The Plan

Reborns

[18 Months Ago]
-Monday's night.

"what the hell happened to your hair?"
Ralph had greeted her with harsh words that didn't mirror the look on his face the slightest. He was smiling warmly at her as she kept quiet.

"Where am I headed?" Nara questioned, greatly distracted by his chaperoning.

"Cleaning duty" Ralph voiced holding his mobile.

"Oh." Her shoulders slumped a bit. The misconception of adventure ahead failing her.

"Am I driving?" Nara asked later when he pocketed his mobile and the car appeared in view.

"I thought you didn't like driving?" Ralph questioned, tossing her the keys nonetheless. She waved off his note continuing the trek to the parking spot.

"I'm sending you off with Simone." Right then she noticed the figure leaning against the car puffing a smoke. Beating her protests Ralph had continued "I'm quite certain that the children of that rodent are haunting the district, we can't risk it" with a knowing look in his eyes.

Nara sighed her resignation
"We're going too far as it is. Right ?"

"It's in the job's description. And no they don't know about you. Not yet at least"

It was weird. How the declaration had took a few pounds off of her chest. She felt relieved but just the same apprehensive. If Stan was raising hell out in the streets, all parties must be on guard. And she didn't want to be the one telling Ralph they're moving too soon, that'd mean admitting to flying solo. And no amount of worries would get her to admit that.

"It's better that way right? ." Upon reaching where Simone was stood she had voiced her question quietly.

"You know it" Ralph had answered her nodding to Simone in acknowledgement.

The latter straightened, throwing his joint and stretched his hand towards her.

She took it with furrowed eyebrows, unsure if greetings were necessary. Ralph interrupted their silent staring with the clapping of his hands. "Now.. you know the drill. In and out."

Nodding, Simone pulled his hand heading to the passenger seat.

Not at all at ease. Nara stared back at him with her expression still contorted.
"You'll get used to it" Ralph patted her on the shoulder going back the way he came from.

She snorted in disbelief getting into the vehicle, revved up the engine and let the heater warm her mind into some stable thinking.

Half an hour later, with a few kilometers to go Simone spoke for the first time.
"I heard you've gone on one of Jacob's infamous escapades"

She shrugged for an answer, turning into the street.
"A good one no less. None of us thought he'd go ahead with it.

What surprises me even more, is why you agreed to help him in the first place. The both of them."

Nara glanced at him, searching his eyes for the meaning behind his words. He looked at her with an innocent smile which she suspected wasn't so innocent.
"I don't know your angle at the that. I'm just saying it's bloody idiotic"

She snickered "idiotic?"

"Yeah.. you could be well off across the country with stacks of cash on ya yet you choose to do this"

"Is that what you want to be doing?"

"Not necessarily"

She puffed her indignation pulling her attention back to swerving the car.

"I mean there are a lot of things I want to be doing. Getting on the mobs' bad side is definitely not one of them.
Now tell me why you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Spit on everyone's face.. you're newest statement is a stretched out Fu*k you eh?"

"I don't know what you're talking about"

"No you definitely don't.." he mused. "But bear in mind I've done my homework. And I mean it when I said you've pissed on everyone"

An unannounced quiver ran up her arm as she steered the wheel thinking of how the occurrences of the last four days had took their toll on her. Nothing went out of the ordinary except when she met someone new.

Someone who she felt herself new with. Even if it was for that once, yet Nara sensed that she was going to see a lot of him in the near future.

Her gloved hands caressed the wheel as her eyes danced around the dim lit parking lot.
Maybe she went too far this time.

"Ralph for some reason got your back."

She snickered honestly this once.
"I'm his lap dog."

"We all kind of are but just the same we are whatever we have to be." Simone had pointed out as they sped up into the road. Nara wondered if he thought his ramblings really meant something.

At the stop sign minutes later Simone spoke to her again.
"That's why you don't have to be their errand boy"
"Whose, what?"

Simone didn't praise her with words, nodded at her bruised jaw with a knowing look.
"You don't know"
"I don't want to know."

She rolled her eyes skywards refocusing on the task at hand. Her companion's demeaning stares difficult to ignore. And he was going to ask, she just knew.

Nara had been somewhat briefed about this mission a few days before. Enter, seize up the information log, exit. Nothing too complicated. Although after receiving Ralph's call this evening, she headed out with a sense of excitement that wished for something more.
The location was frighteningly precise.

The two of them were headed to an office building in the industrial area by the river.

"What? You agree to everything any one puts you up to?"

Nara glanced at the other occupant of the car without answering.

"You act easy. Easier than what you're known for. You know that? I think you want to change. Or is changing. But here's the mis-intel Nara. People don't treat you differently just because you've shed off your old skin. Eh?"

Nara patiently obtained her silence until she parked at a corner by the dock, miles from the building's entry.
She switched off the engine and opened the trunk of the car. Simone got off first, and retrieved their belongings. He closed the trunk watching her closely as she stood next to him.

"Did I cut too close?" He asked handing her a messenger satchel.

"I'm not anyone's errand boy" Nara defended her grounds snatching her things from his outstretched hand.

"Nor I anyone's lap dog." He answered her smirkingly, to she couldn't find any humor or sincerity.

She pulled her coat's collar closer and went walking ahead. The unopened text on her phone still lingering in the air. Waiting for a conclusive answer.

-
9:36 p.m.
Unknown:
it's he. Want to meet and not beat me?
-