Alice Roberts never knew of her father's gambling addiction until that day in early spring. Of all the things that could have clued her in on where the money was going --the lack of new clothes, going to discount grocery stores, selling almost all the furniture in their tiny apartment-- this had to be the least subtle.<br/><br/>The petite brunette was walking home from school, her leather bag slung over her shoulder. Navigating the large city of Boston was difficult, but when you grew up there, it seemed easy to get where you needed to go. Humming a tune, she continued down the street, not noticing a dark colored van waiting for her inside the next alleyway. Perhaps if she had noticed, things would have went differently.<br/><br/>The vehicle whipped out in front of her, doors opening, and large arms suddenly wrapped around her. Before she could scream or react, she was inside the van as it sped off. Alice shrieked loudly, kicking as hard as she could at her kidnappers, but they were quick to cover her mouth with a slightly damp cloth. Everything around her seemed to slow down, and her eyelids drooped. She soon collapsed.<br/><br/>It was unfortunate that her father had decided to gamble with the money of a loan shark.<br/><br/>Linus was the name his associates called him, often following 'Boss' or 'Sir'. He was known to be harsh and unforgiving, especially when it came to his money. No one would get away from spending his dough willynilly without getting his ankles snapped, his wrists crushed, and all of his worldy possessions taken. Apparently, Alice was her father's 'worldly possession' in that context.<br/><br/>Linus, a 40-something year old man who still stood tall and sleek, watched his men drag in the unconscious girl. "Foolish man, that Roberts, thinking he could get away with THAT!" He gave a glance to the young man standing nearby. "Teach her a lesson, why don't you?" With that, he waved the other men out of the room and stepped out himself, leaving the guy with the young woman lying on the couch, still out like a light.