Hunting for Vengeance "Chapter 1"

Katie leaned against the concrete wall and listened to the sounds of laughter. The sounds of such happiness that she barely was able to ever express at work except when she was with one of her coworkers. Working in an underground casino as a cleaner wasn't very entertaining, but she needed the money.

She had been working in the casino for three years and she was getting tired of it. The same gray walls of the halls that she had to clean everyday, the foul smells, the strict employers all made her want to leave the place.

She wasn't allowed to clean in the fancy parts of the casino. She could only clean in the dullest parts where no events were held.

At sixteen, she wanted to do something more with her life. Something different that would make her happy for once.

But in her town, it was hard to get out and try new things without a good amount of money. It was even harder to make any real money without doing something illegal in the process.

Katie's parents were long gone, and hadn't been seen for many years. Without any other family, Katie had to be raised by her big sister in an old apartment far from the casino.

They were always low on money so Katie had to start working to provide them with extra cash. But her job barely paid her enough and she wanted to move on and leave the job far behind her.

"Katie, clean those floors and stop standing around daydreaming." Someone said, breaking into her thoughts.

Katie smiled as she recognized the voice of her friend Alison. She turned to see her smiling back.

"What are you doing over here?" She asked. "Aren't you supposed to be on the other side today?"

"Yeah," Alison groaned and rolled her eyes. "But I snuck away. How could a rich place stink so bad?"

Katie laughed and shook her head. Alison was the only good friend that Katie had at the casino. They had become friends when Katie first started working there at age thirteen.

"I guess because of those cells." Katie said, wincing as she thought of the cells on the other side of the casino. Usually people who had broken the rules would get held there for a while, drunk or not. Those actions would result in the floors being covered in vomit, urine, and even more. The cleaners assigned to that spot would have to clean that area.

"Ewww, don't remind me," Alison said with a frown. "Some rude creep left poop all over the floor."

"Oh my god!" Katie shrieked and Alison put a finger to lips for her to be quiet. "Sorry, but that's horrible. Ugh, we should get paid more for this job."

Alison snickered. "Anyone that makes their living off of cleaning poop shouldn't make much at all. Besides what rich person would take it?"

Katie chuckled and bent to pick up her broom.

"Why were you looking so depressed before I came over?" Alison asked sweeping a hand through her short brown hair.

Katie stood up and sighed. "I was just thinking. You know, about here and home."

"Still need money for your rent huh?" Alison asked and Katie nodded. "Maybe your sister will find a way."

"You think so?"

"Well yeah. She's kind of boyish, I believe she could beat up some rich man and take his money."

They both laughed and Katie pretended to punch Alison.

"Stop talking that way about her." Katie said as her smile faded. "She's not as boyish as you may think."

Alison rolled her eyes, "Oh come on. She has her own gang, she has no interest in guys. And there's much more."

Katie shook her head. "You are so mean. Come on. Just for that, I'll walk you back over to paradise."

"Ewww." Alison groaned but she followed Katie down the hall anyway.

As they walked slowly down the hall, Katie watched another employee scrub hard at a stain on the wall beside her . But it looked like it wouldn't be removed for a long time.

"Hey, Alison. If you ever had the chance to leave from here, you would do it right?" Katie asked thoughtfully.

Alison snorted. "Is that a trick question? I would leave immediately, with no regrets."

"You wouldn't say goodbye to me?" Katie asked, pouting playfully.

"No, but I would take you with me ofcourse. You and Tashay."

Katie lowered her eyes at the sound of Alison's other friend. Tashay never did anything wrong to her, but there seemed to be something in between them that kept them from becoming closer.

"Tashay seems to enjoy her job." Katie replied quietly.

"Not as much as you think." Alison said. "She hates her job as much as we hate ours."

"Better not say that too loud." Katie said as she looked back to see if anyone was around. "Someone could easily take it away from us."

"Eh, who knows? Maybe they'll be doing me a favor." She said laughing. "Then I wouldn't have to see anymore of these unpleasant people again. Or those filthy cells. Aren't you about to leave in a few?"

"What time is it?" Katie asked, knowing there were no clocks around in this part of the casino.

Alison checked her watch. "Four fifty-two."

"Yes!" Katie exclaimed with relief. "Out of this dump." They both laughed and Katie's eyes returned to Alison's watch. "I noticed you never go anywhere without that watch."

Alison's eyes flashed. "And I don't plan to. Remember I told you that this is the only thing that I have ever gotten from my mother... before she died."

Katie nodded. "It is a pretty watch by the way. Your mother had great taste."

"That has now been passed down to me." Alison said with a smile. Then she looked down at her gray uniform shirt and skirt in disgust. "Well once I get out of these."

"You will soon. What time are you off today? Six?" Katie asked as they came to a stop near the main room of the casino.

"Nope. Late shift today." Alison groaned.

"I would work overtime, but Lily won't allow it." Katie said shaking her head.

They saw Tashay passing the entry of the casino room and Alison waved to her.

Tashay smiled and waved back. She looked around to make sure she wasn't being watched. Then she walked toward them.

Her wavy black hair bounced with every step, and her flawless brown skin seemed to glow even in the dull light of the hall. She was dressed in a fancy red skirt and top. Underground Heaven was painted in fancy letters across the front of her top. She was a dancer at the casino and had been working there for a little over a year.

