Chapter 2

The train was humming faultily as it sped down the old rails that early morning. Valeria sat crossed legged, the baby bundled and tucked by her side, Pete stood beside her, his eyes everywhere and his hands clutching his Colt M1991 handgun as inconspicuously as he could, Nick sat by the window, going through his phone with practiced ease with his hands rested on the handle of his pistol. The train was relatively quiet, three passengers were discussing a little excitedly and two couples were making out with abandon next to Valeria, the boy looking too eager she was almost sure he could just ejaculate right in his pants. The stolen baby laid noiselessly, too quiet for the trio's liking, playing with the string of bead he had ripped off Valeria's neck during the night. Valeria had taken it back, fumed and almost pinched the baby in annoyance but Pete had ordered she give it back if it kept the tiny thing from crying and that's how Valeria lost her 1843 pure oakwood carved bead, a jewerly she had stolen from China and was worth over a thousand dollars in the black market to the baby reluctantly. It was one of her favourite jewelries, she had one for every operation. She didn't like to call them good luck charms, no, that was too dramatic, it was imply a set she loved to wear whenever she wanted to. It was simple infact, while the others sold their loot, she led them "cool" for a few years and then wore them with pride. She owned sixteen different heirlooms from sixteen different countries and still counting. Valeria was still deep in thought when Pete bowed slightly and tapped her on the shoulder, a small frown on his face. "Pick the boy up, no mother leaves their child for that long, people are beginning to stare" he whispered lowly into her ears. "I remember telling you I'm not ready to baby sit, Pete" she whispered back, equally as low and with a wide fake smile. "Just for the ride" "You do it, you're the father after all" she grinned lovingly. " Pick the child up Vee, now" Pete murmured sternly to her, giving her his signature cold stare. Valeria resisted the urge to roll her eyes and instead picked up the child, laying him on her crossed leg and going back to her phone, the ride was very uncomfortable and she couldn't wait to come down and breathe in air that wasn't contaminated with sweaty bodies and cigarette. A woman sitting across her gave her an odd look, looking at her and no doubt wondering why she left the baby laying uncomfortably across her crossed legs. Valeria sighed and she finally gave in, rolled her eyes and tucked the baby in the crook of her arm, raising her brows at the nosey lady. The two hours ride passed without any hassle, safe for a little quarrel between a couple about who would be paying for the rent the following year and why they had to. It was midday when the trio alighted at the subway, packing their over loaded bags and baby stroller and making their way to the exit. It was a very busy station and many people went about, buying and selling at the entrance and calling out to relatives that had come to pick them up. As Valeria, Nick and Pete entered the city of California, their first stop was at the rental where they bought an old beat up Ford Ranchero in a dull grey color, trying as much as possible to avoid an remarkable thing that would draw extra attention to them, they also bought a thrift baby stroller that looked old enough for the trash can and eah got a new cellphone just for show as thy were sure every adult had one and they knew it would be off if they appeared without any. They cashed all the stolen debit cards they had picked through their journey from Washington DC to California that morning, Nick expertly cashed it at the closest ATM to the train station, making sure he had a baseball cap on and a pair of contacts before they all drove, heading to the residential layouts. Valeria pushed the bay stroller slowly down the aisle of the understocked mall, an elderly woman no less than fifty five years manned the cash register, mumbling to herself and smiling at the baby Valeria pushed at intervals. The older woman stood at behind the counter, her attion more on the small TV above her than on who was actually shopping in the mall or not. Nick stood by the door of the mall, beside the security personnel with a washed baseball cap and worn out uniforms, handling a baton that needed replacement months ago, he was tactically engaging the man in all manner of topics from football to basket ball to women and boob sizes. He was the driver and he didn't want to be insode the mall anyways Pete strolled behind Valeria, a fake smile on his face as Valeria made a show of deciding what to buy for the baby when in actuality she had no idea what the boy needed to start with. Baby stores irritated her and she knew exactly why. "You have no idea what you're doing do you?" He asked with a mocking laugh."Right?" Pete whispered with a smile to her. "Fuck you Pete" she smiled back and went on, searching the shelves as if she had a single clue what to get. "Let me help you baby girl, the baby will eat first, he's looking hungry already and he'll