A Shattered Life

Horribly abused by his mother, Van eventually goes in search of his father. When he finds him, his life is radically changed. His father works for the FBI, and has contacts to a covert group, run by the Old Man, that goes after the worst of the worst criminals. Van is recruited to join both -- and does. Van handles every job he's sent on with cold efficiency, letting nothing stand in his way of gaining the information he seeks and stopping his foes. Eventually, he's offered a team of his own within the Old Man's organization. He accepts, with one caveat -- none of them can be female. Because of his mother, the only woman he has ever trusted is his handler, Makie. His attitude takes a hit when he meets Ginna, a cop, while on a job for the Old Man. When it's over, much to the shock of everyone involved, he requests that she be added to his team if she's willing -- which she is, as long as the organization can promise to keep her young son safe while she's on assignments. Ginna fits in well with the team, and though she is appalled at some of the tactics Van uses to gain information, she finds herself attracted to him. Can she break through the walls he's erected around his emotions? If so, then what? Only time will tell.

Edward Kendrick · Urban

Not enough ratings

138 Chs

Chapter 1

“Vance Montgomery, get your ass in here right this minute!”

Vance cringed, wishing he had the guts to run. But his mother would find him, or if not, she’d send her present boyfriend looking, and that would make things worse. Straightening his shirt, tucking it into his tattered shorts, he made his way across the browned grass and up the dirt path leading to the battered trailer which served as their most recent home.

He hesitated, trying to gauge from the tone of her voice whether he should face her down or be servile. As the trailer door swung open, he stood as tall as his five foot five inch frame would allow.

“Yes, Mother,” he said deferentially, hiding the fear he felt as she stood there holding an almost empty bottle of beer in one hand, her hair ratty and scraggly around her thin face.

“Where the hell have you been? School let out over an hour ago.”

“I stayed after to do my homework.” He scuffed the worn toe of one tennis shoe in the dirt.

“Boy, don’t lie to me. You were off with those damned Powers kids, getting into trouble.”

Shaking, he lifted his head to look at her. “I wasn’t, I swear.” Which was the truth as far as it went. He’d been with two other boys from his class, trying to talk Mr. Smith at the grocery store into giving them jobs for the summer. The man said he’d think about it.

Grabbing the doorframe with one hand to steady herself, she took a long pull on her beer, tossing the empty bottle in the vicinity of the open trash barrel a few feet away. Then she grabbed his arm before he could back away, dragging him into the trailer.

“You know how I deal with liars, Vance?”

“Yes, Mother.” His voice trembled and he took a deep breath before saying again, “I wasn’t lying.”

Her hand flew out, landing hard on the side of his face. “Give me your belt.”

“Mother, please…”

Her grip tightened painfully on his arm. “It’s the belt or the chain.”

He fumbled with one hand to get his belt off. His mother snatched it from him, spinning him around, forcing him face first onto the sofa. He closed his eyes, praying the beating would be brief.

* * * *

Three years later

Vance leaned back against the rough tree trunk, staring up at the stars above him. His friend Walt handed him the bottle and he took a long pull, coughing as the rot-gut whiskey burned a path down his throat.

“You should get home you know,” Walt said, concerned for his companion.

“Soon enough. I’m just waiting ‘til I know she’s passed out. Not that she’d lay a hand on me now, but she might set that bastard on me.”

“Which one this time?”

“One of the mechanics from the garage. He’s a mean son of a bitch when he’s been drinking.” Vance handed the bottle back and stretched his arms up to grab the tree branch above him. At five foot nine his hands were just barely able to close around it but that was enough. He pulled himself up then dropped down again, doing pull-ups on the branch until his arms ached. He was fourteen, lean and muscular, more than a match for his mother but still not strong enough to fend off her current boyfriend.

“You still thinking of leaving when school’s out?” Walt asked.

“Thinking on it, yeah. Just gotta get some more money together. I still got a month.” He stared off into space again. “And I gotta find out where my dad’s at.”

“She doesn’t know?”

“If she does, she’s not letting loose of the info but she’s still getting payments from him for my upkeep, not that she uses it for that. I just gotta be there when one of the checks comes and get hold of it before she does. His address has to be on it. Right?”

“Right. How come you haven’t done that already?”

“‘Cause the mail comes while I’m in school?” Vance gave him a duhlook. “So I’m figuring next month I’m going to be sick on the first. Too sick to go to school.”

“She’ll still get to the mail before you can.”

Vance smiled tightly. “I’ll figure out some way to beat her to it. Maybe ask her for soda or something we don’t have around. Or hide her cigs so she has to go out for more.” He shrugged. “I’ll make it work. I gotta. He’s my only hope.”

* * * *

“You’re who?” The man looked across the desk at the kid standing there.

INDEX Next