playlist since I moved in last week. To me, they’re the melody of redemption. Concrete doesn’t squeak. Getting released from that cell is a surreal feeling I’m still trying to digest. There’s no denying the facts, unbelievable as they might seem. I’m a free man, out early on parole. No more handcuffs and shackles. Watching the rising sun is a choice I’ll never again take for granted. This apartment is all mine. The noisy collection of grunts and groans is an added bonus.
The landlord won’t hear me bitch about the thin layer of carpet slapped down to cover what needs fixing. I’m doing the same damn thing in a pair of faded jeans and plain button-down. Try as I might to create a mask, the pungent stench of prison still lingers in my pores. But each step forward brings me farther away from that shithole.
With a sigh draining my lungs, I drop onto the sofa and kick my feet up. An empty evening lounges ahead of me. Taking a moment to appreciate unrestricted spaces is a new habit I’m enforcing. The open style of this studio loft was a selling point for me. A quick glance around provides a tour of each corner. This is no penthouse in the big city, but I don’t require more than a place to call home. A single room with an accessible exit is plenty for a man like me.
I’m more fortunate than most ex-cons freshly released to the streets. There’s plenty of money in the bank, thanks to years of honest work as a program developer. I’m capable of doing just about anything if a computer is involved. People were impressed with my level of skill, which filled me with a sense of worth. Offering a decent amount of muscle into the mix only increased my value. How fucking naive I’d been. All that brain and brawn certainly put a target on my back, the wrong type of people having the swiftest aim. Everything went to shit shortly thereafter.
My ribs complain after I take a long inhale. Though the paint is fresh, the air still has a tinge of musty odor. This rental sat vacant for several months before I swooped in. Demand for real estate in these parts is fairly low. I haven’t seen a ton of people nearby in general. The closest gas station is two towns over, and it’s a twenty-minute drive to get groceries. But I can’t afford to be picky about location, with the sizable rap sheet stapled to my forehead. The fact they willingly handed over a lease agreement still baffles me, though offering to double the deposit probably didn’t hurt.
Knoxview is an hour south of the prison, nestled in central Minnesota. I’m allowed to travel within a seventy-mile perimeter. My parole regulations are strict, which suits me fine. I have nowhere to be and no one to do it with. All I care about is having a fair amount of distance from Chicago. There’s a lot of intel I need to collect before getting anywhere close. The men I’m up against will no doubt be waiting for me.
A loud buzz shatters the erratic whirlwind of my thoughts. I shove off the couch while muttering about inconvenient disruptions. The intercom crackles when I press the button. “Yeah?”
“Is that how you greet me after the drive I’ve had?”
Several beats pass while I stare at the speaker. My rusty cogs try to make sense of what I’m hearing. “Holy shit. Beckett?”
His dry chuckle is muffled by the shitty connection. “Yeah, brother. Gonna let me in or what?”
I wouldn’t have guessed that security was worth a damn at this place. If I’m going to be proved wrong, this is the way to go about it. With another jab of my finger, a low hum pulses down the line. The knock comes a moment later. I swing open the door with what feels like a crazy-ass grin splitting my face.
My brother whoops and leaps at me. “It’s so damn good to see you.”
I clap him on the back, returning his hug. “Likewise, man. I wasn’t expecting you.”
“Figured a surprise would be more fun.” He breaks apart from our loose embrace while clutching my shoulder.
“Well, damn.” I motion him forward. “Come on in. The space isn’t much, but it’s clean and cheap.”
Beckett steps toward what qualifies as my dining area. He juts his chin at the station of monitors and electronics taking up the majority of an entire wall. “Back at it