Errand Runners

Epilogue - Origins - 3: Zane

“Don’t lecture me,” I interrupted. “You’re not my old man.” This earned me a mixed look from Ryan. A look that said something between “I’m sorry you’re an orphan” and “boy, you better check your tone”. 

“Alright, little man.” He threw me a gap-toothed smile. Even though he was kind of scatter brained, Ryan never held grudges. That’s why I actually liked him. “If you’re really all in, I’ll talk to the boss man tonight.”

“Really?” As soon as the enthusiastic reply left my mouth, I was embarrassed. I tried to collect myself again, but Ryan was already bursting with laughter at my genuine response.

“Yeah,” he panted between laughs. “Now let’s get goin’.”

* * *

The job was so easy, I wouldn’t have even called it a job.

Ryan instructed me to stay back and keep watch while he and another of his subordinates busted into a street ATM. Nova City had set restrictions to ward off street thefts like these, but Ryan was really good with electronics. He had a way of hacking into the last open account and using the fingerprints on the touchscreen pad to re-enter the pin of the card. He could steal thousands of dollars in five minutes flat.

After completing the job, me, Ryan, Dalton, and the other two in the group made our way back to the gang house. I was keeping to myself, toward the back of the group, but Ryan joined me after handing off the cash to Dalton.

“Tell me,” he started, an unlit cigarette hanging loosely between his lips. “Why this obsession with the gun?”

“Protection,” I replied curtly.

I caught him giving me a quizzical look. “And the real reason bein’ what?”

“None of your business.”

Lighting his cigarette, Ryan inhaled deeply, blowing a thin line of smoke above his head. “I think I should know, as your” he paused, trying to think of the right word to say. “...guardian.”

“You?” I almost laughed, but kept it together. “Yeah, you’re a great role model.”

“Come on,” he held the smoke with his fingers so he could grin. “Nobody’s a saint in this city.” He threw out the cigarette and replaced needlessly, inhaling and exhaling throughout the conversation. “So you really ain’t gonna say?”

“Maybe some other time.” I wanted him to drop the subject.

“Lookin’ to hurt someone in particular?” I could hear my heart drumming faster than before, and judging by his incessant staring, so could Ryan. “Don’t go down that road, Zaney.”

There was no point denying it. Ryan knew everything about me, and he could tell when I was lying.

“Just drop it,” I said.

Surprisingly, Ryan said nothing. He just walked silently, but I could feel his eyes on me the rest of the way.

The city was quiet. A few regular, non gang people were on the streets, but they kept their distance. They all knew better than to get close to gang members. Being in our own territory, we didn't come across other gangs either. Enforcers never went outside the inner city, and we were close enough to the outskirts that we never ran into them. About four blocks from the gang house, the streets were completely empty. It was like a ghost town. 

With how empty the area was, we were all shocked to see a little girl stumble in out of nowhere. Dalton and the two other guys stopped dead in their tracks ahead of us. Before either Ryan or I could say anything, Dalton dropped the money and whipped out his gun.