Chapter One

“I have no idea what you want me to do. I gave you your marching orders and you failed to deliver. It would’ve been so much easier had you understood and adhered to the chain of command.” The police had arrived after I had specifically told them how much time we had to get in and out.

“Carson, we’ve been in tough spots before and we’ve always gotten out of them because of you. There’s always a plan inside that noggin of yours.” Timothy had been with me for almost two years. I wanted him to know mistakes were inevitable, but stupid ones could be avoided.

“You never listen. I feel it’s best we go our separate ways. I don’t need this drama of having that Damocles sword over my head each and every time we are on a job together” I was a couple of blocks away hidden in the shadows of an alley with my burner phone in my hand. They were too greedy and I was always pulling their fat out of the fire.

“You can’t do this. One of us will roll over on you.” I suspected as much. These last couple of years had been interesting, but it was time to move on.

“It doesn’t matter and I’m pretty much a ghost. I don’t even know what my real name is anymore. You can tell them anything you want and it will only lead to dead ends. I never trusted any of you to give you my real name.” They should have known better than to trust me. Had they followed my rules we would’ve been fat and living large in some tropical getaway.

“I can’t believe you’re going to leave us here to fend for ourselves. There’s a special spot in hell reserved for you. I won’t forget this. This isn’t over. I would keep one eye open. You never know when I’m going to show up.” Carson would have something to worry about. Casey James, on the other hand, was going to be in the wind in a matter of minutes.

“It didn’t have to be this way. I really did think you had potential, but you always thought you knew better than I did. If it matters, I don’t feel very good about this. It pains me dearly to see you suffer needlessly. You’ve always been able to adapt and this won`t be any different.” Thankfully, I had not indulged by mixing business with pleasure. Once the job was over, we never saw each other until the next time.

“I don’t suppose it would help for me to apologize.” I never thought I would see the day when he would finally admit to his shortcomings. It was too little too late.

“The die has already been cast. You won’t be hearing from me again.” The plans I came up with were ingenious. It was a matter of timing to get away without a trace. They had pushed the envelope too many times for me to trust it wouldn’t happen again.

“I don’t know how long it’s going to take, but I will find you and make you pay for this.” He would try, but he would fail miserably. Any breadcrumbs I left behind were extinguished with only the images on the security screen. My face was synonymous with the authorities, but their net was no match for my vast intellect.

“I wouldn’t bother and I will always be two steps ahead. It’s not bragging when you can back it up. Did you really think you and your brothers were the only ones I’ve worked with in the past? They always disappoint me. I thought maybe you were different. I was wrong.” I hung up and the sirens were almost deafening. It was still amazing they were so close and yet so far away.

I stripped off the black sweater, peeled off the black pants and put on a tight pair of blue jeans. The white t-shirt was covered by a denim shirt open to attract those of the opposite sex. I wasn’t some stick thin blond Barbie doll. I owned my curves. I was proud of them. My ample posterior was rock solid to make any man want to get their hands on me.

It did occur to me to give Timothy one chance to prove me wrong. That one chance turned into many more with my fervent hope he would be different. He brought the muscle and I was going to need somebody to fill the empty spot. I was through working with a team, but one more was necessary. Trust was a rare commodity.

I could smell the Chinese takeout down the street. I hung my head low thinking this was the last time I was ever going to taste their homemade egg rolls. Everyplace had something unique. It was the same thing every time.

The feel of the cold brick on my fingers as I stood there on the street looking at the commotion not more than a block away was comforting. The area was cordoned off with the prerequisite yellow tape to prevent the onlookers and press from getting any closer than necessary.

I had no personal connections and not even my clothes were something I held onto for more than a couple of months. My style was always changing including the color of my hair and the cut. It was liberating to cast aside one persona for another like a pair of pants that didn’t fit anymore.

My black combat boots were whisper quiet and I blended into the throngs of people going about their day. I was in remarkable shape, a little big boned, but everything else was pure muscle. My breasts were quite the handful. They weren’t watermelons, but they did have the same form of cantaloupe. Being only 5’3, 140 pounds made it necessary to have an attitude to compensate for my diminutive body type.

I reached into the bag and found one of those knit caps sailors would wear on the dock. It would do until I had a chance to color my hair. Nobody noticed me and it was exactly the purpose of my disguise. I found no one style and I was always changing things up to keep things fresh.

The people looked like sheep penned into their little lives with no sign of escape. I learned the hard way when my father was taken into custody how life was unfair.

My mother became a drunk and she was still living in the same trailer sleeping with just about anybody for companionship. When I was 16 it was necessary to leave to keep my sanity. Living hand to mouth afforded me the opportunity to survive on my own merits. I was an accomplished grifter by the time was 18. That was 7-years ago.

I found the Airport and long-term parking was my final destination. I decided to splurge by seamlessly breaking into a silver Jaguar. It had the plush leather seats and wouldn’t be missed for the remainder of the owner’s trip away from home.

I avoided suspicion by once again stripping off what I had and exchanging it for sophisticated attire. The red dress and a string of pearls along with the Rolex watch on my wrist was a nice touch. There was a colorful scarf around my neck and a pair of oversized Gucci sunglasses to hide the windows to my soul.

The guard didn’t even look up from his paper. I was breezing down the interstate with the window open with no sign of anything out of the ordinary.

I kept thinking about that one night a couple of months ago. I was completely blitzed out of my mind and looking to score. Last call left me with slim pickings, but there was one who captured my attention. I could barely recall his face in the haze of liquor running through my veins. He was the one that got away. By morning, the other side of the bed was still warm but he was no longer in it.

I pulled out the bottle and popped a couple of the pills. It made me feel better to know that they were there. I had turned over a new leaf avoiding fatty foods and making my body into a healthy temple. I was even doing yoga by the numbers from a course I was taking on the Internet. A calm mind went hand in hand with my new outlook on living to a ripe old age.

I thought I was going to give up the life, but it was too exciting to pass up the next opportunity. I had a list of those who had contacted me on the dark web. I rejected some out of hand, but there were a few who stood out from the crowd. One of them was going to be my next partner. They just didn’t know it yet.