Prologue

"I hate jobs like this. They give me the creeps."

"Would you shut up already."

A warehouse sat at the harbor's edge. Rust painted the corners and a salty wind chewed at its face. Two grunts stood guard outside one of the doors. They mimicked the charm of the building. The first was a thin young man new to the operation. The door behind him was the source of his anxiety. Chipped paint flaked off the front. Scratches veined along the spaces in between. Something squealed on the other side begging for mercy. It stopped abruptly. The newcomer swallowed hard as his imagination played with torturous scenarios involving pokemon. Maybe he wasn't cut out for this. His partner ignored the sounds. He had heard them before and was too sour to bother with them. Sour patch hunched into his brown striped black jacket and leaned against the warehouse.

"You get used to it," he mumbled.

The newbie's voice dropped to a whisper as if talking about it was taboo.

"What do you think they're doing in there?" he asked.

Sour patch rolled his eyes. Why did he have to get partnered with the criminal newborn? Maybe this was an opportunity to have a little fun. Sour patch pinched his eyes and put an air of secrecy on his lips.

"You wanna know what they're doin?" he whispered.

Sour patch glanced around before motioning for Baby to come closer. Baby held his breath and leaned in. The suspense had him by the throat.

"They're playin' doctor."

Sour patch's laugh disturbed the wingull nesting nearby. Baby glared and pulled away. A few curt exchanges were made until a snarl broke through the teasing. Both grunts jumped and looked back to the warehouse. The people inside started shouting. Something broke. A heavy object was dragged across the floor. A roar shook the walls before something crashed into the door. It bent out sharply. Baby fell back on his heels. Sour patch flinched. Electricity buzzed in the background and ended with the screech of a pokemon. The warehouse went silent. The grunts could not take their eyes away from the door. Their hearts pounded against their chests.

"I think you meant their playin' Frankenstein," Baby said.

Sour patch blinked and slowly looked to his partner before putting his gaze back on the door. Something behind it had the strength to snap iron like twigs. He swallowed hard. Maybe Baby had the right idea after all . . .