Authors Note:
Okay, this is my first fan fiction so be nice
I want to thank Greenaway and Cinnamon for all their help without it this wouldn't be happening.
Tkegl for all her help and for the awesome banner she made me for my story. You can go to my profile to see banner.
Bellavista for everything she did and being my wonderful beta.
Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I own The Cleaner
Song for this chapter Are you happy now by Michelle Branch
CHAPTER 1:
There are all kinds of rats in the world. Some sneak into your bed in the middle of the night, nibbling at your toes or stealing the stale piece of bread you've hidden under your pillow for later.
And some are even worse.
BPOV
My name is Isabella Swan but I go by Bella. I live in an abandoned warehouse with five others, four of them were the coolest people I had ever met, the fifth Jane, she didn't like me much but I was hoping that would change once we'd lived together for a while.
They would give you the shirt off their back and we all have each others backs. I don't know how I got so lucky finding them. But somehow I did.
There are six of us all together, Riley, Charlotte, Peter and Ben, Jane and of course me.
Peter and Charlotte are the only ones who are a couple. They are in love; they came together and when the time comes, they will leave together. They are never separated; they even do every job together.
Our job? We pick pockets for a living.
Well not a living so much, but to live. To survive.
And survival is all you can do as a runaway, especially when you run without a plan.
When you make the decision to run, it's all you think about. You don't think about what you're gonna need to make life easier once you're out living on your own.
If you did think about it, the first thing you'd do, the first thing I would have done was grab ID. Cause as I found out, you can't get a job if you can't prove who the fuck you are and they don't wanna know you if they can't fucking tax you.
Life without a birth certificate or a social security number is fucking hard if you wanted to be 's true that there are people that can make that shit for you, create a whole new identity, but that cost money. Money we didn't have.
We made enough pick pocketing to eat, buy other things as needed and keep the man who came around off our ass. His job basically was to make sure people didn't vandalize or try to stay here, which is what we do. So hence the pay off.
We all have our stories, stories of how we ended up here together.
There were similarities, things that not only drew us together but kept us together as well.
We could empathize because we had all ended up as outcasts; even though our reasons for getting to this point were unique there were threads to our stories that resonated with all of us.
I had a home, parents who loved me in their own way; at least I thought they loved me.
I grew up in a small town called Forks; a shit hole of a town in Washington with my parents Renee and Charlie Swan. Renee and I had a good relationship when I was growing up. That was until I started high school, got friends and grew up.
It was then Renee realized that I was no longer the little girl who liked her mommy to comb her hair and put it in ponytails.
I considered myself to be an average teenager who liked to do normal teenager things, like hanging out with my friends, going to the mall, looking at guys and going to parties. I thought of myself as an average looking girl, nothing special. I had long brown hair and brown eyes.
While I did not think I was beautiful by any means I wasn't exactly ugly either.
My mother Renee was a free spirit; I blamed her for my rebellious side. She and my father were polar opposites, but I think being in this one horse town for so long had drained the fun and free spirit out of her. Now she was strict and boring like my dad.
Renee was like me in looks; she had the same brown hair and brown eyes and she was pretty. My father Charlie was a different story. He had dark black hair and a mustache that was so 70's, as a matter of fact I think it was the mustache he had in the 70's. As far as I could see there was no family resemblance between Charlie and me.
He was Mayor of Forks and he thought he was the big man. Ya Charlie really impressive, I mean really; was this town even on the map?
I remember a time when my dad used to be kind of fun to be around and a time when he was home more often, but that was before he got elected to Mayor. That was when he used to just be Police Chief Charlie.
We lived in a nice house, in a nice neighborhood. Everything was just so nice, a fairytale existence. That was until I reached my teens and started living my life like I wanted to.
Sure I got into a bit of trouble those four years of high school. But I'd have to say the real problems started my senior year when I turned 18. I started to go out to more parties and not always make it home by curfew but I kept my grades above C's and graduated.
After high school I had decided to take a year off before going to college and hang out with my friends.
In retrospect I should have left that town right after graduation and gone to college. I should have never looked back.
But I wanted to hang out with friends and enjoy my last summer.
What a stupid idiot I was, because that decision led me directly to where I am now. Sitting in the abandoned warehouse I now called home.
I still remember the day it all went down, things had been bad at home, but that particular day they got a hell of a lot worse...
My eyes narrowed and my mouth twisted into a scowl when I thought back over the day I lost my family; lost my home.
Flash back
My nerves were near shot when Larry, the random guy I met that morning at the house of the party I was at, pulled his car up to my parent's driveway.
I looked towards the house and took a deep breath knowing I was going to be in so much trouble when I walked in the door.
I knew I had seriously fucked up. I did, but it really wasn't my fault. Shit just seemed to happen to me and I had no way of controlling it.
But do you think I could convince my mother of that? Not fucking likely.
"Thanks for the ride Larry," I said trying to think of any excuse to not have to get out of his car and deal with what was waiting for me inside.
But I knew I had too.
"Good luck Bella," Larry said sympathetically as I opened the door and slid out of the car.
