CHAPTER ONE
"We got two minutes."
"I'm going, I'm going!" The long thin hands of the girl flew about the lock as she knelt beside the door.
"Well hurry it up! We don't got all day!"
The girl rolled her eyes and jiggled with the lock for another moment. "There," She said, the finality ringing in her voice. Pulling the pistol from her waist band, the girl entered the house. The man and his two friends weren't far behind.
"Check the place out. Take what we can." The large man who had the build of a bodybuilder was obviously in charge. The two wiry youths and the girl nodded before heading out in different directions. The girl headed for the bedrooms of the house. The first was clear; it seemed to be a guest room and had no personal belongings covering the walls. The second appeared to belong to a teenage girl, make up and pictures of boys everywhere. The girl holding the pistol smirked as she looked around. Nothing there was overly valuable or worth stealing. Next was the bedroom of the parents. In the closet there was a small portable safe box. Grabbing that the girl smiled, this was what she wanted. All they needed now was a key to open the box and they were home free. Sticking her head out of the bedroom, the girl called down the hall. "Garrett, I got the box, just need the key!" The bodybuilder like man lumbered down the hall with a grin on his face.
"Good. Get searching. Tyler, Don!" He called, naming the other two men who were in the house with them. The skinny boys slipped into the room silently. "Take all the jewellery you can. "
The girl had returned to her task searching for the key. On the bedside table there was a small circular case with the words 'yo-yo' printed on the front. That was a strange place to keep a toy. Opening the circular case, the girl saw the promised yo-yo in side. To get a better look, she picked it up and examined the nearly transparent red surface. When she looked back down to the case, the girl noticed a key that might just fit the lock that needed to be opened. Pulling it out she smiled triumphantly and grabbed the box. The key was a perfect fit and the box sprang open at the turn. There were three envelopes inside, all filled with cash. There was a fourth with the family passports. Also inside was the family's good jewellery. They were smart, but not that smart. The girl grabbed the most expensive looking pieces, and headed for the others. Outside, she thought that she heard the wail of a siren but brushed it off.
"Alright boys, I got the cash and the good jewels. Let's blow this popsicle stand." She said her smile smug. Garrett, Tyler, and Don all looked up as she entered and grinned. The group rejoined and headed for the front door. The girl could have sworn she heard more sirens and voices but continued anyways. As she was walking, the girl dropped one of the rings and bent to pick it up while the others continued outside. When she rejoined them, the girl saw all of her friends in handcuffs, being shoved roughly into the back of a state trooper's car. "Great," She muttered as troopers with guns out came moving in on her. Raising her hands, the girl felt the cuffs being tossed carelessly onto her wrists. Moments later she
too was shoved into the back of a trooper's car. They sat there for a few moments, before someone pounded on the roof and the trooper took off.
The man that was to take her to the station was over –weight and reminded her of the trooper's from TV, the ones who ate donuts all the time. He was watching he in the rear-view mirror while his partner turned fully around to talk with her.
"So, you got yourself into some trouble, eh little girl?" This man was slim and had a pockmarked face. His large nose and sneer made him ugly and the girl took an immediate dislike to him.
"What's it to ya?" She asked, turning her head away from the man and looking out the window. She was disappointed in herself for getting caught. Never, once before, had she ever been caught. It was disappointing to see that streak end now, especially after so long of being on top with her gang of criminals.
"Oi! Be nice, we don't bite." He said turning back around to look out the windshield. By judging his body language, the conversation was obviously over. The girl rested her head against the glass window and waited for the ride to end.
It was a while before they reached the police station and even longer until they had checked her in and put her into a holding cell. It was now time for the old good cop bad cop routine if she remembered correctly from the TV. This was something she was actually looking forward to. They had moved her from the holding cell into an interrogation room and removed the handcuffs. There were two chairs opposite her, neither one filled by officers. Along one wall ran a large glass panel. One from which officers could see in but she could not see out.
After about twenty minutes in the interrogation room, the state trooper's entered and took their seats. One of the troopers had brought a file folder with him that he plopped down onto the table and opened it. "So, it's Willow Coulter, is it?" The man said naming the girl. "Well, Miss Coulter, it has come to my attention that this is not your first offence. Your parents have decided that you are unruly and do not believe that they can take care of you anymore. You will be moving to Tulsa, Oklahoma to live with your cousin's there." The officer said, never once raising his eyes to meet Willow's. For a moment she just sat there, dumbstruck by all the news that had just been piled onto her. "Oh, and your bails been posted. The social service worker has your belongings pack and ready to go. You leave today. Since it was only an attempted robbery, the family has decided not to press charges against you. Garrett however, will be serving a year." The trooper said. Looking about the room, he stood and nodded to his partner and left the room. Willow and the other man stood, leaving the room together. Outside a woman in a grey skirt suit was waiting.
"Willow Coulter? Hello, I'm Mary Sampson. I'm here to take you to Tulsa. My car's outside. Your parents say goodbye and they love you." The woman said. She looked Willow over momentarily. "Shall we?" The woman said turning and heading for the door, not waiting for a response. Willow deftly followed the woman outside and into the 1966 Ford Fairlane. From there, she watched as Don and Tyler emerged
from the State Trooper station. However, a side of Willow told her she would not see them again. This was the last that Willow would ever see of Texas.
END OF CHAPTER ONE