His Queen of Hearts

Jack. The street was a bustle of crowds. Every corner you turned a wave of new smells ranging from rotting food to leaking sewage rushed through. The buildings were alive with shouting and fighting and all kinds of fun. The harbour was a clutter of ships pushing and shoving for a spot to dock. The scavengers lurked around the gaps in the roofs waiting to grab whatever leftovers they could spot. As he slipped through the people no one noticed him, not when he took the lady's diamond incrusted purse not when he snatched the man's gold-plated watch, not even when he stole the wallets of a whole family of tourists. Then again how could they. His quick fingers effortlessly glided through pockets and purses. In his six years of living here, he had mastered his craft. Of course this was not his only nor desired profession, with the constant fear of messing with the wrong person, or worse being caught by the Prinks and thrown in Azeel. The Prinks were a new police system that had been set up around ten years ago. They weren't governed nor affilated with any particuler gang either. They were independent 'People Powered', they said. What a load of shite! They're some fools with money and a hero complex. They set out rules or 'guidelines to peace' and failure to abide got you thrown in this prison called Azeel. No mercy and endless torture. Everyone thought the gangs would finish them, but there seems to have been some shady business behind closed doors and they were aloud to stick around. They won't last much longer now though. It seems Joker has a bone to pick with them. The job was in no way without its cons. Pun intended. He simple saw it as a means to an end, money was money. Beggars can't be choosers. No saying fitted better as he thought of his current situation. Nadia. Whatever it took he was going to save her. No one else can. He had almost reached his goal. Just a little longer. Hold on. It could be worse. I could've joined one of the gangs. Then I would be in real trouble about now. In the beginning there were three major players. Each one having powerful hold on the city and the daily working of the Island. The been three gangs had built the city. There was no government nor laws, however they kept the peace and held onto their powers by stopping any bigwig dealer from getting to big for the boots. There was a balance. An equilibrium between the three as each could not survive without the other two. By joining a gang you were protected, a guaranteed safety net, no one could touch you then and money was no longer a problem. You were set for life. Nate almost joined one too. He had an associate in the Redwaltzers and had been offered membership if he wanted it. They weren't particularly close but they had attend Clattiors Alchemy Academy together and had remembered that Nate had been top of his class. Top of the school in fact. For the brief period I had attended. However it hadn't sat well with Nate, he didn't like alchemy. The thought of using it everyday had turned him off joining. And thank god I didn't. Two weeks later everything had turned to chaos. Joker had arrived and flipped the system on its head. Being in any other gang automatically put a target on your back. Joker left no survivors no witness, it was like you just vanished. As Nate looked at his new gold-plated watch, he saw it had reached the hour and turned towards Black of Hearts Casino. Time to get to work. Ace. Four men, two-armed, one lookout and the leader. As she eyed up her prey, she loaded her sniper rifle and began to aim. Two hundred meters. Easy. Although she had been exclusive in her work since she could hold a gun, the boss had been quiet recently. Too quiet. She had heard nothing for months and was dying of boredom. She hadn't had this much free time since the time the boss had stabbed her in fit and she'd ended up bedridden for weeks. She had never held it against him though. He was a manipulative, obsessive and had become darker and more menacing over the years, but she trusted him whole heartedly. Maybe it was more than trust. She took a deep breath and fired. Three down one to go. However she knew he was going to change things, make it so what happened him, to her, never befell anyone else. She threw herself off the roof of the building and hit the balcony on the fourth floor with a thud. She knew he was up to something, whenever he went quiet he was up to something. Something tiresome and messy. She flew down two flights of stairs and then out the staircase back window falling to the cushion of an over full dumpster at the back of an alleyway. Great. I'm gonna smell like trash for a week!  He had a reason for everything. He planned and executed. Nothing was not calculated. That's what he was good at. She was off again rushing down Tyfelt Street, before stopping. She would do anything he asked and follow him anywhere he went, cause, what else would she do? She eyed up the leader, puffy and out of breath turning towards Thrishwood lane. Dumbass. You think you could run from me. I'm very competitive when it comes to games. Her life was meaningless without him. She pulled the revolver from her belt and bang. He hit the ground like a sack of potatoes. I win. Frowning she pulled the communicator from her pocket and dialled the client. Games aren't as fun without you. As kids they had always played together. Tag was the amusement of choice. Hide and seek didn't really work in Azeel. There was nowhere to hide. She wasn't use to bounty work but she needed something to pass the time. Constant stimulation so that her mind never wandered. Thinking about the past never ended well, so distractions were needed to prevent this from occurring. Besides, a little extra cash is always handy. When she returned to her flat there was a note waiting for her. Scribbled in inky fountain pen were the words: Ace, I need you down at Black of Hearts. Be there at two sharp. Trouble's come knocking. - Osly. "Stopping calling me that. It sounds so stupid!"  Mind you, Tammy isn't anything special either. As she smiled to herself, lost in her own thoughts, the Round Tower's bell chimed from the square. It was two o'clock.  "s**t!