Chapter 12: Front Page News

Chapter 11 Voting Results:

77% of readers voted for Option A: Luke and his growing crew of fugitives should head to the McMurchys’ mountain hide-out where they can lay low and figure out what to do next.

23% of readers voted for Option B: Luke and the others should head back to Port Murkish and track down Jack Holley and his outfit of Gravehounds.

***

Luke stepped outside the decrepit wood cabin and breathed deeply. After two years in prison he had a newfound appreciation for fresh air. Annie and Mickey sat on the front step playing a game of checkers. Luke could hear Andreas and Julian chopping wood behind the house. The mountain air was brisk but the sun shone brightly that time of year and no one wanted to stay cooped up inside.

As anxious as he was to track down Jack Holley and toss him off a bridge, Luke had to admit that the escape to the McMurchy Brothers’ mountain hideout was a good idea. Not only did it give him and the others a chance to recover from their injuries, but it also gave his mind a much-needed rest. Since the minute things went sour aboard the Haver Express, Luke had been on the lam with his only thoughts being “run” or “run over Jack Holley with a truck”.

The mountain air seemed to clear his head and he began to think more about the woman he had been accused of kidnapping. Luke knew very little about Governor Baines’ daughter, Gwendle, and all the others could tell him was that she was a bit of a rabble-rouser, and a bit of an embarrassment for her daddy.

“Dalton’s back,” shouted Julian from the back. Moments later Luke heard the truck rumble toward the cabin. Dalton threw Luke a wave as the truck came into view and slowed to stop in front of them. Mickey had done a great job making it look nothing like the old military vehicle they had hijacked three weeks earlier. Mickey and Annie abandoned their game of checkers and began unloading the supplies from the back of the truck.

The remote village was a solid two hour drive down the precarious mountainside and Luke felt it best that Dalton be the one to go whenever they needed fresh supplies. It appeared for the time being that Dalton Lane was the only one of the bunch who didn’t have his face plastered in wanted posters on every street corner.

Before Luke could move to help the others unload, Dalton tossed him a rolled up copy of the Port Murkish Post.

“You made the front page again,” Dalton said.

Luke unrolled the paper and once again saw his and Mickey’s face staring back. What really caught his attention however, was the article that accompanied the photos. Luke sat on the front step and began to read.


CONTRAVERSIAL “BAINES BILL” LIKELY TO PASS IN PARLIAMENT
Experts point to Gwendle Baines kidnapping as ‘blessing in disguise’ for Governor

The Capital, Haver Country – Governor Jonathan Baines is expected to receive the support he needs in Parliament today to pass the Safeguard Act, more commonly referred to as “the Baines Bill”. The controversial Bill is designed to limit the rights of individuals perceived as threats to public safety. The sweeping Bill would empower the Government to detain “high-risk” suspects without trial or legal representation.

Touted as a necessity in order to preserve public security, many analysts see the Act as nothing more than a way to suppress the growing militant unrest happening in the North and legalizing excessive force. Critics of the Bill fear the Safeguard Act would essentially give the Government the right to arrest, question and imprison anyone without due process.

Much to the political chagrin of Governor Baines, no critic has been as outspoken on this issue as his own daughter, Gwendle. An influential activist, Gwendle Baines had raised significant popular disapproval for her father’s Bill and was believed to have swayed several key Parliamentarians to oppose the Bill’s introduction into law.

Gwendle Baines’ recent kidnapping seems to have changed the mood in Parliament drastically however. With her whereabouts and wellbeing still unknown, supporters of the Governor’s Bill are pointing to the kidnapping as a wake-up call to everybody who still does not acknowledge that public safety is a real concern.

The outcries seem to be working. Although there is a small chance the Baines Bill will not pass today in Parliament, the kidnapping appears to have garnered the sympathy swing votes Jonathan Baines needs to push the new laws through.

Gwendle Rogue was kidnapped by recently-released from prison, Luke Haggert, former leader of the little-known, Pocket-change Gang, who remains at large. (continued, page 7)

**

Luke looked up from the paper, his mind spinning. What kind of political fiasco did he get himself mixed up with? All he wanted to do was rob a train. Why did things always have to be so complicated?

Chapter of Chance:
Will the Baines Bill get the support it needs in Parliament? Chances are it will, but you never know how the winds may blow!

Possibility A: If, according to http://www.theweathernetwork.ca/, the wind is blowing from the North, West or South on December 17th at 12 noon in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, then the Baines Bill will pass.

Possibility B: If the wind is blowing from the East in Ottawa, however, at 12 noon on December 17th, then the Bill will be rejected and Luke won’t have to worry as much about a lifetime in prison without a trial or possibility of parole.

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Chapter 11: Fugitive Reunions

Chapter 10 Chance Results – The Saskatchewan Roughriders won the Grey Cup last Sunday and therefore the story will proceed based on Possibility A: “If the Saskatchewan Roughriders win the Grey Cup, then the guards will be celebrating until the wee hours of the morning, giving Luke and the McMurchy Brothers the chance they need to escape undetected.”

Chapter 8 Chance Results – The price of oil went up on November 14 and therefore the story will proceed on Possibility A:” If the price of oil goes up on November 14, 2007, then Dalton will not have enough gas in the tank and the soldiers will catch up with them.”

***

Luke and the McMurchy Brothers didn’t have to worry about being heard as they hobbled through the halls of the prison. The drunken cheers of the guards coming from the rec room were more than enough to drown out their footsteps. Governor Baines must have left for the night for the security to be that lax.

As they hurried toward the unguarded exit, Andreas filled Luke in on what he and Julian had been up to since they parted ways.

“Bank robberies, mostly, although we’ll throw in a train heist every now and again.” Andreas fell silent as Julian peeked around another corner. He jerked his head signaling the coast was clear and Andreas continued. “After you got nicked, Jack Holley took over and told the Gang we were going legit. That he was setting up a mercenary outfit.”

Luke clenched his teeth at the mention of Jack’s name.

“After you got arrested, the idea of getting off the Governor’s most wanted list appealed to a lot of the Gang. So, in a matter of weeks, the Pocket-change Gang had disappeared and was replaced with the Gravehounds.”

They rounded one final corner and Luke’s heart started to quicken. They could see the front door now. He had expected the security here to be out in full force but the prison anteroom was empty. Even so, Andreas lowered his voice as they tried to look in every direction at once.

“Of course, not everybody wanted to be one of Holley’s Hounds,” he whispered. “Anyone with half a brain knew Jack had set you up. Me and Julian laid low for a while up in the mountains.

“Got back to work about a year and half ago. I guess business got a little too good because the Governor contracted Holley’s Gravehounds and they busted us about five months ago. Besides Holley, the only interaction we’ve had with the old Gang has been our weekly visits with dear old Casper Pitt. Although I did hear that Mickey, Dalton Lane and your old girl, Annie are—“

“Standing outside!” Julian interrupted. Luke and Andreas rushed to the barred window that Julian was standing in front of and peered out into the courtyard beyond.

Sure enough, Annie, Mickey and Dalton were standing in the rain, handcuffed and illuminated by the headlights of an army truck behind them. Annie did not look pleased. Dalton had a sheepish look on his face as though their being there was somehow his fault. Mickey merely yawned as he leaned casually against the hood of the truck.

It didn’t surprise Luke to see Mickey and Annie together but how they had been reunited with Dalton eluded him.

