About
When a homeless boy meets an ace hacker…
Twelve-year-old Jack Horwood has run from the pimp his mother sold him to, preferring to take his chances on the streets. A house with a cheerful, red door—and a classic convertible out front—prompts him into a spot of breaking and entering, and soon he has a warm, dry basement to squat in. Until the owner of the house, Jamaican hacker Rio Palmer, discovers his hideout.
Rio offers Jack a safe place to stay. Jack doesn't believe a word the man says. He runs, but Rio can't forget the youngster who is scared and vulnerable, and stronger than many men Rio has met.
Finding Jack is a tiny challenge. Teaching him to trust is like climbing a mountain. But when faced with a true zero and its power, Rio can do nothing else.
***
An earlier, shorter version of this story was published in the Kickass Anthology to help Eric Arvin and his family. It has since been edited and significantly extended. All profits from the sale of this book go to the Albert Kennedy Trust, which supports LGBT youngsters who are homeless or in danger, and the Banbury Young Homelessness Project, which helps homeless young people in Oxfordshire.
Twelve-year-old Jack Horwood has run from the pimp his mother sold him to, preferring to take his chances on the streets. A house with a cheerful, red door—and a classic convertible out front—prompts him into a spot of breaking and entering, and soon he has a warm, dry basement to squat in. Until the owner of the house, Jamaican hacker Rio Palmer, discovers his hideout.
Rio offers Jack a safe place to stay. Jack doesn't believe a word the man says. He runs, but Rio can't forget the youngster who is scared and vulnerable, and stronger than many men Rio has met.
Finding Jack is a tiny challenge. Teaching him to trust is like climbing a mountain. But when faced with a true zero and its power, Rio can do nothing else.
***
An earlier, shorter version of this story was published in the Kickass Anthology to help Eric Arvin and his family. It has since been edited and significantly extended. All profits from the sale of this book go to the Albert Kennedy Trust, which supports LGBT youngsters who are homeless or in danger, and the Banbury Young Homelessness Project, which helps homeless young people in Oxfordshire.
Publication
JKeswick (2017), 88 pages