Chapter 1:

People think being a writer is easy money but they don't actually realize how hard it is. To find that one zinger story that will set you for life. For example, J.K Rowling was a woman down on her luck and then one day, it just hit her like a ton of bricks while riding the train one day. That's what I wanted to happen to me. I wanted to be the next JK Rowling – have the next best selling novel in the New York Times.

That is why I took my newly acquired writing degree, my life savings and began to travel the world. If inspiration wasn't hitting me at home, then maybe I needed a change of scenery. At least that's what I thought. So far I've been to Australia, Japan, and South Korea. I considered making my way into North Korea thinking my zinger might be in the socialist state but thought better of it once researched it a little more. I value my life a little too much to go into a country where the Human Rights violations are unparalleled.

I met new people on my travels and experienced their way of life – if I deemed it safe, I didn't say no. That is how I found myself being escorted into a high-end night club in Moscow, Russia. The woman to my left, who I met at a café this morning, invited me along after a brief conversation in broken (on my part) Russian. She was having a girl's night and decided I needed to meet her friends. Anja, Maria, Stazy, and Tasha are the girls I found myself in the company with and apparently they come here often because we were lead inside and to a table right away.

We had a few drinks and began dancing. My feet were killing me in the heels Anja let me borrow since she said I wouldn't get in wearing my quilted combat boots – the only pair of shoes I brought with me on my travels. The black skinny jeans were okay though, and one of the other girls lent me a slinky blue shirt. After awhile of being on my feet, I pushed my chestnut locks out of face and told the girls, the best I could, that I was going to take a rest on one of the couches.

I took a seat on the arm of one of the white sofas, pushed my long chestnut hair over one shoulder, and pulled the sleek black heels off my feet and messaged the indents around my toes. Did I mention the heels were half a size to small? Anja wouldn't take no for an answer though.

I looked up from massaging my feet when someone stopped off to the side of me and my breath caught in my throat. The man was good-looking, yes – probably one of the most handsome men I'd ever seen – but the way he stood, the hard look in his eyes, intimidated me to know end. He didn't even see me though. He was looking straight a head to a group of people lounging on another white sofa at the back of the bar.

"Anton." He said first and then spoke in perfect Russian. I couldn't tell what he said but I could make out a name – Yuri Komarov – and the word 'hello' in his speech before he raised a gun.

I stopped breathing the moment I saw this man raise his gun and I felt the fear rush right through me. I didn't know what was going on but I knew that I could be in danger if I moved even a hair, so I didn't. My eyes just stayed locked on the handsome man with the gun and I didn't even flinch when he pulled the trigger. People screamed and scrambled around me but I stayed still.

I didn't move until the man was tackled to the floor and only then, it was to jump to my feet to get a better look at the man that was now chest to floor, hands being cuffed behind his back. He moved his head to the side for better breathing access and that's when his eyes locked on my hazel ones. Even though it was dark in the club I could make out the colour in his eyes perfectly, they were blue. The bluest I'd ever seen.

Our eye contact broke when he was hauled to his feet and taken from the club. I followed him out with my eyes, almost studiously. There was something in his eyes that told me he wasn't evil. I slowly pivoted on my bare feet and looked at the dead man on the couch. So why did he shoot this man?

That was the question that had been on my mind from that point, until I got back to my hotel room where I could finally get rid of the heels and slinky top for good. I sat in my underwear, on my laptop, well into the morning, researching. Apparently, this Yuri Komarov is awaiting trial in a Moscow prison. The reports say that the mystery man in the club has been identified as an American named Jack McClane and that this Yuri man, hired him to kill the man in the club.

It didn't make sense though. Jack McClane wouldn't have been able to get close enough to Yuri for the orders to be given. Yuri was under high security detail. His conversations are monitored. So what was the real story?

Like a light bulb, I sat back in my chair with a look of realization on my face. This would make for an excellent story line, if I followed it until the end. I leaned forward and began typing again, looking for further information. I eventually got the name of the courthouse and the date that both Yuri and Jack would be there for trial.

That's how I found myself two days later outside the courthouse in the middle of a riot. I saw Yuri get off the bus and then Jack. Yuri looked serious, Jack looked like he didn't give a damn that he killed someone and was possibly being lead to his own death. I quickly wrote that down and then looked around the courthouse for a possible way in. It wasn't open to the public, so it wasn't going to be easy if at all possible.

