Book 2 - The Chameleon's Song

Chapter 0: Who Are You?

~~ UNKNOWN POV ~~

You could hardly hear the music over the cheers, laughter and singing. The street was filled with people dancing as if people weren't fighting for their lives on the other side of the city. And tonight there'd be one more.

The infamous foreigner of Cali, Señor John Ralph, was having a party and the majority of civilian Cali, Colombia was invited. Which meant that the idiot that stole from my 'friend', would be there. Therefore, so were we, to steal it back.

My legs itched to be moving as I stood in my position. I caught myself chewing on my lip. Maybe I should have worn a less eye-catching colour. I felt more confident whenever I wore yellow, so it felt needed, but considering what Arturo had planned for the idiot that stole from him... I regretted my decision to not blend in.

I looked across the street to Matias, another 'friend', positioned there mainly to keep an eye on me and my nervous pacing. The last time something like this happened, something that required the whole team, my nervous pacing had nearly gotten some of us in real trouble. My leg still hurt occasionally from the slash Arturo gave me as punishment. I wasn't going to let it happen again. Hence the itching legs.

Matias caught me staring at him and he winked at me. Weirdo. So I turned back to the crowd.

Matias was smaller than me but older, and I owed him my life. He and Arturo. If it weren't for them, I would probably be dead. They took me in when my familia all went to war, then my parents died and mi hermano, once he got home, seemed to be constantly leaving again and again for work, to earn enough money to support us. Unfortunately, it made me an involuntary member of their group.

And that's why I found myself standing, good leg bouncing, gun tucked into the back of my pants, watching for a pale man with a thick moustache, wearing a brown ruana, short hair, glasses and Colombian.

I hoped he didn't come my way because there were so many men matching that description any of them could have been the thief.

Suddenly a shot rang out. The sound bounced off the walls, making it louder than the music, louder than the sounds of happiness. My instincts made me step back as if to run from the sound of the gun. But I couldn't, I had to wait. I firmly planted my feet and waited to hear a second gunshot. If we heard a second shot, we were to run and see if whoever it was needed help, if we didn't, use the crowd and chaos to get away and to a rendezvous point.

When I didn't hear a second shot, I turned and followed the sea of panicked people, trying to get away from the fire. They all probably thought it was an act of the war going on. I didn't blame them. I would have as well if I weren't involved.

I reached the mark where we were all to meet up, I was the first there so while I was alone, I quickly took the bullets from my pistol and stashed it away again before Matias got there.

He said nothing to me as he sat down, rested his head on the wall behind him, and we waited.

And now it was safe, I could freely pace. Though every step was sending a sharp pain in my thigh where the scar was, I couldn't stand still.

Arturo was the last of the six of us to arrive with a split lip and holding a bloodied necklace.

"Let's celebrate with rum!" Arturo declared.

Now that I knew the group was safe, I just wanted to go home but once Matias put his arm over my shoulder I knew there was no backing out.

The six of us ended up at the local pub, they had two workers on that night in anticipation, which meant Arturo was able to convince them that they had paid for the rum and they walked out after very stolen drinks.

They had only had a few drinks, none of them paid for thanks to Arturo's skills before Matias declared it was time to call it a successful night and get home to sleep.

I was okay with that.

Out on the street, a dog was looking excited. It saw us and ran up giving some of the others kisses. He let me pet him. Something had the guy riled up.

"Anyone knows whose dog this is?" Dominic, one of the guys, asked.

"No idea, but he's playful," Matias said.

I noticed he kept looking back down the side of the pub with his tail going mental, tongue lopping out the side of his mouth.

"What do you keep looking at?" I asked and followed the dog's glance