Here we go. Next chapter. Lets do this.

Easy In, Easy Out

My heart beat steadily as I crept along the concrete roof, the moonlight illuminating the small pavement a footstep away, as if to highlight how close I was to the edge, how close I was to falling to sudden death. Yet excitement somehow overtook my fear. I was about to thieve from a thief.

It was a simple operation where the blame was always placed on the first thief. You could go for a big target without having people after you.

I took a few steps back to have a run up, leaping across the small gap between the two buildings. I opened the rusted brown hatch on the top, slipping into darkness. I stood still for a few moments, letting my vision adjust to the pitch black room. In a few seconds I could just distinguish shapes of boxes piled around the small space, and another door on the wall to my left. That was the easy way. Using the boxes as steps, I lifted myself so I was face to face with the air duct. I heaved myself up, my breath catching as the small metal gate made a soft noise as it closed behind me.

I began to crawl almost vertically down, praying that my hand had enough friction to keep me from falling head first into the razor sharp fan I expected to see right... Now. I put my arms out to each wall of the enclosed space, my sweaty palms causing me to slide ever to slightly. I had to time this just right.

I took the knife from my pocket and threw it downwards, releasing my grip on the walls the second it caught.

I fell down through the small space the still fan had left, just as I heard a grinding noise and my dagger was shoved out of the way, the fan continuing to spin as if nothing had ever happened.

The room was empty - thank god.

I immediately saw the poorly hidden gemstones, barely underneath a rag, with a few carelessly dropped outside of it.

I gathered fourteen on the precious jewels, placing each in a compartment on my belt before straightening my back.

Easy in, easy out. So far.

I was poised to make an exit, ready to run, when I heard a small whimper followed by a cackle.

"Please... Not again..."

"Certainly lost all his demands, hasn't he Harry?"

"I think he's learnt his lesson John. Never speak up or you get hurt... Real... Bad"

I heard a cry of pain followed by more laughing.

"We don't want to force you. The mask?"

"N-no"

"Hmmm. He's seemed to get a bit feistier hasn't he John?"

"Yes Harry, he needs a punishment"

I heard a brief yelp. This was too much. Someone in there was in pain, and I may have been a murderer but my heart wasn't completely ice.

I whistled loudly, diving behind some crates as the men came stomping in.

"What they hell was that?" The first one, who must have been Harry, was short and fairly round. He was wearing a skii mask and a track suit, a similar outfit to that of his partner, who looked almost the same, except for being slightly taller.

I crawled towards the room they had been in, as they began to search for whoever had made the noise. They would be there in a while, searching through all the crates.

The second I peeked in the room, a gasp escaped from my lips.

There was a boy, about my age slumped on the ground, his hands cuffed. He was pale and thin, yet he wasn't lanky in any way. He had slight definition, giving hints that he really had some muscle. He had dark, dark brown hair that almost looked black, and his face was against the ground stopping me from getting a look at his facial features. He was stripped down to his briefs, his body covered in fresh bloody wounds and deep purple bruises. His foot was twisted at an odd angle, and there was blood splattered on the ground around him.

Suddenly, he lifted his head, revealing a black domino mask, ruining any chances I had of trying to recognize him.

His face was covered with bruises, a long scratch down his right cheek, that was already beginning to get infected.

"Who are you?" I whispered, circling him slowly, my fists at the ready for any signs of attack.

"I-I don't know" he mumbled, lying his head back down on the floor.

"P-Please don't hurt me. Are y-you like them?" his voice sounded hopeless, flat.

"No. How do you not know who you are?"

"I don't know. I can't remember my name just... I have to keep my mask on"

"If you show me your face I can find your parents"

The boy shook his head, shutting his eyes.

He muttered something into the ground, and I felt something I hadn't felt for years.

Sympathy.

I knelt beside him and stuck a bobby pin into his chains.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting you out of here"

I was an idiot. This was going to be the end of me, I knew it. I bet those guys had guns. Big guns.

"You have clothes?"

The boy blushed, a lock of black hair falling down to cover his eyes.

"N-no"

I finished with the lock on the chains, tossing them aside to begin on his roped feet. He moaned as I touched his ankle. I took care to take it off slowly, knowing that it was probably a break.

"Ow! God don't drag it out just rip the damn thing off!" he yelped.

Personality change, much?

"This is the reason I'm saving you. Because you will be so thankful" I said sarcastically, pulling off the worn rope and placing it down on the floor. I stood, putting out my hand to help up the boy. He yanked himself up, placing his arm across me shoulders so I could help him hop along.

"I guess the ducts aren't an option. You know a way out of here?"

The boy shut his eyes tightly, as if trying to recall something.

"North Dock 45. There should be a small door in the small corridor to our left" he recited.

Weird.

"That's right next to the room where ugly and uglier are looking for me. I hope you can run"

"My foots broken."

"Yeah?"

The boy groaned, slapping himself in the face. "If you are usually this stupid we should just shoot ourselves now"

We hobbled along the hall, tiptoeing past the room where the men stood.

I opened the door to the thin passageway, the door creaking shut.

"Hear that!"

"In the hallway next!"

The boy shot me an expression that was a cross between annoyance and fear.

"Run" he hissed "Its better one person dead then two"

I was ready to tear off, but that voice inside my head that I had done so well to hide was coming up again. This boy was bringing out the best in me.

Fuck.

I grabbed his arm, lifting him over my shoulder. And I ran.

"You idiot! I'm slowing you down!"

"You're welcome. Oh no, I only stopped you from getting shot!"

I burst through the door as bullets were fired. I ducked down and ran faster, watching as each bullet just missed us. Sheer luck. There was no way it was the big guy upstairs, because I'm pretty sure he doesn't like me after half the stuff I've done. I mean, I sure have increased his population.

I dived it the water, holding the boy above me so he could breath. He took this as a message, taking a long breath before I pulled him under with me, swimming to where I could just make out the shore.

The water was murky and I didn't doubt that I was going to end up with an eye infection from opening my eyes in this muck. Oil, it was mostly. It was a little sad to think they ruined this perfectly good waterway with that icky stuff. Then I remembered - your about to be shot and there's a guy depending on you.

Another thought struck me - why did I care? I had killed quite a few, yet I had suddenly decided to save this one? I should have left him, then it wouldn't have been my fault. I f I dropped him now, I'd have another name on that very unfortunate list of mine.

I swam until my arms and legs ached and my lungs felt as though they were about to burst, holding the boy above me every now and then, so he didn't have to hold his breath like I was doing. Every now and then I would swallow water, the murky liquid burning my throat.

I reached the rocky shore, finally, lifting my head out and gasping for air. I dumped the kid at the waters edge, forcing myself to crawl further up. I coughed and spluttered, throwing up water. I collapsed, my chin hitting hard on the rocks. I barely managed to roll onto my back before I blacked out.

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