Chapter Five:
Stress, Sarcasm, and Survival
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“So what’s the plan?” asked Russell.
He and Mandy were by themselves again. Finally, Mandy thought. She hadn’t realized how used she was to only speaking with her brother and Tony until four other people came on the scene.
They were in a hotel. It was nice, but not ridiculously so. It was good enough not to have bedbugs but cheap enough that it didn’t have an indoor pool or free breakfast. This made Russell a little antsy, but Mandy only cared for her brother’s safety now, not his impeccable taste.
“The plan?” responded Mandy, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands. “Get in, and get out with minimal casualties and/or deaths.”
“You’re joking, right?” asked Russell slumping in the armchair. “You’re under stress so you’re dealing with it through sarcasm.”
“Wrong,” said Mandy. She was lying on one of the beds staring at the ceiling. What would Dad say if he could see them now? Of course, Dad was in a state penitentiary, so his opinion didn’t really count.
“Dang it,” said Russell. Mandy could picture him, looking down and picking at a loose thread on the hem of his shirt.
She sighed and closed her eyes. “Russ, the mob guys are following us.”
“What?!” he demanded. He stood up immediately and walked over to her. She opened her eyes to see him standing above her bed. “Julian, isn’t it? I said I didn’t like that guy.”
“You don’t like anyone,” Mandy pointed out. “And you’re right, Julian’s probably put a tail on us. You know what I think?”
“Enlighten me,” said Russell, flopping on his own bed.
“I think he’s going to do everything he can to make sure we fail.”
“Isn’t that a given. Why?” he asked.
“So he can kill you, of course. And me,” she added as an afterthought. “Julian is seriously pissed off.”
“Understandable,” said Russell. “But if it had happened to me I would’ve just hated my ex’s memory for the rest of my life, not resorted to blackmail and murder.”
“He’s a psycho,” said Mandy thoughtfully.
They were mirroring each other, hands behind their heads, feet crossed, and gaze directed at the ceiling. It was quiet for a moment, something Mandy valued. In the silence, she could think. In the silence, she could pretend that none of this was real.
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Chords, Cars, and Cons
Fanfiction*A Beatles fan-fiction* Amanda is a thief. She doesn't steal because she needs to. She has plenty of money. She steals because it's fun One night. One broken heart. One priceless painting up in flames. That's all it takes to rip Amanda's world to p...
