Silent Duty

Chapter one

Present:

I nod to John from the window of the electronic store. He subtly nods back and does a sign with his hands, which tells me to crack on with the job. I roll my eyes at his little antics, he really does go full spy when we have a job to do as if he's in a spy movie himself. He wouldn't be a great one I'll tell you that, he's way too big and loud for that. Heavy footted should I say, and with that strong Scottish accent he has going on for him, it's hard to understand him most times.

Shaking my head, I'm finally met with the cashier after suffering the long line of obnoxious customers.

"Hey, I'm just wondering if I could get my money back for this?" I show her an ipad, brand new still in the box.

"Do you have a recite?" She questions monotonously, I shake my head in reply, and she raises her brows blowing her bubblegum. She's got to be about my age, sixteen, this should be easy. "Well I'm sorry but you need a recite to show that you bought it here, otherwise you can't return it."

I groan at that, "I brought it from here not long ago, you know when you guys did that sale thing." She nods at that and I scan the room until I spot a target, "I was served by a guy with blue spiky hair um... that guy!" I point to a guy with bright blue hair and she looks over at him. She turns back, nodding.

"Look, I get that you bought it here I'm not saying I doubt it, but I still need the recite or I can't give you the money back, I'm sorry," I nod at that, deflating.

"Okay, okay, could I get a bag or something to put it in though? It's raining outside, might as well use it if I can't return it," she nods and opens a bag for me to put it in, handing me it like a fool.

"Again, sorry about that," I shrug and leave. Sheltering my face from the rain. I hop in John's car and he speeds off instantly.

"You got it?"

"I got it," I reply, looking to my side, "you got it?" John nods.

"Of course I've got it, I'm good at this," he says in a familiar cocky tone that has me shaking my head.

The ipad obviously isn't mine, I just went into the shop and acted like it was mine. John brought this equipment that takes of security tags, he got it from his sketchy friend that is in my bad books. Because he doubted what I could do, at first when I met John I was some stupid little fourteen year old kid.

He offered me a house... Well, a hotel room he lived in for a while, I accepted, and he let me into his secret work. I thought he was a businessman when I first saw him, he was well kept and confident, like a rich guy. But no, his job wasn't really a job, as in it's illegal.

He cheats people out of money, selling them substances, stealing of them, skamming atms. You name it, he's done it. And he roped me in it too, his friends didn't think I was cut out for this, but they didn't know what I've done to get money to survive. They don't know what price I had to pay, the price being my body.

Ever since I have been living with John and helping him with his dirty work. We went around a few shops today on the expensive side of town, pretended to return items we stole from the shop, and when they didn't fall for it. Hey, at least we got a free ipad out of it that we later sell online. It's too easy to fool people. Over the last two years, I've grown to love what we do, it's thrilling.

It's not just about the money at this point.

When we get home, as in the shitty apartment that is slowing falling apart. I crash on the sofa, "you hungry kid?" I shake my head and put my feet up.

"Nah, where's dickhead?" John gives me a look and I raise my hands in defense. "What? Only telling it how it is, he is a dickhead," he blows air out his mouth as he cracks open his 3rd beer today.