The Bounty

1. An Unexpected Stranger

[ 1. An Unexpected Stranger ]

My tennis shoes pounded against the earth as I bolted through the wooded shortcut behind the plaza. I steadied my breathing the best I could, though I'd never get used to the adrenaline taking control of my body. No matter how hard my lungs ached to pause and take a break, my legs kept moving.

I peered behind me for only a split moment, sighing in annoyance when seeing one of the two men that were chasing me was still hot on my trail. Despite his adamance, he'd give up soon. They always did. My agility and extensive research of my getaway routes never ceased to give me the full advantage in these textbook, high-stake chases.

The deep ditch I'd discovered not two weeks ago was coming up. Then I'd only be a minute or two away from the car.

When I was young, I spent a lot of time outside. I found videos online of athletic men doing parkour and ultimately decided I would, too. So I'd mapped out the best climbing spots in my suburban neighborhood and got to practicing. I wasn't like the guys in the videos, by any means, but I had the agility down pat. I knew where to grab and how high to jump and how not to land — a lesson learned after a broken fibula when I was only eleven.

So when the deepest ditch I'd ever seen on my many endeavors came up on my route, I spent until sundown practicing the leap until I felt like I could comfortably lose the predictable beefcake that was following me. And lose him, I did.

I grasped the ground below me when I landed with a firm thud. With one more glance behind me, just around the corner of the hood on my head, I saw the man stop. He stood at the other side of the ditch with his hands on his knees, panting desperately. I shot him a two finger salute and took off towards my vehicle.

The black sedan was parked on the side of the highway, right where I'd instructed Ron to be. I ducked behind the biggest tree at the edge of the woods and looked both ways. A few cars were on the road, but none had lights mounted on the top, so I took that as the coast was clear. I slid into the backseat with ease and, in seconds, we were driving.

"Well?" Ron asked from the front.

I held up the now squashed paper bag with a sly grin. "Piece of cake," I replied and tucked it underneath the bench. My body went completely slack in the backseat and I finally took the opportunity to catch my breath. "Drinks on me tonight. Tell Georgette for me. I'm gonna take a nap."

Ron turned on the radio and smooth 60s jazz lulled me to sleep. We had a two hour ride back and I spent the entire time asleep.

When I woke, the car was off and a slick layer of sweat coated my forehead. We were parked in front of a dive bar. I was familiar with this establishment specifically. It was our go-to when we completed a heist — though Georgette didn't like to call them that. Ron was nowhere to be seen, presumably already seated at the bar with twenty dollars on my tab.

I groaned, pulling my achy muscles to an upright position and ran a hand through my hair. My shoes and jeans were muddied, which wouldn't matter too much in a place like this normally. But I had to lay low on days like today. I changed into the clean wardrobe I'd planted in my bag in the front seat before heading in.

The music was almost as low as the lighting. I found my companions mere moments after entering the bar exactly where I'd expected. Georgette shot me a wary smile upon seeing me, like she always did.

"Well, good morning, Vincent," she teased. "Done with your victory nap already?"

Ron chuckled behind his beer. "He was sleeping like a baby. Drool and all."

I scowled, wiping my chin despite knowing he was messing with me. The bartender came around and asked what I'd like. "Whiskey straight," I said, giving him a confident nod. My eyes trailed down his body slowly. When I returned to his face, his cheeks were tinged pink and he scurried off to make my drink. I turned back to Ron. "You could have woken me up."