Barrow proud.
City Heights Bank… robbed.
North Park Savings and Loan… cleaned out.
Bank of Nations… fleeced.
Under Needles's skilled leadership, every job ran like clockwork. They finished up the day with a van load of cash and a young teenage boy whose life had, once again, been changed forever.
Chapter 28
It was just after 5 p.m. when the white van rolled into the cannery. Everyone got out, and Beeks began unloading the haul.
Aaron was overflowing with adrenaline; he walked circles to contain himself. 'That was incredible!' he said, high-fiving Needles. 'What a rush!'
Souther had been waiting for them. He dumped the contents of one of the fat duffel bags onto a table.
Cash… piles of it.
'Good job, boys,' he said. He counted out several stacks of $100s for his thugs, then picked up a bundle of $5 bills and tossed them to Aaron.
Aaron caught the money with both hands and his eyes bugged out. 'Whoa,' he said. 'What's this?' He figured he held $500 in his hands.
'That's your cut,' Souther said, as if it were obvious.
'You're kidding,' Aaron said. He certainly hadn't expected to get paid today, and $500 was more than his family's food budget for a month.
'You earned it,' Souther said. 'There's plenty more where that came from if you play your cards right.' He stuffed the rest of the cash back into the duffel bag. 'Let me know if you want to blow some of it on a whore, okay? I can arrange it.'
Needles and Beeks laughed knowingly, but Aaron only gave up a sheepish grin.
Souther could back his statement up, of course, having spent countless nights over the years in the company of hookers, and he proceeded to share some of his titillating whore stories with the group.
Aaron was riveted, gripped by a raging torrent of hormones, and he lapped up every last syllable. Souther got a charge out of seeing his reactions, and he teased him with ever expanding layers of graphic detail.
– Souther concluded his thrilling monologue with an anecdote that had even Needles and Beeks blushing. Then he paused — he had left out one very important detail regarding his knowledge of the business of prostitution. A secret he'd been keeping (even from Needles and Beeks) for nearly ten years, now. But he decided not to mention it — not yet at least.
'I'll bet your mother could use some cash of her own,' he said at last, looking for another reaction from Aaron.
The left-field comment confused Aaron and left him feeling queasy, his enthusiasm shriveling. 'What's that supposed to mean?' he said.
'Forget about it,' Souther said casually. He had gotten what he wanted.
Aaron felt a sudden aversion toward the money. He tossed the bundle of bills on the table like so much rotten meat.
His cell phone lay on the table. Souther picked it up and handed it to him. 'Here,' he said. 'I believe that's yours.'
The odd gesture only served to confuse Aaron further. He searched Souther's eyes for a long moment then slipped the phone into his pocket.
Chapter 29
No Onions
Michael sat on the couch in his loft, staring at a blank TV screen. He checked his watch. 7:10 p.m. He hadn't heard a word from Aaron since dropping him off at home the night before and he was deeply concerned. He pulled the slip of paper with Aaron's number on it out of his pocket and looked at it for a moment. Then he entered the number into his phone and pressed CALL.
– Souther had some fast food spread out across his expansive desk. Needles and Beeks were there, and Aaron had been invited to join them.
Beeks unwrapped his cheeseburger, lifted the top bun and looked inside. He wasn't happy. 'Which one of you sons-of-bitches got my damn burger?' he said.
'Chill out, Beeks,' Needles said. 'No one got your damn food.'
Aaron felt like part of the team, now, and comfortable enough to contribute to the conversation. 'Mine looks okay,' he said.
Beeks scratched the onions out of his burger. 'I specifically told 'em 'No damn — ''
'Shut up,' Souther said, holding up his hand. 'I hear something…'
'I think it's me,' Aaron said, reaching into his pocket for his phone. He didn't recognize the incoming number, but he tapped ANSWER anyway then held the phone up to his ear.
'I'll take that,' Souther said, reaching across the desk, and Aaron gave up his phone.
– Michael was confused by the rustling. ' Aaron? ' he said.
'Who's speaking?' Souther said.
Michael looked at his phone for a moment, then pressed END CALL.
Souther slid the phone back across the desk to Aaron.
'Who was it?' Aaron asked.
'Wrong number,' Souther replied.
– Michael walked over and lifted his jacket off its chair, slipping his phone into the inside pocket. But as he started for the door, he hesitated and swapped the light jacket for a heavier coat.
— Souther leaned back in his chair. 'Things are heating up a bit around here,' he said. 'Tomorrow's job is the big score we need so we can lay low for a while.'
Aaron glanced at the others and listened attentively. He looked forward to the thrill of riding lookout again. And as far as he was concerned, his current earnings were already spent.
'I'll be in charge this time around,' Souther continued then he looked straight at Aaron, 'and you're going inside with me.'
Aaron looked around to see who Souther was referring to. Beeks and Needles looked at each other and then at Aaron.
'Oh, you mean me?' Aaron said, pointing to himself. 'Inside? In the bank? While you rob it?'
'While we rob it,' Souther said. He leaned forward and folded his hands on the desk.
Aaron knew very well that his big day of riding lookout qualified him to ride lookout — nothing more. He pictured a few of the bank robberies he had seen on TV and in movies, but he couldn't see himself playing any of the parts. The idea was totally absurd.
'But I've only been a lookout,' he said. 'I–I'm not ready to go inside.'
'You'll be fine,' Souther said, as if it happened every day. 'Besides, the pay for an inside man is fifty times what it was riding lookout.'
Aaron thought about that for a moment. $25,000 was an incomprehensible sum. It could mean a whole new start for him and his mom.
