Lost and Found

Chapter Twenty-One

Trubel's POV

"What's the plan?" I asked from the backseat of Andre's Mustang. We were parked in an empty lot that didn't have any cameras.

"We go in, get some cash, and go out," Andre said. So, he didn't have a plan. Good to know.

We were going to rob a convenience store; Andre said he wanted to start small because I told him large-scale robberies weren't my thing. I didn't want to do it, but it was better than robbing a bank. Andre said we weren't going to hurt anyone, so that made me feel a little less horrible.

"We have to be fast," Julian said.

"Who's going to be the getaway driver?" Marcus asked.

"I'm going in," Andre said. He assumed we wouldn't let him come because he was the only one here that was a normal human.

"I'll drive," I said.

"No, you're going in, too," Andre said.

Damn it.

"I'll drive," Julian said. He was sitting in the passenger's seat.

"Then, we're ready to go," Andre said, climbing out of the car.

Julian folded the passenger's seat down so Orion, Marcus, and I could get out. Julian walked around to the driver's seat and climbed into the car. Andre was holding a few bandanas in his hand and threw one to each of us. The others tied them around their faces so they couldn't be recognized on the security footage of the gas station.

I did the same. It felt wrong.

It was dark, so there weren't any people around. We didn't have to walk hardly at all to get to the convenience store.

Andre and the others started running into the store, and I followed behind. Andre pulled out a gun, my gun, and aimed it at the clerk.

"Money. Now!" he yelled. The clerk woged into a Yaguaraté. He looked around at us, and then at me. He started panicking.

Andre looked between us and asked. "What do we have here?"

The others would know if I was lying, so I told the truth. "Yaguaraté," I said.

"Oh," Andre said menacingly. He nodded at Marcus who walked over to the door and flipped the sign to closed. "One of North End's kittens."

"Look, I don't want any trouble," the clerk said. He was young, younger than me.

"Well, you've got it," Andre said, looking at me expectantly.

I wasn't sure what he wanted me to do.

"Just give us the cash, and we won't have a problem here," I told the clerk.

The kid started unloading the register. He set the money on the counter separating me from him. "Take it," he said as he finished up emptying the register. Marcus and Orion grabbed the money and stuffed it into a backpack that Marcus was holding.

Andre handed me the gun. "Finish this," he said.

"Andre-" I started to object.

"Just do it," Andre said. "He's with the Crew." The clerk was shaking his head. I didn't think he was with North End.

I pulled the gun up and held it so it was level with the kid's face. He looked scared.
I was supposed to execute someone in a convenience store robbery. I stared at the kid's terrified face, and I looked at the gun resting in my hand. "I can't," I said, lowering the gun.

Andre walked over to me and took it out of my hand. I got in between him and the kid. "You said no one would get hurt," I said.

"Move," he told me.

I kept my feet planted firmly on the ground. Orion and Marcus woged and attacked me. I didn't try to hurt them, but I did try to stay between Andre and the Yaguaraté. I wasn't successful, and my bandana fell off during the struggle. Orion and Marcus threw me against one of the shelves and had their backs to Andre, so they could look directly at me. "Don't get in his way," Marcus warned. I looked at Marcus questioningly before turning my gaze to the clerk. The clerk still looked terrified and had his hands raised in surrender.

Andre looked at me before lifting the gun and pulling the trigger. He shot the clerk once.

"No!" I yelled. I tried to run towards the clerk. I couldn't see where Andre hit him. Orion and Marcus held me back.

The young clerk fell against the back wall and sank down towards the floor.

"Let her go," Andre said.

Orion and Marcus released me, and I grabbed my bandana and jumped over the counter to see if I could help the clerk that was lying on the ground.

He was panting and looked like he was in pain. I looked at the wound that was in the young guy's shoulder. It missed his heart, but just barely. I wondered how Andre had managed to shoot me accurately when we faked my death... He probably didn't care about his aim as much with this guy. He could always shoot him again...

I bunched up my bandana and put my finger to my lips to signal for the clerk to be quiet. No one could see us behind the counter. I put the bandana on/in the wound to keep it from bleeding so much and motioned for him to sit up to keep his wound elevated. He quietly obeyed. I motioned towards the panic button under the counter and mouthed, "Wait 1 minute," to him. He nodded with understanding, and I felt relieved.

I jumped to my feet. "Andre! You son of a bitch! You killed him!" I marched angrily around the counter. I was hoping they would buy my lie. Andre wouldn't shoot the clerk again if he thought that he was already dead.

"You were supposed to help us, not get in the way!" Andre yelled.

"You promised that you wouldn't hurt anyone!" I screamed.

"He was with-" Andre began.

"No, he wasn't!" I disagreed. "He was just a kid!"

"Whatever," Andre said. "We got what we came here for. Let's go. Someone probably heard the shot."

I was trying to act horrified and upset. That would convince them more that the kid was dead. I stood without moving, staring in shock in the direction of the counter.

Andre sighed with irritation, grabbed my arm to turn me towards him, and put my own gun to my head for the second time since we'd met.

"Are you going to come with us, or are you going to die right here?" he threatened.

I looked at his eyes; they were cold and intent. He was really going to kill me if I didn't come with him.

"I'll come," I whispered.

"Then, let's get the hell out of here!" Andre growled and signaled for us to leave.

We all jogged to the car, climbed in, and drove slowly and casually away from the scene so we wouldn't call attention to ourselves.