"Think I'm gonna need more than luck," I mumbled as I shut the door and made my way toward the house.
I was half way up the porch steps when the door flew open and Renee appeared. She stood in the doorway with her hands planted on her hips glaring at me.
"Where have you been Isabella Marie Swan? Your father and I have been worried sick about you!" I looked around; I had to laugh to myself. If Charlie was so worried why wasn't he here? I walked in the house and Renee followed behind me slamming the front door shut, no doubt to emphasize her displeasure.
"Mom don't start," I said quickly trying to head her off. "I'm sorry but I am 18 years old. I'm an adult and can do what I damn well please. Now if you would excuse me I'm going to take a shower because I had one hell of a night and I'm really tired."
"Don't you talk to me like that Isabella Marie Swan, I am your mother! You want to be treated like an adult? Then act like one, damn it. Stealing, staying out all night, drinking and drugs and god knows what else..." She ranted.
Fury rolled through me, "well when you act like a mother I will fucking treat you like one," I yelled back not wanting to have this conversation again.
God I knew I was supposed to be home by 1 am and ya it's 1 pm the next day but I couldn't help it. I didn't have a ride home from the party so I crashed where I was.
It was the logical fucking solution to me why wasn't it for Renee?
Did she want me to fucking walk home? Risk getting attacked by some random loser?
"My ride ditched me, did you want me to fucking walk home Renee?" I said again trying to make her see reason.
"I want you to mind me Isabella that is what I want. I swear I don't know what happened to you, you used to be my sweet daughter who never gave me a moment of grief."
Was Renee really that blind?
"I grew up Renee that's what happened. I am not 8 years old anymore; you won't let me live my life." I yelled in frustration.
"Live your life? You are only eighteen Isabella. And I let you live your life; I allowed you go out after being grounded for a month. But you can't even come home when you are suppose to. How the am I suppose to let you live your life? I can't even trust you! Are you doing drugs, is that what this is all about, are you smoking marijuana? Tell me Isabella, you tell me now!"
"OH MY GOD Mom; are you serious? Really are you serious... You know what; don't bother answering that, I am done! I'm over this. Ugh... I'm going to my room. And I have told you repeatedly I DO NOT DO DRUGS. Why do you always do this to me? If I say one thing you don't like you accuse me of doing drugs. I am not a druggie mom, hell it wasn't even my fault last time you grounded me, but you wouldn't listen. You never fucking listen to me"
This was the whole crux of the issue right there.
Renee's idea and my idea of what constituted a druggie differed greatly.
Yes I smoked a joint here and there but would I admit that to her? No way.
It's not like I have to have it; I'm not an addict. But if someone had some weed at a party and offered me some fuck ya I'm gonna take a hit off of it. I am a normal teenager after all. And the reason I got grounded last time was totally not even my fault. It was those bitches Lauren and Jessica. They were the ones that stole shit from Mike, then they turned around and planted it in my locker.
They set me fucking up two weeks before graduation.
But as pissed as I was at them, it was nothing to how I felt when I saw the look on my parent's face when they came to the school.
They had already decided I had stolen Mike's iPod.
I mean why would I do that, I didn't need Mike's cheap ass piece of shit iPod, I had my own. But it was in my locker along with this chick Angela's purse, so imagine my surprise when the principle did the surprise check on my locker due to an anonymous tip, well fuck me.
The look on their faces said it all. Their daughter, the daughter of the great Mayor of the town was a thief.
And now this, not making it home by curfew. Renee was totally overreacting and I was in no mood to deal with it.
It wasn't my fault I missed my curfew, my ride bailed, told me they were going to the store and I was so drunk and tired , I laid down figuring when they got back we would leave. I remember the clock said it was 11:30pm.
Trouble was, they didn't come back. When I woke up it was after two in the morning and there was no way that I was gonna call Mommy and Daddy for a ride at a party with underage drinking. That was not fucking me.
"I bet you have drugs up there right now!" Renee had said.
"What? What are you? No. Where are you going Renee? I'm asking you a question what the hell?" I yelled as she was walking up the stairs.
She turned on the stairs looking at me, "I am done with this Isabella, done do you hear me? Your father will NOT get you out of it this time young lady. Do you know how many favors your father had to call in to get your thief charge taken care of privately? Without you seeing a day in jail? DO YOU? Do you even care? No you don't... I am done talking to you."
She continued walking up the stairs.
I couldn't believe this shit was happening.
It was then I remembered I was holding Tyler's weed for him fuck fuck fuck, and shit just got a whole lot worse. Tyler's parents busted him a couple of days ago and they had got all of his weed but one bag.
And guess what dumb ass said they would hold it for him till shit cooled off?
... UM that would be dumb fuck me.
She would never believe it's not mine, I couldn't let her search my room.
"MOM!" I screamed running up the stairs after her.
Fuck for an older woman the bitch could move when she was on a mission.
I reached the top of the stairs just as she was going through my dresser draws, throwing socks, bras and underwear all over the place.
