What He Gave Me

Chapter 2

        "Hand me that screw driver! Quick!"

        James' fingers were freezing. He could see the tools on the street near the left rear tire of the shiny Silverado truck, but he was sure his fingers could not feel them. The street light was not enough against the shadows of the night. James blew hot breath into his left hand before reaching down to the chilling ground to pick up the phillips screw driver. His hoodie kept creepying over his eyes and he kept having to adjust it back. He quickly handed the tool to Kevin who was busy picking at the door lock. The job of look-out was left to James. He looked up the street just in time to see the stop light change to green. A man on a bicycle went across the intersection but didnt notice the soon to be theives. His head swung around in the opposite direction to a lonesome residential street. Only a few leaves scattered along the road in the wind.

        The dogs across the street of an old Victorian-looking home kept barking in their direction. He prayed they would stop. The sound made James' blood race and his hands quiver. It put him on edge. He hated that feeling. The feeling he got when the nerves in his muscles were set to sprint. His left knee was beginning to hurt so he swiftly changed the knee he was pressing against the frozen pavement. The smell of rust and grime emminated from the space in between the truck tire and the chasis.

        "Is this going to work? Have you done this before? Whats taking you so long?" asked James shivering in the winter breeze.

        "Hey, dont chicken out on me! This score is going to be big. Look at this ride! Are you kidding me? We pull this off and we are the guys to beat around here," repeated Kevin between the chatter and clicking of this teeth.

        "What if the alarm goes off when you open it?"

        "Dont worry about that. Just be ready to hit the streets."

        James assumed his role as the look out and turned around in order to rest his body against his opposite shoulder. With Kevin at his back, the breeze hit his cheeks hard. He could feel the cracking of his skin. It felt like multiple paper cuts across his lips with every howl of the wind. He adjusted his over sized hoody back again away from this vision. A car in the distance turned in their direction. It approached at a creepying pace but it was not long until the boys were going to be caught in the head lights. James' heart lept as the siren lights atop of the vehicle became clearer in the night. The cops.

        "Oh God! We have got to go! Lets get out of here!"

        Kevin was startled by the booming of the siren and the red and blue lights that pushed the darkness from around them. James ran into him on his way away from the truck towards the intersection at the opposite end. In a full stride run, the over sized hoodie corrupted his steps. He never hated that old ugly thing more than tonight. He knew that running into a busy intersection would not be the best thing. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed an opened fence to the right. With no hesitation he cut in that direction stomping his feet against the ground as hard as he could. He ran past the gate and meant to close the door but it was out of his reach. He almost lost his footing as the grass turned to gravel near a window with bright light shining through it. He turned a corner with the hope that the patrol had chased after Kevin.

        He waited a few seconds. He couldnt see as the lights of the partol car had had their effect. He couldnt hear anything over his deep, heavy and uncontrollable breathes. He had to calm down. He wanted to reach over and hunch at his knees to rest but fear kept him rigid. He was glued in place with his spine against the back porch of the home. He stared at the 6 foot wooden fence across the yard he would be forced to jump next. His breathing calmed although the vapor spewed from his mouth in the wintery air. He heard the gate squeek.