For my little brother

Arrest

Rain was coming down heavily when we got to the jewellery store, water pooling up on the streets as it fought its way towards the nearest storm drain. The narrow alley leading to the rear offered some protection from above, but the torrential river sloshed past our feet, slowing us down.

"We got the right one, right?" Marcos asked.

I nodded. "Almost certain that this is the one. I mean, it stands out from every other building on this street." Reyes made it very clear about the jewellery store we were to clean out: "Has a silver storefront, grey concrete exterior at the rear and the sides, a well-lit 'Juan's Jewels' neon sign at the front." And the warning: "If you somehow get it wrong and cut the throat of some innocent, you're going to wish for death like a birthday wish."

We got the right one... for sure we got the right one. No mistake. Never any mistakes.

I pulled the blueprints out of my pockets, slightly frayed at the edges from being stuffed in there. "We're to improvise a plan, right here on the spot, to get the job done. And we're supposed to do it together."

"I'm out of ideas," Marcos said, shrugging. He wasn't going to take any responsibility for the plan. "Only you have that angel's touch in everything you do."

I looked back at Lewis. He had composed himself — mostly — but was carefully advancing down the alley, carefully checking every step he took and examining every inch of the environment around him. "Please, Lewis," I said, "we got over here without getting killed."

"I'm just trying to be careful," he responded, glancing at Marcos.

"The longer we stay here, the more dangerous it gets," I insisted. He didn't like my answer, but he did quicken his pace. Somewhat.

"How do we get in?" Marcos asked. "We're not mice; we can't just squirm in through a gap in the wall."

My eyes caught sight of his answer — a window. Slightly ajar, a tight squeeze, but a solution nonetheless.

Marcos and Lewis followed my gaze. "Are you crazy?! How are we supposed to fit through that?"

"You won't. I will." I tried to reach the window, but it was too high up. I could see the size of the opening at this angle though. It was smaller than I had expected, no doubt small enough to keep someone Lewis's size out. The window could be smashed, but that would create too much noise. I tried to picture myself crawling through that opening. Was I really small enough?

Only one way to find out.

I picked up and pushed whatever nearby materials I could grab and stacked them underneath the window — a wooden crate, a few discarded McDonald's pallets, a folding chair. I stood on the chair and tried again. I was still a few inches away from the sill.

"Mind giving me a lift?"

Lewis hung back. Marcos was a little more open, but he too had doubts. "You're going to do the deed alone?"

I shook my head. "You're going to lift me through that opening, and once I'm in I'll open this window further for the two of you. We'll decide what to do next later."

Marcos was reluctant, but lacking any better ideas, relented. He got onto the crate, being careful not to lose his balance, and prepared to lift me up. "Give me a hand, Lewis," he said.

"I'm light as a feather," I replied. "Shouldn't be too hard."

I gave him the thumbs-up, and he wrapped his arms around my body and hoisted me into the air. He grunted slightly from the weight, but it was all that was needed to get my hands onto the ledge. His hands were on my feet, preventing me from sliding back down. The gap was even smaller than I had expected, and I felt myself being sandwiched by two seemingly unwavering forces — the sill below me, and the window pane above me. Marcos kept pushing, hoping that it would help me get through, but it only felt like I was being forced through a torture device on a conveyor belt. I wanted to tell him to stop, but I didn't dare make a peep, for fear that someone on the other side would hear me.