[h3][center][u]k a y l e e[/u][/center][/h3]

	Kaylee lived in a big house on quiet block in a forgotten part of town. Just a few streets down from bustling roads an bright lights, a simple redirection of traffic could leave certain residential areas isolated. Overgrown houses, faded red bricks, weed-cracked concrete tiles on the sidewalks and vines in the steel fences. Town houses, two stories tall, squished up against each other. 

	So there was Kaylee's place, squeezed in amongst the others. Unnoticed by outsiders, but instantly recognizable to those who knew her. This was the place of the watch dog, the girl who walked at night, she could smell fear, and she could smell evil. Or, so the stories went. Most people just knew her as Kaylee, the quiet, part-time mechanic who lived with the dogs and the children and who could throw a great block party and really get things done as long as no one was looking. 

	Right now, her shadows shifted in the hazy orange street lamps, her hands tucked in her baggy black hoodie, her long jeans occasionally getting stuck underneath the heel of her canvas sneakers. Her scraggly brown hair hung out of one side of the hood over her head and drifted up in other places.

	Fumbling with her keys, she ascended the ancient pair of steps that lead up to the heavy wooden door to her house and began fumbling with a jingling set of keys, most of which she had forgotten the purpose for. As soon as she stuck the key in the keyhole, the clattering of claws and paws could be heard on the tired wooden floor on the otherside. A cascade of excited barks. Pushing open the door against the furry horde, Kaylee smiled big and wide. Speaking in incoherent dog language, she pushed her way through the pack of dogs. There must have been seven or eight and some of them weren't even in the room, too lazy to go visit.

	Those weren't the only kids in this house, though. A boxy TV brimming with cartoonish light and boistrous sound indicated the teenager sitting on the couch tactically ignoring the cartoon to instead stare at her phone. That was Christina. Somewhere in the second floor of the house, Robby played old video games and Jason's room was empty, the oldest of the bunch still at his job as a gas station attendant. Jessica had already moved out, and visited from time to time. 


	"Hey Kiki," Christina called out.

	"Hey, Christina. Dogs treat you okay?" Kaylee responded, her voice textured like rough cut wood. 

	"Somethin' like that. Ruben's extra jumpy today." 
	
	"Yeah, I can tell-" Kaylee said with a chuckle as there was suddenly a small dog sitting on her shoulder.

	Kaylee waded her way to the couch and flopped down next to Christina, who bent her knees to make room for the shaggy interlopers. 

	"You stayin' in tonight?" Christina asked.

	"Eh, I dunno. Maybe." Kaylee mumbled, scatching a pit bull behind her floppy ears.

	"Well..." Christina said, voice high, trailing off. Kaylee didn't react at first, before blinking and doing a slow double take.

	"Well, what?" She asked.

	"I may have found something." She said, bracing herself for chastisement.

	"Wh-what?" Kaylee asked, sitting up straight. "Found what? You know I don't want you looking into that kind of stuff, Christina. It's dangerous. Now don't-"

	"I know, I know!" The should-be middle schooler said, pouting and bouncing on the couch.

	"Don't interrupt-"

	"But this is serious!"

	Kaylee opened her mouth.

	"Three million dollars serious." Christina added.

	"You- b'dwhat?" Kaylee asked, simmering down quite quickly.

	"Pam Curtis. You know her?" Christina asked, the lenses of her boxy glasses glowing and glinting with the light of her smart phone.

	Kaylee furrowed her brow. "Yeah. Her dad's the only thing keeping that Hart bitch from gentrifying the shit out of this city."

	"Language."

	"Sorry."

	"Anyway," Christina said, popping her lips. "She's been kidnapped. And-"

	"What!?" This came as a shock. She had seen Pam before. Kaylee, as some kind of community leader (apparently), had spoken to various influential old people at town meetings before to speak out against the expansion of the District. Occasionally even speaking directly to the mayor. In many ways, local elections were much more important than statewide and national ones.

	"[i]-And her brother, [/i] is offering a three million dollar reward." She explained. Kaylee sat back and let the knowledge sit for a moment. Even the pack of dogs sense the mood shift.

	"Three million dollars." Kaylee repeated quietly.

	"Yeah. Lotta cash. Enough to get-"

	"Enough to get Rooster off our backs. Enough to pay off the house, and- and send Robby and you to college."

	"And get you a bike that isn't a hunk of junk."

	"Hey. Hey now. Don't talk shit about my bike."

	Christina smiled. "Okay. Kaylee. Who is better at finding people in this town...than you?"

	"Well..."

	"Literally nobody, Kaylee."

	"I don't want you to disappear so much for so long anymore. With this money..."

	"I wouldn't have too." Kaylee finished the girls sentence for her. Kaylee clicked her tongue against her teeth and shook her head.

	"How did you find out about this before I did?"

	Christina shrugged with a smug smile.

	"You're the most annoying fourteen year old I've ever met."

	"I know." Christina replied, smugging up her smile even more.

	"Ugh." Kaylee shoved a dog in her direction and sat back on the couch. A few moments passed. "I guess... I guess I should get going." 

	Christina smiled sadly. "Just...just make it home safe. Okay?"

	Kaylee returned the smile, trying to hide the dangerous glint in her eye as she felt herself already drifting mentally away from her home. "I will. I promise." The door closed behind her, and both Christina and the dogs were taken aback by how quickly and silenty Kaylee managed to leave the house. Like looking directly at the shadow in the corner of your eye.

	There was a dark, unlit spot around the back of the house. Behind a locked, spiked fence she had installed. Several objects covered in a tarp. Beneath that, a bike, locked to the back of the house in chains. Kaylee had produced a duffel bag full of some of her favorite things. Exaling, she detatched the bike and stepped onboard. Wrapping the bag around her shoulder, she placed on a black motor cycle helmet that hid her gaunt, dark features entirely. The engine rumbled to life and she glided out of the alley way and into the city at large.