“I walked forward, staring right into his eyes before speaking. ‘I’m here to speak to one of my old friends.’ I didn’t break my stride as I approached the goon.

  “‘Oh?’ the goon said in confusion, but not budging his protective stance.

  “‘Tell ‘em Wolf is here to collect a favor.’ I finished walking up to the man, staring straight into his eyes until he broke away first.

  “‘Right, you'd better stay here, and I hope for your sake you’re telling the truth.’

  “He quickly retreated back into the building, where I smiled over my shoulder at the other two. Bo mouthed the words, ‘Still got it,’ and gave me a thumbs-up while Tea smiled widely at me, which struck a whole new song in me. I felt my face grow warm, so I quickly turned away, facing the door. I’m glad I did because, at that very moment, the door swung open and the same goon ushered us in.

  “The hall was only lit with a sickening green, fluorescent glow from one-off light bulbs here and there. Walking down the short hallway, we encountered a meat-packing room. The place was covered in plastic and tile floors with drains every few feet. A table was set in the middle of the room, and sitting behind it was a round-looking fella with balding hair smoking a cheap cigarette. He wore a brown fur coat. His face sported a nice tan, except for the faded outline—undoubtedly left by sunglasses—on top of a large nose. His greasy skin glistened in the dim light, and his eyes stared blankly at stacks of money as he counted them openly. Behind him stood two more goons staring us down.

  “‘Mr. Boar,’ I called out in a jovial tone, spreading my arms wide as if to embrace him in a hug. ‘How’s my favorite meat packer doing?’

  “‘Oh, if it isn’t the big, bad Wolf.’ His eyes remained fixed on the money as he spoke. ‘I see you brought Bojangles and some other friend.’ He gestured toward Tea.

  “I paused, sensing the underlying hostility in his tone. Something wasn’t right. The way he said ‘Bojangles’ suggested a deep resentment. I glanced back at Bo, whose expression confirmed my suspicions—they had some dealings after I left the business, and it hadn’t gone well.

  “‘The guard outside tells me I still owe you a favor.’ Boar's icy blue eyes, slightly bloodshot from lack of sleep, finally met mine. He rested his chin on steepled fingers, his controlled and calm anger evident. Bo definitely messed up.

  “‘How I remember it, the old Kraken gang was good on their word, or was that just smoke?’ I replied, not liking where this was heading.

  “The guards around Boar began to move, flanking our group. Two more emerged from behind hanging meat, hidden by plastic sheets. Definitely not good. Bo tensed up, the blood draining from his face. Tea, however, squared her shoulders and subtly centered her gravity. At least her muscle memory wasn’t gone. I looked back at Boar.

  “‘Aye, that’s true. We still honor our favors whether you’re in the game or out.’ Boar picked at his fingernails with a knife he’d jerked out from where it was embedded tip-first in the wooden table. ‘However, one of your teammates already used that favor and then some, in your name.’ He pointed the knife at Bo.

  “I tried not to groan, but a little sound escaped. Bo, always a weasel trying to make it big quickly. His loyalty shifted like the wind, but his true motives were always for his friends—at least, I thought as much. I wasn’t sure if I still counted as one. He must have used one of my favors to get in with the Krakens and screwed up royally. Now he was on the run, hiding from them ever since.

  “‘Now, Boar, let’s be reasonable,’ I said, trying to keep the snarl out of my voice. ‘This doesn’t have to go down this way. I know my buddy here is an idiot, but I had no idea and came in good faith. Come on, Boar, you know my word is good.’ The goons slowed down, their gazes shifting back to Boar. He sat in contemplative silence for a moment before releasing a heavy sigh.

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  “‘Listen, Wolf, I like you. I really do. But this guy,’ he gestured at Bo, ‘he’s got a price to pay, and then some. I can’t let him walk away without paying up. So, I’m sorry, but he goes on ice.’