The two soldiers who had accompanied Luke’s comrades ran the short distance to the main door with aggravated looks on their faces. They clearly didn’t appreciate being left waiting in the rain.
“Open up!” shouted the soldier as he pounded the massive wooden doors. “We didn’t chase these scum bags for two hours for nothing!” The pounding intensified but did little to drown out the profanities the soldier was screaming.

Luke moved toward the door. “What are you doing?” whispered Julian.

“Drunk or not, the guards are bound to hear them eventually,” said Luke as unlocked the door with the keys he had stolen from the Cobbler. “And besides, the sooner we can get Annie out of the rain, the less likely she is to kill us.”

The McMurchy Brothers shrugged at the logic. Thankful the Cobbler hadn’t had the chance to work on his feet like he did to Andreas and Julian, Luke kicked the door as hard as he could, sending it flying into the soldiers outside.

The first soldier took the brunt of the blow and was laid out flat on his back and before the startled second soldier had a chance to reach for his gun, Luke had tackled him to the ground. Julian fished around inside the first soldier’s pockets until he found the keys he was looking for. Julian tossed them to his brother who used them to free Annie, Dalton and Mickey’s from their handcuffs.

Luke and Julian dragged the two unconscious soldiers into the nearby guardhouse and jogged back to the others. For once Annie seemed absolutely speechless.

Dalton wiped the water from his eyes and squinted in the darkness, as though Luke might still be a figment of his imagination. “How…but, where..” he stammered.

“We’ll tell you all about it on the way, Dalton,” said Luke. “But unless you want a twenty drunken guards using us as target practice, I suggest you get us out of here as fast as that truck will take us.”

Luke, Annie, Dalton, Mickey, Julian and Andreas all squeezed into the army truck. “My, oh my,” said Luke with a bloody grin as Dalton threw it in reverse and sped out of the muddy courtyard. “This is starting to feel like a real gang again.”

Annie elbowed Luke hard in the side but said nothing. Luke would have liked to rebuke her but he was pretty sure she nailed him a rib that Bryce had cracked during his interrogation earlier that night and it was all he could do not to cry out in pain.

“So where to, boss?” asked Dalton as they left the prison behind.

“Just give me a second,” moaned Luke through his teeth.

Choice
Cast your vote at the top of this page for how you’d like to see the plot unfold.

Option A: Luke and his growing crew of fugitives should head to the McMurchy’s mountain hide-out where they can lay low and figure out what to do next.

Option B: Luke and the others should head back to Port Murkish and track down Jack Holley and his outfit of Gravehounds.

Thanks for your votes! Stay tuned next week to find out what happens!

Chapter 10: The McMurchy Brothers

Chapter 9 voting results:

16% of readers voted for Option A: Grab the Cobbler's keys and get as far away as possible as quickly as possible. If the Governor is a guest there, then the place is sure to be swarming with soldiers.

75% of readers voted for Option B: Try to find his old crew members, the McMurchy Brothers and help them escape. Never leave a Pocket-change crew member behind!

8% of readers voted for Option C: Grab the unconscious Cobbler and try and escape with him over Luke's shoulder. If the Cobbler had a meeting with Jack Holley recently, he will be able to tell him where to find him.

***

A loud bang at the cell door startled Andreas McMurchy from sleep.

"If that's the Cobbler coming back to finish his session with us," said Andreas' brother, Julian, from the bunk below, "tell him we'll have to reschedule."

Andreas hopped down from the top bunk and landed with a grunt. The were indeed blessed with only half a visit from the Cobbler earlier that night, but it was still long enough to leave Andreas tender and bruised. In the four months he and his brother had been locked away at Charrock Prison, the Cobbler had never cut one of his "sessions" short. Hobbling to the steel door, Andreas prayed this late-night disturbance was anything other than him.

Andreas flinched at the second loud bang at the door. Julian was sitting up in his bunk now, head in hands. Andreas frowned. The Cobbler was really starting to get to him.

Andreas crouched down and peeked through the little slot where their guard, Julio, delivered their trays of food every night. The second last thing Andreas ever expected to see was Julio's crumpled body leaning against the wall outside their cell. His head was bleeding and for a second Andreas thought he must have lost his mind and rammed his head against the cell door. The last thing Andreas ever expected to see, however, was Luke Haggert's face appearing on the other side of the food slot.

Andreas fell backward on winced as he landed on his elbow. The Cobbler had paid particular attention to this elbow that night. "What is it?" Julian asked, moving toward his brother. Before Andreas could answer though, the cell door swung open and there stood Luke Haggert, spinning Julio's key ring on a finger. He could have looked magnanimous if it wasn't for the fact that his face was a swollen and bloody mess.

The McMurchy Brothers were at a loss for words. The whole scenario made no sense. The last they had heard their old boss, Luke, was locked away in Kingsbridge Penitentiary, way on the other side of Port Murkish. The thought that he could break out of Kingsbridge and then break into Charrock to break two of his old crew mates out was unfathomable.

"Hey boss," Julian finally managed to say. "Nice of you to knock."

Luke smiled as he looked over his shoulder at Julio. "It would have seemed rude not to. You fellas ready to go?"

With that, Andreas and Julian followed Luke out of the cell and began racing down the hall. There were no guards patrolling thankfully, and Andreas knew why. When the Cobbler had come by that night Julio was complaining to him about how he was stuck on duty while the rest of the guards were in the prison rec room watching the big football game. He just hoped they stayed there long enough for Luke to get them out of there.

It didn't take long, however, for Andreas to figure out that Luke had no idea where he was going. After running past the Warden's quarters for the third time, Andreas grabbed Luke by the arm and drew him to a halt.

"You don't know where you're going, do you?"

"Don't be stupid, Andy, of course I know where I'm going." Andreas was not convinced.

"Follow us," Andreas said, ignoring Luke's protests. Andreas was happy to see Luke who had always been good to them while they were part of the Pocket-change Gang, but there was no way in hell he was going to risk not escaping just because Luke Haggert had too much pride.

"We gotta hurry," Julian said. "If we're lucky their team will win and they'll spend the rest of the night in the rec room drinking their faces off. But if they lose, these halls are going to be flooded with guards real soon."

Andreas hurried as fast as he could. The fact that the Cobbler had clobbered his toes with a hammer earlier that night didn't help to speed things along.

Chapter of Chance

Luke Haggert has gotten the McMurchy Brothers out of their cell but now it's up to Andreas and Julian to get them out of the prison itself. Whether they can do this depends on how long they have before the guards return to their posts.

Sunday, November 25, is the Canadian Football League's Grey Cup match between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The guards at Charrock Prison are fans of the Roughriders.

Possibility A: If the Saskatchewan Roughriders win the Grey Cup, then the guards will be celebrating until the wee hours of the morning, giving Luke and the McMurchy Brothers the chance they need to escape undetected.

Possibility B: If the Winnipeg Blue Bombers win the Grey Cup on Sunday, then the guards will not be celebrating and will return to their posts before Luke and the McMurchy Brothers have a chance to escape.

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Chapter 9: The Cobbler

Chapter 7 voting results:

15% of readers voted for option A: Luke should stay and start talking to Governor Baines and hope Bryce doesn’t knock any more teeth out. The more Luke talks to Baines to closer he can come to figuring out what’s going on and how Jack Holley is involved.

85% of readers voted for option B: Luke should opt to be interrogated by the Cobbler and hope he doesn’t end up with nails in his feet. The Cobbler may be a deranged lunatic but his history with Luke could be his only chance to escape.

***

Casper Pitt stepped into the interrogation room where Luke was being held. Luke swallowed hard, oblivious to the taste of his own blood. He had forgotten just how nuts "the Cobbler" was. Seeing him again brought it all back.

