Jeremy, Layth, Hobson and Choy walked down one of the deserted back streets of what had once been the Islands vibrant and bustling town centre. Jeremy confidently swaggered along in front of the others three; one of his hands in his trouser pocket as he whistled a tune unrecognisable to anybody but himself, Choy half walked, half jogged along at his shoulder panting as his short, scrawny legs struggled to keep up with Jeremy's longer stride. In contrast, Hobson loped along behind Choy, his shoulders hunched over as he stared at the ground refusing to make eye contact with anyone. Layth sauntered along at the back constantly surveying the Islanders who stood huddled in groups and often ran off as they approached for any potential converts.
At the end of the street Jeremy paused and peered around the corner causing the others to almost trip over each other as they ground to an abrupt standstill behind him.
"What are we doing here?" Hobson asked nobody in particular.
"I don't know it's not on the map our beloved leader supplied us with, so maybe you can answer that Jeremy, what are we doing here?" Choy asked his voice riddled with sarcasm.
Layth stepped out from behind the others and snuck a peck around the corner. "If I didn't know better, I'd think that was a den of ill repute". He concluded his voice as cool and calm as ever.
"And you'd be right". Jeremy told him "Do you want to make something of it?" he threatened the younger boy.
Layth's only response was to hold one hand up in a gesture that Jeremy perceived to mean that he was not going to make any trouble.
Choy smirked and patted the ever-present pack of cards in the pocket of his overly long jeans. A place like that usually meant that gambling was involved and if there was one thing he excelled at it was playing cards.
"How'd you know this place was here?" Hobson asked in his usual slow and slightly dopey sounding drawl.
"Been here before, these guys have respect for people like us and they treat us accordingly, good games, great booze and most importantly some seriously hot chicks". Jeremy gloated buffing his chest out like a male bird showing off to it's mate.
"But there's loads of girls in the Elite" Hobson said somewhat confused.
"They're all princesses like Elisa, prick teasers like Livia or just plain bitches like that piece Chase is after". Choy summarised nastily.
"If you could have one of them who would it be?" he questioned the other three before answering for them.
"Layth would pick the lovely Elisa, cos' it's gonna be the only way he'll ever get to be related to his hero the almighty Ed". Choy laughed scornfully as Layth screwed up his face in disgust but refused to rise to Choy's taunting.
"Hobson's choice, that would have to be the luscious Livia because he goes weak at the knees every time she so much as glances in his direction and lets face it mate the only way you're ever going to get laid is by a slag like her". Hobson went the colour of a ripened tomato, embarrassed that Choy had revealed his crush to the other guys and angry about what his friend had said about Livia but not enough to stand up to Choy.
"Jez, my main man your choice is equally easy to guess, after all little miss mechanic Kennis worships the ground you walk upon and you guys have known each other practically forever. So are you gonna tell us what's she like? I bet she's real hot between the sheets". Choy finished with an evil grin plastered across his weasel-like face.
"Nah, Kennis and I are just mates, I wouldn't go there, she's not my type. She however is fine and more than just my type, absolutely f**king perfect" Jeremy said running his fingers through his hair and stepping casually out of the shadows.
Dan sat in the control room looking at the monitors on which the shots from each of the eight wrist cams were showing, he was beginning to get really annoyed with the guys, Jeremy for abusing his position on the collection crew to visit seedy clubs, Ed would be more than a little upset with him when he found out, Layth for standing there and not doing his job or standing up for his friends, Hobson, for well just being Hobson but most of all be was angry with Choy for being the backstabbing, evil little bas***d that he had always known he was, Dan was thoroughly disgusted with Choy's comments about his friends.
Dan briefly glanced back at the screens, his heart stopped and he quickly paused one of the monitors and stared at the girl the one who Jeremy had thought was perfect and he had been right because she was most definitely the 'one' at least as far as Dan was concerned. Picture perfect, she wore knee-high leather boots the colour of milky coffee, a matching sleeveless cotton turtleneck and an a-line aquamarine leather miniskirt that had a strange metallic sheen to it. Her large, long lashed, almond shaped, hazel eyes were ringed with shadow the same colour as her skirt, her lips were plump and glossy, her check bones were high and her nose perfectly proportioned. Her skin was lightly and evenly tanned, her hair fell in long tousled waves to past her shoulders and was the colours of just ripened wheat and honey. She was petit and slender without being unfeminine and Dan likened her to either Kate Moss or Anna Kournikova or maybe a mixture of them both.
Hastily Dan saved the image and wrenched his gaze away from the screen as a sudden movement on one of the other monitors caught his attention.
