• Chapter One: Pain
    A dark room, lights flashing, voices everywhere, a man in all black, a gun. These images over and over again are the only things that are going through Zeth Gale’s mind. And wait something is missing the last image a BANG, and then pain. These are the only things left of the Middletown High shooting. Now he’s all alone in a poorly lit room.
    “This needs to stop,” Zeth gasps waiting pleading for it to end. Seconds past by and nothing.
    Then a voice pierces through the silence. “Think about it, it’s all in your head, think about something else… how about what where going to do when your leg heals”
    He crammed his neck in the direction of the voice. Hoping and praying that it was that person that spoke. It was… Maya. A million questions came into his head. Where she’s been, why was she here, and how. There was a problem she didn’t look as happy about seeing him as he was about seeing her. She looked sad like she wasn’t going to be here long. He didn’t care.
    “Oh ya are job that’s what where going to be do doing, I’m already getting calls to come back, I finally stopped answering the phone” He said, at first there was a long pause no one spoke.
    “So you don’t know,” she said hurt.
    “What do you mean,” he said confused.
    “Oh nothing so why do you hate the job,” The job, the honor, the youngest person ever to be part of the FBI, every kids dream. Well it sucks he thought. So your helping a cause cracking down on school shootings, and other things cops can’t do. Being the inside man. He was sick of it, but for some reason he can’t remember why.
    “So do you hate it or not,’’ she said egging him on.
    “Yes and no I just don’t there’s something nagging me but I can’t remember why” he said wondering why. With that Maya started to pace looking like she was thinking. Zeph didn’t like it.
    R-R-R-I-I-I-I-I-I-N-N-N-N-N-G-G-G-G-G-G-G. “You’ll want to pick that up” Maya said looking better.
    “Hello” he said monotone
    “You finally picked up Zeth” he said relived “We need you back, another school hit the line, will you do it?”
    “Do it” Maya urged
    “Fine”
    “We found you a new partner”
    “What do you mean I have a partner Maya she’s in the room right now.
    A concerned voice came on next “ Zeph you have to stop doing this to yourself… Maya’s dead… she was shot at Middletown like you.” He quickly looked around the room to where Maya was last, but the room was empty, she was never there.
    “I know,” and then he remembered why.