The Cobbler was even thinner than Luke remembered -- which was to say he now paper-thin -- and his skin appeared stretched too tightly over his skeletal frame. He wore nicer clothes now than he did as a member of Luke's crew, but he still wore the same black-rimmed eyeglasses which were a severe contrast to his pasty-white skin.

The Cobbler flashed a toothy grin as he walked to the corner of the room and placed a metal case on top of the crate. Luke felt sick. He had heard stories of the sort of toys Casper Pitt kept in his case.

Sure enough, the Cobbler popped open the latch to the case, being sure to stand to one side so Luke could see everything he was doing. The Cobbler looked at Luke once more with a thoughtful look and then back to the case, as though considering which knife he should use to carve a turkey.

Despite his best efforts, Luke actually groaned as the Cobbler drew an eight-inch metal spike from the case. The Cobbler carefully inspected the spike in the faint lamplight, effectively prolonging the psychological agony that Luke was facing. It was now or never.

"Casper," said Luke, his mouth suddenly very dry. "Casper, it's me - Luke Haggert!"

The Cobbler stopped his inspection and turned his head slightly and peered at Luke from the corner of his eye.

"Remember me?" continued Luke. "We used to work together. You were in my crew. The Pocket-change Gang. Remember?"

The few seconds of silence that followed seemed to drag on for hours. Finally though, Luke could saw a glimmer of recognition in the the mad man's eyes. Ever so slowly, he returned the metal spike back to the case.

"I remember," said the Cobbler. Luke released the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding and his shoulders sagged in relief. He remembered! Luke's relief was fleeting.

"It's been a regular Pocket-change reunion these past couple of weeks," said the Cobbler. Luke barely heard him as he watched Casper pull a twelve-inch spike from the case. "Just the other day I had a meeting of sorts with your old right-hand man, Jack Holley."

"He was never my right-hand man," corrected Luke, his loathing for Holley outweighing his good sense to keep his mouth shut. The Cobbler ignored him.

"And I just came from my weekly visit with the McMurchy Brothers upstairs," he continued. "Weren't they part of your little parade too, Haggert?"

Under other circumstances, Luke would have been much more interested in news about Julian and Andreas McMurchy. But as the Cobbler approached with the metal spike in hand, Luke found himself distracted.

"I think I'll take my time with you," said the Cobbler, crouching down to remove Luke's boots. "For old times sake."

"You know what, you freakin' nut job?" said Luke as the Cobbler tugged at his left boot. "I kind of had other plans."

What the Cobbler failed to realize was that when Bryce had knocked Luke to the ground earlier, the left leg of the chair cracked (which was luckily masked by the sound of Luke's skull cracking on the floor). Once strong kick finished the job and Luke's foot found itself free of its bindings and square into the Cobbler's waiting face.

The Cobbler went down in a heap, the metal spike clattering across the floor. Hopping on one foot over to the Cobbler's case, Luke reached in with his hands still tied to the chair. Moments later he grabbed hold of a long curved bladed, the function of which Luke had no desire to learn. Though the angle was awkward and mobility restricted, Luke finally managed to saw through the ropes and free his arms. Untying his other leg, Luke freed himself completely from the chair.

Luke put his ear to the metal door and listened for anybody beyond. For the moment it appeared his little ruckus had gone unnoticed.

What should Luke do?

Choice
Cast your vote for one of the options in the poll section at the top of the page.

Option A: Grab the Cobbler's keys and get as far away as possible as quickly as possible. If the Governor is a guest there, then the place is sure to be swarming with soldiers.

Option B: Try to find his old crew members, the McMurchy Brothers and help them escape. Never leave a Pocket-change crew member behind!

Option C: Grab the unconscious Cobbler and try and escape with him over Luke's shoulder. If the Cobbler had a meeting with Jack Holley recently, he will be able to tell him where to find him.

Chapter 8: The Getaway

Chapter 7 voting results:

15% of readers voted for option A: Luke should stay and start talking to Governor Baines and hope Bryce doesn’t knock any more teeth out. The more Luke talks to Baines to closer he can come to figuring out what’s going on and how Jack Holley is involved.

85% of readers voted for option B: Luke should opt to be interrogated by the Cobbler and hope he doesn’t end up with nails in his feet. The Cobbler may be a deranged lunatic but his history with Luke could be his only chance to escape.

Stay tuned next week to find out how Luke's confrontation with "the Cobbler" unfolds!

***

Annie peeked through the closed curtains of her sister's small living room to the street beyond. It was dark out and the streets were deserted. Except for the soldiers of course. A truck approached and Annie let the curtain fall back. She held her breath as the truck slowed. A moment later it rumbled by without stopping and Annie allowed herself to breathe again.

Annie knew they were no longer looking for Luke. He overheard a pair of soldiers talking excitedly about how they could be going back to barracks to get some sleep now that Haggert had been arrested.

But they hadn't left. From what Mickey told her, Jack Holley had set them up to make it look like Luke and his gang had kidnapped some woman from the train. Stupid! How could Luke let Jack Holley get the best of him again? And why couldn't he have stayed hidden like Annie told him?

Since the kidnapped woman obviously wasn't with Luke when the soldiers caught him, they must have assumed she was still with members of Luke's gang hiding somewhere in town. Annie looked over her soldier and saw Mickey pacing in the darkness, biting his nails.

Things were unravelling fast. It was only a matter of time before the soldiers kicked down their door and dragged them out. Eyewitnesses had seen Annie attack Jack Holley in the town square and Mickey throwing Jesse through a window wasn't very conspicuous either.

Another truck could be heard bouncing down the cobblestone street toward their hideout. Annie held her breath again and waited for it to pass by. The truck slowed, its headlights piercing the curtains and brightening the room momentarily. Annie looked to Mickey who swallowed hard and looked back with wide eyes.

The truck slowed and finally came to a squeaky halt right outside the front door. Annie closed her eyes and steadied herself. Mickey drew his gun from his vest. They could try and hide back in the cellar but they would be cornered if they were discovered. Angry voices came from soldiers down the street followed by the sound of quick footsteps. They found them and there was no way out.

But then, over the truck's rumbling engine and the boots on cobblestone, Annie heard something else. A whistling coming from the truck of a very familiar tune. Annie spun around to meet Mickey's excited gaze who had heard the whistling too.

Mickey threw open the door with his gun drawn and sure enough, there behind the wheel of a beaten-up truck was Dalton Lane. The soldiers must have realized that the mangled truck Dalton was driving was clearly not one of their own and were now sprinting toward him with their guns drawn.

"You two coming or not?" said Dalton as he revved the engine. Annie and Mickey dove into the back of the truck and Dalton threw it into gear. Annie peaked over the side in time to see three soldiers dive out of the truck's path in the nick of time. A dull thump indicated to Annie that a fourth soldier hadn't been so fortunate.

For something so battered and rusted, the getaway truck picked up surprising speed as Dalton weaved expertly through the streets of Gladstone. "How'd you find us?" shouted a delighted Mickey over the roar of the engine. Annie didn't care. She hung on to the side of the truck for dear life and hoped that Dalton would be able to get them out of this mess and back to Luke Haggert.

Not because she was worried about him, but because she wanted to kill him for getting her involved in this mess in the first place.

"Brace yourselves!" said Dalton as the truck picked up speed. Annie ducked down and covered her head as the truck smashed through the road block the soldiers had set up on the outskirts of town. Annie looked back at the carnage they had left behind. The headlights of a couple other trucks could be seen speeding toward them.

