Dignity's Worth

Chapter Fifteen

PART TWO

Chapter Fifteen

There was a car downstairs, as discussed. I got in it and saw that there were two guys in the front seat, both looking at me in suspicion.

"You Alex Moretti?" one of them asked, and I nodded.

"Alright. We're gonna drive you outta town Alex. In case we get stopped by cops, you ain't gonna say a word. Leave that to us. We'll drop you off at the outskirts and wait for Vinny. Cool?"

"Yeah." I replied, panting a little, "Yeah."

The car started. And while we were driving off, I was thinking about how I'd become a criminal and how I'd gotten myself into such a mess. I was gonna have to live someplace I hadn't even seen yet. And I had to disappear for year. And I don't know why I picked Lucy to say goodbye to. But I just... didn't wanna leave her in the dark like that.

We were stopped by a cop some miles away about fifteen minutes later. I sat further in the back seat and tried to cover my face as much as possible.

"Hello," said the cop as the guy rolled down his window, "what're you fellas up to? Don't you know you're not allowed to leave town today?"

"Oh we're well aware of that sir," said the driver, removing a bundle of cash from the glove compartment, "we're well aware of that. But the thing is sir... we have to go to my brother's funeral."

Saying so, he thrust the money in the officer's hand. The officer played with it for a while before looking at us again.

"Your brother's funeral, you say?"

"Yes sir."

"Well that's important now isn't it?" he put the money in his pocket, "That's important now isn't it?"

"Very, sir."

"I'll tell you what," said the cop, "Go attend the funeral. I'm sure I could make an exception in your case."

"Thank you sir. I'm sure your wife will love the new clothes you buy her."

I was very confused at that last sentence. I mean I didn't understand the need to say it.

And we drove away, leaving the policeman with a dumb expression on his face.

"Always remember," one of the guys told me, "when you're bribing a cop, don't forget to make him feel guilty about it."

"I'll make a note of that." I said.

"Good."

It didn't take us much time from there to reach outside the city. And then we got off the car and waited.

"When's Vinny coming?" I asked.

"Don't know." they said, "He's probably left by now."

"Well I hope so."

Just then my phone rang.

"Who is it?" asked the guys.

I looked at my phone. I saw that it was my mom.

"It's my mother." I replied.

"Don't answer it."

"But..."

"Don't."

My fingers trembled as they moved away from the phone. I slid it back in my pocket and waited for the ring to die down.

We saw a black car driving in our direction after some time. It stopped a few feet from us and Vinny and Newt got out from the front.

"Where have you guys been?" I asked them, and they pointed at another black car coming towards us.