The Big Job

(CW: Violence, Blood, Profanity)

"Well, that was dramatic" I said in a sarcastic tone to Lenny barging in through the emergency rear doors of the high-end Armenian restaurant. He had just pistol whipped the security guard so hard he almost swallowed the cigarette he was smoking. I stood parked in the convertible nearby wearing my surgical face cover, shades and a baseball cap and pretending to speak in the broken Russian I knew. During the pandemic, it had been a lot easier to hide your facial features without drawing too much suspicion, something I banked on while lounging nearby. I got up and tried to calm Lenny down and stop him from persisting in the beating, the security guard had been laying on the ground rubbing the side of his wounded head. Lenny looked at me and hit him again as if to prove a point, then I proceeded to tie zip ties around his wrists and blindfold him with a burlap bag.

"C'mon man. You didn't need to give the guy a concussion. Once was enough."

Lenny looked at me up and down like he was picking out a cut of tenderloin from a butcher shop. "Shut the fuck up" he said in a fit of rage. "You're too soft".

He turned to look at the getaway vehicle and back at me with a scornful look on his face. He had on a full ski mask but I could see his eyes clearly, the look in them made me realize I should hold my tongue and not poke the angry bulldog any further. He rushed in and sat on the shotgun seat, then reached over to grope the sides of my pants and back pockets. 

"Aye! Easy man, you need to buy me dinner first".

"Shut the hell up".

I turned around over to the exit door of the restaurant and tapped my fingers on the steering wheel impatiently. "Where's Paula?!"

"She's just finishing up".

"Alright, just checking. We're a little in a hurry here"

"Just give it another minute, smartass"

Paula finally trailed behind clutching some tote bags they filled with cash and expensive jewelry they stuffed in three bags. Her hands were moist and smelled of vinegar, perhaps from the chemicals she used to clean up their fingerprints and DNA.  

Paula was a well-experienced partner of Lenny who'd frequently help him out on stick-up jobs splitting their earnings in two. The both of them had been successful in their robberies in major cities in the Eastern part of the U.S., Paula had called me in to drive for them today after having worked chopping up parts from the vehicles they'd use. The percentage they had given me had been a worthwhile investment for my services, and it had paid much more than my "lucrative" position working as a mechanic in the projects.

This job was a big one, an underground betting ring strung up by powerful men, it was a place where big money spenders in the city unwounded. Lenny had been undercover gambling along with them for a few weeks before filling in Paula. 

I popped the trunk as she looked around diligently for any witnesses in the area, but it had been quiet. She tossed the bags inside and quickly jumped in to the backseat. 

"Ready?"

"Yeah, we're done here".

"Hold up." Lenny interrupted and turned around to Paula sitting in the back. 

"Give me your glock. I'll hold onto it."

Paula paused having caught off guard from the request. "Yeah, of course", she handed him her pistol tucked around her waist. He grabbed it and placed it under his seat, and he tucked his own inside his jacket. 

"Ok. Go for it." said Lenny.

I kept my eyes locked to the security guard who had just began to squirm around on the floor. We didn't have much time until he got himself out of his restraints so I sped away.

Lenny had been piercing daggers at me during the entire drive as I pressed the pedal and jolted out of the parking lot. I sped through the residential areas of the city while minding for patrol vehicles in the area. I passed by a familiar area from my upbringing. As a child, I was broke but content blind to what my single mom had been going through struggling to make ends meet. Those apartment buildings all had lines of rope across them with clothing hung up to dry. I always thought they looked like phantoms in the grey skies hovering in the winds.

I told myself when I got out of that place, I'd succeed in life. Then my mother died, I grew up between relatives homes, hung out with the wrong crowds and made my first big break street racing in the boroughs. Then I met Paula who introduced me to her side hustle. I enjoyed the thrill of them, but in my gut I felt nervous from every job I completed. This one however was extra special, my insides seemed to jitter from the excitement of gaining the large payout but I didn't want to lose it.

"What's with the fuckin' whip?"

"It's not a problem, Lenny."

"What do you mean it's not a problem. Are you trying to get us caught?"

"I needed something fast, this was all they had at the shop. It'll keep the pigs from searching the vehicle if they pass us, we'd be out in the open hiding in plain sight". 

"This is the stupidest idea you've ever had" he grunted. "Makes me regret letting Paula drag you along". 

I pressed my foot onto the pedal turning on another sharp corner. The wind was blowing through my hair, creating a fluttering effect on Lenny's shirt. He held on tight with the same expression on his face that held his feelings of contempt for me. The man had a proclivity to be suspicious of everyone, even Paula wasn't spared, who had been his ride or die for a better part of a decade. I tried best to focus on the directions without letting the stress get to me. I found the exhilaration of whizzing by slower vehicles sort of relaxing.   

Paula was in the back watching Lenny's rotten expression on his face.

"Easy, big guy. We'll get there soon. The kid made a stupid mistake."

The sirens finally started buzzing in our vicinity as we headed to the direction out of the main streets to exit the city. Paula had turned on her police scanner and deciphered that the police had been alerted of the robbery. It was only a matter of time before they identified the vehicle through the CCTV footage. 

Lenny started muttering curse words to himself.  

"Relax, Lenny. We're almost there".

"Don't tell me to relax. Do you realize how stupid it is to be on a getaway with a convertible? Are you out of your fucking mind?"

Lenny, I know what I'm doing here". Finally as I turned to the bridge heading to Jersey, there was a line of traffic behind a police checkpoint. The worse possible outcome of our final attempts to flee the city. I had been stuck on the lane and forced to wait behind the line of cars getting searched.  

"Reverse and U-Turn". 

"No. It's too late".

"Want me to bust your skull in? I said turn around."