Where ever Dalton was taking them, Annie just hoped they had enough gas to get there.

Chance
Will Dalton have enough gas in the tank to outrun the soldiers who are pursuing them?

Possibility A: If the price of oil goes up on November 14, 2007, then Dalton will not have enough gas in the tank and the soldiers will catch up with them.

Possibility B: If the price of oil stays the same or goes down on November 14, 2007, then Dalton, Annie and Mickey will be able to make a clean getaway.

Chapter 7: A Bloody Interrogation

Chance results from Chapter 6

Whether or not the Canadian opposition parties voted to bring down the Conservative government last week would decide whether or not Mickey and Annie would be able to come to Luke’s rescue. Since the opposition parties did not defeat the government, Luke has been taken prisoner and his crew will not be able to save him.

***

For a minute Luke thought Annie had hit him in the skull with a flying rum bottle. Instinctively he made to move his hand to his injured head but found himself unable to do so. Through the cobwebs Luke realized he was sitting on a chair with his hands and feet bound.

Luke opened his eyes slowly and regretted the decision immediately. The room was dim but the one lamp on a steel case in the corner was enough light to make Luke’s head pound with renewed vigour. In front of Luke sat a man on another metal chair. He wasn’t tied up. That didn’t bode well for Luke. Though his vision was still blurry, Luke didn’t think he recognized him.

“Are you ready to talk?” said the man, his voice coming from what seemed to be the end of a large tunnel. Luke cringed and shut his eyes; the pain in his head escalating. “Where is she?” the man continued.

Luke opened his eyes again and attempted to speak. His mouth tasted like blood. Before his brain could formulate the words “what the hell are you talking about?” a man stepped from the shadows and clubbed Luke across the face with the back of his hand. Spots danced in Luke’s vision and the chair he was on teetered from the blow. Now his mouth really tasted like blood. He was in rougher shape than he thought if he hadn’t noticed the goon in the corner.

“You answer when the Governor asks you a question,” said the muscular soldier as he towered over Luke’s chair. Luke managed to grimace and give a nod that he hoped would satisfy the meathead for the time being. He punched harder than Annie, and that was saying a lot.

“That will do, Bryce,” said the Governor, dismissing the soldier back to the corner. Luke tongued a back molar that Bryce had knocked loose. “Play time is over, Haggert. You kidnapped my daughter and if a single hair on Gwendle’s head has been harmed, you will have more than Bryce to deal with.”

Pieces of the puzzle started falling into place. A Governor with a daughter named Gwendle... Governor Bonds... No, wait, that wasn’t it. Baines. Governor Jonathan Baines. Luke was being interrogated by Governor Jonathan Baines. Well, that just didn’t make any sen—

Before Luke could finish his thought, he was sent sprawling to the floor as Bryce delivered yet another backhand to the face. Coming back to his senses, Luke opened his eyes and saw his tooth a couple feet away from him. Bryce grabbed Luke by the shirt and lifted him and the chair back upright.

“I’m not a cruel man, Haggert,” said Governor Baines. Luke could barely hear him from the pounding in his head and ringing in his ears. “So I’ll give you a choice. You start talking to me or I hand you over to the Cobbler.”

Luke heard Bryce chuckle in the corner. The Cobbler. Luke knew the name. He was a freelance torture artist that Luke thought the military had locked up and thrown away the key. No one knew for sure how "the Cobbler" got his nickname, but some people believed it was because his favourite technique was hammering nails into the bottom of his victims’ feet.

What Governor Baines didn’t realize, however, was that Luke had known the Cobbler before he was a legend. He had known him when he was just Casper Pitt, a two-bit member of a little-known crew called the Pocket-change Gang.

Of course, Luke had kicked him out of the gang when Casper started getting a little nuts. In the last heist they pulled together, Casper ended up dragging the town Sherriff through the streets tied to the back of a truck.

They didn’t part ways on the best of terms but the Cobbler may be the closest thing to a friend Luke had at that moment and perhaps the only chance of getting out alive. On the other hand, the idea of having hot nails driven into Luke’s feet wasn’t all that appealing.

Choice
What should Luke do?

Option A – Stay and start talking to Governor Baines and hope Bryce doesn’t knock any more teeth out. The more Luke talks to Baines to closer he can come to figuring out what’s going on and how Jack Holley is involved.

Option B – Opt for being interrogated by the Cobbler and hope he doesn’t end up with nails in his feet. The Cobbler may be a deranged lunatic but his history with Luke could be his only chance to escape.

Chapter 6: The Soldier and the Sasquatch

Chapter 5 Voting results:
It doesn’t get any closer than this! When will Luke learn to heed Annie’s advice?

49% of readers voted for option A: that Luke should listen to Annie’s advice and stay hidden in the cellar.

51% of readers voted for option B: that Luke should risk being caught by the soldiers and make a break for Hotel Stone where he believes Jack Holley and Charlie are waiting.

***

“The Captain swears he saw him,” said Private Cooper for what Private Argyle was sure to be the hundredth time.

“Ungh,” grunted Argyle in response. Captain March had all of Gladstone in a mad frenzy after claiming to have seen the fugitive, Haggert, in the town square. They had been scouring the streets and buildings of Gladstone for the past hour with nothing to show and Argyle was starting to seriously doubt the dear Captain’s eyesight.

“Yeah, and he also claimed to have seen a Sasquatch during our last field ops,” said Argyle, shaking his head. Chasing two-bit criminals was no job for a soldier. If anybody else had been taken hostage on that train besides the Governor’s daughter, Argyle was sure he’d still be on leave, relaxing in some pub instead of chasing shadows with a moron like Cooper.

“He did see a Sasquatch,” said Cooper pushing a child aside as they trotted down the same street they had just patrolled five minutes earlier. Argyle rolled his eyes as the kid ran crying into a nearby shop. Smooth, Cooper. Way to make the locals feel even more uncomfortable while armed soldiers run through their streets.

At the end of the street they turned down a familiar-looking alley with lines of laundry strung between the crumbling buildings. Cooper stooped to tie the laces on his boot for the tenth time it seemed that evening.

“All right,” said Argyle. “If you have such complete confidence in Captain March’s excellent eyesight, you won’t mind putting your money where your mouth is, will you?”

“Whad’ya have in mind?” said Cooper as he stood up and scratched the side of his head with the barrel of his rifle. Argyle half-hoped the safety was off.

“A little wager. I’ll bet you two weeks pay that Luke Haggert isn’t in Gladstone.”

Cooper continued his scratching as he contemplated the bet. His thought processes were typically slow to start with but add to the equation a bit of math and money and his brain functions practically ground to a halt.

For once Cooper’s dim-wittedness worked to Argyle’s advantage. Before they could shake on the wager a man came sprinting around corner and crashed into Cooper. The two men crumpled into a tangled heap of arms and legs and before Cooper did something stupid as he struggled to free his gun, Argyle smashed the stranger in the back of the head with the butt of his own rifle.

The man went limp at once and Cooper clambered to his feet, breathing heavily. “Never saw a Sasquatch, eh?” he said, pointing at the heap on the ground.

Argyle couldn’t believe his eyes. It was Haggert. Handed to them on a silver platter.

“We got him! We got him!” shouted Cooper in wild delight. “We got h—umph!” The butt of Argyle’s gun cut Cooper’s celebrations short as it sank into his ribs.

“Shut it!” hissed Argyle. “Haggert wasn’t working alone, you idiot! Do you want the rest of his gang to show up?” Argyle looked up and down the alleyway. It appeared to be deserted but he knew better to assume that no one had heard the shouting.

