First Round Down

Ten years ago, Tim Tucker was the star captain of the Hamilton Steelhawks junior hockey team, he having major league prospects. Although he led them to the Sterling Cup championship that season, he also suffered an injury in the championship game which sidelined his career. Having run away to the big city figuratively and literally a broken man, he has returned to Hamilton in realizing his obligations in caring for his teenage brother, Matty Tucker, who has grown up now preferring to be called Matthew. Struggling emotionally, Tim has only been able to get a job as a pizza delivery guy relying on tips for he and Matthew to survive, he who is occasionally recognized, especially in the lead up to the Sterling Cup championship tenth anniversary gala and charity event. One person who does recognize him on a delivery is Kelly Quinn, the former Steelhawk coach's daughter and his girlfriend at the time he left Hamilton. Seeing Kelly again brings back old feelings for her, he hoping to get back together with her despite she recently having gotten engaged - she doing the asking - to a man named Winston, the antithesis to everything that is and was Tim. Someone else who recognizes Tim, or at least his work, is Sonny, his former boss in "the big city", Montreal. Unlike what he has led people to believe, Tim, with Sonny's help, was able to pick himself up and actually had a somewhat lucrative career as gangster Sonny's hit man. Sonny has a job for him to do in Hamilton, one in which he wants to see the target suffer. Tim has to decide what to do about the job, not only in wanting to get away from that life if only for Matthew and now Kelly's sakes, but also that of the intended target, in addition to what Sonny and his thugs would do to him, Matthew and/or Kelly if he doesn't carry out the hit. The target himself, who has his own motives in knowing that his life is in danger, may factor into what Tim decides to do. Written by Huggo