The crowds were thinning now as Yuri and Jack have been in the courthouse for about twenty minutes now and I still couldn't find a way in. I stood in front of the courthouse, hands on my hips, debating on what I should do next when I noticed a bald man pacing around in front of the building as well. He shared similar qualities to Jack so I assumed it was his father and quickly wrote down this fact as well.

I put my small notebook in my satchel and was about to walk over to the man when it happened. I didn't exactly know what 'it' was until the ringing in my ears stopped and the dust cleared from my eyes. The courthouse exploded leaving dust and debris everywhere and I rolled onto my side, coughing as I inhaled some of it. I noticed an army vehicle racing down the street shortly after the explosion but that was the last thing on my mind.

I saw people leaving out of the side of the courthouse and noticed Jack and Yuri running across the road. The bald man from before got to his feet and quickly followed, so I did the same at a safe distance, as not to be spotted. I was must have been crazy to go after two criminals but writing was important to me and I knew this story was big.

It took a lot of convincing to get my parents to let me get a degree in writing instead of medicine like they wanted. They said that I had a year after I graduated to make a career in writing for myself or I would be forced to go to medical school. I really didn't want that, so I continued following behind the bald man until he stopped in front of the van that Jack and Yuri had gotten into.

Yuri got out of the van at one point and Jack got out to get him back in, so I took this moment to sneak into the back of the van. I hid in the back just in time for Yuri to get back in. I saw through the front windshield, Jack hold his gun up to the bald man and say something but lowered his gun almost immediately as he backed away and got into the van.

Jack turned the van on and raced away. I was able to brace myself without making much noise. Not that the two in the front seat would have noticed anyway, with all the noise coming from outside. I tried to remain unnoticed and managed pretty fine until someone crashed into the back of the van. I let out a small yelp and slapped my hand over my mouth as the van jerked to the side.

"Who's back there?!" Jack shouted. I didn't move but he wasn't having it, "Someone is there, answer me!"

I came out from my hiding spot and sat in between the two front seats. I looked into the review mirror and saw Jack glance at me through it before his glare turned back to the road to make a hard left.

"Kyo ty?" He asked in Russian, "Na kogo ty rabotayesh'? Ty devushka iz kluba…"

Yuri looked from me to Jack but braced his hands on the dashboard not saying anything. Jack looked angry at seeing me and I didn't want to answer at first but I was trapped in a vehicle with him so I might as well try. He wasn't just going to let me go in the middle of a car chase.

"O-okay…I got the first question 'Who are you', right? The rest is gibberish. Don't you speak English? I really don't understand what you're saying."

He seemed surprised by my perfect English but spoke again, this time in a language I understood, "You were at the club. Near Anton's people."

"You mean the guy you shot?" I ask and braced myself against the seat as we were rammed into again.

He shot me a look before telling me to hold on before placing a device in his ear. It sounded like he was trying to reach someone. He called himself the reaper and he was trying to contact a base. Maybe he was a spy. I took out my notebook and wrote that down but jumped when he slammed the ear piece down.

"Dammit!" He shouted and started punching the steering wheel, "Damn you McClane! Damn you!" He continued to shout before getting back to manoeuvring the van around cars and people.

"Who is that?" I asked as the bald man showed up beside us in another vehicle.

"Shut up, I'm trying to concentrate." He snapped.

We started driving down this narrow path bumping into cars and bikes and there was this one man on a petal bike headed straight for us and I put my hand over my eyes and screamed, "Watch out!"

"I said shut up!"

"Watch where you're going!" I snapped back, "Or honk your horn or something."

"I don't even know you! Stop telling me what to do!"

He hit a bump and I fell back in the back of the van. I tried to catch myself on something but managed to bump my head on some of the stuff that was back here. It got dark all of a sudden and I knew we were in a tunnel. Once we were clear of the tunnel Jack started to weave through cars down the highway and it was making me queasy.

"I think I'm going to be sick." I moaned as I got back to my kneeling position between the seats, "This is not what I expected to happen when I snuck into this van."

"Maybe next time you'll know better." He scowled, "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I was interested in what was going on and wanted to know more." Was my honest

answer.

We were rammed into once again and started spinning around and I flew back into the back of the van, sliding around, "I'm definitely going to be sick." I muttered and quickly looked around for a bucket. I found a bin and opened it before vomiting in it. Once I was done I replaced the lid and slid it aside.