“Let’s get him up,” said Argyle. “We’ll take him the back ways to the trucks.”

Chance
Luke Haggert has been captured by Private Argyle and Private Cooper. Will Cooper’s stupidity be enough to save him? Time will tell.

The Canadian Conservative government delivered its Throne Speech on October 16th. Over the next week there are opportunities for the opposition parties to defeat the government over the throne speech and force an election. Whether or not this happens will determine whether or not Mickey and Annie overheard Cooper’s shouting.

Possibility A: If the government is defeated by the opposition parties between October 22nd and October 24th then Mickey and Annie will have heard Cooper and will come to Luke’s rescue.

Possibility B: If the government is not defeated between October 22nd and October 24th, then Mickey and Annie will not have heard Cooper’s shouting and Luke will be taken prisoner.

Stay tuned next week to find out what happens!

Chapter 5: Hotel Stone

Chapter 3 Choice Results: As Luke and Mickey followed the Gravehounds through the mine, readers were asked what they should do:

55% voted for Option A: Follow Jack Holley so he can lead them to the mysterious informant, Charlie.

30% voted for Option B: Follow the other Gravehounds who are taking the kidnapped Gwendle Baines to a safe house.

15% voted for Option C: Go back and get more information from Davy Crutch (including the name of his song!)

Chapter 4 Chance Results:At the end of Chapter 4, readers were told that if the Taylor-Pavlik boxing match that happened on September 29th lasted less than 7 rounds, then the crowd in Gladstone Square will disperse and Annie Aldridge will see Jack Holley when he arrives. The fight did not last a full 7 rounds and therefore, the story will proceed accordingly with Annie confronting Jack in her own special way.

***

At first Luke thought that the crowd he was navigating his way through, combined with the fading light of dusk, must have been playing tricks with his eyes. A crowd of people were walking away from the now-deserted town square and between their heads and shoulders Luke saw Jack Holley get tackled to the ground from out of nowhere.

The Gravehound Jesse, who had been following a few meters back, was also shocked to see his boss ambushed and for a moment didn’t know how to react. The shock quickly wore off however and Jesse fumbled for the gun in his jacket.

Part of Luke wanted to let Jesse take a shot at Jack’s assailant. He had never been a good shot when he had been a part of Luke’s Pocket-change Gang and with any luck he would end up shooting Jack Holley by mistake.

As the crowd thinned a bit more though, Luke realized in sudden horror that Jack’s assailant was none other than Annie Aldridge. She was delivering blow after blow to Jack’s body with fists that Luke knew all too well.

“Mickey!” Luke called out, pointing to Jesse. But Mickey had already sprung into action. Before Jesse could raise his weapon he was sent sprawling through a storefront window by Mickey’s diving tackle.

The crashing glass distracted Annie from delivering her beatings long enough for Jack to scramble to his feet and dash across the square which was filling up again with a crowd of people eager to see another fight. As Jack fled however, Luke noticed him drop something shiny onto the cobblestones.

Luke sprinted after Jack but before he was able to cross the square, he too was tackled by Annie. Luke crumpled face-first onto a key that Jack must have dropped during his beating from Annie. Staggering to his feet, Luke shoved the key into his pocket. “Annie, it’s me!”

“I know who it is!” Annie shot back, breathing heavy from her recent brawl. “C’mon, we gotta get out of here!”

Luke looked up to where Annie was pointing and cursed as ten or twelve soldiers ran toward them. Not giving Luke the chance to do something stupid, Annie grabbed him by the wrist and called after Mickey.

Luke was glad that Annie had grown up in Gladstone. Thanks to her knowledge of the zig-zagging alleyways, the three of them managed to elude their pursuers. Five minutes later Annie was shoving Mickey and Luke into a hidden cellar beneath a trapdoor in her sister’s house.

“The streets are crawling with soldiers,” Annie warned as she shut Luke and Mickey in. “Sit tight and keep your traps shut. I’ll be back for you when things have calmed down.”

Luke fished the key out of this pocket. Enough light leaked through the floorboards for him to see the name Hotel Stone and a room number etched on it.

“What now?” asked Mickey, who was sitting on an empty crate in the corner picking glass out of his hand.

Luke grimaced. The streets would be crawling with soldiers looking to send him on the first train back to prison. On the other hand, Room 609 may be his only chance of getting to Jack and Charlie.

What should Luke do?
Option A: Listen to Annie and stay hidden in the cellar.
Option B: Risk being caught by the soldiers and make a break for Hotel Stone.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTES. CHECK OUT CHAPTER 6 TO SEE THE RESULTS.

Chapter 4: The Flying Tooth

Chapter 2 Chance Results: The Globe and Mail did have an article about Afghanistan on the front page of the Saturday, September 15th newspaper. As per Chapter 2’s Chance possibilities, this means that the Prime Minister does not feel secure enough in the Capital to send his personal bodyguards and trackers to hunt down Luke Haggert. A big relief for Luke and the Gang!

***

Time crawled to a near standstill as Charlie stood on his hotel room balcony, waiting for Holley to arrive with a status report. The balcony overlooked the cobblestone town square where a gritty—and assuredly, unsanctioned—boxing match was unfolding. Charlie was glad he was four floors above ground level—from the looks of things the front row of grubby spectators were being rewarded with a regular spattering of blood as the combatants wailed on each other. The bout had only just begun and Charlie hoped that it would continue at least until Holley arrived.

The crowd of screaming onlookers would provide adequate cover for him to reach Charlie’s hotel without being detected. The last thing someone of Charlie’s status needed was to be seen chatting with a well-known mercenary. The job that he had orchestrated with Holley was risky enough as it was.A powerful right hook sent a tooth flying into the cheering crowd. Charlie followed it as it arced through the air, landing at the feet of a woman who was serving drinks at the adjacent outdoor café. Charlie’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the cold steel railing. He recognized this woman immediately from the file he had received on Luke Haggert. Her name was Annie Aldridge and her presence was most unwelcome.

Charlie had no idea what Aldridge was doing working at a café in Gladstone, but if she saw Jack Holley stroll past it could spell disaster. Charlie did not need a big scene, or even worse, for his mercenary to get a knife between the ribs. Holley still had a purpose to serve.

Charlie checked his pocket-watch. If everything was on schedule Holley would be crossing the square any minute. All Charlie needed was for the boxing match to last a few more rounds so Aldridge wouldn’t be able to see Holley in the crowd.

With a renewed interest in pugilism, Charlie started rooting for the toothless man who was staggering around the ring.

Chance
On Saturday, September 29, 2007, undefeated middleweight champ, Jermain Taylor squares off against Kelly Pavlik in Atlantic City. The bout is scheduled for 12 rounds.

Possibility A: If the bout lasts less than 7 rounds, then the crowd in Gladstone Square will disperse and Annie Aldridge will see Jack Holley when he arrives.

Possibility B: If the bout lasts 7 or more rounds, then the square will still be crowded when Jack arrives and Annie will not see him.

Stay tuned next week when Luke and Mickey continue their pursuit of the Gravehounds!

Chapter 3: Marmalade Man

Chapter 1 Voting Results:
Readers were asked where Luke and Mickey should go after escaping the train.

8% of readers voted for Option A - Head for the Forks where Dalton Lane and the getaway truck are waiting.

31% of readers voted for Option B - Make a break for Gladstone where Annie Aldridge is staying with her sister.

61% of readers voted for Option C - Follow Jack Holley and the Gravehounds into the mineshaft.

