Chapter 2:

Joel still felt numb when he reached the warehouse. He stared at it and considered it. It was extremely nondescript, Joel figured it would be a pretty good place to hide if you ever had the cops on your ass. Joel looked behind him and left and right. He couldn't see anybody else. He took a deep breath and walked ever closer to the warehouse.

When he reached one of the loading bay doors, he stopped. He was feeling that uneasiness; the kind he had felt back at his apartment. What was he even doing there? He was taking orders from some guy who he had met that very day. Joel started to turn around; head the other way. But as he was beginning to move, the bay door open. Joel stopped and looked back at it. Standing there was a man dressed in jeans and a tight muscle shirt.

"Doc saw ya' standing out here from his window. Told me to come and get ya'." He motioned for Joel to follow, and he began to move. Hesitently, Joel followed.

"Name's Tim, by the way. X already told me yours is Joel." Joel nodded his head. "What else did he tell you?" Joel hadn't meant to sound so harsh when he said it. "Well, said you're a heroin addict." Joel tensed. Tim looked back and saw this.

"Hey man, it's cool. You're gonna' fit right in. Most of us are social outcasts-losers, junkies, you name it. It's fine." Joel didn't relax, just followed Tim through the warehouse. They went through the main room. It was filled with tons and tons of people milling around, talking and having a good time. Joel could easilly smell marijuana.

They went up a large staircase to the second floor and began down a long hallway. Tim stopped by the last door on the left. "Alright, this is it." He said to Joel. "X's office is in there." Joel looked at the door and swallowed. Now that he was actually here he felt uneasy. He felt vulnerable and exposed. Tim only looked at Joel a moment more before walking back down the hall and disappearing down the stairs.

Joel took a deep breath. He tried to relax and keep calm. Before he could loose his nerve, Joel reached out and pushed the door open. Dr.X stood in his office by his desk. He was still in the suit he had been wearing at the rally. When Dr.X caught sight of Joel, he smiled and motioned to the chair on Joel's side of the desk.

"Have a seat Joel." He said, taking a seat himself. Joel walked over to the chair and sat down carefully. He looked around the office. He had expected something a little more...extravagant. But the office was empty except for the desk and the chairs. Joel looked back at Dr.X and waited.

"Alright Joel, here is how this is going to work." He stopped speaking and opened a drawer and produced two things: a hypodermic needle and a bottle of morphine. "I can not give you heroin-I don't have any contacts who can get me that. But as you know, heroin is actually a very inactive drug on it's own. when it is injected into the bloodstream, it converts into morphine, so this should suit you just fine." Joel looked at the bottle of morphine and licked his lips. He hadn't gotten his fix in almost a week and was beginning to feel the beginnings of withdrawal.

"What's the catch?" Joel asked. He knew it couldn't be that easy. It never was. Dr.X smiled. "A bright one, you are. But I'm glad you asked." Dr.X opened another drawer and set a pistol on the table. Joel just stared at it. He wasn't sure exactly what kind it was, he never had been all that educated with weapons.

"You can have the first fix free-a sample of sorts. After that, I want you to go on home, and take the gun with you." Dr.X slid the gun across to Joel.

At first, all Joel did was stare at the thing. He was beginning to realize what Dr.X wanted from him, and he wasn't sure if he liked it. But then his eyes moved to the bottle of morphine. He needed his fix badly. Joel took a deep breath and picked up the pistol. He held it in his hands and studied it for just a moment. He carefully set it on his lap and motioned to the morphine. "So-" Dr.X held up a hand.

"Just go home and wait by the phone. You can take the morphine with you, I don't want you lit in my office." Joel nodded his head and stood. He shoved the pistol into his back waistband after making sure the safety was on. He watched Dr.X for a moment before reaching out and picking up the bottle and hypo. He nodded his head and headed out the door.

Joel felt as if he were floating on a cloud, high in the sky. He felt as if he were flying through the air. He thought he could hear music playing even though he didn't have his radio or TV on. He felt happy and well.

He sat in his recline. Once again, staring up at the ceiling. His cellphone sat on the side table. He had waited after his 'meeting' with Dr.X, deciding it wouldn't be a good idea to take the drugs so early. It was now the day after, and Joel was as high as a kite.

Joel was so lost in the power the drugs had over him that he didn't even realize the phone was ringing until it was almost too late to pick it up. Joel fumbled with it for a moment before actually answer it.

"...H-hello?" And there it was. The voice of Dr.X whispering that word that Joel just couldn't hear for the life of him. He suddenly didn't feel as high as he had been a moment ago. And there was that numb feeling again. "Joel, good to see that you are still around. Do you still have the gun?" Joel looked at the side table, where the pistol sat. "Yeah."

"Good. Now, there is someone I need you to take care of. His name is Jimmy Blaire; I'm sure you've heard of him." Joel nodded and said; "Yeah. The guy lookin' to be governor."

"You are absolutely correct Joel. Now, listen. He is staying down at the Savanna, the hotel on South Paris." Joel knew the place. His brother Tommy stayed down there whenever he came to town. "If you could make sure Mr. Blaire will have some...trouble getting elected, you will be rewarded most handsomely." Joel knew that meant the morphine. And all he had to do was...kill Jimmy Blaire. Joel told Dr.X he would take care of it, and then thought of something else.

"How long will it take to get the morphine?" Dr.X chuckled.

"I am sorry for the inconvenience, but it will take a few days. I am trying to find someone reliable to bring you the drugs." Joel sighed. But no matter how much he wanted to complain, he knew he would do it for the drugs. He figured he would do just about anything for them.

"I'll get it done."

AN: Well, it looks like junkie Joel is about to become a murderer...for morphine (and that is why you don't get hooked on drugs). Well what do you think? Is junkie Joel going to go through with it? Who is going to be the one who brings him his fix? We'll find that out next time.