JOSH COLLIER - ROBBERY GONE WRONG

Josh Collier is a full time Creative writing student in Orlando, Florida. He enjoys writing science fiction and fantasy, flash fiction. In his spare time, he works on designing text based games.

                              Robbery Gone Wrong

            “You said we could leave him here,” Austin said as he threw his bloody ski mask into the mud as he climbed out of the beaten van. “They’re looking for our van as we speak. You know we can’t hide in these woods forever; we need to get out of state now.” He said, as he approached the Farm house.
“That ain’t my problem, what is, ‘is that you boy’s don’t have no money on you. I have said, several times in fact, I only work with cash.” Charles said. He limped out of the wooden doorway onto the raised porch. Cane in his right hand, glass of tea in his other. He hobbled his way into his wooden rocking chair. “Now get off my land before I call the cops.”
“We both know it would take them like thirty-minutes to get all the way out here, so don’t even waste our time with an empty threat.” Austin stormed up the flight of stairs. He stood on the porch face to face will Charles.
“We on private property, in the middle of the woods. No neighbors around for miles. By the time the cops get here, I have your bodies prepared for burial,” Charles said. “So, where is my cash? You gotta hav some’n.”
 “We don’t have cash, because that wasn’t the job. What was the job, was to hit the jewelry store. Do you know what’s in a jewelry store, Charles? Jewelry.” The sweat dripped down Austin’s face in the Georgian sun.
“Calm yourself boy, or John will have to deal with two dead bodies today.” Charles laughed as he rocked back and forth. He sipped on his ice tea.
Mason climbed out of the van. “Look Charles, we are just a little heated up today. Things went a little south towards the end of the hit. We didn’t get any cash; this job was supposed to be simple. Three men, a quick smash and grab. We don’t even have guns.”
“Well that is truly idiotic. You boys should’ave gotten some cash ‘fore you left, or could have just left the body inside the jewelry store,” Charles said. A grim smile crept on his face.
Mason scraped the mud off his boot on the lowest stair, before he climbed. “We couldn’t do that, and you know it. If they found out who he was, we would have been in trouble, besides,”
Austin glanced at Mason, though Mason didn’t notice.
 “He was a good friend of ours.” Mason leaded against the wooden support column. “Come on Charles. You said you would help us. We will pay you when we have the money. You know I’m good for it.”
“Mason, know your good for something, but your friend here is well known for owing a lot of people money.”
“You don’t know anything about me old man, I don’t care what you do here. If you can’t help out your old partner, then I don’t want anything from you.” Austin shot back.
“Here’s what I’ll give my old partner, you can have a free shovel if you want?” Charles pointed at the rusted spade laying against old vinyl siding. “But you’ll need to bury the body on someone else’s land.”
Austin took the shovel, eyeing down Charles.
“Look boys, I have me a business to run. I can’t afford to do favors for everyone. I’d go broke.” Charles got out of his rocking chair, swinging his glass of ice tea in his hand.
“Look, we will have the money once we make it to the drop of point, but all these jewels are only worth it if we make it in time. Now, what kind of deal can we make?”
Charles smiled then pondered for a moment. “Pay half now, and double when you get back. One of you stays here, the other –” The glass smashed to the ground. Charles’s body fell to the floor. Austin stood over him with a bloody shovel in hand.
“Austin, why would you do that?” Mason froze.
“Ever hear of killing two birds with one stone?” Austin smiled. “We leave both bodies inside, make it look like a robbery gone wrong.”