***

“We could shoot him,” suggested Mickey.

“Shoot him? I can’t even see him.” Luke squinted in the near pitch blackness, straining to see his target. They had followed Jack Holley into the abandoned mine but their pursuit came into an abrupt halt when they discovered that a Gravehound had been left behind to guard the entrance.

The only reason Luke knew the lookout was waiting in the darkness was because he was playing a very familiar tune on a harmonica. Although they couldn’t see the music man guarding the mineshaft, Luke was sure it was his old gang-member, Davy Crutch. In the six years Luke had known Davy he only ever heard him play one song. And poorly at that.

“Doesn’t he know any other song besides Marmalade Man?” asked Mickey. Davy’s tinny shrill reverberated off the stone walls, masking Mickey’s voice.

“Marmalade Man?” said Luke as he crouched next to Mickey behind a boulder. “That’s not Marmalade Man. He’s playing Lost My Lass. The same song he’s been playing for years.”

“Lost My Lass!” scoffed Mickey. “That blow to the head you got from Annie really must have scrambled your brains.”

“I think I know the difference between Marmalade Man and Lost My Lass.”

“Apparently not.”

“The man was part of my gang for years. I’ve heard him play it a thousand times.”

“Doesn’t mean you know what it’s called.”

“Trust me, it’s Lost My Lass.”

“Marmalade Man.”

“Lost My Lass!”

“Marmala—“ Mickey was cut off mid-argument as Luke clapped his gloved hand over his mouth. Marmalade Man or Lost My Lass, the music had suddenly stopped.

Luke slowly lowered his hand, not daring to breath.

“Maybe he didn’t hear—“ a deafening gunshot filled the air followed by a loud groan of pain as Luke and Mickey dropped to the ground.

“Are you all right??!!” Luke and Mickey said simultaneously.

Luke’s panic and confusion subsided as another groan echoed in the mine. Jumping to his feet, Luke left the safety of the boulder and crossed the short distance to where Davy Crutch was writhing in pain and gripping a bloody leg.

Luke kicked Davy’s smoking gun away and lit the lantern lying next to him.

“Hey, Davy,” said Luke, squatting down beside him. “You ought to be more careful when you’re firing blindly into the dark. Looks like you had a bit of a ricochet problem.”

Indeed, the bullet Davy had fired had bounced off the stone walls and came back to hit him in the leg that was now bleeding profusely.

“Luke?” said Davy through clenched teeth. “You’re not supposed to be here!”

“Wish I wasn’t,” said Luke, taking Davy’s harmonica and smashing it against the floor. “Bind his leg, tie him up and gag him, Mickey. We may need him later.”

While Mickey tied up his former colleague in crime, Luke groped his way ahead through the tunnel to catch up with his quarry. A few minutes later he stopped again as he saw the light of lanterns ahead. Pressing himself against the stone wall, Luke listened as Jack Holley barked orders at his Gravehounds.

“Jesse, you come with me,” he said hurriedly.

“You’re not coming with us?” said a Gravehound who was holding a woman roughly by the arm. Luke recognized her as the one they had dragged from the train.

“Of course not,” answered Jack impatiently. “I need to talk to Charlie to give him an update. The rest of you take her to the safe house.”

Luke clenched his fist at the mention of Charlie’s name. Charlie! Luke’s mystery contact from prison who had fed him the information about the train heist. Luke felt sick to the stomach. Jack had set him up again.

Jack and Jesse were heading down one tunnel while the rest of the Gravehounds were dragging the mystery woman down another by the time Mickey caught up with Luke.

“Marmalade Man’s all tied up,” he huffed. “What’s the plan?”

What should Luke and Mickey do?

Option A: Follow the scumbag, Jack Holley, so he can lead them to the mysterious informant, Charlie (also a scumbag).

Option B: Follow the other Gravehounds who are taking the kidnapped Gwendle Baines to a safe house.

Option C: Go back and get more information from Davy Crutch (including the name of his song)

THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTES - SEE CHAPTER 5 FOR THE RESULTS!

Chapter 2: Extra! Extra! Governor's Daughter Kidnapped!

A Special Report by the Port Murkish Post

September 13 – Gladstone, Haver County – A peaceful train ride through the mountains turned ugly last Saturday as bandits boarded the West Haver Express and kidnapped the daughter of Governor Jonathan Baines. Eyewitnesses aboard the train report that six armed and masked bandits burst into the first class passenger car, firing shots in the air and grabbing Gwendle Baines.

In addition to eyewitness accounts, two of the bandits were caught on tape by the train’s surveillance cameras. They have been identified as Luke Haggert, the recently-released-from-prison leader of the Pocket-change Gang and Mickey “the Mechanic” Grimsby, one of Haggert’s crewmembers.

Governor Baines declined to comment on the situation but a spokesperson assured the Port Murkish Post that no stone is being left unturned and no resource spared in the apprehension of Luke Haggert and his Pocket-change Gang.

A source within Governor Baines’ office confirmed the rumour that a request for additional support was sent to the Prime Minister. Although unconfirmed, it is believed the request was for additional support, in the form of the Iron Eyes, the Prime Minister’s elite guard and expert
trackers.

Time will tell whether the Prime Minister decides that such measures are necessary.

Chance
Will the Prime Minister agree to Governor Baines’ request to use the Iron Eyes? That depends on whether or not he feels safe enough to part with his elite security forces.

Possibility A: If an article about security issues in Afghanistan is on the front page of the Globe and Mail (www.globeandmail.com) newspaper on September 15th, then the Prime Minister will not feel secure enough to part with the Iron Eyes.

Possibility B: If an Afghanistan article does not grace the front page of the Globe and Mail on September 15th, then the Prime Minister will agree to Baines’ request and send the Iron Eyes to track down Luke and Mickey.

Thanks for your votes! Stay tuned next week as Luke Haggert and Mickey the Mechanic flee the scene of the crime.

Chapter 1: Too Easy

Prologue Voting Results: Readers were asked who Luke Haggert's partner in crime should be?

27% of readers voted for Option A - Bring the Muscle - Luke takes Dalton Lane along with him for the train robbery and Mickey the Mechanic meets them with the getaway truck at the Forks.

73% of readers voted for Option B - Bring the Mechanic - Luke takes Mickey with him for the
train robbery and Dalton Lane drives the getaway truck.

***

“Everything all right?” asked Mickey as Luke crouched in front of the safe aboard the West Haver Express.

“Everything’s fine,” said Luke, but that was precisely the problem. The entire heist was going a little too smoothly.

They had been able to decipher the safe’s combination from Charlie’s secret message in the Port Murkish Post; the rains had held off at the Forks where Dalton Lane was waiting with the getaway truck; Annie had gone to stay with her sister in Gladstone giving the lumps on Luke’s head a chance to heal; and the train had even been on time when they boarded it forty-five minutes earlier.

Even the security was a bit of a joke (although the three guards who were now bound, gagged and stuffed inside the luggage compartment probably failed to see the humour in it). Mickey had been able to disable the security cameras in less than a minute and seemed downright disappointed at how easy it had been.

Too easy, too easy, too easy, Luke said over and over in his head as he punched in the 4-digit combination on the safe’s keypad – 8 – 4 – 1 – 2.

The safe made a loud clicking sound as the door unlocked. Luke lowered the red bandana that was covering half his face and wiped his mouth with the back of his gloved hand. He could feel Mickey looking over his shoulder in anticipation.

Holding his breath, Luke grabbed the safe’s handle and pulled it open. The knot inside Luke’s stomach tightened. A single piece of paper sat on the floor of the otherwise empty safe. Exhaling slowly through the nose, Luke Haggert picked up the paper.

