Heists and Vengeance

Twenty

Erin

Erin stood in the hallway, dithering.

She'd been in the middle of sketching out her next art piece, when she'd come downstairs for a snack. There she'd encountered Ryder, who'd been hurrying towards the door. When she'd asked him where he was going, like she often did, he'd responded with the very evasive 'Just going out, you know'.

On the one hand, she wanted to get back to her art and get some stuff done. But at the same time, Ryder did not 'Just go out' – everything he did had a purpose, even if it wasn't apparent at first. What was he up to?

Sketching or spying? Drawing or detecting? She had to make a decision, quick. Erin reasoned with herself that she could finish her drawing later, and that finding out what exactly Ryder was doing was the top priority.

Her decision now made, she stepped into her boots and practically ran outside. As she walked on to the street, she spun around, looking for Ryder and hoping that she wasn't too late. Finally, she spotted a figure turning a corner one block ahead, and she sighed with relief. The stiff posture, purposeful stride, quiet confidence...clearly Ryder.

She ran down the street and continued to follow him, always staying far enough behind that he wouldn't know she was there, but close enough to know where he was going. Once or twice, he did turn around, as if he sensed that there was someone there, but Erin was able to hide herself fast enough so that he didn't see her.

At first, Erin had no idea where they were going, but after five minutes or so, it became apparent. "What's Ryder doing heading to Parker Square?" she whispered to herself. That, if she remembered correctly, was Reaper territory, so unless Ryder had a death wish...

Nevertheless, she continued trailing him, and her suspicions were proven right when Ryder stopped right at the edge of the square. It was the kind of place that you knew had once been pretty, but had lost it due to abandonment and neglect. The place was deserted and the buildings surrounding the square were an ashy gray, some with peeling paint on their walls. Many of the windows had little balconies, sporting wilted or dead flowers, like a half-hearted attempt to cheer the place up. The tiled floor was made of stone, and weeds were growing in the many cracks. And in the center of the square was a gray fountain, of a woman holding her arm out, face filled with terror, as if she was trying to ward off an invisible beast.

It was on the edge of this fountain that Ryder sat and waited – for who? Erin stayed in a narrow alley between two of the buildings, the darkness there ensuring that she would not be seen.

They stayed in their respective positions in complete silence, save for the twittering of a lone bird somewhere far away. Just when Erin was coming to the conclusion that no Reaper was going to bust out of the shadows and murder Ryder, the sound of footsteps echoed through the square.

"Hello Anthony," Ryder said, without even looking up from the ground. Erin couldn't see who he was talking to, and had to wait for the man to enter her line of sight next to Ryder before being able to try and identify him.

His back was to her, but she could see that he was broad shouldered and tall, with slicked back brown hair. He was wearing a black coat despite the warmth of August, along with slacks and polished black work shoes.

"Donahue. It is a pleasure to see you again." Again? What did he mean by that?

"I wish I could say the same, Anthony, but I can't," Ryder responded, the ghost of a smile on his lips. "How's business?"