"It's too late, Lenny. Trust me, if I turn around now it looks suspicious, there's the Five-O everywhere. They'll catch us in this traffic. We won't stand a chance".

"I could trust you as far as I could throw you, punk-kid". Lenny grunted again, and pounded his fist on the dashboard.

"Just let your hair down, Lenny. We're going to be okay. They won't think much of us sitting in a flashy Porsche."

"If we get out of this I swear-"

"Boys, follow my lead. We're going out to a party in Newark." said Paula. She had conjured up a story in her head in case the officer was inquisitive. She shared the details with us as I took a deep breath and acted out my best version of someone who was unfazed by all of this. After waiting in the queue, I was finally next. The motorcycle cop, had a name badge that read "Burke". He signaled me to get closer with his index finger and stopped us.     

"Where you three headed?"

"Oh, we're just going to let loose at The Babylon Club" I said. 

He scanned us with suspicious eyes, smiled at Paula laying back on the seats with her arms extended wide tilting her chin up. Then to Lenny sweating profusely with his arm resting outside the window.

"You guys don't look dressed for a club" Officer Burke said. He looked at Lenny's all-black attire, black buttoned dirty shirt and boots.

"Some of us just got out of work" Paula said. "And some of us made no effort at all to look presentable" she laughed.

The officer's gaze wouldn't leave Lenny who had looked a bit suspicious avoiding eye contact from the officer. He had also been a lot older than the both of us. 

"You", he called over to Lenny who finally turned over to face him, his hand looked itchy like he wanted to reach inside his jacket if the Officer asked anything else. 

"I'm talking to you".

"Excuse me, officer" said Paula. 

Officer Burke turned over to her raising an eyebrow.

"So let me get this straight. You don't think I look good enough for the clubs in Jersey tonight? Is that what you're saying?" Paula said trying to get the officer to loosen up a bit. 

"Oh, no. Wasn't referring to you" he said. "You look absolutely fine to me".

"Oh I thought you were talking about me" she laughed, brushing her hair behind her ear with her fingers. Her perfume was pungent, the smell of peaches lingered on through the musty diesel-fueled smell of the city. "Well, thank you, Mister... Burke". She read his nametag and looked up at him with her large honey-brown eyes.

Officer Burke let out a flirtatious smile. "Anytime".

"You know, we really should be getting to the club before we catch all the Happy Hour rush" she said.

Officer Burke took a look inside the car and found nothing out of the ordinary, he finally turned over to the two of us in the front and decided to let us all get going from his crosshairs. "Alright, you guys enjoy the rest of your night".

He signaled us to continue onto our path and sighed, "What a shame" he muttered.

Paula waved him off. She knew exactly how to pull the attention of older men like strings of a puppet. She was a stunning beauty after all, with her gaze you couldn't resist but to become engulfed in the warmth of her eyes. She had thick locks of light brunette hair that always seemed to mold perfectly around her face and skin like cream that complimented her darker lipstick and mascara.  

All three of us seemed to sigh in synchronization, as we bolted away from the vicinity. I was only a few miles closer to completing this job, heading to the safe house and earning one of the biggest payouts in my short career. I thought about everything I'd risk for it. I thought about what I'd spend with it, where I'd travel to around the world with my girl in my arms. I knew she'd be just as excited to spend the money with me. We finally landed, I pulled up through the industrial area of the city to an Auto Parts garage and took another big breath.

Lenny turned to me and finally cracked a genuine smile. "Well, kid. Maybe I was wrong about you. I'll definitely be seeing more of you soon" he chuckled. "But, no more surprises" he said. He reached over for a handshake when I gulped down my saliva and cracked a smile back. "Thanks, Lenny. You can count on me anytime, boss". 

Lenny tried to pull away when I held on tight and grabbed his other arm. His eyes got so wide with a bewildered look on his face. Then his expression quickly changed when a thin rope swung over his head and wrapped tight around his neck.  

"What the hell-"

Paula had tugged it with all of her strength. Lenny flailed his arms around desperately. He was able to release his hands from my grip for a second to try and grab the rope clutching at his throat. Wrong move, Lenny. You should have reached for the gun. His fingers could not grasp it. He scratched me across the face, drawing blood and nearly blinding me. Paula was almost yanked from her backseat as he pulled forward with all of his strength. She wouldn't lose her grip however, yanking him back down. I jumped forward to pin him against the seat while trying to prevent him from grabbing his pistol. He head-butted me and broke my nose. I pressed my hands on his torso and leaned my body to his seat despite the swelling in my nose and my teary eyes. I kept the firm press until I heard the gurgling sounds emit from his mouth. His eyes bulging from his face staring at me frozen.

 I held my nose to stop the stream of blood from dripping down.

Paula was still pulling the rope on the corpse nearly decapitating him.

"He's out. He's out!" I yelled.

The look of relief on her face overcame her as she laid back breathing deep. She finally let go and tried to catch her breath.

"We gotta get out of here, baby", she said breathing irregularly. "That was... That was intense".

"Are you okay?" 

" I'm... tired, but it's done".

I stood up and wiped the blood and sweat from my brow and reached for Paula's arm and pulled her from the back seat. She grabbed the three tote bags from the trunk as I walked over to the bathroom to clean myself up. We had a mid-sized car waiting outside for us with tinted windows. I watched Paula grab her gun back from under the seat. 

She looked down to him one last time, "You didn't deserve to go out this way. And for that, I'm sorry".  

I sent out the last text message to my colleague and snapped my burner in two. "Paula, when you're done talking to ghosts, we need to get out of here pronto".

Tomorrow morning we planned to sip Champaign in a hotel resort in the Caribbean and try best to drown away the last 24 hours.