Masked

three

The movement of Tanner's head causes me to glance at him. His grey eyes reflect a very frightened boy, and it reminds me that he's only four.

Luke's stool scrapes across the wood floor as he pushes it back to leave for the living room. He looks quite scared himself.

I walk around the island, grabbing T on my way to the living room to join Josh and Luke.

"What's wrong?" T whispers to me.

I look down at him, "I couldn't tell you T."

He snuggles into my shoulder, closing his eyes. I walk in and immediately see that the news is on. There is a breaking story about a robbery that happened late last night into early this morning.

The story isn't on us, however.

We robbed The Sawyer; a very high-end bank in downtown Newark. The story the news is focusing on, is about a robbery of one of the apartments in The Vincent; a classy apartment building also in Newark.

"Early this morning we were informed that an apartment in The Vincent was broken into last night. We have Julie Hanson on the scene."

The newscaster pops up in front of The Vincent, where yellow cautions tape is strewn across the entrance of the hotel.

"Thank you Mike; yes I am here at The Vincent, where apartment 145 was broken into last night. Neighbors say that they were sleeping when they awoke to screaming coming from the Shan's apartment. They say that the screaming started around one a.m., and didn't stop until two.

"It hasn't been disclosed yet if the Shan's are okay, but police already have suspects. Internet stars Ethan and Grayson Dolan were spotted entering the hotel and exiting. They aren't residing in these apartments, but are native to New Jersey.

"More should be disclosed soon, back to you Mike," the camera switches back to 'Mike' and he continues with the news.

"We are expecting more on that developing story, so join us for the twelve o'clock show later today. In other news, The Sawyer was also broken into. Police have a small lead, but head officer Kyle Schave says that it could be a cold case soon."

Mike's voice becomes quieter as Josh turns down the volume. "Guys, what could the lead be?"

"I have no idea. Tal?" Luke and Josh both look at me.

"I was ten seconds into my path when I heard them approaching the sewer entrance," I spill out, remembering the events that happened this morning. Josh leans back into the couch with his arms crossed; Luke takes a seat on the couch near him.

"Anything else?" Josh asks, annoyance clearly evident in his voice.

"They entered the sewer after I made my first turn," I wince, realizing how bad sounded.

"Shit Talia," Josh stands suddenly. "Why the hell didn't you tell us sooner?"

"I kind of forgot to mention that," I start, but after Josh gives me 'that look' I defend myself, "I just finished running and then we started to climb. As soon as it happened, it ended."

"I can't believe this," Luke sighs. "I don't think she should continue to make trips with us."

"That's so unfair!" I whip around to face Luke.

Josh takes T out of my hands, putting him on the floor, "Go upstairs to your room for a while, play with your legos." Tanner follows Josh's commands, running up the stairs and to his room.

"Listen, all I'm saying is that ever since you have joined us you've been cutting it closer and closer," Luke continues to strengthen his side of the discussion.

If he's right, I'm not arguing.

"Luke, enough," Josh silents Luke. "We'll discuss this later. What we have to talk about is where we are going to next."

*Tanner's POV*

I close my door, backing away and turning around to face my room. I have my twin sized bed, with my navy blue bed spread on it, in the corner of my room.

Directly across is my wooden desk, and my bookshelf. I have my lego set already sprawled out in the middle of my room.

I hear them arguing about where we should move to next. They don't know that the walls are paper thin and I can hear them perfectly clear.

They always say "T go to your room for a few minutes," but minutes turn into hours. It's been close to turning into a day, too.

Sometimes I just like to look out the window and think about what my life would be like if I didn't have a criminal family.

I'd like to think that I'd be in school, and I'd have a lot of friends. I move up to my window and stand by the sill.

The sun is shining brightly now, almost being noon. My gaze drifts over to the trees. I like the way the sway in the wind and maybe one day I'll learn how it happens and what really makes them move.

I notice a disturbance in one of the trees; it didn't take someone with an education to know what it was. I saw a human poke its head out of the tree line.

I gasp, whipping around and racing to my door.

There has never been a human, without our blood, to step inside one of our houses.

I fling my door open, and start calling to my older siblings downstairs, "Josh! Tal! Luke! Someone's hear!"

I reach the end of the stairs and they all turn to look at me. Josh snaps out of the daze first, running to the window in the kitchen.

Tal is second, and she picks me up.

*Talia's POV*

I pick up Tanner, all of us being shocked about what he had just stated. "What did the person look like?"

"I couldn't really make it out, but I think it was a guy," T looks up at me, fear evident in his grey eyes.

"That's okay," I comfort him. "What's if looking like, Josh?"

"Not good. I see him," Josh pauses. His jaw suddenly drops, "And his friends."

I walk over to the window he's looking through, and can see what he's talking about. A big group of people, about twenty or so, are coming out of the tree line.

"What are we going to do?" Luke finally speaks up, appearing right behind me. "We have no where to go."

"We have a few options: we either fight back, or we hide," Josh turns his back to the window, focusing on us.

"IT'S THE POLICE. COME OUT RIGHT NOW AND WE WON'T SHOOT," a voice comes booming out of the distance and in an instance, all of the color drains from our faces.

"We are going to jail anyways," Josh looks us all in the eyes, one at a time. "We might as well give them another reason to put us there."