Chapter 1

I walked along the balcony of my two story apartment in sadness. My parents had recently been killed in a firefight attack against a rival gang. From what the police were filling to tell me the Punishers had surrounded them and literally shot their brains out. The reason, my parents (and someday me) were a part of a gang called Shadow Storm. They were high up on the list of members, almost able to be crowned leaders, that is until they were killed. Apparently my parents had done an operative mission into one of the safe houses that belonged to the Kings. For two weeks they worked on the inside, behind enemy lines, and got important information for Tyler, the leader of Shadow Storm. Surprisingly Tyler was my age, just about 17 years old. Inside Shadow Storm everyone was to change their names so when they die or leave the gang to go back to their normal lives nobody can track them down.

In addition to their new names each person is assigned a nickname according to where they grew up as a child. My mother's was Ai; she came from Ai, Ohio. My father was Denver, he originated from Colorado.

I had received letters and emails from Tyler telling me it was time to come in but I still needed time to cope, let alone kill the people that killed my parents. I felt bad for Tyler because he was without an Operative but I needed to find myself again…

I stared out into the city from my balcony: there was so much to look forward to out there, a house all my own, a family, a husband… but I was being forced into a life I didn't want to live in. The last thing I wanted was to be in a gang: let alone a replacement to my parents.

Why would mom and dad do this to me? They knew I had big expectations for myself, expectations that didn't include killing people for a living and joining a gang of pot heads. I thought to myself, about to break down and cry.

I opened up the door to the living room and walked in to hear Mob Wives on VH1, a channel on TV. My mom was obsessed with that show, obsessed with the way the characters acted and said things: she always dreamed of being Italian. I sat down and turned on my mom's laptop, a MacBook Pro she owned for about three months before she was killed. When her desktop with a picture of her, my father, and myself on it there was a Skype alert from a username I didn't know. I was hesitant at first, I didn't know this username but I decided to go ahead and click accept. As soon as the picture showed up it was Tyler sitting in a big warehouse. I searched everywhere for the end button but I was stopped by a plea from Tyler.

"Wait, Rachel don't go… I need to talk to you." Tyler shouted, raising his hands to the screen. I didn't feel like talking, actually I never felt like talking anymore so I got out a pad and paper and wrote with a purple ball point pen.

What do you want?

"It's time for you to take your parents place."

What if I don't want too?

"You have too. It's in your blood to become part of us. We are all really excited to finally get you into the gang. You will make a perfect addition."

You don't know shit Tyler. All you care about is that retarded gang of yours. What would I be, shark bait for the Punishers, just like my parents?

"You know what Rachel, you will be joining us no matter what you say or where you g-," He was cut off by someone pushing him from the rolly chair in the middle of the warehouse. I looked back at the TV for a moment and when I looked back at the screen I saw two guys.

"Hey, you'll love it here! We have so much fun here… oh, by the way I'm Davis or how you'll soon know me as, Lux." A 16 year old guy said happily. His hair was messy and a shade of brown that only he could pull off. It was a shade of brown that had a small mix of blonde with it, not enough to call him a dirty blonde though.

"Yeah, you really will love it here with us. I'm Louis, or Santa." A 23 year old said calmly. I smiled at him once, probably because his name was Santa, or because he was extremely gorgeous. He was bigger, more buff than Davis. Louis had black hair that was spiked up with hair gel. His face showed years of drugs, most likely heroin or crack but I had no reason to judge.

I stared at the screen: the two looked like siblings, perfect siblings except for the hair and dramatic age difference.

"Hello, why aren't you talking? Are you a hologram?" Davis asked, scratching his head.

I shook my head and smiled as I wrote down my answer. No, I just don't feel like talking. I'm a little upset that Tyler is forcing me to join your gang.

There was a silence as the two of them read. Davis sighed and got up. I could see him go through a doorway to a different room of the warehouse. Through the computer screen and the great speakers attached to the laptop, I could hear him yelling at Tyler in the background. Louis continued to look at me, a smile on his face, and a sparkle in his bright green eyes.

"I'm sorry Rachel, I would do something about it but I can't." Louis said softly, sighing.

It's OK.

Louis smiled and waved Goodbye as he clicked end on the video call. I closed the laptop and laid my head back against the back of the couch.

"You fucking bitch, go back to where you fucking belong you cunt!" I heard Drieta, one of the Mob Wives yell on the TV. I got so frustrated I turned off the TV violently and threw the controller down onto the ground. I lay down, the expensive laptop dropping to the floor. I wanted to cry so hard, I wanted to die… Tyler would be coming after me soon, coming to take me into the gang and never let me leave. He needed and Operative and I was the person, I just didn't want to be that person…