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AGAINST ALL ODDS - Chapter One


The wipers on the black BMW made a quiet mechanical noise as it went back and forth
over the windshield. When lightening lit the sky, it created an earie strobe effect, almost
as if it was stopping the wipers in their job on the window.



AJ McLean’s head bobbed for a second as sleep started to cloud his mind. He quickly
jerked awake and swerved the car back on the side of the road where he belonged.



"Shit McLean, stay the hell awake," AJ mumbled to himself as he lowered the windows on
the car, hoping that the fresh air would keep his mind alert and clear. He grabbed a
cigarette out of the pack that laid on the passenger seat and fumbled at the lighter in the
ashtray. When he took a drag off the cigarette, instead of being met with the taste of his
normal brand of cigarettes, he was met with the flavor of burning filter.



"Sonofabitch, you dumbass AJ," he scolded himself for lighting the filter as he flipped the
cigarette out of the open window.



Slapping himself in the face, AJ tried to keep awake, but was slowly losing the battle.
Everytime his head dropped down, he managed to catch himself and wake back up.


~*~*~*~*~


Brian squinted as he turned the lamp on that was situated on the nightstand next to his
side of the bed. Once his eyes focused as much as they could, he glanced at the digital
alarm clock as he picked up the phone.



4:22



"Hello?"



Leighanne stirred when she heard Brian answer the phone and raised herself up and looked
over at him, concerned about the call that came so early in the morning. Alarms went off in
her head when she only heard Brian’s half of the conversation which consisted of
"when....oh dear god....I’ll tell Nick."



"Brian?" Lee asked as she gently touched his shoulder when he laid the phone back down
onto the receiver.



"It’s AJ. He’s missing and they think his car went into the water off an intercoastal
highway."



"Oh god."