walked over and lifted his jacket off its chair, slipping his phone into the inside pocket. But as he started for the door, he hesitated and swapped the light jacket for a heavier coat.
---
Souther leaned back in his chair. "Things are heating up a bit around here," he said. "Tomorrow's job is the big score we need so we can lay low for a while."
Aaron glanced at the others and listened attentively. He looked forward to the thrill of riding lookout again. And as far as he was concerned, his current earnings were already spent.
"I'll be in charge this time around," Souther continued then he looked straight at Aaron, "and you're going inside with me."
Aaron looked around to see who Souther was referring to. Beeks and Needles looked at each other and then at Aaron.
"Oh, you mean me?" Aaron said, pointing to himself. "Inside? In the bank? While you rob it?"
"While we rob it," Souther said. He leaned forward and folded his hands on the desk.
Aaron knew very well that his big day of riding lookout qualified him to ride lookout – nothing more. He pictured a few of the bank robberies he had seen on TV and in movies, but he couldn't see himself playing any of the parts. The idea was totally absurd.
"But I've only been a lookout," he said. "I-I'm not ready to go inside."
"You'll be fine," Souther said, as if it happened every day. "Besides, the pay for an inside man is fifty times what it was riding lookout."
Aaron thought about that for a moment. $25,000 was an incomprehensible sum. It could mean a whole new start for him and his mom.
"Give me your phone, kid," Souther said. "What's your mother's number?"
Aaron paused, confused, and almost asked why. But instead he chose not to. It wouldn't help to argue. "She's in my contacts," he said. "Here, let me do it." He set up the call then reluctantly handed over his phone again.
---
Ashley lunged for her phone, catching it after the first ring. "Hello?" she said.
"Have you ever been to Sally's Diner?" Souther said.
Her heart sank – she had hoped for someone better. "No," she replied. "I don't think so."
"I want to do an exchange," Souther said.
Ashley's hand went to her mouth. She knew from Souther's inflection that he wanted more than mere ransom money. "What kind of exchange?" she asked.
"Aaron's freedom for yours."
The motel room closed in around her, and she reached for the bed as the floor fell away.
Aaron tried to grab his phone. "What are you doing? " he cried.
Souther touched his index finger to his lips and gave Aaron a look that made him sit down. Then he continued with Ashley.
"I believe that to be a fair exchange," he said. "Does that sound fair to you, Ashley?"
Ashley dug deep, but found nothing – she was empty. Her knees grew weak and she sat on the edge of the bed.
"Ashley?"
She placed her hand over her heart, summoning all of her will. "Yes," she said at last, her voice small and lifeless. "I think that's fair."
"Excellent," Souther said with a smile. He was pleased with how this was going.
Aaron couldn't believe what he was hearing. He reached for his phone again, but Souther turned away from him and continued his conversation.
"I'd like you to meet me at Sally's Diner tomorrow night at 6:30," he said.
Ashley could no longer contain herself. "Why meet at Sally's? Why not send one of your goons and just take me? You know where the hell I am."
Souther became cruelly patronizing. "You're a grown woman, Ashley. I want this to be your decision."
Ashley closed her eyes and touched her fingers to the bridge of her nose. You want what to be my decision? Whether or not I kill myself? She was tempted
---
Souther leaned back in his chair. "Things are heating up a bit around here," he said. "Tomorrow's job is the big score we need so we can lay low for a while."
Aaron glanced at the others and listened attentively. He looked forward to the thrill of riding lookout again. And as far as he was concerned, his current earnings were already spent.
"I'll be in charge this time around," Souther continued then he looked straight at Aaron, "and you're going inside with me."
Aaron looked around to see who Souther was referring to. Beeks and Needles looked at each other and then at Aaron.
"Oh, you mean me?" Aaron said, pointing to himself. "Inside? In the bank? While you rob it?"
"While we rob it," Souther said. He leaned forward and folded his hands on the desk.
Aaron knew very well that his big day of riding lookout qualified him to ride lookout – nothing more. He pictured a few of the bank robberies he had seen on TV and in movies, but he couldn't see himself playing any of the parts. The idea was totally absurd.
"But I've only been a lookout," he said. "I-I'm not ready to go inside."
"You'll be fine," Souther said, as if it happened every day. "Besides, the pay for an inside man is fifty times what it was riding lookout."
Aaron thought about that for a moment. $25,000 was an incomprehensible sum. It could mean a whole new start for him and his mom.
"Give me your phone, kid," Souther said. "What's your mother's number?"
Aaron paused, confused, and almost asked why. But instead he chose not to. It wouldn't help to argue. "She's in my contacts," he said. "Here, let me do it." He set up the call then reluctantly handed over his phone again.
---
Ashley lunged for her phone, catching it after the first ring. "Hello?" she said.
"Have you ever been to Sally's Diner?" Souther said.
Her heart sank – she had hoped for someone better. "No," she replied. "I don't think so."
"I want to do an exchange," Souther said.
Ashley's hand went to her mouth. She knew from Souther's inflection that he wanted more than mere ransom money. "What kind of exchange?" she asked.
"Aaron's freedom for yours."
The motel room closed in around her, and she reached for the bed as the floor fell away.
Aaron tried to grab his phone. "What are you doing? " he cried.
Souther touched his index finger to his lips and gave Aaron a look that made him sit down. Then he continued with Ashley.
"I believe that to be a fair exchange," he said. "Does that sound fair to you, Ashley?"
Ashley dug deep, but found nothing – she was empty. Her knees grew weak and she sat on the edge of the bed.
"Ashley?"
She placed her hand over her heart, summoning all of her will. "Yes," she said at last, her voice small and lifeless. "I think that's fair."
"Excellent," Souther said with a smile. He was pleased with how this was going.
Aaron couldn't believe what he was hearing. He reached for his phone again, but Souther turned away from him and continued his conversation.
"I'd like you to meet me at Sally's Diner tomorrow night at 6:30," he said.
Ashley could no longer contain herself. "Why meet at Sally's? Why not send one of your goons and just take me? You know where the hell I am."
Souther became cruelly patronizing. "You're a grown woman, Ashley. I want this to be your decision."
Ashley closed her eyes and touched her fingers to the bridge of her nose. You want what to be my decision? Whether or not I kill myself? She was tempted
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