The Tale of Lance Anderson Chapter 11

Right Foot on Rough Ground

"What was that about?" Little T asked, as Big M walked ahead and up the stairs. "You and Dave... I mean, what was that? Seriously."

"Hmph..." I slumped to myself, "Darvey, you mean?"

"Dave," Little T said again, "he prefers to be called Dave. But really, what was that whole fiasco about?"

As we started to walked up the stairs, I rubbed the back of my head, and felt a welt on it, all swelled up and everything. I just tried to ignore it, and continued to talk. "Darvey was a monster." I told him.

Little T looked at me strangely, almost as if he was studying me. "You can say that anyone is a monster these days. For example, 'Oh, he touched my hair, he's such a monster! Tee hee!' See, it depends on your perspective." He said, as we reached the second floor. "Why don't you go into further detail, because it seems that the two of you have a little history."

I just sighed, as we walked up the second set of stairs. "Just a little... but it was a bad history." I said. "I knew him a couple years ago, before I moved out of my house back in my hometown of Tunsia."

"Right then," he said, stopping and leaning against a guardrail once we reached the third floor, "go on."

I leaned against the guardrail next to him, and just sighed. "Well, Darvey married my mom, around six or seven years ago. My little brother wasn't so happy about it, but I really didn't care that much." I then took a. Breath, and tried to explain the rest. "Things went smoothly after the marriage. We had some good and bad times, but more good then bad. When I turned 15, the adult age, I moved out. That was when I came here to Aura City, and now, I've been living here for three years. Then, I heard what happened, only about a month after I moved."

"Which was... what?"

I looked at Little T, and then quickly looked away.

"Come on, I've heard pretty much anything that I could hear," he assured, "you can say anything, I'll believe it."

I then looked right back at him, and just said it. "Darvey killed her."

I said it, and then looked back away. Although, I'm pretty sure Little T looked over to the little meeting room, just to see if he could spot Darvey. I just continued on.

"My brother, he was only ten at the time. It must have been awful for me, more than it was for me. He was forced to live in an orphanage. I tried to get him to come live with me, but they wouldn't allow it. They said I wasn't fit for taking care of a child in my condition at the time." I then continued. "I was devastated when I heard the news. When my girlfriend came to visit, she saw in tears. All she did was wrap her arms around me, when I just helplessly cried in her arms. I just...."

I lifted up my paw, making a fist motion, then laying it back on the rail. "No wonder why you went berserk." Little T said, nodding his head. "That's... pretty bad. And when it's coming from my mouth, then I mean that's flat out awful."

"Yeah," I said, looking at him, "so next time, if I try to punch that guy right in the face, please, don't hesitate to stop me."

Little T put his hands in the air. "I didn't do shit, Surge was the one that bashed your head."

Speaking of which, Surge peaks his head out of the meeting room door, and yells to us. "Why don't you drama queen discuss later? We have business to discuss!" He said, slamming the door shut.

The two of us then walked over, as I asked one last question. "How did you meat him anyways? Darvey?"

"Dave?" Little T corrected me, even though I was right. "I'll have to tell you later."

Little T then opened the door, and the two of us walked inside, to see of the Red Runners sitting down in rows on folding chairs, looking at a blueprint on the wall. I looked toward the third row at the end, and saw Darvey, with a bruised left cheek.

"Take a seat, bitches!" Surge said, pointing to the second row. "We gotta hurry here. Daylight is burning, and we need all of it to prepare."

The two of us took a seat in between Laryn and Jesse, as we sat down. I looked around the small room, and saw at least fourteen Red Runners in the room. There must have been at least four more on guard duty.

"Gentlemen," Surge said, "it is my absolute pleasure to announce our greatest operation that we have ever attempted yet! Even better, we have a newbie, as well as a veteran that will be helping us!"

I was obviously the newbie, and I pretty much assumed that Darvey was the returning veteran in the occasion. Mind boggling, I know.

"If you'd turn you heads toward this blurring, which was acquired from an inside source who wishes to remain unnamed, shows the inside of the Aura City a federal Reserve Bank," he said, as everyone started to give glaring eyes toward the blueprint, "or just the Federal Reserve for short."

Everyone leaned in a bit closer, trying to examine the map. So did I. It turned out that these Red Runners were smarter than I originally thought.

Surge continued on. "The Federal Reserve is open everyday, from 12pm until 8pm. It has a reputation of having cameras in every corner, and has a police station about half a mile away from the massive stash of money." That was also the station where Theodore is head Commissioner. "As long as we can breach the safe, here," he said, pointing to the bottom right corner of the blueprint, "we grab as much money as we can, and we leave."

It turned out the Surge was a good leader when it came to stealing, but all around was awful.