"Renee would you stop?" I started to grab the clothes off the floor trying to push her out of the way and put them back.
My eyes scanned over to bulging sock on the floor, the one that held Tyler's weed in it. Thank god she didn't notice, I quickly went for the sock but she spun around and glared at me; I froze.
"Bella, I..."she stopped talking and eyed what I was grabbing for, "what is in that sock? Give it to me now!"
"No, fuck that. You threw my shit all over the floor, I am picking it up, I can't even believe you. What are you the sock police now?"
I bent down to grab the sock along with a couple of pair's of bras and panties, when all of a sudden I felt arms go around my waist and I was thrown onto the bed.
Seriously what the hell was going on with this woman?
When she put her mind to something she turned into the damn bionic woman.
I bounced off the bed and was just reaching for my sock when she grabbed my wrist; digging her nails into it, trying to get me to let go of the sock.
By total reflex I went to push her arm with my free hand but I used a little too much force and sent her falling back into the wall.
"OH MY GOD MOM," I ran to her in a panic trying to help her. "Are you OK? I'm so sorry." I really was, I never meant to push her that hard and I didn't mean to make her fall. She was just staring at me like I was the devil himself.
"Get your hands off of me NOW!" She screamed, reaching for her phone. "I am calling your father. I am done with this shit, do you hear me? You are gone. Maybe some time in jail will do you good, will teach you to appreciate what you have. Now give me that sock!"
"Mom, calm down and just talk to me," I said freaking out and wondering how this all happened. I wasn't a bad kid. I did dumb shit, who didn't at my age?
But this was like a bad dream that I couldn't seem to wake up from. This couldn't have been happening to me.
It's like I was watching this all happen in slow motion and in the third person. I watched as my mom's mouth was moving, pointing at me, she was screaming something but I couldn't hear what she was saying. It was all a blur.
I did hear something sounding like drug dealer, I don't know.
Next thing I know she had got up and crossed the room.
She slapped me hard across my face.
Well, that woke me up. I looked at her in shock, no matter what had ever happened; my mother or my father had never raised a hand to me.
And now she had and it wasn't just a tap, it was hard, it felt like my whole face was on fire. Tears started to run down my face.
I started backing away from her and tripped over a shoe laying on the floor and fell backwards, and my hand landed on the sock that had the bag of weed in it.
My one hand was across my face holding it; it burned, while my other hand cupped the sock.
I looked at the woman who I use to love and felt nothing but hatred in that moment.
Her face mirrored the same imagine as mine, sheer horror.
"Bella, I..." Renee started to say...but I cut that shit right off.
"You ...You hit me!" I cried in a whispering voice.
Something like fear or panic flashed across her features before what looked like anger , she looked down at the sock then bent down to pick up the phone never taking her eyes off me.
"Well you, you were out of control Isabella. I had no choice, you, you," pointing a finger at me, "you attacked me, I had to defend myself. You are out of your mind on drugs."
I stared at her not believing the words that were coming out of her mouth, she , my mother believed I attacked her and I was on drugs and she was saying this to me and into the phone...this couldn't be happening , no...
"Yes Charlie," my mother glared at me as she spoke to my father, "she's out of control, you heard her and she is high on drugs. I'm scared ...Yes please send them now... Hurry. NO Charlie I will not calm down she attacked me." My mother was yelling into the phone…
"Wha...what , mom, mommy," I was crying, I got up and started to walk towards her , this was a mistake , my mother couldn't be scared of me ...no she couldn't possible think I would hurt her. I had to make this right but... She hit me.
"You just stay where you are young lady the police are coming. And your father is on the phone ... he heard everything don't you dare try anything, and," she looked down at the sock, "that is going to the police."
She went to grab for the sock and suddenly something came over me.
I snapped.
This was not my mother, this was not my home.
I grabbed the sock and ran down the stairs and out the front door. I could hear Renee screaming at me but I didn't stop. I couldn't stop.
I heard the sirens in the back ground getting closer and I just kept pushing my legs to run faster. Tears falling faster down my face, blurring my vision but I kept running away from there.
End Flash Back
So that's how I ended up here in New York, not initially that night, the night my whole world came crashing down around me. Thinking about that night always put me in a bad mood.
"Hey earth to Bella, hello...Yo B...E...L...L...A?" I was brought back to the present by Mouse waving his hand in my face.
We called him Mouse because he could get in and out of any situation without being seen and he could fit through the smallest spaces too. Ben was his real name but none of us called him that. He looked like an emo with his dyed black hair, he kept it cut in short with it all pulled forward into a triangle like point for bangs. And the kid was skinny as a rail. He always looked so sad, but you get that being on the street, knowing no one cared where you were or if you were OK and he had been on his own from the age of thirteen. He had been alone until Charlotte and Peter found him sleeping in the corner of the warehouse, I guess I wouldn't have much to smile about either if I had been on the streets from such a young age.
Peter had told me he'd found Mouse asleep on the floor with no mattress or blankets; just there on the cold concrete. Peter said he'd felt a great deal of sympathy for Mouse, but Mouse didn't want sympathy he reckoned the concrete floor of the warehouse was better than where he use to live.
