Untitled YA Mystery Thriller

Untitled Chapter 1

Jay Mahoney took a quick glance over his shoulder, they were definitely following him now. "Pick it up, Jay," he thought encouragingly. His casual walk doubled in tempo. The damp morning concrete gently splashed his faux leather chukka boots. Jay paid no attention, as his primary concern at the moment was the two unsightly gentlemen trailing twenty feet behind. He took another look over his shoulder. Still trailing, the two vagrants emerged in a gallop from behind a derelict florist shop. Jay grumbled under his breath, miffed, he began to run.

"Slow down der office boi," he nearly collided with a scantily clad street woman who took the opportunity to harangue him. Jay sprinted by, as fast as he could muster at six thirty in the morning. He awkwardly attempted to rearrange his messenger bag, also faux leather, which was tugging at his neck. Trying to explain a bright red mark on his neck to his mom was not on his to-do list. Bus shelters with the glass smashed in didn't exactly constitute acceptable hiding places though, so he kept running despite the irritating strap. Still, there was something about the summer air that didn't make this mortal peril the worst thing in the world.

Jay slowed momentarily to take a glance around the downtown intersection before he crossed. There wasn't typically a lot of traffic yet at this time, but Jay was always fairly cautious and the monolithic office buildings masked vehicles fairly well. Attention to detail like that was likely the primary reason that the Food Verification Association gave him an internship right out of high school. This government agency only accepted a few interns each summer, though Jay often reminded himself that most people didn't want the job anyway. He didn't mind the mundane data entry that eighteen year olds seemed to be destined for, so long as it meant a bit more money and a slightly improved college entrance resume. Notwithstanding, the weekly chases to work were growing tiresome.

The sidewalk extended long into the distance, stone planters were placed every few feet. Glancing over his shoulder again, Jay noted that the gap between himself and the pursuers had widened. He seized the opportunity to look down and properly adjust his messenger bag. "Should not have packed such a big lunch," he thought as he struggled to rearrange the strap and run at the same time. "Or maybe I should invest in a bigger b..." Smack! The quadriceps in his right leg struck one of the neglected planters and sent him sprawling to the ground. His messenger bag burst open as his brain processed the pain from a Charlie horse. An apple, cucumber, and half-chicken flew in all directions. He scrambled to get to his feet as he felt the progress of his escape evaporate. Now facing the other direction, his anxiety was lessened as he seemed to be alone. Nevertheless, the numbness in his leg made running impossible and he wasn't willing to take the risk. Jay took a moment to compose himself and spotted a metal service door ajar to his right. "Better to wait this one out," he thought as he ducked in behind the door.

Before he retired, Mr. Mahoney, Jay's father, used to say that the riff-raff only came out after lunch when they woke up. Although not entirely wrong, the crime and vagrancy in Columbus seemed to be increasing at a steady rate, to the point where the after lunch rule seemed to no longer apply. Jay wondered if any other teenagers were hiding for their lives at this very moment. His leg muscle continued to tighten, but Jay welcomed the opportunity to catch his breath. He was an average height kid and worked hard to be fit, not necessarily for a situation like this, which was certainly testing his fitness level at the moment. He brushed his short, straw coloured hair back as sweat beaded on his forehead. Moisture tickled his lower back and he accepted that his white dress shirt was most definitely transparent by now.

Without warning, Jay heard people approaching. He thought he had lost his pursuers but perhaps not. His body was still wedged tightly behind the cold steel. He held his breath as footsteps and the murmuring of voices grew louder. With no avenue of escape, Jay synchronized the rest of his body to his already stiff leg and began to prepare. He was confident in his ability to stand up for himself, after all, he had read a book on Krav Maga once. But he also knew that two on one was never a fair fight, especially against those with nothing to lose. The footsteps were nearly in front of him now.