Harmony pedaled down the road, gaining more and more speed, flying by the people that she passed while turning onto her street. Looking up at the sky, she closed her eyes and let go of the bike's handlebars and lifted her arms up, outstretched. She continued pedaling down the empty road with the wind blowing against her face.
If her encounter with Wade had taught her anything, it was that life was too short to waste by being unhappy. She was going to make sure that she spent every day doing things she enjoyed, and she wasn't going to let anyone keep her from accomplishing her goals.
She would take life one day at a time, and be thankful for what it was worth, because as she had learned, all of it could be gone in an instant. She wasn't going to be unappreciative of her blessings any longer. She was setting her sights firmly on her dreams, and she wasn't going to slow down.
She finally opened her eyes, set her grip back on the handlebars, and shot downhill.
Palmer sat next to Morgan at the police station, filing papers. He hadn't told anyone about the favor he had pulled for Wade, and he didn't intend on ever doing so. It wasn't for them to know. Palmer just hoped that Wade would take his advice and get on the right track. He would give his parole officer a call in a few months to check in.
Meanwhile, he had other things to worry about: the hearing for the drug dealer was later that afternoon. Morgan and he had been up all night compiling everything they could about the crime. They had a solid case, and Palmer was confident that the crook would be facing serious jail time. Palmer lifted up Harmony's initial report, scanned it quickly, and placed it in the case's binder. Everything was starting to fall into place.
His full performance review would be on Monday morning. Palmer knew that a lot more was in store for him, but he wasn't going to let that distract him. He would cross that bridge when he came to it. For now, he was going to finish his job. A lot of people had helped to bring the dealer in, and it was up to Palmer to make sure that their efforts weren't for nothing.
He turned around to face Morgan and held up his coffee mug. They both toasted, smiling, and continued their work.
Wade exited the taxi and began to walk down the street. First things first: he was going to get some new clothes. When prison fatigues were easily more comfortable than the clothes you wore in public, it was time to visit the general store. He could use some toothpaste, too... and deodorant wouldn't hurt, either.
As he crossed the street and turned the corner towards his apartment, he stopped dead in his tracks and looked up in awe.
Thick smoke and flames stretched out into the sky where his apartment now sat in a pile of rubble. Fire crews were at the scene, all shouting at one another and spraying the walls of the destroyed building with large hoses. Fire trucks were backed up in droves next to the former building, doing their best to fend off the fury of the blaze.
Wade looked disbelievingly at the wreckage. He had no words.
Silently, he made a fist, stared down at the ground, looked back up to the apartment, and left.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gregory Austin McConnell is an award-winning independent filmmaker and writer. After receiving a large amount of praise for his work on screen, he set out to write inspirational books for young adults. His previous publications include several short stories, poetry, and essays. He currently resides in Missouri.
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Fallen Angels - Book 1: Welcome To Munich Page 8
