Under Lock & Key

-3-

"Are you completely sure." Sy questioned me for the fifth time.
"Pleasus Christ, will you just trust me?" I tried to reassure him by patting him on the back.

"Richarddd,-" Symon whined "I don't like when you smile like that, it seems like youre scheming."

"Newsflash Sy, we are" I kissed my dagger and shoved it in my boot. "Don't forget your backpack, we are going to have to be quick" Symon sighed and grabbed his sack from the end table.

"Don't have second doubts Sy, whatever that loon is stashing will set us up for life."

Sy watched me worriedly as i buttoned up my coat and sat on the bed to vigorously tie my laces.

"Alright Chap" Symon gave in. "But if we get caught and are not super loaded, i'll be extremely disappointed......and in jail"

Symon crossed the room and looked at us in the dresser mirror. "Disappointed and jailed. Not really a good combo." He crossed his arms. Jumping up I grabbed the duffle. "Alright sounds like a deal. Lets go." Symon groaned in disgust "Not much of a deal really, I mean unless my disappointment really means alot to you." He mumbled to himself the whole way out of the inn. Children littered the streets. The sun was shining into the puddles of muck that had gathered from last nights rainfall. They kicked the upchucked sewer water at each other playfully.

"Holy shit, mate." Symon covered his face with his sleeve."It reeks out here." Looking around dubiously, I finally pulled out the map with directions. "Do you remember the guys name we're supposed to meet?" I asked. "It got smudged."I mumbled as i tried to. uh. Wipe the smudge away.

"I mean it really really stinks out here, I mean WHAT is th-"

"SY! Focus, man" I raised my voice at him. He still was pre-occupied by the outside joys and blunders.

"OK. MAN." Symon exaggeratedly threw his hands up defensively. "It might've been Gordy......or Pip. I don't really see the big deal just call him dude or something." Symon shrugged. "You don't understand Sy these people we are working with are dangerous. Just pretend to care until we get our cut." "Oh, if theyre so dangerous what'll stop them from not giving us our share." That was a good point. Sy took my silence as an uncertain answer which i saw ticked him off.

The directions were clear as day but thirty minutes of walking in humid, muggy and sunny weather depletes your morale very quickly.

Symon was pacing where 44 Pike road was SUPPOSED to be. "We were duped." Sy hissed.

"The paper says knock four times then wait and knock twice more, but seeing as there is nowhere to knock." The houses went from 43 to 45. Investigating more there seems to be just irritating us both. "I knew this was a bad idea" He kicked a pebble into the street, which landed with a clang. It got both of our attentions. A manhole inbetween the two houses.

"No" Symon shook his head and then turned to me. "Richard, no man." I stared at him like i knew that he was going down there no matter what he says. "Just NO. no. oh god there's feces down there." He scratched the back of his neck and cringed.

I shrugged "I guess you can say it's going to be a shitty situation."