I never asked much about Mouse's former life but I knew it wasn't good. Damn he was only a kid when he first hit the streets three years ago, shit he was still a kid now at barely sixteen.
Mouse was very street-smart he could tell us where the best places to sleep at night were if we needed emergency accommodation and which restaurants threw out the 'best food', and he knew all the locations to look for our 'marks' and the best routes of escape.
"Mouse get your hand out of my face," I said slapping it away. "Now what do you want?" I said it a bit nastier then I meant too.
"Umm, ya whatever Swan, meeting in five."
"Mouse, hold up!" I yelled.
He turned around and looked and me, "huh?" he said.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you, it's just…"
"I know Swan, it's cool," he said as he walked away.
They all called me by my last name.
~~~~XXXX~~~~
I started to head towards the meeting room; it's where we had cardboard boxes with all the streets drawn on where the wealthy people shopped, and where the business people walk the streets to and from work. Or on their lunch breaks.
As I got to the room it struck me how much we had all been through in the 5 months I have been with them and how much I had grown to care about each one of them even Jane somewhat. They had all been out on the streets longer than me.
I looked over at Charlotte and Peter sitting together with their hands entwined. They had been on the run for a year; Peter's parents were still looking for him.
We knew that because we had passed a missing persons sign the other day with his picture on it. He had to spend money on hair dye, constantly changing his look to avoid detection. He use to have brown hair, but now he dyes it black and has started to grow a mustache. He figured once he turned 18 in a couple of months they couldn't consider him a runaway anymore and he could go back to normal.
Peter was the all American looking boy with his brown hair and brown eyes. He was in good physical shape due to the years spent learning Karate. He was nowhere near as buff as Riley, but he was well built. He had made the honor roll every year and could have gotten into any college he wanted, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Duke, Dartmouth any of the top ten.
But he had given it all up for the love of his life, Charlotte.
It was a sad tragic but beautiful thing though. I couldn't imagine every finding love like that.
The thought of someone who had everything and giving it all up just to be with the one they loved. That was the stuff of fairytales.
Peter had though; he threw it all away the night Charlotte came to his door.
Charlotte had told me it was hard to look at him at first, the guilt she carried knowing he basically threw his life away for her, it ate her up inside. She was the reason he left a loving home and loving parents to runaway.
They're both only seventeen and would have been graduating high school this year. Charlotte's grades weren't good enough to get her a free ride into any of the colleges that would accept Peter, but they couldn't be apart so whatever College he went to she was going to follow and get a job while attending a community College nearby.
I glanced at Charlotte; she had long brown hair like mine and beautiful blue eyes. She wasn't a bad kid she just grew up in a rough neighborhood with a mother who wouldn't be winning any parenting awards and a sick fucked step father.
My eyes shifted from Charlotte to the others in the room, Riley, Mouse and Jane were sitting around talking. Well Mouse and Riley were talking; Jane just sat there quietly looking at Mouse.
Riley or 'the protector' as we called him sometimes, was the one you want to be with on a job if you ever got into trouble.
Jane was a strange girl and quite frankly she scared the shit out of me. She was tough for a girl and while I was not one to judge a book by its cover, she looked like the type of girl you would want to avoid.
The dark black makeup around her eyes and a tattoo of the scary looking frog on the side of her face and her multiple facial piercing only added to her terrifying presence.
I don't know her story and I have never asked. The first day Riley had brought me to the warehouse she'd asked 'who the fuck' I was and told me she 'didn't like me.'
The others assured me that it wasn't really personal that it was just the way she was.
I took her words to heart and tended to stay out of her way. I had seen her beat the shit out of a man who grabbed her one time after he realized she had taken his wallet.
Her attack on him was brutal and she was still trying to kick and punch him when Riley stepped in to restrain her.
I was brought from my reverie by the scraping of Riley's chair across the concrete floor the sound sent a shudder through me.
"What's up guys?" I said trying to bring myself into the conversation.
"Hey Bella, decided to stop daydreaming have you?" Riley said with a playful smirk.
I ignored his jibe, "Where's Char and Pete?" I asked looking around. I hadn't noticed them leave the room.
"Don't know where they disappeared too actually. Can you go and find them? We are losing daylight." Riley said with a slight frown marring his features.
"OK, I guess I could," I could feel Jane's burning gaze on me but I didn't dare turn to face her. I swear if looks could hurt I would be withering on the ground screaming out in pain right now.
"Yeah you run along little Swan." Jane snarled at me suddenly.
"Hey come on, leave her alone Jane," Mouse said in response to Jane's unprovoked attack.
Jane rolled her eyes but didn't say anything else. I made my way out of the room, glad to get away from the psycho.
As I was walked away I heard Riley confront Jane, "what the fuck is your problem with her anyways Jane?" I didn't stay to find out.
I took off in the direction of Peter and Char's room but stop suddenly when I heard their angry voices coming from that direction.
