at her and she would smile in return and duck out of the window every time.

Soon all of Mike's belongings were inside his new apartment and everyone stopped to relax and have a beer. The men were perched on various flat surfaces, drinking their beer and visiting, when Johnny caught site of the little girl peeking around the open door way. "Hey Mike, you have a visitor." The little girl quickly turned and dashed away making the men laugh at her antics.

After they had all finished their beer, Mike thanked them for all their help and sent them off to enjoy the rest of their time off.

Mike stepped back into the apartment. As his eyes scanned the living room, he asked himself, "Where to start first." He decided to hang up his clothing first and then put the kitchen in order. While working, he heard a sound coming from the kitchen and went to investigate. When he stepped into the living room he noticed that the front door was opened. Then he saw the little girl from next door going through the boxes in the kitchen. "Hey, get out of that!" He shouted at her. The little girl turned and ran from the apartment with Mike following behind. As he reached the door way he saw the little girl dash down the steps and around the corner of the building.

As he watched the place where she rounded the corner and disappeared, one of his other neighbors approached him and welcomed him to the apartment complex. "Hi, my name is Rita," the older woman introduced herself, "I see you have met Alisha. You'll want to keep your door locked because she is always getting into things."

Mike shook Rita's hand and thanked her for the warm welcome and asked, "Where are her parents?"

"Well her mother works during the day and her step-father is supposed to be keeping an eye on her but he works graveyards and so more often then not he's sleeping." Rita explained.

"Has any one talked to her parents about her going into other people's apartments?"

"Yes, but it doesn't do any good."

Mike thanked her for the advice and stepped back into the apartment, locking the door behind him.