Retrospect

Twenty-four

I decided it was best to leave all of the thoughts that had been occupying my mind behind, back at the lobby of Sera Apartment Building Two. I couldn't have any distractions as I gave Rich a couple pointers on how to get this navy blue suit he'd spotted. We both kept to the shadows and among the throngs of people, studying the man who was carrying the expensive suit in a bag as if it didn't cost hundreds.

The memory of what had happened to Reeves and I yesterday when we had stolen his suit flashed in my head: the officers in pursuit of us while we rushed past the aircraft, the skyscraper that crumbled to the ground, the buried bodies under the remains of the building and the smoke and dust rising up from the rubble. No matter what, I had to pay attention today. I had to focus.

Figuring it was better if I helped out Rich, I stayed close by so if anything went wrong, I'd get to him as fast as possible. He seemed a little tentative at first, following his target from farther away, but as soon as the deafening horn of an aircraft blared across the city, he used this to his advantage.

Every person on the street looked up, an enormous shadow swallowing them up. I didn't dare take a glance at it. Neither did Rich as he did as I'd instructed. Suits and dresses were really the only clothes the people on this street wore, so it wasn't hard to find one in someone's bag. That someone happened to be the man Rich walked past, his hand remaining by his side as he pulled on the sleeve that was draped over the edge of the bag. The man was too preoccupied, gazing up at the aircraft, to notice anything was going on.

I blended in with the crowd, making sure people surrounded me on every side. The aircraft hummed above and hovered there, white smoke releasing from the back of it. My eyes flicked back to Rich who gave a gentle, final tug, letting the suit slide out of the bag unnoticed. It all happened so fast, it was hard to tell if Rich was able to grab it before it fell to the ground. Rich caught on to my ways quickly and he did it so effortlessly, I knew his target was completely oblivious.

I pushed through the crowd, after Rich so we could start heading back to the apartment complex. That was when officers dropped from the aircraft on wires to the ground like I'd seen them do before, and shoved their way around the streets, pushing people with the abnormally large guns on their shoulders. What were those for? I shivered in the cold.

"Out of the way!" The officers ordered, knocking civilians aside and scanning the crowd for something or someone. I could guarantee it was me and Rich. Speeding up, I reached him and together, we turned the corner. Yet, before I could begin sprinting away, someone's hand latched onto my forearm. I turned around and saw that it was Rich's.

He wasn't saying anything. His blue eyes seemed to darken and his mouth was a thin, straight line. "Rich?" I breathed, trying to free myself from his grasp. "Are you okay?"

He yanked me backwards and forcefully pushed me in the direction from where we came, his hand firmly locked onto my arm. I looked back at him, his face blank. "Rich! The officers are that way!" I warned, though something inside me told me he didn't care. He already knew that. "What are you doing?" My voice broke and I struggled to stand.

Rich kicked the back of my knees then and I fell to the ground, accidentally biting my tongue. A metallic taste spread over it. "Cory, you're doing me a huge favor," Rich spoke from behind me, "really, you are."

Squeezing my eyes shut, I gritted my teeth as Rich pressed a cold object against the back of my neck. A knife? "Why are you doing this?" I returned, my breaths ragged.

When he replied, I could hear him clearly, right next to my ear. "Oh, Cory...a Sera Section apartment sounds really nice right about now. And as many cards with money on them as I want? It's kinda hard to pass up, don't you think?"