Venice; Money Heist [2]

I'm Going To Steal The Gold

PALERMO, ITALIA

TWO MONTHS UNTIL D-DAY

Alejandro

I'm currently sitting at Martín's place, watching him let himself go once again. This behaviour has become normal for him. He keeps falling into a phase where he can't overcome the grief for Andrés, and it threatens to suffocate him. I watch as he takes another big gulp from the almost empty liquor bottle. I don't know what's in the bottle, but the smell is disgusting.

"Martín, that's enough," I stand up, intending to take the bottle away from him, but he keeps me at bay with a broom from the corner, and I can't help but roll my eyes. "Very mature... but seriously, that's enough. Do you really think Andrés would want you to let yourself go like this?"

Instead of answering me, he turns the music louder and starts dancing in his pyjamas again. He couldn't even bother to get dressed... He's wearing a white undershirt and white boxer shorts under a red robe... I roll up the sleeves of my black shirt and am about to start tidying up when there's a loud knock on the door. "Now you're in trouble," I shake my head and lower the volume of the music.

"Coming!" he calls out tipsily. He opens the door and looks shocked but also angry at the person on the other side. Whoever it is must be at least a few centimetres taller than him.

"Martín." I know that voice. Sergio? "May I?" he asks calmly, causing Martín to turn to me with an angry look, visibly restraining himself from going after Sergio. He then steps away from the door in silence, and Sergio enters the apartment, closing the door behind him. He surveys the chaos in the room, but hasn't spotted me yet.

"You want a drink?" Martín asks him boredly. Sergio looks around the room until his gaze lands on me.

"Alejandro," he nods in greeting to me.

"What are you doing here, Sergio? Shouldn't you be somewhere on a tropical island enjoying your life?" I ask him monotonously. Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against him, but I do have a problem with him being partly responsible for Martín's state. Even though Martín is a total idiot.

Before he can answer, Martín gestures with his glass towards Sergio and approaches him a bit. I make sure Sergio is out of reach. "It was a beautiful heist, huh?" he asks him. "And I'm glad that you're alive."

"Thank you," Sergio replies.

"Of course, the rat that hides outside always has a better chance of surviving, right?"

"I was the most exposed during the heist."

"No, don't give me that bullshit." He briefly turns to me before continuing. "The ones who face bullets are the most exposed, my dear. How many times were you shot at?"

"I'm not here to argue."

"Look, if I'm being frank, I couldn't care less why the fuck you came here. All I know is after more than three years, here we are. So I'm gonna tell you why you didn't enter the Royal Mint." I sigh loudly, leaning back and watching the spectacle. I can understand why Martín is doing this, but I'm more interested in why Sergio is here now. And why he's risking the other members of his little gang by revealing where they are or where he is.

"Because you're a coward. And because you had him do the dirty work. Your brother." Tears well up in his eyes.

"A heist like that always has a kind of contingency."

"A contingency?" He nods. "I'll be very clear... You didn't go in and a third of your crew died, you son of a bitch." Sergio blinks several times, clearly affected.