She's No Longer With The Band

Prologue

Nate's Point of View:

A dirty abandoned parking garage in some deserted area of Manhattan is where I stand. I stand next to Claude, secretly encapsulated with an endless amount of fear. So much has happened recently, it's difficult for me to understand it all. It's mainly that I've been struggling to comprehend the fact that Brady left our band a week ago. That he broke off everything we ever had, and that he's avoided contact with all of us, since then.

It hurts, a lot.

I have no idea whether he's still in the mafia or not, and if Claude would let him out that easily.

I just wish he would've talked to me, or any of us for that matter. I'm worried about him, we all are, and we don't know where he is. It's completely bizarre, it's like he just ghosted us all. Gone missing. I feel like I should be out there, looking for him, and trying to figure out what happened to him. I've only known him for a a little over a year and a half but our friendship sparked from the moment we met. And now I feel foolish for everything.

Also the band. He's in our band, and he's just disappeared.

Nowhere to be found.

Right now I'm with Claude underground in the parking garage. Its empty, eerie, terrifying. We're supposed to be meeting with some other members of the mafia to exchange money for some expensive items. I don't understand anything, I never do. All that I know is that I have to stick to Claude like glue, and punch someone when I need to.

The sound of Claude's expensive shoes hitting the pavement was enough to scare me in itself. I'm not frightened of Claude, even though he's the mob boss. I'm frightened because of how his heeled shoes are echoing, creating for an even more eerie scene. It's just all too scary.

"Have you spoken to Brady recently?" Claude asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I turned to him, with parted lips, like I was about to start speaking. When I realized I didn't have an answer that would satisfy him, I shook my head. "No, I haven't."

He let out a noise of disappointment and he shook his head, the muscles in his jaw flexing with frustration. "I don't know what's happened to him. If he doesn't explain himself to me, then I'm going to have to reprimand him."

I don't even want to think about that.

I turned around to face Claude so that my front was to him, my back is to behind the south end of the parking garage. I crossed my arms over my chest, something I do when I'm feeling either cold and or insecure. Right now I'm feeling both of those things, and am trying to instill some sense of confidence back into myself.

I've been on lots of missions and quests with Claude alone, and with the guys. All of it makes me feel uneasy, but Claude just means a lot to me. He's always meant a lot to me. He's like the father I never had, and I can't risk losing that by disobeying him, or leaving the mafia.

Yes, I know. It's selfish of me.

We'll get out soon enough though. I just need a little more time.

I opened my mouth to say something, but right when I did I noticed Claude's face go pale and his eyes drifted.

"Claude what's wrong?" I shook my head relentlessly.