The street lamps flickered on; their light fell upon the cobble stones as the trickling water from the fountain echoed in the town centre. The shops were closed; except for one whose neon light flashed; ‘Ma’s Café’.
Outside a blue car was parked, rusting away, but it did its job with pride. A tall figure sat behind the wheel, a wide brim hat pulled down over his eyes.
Running footsteps broke the silence and the man’s feet held steady on the cobbles as he rounded the fountain. He glanced over his shoulder. His breathing was deep and his right arm ached from carrying the heavy carpet bag.
A pack of German Shepherds burst into the town centre behind him. The dogs’ loud barking echoed and blood lust was in their eyes.
He turned the corner and stopped dead in the empty road.
The dogs’ barking increased and he spun on his heels to face them. Switching the carpet bag hand and drawing a gun from his hip. He knocked the safety off and squeezed the trigger.
The car quickly pulled beside him and stopped.
He paused.
As the first dog rounded the corner, he tore open the door and throwing himself into the passenger seat. The dog jumped against the door causing it to slam shut in his face. Huge jaws snapped at the window but the car screeched off leaving the dog howling in pain.
*
Ma Clancy crossed the floor, a coffee tray balanced on her hip. She stopped at a table were four men wearing black suits sat talking in low voices, “Here you go boys,” Ma’s voice called out.
An old man looked up from a newspaper. He had been studying a photograph of a young woman and the headline ‘Big Boss’s Daughter Missing.’
“Look out there,” he said.
Ma heard him as she walked past. She looked out of the window and saw the town centre covered in police officers. She placed her hands on her hips and pouted, “They’ll be in here next demanding coffee and donuts! You take my word for it!” she snapped.
The old man chuckled.
The four men stood up. One of them indicated to Ma with a nod of his head that they were going out the back door. She responded with an answering nod.
*
“Will ya get that gun out of my face?!” Sassoon snapped, hitting the gun.
“Sorry,” Felix muttered and then his tone changed, “and were where you? I said Thompson Avenue!”
Sassoon shrugged, “I misread the sign.”
Felix mumbled something. He slipped his gun back in its holder and kicked the carpet bag farther into the foot well.
“I was this close to being ripped to shreds, Sass!” Felix shouted, waving his fingers in Sassoon’s face.
“I was there, Felix,” he answered and then turned the wheel suddenly.
The car tore around a sharp corner. Sassoon’s seat belt restrained him but Felix was thrown against the window.
“Did you have to do that!?”
“I can’t help it. It’s the way the road is.”
The car drove out of town and into the forest. The headlights shone onto the little used, winding road. The side of a fallen tree caught the light and the car stopped at the end of the track.
Felix opened the door and stepped out, grabbing the bag. Sassoon followed him and they started to walk towards the cottage.
Sassoon glanced back, “We’re forgotten something,” he said, but Felix didn’t hear him.
He walked to the boot of the car. He unlocked and opened it.
The woman’s terror filled eyes met his. Her hands were tied together and she was gagged, leaving her struggling to breathe.
“Out you come,” Sassoon said.
He carried her towards the cottage, coming up behind Felix has he stepped inside.
“You should have left her there!” Felix snapped and he disappeared into the kitchen.
Sassoon went into the living room, placing the woman on the sofa. He pulled the cloth out of her mouth and she gulped down air quickly.
“How you feelin’, Miss Navarra?”
“Untie me Sass,” she whispered and held out her hands.
Sassoon nodded.
Felix appeared in the doorway.
“Ah, my ex-love! Been robbing banks again have you?”
“Of course,” Felix replied, sarcastically, as he entered the room.
“They are going to find you….”
“That’s what I’m waiting for.”
“And what do you plan to do?” she laughed.
“Let them take me,” he answered, “and then I’ll kill him.”
“I still don’t like it,” Sassoon mumbled.
“It’s the least he deserves after kicking us out! If there was more time…..” Felix clenched his hands.
A loud knock at the door interrupted the conversation and they fell silent. It was quickly followed by another as someone attempted to kick the door down.
The four men burst into the living room, large guns pointed out before them.