Seriously, Luke. Again? – JH

There were only two people in Luke’s life with the initials JH. One was his old barber, Jesse Hughes. The other was Jack Holley. Of the two possibilities, it seemed unlikely that a 72-year-old barber would go to this much trouble to set Luke up.

“We’ve got a bit of a problem, Mickey,” said Luke as he handed him the letter. The stream of obscenities pouring from Mickey’s mouth was drowned out by the sudden screeching of the train’s brakes as the Express lurched to a shuddering halt.

Screeching was quickly replaced with screaming and gunfire issued coming from one of the passenger cars ahead of them. “Time to go,” said Luke, pulling his bandana back over his face and pushing Mickey toward the car’s rear door. Whatever was happening in the other car, Luke needed to be as far away from it as possible.

“It’s locked,” Mickey said, opening his vest to reveal a set of tools.

“Then get it unlocked, and fast,” snapped Luke, holding his gun ready. Mickey was a blur as he popped open a security panel and set to work disabling the door’s locks. Luke felt he had made the right decision in bringing Mickey along instead of Dalton.

Twenty seconds later Luke and Mickey were jumping from the stationary train and into a thicket of long grass. They were hidden from view for the moment but they had to keep moving. Luke looked at his pocket watch. 2:30. That meant they were still a good 15 miles from the Forks where Dalton was waiting.

Mickey elbowed Luke in the ribs and pointed to a small town in the valley below them. Luke recognized the town immediately – Gladstone. It couldn’t have been more than 2 miles away.

“We could lay low at Annie’s,” Mickey whispered, but Luke wondered if he might be safer turning himself in.

Before Luke could decide between making a break for Gladstone or the Forks, a third option presented itself. A group of six men had jumped from the train and were sliding down the side of a rock hill, dragging behind them a gagged woman. Although bandanas covered most of the bandits’ faces, there was no mistaking the tell-tale orange hair of the man in the lead. It was Jack Holley.

“The Gravehounds?” said a confused Mickey who also recognized Holley. "Did they beat us to the job?"

Somehow Luke thought it was a bit more complicated than that. Luke and Mickey watched as Jack Holley and his so-called Gravehounds slipped inside an old mine shaft and disappeared from view.

“C’mon, Mickey,” said Luke as security guards started hopping off the train, “we gotta get out of here.”

“Right,” said Mickey. “Where to?”

Where should Luke Haggert and Mickey the Mechanic go?
(Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up on our homepage to receive free story updates.)

Option A - Head for the Forks where Dalton Lane and the getaway truck are waiting.
Option B - Make a break for Gladstone where Annie Aldridge is staying with her sister.
Option C - Follow Jack Holley and the Gravehounds into the mineshaft.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTES - SEE CHAPTER 3 FOR THE RESULTS!

Prologue Part 3: Muscle or the Mechanic

"Are you sure this is going to work, boss?" Dalton asked.

Not in a million years, Luke thought. "Child's play, Dalton." Mickey was studying Charie's little poem intently but Luke was finding it difficult to concentrate with an ever-growing stench wafting in from the slaughterhouse next door. If they were able to pull this heist off, the first order of business would be to find themselves a new hideout.

Before he had been arrested the Pocket-change Gang did have a proper hideout. However, while Luke was on the inside Dalton had sent him a letter that ended with "P.S. Annie burned your house down."

Dalton sighed and stood up to stretch, his massive frame nearly hitting the low ceilings of the pub. “So explain it to me again?”

Luke smiled. He could always count on Dalton. His loyalty to Luke outweighed his cautious nature every time. “What about you Mickey?” Luke said. “We need three to make this work – two on the train and one waiting in the getaway truck at the Forks.”

“Oh, I’m in,” the Mechanic said with a shrug. “Just one thing though – you say the train with the payload is coming through September 8th? That’s rainy season up in the Forks. What happens if the roads are washed out and we can’t get the truck there?”

“Then we improvise,” Luke said. The rain was indeed a bit of a wild card but it was a chance they had to take. According to Charlie, the train coming through on September 8th would be flush with cash as the Murkish Bank transported its holdings to its new facilities in West Haver. With fifteen cents and a half-eaten piece of taffy in his pocket, Luke couldn't afford to miss this opportunity.

“So who goes with you, boss, and who drives the truck?” Dalton asked.

“Good question,” Luke said. It all depended on what he thought they might encounter once they boarded the train. If there were a lot of security guards aboard, he’d want Dalton along to crack heads if the need arose. On the other hand, the Murkish Bank was famous for its state-of-the-art security systems and Luke would hate to have to run into one of them without Mickey’s technical genius at hand.

“I don’t suppose Annie would be willing to drive our getaway truck?” Luke asked. A steel-toed boot flew from the backroom hitting Luke square in the face and knocking him off his chair.

"I guess not," Mickey said matter-of-factly.

“Probably shouldn’t lie on the floor like that." Dalton said in a voice that sounded quite distant. "The butchers next door like to wring their aprons out here after work.”

I was definitely better off in prison, Luke thought just before blacking out.

Choice – The Muscle or the Mechanic
Here’s your chance to influence how Pocket-change Parade unfolds! Cast your vote for who you want to join Luke during the train heist and who you think should be driving the getaway truck at the Forks. And then, on September 8th, chapter one will be posted according to the option that has received the most votes!

Enter your email below and cast your vote for how you want the story to progress. Each week, starting September 8th, you will receive story updates so you never miss a chapter or a chance to participate in the ongoing adventure!

VOTING HAS CLOSED - SEE CHAPTER 1 FOR VOTING RESULTS

Chance – Rainy Days
How the plot progresses also depends on random chance. If it rains in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on September 1st, then the roads leading to the Forks will be completely washed out and the getaway driver will not be able to rendezvous with the others at the designated location.
If it is not raining in Winnipeg on September 1st however, then the roads will be clear and the getaway driver will be able to meet the others at the designated time and place.

Check in at www.theweathernetwork.ca for updated weather forecasts.

Prologue Part 2: Charlie the Poet

"I thought I asked you to get the rest of the crew together," Luke said as Dalton started toward the cooler to get some ice for his swollen eye. Dalton Lane shuffled his feet on the dusty floorboards looking more like a sheepish twelve year old boy than the six-foot-four bear of a man he was.

“I meant to tell you, boss,” Dalton said, wringing his hands together. “Just didn’t know how, is all.”

“They all upped and joined the Gravehounds,” Mickey said without looking up from whatever mechanical masterpiece he was working on at the end of the bar.

“They’ve joined my old high school rock band?” Luke said. “They on tour then?”

“Told you it was the name of his old band,” Mickey said to Dalton. A sprocket shot into the air and was swallowed by a crack in the floorboards. Mickey grimaced and turned back to his work.

“Well you see,” Dalton said, joining Luke at a rough wooden table, the ice seemingly forgotten.

“After you and Jack Holley had your... um... falling out.”

“You mean after he ratted me out?” Luke said flatly.

“Yes, well, after that happened, Jack cut a deal with the government and started his own mercenary group,” Dalton said, clearly anxious to get the bad news over with. “He’s a gun for hire now and most of the Pocket-change crew went along with him when they found out you were pinched. He's been calling his outfit, the Gravehounds.”

“So he stole my band name and my crew?” Luke massaged his temples with his forefingers.

While he was on the inside he met a man named Charlie who seemed to know everything about anything. He had heard through Charlie about Jack Holley starting his own merc group but Luke had naively assumed his crew wouldn't have jumped ship with him.

