Chapter 6
New Orleans, 2002
Derek kicked one foot against the alley wall and leaned back, a cigarette hanging from his lips. Turning his head, he watched the entrance of a building he could see across the street at the far end of the alley. A few yards away, a brown-haired man, who looked as if he’d seen better days, eyed Derek and shook his head. Derek grinned, took another pull on the cigarette, and dropped it, crushing it out under his boot.
“That s**t’ll kill you, D-Boy,” the man said.
“If it doesn’t, something else will, Brad.”
“Yeah, so you keep saying.” Brad swiveled his head to look down the alley as well. “Heads up.” He quickly ducked behind an overflowing dumpster. His job was to ‘ghost’ Derek, to be his backup if something bad went down but otherwise, stay out of sight.
“I