I went to turn and leave not wanting to intrude on their private affairs, when I heard Peter's voice turn pleading. I stopped, wanting to know what had made him go from angry to pleading in less than a heartbeat. I know it was wrong but I cared for both of them and if something was really wrong maybe I could help.
"You can't go out Charlotte, I won't let you. It's too dangerous for you now. You have to be extra careful."
Charlotte's voice was soft but also pleading, "Peter for one we don't even know I am yet. And two you can't be like this; I have to go; you are the one who put this rule in place. No one goes out alone ever!" Charlotte raised her voice slightly trying to push home her point.
"Well there you go; it's my rule, so I can break it. I am your partner, I have a say in this Charlotte. You don't make decisions without me. And I can take care of myself." His voice rose slightly, it was obvious he was trying to control his anger.
"For fuck sake Pete, you are being stupid, God I wish I never told you," Charlotte spat.
"WHAT?" Pete yelled his anger finally spilling over, "I can't even fucking believe you Char, after everything we've been through all I gave up..." he stopped suddenly at the sound of Charlotte's gasp. "Baby," Peter said, "I... FUCK I didn't mean that. You know I didn't mean that, it's just... fuck I can't do my job and worry about you. Come here baby; you know you're my whole world. Nothing, nothing means shit in this fucking world without you. I just... I will not have your..." he paused took a deep breath and whispered something I could not hear.
"Tsk, Tsk Swan." Jane hissed from behind me; her voice dripped with venom. "What would Charlotte and Peter think if they knew that's what you do with your free time; eavesdrop on personal conversations?" I spun around, Jane standing behind me with a menacing look on her face.
Before I had a chance to react Peter's angry voice shattered the spiraling silence.
"What the fuck?" I turned at the sound of approaching footsteps and was confronted by Peter's angry face. Charlotte stood silently at his side, "What the fuck is going on out here you too?"
I opened my mouth to speak but Jane beat me too it. "I was coming to find you all and I stumbled upon little Swan here skulking in the hallway. And I have just discovered that she actually has a skill; it's listening in on private conversations." She said slyly her voice dripping with malice.
I spun around to face her, fear bubbled inside me at the vicious look she wore. As scared as I was of her, I felt the need to defend myself.
"What?... No…" I stuttered. I turned back to face Peter and Charlotte, Peter looked furious and Charlotte's expression had guilt flooding through me, she looked, well, like I had just ran over her puppy dog. "Oh no I… I wasn't…" I said turning back to Jane.
I mustered up the strength to stand up to her, and even though I was eavesdropping I defended myself. "It wasn't like that and Jane doesn't know what she is talking about," I glared at her then turned back to Peter and Charlotte, "I would never ever purposely listen in on your conversations. I swear. Riley asked me to come and look for you… I've only just got here… and Oh god I'm sorry; I really wasn't trying to listen in. Really I wasn't; not like she," I said turning back towards Jane, "implied."
Jane was giving me one of her death glares, the ones which were designed to wither your insides with their scorching ferocity. "Whatever," she rolled her eyes, "I don't fucking care, I was told to see what was taking so long. I came, I saw Bella leaning against the wall listening in. She was listening that intently she didn't even hear me approaching. And I'm calling her out on it. Believe whatever the hell you want. I don't give a fuck, but if you want my opinion she is worthless and nothing but trouble and needs to go running home to her Mommy and Daddy."
She turned on her heels and walked back down the hall.
I turned back to Peter and Charlotte and tried to explain, "I am…" I was stopped short by Peter's hand coming up...
"Charlotte go on to the meeting room I'll be right there." He said quietly. He took a deep breath and looked at me for what seemed like forever. "I don't know where you came from Swan; but here we respect each others privacy… It's fucking bad enough we are all here together 24/7; we should at least have the right to have a private conversation. We all fucking should be able to... I don't know what you fucking heard..."
I tried to intervene and explain before the situation escalated, "I really didn't…" I started to say but he stopped me.
"But if you did, you will NOT repeat it and you will not fucking do this again. Do we understand each other?" Peter said, his voice laced with anger.
"Yeah and I'm sorry , I just…"
He stopped me again, "I don't want to hear it, now let's go; everyone is fucking waiting," he growled.
~~~~~~~XXXXXXXX~~~~~~
I didn't feel like talking much as Riley and I headed out onto the streets. We were working Madison for a bit then moving on to Fifth Avenue. The section of Fifth Avenue between 34th Street and 59th Street is one of the premier shopping streets in the world.
This was the top place to go for our type of 'job', a pick pockets heaven.
The Elite residents of New York and rich foreign visitor's flocked there in droves, bringing with them lots of cash and credit cards. Normally pickpockets never dealt with credit cards, they would rather deal in cash or jewelry. Jewelry is a favorite of pickpockets because of how easy things were to sell off and they were virtually untraceable.
We took credit cards.
Luckily for us, Mouse had a met a guy when he first starting living on the streets who showed him how to activate stolen credit cards and access credit card numbers for the cash. Mouse had told us he was the first person who was ever really nice to him.
