The Steeps

Chapter 1 - The Abyss

Across the East River from downtown New York, in a pocket park between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, a small crowd was watching a young skateboarder performing a series of stunts – flips, grinds, rail stand... nothing any decent boarder couldn't nail. But then, with a cocky smile and a toss of his blond dreadlocks, the young man, Casey Janz, whipped his board around, pushed hard until he got enough speed, flew the board up onto a park bench, sailed off and did an airborne double three-sixty, landing flawlessly to a burst of applause.   

Sitting on the pavement in front of the crowd, a kid with no legs, street name Leggo, reached over and shook the satchel he'd spread open before him. People behind him took the hint and started tossing in coins and bills, a little something for Casey's performance, Casey and Leggo a team.   

A group of their compadres, some on skateboards, all wearing grunge gear, wove among the onlookers, urging people who were hanging back to step forward and give. 

At the edge of the crowd, another boarder, a hard-eyed loner named Mondo, was watching Casey's performance. As Casey lined himself up for an encore, Mondo's gaze shifted across the crowd to a chick boarder they called Ladyfingers.  

Mondo kept watching as Ladyfingers left her board with one of the grunge crew and eased herself over behind a man wearing a business suit. She waited until Casey was back in action, holding everyone's attention, and then gently raised the vent of the man's jacket. With all eyes except Mondo's diverted, Ladyfingers lifted the man's wallet. She stuck the wallet in the waistband of her jeans and casually backed away. 

Suddenly there was a sharp bleep! from across the park. 

Ladyfingers spun around. 

Speeding toward her with its bubble lights flashing was a police intercept cart. 

The guy holding Ladyfingers' board slid it toward her. She hopped on and took off. 

The crowd scattered. 

Legless Leggo wasn't legless at all. He jumped up and grabbed the satchel of money, the phony stubs attached to his cargo pants flapping as he ran. 

Casey swooped in on his board, pulled Leggo on with him and the two hightailed it down a sidewalk toward the Manhattan Bridge. 

The rest of the grunge crew grabbed their boards and darted in all directions, the police cart chasing after Ladyfingers, who sped down one of the sidestreets. She made a series of quick lefts and rights, doubled back and pointed her board for an abandoned warehouse she knew she could get into. Knew if she could make it through and out the other side, chances were she'd lose the cop.  

Mondo's flat eyes took it all in. He stepped onto his board and pushed off, heading for the Manhattan Bridge, same route Casey and Leggo took.  

Ten minutes later, up on the bridge, the crew were all on their boards, pushing and rolling along the structure's wide pedestrian ramp, heading toward Manhattan.   

Leggo was still riding with Casey, Ladyfingers just catching up. She gave a quick glance over her shoulder, hoping she'd ditched the goddamn cop. 

From the roadway beneath them, the whooshing and beeping of traffic came up through the ramp's grating, trucks and cars streaming in both directions, a subway rumbling on tracks that connected Manhattan and Brooklyn. 

Halfway across the ramp, something up ahead made Casey slow down. He squinted toward a row of blinking yellow lights and came to a stop.  

"Aw, man," Leggo said, hopping off with his bag. The others pulled up behind him.