Agent Reptilian: Exploiting Gold|editing

Chapter thirty-three: Chase my dollars

"Are you tryna rob me ma'am?"

I smacked my hand on my forehead. How many times did I have to explain it to him?

"That's my money!" The thief raised one thick and bushy eyebrow.

"Is it? Because I found it. And finders are keepers ma'am." The thief defended himself. He must've been on some substance because he was an absolute lunatic, and broke. Which is why he had been standing outside the bank and robbing people as soon as they walked out. I'm almost certain now that I had read about him on The Sunshine News.

I surveyed the area of the plaza. It was pretty much deserted. A group of middle aged women with fluffy bobs were huddled in the centre of the parking lot, smoking a pack of cigarettes. The coffee shop had a long line of grumpy, irritated array of people who would serve me as no help.

I glanced back at the old and gruff man holding the money that I had withdrawn from the bank. As soon as I had stepped out of the bank, some of the cash slipped out of my hand and got in his possession.

I observed him, trying to find any points of weaknesses. His shaky hands gripped the money. Maybe he had an injury? I highly doubt he was nervous. He stood like a mighty lion, man had $2000 in his hands that he made in about 2 minutes, the posture was understandable. But how would I get my money back? That was supposed to pay for next month's expenses.

I couldn't just call Hues and say, 'Hey dude, what's up? How have you been? By the way, can you send a check for $2000? A homeless dude stole mine. Thanks!" I'd probably be homeless at that point.

What could I do?

"Thanks for the tip ma'am, I'm leaving now." He turned on his heel.

"No, stay right there." I demanded.

"What you going to do huh? Call the cops? You ain't even got a cell." I stared at him glumly.

"What makes you say that?" He smiled creepily.

"Well, you would've already called them eh?" He chuckled and started to wheeze.

My eyes went near the banner of the bank.

"You know, there's a surveillance camera right there. Even if I don't have a phone I could always go and report you later. Plus, I've seen you on the news."

"Hmm." I had been so tired for the past few weeks from catching up on class work and homework, listening to Del's constant complaints and demands of cleaning the house, buying groceries, cooking food that I barely reacted when the man shoved the notes in the pocket of his shorts and broke out into a sprint.

Several seconds later my mind registered what just occurred and I shouted, "Hey!" and pursued the mugger.

We ran over the turf, on the narrow, cracked roads where cars braked with loud screeches and honks, one car didn't even stop so I had to wait until it left otherwise I'd be on my way to the hospital.

I lost sight of the man until I saw him near a tiny east asian grocery market. He snatched a grocery cart from someone and started running with it towards a wall.

I scrunched my forehead. "Where are you going?! Platform nine and three quarters?!" I began running again, drawing deep breaths and pushed a few people apart. "Sorry" I murmured as people complained and shouted. I quickly grabbed a grocery cart. If the Hogwarts express is where I would reunite with my money then so be it.

The thief advanced towards the wall andI trailed behind him. Something rattled in the cart and I looked and spotted a purse. Oh no.

I turned my head back as I continued running and found a man pursuing me. "Hey! Stop you theif!" I turned my face back towards my thief and exactly a few seconds before he was going to hit the wall, he took a sharp right, hopped in the trolley and went rolling down the sidewalk.