She frowned when she saw Katie. "It's nearly five, why are you still here?"

Katie shrugged. "I was walking Alison over to her cleaning area."

Tashay seemed to stare at Katie as if she were insane, but Katie was used to that look. It used to annoy her but she had adapted to it.

"If I had you guys' job, I'd run from this place as soon as I could." Tashay said, shaking her head.

Alison giggled. "Tell me about it. So how's today going?"

Tashay sighed. "Oh the usual perverts and boring people. But hey they are the ones bringing in the money. All I have to do is dance and walk around as eye candy. Can't complain about that."

"But yet it sounds like you are." Alison said and they both laughed.

"I'd rather take your job over mine anyday." Katie said, trying to join in on the conversation.

Tashay snickered. "I would never be able to imagine you as eye candy. Maybe in a suit, selling tokens."

Tashay and Alison laughed but Katie only blushed.

Alison shook her head, still laughing. "Don't pay any attention to her, you'd do great with her job. I would too, I'd just have to learn how to walk like her. I might try to apply when I'm eighteen."

Katie raised her eyebrows. "What happened to leaving here?"

Two men exited the casino room and walked pass the three of them.

"Come on, let's move from here before I get caught." Tashay said and they moved to the side of the hall. "What's this about leaving?"

"Well... Katie and I had a convo earlier about leaving our jobs if we ever got the chance." Alison explained. "And I said that I would, but only if I had the chance. Which means a better job or something."

Tashay nodded and looked at Katie. "Well did you find a better job, Katie?"

Katie shook her head. "I wish. Well I better get going, guys."

"Rushing off to your other job without telling what it is huh?" Alison asked with a smile to show that she was joking.

Katie laughed but stopped instantly when she heard shouting. It was coming from inside the casino room and there was a lot of it.

"Drop the weapon, right now!" Someone shouted.

"I'm not dropping anything!" Another man shouted.

Katie gasped as the door to the owner's room down the hall burst open.

Ray Chambers stormed out of the room and down the hall in their direction. His bodyguard followed behind him.

He was one of the most powerful men on the island and also one of the richest. He'd became wealthy by winning in a fight to the death against an opponent and inherited all of his money. From there he started his own business and created the underground casino.

As usual Ray was dressed in his dark suit, which looked black but somehow had a bit of a red shade to it. He gripped his fancy sheathed sword in his hand and wore a special golden shield chained around his neck and onto his back.

"What is it?" Ray snapped as he and his bodyguard stormed pass the girls. They both headed into the casino room.

Alison giggled and shook her head. "Well here goes some excitement."

"I'm going to go check it out." Tashay said.

Katie glanced down the hall and realized that the door to Ray's office was still open. Alison followed Katie's gaze and saw it too.

Her eyes flashed. "Hey, I bet there's tons of money in there."

Tashay turned and looked into the office as well. She glanced at Alison and smiled.

"I bet there is." She said as she began walking to the room.

Katie stared after Tashay in surprise as she realized she was getting ready to go into Ray's office.

"Tashay, wait." Katie called after her. "Don't do it."

Tashay stopped and rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Katie! Just live a little."

Alison walked over to Tashay and looked back at Katie. "Yeah, don't worry. We won't take anything."

Katie hesitated. What if they get caught? They would definitely be punished. She didn't want to be involved at all, but she decided to just play along. No reason to have Tashay bringing it up in the future.

She slowly walked over to them and Alison applauded.

Tashay ignored them and entered the office. She looked around and shook her head.

Alison went in after her and smiled. "It's so fancy."

Katie came over to them and took a look around the room. The floor was covered in a nice dark red carpet, the color of wine. The walls were painted in a bright shade of gold and at the back of the room was Ray's desk.

It was a red wood desk with a red and gold lamp on top of it. She smiled. It did look very fancy.

There was a golden couch beside the desk and against the wall.

"I wonder who does the decorating." Alison said aloud as she admired the furniture.

Katie began to feel nervous again as she heard more shouting from the casino. Ray could be coming back at any minute.

"We have to go." She murmured as she looked out into the hall. The hall was deserted but Ray could catch them in the act at any minute.

"Whoa!" Tashay exclaimed and Katie turned to face her.

Tashay was behind Ray's desk and looking through the drawer.

"What is it?" Alison asked.

Tashay lifted her hand and they could see it glistening. Atleast it appeared to glisten but Katie's heart nearly stopped as she realized Tashay was holding diamonds.

Katie shook her head. "I have to go."

She fled the room and gasped as she thought she saw a familiar face down the hall to her left. She sped pass the hall intersection so he wouldn't see her.

"Guys hurry!" She shouted and waited for them to leave the room. She could hear the man's footsteps coming down the hall and she thought it might be too late.

Her heart pounded hard in her chest as they seemed to take for ever to get out. Several more seconds and he'd be close enough to stop them.

But Tashay and Alison finally bolted from the room as quickly as they could.

"See you tomorrow." Alison called after her.

Katie shook her head and quickly walked away to head to her manager's room so she could leave.

"We'll be okay." She said aloud. "No one stole anything and we won't be identified."

She wanted to feel comforted by those words but at the back of her mind was a scary thought. Was that Khal, the head of security and Ray's right hand man, that saw me fleeing the room?