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They said I should get a college education.

They told me this would be my way to live a secure and happy life.

Well they were talking nothing but grade-A bullshit…

A few weeks into my Literature degree and I knew I’d made the wrong choice. It was way too stuffy, super-boring, and judging by my course mates it was going to be about as fun as a running ten consecutive marathons.

So, I did what any sane thinking person would do… I quit.

That was four years ago and I haven’t looked back since. I’m twenty-three now and have lived in different cities across the world. I never stay too long. Sometimes that’s my decision, and others…

Well let’s just say that I’ve become accustomed to running when the heat gets too hot.

I’ve had more than my fair share of brushes with the law. And that’s without getting into the close encounters I’ve had with the criminal underworld too. Whether it was working as a server in a Triad bar in Singapore, or moving product for a Greek gang, I’ve developed quite the knack of finding myself in the thick of things.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Well, maybe I would have gotten myself into fewer situations that required me to suck and fuck my way out. I don’t feel proud of that. But I’ve always done what was needed, no matter what.

“Okaaaay,” I say to myself, idly stirring the remnants of cream from my hot chocolate. “What’s the next move, Elias?”

I look around the large café-bar. It’s got all the typical clientele. Young couples making soppy faces at one another over pumpkin spiced lattes. Businesspeople getting ready for meetings and no doubt making clandestine plans to undermine their bosses at every turn. And then of course there are those people tapping away at their laptops like their lives depended on it… the writers, the bane of any café, bar, or coffee spot.

The truth is that I have little in common with any of these people.

Since dropping out of college I’ve hustled, lied, and tricked my way through life and had a blast doing it too. Yeah, there have been a few too many close calls. I could be in jail, or dead even. But I’m not. I made it through.

And now it’s time for me to find my next slice of action…

“Another drink?” the server says as he walks past my table.

“Sure, put it on my tab,” I answer, knowing full well that I won’t be paying a dime. By the time they realize that I’ve run, I’ll be long gone.

I take my phone out of my pocket and type out a quick message…

ELIAS: Any word on Keller’s Club? I know who goes there, and I want in. Please, make this happen for me. I’ll make it worth your while XoXo

I don’t have to wait very long for a reply. Before I know it, a message from my fixer pops up on my phone screen…

ZANE: Pffft. I’ve heard it all before. Don’t you think by now I know that I’m firmly in the friend zone? Whatever. But, yeah, I’ve got you a trial shift at Keller’s. You’ll be waiting tables, serving drinks, anything they ask of you. Be good. Don’t fuck this one up, I have a solid working relationship with the management there. Don’t make me look bad.

ELIAS: As if! ;) And thank you.

ZANE: Don’t mention it. And remember… I’ll be asking you for a favor once you’re settled there. This arrangement has to work both ways.

I turn my phone face down on the glass table in front of me and stare out onto the city street. It’s a fresh morning, the air crisp and blue after a night of rain. I’ve been chasing a job at Keller’s Club for a while. It’s a private member’s club where plenty of business goes down… and a significant portion of which is highly illegal.

From talking to people, I’ve heard that more than one leading figure in the city’s underworld regularly operates out of there. So far, I’ve made decent money in my hustles. But I’m ready to step up to something bigger. I want to work directly for a real boss. Not a messenger or manager. A true master.

I know that if I can get my feet under the table, I can earn some real money. I can also live the kind of life that I’ve always wanted…

Fast.

Dangerous.

Every day potentially being my last.

Some might see it as a death wish, but I don’t. All I know is that I want something more from life. I don’t ever want to be stuck in an office or working tables at a place like this. I need a thrill. In fact, I crave it.