Chapter 2 The Stella's Welcome

As they entered the Stella cinema Scipio flipped on the the lights. It was a three story auditorium. The first floor was covered with red theater seats, some were in their original places while others were taken out a rested along the wall. The second and third floor where concealing beds of the other that lived in the Stella.

"2 am, we were going to send out a search party after you two" A girl, with dark black hair which was tied in a braid, leaned out on the third floor.

"The small one has a nasty cough, do you have something in your medicine box?" Abby asked the girl.

The girl turned back to bed which was hidden by stacks of books.

"Who are the new guys?" a dark skin boy asked from his hammock tied to columns on the second floor.

"Friends of mine that need to crash here, enough said" Scipio told the boy.

The boy got off his bed. He and the girl came down to meet the newcomers. The girl knelt down to Bo and felt his forehead.

"I'm Hornet, here drink this. It will help you get better." Hornet gave Bo a pale pink liquid to drink.

The dark skinned boy dropped a brown cloth bag on the ground

"I'm Mosca, here is some clothes"

"Thanks" Prosper grabbed a brown jacket the reached a little past his knees for himself. He then picked out a winter hat and a wool sweater for Bo.

Riccio, Hornet, Bo, Mosca, and Prosper were all talking to each other. This noise was broken by a wide eyed Abby.

"Scip" Abby looked at him " where is the loot bag?"

"I left it by the Canal, we will have to go back and get it"

"Can we come too" the other asks with eager faces.

"Bo shouldn't be walking around with this cough" Hornet added.

"Who said anything about walking" Scipio said with a sly smile as he and Abby put their masks back on.

A little while later the gang was in a very nice high speed boat on the Grand Canal. The loot bag was tucked safe between Hornet's legs. Scipio loved to the drive the boat at night. Abby stood up put her hands out her jacket flap around like wings of a bird. Abby love the feeling of flying. It was the closest feeling to freedom she had felt in a long time, since she was 10 years old; when her dad and her mother died, when she was sent to live with her very strict but very wealthy godfather, who also ran her family's company, and his son. Abby brushed the thought from her mind. It wasn't time for that. It was time to have fun with her friends.

All of a sudden there was the sirens from a police boat. Abby sat back down.

"Stop your vessel" the police over the loudspeaker.

"Hang on" Scipio told everyone as he switched to a high gear to go faster.

He maneuvered the boat like a master. He weaved in and out of narrow side canals trying to lose the police that we're still chasing them.

"Shouldn't we stop" Prosper leaned over to Scipio.

"What and ruin all the fun" Scipio replied as he increased the boat speed.

Scipio drove the boat into a narrow canal. Abby reached up for a rope that hang over the canal. As they drove by it Abby pulled it, boards and boat shells fell in front of the police boat, stopping it in their tracks.

Back at the Stella, Scipio emptied out the loot bag. Gold, silver, and jewels fell to the floor.

"Plucked from the grown ups" Scipio said as Bo walked wide eyed towards the pile of stuff.

Prosper pulled Bo away from it

"Get back they stole it"

"Scipio and Abby are not just any thieves" Riccio replied, "They are Thief Lords"

"When you sell to Barbarossa, try and get a decent price this time" Abby told the others.

"We try but he always laughs in our faces" Mosca said.

Scipio, Abby, Hornet, Riccio,and Mosca were talking about who would go do the selling of the loot.

"Prop can do it. He can sell anything. When we went to sell our toys at the second hand shop, they wanted to give us pennies. Then Prop gave them a stony face and they gave us more money." Bo voice squealed with excitement.

"Okay, if you are able to sell to Barbarossa and get more money, then you and your brother can stay here as long as you like." Scipio replied.

He and Abby started walking for the back door of the cinema. They open the door and left into the pre-winter cold of the alleyways of Venice.