Chapter 1: Ajax The Free

October 17, 1979

"Thank you. Now report to the rest of your unit to continue their present operations."

--click--

Gary left the telephone booth rather quickly. He needs to get out of this ghetto dump side of Washington D.C. immediately. The Boss must hear this Intel immediately.

Then he feels the nozzle of a gun pressed hard against his back.

"You wanna live? Give me your money."

Gary closed his eyes. How did he walk into that? Oh well, it doesn't matter. He pulled his wallet from his coat, takes the crisp green papers, and hands it to the gunman behind him. The nozzle quits touching his back.

He turned his neck around to see that it's a young boy, maybe 13, wearing a gang uniform of a white shirt, blue jeans, and a red leather jacket.

"Thanks sir, now piss off!" The kid aims the gun at him again.

Gary turned his head back, and gently walked away. That kid must have been a member of the Sons of Liberty, the gang that owns this side of town.

Gary wondered how that punk would have reacted if he known he had just mugged a Special Assistant to the President of the United States. Imagine the street cred he could have yielded.

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All 4 of them have gathered at the end of the cell row, in front of the door. The guards can't just let him go on his last day in jail. Figures.

"Hello Arnold…"

He continued walking. He so wants to break that pig's face. Instead, he smiled in jest. Only a few hundred yards left. It's not worth it. Besides, the handcuffs and chains have his hands tied up. Not that such an obstacle has stopped him before.

"It's Ajax"

The guard won't easily get one last excuse to wallop this kid with his nightstick.

"Kid, why you keep using that punk gang name?"

"I don't know, why are you keep being a fairy?"

Boom, Bang, zing!

Ajax trips to the cement floor. Another of the guards tripped him on purpose.

"Ohhhhh, so sorry Ajax. I didn't mean to do that. You know how clumsy I am." The other guards laugh.

Ajax gets to his feet and turns to face them. "Its alright, that's why you're a babysitter and not a REAL cop."

The guards now laugh at the insulted guard.

Hell, I won't get a chance to do it before I leave these walls.

Ajax lifts his nose up and loudly smells. "Guys, do you smell that?"

The guards begin smelling themselves.

"Smell what kid?"

Only mall cops are dumber than these hack badges.

"Well, I smell fat and greasy stupid bacon with no balls."

The last of the annoyed guards walk up to the face of Ajax.

"We'll miss you, Ajax. We'll be waiting for you when your wiseass comes back."

The last thing that Ajax remembers is the guard punching his lights out.

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2 hours late.

Its nearly 4 o'clock, and Snow is getting fed up. He's been waiting at the front of Riker's Island Prison, leaning against his 1970 Ford Mustang. What could be taking so long?

There he is. Ajax walks out of the prison doors, wearing only a garbage wardrobe of terrible clothing and the worst haircut that Snow has seen in some time. All which were compliments of the New York City Department of Correction.

Snow starts laughing. Ajax used to beat up losers dress better than him right now.

Ajax is now at the car, baffled of sorts that his rival/superior was here. Snow reads from the mighty Ajax's face that he's annoyed with this laughing. Snow also sees that Ajax now has a rather nice and fresh black eye.

"Sorry Ajax, I couldn't help it. Say, did your man-lover give you a goodbye kiss?" Snow laughs even more.

"Bite me." He's in no humor today.

Ajax puts his hand on the car door.

"WAIT! Get your hand off my car!"

Ajax is now confused and pissed.

"Snow, What the hell are you doi-"

Snow puts his index finger to Ajax's mouth.

"Why is a Warrior allowing himself to be degraded on enemy turf."

Ajax is now confused and dumbfounded. Snow opens the driver seat door and reaches into the backseat. He pulls out a black trash bag.

"Come on Ajax, you know that a true Warrior must always wear his colors, with pride and muscle, on alien turf."

From inside the trash bag, Snow pulls out a Warriors vest, with a small switchblade-carved word on the back, signifying the name of the vest's owner.

Ajax's eyes light up. He's shocked.

"How did you get my vest back? The pigs took it from me when they booked me at the precinct. How did you get it from the evidence locker?!?"

Snow lightly grabs Ajax by the shoulder. "Come on man. After the Destroyers nearly killed us when they stole our vests last years, I made sure that we both would never lose our personalized colors of honor again, no matter what!"

Snow gives Ajax the keys to the car.

"Let's go home, brother."