Chapter 1

Bobby Mercer hasn't really been the obedient type. Everywhere he went, he was defying authority. Teachers, the principle, even random people in the store received his utter most disrespect. If Bobby were to walk into a gas station, the store manager would eye him, waiting for him to make a move.
The only authority figure that Bobby Mercer would never defy; was his mother, Evelyn Mercer.
Evelyn Mercer took him in as her own when Bobby was just 12 years old. He was the foster kid that everyone in Detroit despised. Except, for Evelyn, of course.
Bobby got into all kinds of trouble with every foster parent that ever had the guts to put up with him. He would steal, vandalize, and abuse everything he could get his hands on. Almost every one of his foster parents eventually gave up on him. Some of them even resorted to beating him, as if that was the only thing in the world that could get him to listen. But of course, it didn't work like that. He either ran away and became a street kid, or got put with some other sucker. To Bobby, everyone was worth annoying. They didn't respect him, why should he respect them?
But Evelyn was different. The minute he laid eyes on her he knew, he knew she was the only one in the world who actually cared about him, his thoughts, and his actions. Evelyn gave him hope. The one thing that never got buried deep in the back of his mind
Now, Bobby was 19, a hard age to be at. He just reached adult hood and was playing hockey with the big boys. Bobby was gonna go pro, if the league didn't kick him out first. He's known as the "Michigan Mauler." Hey, just because he's an adult now, doesn't mean he put his degenerate past behind him. Nope, Bobby was the one in Detroit that every one feared. He had quite a reputation. He got into fight. after fight. He started hockey because he needed something to take his anger out on. It was Evelyn's idea. She thought hockey used enough energy to keep him out of trouble.
Evelyn had taken in 2 more boys after Bobby. All 3 of them were delinquents. All lost causes. All with stories to tell. Bobby was the oldest at 19. Next there came Jeremiah at 17. And last but not least, Angel, at 13.

Bobby sat on the living room couch, eyes glued to the television set, watching a hockey game he'd already seen.
"Watch this Ma, Red Wings are going to score against the Canucks." Bobby laughed in triumph as he so called "predicted" the play. Evelyn peered out of the kitchen long enough to watch her oldest son smile at her knowingly.
"Bobby, if you watch T.V. for so long at a time you're going to go blind." Evelyn smiled at him. Bobby sighed and slouched in the back of the sofa.
"So you keep telling me Ma. So you keep telling me."
"Bobby will you do me a favor?" Evelyn called from the doorway.
Bobby made a loud, annoyed sigh and looked at his mother. "But Ma! I'm watching the game!" Said Bobby in a whiny voice.
Evelyn gave Bobby "The Look." The look that always told him he'd be in big trouble if he didn't get his lazy ass off he couch and help his elderly mother.
Bobby shot off the couch like rocket and trotted over to his mother. "What can I do for you?"
"That's more like it. Will you take out the trash for me?"
Bobby sighed. "Sure thing Ma." Evelyn gave Bobby a satisfied look and handed him the trash bag. Bobby glanced at the kitchen clock. It read 9:45 p.m. in bright red letters. Bobby took the trash bag, turned around, and rolled his eyes. He hated taking out the trash at night, for fear he might run into some asshole looking for a fight. Not that he was scared to fight him. He just didn't want to get his hands dirty, and that would mean paperwork if the police got involved. Just, something he didn't want to be doing on a Friday night. Bobby walked over to the front door, set the trash down next to it, and went upstairs to his bedroom. He pushed the door the rest of the way open, and walked over to his bed. He reached his hand in-between the mattress and the spring board and pulled out his '44 cal. handgun, and shoved it into the top of his jeans. 'Just in case.' He thought. He ran down the stairs, skipping steps as he went, and got to the bottom with a loud THUD. Bobby grabbed the trash bag, turned the outside light on, and went out into the cold September night.
The second Bobby stepped outside he heard a noise and froze. Ever so slowly, he set the trash bag down and pulled out his gun. The noise was coming from the left side of the house. Bobby slipped into the garage, grabbed a flashlight, and silently went to investigate.
He could hear the noise clearly now; it was the sound of a plastic bag being moved around by a careless freak who even dared to enter enemy territory. No one crosses into enemy territory without Bobby Mercer knowing about it. Then you were in trouble.
He rounded he corner sharply. It was clearer now; the noise was definitely coming from Evelyn's garden. This made Bobby furious! No one, EVER, stole from his Ma if he had anything to do with it! And guess what? Right now, he had everything to do with it. He saw he culprit. Sort of. It was dark and all Bobby could see was a small shape. But that was all he needed. Bobby aimed his gun, and shot the thief in the side of the arm. Bobby heard a squeak as the thief dropped his loot. He looked up at Bobby and bolted down the driveway in a dead run. Bobby quickly shined the flashlight on him and saw that it was a boy. A young boy, no older than nine, running down the street with his arm bleeding. Bobby didn't get a good look at his face. All he knew was he kid was young with dirty blonde hair, he was covered in dirt, and he was abnormal skinny. Bobby kinda felt sorry for the kid and thought about chasing him down just to return the food he stole. Stole. All the sympathy vanished from his mind. "Yeah you better run you little fucker! No one steals from my Ma!" the kid turned his head to look back at Bobby with a tear stained face. He quickly turned away and kept running farther down the street. Bobby didn't think the kid even knew where he was going, just anywhere to get away from him.
Bobby sighed and picked up the bag of vegetables. He peered in the bag and saw: carrots, corn, broccoli, tomatoes, potatoes, peas, and spinach. Bobby returned the flashlight to the garage and walked up to the front porch. Evelyn came rushing out with a worried look on her face. When she saw her son was okay she glared at him.
"What?" Bobby asked defensively.
"What did you do?" she asked.
"Stopped a thief. Don't worry I didn't kill him, just got him in the arm." Bobby handed Evelyn the bag of vegetables.
"Bobby, how old was this thief?" Evelyn suddenly asked.
"Nine would be my guess. I didn't get a good look at him."
"Where is he now?"
"Took off down the street and I have absolutely no idea where the hell he went."
Evelyn sighed. She wanted to help this kid. But Bobby scared him off. She fears she may never see him again. Bobby doesn't understand. All he thought of him as was a kid who stole from an elderly woman who put so much time into those freaking vegetables. "Bobby, why do you
think he took those from me?" Evelyn asked nodding to the bag dangling from her fingertips. Bobby pondered this for a moment.
"Um, because he wanted it?" Bobby didn't understand where this was going.
"So why, Bobby, do you think young children steal food from people?"
"Because they're hungry?" He guessed. Evelyn raised he eyebrows at her eldest son.
"Aw Ma, you can't be serious! This kid tried to steal from you and now you're just gonna GIVE it to him?"
"That would be the right thing to do Bobby. This kid may be starving to death. Although you just scared him off, probably for good, I'm going to help him. Even if I have to search all of Detroit to do so." And on that happy note Evelyn went inside, leaving Bobby to ponder her words.
Bobby stood there in silence, occasionally shifting his feet to stay warm. He sighed. 'I don't get it!' Bobby thought angrily. Here he thought he saved his mother from the thief, but turns out she wants him to have it. It doesn't make any sense to him. 'She's probably right. Ma is always right.' Bobby sighed again, watching his breathe come out it white puffs. He looked up at the stars. Not very bright tonight. But not totally invisible. Maybe that's what Ma is like. Her plans are there, they're just hard to see. 'Maybe I just need to look harder.' Bobby thought. He took one last look at the sky and went into the house.

End of chapter 1