*
The large desk dominated the room. The chair had its back to them as they were pushed forward with guns at their backs. The door closed and the chair turned slowly around.
“Nice to see you again…Felix, Sassoon.”
Felix eyed the Boss and his hand drifted to where his gun used to be.
“Kidnapping Ren was low…” the Boss tapped his fingers together, “Where’s the bag?”
Sassoon raised his eyebrows and shot Felix a look.
Felix felt a gun dig into his back, “What bag?” he asked innocently.
“Let’s not play games, Felix….”
“Ah, the bag....I lost it.” he answered.
“I don’t believe you. Where have you hidden it? Tell me!”
Felix shook his head, “So you can use them to take over the world?”
“That’s none of your business,” The Boss snapped.
“Oh, I think it is! I was the one who collected them all! I travelled the world for you, gathering them, being your puppet! But not now! I won’t let you do this....”
“So you’ll do it instead, Master Thief?”
Felix gritted his teeth, “I’m not a thief.....” he yelled and spun around.
He kneed the man behind him and grabbed the falling gun. He fired two shots and screaming echoed in his ears.
“Let’s go!” he yelled.
He and Sassoon bolted out of the door in a hail of bullets.
“Head to the cars!” Sassoon shouted, “I’ll get us out of here.”
They arrived at the car park before anybody else. Quickly Sassoon slipped behind the wheel of a Mercedes and started the engine. Felix scrambled in beside him. Sassoon put his foot down and the car shot off, leaving the sound of guns firing in its wake.
An hour later the Mercedes sat outside the cottage. Sassoon and Felix were filling the blue car with their stuff.
“Got everything?” Sassoon called, as he poked his head around the kitchen door.
“Just this,” Felix answered, tapping the open carpet bag.
“Do we really need the money?”
“It’s not money, my old friend...it’s more of a way of getting it.”
Sassoon’s face became puzzled, “What’s in the carpet bag, Felix?” he asked.
Felix smiled, turned the bag upside down and the dull thud of papers hitting the table rang in their ears.
Sassoon pulled a sheet over to him; his eyes scanning the blue lines and the title at the top. His mouth fell open and Felix’s smile grew wider.
Outside a blue car was parked, rusting away, but it did its job with pride. A tall figure sat behind the wheel, a wide brim hat pulled down over his eyes.
Running footsteps broke the silence and the man’s feet held steady on the cobbles as he rounded the fountain. He glanced over his shoulder. His breathing was deep and his right arm ached from carrying the heavy carpet bag.
A pack of German Shepherds burst into the town centre behind him. The dogs’ loud barking echoed and blood lust was in their eyes.
He turned the corner and stopped dead in the empty road.
The dogs’ barking increased and he spun on his heels to face them. Switching the carpet bag hand and drawing a gun from his hip. He knocked the safety off and squeezed the trigger.
The car quickly pulled beside him and stopped.
He paused.
As the first dog rounded the corner, he tore open the door and throwing himself into the passenger seat. The dog jumped against the door causing it to slam shut in his face. Huge jaws snapped at the window but the car screeched off leaving the dog howling in pain.
*
Ma Clancy crossed the floor, a coffee tray balanced on her hip. She stopped at a table were four men wearing black suits sat talking in low voices, “Here you go boys,” Ma’s voice called out.
An old man looked up from a newspaper. He had been studying a photograph of a young woman and the headline ‘Big Boss’s Daughter Missing.’
“Look out there,” he said.
Ma heard him as she walked past. She looked out of the window and saw the town centre covered in police officers. She placed her hands on her hips and pouted, “They’ll be in here next demanding coffee and donuts! You take my word for it!” she snapped.
The old man chuckled.
The four men stood up. One of them indicated to Ma with a nod of his head that they were going out the back door. She responded with an answering nod.
*
“Will ya get that gun out of my face?!” Sassoon snapped, hitting the gun.
“Sorry,” Felix muttered and then his tone changed, “and were where you? I said Thompson Avenue!”
Sassoon shrugged, “I misread the sign.”
Felix mumbled something. He slipped his gun back in its holder and kicked the carpet bag farther into the foot well.
