Broken Walls

19. Weighted Words

I know a place that we can go to
A place where no one knows you
They won't know who we are
I know a place that we can run to
And do those things we want to
They won't know who we are

Let me take you there
I wanna take you there  

- Plain White T's.

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The man stood just around the corner, watching as the cab pulled away from the curb. She had looked in his direction, but he felt confident she hadn't really seen him. It was idiotic of him to stand out there in plain view, where all she had to do was focus for just a moment and she would have his face in her memory.

He shook his head and laughed at himself over the stupidity of it all. This was supposed to be a simple intimidation and theft situation. At least that's what he'd signed up for. Send a few texts, steal a necklace. These were the tasks assigned to him in the beginning. Somehow, everything had become more complicated, and he was afraid of what they'd ask him to do next. What if they wanted him to hurt her or one of her friends on purpose? He didn't know if he could do that. But if he didn't, what would they do to him? To his family and friends?

Shrugging off the thoughts, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. With shaking fingers, he compressed the speed dial. He took in a deep breath and forced himself to forget it all. If he let himself dwell on the "what ifs" he would never be able to get this done, and he just wanted it done.

The line on the other end clicked. "Yeah?" she answered.

"She's not wearing it." He strolled down the side street, making sure no one within earshot paid him any attention.

"Damn it. Are you sure?"

"Positive." He fumbled for a cigarette. "I've been watching her all day. She doesn't have it."

"When you were in the apartment—"

"I already told you," he inhaled deeply and then blew out a stream of smoke, "I turned that place over. The locket I gave you was the only one she had. Hell, I even went through her old keepsake boxes. There was nothing."

The woman let out a slow breath. "Well, then we're just going to have to try another angle."

"What angle?" he asked, exasperated. "If she doesn't have it, she doesn't have it. We can't magically make it appear. I mean, what does the Boss expect us to do?"

"He expects us to present him with the locket."

"Can't you just—"

"I've tried, okay? I've tried explaining that we didn't find it. He insists we keep looking. Insists it's got to be there. I don't know what else ..."

Her frantic rambling died down and the only sound coming from the end of the phone was her shaking breath.