The Fleece Job (Olympus Drive Chronicles)

Chapter 13: The heist Part 6

Jason

"Here. I want you to hear this song. I want to play it at our wedding," Maddy says, turning on 'Atomic' by Blondie. Not a wedding song, but I don't think she's open for constructive criticism right now.

"I think maybe we should go on a date first?" I say, walking closer to her, casually moving to pick up the fleece. I want to grab it and dive out the window. But. She's so—sad. She's so sad in her eyes. Yet so happy that I'm here. "Are you sure you're not confusing me with someone you know? Because we haven't met before tonight."

"Right. So I know you now," she says, spinning around and smiling at me, "I've never had something of my own before."

"Right," I say, and as I do I causally move to pick up the fleece. However, seconds before my hand hits it, a massive hairy spider with bright red knees crawls out from the folds of it, such that I can see it, but Maddy can't from her angle. I am pleased to report reader, I do not scream, despite the spider's icky legs reaching out for my hand which is in spider jumping distance.

"What's wrong?" Maddy asks, frowning.

"Nothing," I move my hand back, quickly.

"You screamed."

"I inhaled loudly. I have asthma," I say, casually looking up. You see, my dad taught me, when something unusual is going on, you have to reassess your surroundings and look in unusual places. And surprisingly few people bother to check the ceiling, be it for a priceless artifact carefully tapped there, or a sixteen year old boy hiding on the ceiling fan.

So in any case. I look up.

And what do I see sticking to the ceiling, but a short girl, clad in leather and fishnet and wearing combat boots, with black hair oiled out of her face, wearing thick black eyeliner and black lipstick? She raises one finger with black nail polish to her lips, motioning for silence. Then she starts dropping another spider on a web. Right towards the fleece.

Who is this? I don't care. She's competition. And I don't like losing.