Trent was his name, he had kind of felt bad for Mouse and took him under his wing and taught him how to survive on the streets. Mouse said he'd got caught up in some shit one day selling drugs. Trent was making some fat money. He had been in the process of bringing Mouse into the 'fold' introducing him to some of the people, but it had never eventuated.
Trent had came up short one day. He was meant to have had more money or a left over bag. Mouse said they had hunted the poor guy down and killed him.
A warning apparently.
Trent was used as an example, to show the others that they did not and would not tolerate thieving or mistakes in their 'organization'.
Mouse said they came looking for him a couple of times to 'question him'about the whereabouts of the missing cash and drugs.
They never caught up with him though, Mouse true to his name, was too fast and slick, he managed to escape unharmed. It had shaken him though and he told us he was scared for about a year after that. Paranoia had him always watching over his shoulder. He's more relaxed now though, he figures they'd have forgotten about him by now.
It wasn't until Peter and Charlotte came around that he finally started to trust and talk to people again.
Mouse really was the most valuable member of our group and the most talented. He was the one who taught us how to pick pocket. He, Peter and Charlotte had found a mannequin behind an abandoned building while out dumpster diving, looking for food.
They had been talking about how to make money so when they saw "Sally" as she was named, they brought 'her' home. That night Mouse started to teach them the art of pick pocketing, it was a very difficult skill to acquire, one that involved a great deal of concentration and a very quick and steady hand.
I likened the art of pick pocketing to the sleight of hand used by a magician. Rings and watches were the hardest to steal as they were on the 'mark's body, wallets out of handbags or pockets was a lot easier. Once we had learned the basics on the 'Sally' we moved onto practicing on each other. Using live targets was really the only way to test your skills…
My thoughts drifted to Jane, she had joined the group after Peter and Charlotte. She had been out on the streets for two years and apparently had been running with a gang who mugged people. She had no problem with that type of stealing and I guessed that's why she was so tough, mugging was a violent type of stealing and the chances of confrontation with the 'mark' were higher so you had to be able to defend yourself to survive.
When Riley joined them they taught him too, he found it more difficult than the others. While he was adept at taking wallets from pockets and handbags he found it difficult to get rings off of fingers and watches from wrists. He was frustrated that he couldn't pick up the skill, but Mouse had assured him it was due to his large hands more than anything.
I was the last to learn the trade; it took me a little time to get it right, I would practice for hours always trying to improve. I was good with purses, watches and rings and the better I got at it the more confident I became.
"So you gonna talk Swan or just walk like a fucking zombie all day?" Riley said snapping my attention back to the present and our mission.
"Fuck, I'm sorry Riley just got a lot on my mind. What were you saying?"
"I can fucking tell. You've been like this since you and Peter came back into the meeting earlier," he said.
I looked up at Riley. He was right, but I just didn't want to talk about it. I just shrugged and changed the subject. "Let's do this," I said.
I could tell he didn't want to drop it and I knew by the look on his face that he was going to bring the subject up again at a later time, but he thankfully let it go for now.
The beginning of the 'job' started out fairly easy, I was about ten people in front of Riley and the sidewalk was packed.
We arrived at Madison Ave and I was hyped up. I wanted to get on with the 'job' to take my mind off of the shit that had happened earlier today as much as anything else.
I stopped to window shop, of course part of the ploy; I had identified my first 'mark', a man wearing an expensive gold Rolex watch. I turned my body slightly so I could watch him approach in the reflection in the window. I waited until he was directly behind me before I turned and 'accidentally' bumped into him.
As my fingers curled around his wrist to catch myself from falling I quickly unclasped his watch. I quickly removed my hand and mumbled a quick "sorry."
"That's alright dear," he said with a smile, completely unaware that I now had his expensive watch clasped tightly in my fist.
I smile back politely and stepped into the bustling foot traffic blending easily in with the crowd. Once I was in the clear I removed my backpack dropped the watch in and continued on. I repeated the same scene a couple of times before stopping to meet up with Riley.
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"Fuck Swan we hit the jack pot with this one. All these rich mother fuckers shopping here are ours for the picking, it's just too fucking easy, like shooting fish in a barrel," he chuckled.
"Gotta love your job eh Riley?" I said smiling as we got ready for our last hit of the day. I never saw what we did as evil or that we were heartless people. In fact we were very conscious for thieves; we only ever stole from people who could afford to replace the items we took.
"OK so lost girl in New York looking for directions? Or maybe can't find the parents again? Or how about the role you play so well; clumsy girl falls into oncoming shoppers?" Riley said with a smirk.
"God I hate you…" I said laughing while pushing his chest with my hands… "Clumsy girl..." I mumbled in response to his question.
"Ah you do love me Swan, I love clumsy girl," Riley teased while dodging away from my jabs to his stomach. "Alright let's get serious, you know the drill I'll be over there looking for the goose with the golden egg, when I find them you start walking and do what you do so well."
I shook my head laughing; he came up with some funny shit. When 'we were working' he was serious, we all were, but in our free time he was a bit of a comic.
