said. "This here's Needles."
Aaron shook their hands, making sure to use a firm grip this time. "I'm Aaron," he said, grinning from ear to ear like a naive new-hire who just signed on as one of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang.
Beeks tossed him a walkie-talkie. "Here," he said, "you're gonna need that."
Aaron turned the radio over in his hand and recalled how he and Willy used to love to play with walkie-talkies. They would spend hours roaming the city, chatting to each other about who knows what – until Willy lost his, that is.
---
Needles parked the white van in front of Western Federal Bank and turned to Aaron. "Do you remember what I told you?"
Aaron went over his short list of duties list in his mind. "Yes sir," he said.
"Okay, take your position."
Aaron climbed into the driver's seat, and he and Needles pulled on their masks. Beeks pondered Souther's decision to send a young boy with them on a job.
"You think you can handle this, boy?" he asked.
Aaron peered out from behind his polka-dots. "I don't know. I'm pretty scared."
Beeks laughed. "You should be, boy. I'd be too if I was you."
"Check your radios," Needles said, and they did. "Okay ... let's move out."
Needles and Beeks shouldered their gear and entered the bank through the front entrance. Aaron stayed behind, clutching his walkie-talkie, watching the street from his seat in the van.
---
After ten minutes, Aaron grew restless. He checked the mirrors again and his heart jumped into his throat. A police cruiser was heading his way, and fast, lights blazing.
"Oh, crap! " he said, fumbling for the TALK button on his radio. He pictured all of them being cuffed with zip ties and hauled off to jail. But the cruiser simply blew past him and turned left, away from the bank. Aaron took in a deep breath, leaned back in his seat, and exhaled slowly.
---
BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ! The bank's alarm had gone off. Aaron sat bolt upright and promptly dropped his walkie-talkie. " Damn it! " he said as he groped between the seats. He retrieved his radio and looked up just in time to see the thugs burst out of the bank dragging loaded duffel bags. He started the van then jumped in back and rolled the side door open. The thugs tossed the loot inside and jumped into the front seats.
Needles smoked the tires, and the gang made their getaway.
---
Beeks turned to Aaron, breathing hard. "Tell me this ain't fun, boy!" he said, flashing a huge white smile.
Aaron was totally pumped. He fist bumped Beeks and grinned ear to ear.
Riding high on the successful heist, Needles decided to make a day of it. He filled up the van at the nearest gas station, and then he and Beeks took Aaron with them on an afternoon crime spree that would have made Clyde Barrow proud.
City Heights Bank ... robbed .
North Park Savings and Loan ... cleaned out .
Bank of Nations ... fleeced .
Under Needles's skilled leadership, every job ran like clockwork. They finished up the day with a van load of cash and a young teenage boy whose life had, once again, been changed forever.
Chapter 28
Pay Day
It was just after 5 p.m. when the white van rolled into the cannery. Everyone got out, and Beeks began unloading the haul.
Aaron was overflowing with adrenaline; he walked circles to contain himself. "That was incredible!" he said, high-fiving Needles. "What a rush!"
Souther had been waiting for them. He dumped the contents of one of the fat duffel bags onto a table.
Cash ... piles of it.
"Good job, boys," he said. He counted out several stacks of $100s for his thugs, then picked up a bundle of $5 bills and tossed them to Aaron.
Aaron caught the money with both hands and his eyes
Aaron shook their hands, making sure to use a firm grip this time. "I'm Aaron," he said, grinning from ear to ear like a naive new-hire who just signed on as one of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang.
Beeks tossed him a walkie-talkie. "Here," he said, "you're gonna need that."
Aaron turned the radio over in his hand and recalled how he and Willy used to love to play with walkie-talkies. They would spend hours roaming the city, chatting to each other about who knows what – until Willy lost his, that is.
---
Needles parked the white van in front of Western Federal Bank and turned to Aaron. "Do you remember what I told you?"
Aaron went over his short list of duties list in his mind. "Yes sir," he said.
"Okay, take your position."
Aaron climbed into the driver's seat, and he and Needles pulled on their masks. Beeks pondered Souther's decision to send a young boy with them on a job.
"You think you can handle this, boy?" he asked.
Aaron peered out from behind his polka-dots. "I don't know. I'm pretty scared."
Beeks laughed. "You should be, boy. I'd be too if I was you."
"Check your radios," Needles said, and they did. "Okay ... let's move out."
Needles and Beeks shouldered their gear and entered the bank through the front entrance. Aaron stayed behind, clutching his walkie-talkie, watching the street from his seat in the van.
---
After ten minutes, Aaron grew restless. He checked the mirrors again and his heart jumped into his throat. A police cruiser was heading his way, and fast, lights blazing.
"Oh, crap! " he said, fumbling for the TALK button on his radio. He pictured all of them being cuffed with zip ties and hauled off to jail. But the cruiser simply blew past him and turned left, away from the bank. Aaron took in a deep breath, leaned back in his seat, and exhaled slowly.
---
BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ! The bank's alarm had gone off. Aaron sat bolt upright and promptly dropped his walkie-talkie. " Damn it! " he said as he groped between the seats. He retrieved his radio and looked up just in time to see the thugs burst out of the bank dragging loaded duffel bags. He started the van then jumped in back and rolled the side door open. The thugs tossed the loot inside and jumped into the front seats.
Needles smoked the tires, and the gang made their getaway.
---
Beeks turned to Aaron, breathing hard. "Tell me this ain't fun, boy!" he said, flashing a huge white smile.
Aaron was totally pumped. He fist bumped Beeks and grinned ear to ear.
Riding high on the successful heist, Needles decided to make a day of it. He filled up the van at the nearest gas station, and then he and Beeks took Aaron with them on an afternoon crime spree that would have made Clyde Barrow proud.
City Heights Bank ... robbed .
North Park Savings and Loan ... cleaned out .
Bank of Nations ... fleeced .
Under Needles's skilled leadership, every job ran like clockwork. They finished up the day with a van load of cash and a young teenage boy whose life had, once again, been changed forever.
Chapter 28
Pay Day
It was just after 5 p.m. when the white van rolled into the cannery. Everyone got out, and Beeks began unloading the haul.
Aaron was overflowing with adrenaline; he walked circles to contain himself. "That was incredible!" he said, high-fiving Needles. "What a rush!"
Souther had been waiting for them. He dumped the contents of one of the fat duffel bags onto a table.
Cash ... piles of it.
"Good job, boys," he said. He counted out several stacks of $100s for his thugs, then picked up a bundle of $5 bills and tossed them to Aaron.
Aaron caught the money with both hands and his eyes
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