“I was this close to being ripped to shreds, Sass!” Felix shouted, waving his fingers in Sassoon’s face.
“I was there, Felix,” he answered and then turned the wheel suddenly.
The car tore around a sharp corner. Sassoon’s seat belt restrained him but Felix was thrown against the window.
“Did you have to do that!?”
“I can’t help it. It’s the way the road is.”
The car drove out of town and into the forest. The headlights shone onto the little used, winding road. The side of a fallen tree caught the light and the car stopped at the end of the track.
Felix opened the door and stepped out, grabbing the bag. Sassoon followed him and they started to walk towards the cottage.
Sassoon glanced back, “We’re forgotten something,” he said, but Felix didn’t hear him.
He walked to the boot of the car. He unlocked and opened it.
The woman’s terror filled eyes met his. Her hands were tied together and she was gagged, leaving her struggling to breathe.
“Out you come,” Sassoon said.
He carried her towards the cottage, coming up behind Felix has he stepped inside.
“You should have left her there!” Felix snapped and he disappeared into the kitchen.
Sassoon went into the living room, placing the woman on the sofa. He pulled the cloth out of her mouth and she gulped down air quickly.
“How you feelin’, Miss Navarra?”
“Untie me Sass,” she whispered and held out her hands.
Sassoon nodded.
Felix appeared in the doorway.
“Ah, my ex-love! Been robbing banks again have you?”
“Of course,” Felix replied, sarcastically, as he entered the room.
“They are going to find you….”
“That’s what I’m waiting for.”
“And what do you plan to do?” she laughed.
“Let them take me,” he answered, “and then I’ll kill him.”
“I still don’t like it,” Sassoon mumbled.
“It’s the least he deserves after kicking us out! If there was more time…..” Felix clenched his hands.
A loud knock at the door interrupted the conversation and they fell silent. It was quickly followed by another as someone attempted to kick the door down.
The four men burst into the living room, large guns pointed out before them.
*
The large desk dominated the room. The chair had its back to them as they were pushed forward with guns at their backs. The door closed and the chair turned slowly around.
“Nice to see you again…Felix, Sassoon.”
Felix eyed the Boss and his hand drifted to where his gun used to be.
“Kidnapping Ren was low…” the Boss tapped his fingers together, “Where’s the bag?”
Sassoon raised his eyebrows and shot Felix a look.
Felix felt a gun dig into his back, “What bag?” he asked innocently.
“Let’s not play games, Felix….”
“Ah, the bag....I lost it.” he answered.
“I don’t believe you. Where have you hidden it? Tell me!”
Felix shook his head, “So you can use them to take over the world?”
“That’s none of your business,” The Boss snapped.
“Oh, I think it is! I was the one who collected them all! I travelled the world for you, gathering them, being your puppet! But not now! I won’t let you do this....”
“So you’ll do it instead, Master Thief?”
Felix gritted his teeth, “I’m not a thief.....” he yelled and spun around.
He kneed the man behind him and grabbed the falling gun. He fired two shots and screaming echoed in his ears.
“Let’s go!” he yelled.
He and Sassoon bolted out of the door in a hail of bullets.
“Head to the cars!” Sassoon shouted, “I’ll get us out of here.”
They arrived at the car park before anybody else. Quickly Sassoon slipped behind the wheel of a Mercedes and started the engine. Felix scrambled in beside him. Sassoon put his foot down and the car shot off, leaving the sound of guns firing in its wake.
An hour later the Mercedes sat outside the cottage. Sassoon and Felix were filling the blue car with their stuff.
“Got everything?” Sassoon called, as he poked his head around the kitchen door.
“Just this,” Felix answered, tapping the open carpet bag.
“Do we really need the money?”
“It’s not money, my old friend...it’s more of a way of getting it.”
Sassoon’s face became puzzled, “What’s in the carpet bag, Felix?” he asked.
Felix smiled, turned the bag upside down and the dull thud of papers hitting the table rang in their ears.
Sassoon pulled a sheet over to him; his eyes scanning the blue lines and the title at the top. His mouth fell open and Felix’s smile grew wider.
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