Honor Among Thieves

Honor Among Thieves

         Stephen sat the table tapping his foot on the ground like a jackhammer pounds into the pavement. His eyes darted back and froth like a hummingbird trying to get a better angle on a feeder. His fingers slid up and down the top of a silver briefcase sitting next to his chair as he chomped down on his already jagged fingernails on his other hand. Every few seconds his eyes would flitter down to a pocket-watch he had laid on the cast iron table he was sitting at. Not even the radiant weather or the hustle and bustle of the busy street could save him from running worst case scenarios through his head like a rolodex overflowing with cards. A young woman stood above him with a coffee pot.
         “Sir, are you alright? Are you sure there isn’t anything you’d like?” She gave him a bubbly smile that had always melted the hearts of young men frequenting the quaint outside diner.
         Stephen shook his head vigorously. “N….No thanks I am just waiting for a friend, that’s all.” She shrugged and moved on to the table next to him as the rhythm of his feet rapping against the pavement grew faster.
         Sirens ignited in the distance and Stephen leapt, sending the iron chair crashing into the ground startling a man eating his morning toast behind him. Stephen adjusted his gun metal square rimmed glasses before picking the chair up and sitting back down. He mumbled audibly to himself.
         “Where is he? Half an hour late, Half an hour late.” Just as he was about to get up and leave his flitting eyes caught sight of the man he had been waiting for.
         Across the street and began to walk across the street sporting a swagger that could put even the most egotistical celebrity to shame. His expensive tailor made suit flowed around his body like it was his skin. His rich brown hair cast a sharp contrast to Stephen’s own short bline hair. He deftly hopped over the short picket fence bordering the outside diner and sat down across from Stephen beaming at him.
         “Sorry I’m late. I just couldn’t leave behind that sweet little prize I attained last night at the bar without a parting gift. I also took the long way here, Venice is just absolutely beautiful in the spring isn’t it?” Stephen jammed his pocket watch back into his tweed jacket.
         “O….Only you would pick up a woman on the same night as a job, you could have at least shown a little restraint on our last job together. N…Now lets get this over with so we can get out of here Vincent.” Vincent just chuckled and crossed his legs while tilting his head to acquire a better view of the waitress as she bent over to pick up a dropped piece of silverware.
         “Now, now Stephen, we should be celebrating the end of a very profitable partnership, not rushing along. Besides we both know I don’t leave any traces behind, no point in being paranoid when there are so many other things to enjoy”
         Stephen slid the silver briefcase under the table. “A….Alright, its all there. We split it fifty-fifty and be on our separate ways right? Just like we agreed?” Vincent ran his hair through his wavy locks of hair and sighed loudly.
         “Ya, here’s the thing about that Stevy. I was thinking that this job in particular was much more stressful on my end of the work. That museum was exceptionally well guarded and I had to do a lot of improvisation. I am thinking more along the lines of seventy-thirty in my favor.” Stephen lurched forward like he had just been kicked in the back.
         “B…Bullshit!!” The people sitting around them all turned and glared at Stephen as he leaned back and slid down in his chair as he cheeks turned red. “You know you couldn’t have done it without all those work-ups I did, all the guard locations and routes. All of that was essential. In fact….In fact I think I should be getting the bigger half this time around.” Vincent threw back his head in uproarious laughter at this.
         “That’s utterly ridiculous. Sure you did some homework but when it came down to game time you got to sit in a truck safely away from anyone who might have caught wind of our activities. I was the one in all the danger.” Stephen just shook his head back and forth while pushing his glasses farther up on his nose.
         “No…No….No I know the response time of the law enforcement here I would have been easily caught once they searched the area. We were both at risk, we should split it fifty-fifty like we had agreed beforehand.” Vincent lose the fake smile he had been wearing up until then, replaced with a scowl that few saw, and even fewer ever saw twice.
         “Listen to me closely Stephen. You might be right, you might well deserve an equal share of the loot. The fact is though that I want all of it now, and you can’t stop me from taking it. You don’t have the guts, and you don’t have the skill.” Stephen slipped his hand inside his coat like he was going to check his watch again, but instead he started to rub his fingers up and down the grip of an automatic pistol.
         Vincent pulled the briefcase to his side of the table and stared into Stephens eyes.
         “You were always a coward Stephen, that’s why I decided this was our last job. I can’t count on someone who doesn’t have the balls to take on the big jobs anymore. You’re a has-been and you were never as good as me to begin with. It’s just the way of the world buddy, the strong take advantage of the weak. Here I’ll tell you what. Where do you want to go? Ill be you a one way ticket and then I wash my hands of you.” Stephen bit his tongue hard trying to suppress the urge to lash out at him verbally.
         Stephen knew that in a physical contest he had no chance against the atheletic Vincent. Vincent was right, Stephen just wasn’t as good as he was. Stephen knew he was smarter though, he knew Vincent wouldn’t last long without someone like him doing all the planning. As Stephen looked at the briefcase sitting beside Vincent’s chair he started to get notions of revenge. Revenge for all the years of putting him down and ridiculing him. Vengeance for all the times Vincent had taken more than his fair share of the cut and left Stephen with nothing more than the leftovers. Stephen starting tapping his foot so fast you couldn’t count the beats as he gripped the handle of the pistol so tight his knuckles were going white. As Vincent sat there waiting for Stephen’s reply all Stephen could think about was killing Vincent, killing him and taking all the money for himself.
         Vincent looked at his watch before shaking his head.
         “Fine, I’ll leave you to figure it out for yourself then. I offered though.” Vincent stood up and smoothed his suit by running his hand over it. Vincent felt something wasn’t quite right as he reached down to grab the briefcase. Stephen had been too quiet about all this. This is too compliant even for him. Vincent’s eyes shot up as Stephen rose from his seat quickly sending the iron chair toppling over once again. This time he had his automatic pistol pointed directly at Vincent’s head.
         Vincent whipped his gun out of his coat jacket quicker than Stephen had expected and they both stood there, staring down the nozzles of each other’s firearms. Vincent chided Stephen.
         “Come on, fucking do it. Fucking try and shoot me, at least you will have grown some balls then. Let’s end this now so I can take my fucking money and leave” Stephen started to regret his decision as he started to sweat profusely. His finger slid up and down the trigger to the gun as he tried to think out his next move. He was smart, he could think of a way out of this easily. He just needed time.
         The waitress walked back outside to see the two men standing across the table pointing guns at each other. She screamed. She screamed so loud it might have broken the glasses if they had been inside. All the other patrons started to panic as well, running and knocking each other down in their efforts to get away from these crazy men.
         Vincent was calm and collect as the scream rang through his ears. He was all too familiar with the sound. More often than not its how a young woman would react right before he killed her for getting in the way of a job. He kept his aim trained squarely at the face of Stephen.
         The scream shook through Stephen’s body like an earthquake. Sending tremors through his muscles and eventually reaching his trigger finger. Without realizing it he squeezed and a loud pop followed by a casing popping into the air filled his ears, replacing the screams vibrations. Vincent’s eyes went wide as he pulled the trigger of his gun repeteadly as the deadly bullet raced towards him. Stephen raised his hand in front of his face in defense as he kept pulling his trigger once Vincent started to shoot back.
         Blood spattered all over the ground as the waitress fainted. The briefcase was knocked over and its clasp popped revealing bags and bags of glittering diamonds. A slumping sound was followed by one lost gush of blood that spilled over the diamonds themselves. Proof that there is no honor among thieves