Hacking The Heart [Immortal Hearts #1] (#Wattys2016)

[2] - M3Li55A

Unknown Location; 12:56 AM:

"Landon, is that you, man?" a young man stepped up to a counter. "How long has it been? Shit, the last time I saw you was before you and that girl got married."

"Sorry, J, I don't have time to talk right now." Landon pulled off the hood that covered half of his face. "Are you still selling?"

"Haven't stopped, never will." the man known as J grinned out his reply. "What do ya' need man?"

"Whatever five thousand dollars can buy." Landon handed J a yellow envelope. "...You know the drill."

"Jesus, bro. You plannin' on takin' on the White House or something?" J laughed, having no idea just how close he may have been with that comment.

"Hurry the fuck up, J. I don't have time to fuck around." Landon growled, an obvious, rampaging fire in his sharp glare

Landon followed J into another room and watched as he pulled out a black dufflebag and stuffed it with big and small blank, brown cardboard boxes. J zipped up the bag and brought it to Landon, along with another medium-sized box that was heavily taped up.

"This one is on the house, bro." J handed him the bag and then the box. "By the looks of it, it looks like you'll need it."

Landon set the heavy black bag down and punched a hole in the box to stick his fingers into, which would make it easier to carry. He then threw the dufflebag over his shoulder and left without another word. What was inside of those brown boxes that J had put inside the black bag? What was Landon's reason for meeting what appeared to be an old friend? What exactly did Landon buy?

Meanwhile at another unknown location across the city; 12:56 AM:

Kaylee was in a daze. Her vision was blurred and she was seeing double, on top of that, the pain in her left hand was the result of it being broken by one of the three masked men in front of her. The entire reason she had passed out to begin with was, in fact, because of the pain in her hand.

"Finally awake, are we?" the man in the middle exhaled cigarette smoke from his mouth. "I'll ask again, where are the files you stole and who has them?"

Kaylee studied the men looming over her. The two men on the left and right sides were shorter and appeared to be Caucasian under the gloomy lighting. The man in the middle was the tallest and had darker skin than the other two, the only distinguishing feature Kaylee could find on him were long dreads, however, that alone would never distinguish anything from another man with the same hairstyle.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Kaylee lied. "I didn't steal any--"

Kaylee was punched. "If you know what's good for you, you'll start talkin', and quick." Dread-man, the name Kaylee had mentally given him, brought his face within inches of hers, his breath reeked of smoke. "Your husband, he's some kind of computer wiz, ain't he? Tell us where he is and you're free to go."

"Don't worry...he's coming." Kaylee flicked her hair out of her eyes. "You guys are fucked. You're so fucking fucked! Landon is going to cut your damn heads off and send them to your mothers like an early Christmas present!"

Kaylee laughed hysterically, her eyes wide as she crazily glared at the tall, dark-skinned male. After moments of laughter, she was soon silenced with another fist. The tall male, 'Dread-man,' figured she was bluffing, trying to put off further torture. Oh, how little he knew, how little.

"I'm looking forward to it." Dread-man went along with her. "While we wait, how about we have some fun?"

Blue Line Bay Apartments; 2:54 AM: