2003 (WIP)

Organized Crime

Rumors had already been spread about a newly planned heist. Inola cringed every time she thought about it. Unsurprisingly, she and Deacon decided to go along with several other members.
S

he wasn't exactly too thrilled to be robbing a gas station, perhaps it was first time jitters. Yet she couldn't help but think, what if we're caught? What if I'M caught?
"Hey" Deacon placed a paw on her shoulder.
Inola jumped at the sudden touch, and she gave him a look of uneasiness.

"What kind of..stuff are we gonna do?" She asked anxiously, stuffing her paws into the pockets of her hoodie.
Deacon sighed, "we just steal, it's nothing big, you're being all weird"
The fox pulled out a match and a white and gold box from his pockets.

"You smoke?" Inola grimaced lightly as he lit a cigarette.
"Yeah, get em from my dad sometimes" he shrugged, blowing a small cloud of smoke away from Inola.
At least he's considerate, unlike some people that I know Inola ignored the smell.

"Do the others know?" Inola faced him, a small look of concern on her face.
"Mhm" Deacon laughed, exhaling another smoke cloud.
"Caramel throws the whole thing into the storm drain -- if she catches me, and Nicodemus sets my whole thing'a matches on fire and makes me watch" Deacon chuckled.

"Dunno why though, they're cheap as hell" the fox flicked an ash away, the cigarette quickly shrinking.
"Anyways, we better get going before they leave" Deacon dropped the cigarette and crushed it, beginning to sprint away.
Inola followed him through the maze-like interior of the alleyways.
A group made up of mostly canines stood at the end of the alley.

A brown and white beagle eyed them both as they approached.
It seemed you didn't really need to sign up to do these things. You just showed up and were expected to help out.
The beagle she noticed walked up to them, greeting Deacon with a fruity voiced "hello!"

"Hey Jake" he grinned widely.
"Deacon ya rascal what are ya doin' here? Nicodemus oughta skin you alive!" The beagle laughed. Jake was a thin, brown, white, and black splotched beagle with very dull green eyes. He wore plaid and jeans, he too having the signature gang earring dangling from the tips of his floppy ears.
"How's you and Grace?" Deacon lifted his eyebrows.

"Alright, hopin' to get outta here sometime next year or two. We ain't goin' far, just a bit ways away. She wants to have kids but she ain't wantin to raise em' here. I'm with her if I were to be honest" he sighed.
"Besides, these areas aren't too kind to mixed species kids if ya get my drift" Jake added.
"Speakin' of that, who's this? Ya girlfriend?" He placed his paws on his hips, gesturing towards Inola.

Deacon's light beige fur turned a shade of pink. "J-Jake! No! She's a new friend! Joined a week ago! She's with us and teach!" He stammered loudly.

"Well hello there, name's Jake, friend of Nick's" he nodded to her.
"Inola" she laughed.
"Store's been closed for two hours now, come on Jake" a beige goat with smokey black horns interrupted their conversation.
The beagle ignored her annoyed comment, handing both Inola and Deacon what looked like Halloween masks.
"Don't put em on til we get there, alright?" Jake instructed, turning tail and cueing their group with a sharp beckoning whistle.

Deacon glanced at Inola before following the beagle.
She went after them, her heartbeat increasing rapidly.
The gas station was only a few blocks away, and they all arrived in their own special way. Fortunately she knew the area for the most part, so she cut through an alley between a few apartment buildings. She was the second to last one there.
Deacon arrived seconds after her, and Jake beckoned them all into a nearby alley.

"Okay, everyone have their masks?" He looked down at the other members who pulled out their slightly humorous and odd looking Halloween masks.
"Good" he nodded, dawning his own.
"Weapons?" He asked, pulling out a pocket knife. Everyone except Inola nodded. Even Deacon had one.
"You two, be careful" the doe-goat said firmly.