Honourable thieves

Meet Ray Huckstable,an old scammer who's been around the block. He had a thin face,black hair and dark brown eyes. His nose was slightly crooked from all the times he had been punched in the face. However the most interesting thing about his appearance was a thick scar halfway across his cheek from a good plan gone wrong. He had a million stories about how he got that scar but of course only one of them was true.

And there he sat. Alone at the corner table sipping his drink. Q's bar was one of his favourite places. He'd spends countless nights mingling,making friends and in the process making money. But for some reason he kept to himself today. Maybe he was having a bad day.

Moments later he stepped up and head to the restroom but little did he know he was about to be reunited with an "old friend."

"Hey!,don't I know you".

"I dont think so".

"Its me mahn,Charles Barkley".

"you must have me mistaken for some else",Ray replies,in a unimpressed tone but Charles insists.

"No man!, we were old friends years ago. Whats your name again"?

"Ray Huckstable".

"Yes Ray!, its is you" he shouts as he reaches out and passionately hugs him.

"You sure you don't remember me"?

"No,not at all" Ray answers.

"Anyways mahn it was good seeing you but I got to go".

"You wanna give me my wallet back first"?

An awkward silence fills the air as Charles takes out the wallet and hands it back.

"Thank you".

He then walks out the restroom. Charles stands there feeling embarrassed and impressed all at once. Ray heads back to his table in the corner of the bar. Charles walks out a while after and takes a seat looking distressed. He probably tried his trick on a few other people and had been unsuccessful. Ray, who had stayed in his seat the entire time notices him and in the end calls him over and orders two drinks.

"Look man I'm sorry about that alright".

"Forget about it".

"How did you know"?

Charles asks him.

"If you gonna be a criminal be smart about it".

"Wait,I'm not a bad guy okay."

"I didn't say you were a bad guy,I said you were a criminal".

Charles pauses before he politely asks,"Whats the difference"?

"I've known good criminals and bad cops,bad priests and honorable thieves. You can be on either side of the law and still be a good or bad person. But if you constantly stealing from others you are a criminal. Good or bad one?that's up to you."

"I guess your right",Charles replied after a few seconds of thinking about it.

"Darn right I am!"

This guy must be a lawyer he thought to himself.

"So what's your real name",Ray asks.

"It's Charles Barkley."

Ray slightly grins. well that's unexpected.

"Why do you say that "

No reason,he replies.

Charles gets defensive,"Look,I'm really sorry about the wallet thing,I don't want you having a negative image of me. I really wouldn't be doing this if I had the choice".

"What makes you say that?" Asks Ray Who was clearly under the impression that this guy was making excuses for his behaviour.

"Long story".he replied feeling rather down about it.

"I got time" Ray responds as he slowly begins to take pitty on him.

"If you insist."

He proceeds.

"A few years ago,I met a girl,she lived in knocksville,we started dating and eventually I moved in with her.I had a job,everything was going fine and then one day my boss said we going on a three day trip out of town. We did the project which ended up taking four days. When I arrived home I walked in on my girlfriend cheating on me with my bosses son. Needless to say I beat him up,so my boss fired me. My girlfriend and I split up so she kicked me out. Been out on these streets ever since. Everyday I try and hustle money for food or save up to get a room. Some days are more successful than others. I tried job hunting but had been denied countless times. Afew places said they wernt going to hire me because I didn't have a permanent address."

Ray stared at him while he spoke. Something about this character reminded him of himself. Whatever feelings of anger he might have had against him was all gone. He put his glass down and replies

"Mahn,that's heavy,how'd you deal with all of that."

"Part of life right ,just got to keep moving forward I guess "he replies.

He certainly wasn't looking for someone to feel sorry for him but at that point it was too late.

"I'm gonna order us another drink ",said Ray

"Thanks man,means alot"

Ray was slowly getting comfortable with Charles as the cheap but tasty alcohol began to takeover his body.

"You want to know a secret"?,he asks as he leans closer towards him.

"I just happen to know a thing or two about scamming myself, he whispers."

