DANIEL HERON: BECOMING

4 - Look what the cat dragged in!

When Lucio pulled the car over, they were far from the town. He parked in front of an abandoned factory. The intensely blue color of his car was the only thing that disturbed the overall grayness. Gray were the walls of the factory, gray was its surroundings, and because of the somber clouds, the day seemed gray as well.

The building, forgotten by time itself, was the favorite gathering place of Lucio's gang. They called it Ground Zero. Once it was the main production facility for bolts, screws, nails and other similar metal products, but the production halls were empty for over two decades. The machines that once worked restlessly, were moved to a newer factory at a more suitable location, leaving this remote construction as a reminder of the long-gone times. The plans for its renewal and repurpose had never been carried out. Left to the tooth of time, it slowly decayed. The paint peeled off the walls, the roof leaked, and the wind that blew through the broken windows sang its ghoulish song.

For many years, the youth gathered there, far from curious eyes, but in the past five years, you would only be able to enter the abandoned factory if you were a friend of Lucio's. He and his company claimed it. It was their hangout, their territory, their base. There they spent their evenings and cloudy days, there they did whatever they pleased, without anybody controlling them. Every vicious plan Lucio's gang came up with was cooked up there. That's where it all began, and for that reason they named it Ground Zero.

"So, you left your old woman, huh Heron?" Lucio asked once the roaring of the car engine stopped.

"Yeah, looks like I did just that." Daniel's hands played with the worn and torn hem of his denim jacket while his eyes stared into the distance through the wet windshield.

"You did the right thing. That witch knew nothing but to order you around and lecture you. You don't need someone like that in your life. What you need is freedom. And freedom is right here," Lucio extended his arm in the direction of the factory. "Come on," he added and exited the car, lifting the collar of his black leather jacket to shield himself from the rain. Daniel followed his example and joined him.

As soon as they entered, Lucio addressed the boys gathered there. "What's up, city rats! Make room for one more!" He turned towards Daniel like a magician who just performed his most majestic magic trick. "Look what the cat dragged in!" he said, turning all eyes to the newcomer.

"Hi, guys," Daniel mumbled. He knew them all. Victor Kostinski, a tall, burly, dark-haired fellow also known by his nickname – Bone; Bernard Zima, called Winter, who liked to wear his baseball cap backwards; long-haired Manuel Boros with olive skin and a passion for wearing bright-colored T-shirts; and Rafael Ursar, called The Bear, whose mullet combined with bushy eyebrows made him seem angry all the time.

Daniel often hung out with them. Even more frequently after he quit his job. Mrs. Heron didn't refrain herself from showing contempt towards them. In her eyes, they were all slackers and deadbeats, the worst scum. But Daniel didn't share her opinion. He found them alike. They too hadn't been pampered by life. Each of them could tell his own tragic story. That was the reason why Daniel started hanging out with them in the first place. They did not care much for laws, that couldn't be denied, but a person does what has to be done to survive. At least that was what Daniel used to think to give their actions some justification.

"Make yourself at home," Lucio advised.

Daniel looked around, his eyes searching for a comfortable place to sit. He chose an old armchair with wooden armrests. He sat and set his backpack on the floor next to its leg. He ran his fingers through his hair to move the wet strands away from the eyes. As he was looking around the rather large room he was in, his stare paused on a metal staircase on the right side of the entrance door, leading to the first floor. That was where the offices once were, but Daniel knew that today it was Lucio's empire.