Patience is a skill. A rare, luck based skill that many aren't born with in this beggar caste. Sadly, I don’t think I was blessed with it either as I stood amid the dark and damp alleyway. I could already tell that my shaking legs were not the result of the frigid drizzle. Biting back the urge to move and do something was a job in itself, so I can only opt to look out my sheltered abode. Soon enough, the soft sound of drizzling became heavier, assisting in the creation of a new hobby of mine. Raindrop counting.

Once I got bored of that I fell back to the usual routine of checking my surroundings and listening to the comforting sound of the rain. It wasn't until the abrupt sound of static when I was finally able to do something other than nothing.

“Rowan can ya hear me? Is this thing on? Rowan? Damn ya Rowan! Are ya seriously daydreaming again!?”

I quickly reached down into my back pocket for the walkie talkie. Only for me to miserably fumble it onto the ground. Soaking in the water from the puddle it unluckily fell into, I turned it on with a grimace.

“Yea Rob? I’m here” I said grudgingly, wiping the walkie-talkie as I spoke.

“Don’t ye dare give me some of ye attitude scrub, just ye keep in ye mind what I teach an-”

“Keep an eye out and check up on Dunce. I get it” I cut in, rolling my eyes as I repeated what he had told me dozens of times before.

“Don'tcha get all smart on me Rowan!” Rob hissed, “I wasn’t the one on ma knees to come! So shut It, we’re going in!”

Before I could even say anything to defend himself, he cut off. Leaving me to sigh in defeat, “I wasn’t on my knees” I grumbled to myself. Rob always does this, only talks enough to get his word in and nobody else’s.

As the rain began to pour I let out another sigh, I was lucky that the walkie-talkies were waterproof. Didn’t think Rob would cough up the cash for them. I shrugged, leaning up against the alleyway wall. I watched for any movement while trying to ignore the grime that fell onto my shoulders that unfortunately slid off from the roof above me.

My role tonight wasn’t a large one, I'm a lookout. A position that wouldn’t get paid the amount I wish it had. Rob was one that only pays the amount equal to the risk of the station that each participant chose. Which was fair, mind you, but I like to tell myself It’s one of the more important jobs out there. Just Ignore the fact that It’s the safest job out of the list that Rob had out a while before.

I wanted Rob to take me on this Job for that exact reason. Even though Rob Is air tight with his money he is at least fair when it comes to everyone's share in the profit. Makes his standing pretty high due to his popularity among the dark side of this stupid city.

A few buildings away the loud screeching sound of burning rubber followed by glass shattering rang behind me. The once calm rainy atmosphere was broken once again as three gun shots followed. I winced for a few seconds, a shame that the clerk decided to do overtime today.

My short moment of respite was interrupted by the familiar walkie-talkie static. “we’re in, scouts keep ye eyes out” Rob warned, “There be more than expected so It be a bit longer than originally planned”.

Taking that as my que, I stood up straight and started walking down the alleyway. I had to go check up on Dunce, If he screwed up on his side of the street then not only him but I'll get screwed over too. We all would. Dunce is the second lookout, his charge was to watch the opposite side of the block while I oversee the other, though his recent habits have been in the way from his work ethic.

Well, I did train the dude so It can’t all be his fault, I thought shamelessly as I took a quick look over to my side of the street.

There at the center of the road stood over a dozen traffic cones and construction tape that reached both sides of the street. At the center was a man hole which was removed to create a scene of maintenance. In doing this I wouldn’t have to worry about doing my job, which was to watch for the police. Or worse. The Sentinels. Let’s just hope that nobody comes over to this street looking for their missing equipment and rolls of tape.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Assured that my props would get the job done I turned my attention back onto the sidewalk that I was on. Falling back into the rhythm of side stepping deep puddles and keeping my clothes dry inside the rain poncho I wore.

Before I knew it I took the last corner in the alleyway which opened up into the street of Dunce’s area, and to my utter surprise he wasn’t there. “Dunce?” I whispered, “Dunce are you there? You didn’t get bored and left did you?”

I didn’t see him. Which was odd. Dunce normally brought a pack of beer and played the part of a drunk homeless man. I took a look through the heavy rain which helped rule out Dunce setting up at the wrong location too.

Maybe he decided to stick it in his arm early and collapsed further down the road, I thought angrily as I began walking down the sidewalk again.

As his name suggests, Dunce is an idiot. He can never make up for his shortcomings, one being his obsession with alcohol and second being drugs. Many past partners have questioned me about Dunce’s risky involvement in these jobs, which I had brought up to Rob continuously. To my, and others' frustration he always tends to brush it off.

Dunce had previously been so drunk he mistook a twig on a floor for a needle, jamming it up his arm which took him out of commission for days. He just sticks anything into his body, that's how bad it's gotten. “Rob should have never given Dunce a needle as an early reward”, I mumbled.

Off a whim, I peeked inside an adjacent alleyway gate and spotted a recognizable form slumped over on a fold out lawn chair asleep. Hat over face, with no care in the world.

Tsk, I should have known. Dunce got most of his share early so he obviously wouldn’t take this job seriously. I was at my boiling point. He might have gotten paid early but I haven’t, and neither has any of the other guys that followed Rob into the Job. If I had known that Dunce wouldn't have taken the job seriously and jeopardized the whole plan then it would have been better if he hadn't come at all.

“What is wrong with you!” I was pissed. “I know Rob’s your cousin but you’re seriously starting to become a problem”, I said, getting close to yelling. “Hey?! Are you listening to me?!” I quickly placed my hand on his hat and snatched it. “Are you seriously ignoring m-?!”

There on his eight inch wide forehead were the very same needle that Rob gave him as an early reward. It was stuck dead center, poking out as the blood was slowly washed away by the rain. I opened an eyelid and sure enough. Dead. Hard to believe he didn’t do this himself. I looked around the area where he was holding out and as expected it was wiped clean. Anything that might have helped me explain this to Rob is gone.

Great. This is the first time I wished it wasn’t raining, I thought. Plus, all that training. All for nothing.

Seeing dead bodies wasn’t at all new to me. There were dozens of times where simple mugging to actual robberies turned into murders. Would I do it myself? No. It’s a line I wouldn’t cross, I leave it to those in which killing is their specialty. But this is a first for me to experience someone dead who I somewhat knew personally.

I crouched down and went through Dunce’s pockets and as expected they were empty. No surprise there. Hopeful, I looked at his hands. They were bare too.

Tsk, This idiot probably got himself mugged.

Dunce was one to always brag about everything he owned that was over five figures, especially his prized ring. Apparently It was owned by Tyrus Cobb, whoever that is. Do I believe it? Maybe. But when someone like Dunce who always talks about it, it must be worth something.

Looking out towards the street I looked for anyone suspicious but due to the heavy rain all I saw was the light from the street lights.

Lifting the radio to my mouth, I whispered.

“Rob… we got a problem”

“What’now Rowan! I'm in the middle of something!”

“Dunce is out”

Rob didn’t respond. The walkie-talkie was still open on his end since I could hear men grunting in the background.

“Watch both sides then” he said, before cutting off.

Hearing it shut off I looked at the walkie-talkie. Did he seriously turn it off? I better be paid double.

I quickly walked back to Dunce’s body and gently placed it onto the ground, where I then dragged him behind a nearby dumpster. This way, nobody would be able to see it until Rob sends someone to retrieve it.

With that done I started my way back…the things I have to do for money is just outrageous.