"Come on Jeremy wait are you waiting for? After all a man's gotta satisfy his urges. What you gonna do about yours?" Choy taunted him. "Frigin chicken, afraid she'll turn you down are you? Can't get any unless you pay? Or are you just not man enough?" Choy jeered.
If there was one thing Jeremy hated more than anything else it was being called a coward. Jeremy strode purposefully towards the girl intent on showing Choy exactly what he was made off.
The girl had stopped and was leaning against the wall as she bent over to adjust the zip on her boots. Dan could see the fear in her eyes as Jeremy's shadow seamed to engulf her slender form, as he grew ever closer.
As she straightened up Jeremy hurriedly stuck one arm out so that it was touching the wall next to her head as he edged nearer still until he was just centimetres from the girls terrified face, "Don't you know who I am?" Jeremy questioned her his voice little more than a menacing whisper. Dan looked on helplessly as the girl nodded in response to frightened to speak, her eyes darting nervously in the opposite direction only to find that her escape route was blocked by Choy and Hobson who had moved closer to get a better look at what was going on.
She tried to duck underneath Jeremy's arm but he grabbed hold of her and shoved her hard back against the cold stonewall. He bent down in an attempt to kiss her and hastily drew his head away as she bit him hard on his lower lip making it bleed.
"Come on Jeremy, I thought you were made of stronger stuff than this, you gonna take a beating from a little girl?" Choy laughed nastily as he leered whilst staying just out of both Jeremy and the girls reach.
In response Jeremy grabbed a handful of the girls hair and pulled her head back so viciously Dan thought for a moment that her neck might snap. Jeremy tried to keep her pinned tightly pressed against him and the wall and as he kissed her again hard on the mouth she began to struggle, to scream, kick, scratch at his face and bite as she fought against him although her very life depended on her getting away.
Choy signalled for Hobson to take hold of her yelling "She's a whore, a dirty piece of Island scum" as he hesitated and although Hobson didn't think she looked especially like any whore he'd ever seen he was too scared of what Choy might do or say if he didn't do as he was told so he grabbed the girls arms in a vice like grip and Jeremy began to tare at her clothes, as her body went limp both Jeremy and Choy fell upon her with the beast like savagery of a pack of hyenas ferociously ripping apart their prey.
Dan, stunned by the horrific scene unfolding before his very eyes reached for the alarm as one by one the monitors went blank as the wrist cams were broken in the monstrous assault on the girl, until the only functioning one was Layth's as he stood transfixed his eyes never looking away from what was happening.
Almost immediately the door to the control room was thrust open and Robin ran in. "What the f**ks going on?" He shouted at Dan who jumped to his feet.
"Group two, Jeremy and that arsehole Choy have got hold of some girl and it looks like they're beating her half to death". Dan responded his voice shaking with equal combinations of anger and loathing.
Robin glanced briefly and disbelievingly at the monitors then back and Dan.
"Sh*t! He exclaimed as he rushed hastily over to the safe on the wall and typed in the security code, yanking the door open he pulled out a gun and held it out to Dan to snatched it out of his hand and stuffed it into his back pocket.
"You know where this is?" Robin interrogated him. Dan nodded. "Ok, here's what were going to do, take the gun and the keys to the jeep and get there as fast as you can, I'll radio Kennis and get Dayne to meet you at the corner of West and Town street, got that?" Dan nodded again.
"Right get going, I'll handle things here" Robin told him bluntly.
Keys in hand Dan ran down all three flights of stairs and jumped into the waiting jeep with out even pausing to open the door, the wheels crunched and span on the gravel as he sped off shattering the peace of what, up until now, had been an almost perfect day.
Robin turned to the job at hand. He switched on the radio. "Kennis? Kennis? Are you there?" he asked trying to keep his voice as calm as possible.
"Robin is that you? Where's Dan?" She asked.
"I'll explain later, listen to me something's going down, I need you to go and pick up group one and get straight back here as soon as possible, Ok?"
"Why? What's going on? What about Jeremy and the others?" Kennis asked fear creeping into her voice as she spoke.
"Just group one they're on North Road at the moment" he said glancing at the monitors once more.
"I'm not leaving Jeremy". Kennis started to argue.
"This is not a request Kennis it's an order so do it, pick up group one, drop Dayne off at the corner of West and Town, tell him to stay out of sight until Dan gets there, then get back here as fast as you can". He almost yelled.
"One more thing if you see Jeremy or any of the others keep on driving, don't stop under any circumstances. Do you understand me?"
Kennis turning the keys in the ignition but as she replied over the noise of the engine Robin could tell that she was scared.
"And Kennis, be careful". Robin added his voice softening for an instant before he put down the radio and hurtled off to attempt to try and locate Ed before all hell broke loose.