“So now everybody’s working for Holley’s crew?” Jack asked. Dalton left and returned with one of the few bottles of whiskey still intact and still no ice.

“No, not everyone. Me and Mickey didn’t sign up with the Gravehounds. And I hear the McMurchy brothers are on their own too, but I haven’t heard from them for more than a year now.”

Luke shook his head. Not including that backstabber Jack Holley, there were twenty-four other members of the Pocket-change Gang Luke had expected to be here. "We'll deal with Holley later. Right now we've got some planning to do."

During the next two hours, Luke laid out his plan. He adapted it as he went to make it work for a three-man crew instead of the twenty-three people he had originally planned for. Mickey had joined them at the table and he and Dalton listened intently, but skepticism was clearly painted on both their faces.

“Remember what happened last time you tried to rob a train using sketchy information?” Dalton reminded him as tactfully as possible.

“You went to jail,” Mickey answered for him, getting straight to the point.

“The information’s good,” Luke replied. The truth was, Luke didn’t know very much at all about his informant, Charlie. He had never seen the man but the word around prison pegged him as a government insider collecting a fat pay cheque while doling out sensitive information to representatives of Port Murkish’s seedy underbelly. Representatives like Luke.

Lately contact with Charlie had been through secret and cryptic messages. Luke wasn't sure if it was because he was overly cautious or just liked to play games. Despite the shroud of mystery Luke's gut told him he was a credible source.

“You pick me up a copy of today’s Port Murkish Post?” Luke asked.

Mickey walked to the bar and tossed Luke the newspaper. “Looking to get caught up on current events?”

“Not exactly,” Luke said, thumbing his way to the Arts section. Charlie informed Luke that he would send him the train’s security code in a secret message hidden inside the Post’s poetry corner. Luke quickly found what he was looking for. A small poem tucked away on a page filled with readers’ submissions.

Each line of the poem represented a number from one to ten - a clever way of hiding the code but hopefully not too clever for them to figure out. If they entered the wrong code on the safe the whole train car would go into lockdown and Luke’s freedom would be very short-lived indeed.

The throbbing in his head wasn't making the task any easier either.

Charlie – Solve the Cipher
Luke’s shady contact has left the security code to the train vault hidden in a poem in the Port Murkish Post. The code is four numbers long with each line of the poem representing one of the numbers.

If more than 1,000 people correctly submit the four-digit code, Luke will be successful in opening the vault without setting off the alarms on September 8th. If less than 1,000 people are able to solve the puzzle, however, then Luke Haggert and his crew will be in for a whole world of trouble as the train car housing the vault goes into lock-down. The deadline for solving Charlie's puzzle has past. Congratulations to everyone who successfully solved it!

Click here to see the archived puzzle.

Prologue Part 1: The Wrath of Annie Aldridge

A bottle of whiskey flew past Luke Haggert’s ear and smashed into the alleyway behind him as he opened the door to the Pocket-change Pub. It wasn’t quite the homecoming he was expecting after two years in prison, but when he saw who was doing the throwing it started to make a bit more sense.

The filthy pub was empty except for the menacing figure standing behind the bar. Annie Aldridge. The love of Luke’s life and quite likely the person who wanted him dead the most.

“You get out of jail and the first thing you do is pay a visit to your crew?” she screamed as Luke narrowly sidestepped another flying bottle.

Luke had promised Annie two things: to marry her and to give up his life of crime. Two days after that he told her he was going out to buy wedding invitations buy instead ended up getting arrested while attempting to rob a train. In hindsight he probably should have called her with his last quarter when he was released that morning instead of spending it on the ten-cent taffy lady down the street.

A third bottle smashed in the doorframe, showering Luke with broken glass and rum. Not the rum, he thought. “I came to see you!” Luke lied before Annie could arm herself with another projectile. “Dalton told me that I’d find you here and I wanted to surprise you!”

As if on cue, Dalton Lane popped his head out of the back kitchen. “Is that you, boss?” Dalton said, dropping the papers in his hands to give Luke a bone-crushing hug. As Dalton’s massive hands squeezed the air from his lungs, Luke wondered if it might have been safer had he stayed in prison.

“I got the maps like you asked, boss,” Dalton said, pointing at the stack of tattered documents on the table next to them.

“Came to see me, did you?” Annie said as she reached for another bottle. It was difficult to tell in the dim light but Luke was sure her face had turned a deep purple. “You’re planning a job, aren’t you?”

“A job?” Luke said, feigning surprise with a nervous laugh. “Of course not! I’ve only been out of prison for five hours.”

Just then, a shaggy haired kid walked through the door and slapped Luke on the shoulder with grease-stained hands. “We’re going to need those security codes if we expect to pull this job off, Luke,” he said, as if Luke had never been gone.

Luke cringed at Mickey the Mechanic’s poorly timed entrance and greeting. But instead of hurling the whiskey at Luke’s head, Annie drank the contents, slammed the bottle on the bar and stormed off into the backroom without another word. Luke actually wished she had thrown it. A silent Annie was a far more dangerous thing than a raging Annie.

"If I'm not back in twenty minutes, I'm probably dead," Luke said with a sigh as he headed to the backroom to confront Annie.

Nineteen minutes later Luke emerged from the backroom with a painful goose-egg over his left eye. "I don't want to talk about it," he said, leaving no room for argument. Dalton looked relieved to leave it at that as well.

Your turn! Submit a scene!
So what really did happen? That's up to you! Submit your scene in 500 words or less on what you think transpired in the backroom between Luke and Annie. Have fun with it and the best entry will be posted on Plot Party.com.

Congratulations to Lisa Merrick for submitting the following scene:
Luke Haggert stepped hesitantly into the storeroom where Annie Aldridge was waiting. The room was dimly lit and full of all manner of boxes, kegs and barrels. The one window was so covered in grime that very little sunlight penetrated through.

For two years Luke planned what he might say if he ever saw Annie again but now, when he was finally face-to-face with her, his mind was an utter blank. It was too much to hope that this encounter would end in reconciliation. The best Luke could hope for was to survive her wrath.
Luke kept his distance between him and Annie, bracing himself for an attack.

“I’m leaving, Luke,” she said after a minute of staring at each other. “I’m going to stay with my sister for a while. I don’t think us being near each other is a good idea right now.”

Luke was thrown off guard. Annie had never been one to run away from her troubles. Even trouble as big as him. She didn’t even sound angry anymore. Luke cautiously allowed himself to think he may yet be able to get away from Annie unscathed.

“Before I go though” she said with a familiar sultry tone that drove Luke wild. “I want to leave you something to remember me by.” Annie’s hips swayed seductively as she crossed the filthy storeroom, her eyes heavy with desire. She pressed herself against Luke’s chest and looked up at him. Luke inhaled deeply as the stink of the slaughterhouse next door was replaced with Annie’s sweet perfume.

Luke took her soft chin in his hand and lifted it slightly so their eyes met. The corners of Annie’s tender mouth lifted into a pretty smile. Luke closed his eyes and leaned in to kiss the woman he had promised to marry.

Before their lips met however, Annie clobbered Luke with a devastating punch to the face. Luke saw stars and staggered out of Annie’s reach, struggling to stay conscious. A tender goose egg was already forming above his eye.

As his vision cleared Luke saw Annie smiling with a look of great satisfaction across her beautiful face. “Now if you’ll excuse me, Luke,” she said casually, “I have some packing to do.”

Luke was happy to oblige and staggered back the way he came.