Keeping Up the Act
Prologue:
Near the turn of the century in Boston, Massachusetts, there were a number of inexplicable, baffling crimes in the streets that no one could solve. There was not a pattern in the crimes.no noticeable similarities in the way they were carried out or what they were after. A private detective was the first to discover the calling card; a small, intricately carved G on the floor or wall within a foot or two of the scene of crime. There was no doubt in the police's mind what the G stood for. Ghost. He was the mastermind behind all of the unexplainable thefts and murders; the connection between the large sum of money that had disappeared from the Patterson residence and the dead man found in an alley with all his money and valuables still in his pocket. Despite their best efforts, the police couldn't foresee where the next crime would take place, so the initial G was really the only thing that proved Ghost's gang was the culprit.
Those who had seen Ghost's work speculated on who and what he was. Perhaps he was a middle-aged business man gone corrupt, or maybe he was just a boy, barely in his teens. But hardly anyone knew for sure, and those select few that did didn't dare give him away.
He controlled the Shadows, a large group of criminals all hand-picked by Ghost himself. No one knew how many people were actually members of the Shadows. Perhaps there were one hundred, or maybe just five; Ghost's closest and most trusted friends. Whatever the amount, the fact remains the same; they were considered to be one of the more dangerous gangs in Boston at the time.
While the Shadows were divided into many smaller groups; the core group, the one Ghost actually revealed himself to, contained only ten members. One of those ten was Ghost himself, and four others were girls. Surprising, really, that Ghost would not only allow members of the female race to join them, but that he actually hand-picked four of them to be in his inner circle of select thieves; each with their own abilities and particular role to play in their operations.
Samantha, a stunning blue-eyed blonde, was the stepdaughter of Mr. J. Britten, a wealthy business man who occupied one of the highest circles in society. Ghost discovered her resentment and animosity towards those wealthy socialite groups she herself was part of, and approached her. Over time, she proved herself trustworthy to an extent and he gave her more information and jobs. Sam, also known as Princess, laid hold of the house plans they were to steal from and gathered information from a variety of higher-class occupants that would aid in their endeavors.
The other three girls in Ghost's gang were chosen for their size and individual talents. Tyler, for instance, was picked for her skill to remain completely hidden while trailing someone. Her small frame and dark hair as well as cat-like movements allowed her to blend in with the surroundings until only glimpses out of the corner of an eye or the brief shadow on the wall signified her presence. To Tyler, Ghost gave the name Shadow.
Jessica Williams, a short brunette with brown eyes, aided Ghost's gang with her talent to think and plan rationally, often realizing problems that even Ghost's critical eye missed. She helped behind-the-scenes more than in the action, although her fighting was not lacking in any respect. Her gang name was Bone, referring to the fact that she was part of the "backbone" of the group.
And last, but definitely not least, Dynamite. Ghost's girl. Her real name was Michelle Delancey, a feisty redhead with a passion for fighting and a knack for getting herself into and out of tight scrapes. She had many roles to play; fighter, planner, thief, distraction. She was the actress in the gang, and her talents did not go unused. Ghost often sent her ahead to cozy up to the guard or create a noisy distraction. Her nickname, Dynamite, was rumored to have been from a comment that Ghost himself made after watching her in action, "That girl is dynamite. No matter what she does, she does it better than anyone I know." Oddly enough, soon after she joined the group, Ghost's many late night rendezvous with girls from all over Boston mysteriously came to a slow trickle. Some gang members whispered that he had fallen madly in love with her, others that she kept his hands too full, while still others, some of the more jealous members of the female race, accused her of being a witch and putting her under his spell. Whatever the cause, Dynamite was labeled as Ghost's Property and set apart from the other girls of his acquaintance. At least for the time being.
But out of all these, the biggest question that revolved around the Shadows was perhaps the most apparent and common one of all: Where would they strike next?
Prologue:
Near the turn of the century in Boston, Massachusetts, there were a number of inexplicable, baffling crimes in the streets that no one could solve. There was not a pattern in the crimes.no noticeable similarities in the way they were carried out or what they were after. A private detective was the first to discover the calling card; a small, intricately carved G on the floor or wall within a foot or two of the scene of crime. There was no doubt in the police's mind what the G stood for. Ghost. He was the mastermind behind all of the unexplainable thefts and murders; the connection between the large sum of money that had disappeared from the Patterson residence and the dead man found in an alley with all his money and valuables still in his pocket. Despite their best efforts, the police couldn't foresee where the next crime would take place, so the initial G was really the only thing that proved Ghost's gang was the culprit.
Those who had seen Ghost's work speculated on who and what he was. Perhaps he was a middle-aged business man gone corrupt, or maybe he was just a boy, barely in his teens. But hardly anyone knew for sure, and those select few that did didn't dare give him away.
He controlled the Shadows, a large group of criminals all hand-picked by Ghost himself. No one knew how many people were actually members of the Shadows. Perhaps there were one hundred, or maybe just five; Ghost's closest and most trusted friends. Whatever the amount, the fact remains the same; they were considered to be one of the more dangerous gangs in Boston at the time.
While the Shadows were divided into many smaller groups; the core group, the one Ghost actually revealed himself to, contained only ten members. One of those ten was Ghost himself, and four others were girls. Surprising, really, that Ghost would not only allow members of the female race to join them, but that he actually hand-picked four of them to be in his inner circle of select thieves; each with their own abilities and particular role to play in their operations.
Samantha, a stunning blue-eyed blonde, was the stepdaughter of Mr. J. Britten, a wealthy business man who occupied one of the highest circles in society. Ghost discovered her resentment and animosity towards those wealthy socialite groups she herself was part of, and approached her. Over time, she proved herself trustworthy to an extent and he gave her more information and jobs. Sam, also known as Princess, laid hold of the house plans they were to steal from and gathered information from a variety of higher-class occupants that would aid in their endeavors.
The other three girls in Ghost's gang were chosen for their size and individual talents. Tyler, for instance, was picked for her skill to remain completely hidden while trailing someone. Her small frame and dark hair as well as cat-like movements allowed her to blend in with the surroundings until only glimpses out of the corner of an eye or the brief shadow on the wall signified her presence. To Tyler, Ghost gave the name Shadow.
Jessica Williams, a short brunette with brown eyes, aided Ghost's gang with her talent to think and plan rationally, often realizing problems that even Ghost's critical eye missed. She helped behind-the-scenes more than in the action, although her fighting was not lacking in any respect. Her gang name was Bone, referring to the fact that she was part of the "backbone" of the group.
And last, but definitely not least, Dynamite. Ghost's girl. Her real name was Michelle Delancey, a feisty redhead with a passion for fighting and a knack for getting herself into and out of tight scrapes. She had many roles to play; fighter, planner, thief, distraction. She was the actress in the gang, and her talents did not go unused. Ghost often sent her ahead to cozy up to the guard or create a noisy distraction. Her nickname, Dynamite, was rumored to have been from a comment that Ghost himself made after watching her in action, "That girl is dynamite. No matter what she does, she does it better than anyone I know." Oddly enough, soon after she joined the group, Ghost's many late night rendezvous with girls from all over Boston mysteriously came to a slow trickle. Some gang members whispered that he had fallen madly in love with her, others that she kept his hands too full, while still others, some of the more jealous members of the female race, accused her of being a witch and putting her under his spell. Whatever the cause, Dynamite was labeled as Ghost's Property and set apart from the other girls of his acquaintance. At least for the time being.
But out of all these, the biggest question that revolved around the Shadows was perhaps the most apparent and common one of all: Where would they strike next?