The Free-dom to Eat Rye-Bread

Chapter 10

Ryan bust into the gas station, gun out and mask on. "Hands in the air! Everyone out front." The civilians scurried out to the front of the shop, their hands in plain sight. There was a mother and her daughter, a teenage boy, and a women who looked about 24.

"No one plays hero, no one gets hurt." He pointed the gun at the teenage boy. "That especially means you, Edgar."

"M-my name isn't Edgar, sir. I-it's Tom."

"Well, it's Edgar now, Edgar." Ryan kept the gun trained on him as he went up to the sobbing cashier. "Put the money and all the menthol cigarettes you have in the bag or Edgar won't be happy." He threw a duffel bag at the cashier.

She worked quickly and efficiently. Within 5 minutes, she had packed the duffel bag full of cash and cigarettes.

The Mad King zipped up the bag and left a card with a broken crown on the counter. He left, slipping on the helmet over his mask. He kick started the bike and left.

He didn't start hearing sirens until he was a few minutes away from the convenience store and on the opposite side of the free way. The cops past him without a second look and he was home free.

Within 20 minutes, he was back at the penthouse with a duffel bag for Geoff. He entered to see the boss sitting on the couch, drinking a whiskey. He stood up, setting down his whiskey.

"Take off the mask, Ryan." Geoff said in a startling calm voice.

Ryan did as he said. His eyes were red, his face pale, but his smile. His smile seemed crazed and twitched.

"I brought you stuff, Griff. I got you money and- and menthols. I don't know if you smoke, but you can sell them." His voice wavered and fluctuated in pitch.

Geoff sighed and held the bridge of his nose. He took the bag and threw it aside. "You fucking idiot. You're having a mental break aren't you? Did you hurt Gavin?"

"I didn't severely injure him, Griff. I promise. I just knocked Vav out. He was trying to come with me. He wouldn't do as you said. He was trying to fix me." Ryan looked down at the ground, his eyes watering anew.

"I'm going to do one thing. And then we can talk. Don't take this personally, but your a fucking psycho." Geoff hit him dead in the jaw. The King stumbled and held his jaw.

"Thank you, boss." He replied, sitting on the couch. It hurt, sure, but he didn't mind the pain.

"Whatever, weirdo. Look. I can't have you just knocking people out and holding up gas stations every time something snaps. Also, why the fuck would you just rob a gas station? Especially without my permission?"

"Because.. I thought it'd make you less mad."

"Less mad? Less mad?! Look, you confessed you fucking loved my son over the phone and I don't know about you, but that makes me very fucking upset? You are a mercenary who fucking goes insane and robs shit and hurts people! Gavin.. Sure, he's a bit messed up and doesn't know what should or shouldn't scare him, but he doesn't need a psycho to pretend to love him and possibly fucking murder him!" Geoff's face was red, anger seeping out of every pore.

"Geoff, I could never hurt Gavin.. He makes me calmer. I knocked him out because I couldn't let him see me broken again. I didn't want to hurt him. "

The older man sighed and put his head in his heads. "Ryan, I'll give you one chance. One. And it won't happen until after this heist. You won't say anything to Gavin until then about it."

"Yes, sir. May..may I continue to work with him on driving?" Ryan's eyes lit up, the darkness leaving them slowly.

"Yeah, yeah. Sure. But not today. Go home, Ryan. Get some rest. You've had a tough day." Geoff nodded towards the door. "Oh, one more thing. If you fucking hurt him again, I'll end you motherfucker."

"Thank you, Geoff. Really. It means a lot to me." Ryan walked toward the door when his phone rang. He answered it.

"Hey, Michael. What's going on?"

"Ryan! God, I never thought I'd be relieved to hear your fucking voice. Listen, Gavin might have wrecked your car."

"What?! Is he okay? Michael, where are you guys?"

"At the track. He's bleeding and just keeps muttering your name. Please hurry. This is my boi, Ryan. My boi." Michael's voice cracked.

"We're on our way."Ryan hung up. "Come on, Geoff. We have to go."

"What? What was that? What's going on Ryan?"

"Gavin. He wrecked my car. We have to hurry." With that, the two flew to the stairs, not wanting to bother with the slow ass elevator.