The intense, action-packed stakeout I had envisioned wasn't exactly going as intended.

Okay, maybe not at all as intended.

Since I had commenced my spying during my spare all I'd been doing was trailing Lincoln and Andrew as they made stop after stop. I felt like a paranoid father keeping an eye on his preteen daughter as she went out with her friends for the first time. We stopped at the gym, Wal-mart, McDonalds... we stopped so often that it got to the point where I just remained in my car.

To be honest I was about ready to call off the whole night and just tell Ella not to worry about babysitting.

And to think I called in sick to work, for this.

Still seated in the driver's side I fiddled with the radio, skipping to a new station every two seconds or so. After four hours in the car your brain melts from how many times the same songs come blasting through your speakers. Songs I thought I loved at the beginning of my journey now paralleled the obnoxious barking of an overzealous yorksire terrier.

I must have been outside, what I was assuming to be, Andew's quaint suburban home for well over an hour and a half when the pair resurfaced. Knowing they were on the move once more I slowly cranked the key in the ignition. Not being able to see much of Lincoln I watched as Andrew's slim figure slipped into the driver's side of the black Jeep.

I sat and patiently waited until they were well on their way, refusing to leave otherwise. I'd been playing this game of cat and mouse for four hours now. There was no way I was going to allow myself to get caught at this point.

It was only once the dark vehicle disappeared around the bend that I felt safe enough to inch out of my illegal parking job next to a vibrantly coloured fire hydrant.

Andrew was leading us back the way we came, cutting across town to a more run down location. The lights were duller, the buildings more worn out and I'm sure I almost gave myself a flat due to the amount of potholes and broken glass. I never really felt comfortable straying into uncharted territory, but as I tailed after the dark jeep I figured I didn't really have much of a choice.

The lingering of my eyes strayed from the road to my nearly empty tank of gas. The red arrow threatened to teeter above the E and I silently prayed that I wouldn't run out of gas anywhere near this part of town.

It was well past dark being that it was about seven o'clock on a March evening. I was starting to feel the strain of being seated for an extensive amount of time and was just feeling exhausted from driving for so long all together.

When the signal on Andrew's vehicle flashed my mind became alert again. Hoping this was what I'd been waiting for all night I creeped into the plaza parking lot after him, attempting not to seem to eager. Not wanting to take any chances on getting caught I made my way right by the pair, parking in a more packed area on the other end.

The orange light filtering down from the sign of a Chinese restaurant was the only help I had in seeing what was happening. Between the lack of light and distance I had to squint to manage to see anything.

Pressed against the window of my car I observed as Andrew edged out of his vehicle first with his phone against his ear. Lincoln wasn't too far behind in following his best friend's lead. He slipped out of the Jeep, his long legs making no extra effort to gracefully meet the ground. As Andrew babbled near the hood Lincoln moved to pull open the backseat. His tall frame slipped off his leather jacket revealing his toned, naturally tanned arms under his simple t-shirt before proceeding to hunch over, ducking to pull out a black duffle bag.

The slamming of the door was audible from where I sat, shadowing Lincoln with my eyes. Andrew soon ended his call, the two making their way through the empty lot to the side of the building.

What the hell were they doing?

Uncomfortably, I craned my neck. Had I missed something? From what I saw there was only a couple run down Asian themed restaurants, a dry cleaners, and a couple of other little shops that didn't exactly scream conspicuous.

I wasn't all too sure I wanted to abandon the safe haven that was my car. Did I really want to follow two teenage boys into the night?

As they rounded the corner of the unmaintained plaza I realized my answer.

Quickly, as not to lose them, I launched myself out the door and into the crisp air. I nearly forgot how cold it was after being in a heated vehicle for over four hours. However, the nipping breeze was a reminder and I silently wondered if Lincoln was mental for taking off his only form of protection against the elements.

Scurrying to where I had last seen the duo I peeked around the corner, not exactly sure where they had gone. Luckily enough for me they hadn't vanished out of sight. Both casually made their way past the row of shops, almost reaching the end.

Trying to stay as far back and as hidden in the shadows as possible, I stalked them.

I literally stalked them.

The whole time I felt like a far too clumsy cat trying to pursue a mouse. Every step I took seemed too obnoxiously loud, every tilt of one of their heads had me ducking for cover near a neglected garbage bin. I wasn't cut out for the stalker life.

To be completely honest, I didn't have very many expectations for how this night was going to go - or what I was going to discover, for that matter. The worst I suspected was maybe a night of foolish shenanigans, just Lincoln wanting to take a break from the real world - the one where he had responsibilities. But never was I expecting to be walking twenty minutes in the cold to an abandoned warehouse district.

Andrew and Lincoln walked on in silence through the industrial maze of ugly cement buildings. Piles of crates and empty skids lay scattered near over flowing dumpsters - which I was oddly thankful for. The echoing from the passages was playing with my anxiety and all that trash was perfect for an easy hiding spot if the opportunity presented itself.

