Redeemed

Chapter 1

"It's always the same damn thing." Hunter mumbled before taking a long pull from the water bottle. He leaned against the crumbling brick building looking unimpressed. It was a gift for him; always remaining distant and uninterested. He had learned from early on to hide in the shadows and blend in; it kept him alive and relatively unnoticed. Today it provided him with a front row view to the constant fighting between the other messengers. It wasn't glamorous or exciting, but the gig as a bike messenger had helped to keep a roof over his head. A roof that he'd earned one that he had shed blood, sweat and tears for.

Summer in Chicago could be a bitch, but Hunter Jameson loved it. There was nothing better than the sun beating across his back as he weaved in and out of traffic on what some might call a suicide mission making deliveries. It was the freedom and the ability to empty his mind while he rode around the city. At 21 most thought he should have more ambition, more going on in his life but for Hunter this was enough. The fear that had chased him for most of his life was long gone and Hunter couldn't have been happier. At least that was true for most days. Today, however Hunter wanted to wrap his hands around the scrawny dispatcher's throat and squeeze.

Lolli sauntered over to him. She was all legs; toned and tan with a smile like a cobra. Hunter had tangled with her on a couple of occasions and had quickly realized that the woman was as deadly as she seemed. One long tan finger dragged down his bicep as she spoke. "If all they're going to do is fight over who pays for tickets, we might as well get out of here and find something to do." The invitation was written all over her face. It would have taken a blind man to miss it, but Hunter still played dumb. He couldn't afford to piss off this woman and lose this job. Hunter had witnessed Lolli's vengeance one too many times. The woman's temper was legendary.

As he pondered his response to the vixen before him, Hunter heard a call for a delivery across town. Quickly deciding that baking in the sun was healthier than getting bitten by Lolli he jumped at the chance. Granting her his killer smile, Hunter pushed off the wall and headed toward the dispatcher's office yelling behind him, "Sorry babe, money talks..." Within minutes he was cruising through traffic, his head once again blissfully clear. Another long day, another set of deliveries. Nothing to dwell on, all he had to do was make it from one place to another in one piece.

The sun was setting as he finally, made his way home. His muscles ached and he had probably worked off a few pounds but Hunter felt great. He welcomed the exhaustion that settled within him. It had taken him years to be free and every moment since he enjoyed it. Hunter Jameson had earned his right to freedom and safety. He had earned it with every bump, bruise and broken bone, and he damn well was going to enjoy it.

Unlocking the door to their room, he dragged in his bicycle. It wasn't pretty to look at, but Hunter had worked night and day to build and maintain it from salvaged parts. Taking in his surroundings, Hunter grunted at the term "home". This wasn't home, it could barely be classified as a room but he and Sunny were happy there. Happy and safe; something neither of them had had much experience with in life. So they were trying and learning to be normal.

Sunny was passed out across his bed. The guy was lean, but abnormally tall. His legs dangled over the end of his twin-sized bed. No matter how much time passed Sunny never looked older; perpetually a man-child, always seemingly looking for trouble. Hunter shook his head at the thought and made his way into the bathroom. Since leaving their last home at 17, he and Sunny had been joined together. Good or bad, thick and thin, the two of them were a matched set.

Once he had washed the day's dirt off, Hunter too collapsed onto his bed. A few hours of sleep before he was off to a second job, the one he shared with Sunny. It was the best of both worlds; paid to barely work alongside his best friend...his brother. Finding work for both of them had been a fluke; their uncanny ability to manage drunk and stupid people was fate. Years of being a victim to the same behavior had taught them both how to take advantage of the situation. Now each man benefitted from the countless hours of torture and abuse, always ready for the tables to turn and for the time when it would be their turn to dole out the punishment.