"Please tell me you didn't just do that." Jack muttered.

Jack dodged the army vehicle a couple more times before the bald man rammed the side, sending it flying into a transport truck. In the process however, he sent his own vehicle flying too, right over the median. I turned and looked through the back window as the jeep landed on its side.

"Dammit John." I heard Jack whisper before turning the van around and going back, "Open the side door." Jack demanded of me as we stopped beside the bald mans – John –body. "You could say please." I muttered as I slid it open.

"Get in John!" Jack shouted, "Hurry up!"

John got in and shut the door and Jack took off. John looked at me and then looked at Yuri, "Who are they? And who were those people chasing you?"

"Shut up John or I swear to God I will put a bullet in you this time." Jack said, concentrating on the road.

"Did you forget about that whole part back there where I saved you three back there from a bunch of Russian bad guys?"

"Saved?! Saved?!" Jack asked disbelievingly.

"That's right!"

"Thank you for that." I told him sincerely.

John smiled at me, "You're welcome. It's nice to get some appreciation around here."

"You know you're a world class screw up. You know that John?" Jack said.

"I'm the screw up? I'm the screw up?"

"I don't think you're a screw up." I said. Though I could be biased considering he helped get those Russians off our asses.

"Shut up! You don't even know him!" Jack snapped.

"Stop telling me to shut up!"

"Then do what I tell you!"

"Don't talk to a lady like that Jack. At least not in front of me. I'm still your father."

"Yeah, well there is nothing I can do about that is there?" Jack replied, "What a joke. Just shut up and try not to touch anything. You've done enough god damn damage."

"Well, you're not the only one he tells to shut up apparently." John said quietly to me and then looked around before spotting the bin beside him, "Is that what I think it is?"

"I get car sick." I muttered embarrassed.

A little while later, we ditched the van and made our way through the city. We kept to allies and side roads. It wasn't until we entered a building lobby that Jack finally stopped to turn to me. He gave me a once over before speaking.

"Why are you still here?" He asked.

"I told you, I was curious about what was happening." I said as if it was obvious.

"Don't you have boundaries?! This has nothing to do with you! You're going to get

yourself killed!"

"That's up to me now isn't it!" I snapped back, hands on my hips.

It was suddenly getting hot in here and I took off my jean jacket, taking the sweater off with it and draped them over my satchel. I remained in a black tank top that I paired with dark wash skinny jeans and my faithful quilted combat boots.

"I don't think you realise what you're getting into here." He tried to speak calmly.

"We were in a car chase and shot at by the Russian mafia or something like that. You broke a criminal out of prison and threatened to shoot your own father." I said, staring up at him through narrowed eyes. I wanted this story and I was going to get it. A novel based on true events? Yes please! "You think I don't know what I'm getting into?" I raised a brow.

"We can't just let her leave now Jack. They could have seen her and she could be in danger." John said, causing Jack to roll his eyes.

"Who are you?" Jack finally asked again.

"Haven Parks." I said and held out my hand. I turned and shook Johns hand since his son wouldn't take it.

"Haven, what brings you to Russia?" John asked politely as we ascended the stairs.

Jack shook his head and walked up ahead of us, trying to ignore the conversation. Yuri was following close behind him. He hadn't said much since I met him.

"I graduated in April and have been travelling the last couple months trying to find inspiration." I explained, "I'm a writer."

Jack whipped around at the top of the stairs and glared at me, "A reporter?"

"N-no." I stammered at his intimidating stance and mentally kicked myself for it – I was better than that. He was a few inches taller than me when we're standing on level ground but with him a few stairs a head, he towered over me. "Novelist. Or at least I hope to be….one day." I trailed off, the last two words barely a whisper.

"Leave her alone Jack. The lady has goals." John said and shoed his son on ahead, "What kind of things do you like to write?"

"Anything really." I said, back in my comfort zone, "I've just been having a hard time writing anything worth while lately. I'm on a deadline and the pressure is weighing on my mind."

"Hence the travelling for inspiration." John said, "Have you found it yet?"

I looked up to Jack as he reached the top of the stairs and directed Yuri forward. He glanced back for a moment, meeting my eyes before turning and heading down the hall.

"Yeah, I think I have."