Chasing tomorrow

The two men sat patiently in the car, monitoring their target. The first man appeared to be tired and impatient. He hated this part of the job. He should be in the station now, handing the wallet which contained 500 USD and a signed cheque to the ICT dude, so he could track the owner and be the hero. He was certain he would be rewarded because no man would return a wallet containing a signed cheque of 10,000 USD and 500 USD cash. But, instead, his crazy partner had talked him into monitoring some normal kid, who wasn't what he said he was.

"Are you certain this is the one? He sure looks like a normal harmless citizen." The first man, Jerry, said.

"That's a camouflage. He dresses-" Jerry cut him off.

"Are you being serious right now? A camouflage? You call sitting and reading a magazine for more than an hour camouflage?"

"Yes. Trust me-"

"Trust you? If I didn't, I wouldn't be here. Now, trust me," He said, his voice bitter. "Let's get out of here."

"Look-" Tom started to explain, when the target rose and started walking away. The train station was crowded, but the two men were good at their job. They don't lose their target. Minutes later, their target, an eighteen-year-old teenager raised an alarm, "Watch out for pick pockets here."

Jerry gave Tom a glare, "how do you explain this? He alerts people, and you claim he's a pick pocket? I haven't seen a thief telling people to watch out for thieves, when he is about to steal."

"Simple. He does that to know where the valuables are. I would bet my balls that ninety-five out hundred persons who heard that, touched their pants." Jerry nodded boyishly, he too had touched his. They followed the target, keeping little distance. Soon, the target stumbled and fell. An elderly lady leaned to help him.

"What's going on?" Jerry asked blankly.

"Our boy is about to rob this lady. Let's go get him."

When they arrived at the spot, the target was nowhere to be found. The lady was still there. Tom wondered what the kid had stolen from this woman. Money, ATM card? Whatever it was, he was going to return it.

"Excuse me, ma'am." Tom said, showing his identification. "LAPD. We believe the boy you helped is a pick pocket. We also believe he stole something from you before leaving."

The lady gave him a stare, "stole? He didn't even touch me." Tom was able to convince her to check for any missing item. At the end, the lady was right. Nothing was missing. "Don't you have anything else doing, other than going around and accusing innocent kids?" She sighed and walked away.

"She's right. I have something better to do. This kid isn't what you think he is." Jerry said. But, Tom wasn't listening, he was searching for the target.

"He is a clever kid." He finally said, smiling.

"What's funny?"

"He fooled us. She wasn't his mark. He knows he's being followed. I think he created this scene to lose us."

"I blame myself for lending you my television, now, you watch too much movies." Jerry sighed. "Listen to yourself, Tom. He knows he's being followed, and you think he will go ahead with whatever plan he has?"

"Yes. That's exactly what he will do. I've been after him for months. This kid is insane-" He paused, looking somewhere. "Look who the mark is." Tom said, pointing to a corner. Jerry's eyes followed the outstretched hand. Few steps away stood the target. He had spilled a cup of ice cream on a man, and was apologising and attempting to clean it up.

"Let's go stop him."

"No." Tom said, "we wait till he's done cleaning." You can't escape me this time. I've got you. He thought. After the target was done cleaning and was walking away, the two men hurried towards them. Moments later, the four men were together. Tom was saying to the kid, "give back to the man what you took from him."

The kid appeared confused, rather than shocked, "I don't understand."

Jerry pressed, "if you don't want to embarrass yourself and you parents, take out what you've stolen from this man." His voice sounded more like a threat than a statement.

"Stole?" The kid frowned, "who are you please?"

"LAPD. Now, do as you are told."

"I'd love to. But I stole nothing."

The man who had been watching, spoke, "he couldn't have possibly stolen from me."

"Why don't you check, sir." Tom said confidently. The man searched, nothing was missing. Tom frowned, he was wrong again. He shouldn't be. He said to the man, "I'm quite sure there's something missing."

"Like I said. There's nothing missing. Let the boy go." He defended.

"You white cops still think every black kid is a pick pocket?" The kid muttered. Tears had walled up his eyes. He took out a napkin and rubbed his eyes gently. Jerry looked over Tom and then to the boy, saying, "We apologize kid. It was a mistake. Someone thought wrong." He patted his shoulder. The boy brushed Jerry's hand off his shoulder.

"I'm leaving. Thanks for making my day bad." He rudely brushed his shoulder against Jerry while walking away. The two men stared behind him, confused.

Jerry gave Tom a I told you so gaze. The two men walked quietly to their black sedan parked at the drive way. Tom knew the boy was up to something, but what. And, he knew better than to tell his partner what he suspected. Not now. He thought. They drove in silence, the only means of communication was their looks and behaviors. Jerry was rapping on d door making meaningless, annoying sounds. Tom knew he was doing that to get him annoyed. When they arrived at the station, Jerry headed to the ICT room, he had had a rough day, now, he would make it up. Tom followed, silent.

Jerry was saying to the ICT dude, "I've got a wallet with me. I need to trace the owner. It's important." He looked behind his shoulder, Tom was watching. He sighed and turned his attention to the man before him.

"Okay," The man said. "Can I have the wallet?"

"Of course." Jerry replied, reaching into his pocket. He turned to Tom, looking worried.

"What?" Tom asked flatly.

"T-the wallet," Jerry Stammered. "I can't find it."

"What do you mean, you can't find it," Tom said dryly. "You must have left it in the car."

"It was just here!" He shouted, frantically searching his pocket for the missing wallet. Tom paused, as if thinking of what to do. He finally said, "I know you might think it's crazy, but, did the kid touch you?" That was when it happened, it hit Jerry hard, the events of the day came flooding into his head. The boy raising an alarm, making him touch his pocket. The kid angrily brushing past his shoulder. He stared at the floor, his mouth wide open. "Jesus Christ, no way!"

"You believe me now?" Tom said. He would've laughed to prove himself right but he thought it a bad idea. He smiled inwardly at the black kids smartness. He had underestimated the kid and he had outsmarted both of them. If I had those brains, he thought. I wouldn't be here chasing after thieves.

Many miles away, Lucas, the black kid was saying to an elderly woman and a man, "you did well. These cops are fools. How come they became cops?" He lit a light smile. He took out a leather wallet from his pocket and tossed it to the man. The man caught it before it fell.

"Take it all, your mother needs it. Go Take her to the hospital." The man stared a long moment, then hugged the kid.

"If I had a son. I'd want him to be just like you. Thank you." His voice was shaky now, he was crying. He turned to the lady, "let's go save momma."