Chapter 5. Heroes Don't Need Plans

Ever watch House? I mean the TV show. House always says that the white light you see is a chemical reaction of the brain shutting down. I don’t know what it was but I’ve never been more scared in my life. Now, I’m not very religious I believe in god but that’s about the extent of my Catholicism. I prayed like hell in a temple of white that I wouldn’t die, seems it paid off. When I woke up it wasn’t to the walking, chattering and beeping of a hospital but to a middle aged man with a chinstrap and goatee rotating me onto my side. Needless to say the pain was extraordinary. He was middle aged with a beer belly gut and arms covered in hair. He wore a muscle shirt with jeans and sandals. His shirt had splashes of something red on the chest area. I really hope that’s not my blood I thought as I looked him over.

“Well, well, well, look who’s finally up” He turned his head. He had a Texan accent where his voice went up a notch when he screamed.

“BYRNE!” He yelled “THE KIDS UP LIKE ROOSTER AT DAWN!”

His screaming gave me a splitting headache. I looked over to where he was facing an old wooden staircase started to creek as Detective Byrne came down.

“Really? Impressive, I’d thought he’d be out longer.” He said poking his head out from under the door.

“What happened?” I asked. I tried leaning up but the pain was too much.

“Your one lucky Son of a b***h ya knows that?” the strange man said “That bullet damn near hit yas heart. Straight in-between da arteries.” He said rubbing his chin.

“I’m Sorry who are you?” I asked the man

“Oh My sweet Jesus! I’m sorry ma names Weston Jackneye, Private Surgeon at ya’ll service.” He bowed arm in front.

“Private Surgeon?” I said curiously.

“Weston’s the guy you go to when you don’t want the cops involved.” Byrne said

“Aren’t you a cop?” I said grabbing my chest. I wasn’t wearing a shirt but a vest of gauze from my waist up around my left shoulder.  “I just got shot, and you DON’T want me to get involved with the cops?” I said confused “Aren’t you a police detective?”

Byrne looked at me seriously.

“You obviously have no idea what you’ve gotten into kid.” He said seriously

“You’re in what the bad guys call finis lineae”

            “What’s finis lineae? And who are ‘the bad guys?’” I asked

            “They are the biggest badest mob bosses and gang leaders in the country and they all put a ton of money into these phones.” Byrne held up my phone and tossed it to me.
“Then they all take bets on who comes out alive, and any money not spent on the phones goes to the winner. Its Latin for ‘end of the line’”

            “Then how in hell did I get mixed up in this? I’m from Cleveland!”

            “That’s the weird part; normally you need be in a gang and the leader needs to choose you to play. There’s only one way some guy like you could get in.”

            “How’s that?”

            “The guy who runs the game Mr.0 I’m assuming you talked to him?”

            “Yeah the day I got the phone old man with a scraggly voice.”

            “The only way you could have been put into the game is if you met Mr.0 in real life.”

            I looked down at my chest and the bandages that encased it. Some friend this guy was sending a random kid into a fight with gang hitmen and mob henchmen. Great job Nick! Let’s go to New York City we’ll have a great time! Yeah right……….

            “I don’t recall the voice being similar.” I said

            “You probably said something to him that impressed him so he had his member of the seven slip the phone in your pocket when you weren’t looking. The same girl who robbed the restaurant right?” he smirked “you’re a good kid taking the hit for your friends”

            “How’d you find out?” I asked

            “Security cams, plus your friends all said the same thing. That’s why I wanted to talk, why were you covering for her?”

            “I wasn’t. I was covering for my friends.” I looked at him he smiled

            “Good cause you’re going to need their help to get out of this alive.”

            “Not really I’m out of the game.” I said smiling.

            “What do you mean?” Byrne asked

            “Rule number three if you go to the police you’re eliminated. Which they tried! All I need to do is leave New York.”

            “That is an option. Shortly after you got shot your phone shut off I tried turning it back on but it wouldn’t start.” He said

            “There’s more to this isn’t there.” I said frowning.

            “I think the phone is fingerprint activated.”

            “What makes you think that?” I asked

            “You see that circular button when I press it, it won’t push down. Because it’s clear you can shine light through it and see a scanner looking object at the bottom.”

Byrne got up and came over to the bed. He put his hands on my shoulders.

“The way I see it you’ve got two options. You can leave just like you said. Or you can make the biggest bust in history and take down almost every gang boss in the country. It will be dangerous and you might die, so I won’t stop you if you want to go.”

He took his hands off my shoulders and sat back down on the steps. I looked at the phone then at my chest.

“After a speech like that how could I say no?” I said flipping open my phone.

“Are ya sure boy? It be an aweful lot a trouble for a young’n like yous.” Weston said

“I came to New York looking for an adventure I’ll be damned if I leave right after I find one.” I said smirking

I pressed the middle button the phone started booting up. Just then it made an unseemly high pitched pinging noise! Me and Byrne clenched our ears.

“What is it guys I don’t hear it!” Weston said cleaning his ears.

When it finished the phone started ringing the caller ID was Mr.0. I looked at Byrne before picking up the phone I decided to let him speak first.

“Who is this?” the raggly voice said.

“What you don’t remember me gramps?” I said with a cocky attitude.

“Number seven? But that’s impossible! You were eliminated I saw the bullet pierce your heart!”

“A stubborn enough person can survive just about anything.” I said

“So that’s you plan huh? Work with the police to bring down the organization? Well then number seven I’m updating the rules. Whoever kills you gets all the money left on your phone.” He said acting all menacing “Now what’s your plan?” he mocked

I smiled. “Haven’t you heard gramps?” I paused “Heroes don’t need plans.”

There was I silence over the phone. He started laughing.

“This! This is why I chose you number seven! You never give up. Good luck, I hope you win.”

He hung up; and I closed my phone. I looked at Byrne.

“And so it begins.”

Reviews

[Ace D Portgas]

Sa weet!

I'm liking where this is headed...I love these types of mysteries

Now I'm eager to find out who Mr. 0 is...It makes me think of Crocodile from One Piece lol...But since it was said Nick has ran into Mr. 0 before I wonder if it's one of his friends?

But dang it's the last chapter...I WANT MORE LOL

But overall a good chapter...We learned some things