Decrease

Friday - September 17

When they're driving away from our apartment, the passenger takes his cell from his coat pocket and dials a number. When the phone begins to ring, he puts it on speaker.

"Well, did you find them?" a man asks.

"No. We didn't, sir."

"They have to be there! Go back and find them now, damn it!"

"We tore the place apart. If they're there, then they're hidden inside the walls, the floor, or the ceiling. Do you want us to tear those apart, sir?"

"You don't call me again until you have them! Is that clear?"

The passenger looks at the driver, and says, "Yes, sir, crystal clear." They both hear the man hang up. The driver does a U-turn and heads back to our apartment.

Once again, the two men re-enter our home and proceed to tear everything else apart that they didn't tear up on their first visit. After one hour of ripping baseboards away from walls and prying up the floor boards, the man who easily fatigued, decides to get himself some refreshment from the water cooler.

Looking around for a glass, he realizes that they broke them all. He looks up at an open cupboard and notices a mug towards the back. Tired, he reaches up, grabs the mug, and thrilled that he found something to drink from, proceeds to get water from the cooler. After a few drops of water drip into the mug, the cooler quits dispensing the fluid he deeply desires. Noticing the jug is halfway full, the man slaps the jug on one side waiting for it to burp, but it doesn't. Disappointed that he has to work so hard to get a cup of water, he lifts the jug off of the dispenser and looks inside the well. When he does, the man realizes that the hard work was well-worth it.

"Hey, Berle, come here, man. I think I've found something," yells the fatigued, thirsty man.

Berle tromps his way down the hall, and says, "Geez, Mac, can you like yell any louder? The whole damn neighborhood can hear you."

"Sorry, Berle. But look," he says, as he points into the water dispensers well. "Is that them?"

Berle looks down into the well, and then gazes back up to Mac with a huge grin. He reaches into the well and grabs the two objects they were scouring for. Berle brings the objects out, dripping with water, and says, "Let's go."

Mac sets the mug down on the counter, but is still thirsty. He picks up the water jug and chugs a huge amount to quench his long awaited thirst. Completely satisfied, he takes the mug and pours water up to its brim and takes it with him. Again, the two men leave our apartment, unnoticed.

Mac calls the man and tells him that they were successful. He hangs up and drinks water from his mug, while Berle drives to their destination north of Atlanta.

It's dark when Berle and Mac arrive on an old gravel road that leads to a shack lying deep within the Georgia pines. The cold, black night exhales winter's mist in a ghostly manner in such a way, that even two thugs like Berle and Mac are frightened like two children being told a scary story. Their Cadillac stops in front of the shack. Both of them look at each other, hesitating to exit from their safe haven.

Berle looks at Mac, and says, "Let's go. Let's get this shit over with and get our money." Mac nods his head in agreement as they both simultaneously exit from the Caddy.

Apprehensively, Berle and Mac walk up to the shack's worn porch and knock with a few quiet taps on the door. A young woman opens the door, steps back, and allows the two men to enter.

Mac looks at Berle, then points to a man sitting with his back towards them. "Bring them here," says the man, extending his right arm.

Taking the objects from his coat pocket, Berle walks quietly towards the man. When he reaches him, Berle slowly places them into his palm and quickly walks back to Mac.