  “Snapping his fingers, Boar turned away coldly. Almost immediately, the goons behind us grabbed Bo and Tea. The two in front moved to get me, but I hadn’t lost all my moves. I spun on a dime and tackled one of the goons on the left, bringing him to the floor. His head bounced off the cold tile with a sickening crack.

  “Continuing my momentum, I shoulder-rolled over his face, springing to my feet. Unfortunately, Boar had better goons. The second man was already on me, coming at me with a left-right combo. I dodged the first punch, but the second connected with my ribs, nearly knocking the wind out of me. Pain flashed across my face. The goon smelled blood in the water and intensified his attacks.

  “Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a dart of black moving quickly. I couldn’t spare a glance, hoping everyone was okay. The goon swung a wide haymaker, giving me an opening. I ducked under his arm, pivoted, and used my hip to throw him over my shoulder. He hit the floor headfirst, splitting the tile.

  “I looked up and saw one of the other goons already down. Tea was midair, delivering a devastating flying roundhouse kick to the last standing goon. He collapsed, face-first, onto the tile. Landing gracefully, Tea looked at me, then at Boar. He stood now, holding a knife to Bo’s throat.

  “‘All right, why don’t you chuckleheads calm down before I turn his face into the next Phantom of the Opera,’ Boar said, drawing the knife closer to Bo’s face. Tea and I settled down, nodding in agreement.

  “‘Good start. Now, let’s wrap up our deal. You’re going to work for me since you’ve thoroughly dispatched my goons. I’ll hold this man hostage until the job is done. If you try to double-cross me…’ He drew the knife across Bo’s face. ‘I’ll make this little bird sing a different tune.’

  “‘All right! Let’s just calm down and get this over with. What do you need?’ I raised my hands.

  “‘I’ll speak slowly so you can understand. The lesser gangs are planning a flash mob on our street here in the Iron Kitchen. We cook here, we don’t dance and sing about our feelings. These kids have no respect. That’s where you come in.’

  “‘Dragging Bo to his desk, he pulled out a map and tossed it over. ‘Take this map of their hideout and make sure that flash mob doesn’t happen in my city. I don’t care how, make sure it doesn’t. If you do a good job, I might even help you with what you came here for.’

  “‘You got a deal. I’ll handle it.’ Taking the rolled-up map, I backed up slowly, trying not to show my frustration. Once we were at the doors, I turned and bolted up the stairs. Damn it, Bo got caught up on the wrong side of the food chain. Hitting the fresh air, I took a deep breath and kicked a trash can out of frustration.

  “‘Damn it, how am I going to stop a flash mob?’

  “‘I might have an idea,’ Tea said, walking up the stairs behind me. Her suggestion piqued my interest, almost pulling me from my sour mood immediately. ‘These are a bunch of kids, right? Then we give them something else to believe in. Every teenager wants a cause worth fighting for.’

  “I sighed. “Yeah, well… I can relate.’

  “‘We need to redirect their energy.’

  “‘We walked in silence, both pondering what could swiftly and without harm redirect attention. We eventually reached the Designers' District, where the mayor held court and conducted trials. Government buildings made from lavish materials like marble inlaid with fine gemstones lined the streets. Purple drapes adorned the square rooftops, and silk ribbons connected to a central water fountain. Powerful designer companies did business here, their opulent storefronts glittering under the city lights.

  ‘The adrenaline wore off, and my mind became fuzzy as we walked through the opulent designer district. I needed to solve this problem quickly—the more time we wasted here, the further our lead on Joy's Composition slipped away.

  “‘We need to find out who is organizing the flash mob,’ Tea said, turning to me. ‘Understanding the motive is half the battle. After that, we just have to convince them to redirect it somewhere else. Do you know anybody who might have an in with these guys?’

  ‘I froze as my mind cleared, thinking carefully. ‘I might have a contact in the underground music scene. It’s been a while, but with a peace offering, I’m pretty sure he’ll work with us.’ Tea smiled at me, and I felt something deep within me begin to heal. Every time I earned her approval, I found a bit more hope than I realized I was missing.”