The Girl in the Middle

She is Amber

Two years later

*Tom*

It is Thursday, which means I got a new delivery of goods to take care of. Goods mean weapons and ammunition, which we sell to other gangs. Every gang has its own way of surviving and making money.

As it isn’t really possible to have an illegal ship unloading illegal goods in the middle of Farhill’s fancy tourist area, I have to pay Zombie a hefty sum every month to use the harbor. The harbor is Zombie’s domain and how his gang makes the most of their money. Only on Thursdays can I be there without the risk of getting shot or otherwise attacked.

And because I am on the harbor, I learn of the battle right away. Such a large group of Zombie's gang doesn’t get injured in our everyday scrabbles, and the training fights only give bruises. There has clearly been a real fight, and when Zombie comes back from a real battle of that magnitude, there is only one logical opponent ... Clay.

Even now, two years after the war and Amber's death, they still blame each other, and they only live to make life troublesome for one another. Sometimes I think that without each other to hate, they would both have perished by now.

I leave the responsibility with Thorn, one of my older members, and run back to the car. To be worried about one another in our part of town is unavoidable. I should know better than anyone. I am the one selling the weapons people use to defend themselves and wage war on each other.

My worries are as always for Kattie and the kids. The kids whom I can hardly call kids any longer. Clay, I feel no loyalty towards him any longer, and Michael, Kattie's boyfriend, well, I'd be happy to see him gone. He had come along a year ago and had swept Kattie off her feet, even though she had sworn she didn't believe in that kind of love. He had pulled The Shadows from the deep hole Clay had led them into. He is the hero who has done what I couldn't. But I do not trust him.

Our part of the city is relatively small. The people in Farhill had started calling it the underworld, and we, who live here, are mostly mentioned as the unwanted. We are the people no one wants.

That is what we are. Farhill’s underworld. The place where it's secrets are buried and the unwanted citizens disappear too. We are the secret that could make the country's government punish the entire city for our mere existence. We should either never have been born or we should have died a long time ago.

The citizens of Farhill have nothing to do among us and there is rarely any danger if they wander down here by accident. And it is made sure the tourists didn't end up here either. Not that we would harm them, but the government of Farhill seems to think that we are all rapists and murderers.

So the size of the area and the lack of traffic makes me reach the apartment in ten minutes. We are a few who have transportation. It is a privilege the leaders usually keep to themselves. And the gangs that need it have a couple of cars for transportation.

Not that the cars and motorcycles that exist here are legal. It isn’t easy to buy and pay for a car, when you in theory don’t exist at all and therefore can’t have it registered in a name.

As soon as I stop the car on the curb, I know something is wrong. Kattie is sitting on the fire escape ladder leading to their big apartment on the fifth floor and her whole posture makes me instantly worry.

She looks up with a guarded glance and our eyes meet. There is sorrow, fear and worry in her green eyes. It is something I haven’t seen since Amber's death.

"What happened ?" I feel my hands get sweaty with worry. Who has died ? Kattie has only cried once, and that was when Amber died. Not even in the hard times right after, when anyone else would have broken, had she cried. Not that she hadn't seeked comfort and safety. But never with tears in her eyes. She is the strongest person I know.

"Michael is hurt". She whispers in a raw voice as I reach her. "And Clay found a girl ...". Kattie's breathing gets faster. I sit down next to her, pulling her into my arms. They still fits perfectly around her, Michael being in the picture hasn’t changed that.

"Michael is going to make it, don’t worry". I whisper back. And I can’t stop myself from pressing my lips against the top of her head. That is the closest I will get to her nowadays.

"Yeah Gerard and Zac said the same". Kattie mumbles. "But the girl ...". Her voice brakes and a tremble goes through her slim body. "She is Amber".

I must admit that for a moment I fear the worst. That Clay has truly snapped and dug up the body, bringing it home, but then the sensible part of my brain kicks in, even Clay couldn’t be that sick. "Amber is dead Kat". I whisper. "Who this girl is, I don't know, but she isn't Amber".

"Please talk to him Tom". Kattie pulls away and looks pleadingly at me. She has tears in her eyes now. I just want to take her in my arms and make her pain and worries go away. "Make him understand that she can't stay here".

It is a fool's prayer. Clay has never in his life listened to me. It isn’t due to particularly friendly feelings between us that The Shadows and The Eagles have an alliance.