We spent a lot of our time watching the people, identifying our 'marks', checking to see how many shops they were frequenting and gauging the amount of money they had access to, by the amount of shopping bags they were carrying. The more bags they had the more chance they were reaching the limit of their allowance. Or the 'window shoppers' they had no money but liked to look .
I was scanning up and down the streets looking around while at the same time keeping an eye out for Riley incase he'd found a prospect. I always recited the 'rules' according to Peter in my mind so I didn't forget anything.
I looked up again to see Riley wiping his forehand and knew he had found my 'goose'.
I chuckled to myself.
I followed his line of sight and quickly identified the 'mark'. I ran my hand through my hair to signal I was in sync with him and crossed the street quickly, getting myself into position. My body was beginning to react like it always did before the big 'job', the muscles in the pit of my stomach tightened and I had to swallow the bile rising in my throat. The other jobs were a quick in and out but this type of job had more interaction with the 'mark' and I think that's what made me so nervous.
I fought off the wave of nausea that rolled over me, and cursed myself. I always did this. Worried about what could go wrong, what happened if I got caught; would they call my parents? I was eighteen now so I guessed they wouldn't.
But I would need someone to bail me out so I would want them to call my parents... UGH I needed to stop worrying about this so much before I gave myself an ulcer.
I looked ahead of me and saw my mark approaching on the right; Riley was about seven people behind her. I put the plan into motion and pulled out my prop. It was a broken cell phone we had found in a dumpster, it didn't matter it was broken; it served its purpose as a ruse. I put the phone to my ear and started talking to my boyfriend 'Steve'.
" I miss you too babe,… I can't wait to see you ,…ya I can make that," I continued to have the same one sided conversation I'd been having for the last two weeks with my pretend boyfriend 'Steve'.
I maneuvered around the oncoming people and lined up my 'mark' while continuing to talk into the phone. "Could you pick up a few things for me? Oh come on Steve it's just a small list please."
I blew out a deep breath and prepared for impact, the woman I was targeting was almost right in front of me, as soon as these next two people passed by it was all on.
"Yep that's it," I said as the first person passed by, "It's the red can, the small one." I glanced up as the second person passed by.
One quick look above the 'mark's' head showed me Riley had moved into position.
"Ok so you've got the list and you can..." I said into the phone as I took another step forward. I was careful not to meet her gaze directly; but I categorized everything in my peripheral vision, the angle of her body, which direction she was looking in and checking to see she wasn't paying any attention to those walking around her.
I shot another covert glance at Riley, checking he was still in position, before I collided with my 'mark'.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed dramatically as I collided with the woman. The impact of our collision sent my cell phone flying along with the contents of her shopping bags and her handbag.
My ass hit the sidewalk hard while she stumbled backwards. She never fell, and the impact shouldn't have knocked me over either but it was all part of the plan.
"Ouch," I said rubbing my arm for added effect. I moved my neck slowly side to side trying to make it look like I had been slightly injured when I was in fact checking to see where Riley was.
He was already in place grabbing up my 'now broken cell phone' and the woman's handbag and a few blouses and bras that had fallen out of one of her shopping bags.
Now that I was trained I saw the precise moment Riley's hand slid into her purse and grabbed her wallet, he slipped it into his pocket before coming over to us.
Luckily for us most people in New York were to busy to stop and help or didn't care . A few looked and paused but most kept walking, stepping around us. People tend to mind their own business and get on with what they are doing.
"Are you alright ma'am?" Riley addressed the woman first and handed her back her purse and items. Then he turned to me. "Miss, can you stand up? I retrieved your cell phone for you. Are you hurt or injured in any way?" He asked politely as he handed the phone to me.
I thought Riley played the part of the perfect gentleman perfectly.
"I think so, I just hurt my wrist when I fell," I took my cell phone from his out stretched hand and looked at it with a frown. "It looks like I broke my phone," I said looking down at the cracked screen.
"Are you are right?" The 'mark' asked suddenly drawing our attention back to her.
Riley offered his hand to help me up. "Yes I think so. My wrist feels a little sore but it's not broken," I assured her as I took Riley's hand. "Well thank you for your assistance," I said to him before turning toward the woman, "I'm very sorry about that I should have been paying more attention to where I was going."
"Well if you two are both sure you're alright, I'm gonna get going too." Riley said with a kind smile.
"Yes I'm fine thank you," I was about to start walking away when I noticed a man in a suit approaching us.
"Stop right there," he ordered us. I froze on the spot and my heart leapt into my throat. We had never been caught before and I didn't know what I was meant to do. I took a deep breath trying to control my trembling. I looked at Riley, he was more experienced at this so I waited for him to speak.
A thought occurred to me as I looked at the man in the suit, experience living with a policeman for a father had taught me that if a law enforcement officer was going to stop you for a suspected crime he would produce ID and identify himself as an officer of the law.
This man hadn't.
Riley must have realized the same thing because he took a step toward the man. I recognized it as a subtle act of intimidation.
