Outlaws by Ilene T Goldman

Author:Ilene T Goldman [Goldman, Ilene T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ilene T. Goldman
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

They chose Tulberry Farms because it was the store farthest from the shelter and in the “right”—meaning rich—end of town. It anchored a strip mall with a paint-and-sip place, a makeup store, and a beauty salon. A high-end steakhouse stood separately in the center. Every car in the parking lot seemed to be a Mercedes, BMW, or Land Rover. Tuck’s old beater brought down the shopping center’s property values just by being there.

With a forced casualness, the Merry Men mingled a fair distance from the Tulberry Farms entrance: Hood and Rojo on one side, John and Much on the other. The plan was simple and only required two players, but Hood was right, the Merry Men worked best together. So here they were. Tuck waited, anxiously no doubt, back at the shelter.

The Holy Lighters were easy to spot, and not just because of the giant donation baskets they carried. There were three of them today, all women, as bundled up as everyone else but a bit more scrubbed clean—and more insistent on contact. Eye contact, physical contact, whatever it took to cow someone into opening their wallet. One of the three held the basket; the other two corralled victims.

When the three were sufficiently close together, John nodded at Hood and Rojo. Operation Donation was a go.

John headed across the parking lot to warm up Tuck’s car. Hood moved in the same direction. Much sauntered over to the Holy Lighters, who pounced on him like lions on prey. The boy had never been a conversationalist—that was how he got his name, after all—but his innocent questions were enough to keep the proselytizers busy. Rojo tensed, waiting for the right movement to make his move.

Rojo stared at the basket carrier’s hands. She couldn’t maintain that death-grip forever.

Sure enough, after minutes of engaging with Much, she began to relax. Rojo pulled the balaclava down over his face and took off.

He sped past the Holy Lighters, yanking the basket out of the woman’s hands. She screamed.

“I’ll get him!” Much shouted and launched himself in pursuit of Rojo.

They reached Tuck’s car at the same time and dove into the backseat. John steered the car out of the parking lot and onto the road, merging with traffic as quickly and safely as possible. Behind them, the Holy Lighters yelled and shook their fists. One of them patted her pockets, in search of her cell phone. The Merry Men were gone before she was able to pull it out.

To be safe, John took a long, circuitous route back to the shelter, taking care to obey the speed limit and traffic lights while Hood tapped his foot in the passenger seat. Behind them, Rojo and Much poured the cash from the basket into a plastic shopping bag. Then Rojo tossed the basket out of the car window.

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