I tugged my black hoodie closer to my shivering frame. I had left my discarded jacket in the car in my haste and was now deeply regretting it. The wide alleys acted as wind tunnels and every breeze had my hair flipping and body trembling. Lincoln, however, seemed unaffected up ahead in nothing but his plain white t-shirt, his hands casually tucked into his jeans. Even Andrew was sensible enough to at least bring a thick, knitted hoodie, a plaid jacket thrown overtop.

A few more twists and turns and it appeared we had reached our destination.

Staggering behind and spying from around the corner, I watched as Lincoln hoisted up an entrance that resembled something like a tin garage door. It appeared to be some sort of shipping dock. The clanking and rattling was almost deafening after the absolute silence, causing me to cringe.

The two teens slipped in, disappearing into the dark cement box. Curiosity sparked within me and I couldn't help but lean over a fraction of an inch more to peer inside. Unfortunately for me, once the pair made it in Andrew turned to close the entrance with a resounding bang.

The severity of my situation started to settle in my gut. I was in an unknown location, an extremely sketchy unknown location, with no idea of my exact whereabouts, and I was officially and unmistakably alone. With my mind at war with itself I silently weighed my options. I could turn around on my own with a high possibility of getting lost or jumped (or both). Or I could push forward, possibly get caught or become a witness of something I'm sure I wanted no part of - but at least I'd get to the bottom of Lincoln's little secret. And even though I'd have to grovel, and repeat how horrible of a person I am fifteen million times, at least I would have an enraged Lincoln to escort me back to my car, right?

Actually, I didn't know what would be worse, but as I stood there, anxiously checking over my shoulder, I knew there was no way I was trekking it back on my own.

Moving away from the security of the concrete wall I inched towards where the duo disappeared. Unsure whether I wanted to open the door and alert them of my presence I searched for a more feasible option.

And I found one.

A few feet down was a broken window. The glass had been smashed in, obvious evidence scattered across the asphalt. The discarded fragments crunched under my boots and I flinched at the thought of being too loud, yet again. Tip toeing didn't help my case in the slightest, I was too vertically challenged to see anything but the beam-held-ceiling inside.

Cursing my height for like the millionth time in my short life I scanned for something to assist me. Failing miserably to soundlessly drag over a few empty skids I propped my small body high enough to actively view inside.

But it was empty.

Dim lights were messily strung along the walls, like something you might see in an underground tunnel. The inside didn't appear too different from the exterior. The dirt and dust covered floors and discarded crates and skids complimented where I stood.

It was just that though. Nothing unusual or not typically found in a run down warehouse. The only suspicious thing was neither Lincoln or Andrew were anywhere to be found. With everything stacked against one of the four walls there wasn't much place for them to be hiding - the area within the perimeter left uncluttered.

Not wanting to take a chance, and no longer having any desire to stand in the cold, I pulled myself onto the rectangular window. Bunching my sweater up into my fists I took great care in trying to make a successful entrance unscathed. But as I'm sure everyone is aware I'm not allowed to go a moment in my life without being clumsy. My sweater slipped from my grasp as I attempted to scale, giving the rigid glass ample opportunity to bite into the inside of my fingers. I hissed in pain as the skin separated, droplets of blood escaping. Checking for any fragments or shards in my skin was almost impossible with the amount of light around me. So instead, I balled my sweater back up into my fist and tried again.

Grunting and groaning I finally managed to pull myself into a hunched sitting position. The struggle reminded me just how out of shape I truly was but also forced me to wonder which entrance option would have been more stealthy.

Dangling from the window for a moment I swung my foot around searching for something stable to lower myself on. Needless to say I couldn't find anything fast enough and my noodle arms gave out with a crash to the floor - knocking over skids and empty pails in the process.

I was a walking disaster.

Staying pinned to the wall after my less than graceful entrance, I waited for someone to come investigate.

No one did.

Dusting off my jeans I wandered to the centre of the large cement cube. Yes, there were other doors but I was more than positive they all led back outside.They were too similar to where Andrew and Lincoln disappeared through to be anything otherwise.

The thought of them realizing I was following them filtered through my thoughts. Did they leave me here for dead to teach me a lesson? The more I considered it the more I deemed Lincoln incapable of such a nasty and heartless thing. Even Andrew, who acted like a joker seemed to have more sympathy than that.

Standing in the centre I considered my situation again. If I didn't find at least one of the two boys I'd be forced to make it back on my own, something I wasn't down for, but what other choice did I have?

Kicking the dust around my boots I continued pondering until the vague shape of footprints registered in my mind.

The dust caked floor was riddled with footprints, almost to the point where the mess of steps resembled a pathway. Tilting my head I followed the route. For something that appeared to be abandoned this was contradicting evidence.

The abundance of steps lead to a wide elevator shaft. The detail had been staring me in the face the whole time but I didn't really consider going down.

Probably because I had no desire to meet my doom.

"Don't touch the button," I chanted to myself with a shake of my head. I wasn't desperate enough to go full-blown Scooby-Doo over this. Or so I thought.

Against my better judgement I leaned towards the button. If that's where Lincoln was I was about to find out what he was hiding.

