Undercover Criminal (Gallavich Au)

Two

Ian takes a glass, filling it with brew, and slides it to the scary looking guy at the corner of the bar. This man did not at all look like the LA type. His beard didn't look like it only had grey and black in it. It almost looked as if he worked in the coal mines and took his lunch break to eat ice cream, spots of darker blue or purple tinting the scruff. He couldn't really tell where this man worked, or if he even had a job. He payed for the drink, so he must have some sort of a gig somewhere. The randomly stained sweats and awkwardly hung jean jacket just didn't seem like a working man combination.

Looking around the dimly lit room, he notices that there's only a small medley of others still at the cheap bar. Sometimes he wishes it would just collapse already, preferably with him not in the building. The time is nearing 2 am, meaning the bar is only open for an hour or so more. Ian doesn't really mind having to close up every night. The only real threat is imbecile boozers. People wouldn't believe how many self proclaimed straight middle-aged men act when alcohol comes into play. He's been grabbed and shoved, yet most of the time he doesn't know if the men assume he's a woman, or if they happen to be flamboyant drunks.

The busboy takes a crate of dirty glasses and peanut bowls to the back. He wondered if the owner of the bar was still alive. The owner's daughter still came around, but that was only to give out checks and complain about how musty it smelled. For all anyone knows, the place has water damage and asbestos.

He wipes down the island and sweeps the floor while the last regular is snoring off at a booth in the corner. He finishes, locking the dustpan and rags in a closet, walking over to the older man. He gives him a gentle shake, wincing at the smell that burned his nose. He couldn't say alcoholism was his favorite candle scent. The man grumbled and stood, hobbling out the swinging door, sending off the bell indicating that Ian could leave.

He grabbed his phone and jacket, locking the door and heading out into the cool night. He couldn't really afford to get an Uber or a cab, but the seven to eight block walk wasn't a long trek. The bar was closer to his house than the cafe he worked at some mornings. That didn't stop him from walking to both jobs. He thought about listening to music, but at this time of night there's a big chance that he would become more vulnerable. Becoming more vulnerable in a city like Los Angeles almost perfectly translates to 'fresh meat' in a criminals head.

He continued walking, trying not to fixate his attention too closely on anyone. The last thing he wanted to do was let someone know he was intently watching them. His house wasn't too far away. A cold breeze swept over his shoulders, causing him to shiver. The streets became darker, and the amount of people littering the sidewalks dwindled as he advanced.

All at once, the sound of glass shattering and roaring alarms start ringing in his hears, and he looked, seeing glass flying into the street as black figures ran into the damaged building. He saw a man yelling, but he couldn't make out anything that he was saying. He could make out the distant blare of police sirens, so he started running. Shoes thumping on the ground almost as loud as his heart pounding, he ran as fast as he could down the last two streets until he was at his apartment door. He doesn't even fully know what he just saw. The bewildered boy doesn't waste any time unlocking the door to his apartment, rushing to throw his clothes in a corner. Ian crawls into his cold bed, but he can't push himself to get up to turn the thermostat to a warmer temperature.

He thinks he's having a panic attack. He looks around his room, trying to catch his breath. He's not trying to think of the worst of the situation, but when you're a bystander to a bank robbery, there's not much good you can think about it. He lays in bed, pondering every possible answer to what he just saw. It was a robbery, but in plain sight? Ian had witnessed crimes all the time in Chicago, but he knew his way around and had lived there his entire life. Moving to Los Angeles with Aidyn was a brave move, considering he'd only ever lived in Illinois. He didn't know his entire way around the big city yet.

Glancing at his phone, Ian realized that he should probably go to sleep. It was three in the morning and he had work at eleven. He didn't exactly want to go to sleep. Still frightened and anxious, he turns over to get a couple hours.

Should Ian have stopped the robbers?

What about his job at the bar?

Word Count: 900ish

I hope you guys all like the book. I love writing it so much!!! Like and comment if you'd like:) I love you all!! I hope you have a good day/night!

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