"Dude, I don't know what the hell your problem is, but this has nothing to do with you so keep walking." He kept his voice calm but I noticed there was a hint of a threat to it. "I have done nothing but offer assistance to two women who accidentally collided into each other on a busy sidewalk. What exactly is your problem? You know this is why people walk by and don't help, cause people like you think there's something sinister going on." Riley took another step toward the man, sizing him up trying to figure out what his angle was and how to get us out this without it turning ugly.
I looked over at the 'mark' who was watching Riley and the suit in confusion. She obviously was as puzzled as Riley and I were as to what this man's intentions were.
I decided to intervene and see if I could help Riley figure out this guy's trip. "Um excuse me sir, I am not sure what you are getting at here but if you are not an officer of the law you can't stop any of us from leaving. Now my wrist is starting to really hurt and I would like to go home and put ice on it, so if you'll excuse me."
"You're not going anywhere," he said to me before turning his attention to the even more confused woman. "Hello Ma'am my name is Chris Pratzz and you are?" He asked holding his hand out to the woman.
"Tina, and I'm confused here, I'm not sure what's going on but I really think this girl needs to go get her arm seen by a doctor, we hit pretty hard when we collided and she took a nasty fall."
"Well that is exactly what these two want you to think, I was following behind and I saw this young man following you, and this young woman looked down at the exact moment you were in front of her. These two are con artists." He said.
I shot a glance at Riley; the look on his face told me he was fast losing his patience with the suit.
"Conned? I'm confused. How precisely was I conned? I was there I know what happened." Tina said.
"You think this was an accident, but this is what these type of people do they stage an 'accident' then sue you with the slip and fall that's how these bums live." Chris said
A part of me was relieved he didn't really know what had happened, but part of me was just fucking insulted at the derogatory use of the word bum and for saying we were 'slip and fall artists'.
"Excuse me, con artist?" I said indignantly, now I knew what his angle was I knew what to do, "I didn't ask her for money. I said I was leaving and I didn't even exchange information with her, so how does one intend to sue when they don't even have the other person's details? I only know her name is Tina because you asked her." I was pissed and I knew the longer we were here the more we could run the risk of getting caught. "So just walk away Chris, you have obviously misread the whole situation."
Riley got ready to act; he had had it with this man. His fingers curled into a fist ready to strike and his arm started to move.
"Hold up ... um… Chris, wasn't it?" Tina suddenly spoke, "I have to say that I agree with… umm, I'm sorry honey," she was now looking at me. "I didn't catch your name dear."
"Lisa," I said with a small smile.
"Lisa," Tina said with such a loving motherly smile.
I was starting to really feel guilty, I had never actually spoken this long to one of my 'marks'; long enough for them to become human, long enough to make me realize that even though our 'marks' were rich, that didn't make them bad people.
"So Chris, while I thank you for your concern I believe you are wrong about these children here. Lisa hasn't asked for money or any information, and this young man was kind enough to just stop and help and you are keeping him here unnecessarily with your unwarranted accusations." She turned toward me, "but I do feel like I should give you something Lisa, for your phone breaking and you did hurt yourself and I'm perfectly fine." Tina finished off with that damn smile again.
It made me feel like pond scum.
Riley seemed to recognize the danger of Tina's word immediately. He had Tina's wallet in his pocket and he needed to get away from her immediately and I needed to prevent her going into handbag to look for it.
He turned to Tina, "thank you for sticking up for me; I really was just trying to be a good citizen." He said turning on that gentlemanly charm. He turned to Chris and the charm vanished, "Chris I would advise you keep your trap shut about who is a bum or the next time you call someone a name you might get fucked up." He whispered as he leaned forward.
He didn't want Tina to hear his threat.
Riley stepped away, he stared down at his feet and I knew what he was thinking. He needed to leave but he didn't want to go until I was on the move.
I turned my attention to Tina. "No Tina, I can't take your money it was just an accident. I just wasn't paying attention to where I was going," I had to stop her going into her handbag.
"Oh please I insist," she started reaching for her purse.
I reached out and gently placed my hand on hers, "I won't take your money so please don't."
"If you're sure dear?" She said in that motherly tone.
"I am, I'm just going to go home and put some ice on it and it will be as good as new. And my boyfriend will buy me a new phone."
I shot a convert look at Riley and gave him a hint of a wink, he turned to Chris. "Just carry on walking now," he growled loudly.
Chris took a step forward not impressed with Riley's tone and pushed him. Riley reacted in a heartbeat grabbing the suit by the shoulders and threw him up against the wall.
As soon as Tina's attention was diverted I took a step away from her and melted into the crowd.
I walked for a few minutes before I looked back behind me, Relief flooded through me when I saw Riley weaving his way through the crowd. I slowed down giving him a chance to catch up.
"Man that was a close call," I said as he fell into step with me.
"Fuck I reckon, just our luck we cross paths with the fucking nosiest asshole in the city. Come on let's get off the street before anything else happens."
We quickened our step and weaved our way expertly through the crowds. I breathed a sigh of relief when we stepped inside our warehouse and pulled the door shut behind us.
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