Without much hesitation the large doors slid open, almost as if they were waiting for me the whole time. I paused a moment before climbing aboard. Did I really want to do this? I had no idea what to expect. I mentally prepared myself as I entered the lift, my heart beating erratically in my chest. I couldn't fool myself, I was scared. This whole situation was sketchy. But as I listened to the hum of the elevator lowering me below the ground all I could wonder is if my opinion of Lincoln Pierce was about to change.

When the door slid open I was forced to the realization that no amount of preparation would have been enough to ready me. Not because it was vile or horrid or anything of the sort... but it was nothing I would have guessed.

I was visualizing a creepy, grungy basement infested with spider webs and the odd homeless person but I couldn't have been more wrong.

There were people. A lot of people.

They swarmed around the centre of the basement, a long bar off to the far left. Music blared causing a rippling in my chest as soon as the barrier of metal doors vanished. How was it possible I did not hear the chaos from upstairs, I had no clue.

Slipping out of the lift I attempted to go unnoticed, there wasn't very many individuals looking my way anyways. But apparently luck wasn't on my side tonight. The moment I emerged a pair of eyes landed on my petite figure. He stood off to the right among a small group of men who chatted animatedly to each other, the rest casted their gazes into the crowd.

Apparently making eye contact wasn't a good move. One hint of the anxious look I carried and he advanced like some sort of hungry predator. The wicked look in his eye was all the motivation I needed to lose myself within the crowd.

Pushing my way through the densely packed mass of bodies I did not stop until I could no longer feel Mr. Creepy's eye on the back of my head. People continued their business around me. From what I could see there were even a number of scandalously clad waitresses making their rounds. They delivered beers and other beverages on silver platters, allowing their tips and money owed to be slipped into their attire.

Was I in some sort of underground bar?

Something told me no. Yeah, sure there was loud music and alcohol being served, that's what I understood bars and clubs to be like. But certain things just didn't make much sense. I was in a sea of causally dressed individuals. Ninety percent of which were male. And although the music was up beat and lively no one was dancing. Just cheering.

At the cage located in the centre of the room.

I finally began to pay attention to the roaring of the mass of people around me that refused to cease. Vibes of excitement shook the room and they were all directed at the boxing ring not too far from myself. Mr Creepy had managed to chase me into the heart of the basement. I was close enough now to see the chaos of the two men fighting within the caged arena. The blood stained arena, the stench of sweat and smoke, the overzealous crowd, everything was becoming clear.

Underground street fighting.

I stood frozen in shock, my feet unmoving as I watched the two men in the ring bloody each other. Kicks, punches, grappling, gouging, everything was being done to win. At the end of the fight, when one man lay crumpled on the mat I felt like I was about to be sick.

The crowd rioted even more. The victor raised his arms, ignoring his battered appearance, as his opponent was removed only to be replaced by a new fighter.

Lincoln Pierce.

Lincoln stood in the ring with two other men in nothing but a pair of boxing shorts, his fists wrapped in dirty white cloth. He waited in his corner as the burly man opposite to him dried off his sweat slicked body and squirt a stream of water into his bloodied mouth.

A bald man in a black t-shirt made his way between the two, debriefing. He spoke in hurried tongue, gesturing with his thick hand as he peered at Lincoln back to the other guy.

I could do nothing but gawk as Lincoln stared down his opponent, only nodding when necessary.

Before I knew it the two clapped hands, the ref dodged out of the way, and the fight was on.

Neither of the two wasted anytime. In a matter of seconds Lincoln was resorting to dodging and pushing himself out of harm's way. The man pursuing the assault was ruthless, not even slowing down the strategize his next move. Considering he had just been another minutes prior and was showing this much fight, I was concerned for Lincoln.

Lincoln was the complete opposite with his technique. He was intense and calculative, aiming and predicting in order to land vicious blows. He was quick and powerful, something his opponent was slowly getting sloppy with.

When Lincoln's long haired opponent grew frustrated with his ineffective fist-falls he switched tactics, grappling with Lincoln instead. Lincoln was ready for the attack when he came barreling towards him snagging Shaggy around the neck. The two men wrestled for dominance, Lincoln's abdomen receiving a majority of the blows. The multitude of punches soon turned into clutching at Lincoln's cobra like arms as they constricted.

Witnessing the struggle I was sure the fight was close to over. Until Lincoln let go. Releasing the hold he had his opponent dropped to the floor in a heap. Lincoln stood over him, a terrifying expression on his face. I was more than positive I didn't want to stay and watch the rest but my feet were super glued to the floor.

Lincoln continued to hover, the same robotic, unsympathetic gaze morphing his features. Raising my hand to my lips I nibbled on my sweater, anxiously awaiting what was to come.

The shaggy man rose from the ground, lunging at his first clearing and I silently wished he laid back down and played dead. As expected, due to being exhausted, he wasn't nearly fast enough. Lincoln knocked him back down with a mighty kick.

Persistently, he rose again. And again. And that was his downfall.

Lincoln let loose a rain of heavy blows. He was unstoppable and no one did anything but cheer him on. Within minutes his opponent was left bloodied and battered at Lincoln's bare feet. An uproar sounded at Lincoln's victory but unlike Shaggy, Lincoln didn't celebrate.

He silently retreated back to his corner and waited for his next victim.