"There's really nothing else we can do. The security cameras will be on us once we come in guns blazing. We will wear face masks to cover our identities, as always, but there's no guarantee of it being traced to us." He said, walking up to the first row of four. "We don't want this to be any longer than two or three minutes. If any tries to stop you... kill them." He said, not seeming to care.

He then looked down directly at the first row of four in front of him, as he started to assign roles. "Even for him, this is a quick move." Jesse said, quietly. "I know a lot of money's involved, but this has risk written all over it."

He pointed to the first four. "You will all be waiting at pickup spots, which I'll show you later where you bitches will be located." He said. "Once our guys get away from the cops, you will each be waiting in pairs, making it two pairs. Once you get the money from our front runners, you drive in two seperate directions. That way,Mir the cops ruin our surprise, it'll be more of a hassle for them to get you."

They all just nodded. He then moved up to the right, looking down at Laryn, Jesse, Little T and I.

"Congrats! You are our bank runners!" He said, as I sighed. "You will get the money's using charges. They are very easy to use, just press the red button once placed, and it takes fifteen seconds to explode. Take the money in these four separate bags, and run." He said, slapping the bags on the table but the window of the meeting room.

As he went toward the third and final row, he turned back, and looked toward Laryn.

"Maybe a certain lucario can avoid greeting captured this time... just a thought."

"How about I shove a sock down your throat, Surge." Laryn said, as he ignored him.

I leaned over to Laryn, and whispered, "I'm with you on that one. When do we start that?"

Laryn just smiled, as Surge started to speak to the last row of Big M, Deathface, Darvey and some Red Runner whose name is still unknown to me.

"You will be waiting in the two cars... borrowed from our friend's lot over here." He said, turning toward me. He then looked back at those he was talking to. "The bank runners will be sitting in the bank until drop off, then, you will remain until they return. If you can, hold off the cops until they get back. Send the money to the pickups once obtained, and get the hell out of sight. One driver and one gunner, two teams of two."

Darvey went on to be a kiss up. "You got it, Surge."

Surge then smiled, and nodded along with him. "Great, glad someone responded."

"And too bad he's trying to smooch you on the cheek to be your little favorite." A lucario in front of us said, having longer fur and being slightly taller than me.

Half of the lucario in the room laughed a little to this including my entire row. "Nice one, Cutthroat." Jesse said. "It was stupid, but it was still good."

"Shut up!" Surge shouted to Jesse, then turning toward the moray furry lucario. "You too, Cutthroat."

He then waved his hands in a sarcastic manner. "I'm sorry... so sorry." He replied with obvious sarcasm.

Surge then walked up to a desk in front of the blueprint, and looked at all of us. "Any questions?"

No one answered, either because no one wanted to ask one, or they just thought Surge would give a ridiculous answer. It was kinda like rubbing frozen butter on bread, it just takes a while to sink in.

Without any questions, he dismissed everyone. "Out."

Everyone stood up, following Surge out the door. I was one of the last in the group, as I tried to make my way out as quickly as possible. This is, until I was stopped.

When I tried to walk out, I was stopped by Darvey, how pushed me back gently. He let everyone else out first, and he entered the room with me. He closed the door after everyone left, and he glared down at me, as I saw his swollen cheek.

"I don't know why you're here, and I do to wanna know," Darvey said, leaning in closer, pressing a finger into my chest, "but if you want to do this job, do it right. And keep the past behind ya, won't you? Don't make me have to kill you too."

With that, he then went back to the door to open it. He turned back around, and I said a couple words to him as he left.

"Fuck you."

Darvey just shook his head, and slammed the door behind him. I was now in the room by myself, as I looked at the blueprint on the wall. I just sat down in one of the folding chairs, and I thought to myself.

"Why? Why!?" I said to myself, over and over again.

---

A few hours passed, as some members got some weapons ready, as well as fixing up the cars that were going to be used for the escape. However, after a few hours, I was ready to leave. I went to my car, and saw Cutthroat, as well as Roscoe, 'the gatekeeper,' talking.

"Leaving?" Roscoe asked.

"Yep." I replied. "I have places I gotta be, I'll be back tomorrow."

Just as I was about to get in my car from the storage area, Cutthroat started to speak up. "Where you off to?"

For a moment, I was silent. Then, I tried to answer quickly. "Home." I replied. "Just to get some early shuteye."

"Hmph," he grunted, "this early? I mean, the sun isn't even entirely down yet."

I tried to think of something from the top of my head to avoid suspicion. "Well," I started, opening my car door, "it's just the way I grew up. My mom would always make my brother and I go to bed early, it was just my lifestyle. I guess I eleven changed."

As Roscoe got ready to open the hanger door, Cutthroat just nodded. "I get it, I get it." He said, walking back into the heart of the factory. As I closed my door, he waves me off. "See you tomorrow then."

I then put my keys into the ignition, and got ready to drive off as the engine purred. I sure had places to be alright.

Places that involved me getting my cash.