Charles replies,"is that so".At this point he wasn't sure if he was being serious or if it was just the alcohol talking.

"See that guy over there with the grey tie?here's the plan".

Moments later. Ray walks up to the bartenders side and pulls a chair across from the guy in the grey tie. Charles follows and takes a seat next to him.

Ray whispers,"remember I'm selling and your buying "

They start off with meaningless conversation for about five minutes before Ray pulls something out of his wallet.

"You know what this is"?he askes Charles.

"It's a hundred dollar bill" Charles replies.

"Not just any hundred dollar bill,it's a fake hundred dollar bill ".

"Why you showing me a fake hundred dollar bill"?he askes

"Dont you watch the news?

He pauses

"Alright look,so twenty years ago there was this guy right. His daughter was diagnosed with some type of illness and she needed surgery or else she was going to die. He couldn't afford this surgery so he came up with a plan to make counterfeit bills. Now,nobody knows how he did it but he managed to make fake hundred dollar bills to pay for his daughters surgery . Long story short the plan worked and his daughter survived. Now, after this he turns himself into the police and confesses what he did. The story broke out and the media went mad. They label this guy as some type of hero you know, typical stuff."

"You following"?

Charles gigles,"yeah I'm following."

"Okay good,so recently this guy passed away right and it has come to the police's attention that there still might be at least ten of his fake bills circulating the city. He probably use them to to buy small items as a test run to see if they would work. Now the Fbi in particular is offering a five hundred dollar reward for each of these hundred dollar bills so they can be destroyed. So,I'm in abit of a jam right now,and I have one of the ten bills they looking for.I can give it to you for two hundred dollars right here,and you can hand it in for the five hundred dollar reward money."

The guy in the grey tie,who had been listening the whole time laughs. He was obviously hinting that it was a scam.

"Do you mind",Ray shouts defensively. "We're having a conversation here".

Turns back to Charles.

"So what do you say?"

"I don't know hay",he replies sounding very unsure.

"Look man ima head to the restroom and give you sometime to think about it. He slyly winks as he walks off.

Charles turns to the guy in the grey tie.

"This guys trying to scam me right ?"

"DEFINITELY",he replies.

"Unbelievable!,you know what I got a cousin that works in the Fbi. Im going to call him and if this guys lying im gonna get him arrested. Your my witness ".

Picks up the phone.

"Hey John,yeah it's me,Look this might sound weird but I'm at a bar and there's this guy spinning me some crap about the Fbi and fake hundred dollar bills so I just wanted to find out if it's true or not."

"Uhh huh,serious?He lowers his voice and becomes more secretive about the call. Tell me more,whispers. "

A few moments later he hangs up the call.

"So what'd he say",the guy in the grey tie asks.

"He didn't know much", Charles replies in a very dismissive tone.

Rays comes back and Charles rushes towards him.

"Look mahn I only got ninty dollars on me right now?"

Ray replies "no way, I'm not giving you something worth five hundred dollars for only ninty. You gotta do better than that."

"Okay look I can get you two hundred dollars but I need time"

They guy in the grey tie overhears them and rushes over.

"Hey buddy I got a hundred dollars on me right now" he says.

"Oh yeah"

Charles Interrupts"wait don't listen to this guy I can get you the money now,I just needa make a phone call."

They guy in the grey tie jumps back in.

"Okay look one hundred and fifty best I can do. Hey do you know this guy tried and call the cops on you"?he blurts out in attempt to swing the deal in his favour.

"What why!?" Rays asks

Charles aggressively denies." Hes lying"!his just trying to get the bill.

"No I'm not i heard you"

Ray inteviens"Look I'm giving it to him because he got the most money".

Ray hands him the fake bill in exchange for the hundred and fifty dollars.

Charles starts yelling at him.

"Hey get back here!this guys trying to rob me"

"Look buddy,I'm not tryna rob anyone,I had the better offer so I got the bill."

He grabs his bag and then storms out.

Ray and Charles look at each other and start celebrating.

"Bartender !,they call,another round please."