CHAPTER 1
You're a member of the public in the city of New York, strolling down the sidewalk, you're on your way to your new job. Dressed up in your only black slim fit, knee length skirt, a white shirt and a small black blazer. You make your way down the city, block by block until you reach Foster Street; the business address is at number 32A on the second floor. The street was relatively neat and tidy from your perspective, only a few pieces of litter here and there, blossomed trees scattered up and down the pavement on each side of the road. It was a rough area: many reported cases recently of assaults, mobster outbursts in the night, robberies etc etc. You knew it wasn't the ideal place for a job, sadly it was the only job available currently, you couldn't afford not to take it, you had to pay the bills and living in the city wasn't the most straightforward of tasks.
The building was pretty easy to find, a big, dark brown door stood in front of you, it wasn't the most appealing of entrances, but that didn't distract you, you were just excited to get to work and finally have a job. You open the door, make your way to the reception to the sight of emptiness. The lights were switched off, but that didn't bother you; you just thought to yourself: 'Maybe i'm early?' The way upstairs was simple enough, the signage was all in place for the business upstairs. You decided to make your way up, step by step, you realize the place is almost lifeless. 'i'm sure this is the interview day.' all of these thoughts ran through your head, you weren't worried, just concerned that maybe you hadn't got the job.
You carried on your journey up the staircase, reaching the top you paused and looked to your left and right. To the right you could see the office, door being slightly ajar and lit on the inside. Even though you were excited, you couldn't help be cautious, it seemed peculiar that everywhere else in the building was completely dead. Your shoes seemed to be the only thing making a sound until you started to become closer to the office; faint voices came from the room: 'Maybe i shouldn't be here' you turn and start to walk away; a loud bang. Many curses came from the lit room. The noise startles you back to the top of the stairs. You cannot help but be intrigued and watch the open door from a distance peering around the staircase' corner.
You've been stood watching the door for a couple of minutes; no ones walked in or out. The curses and aggression in the room seemed to be throwing themselves out of the open door, making whoever's presence it was inside evermore known. You knew something was up, especially considering this was a dangerous area. You decide you're going to leave. Turning around on the staircase you're met with a tall bulky figure of a male, wearing a suit, his blazer sleeves rolled up with a small heart pins on each of the collars. "Ya shouldn't be here Missy" he exclaimed "Now here we go, i don't want no trouble off a' ya" You stood there in fear. He could do some damage to anyone facing him, he'd squish you like a bug. He put out his arm and grabbed your wrist harshly and pulled you along to the lit room.
"Found this little one on the staircase" the hearted man said as he threw you into the room, closing the door behind, locking you in.
You were presented with a sight of your to be boss's body slumped on the floor in the corner, lifeless and still, lying in a small pool of blood. There were three other men in the room, another tall man: He dressed the same as the big guy who had caught you. He brandished what seemed to be a cue stick from a game of pool or billiards, he eyed you closely almost like he was assessing you, he too had collar pins; his being red diamonds. The next man was short and stumpy, wore the same and held some sort of short cane, he didn't pay much attention to you, he seemed to be collecting items from a safe behind a painting; you could see his pins: clubs. Lastly, there was a averaged height figure, he didn't face you, instead he stepped away from the body in the corner. As he moved backwards, you could visibly see what appeared to be deep knifed pits in the body's chest and jaw and the third man holding the knife. You feel your own chest cave in upon the scene that stood before you, this made you slightly hyperventilate and shake.
"Who sent you?" the third man turned to face you and stated. He wore a suit, a fedora and had a patch over his left eye with short scarred skin poking out in various places around the piece of fabric, his pin completed the deck, his being a spade. "I asked who fucking sent you!" he raised his voice and stared at you. "S-s-ent me? No-no-no one sent me...I-I" He cut your sentence off "How do i know you're not a spy or even one of those dirty little detectives?!" "Maybe ya should search her boss" the big hearts guys said from behind you. "We don't have time you idiot, we're going back to the hideout as planned yesterday, you keep a hold of the little dame before we can interrogate her." He growled and walked by, knocking shoulders with you, exiting through the door, the other two followed him; leaving you with the big fella. You looked down at your feet wondering what they were gonna do to you. "Don't you worry lass, he wouldn't hurt a little pretty thing like you, he don't work like that!" You somewhat give a smile in return, "Oh...okay..." "Oh i'm Hearts Boxcars by the way, sorry if i scared ya earlier, didn't mean to lass." "it's-it's okay...I'm [first name]." You and Boxcars leave the building together, following the other three; you nervously continue your journey to their 'hidehout' as you'd been told earlier.