need a change of diapers unless you want to wash baby poop, then change of clothes, some toys, hopefully he'll leave your Chinese charm bead alone" Pete suggested with a smirk. "We'll have to think another disguise Pete, I already good you, I am not ready to do this" "You don't have a choice sweetheart" he replied with a stare that always didn't fail to chill her to the bones. Valeria fumed inwardly and continued down the aisle, throwing in diapers, blankets and tiny shoes that made her want to giggle at their smallness. Pete strolled behind, in his usual brooding nature, picking a few other necessities as they passed. On the second aisle, a teenage boy goes into a heated conversation with an Asian cop, the man asks him series of questions which he at some point bluntly refused to answer and goes on a feat of knowing his rights and demanding to go to court first before giving anymore answers to his interrogative questions. The police made a grab at the teenager and demanded to search his duffel bag which the boy reluctantly complied, drawing the attention of some other customers who crowded about and pulled out their cellphones. "Racist mother fucker" the teenage boy snapped as the cop dumped his bag content on the floor. "You dumb fucks act out and just then pins it on race, very smooth" the cop replied and continues to rummage through his duffel bag. Many cameras are already flashing and many customers in the mall and making a live video out of the whole scene. Pete looks at the scene and sighs in irritation, "Let's leave" Pete said, uncomfortable with the cameras flashing all over the mall. "We have everything? What about the food?' Valeria asked. "Let's go, we'll get everything elsewhere" he said, nodding to the crowd slowly gathering on the second aisle. Valeria cursed under her breathe, moving her wig over her face and looking down like she was playing with the baby, the duo queitly left the mall, went to the car and was joined by Nick who quickly left the door man as soon as he saw Pete and Valeria emerge from the mall, he jogged to the car and entered just as Pete started the car before they drove out of the Mall's parking lot. "What's up? We're done?" Nick asked as he took his seat behind. "There was a frenzy in there" Valeria replied "With the social media addiction, our faces would have been everywhere in the country in a short time" "Damn" Nick cursed and looked back at the mall which was now filled with a horde of people. "Can we get to the hotel, I'm ready to pass out" Nick complained as he took out a banana and shoved it in his mouth, eating away greedily. "Change of plans, we're not going to the hotel" Pete replied as he took a turn by the left. "What?" Valeria and Nick asked in unison. "I am ready to pass out from exhaustion, I don't know about you guys" Valeria stated with a frown. "We've had no sleep for at least 48 hours, Pete, with the whole playing house servant, the operation and the train, my soul is asleep I swear, what's left is my body" Nick agreed. "Calm down pussies, I said we're not going to the hotel no more, let's get a house" Pete decided and stepped on the brakes. "Take the wheels Nick, you know how inahte driving" he says and opens the car door, he comes down and Nick takes the driver's seat. "A house?" Valeria asked in disbelief. "Yeap, it's cheaper and we'll be away from too many eyes" Pete replied The apartment building was a block of flats situated at the outskirts of the city, not too far from the noise yet not close enough for the police to get to in a blink, that was one of the driving forces of Pete's decision. Three storeys of two and three bedroom flats stood, with a parking lot the size of a whole football field, a security post stationed outside the apartment and another at the lobby where many people went about, in and out of the building. Two elevators lined the right side of the lobby, opposite another four on the left, one seemingly faulty from how no one seemed to come out of it. Pete stood at the entrance, his eyes surveying carefully the characters that left and entered the building, all seemed like college students, low income earners and single moms with a meager salary. Pete decided that no one of significance resided in the apartment building and if they did, they did not show up on a Tuesday morning in the lobby, meaning they didn't live so much in the building and so they would be relatively saved from prying eyes of the prominent who may by some twist of fate know the baby or recognize them despite their masked operations so far. The home on the site were either too damn expensive or too rundown to be remotely comfortable and although the trio had done a job under worse conditions, they needed a decent place to stay knowing fully well it would take a couple of weeks to finish the job. They couldn't bare to stay in a space ridden with rats and without flowing water. A hotel had been their plan once they arrived the city but as as Pete thought on it, it simply made more sense more sense to get a home instead. There was after all a baby and it wasn't a very common sight to see a couple with a brother in-law and a baby staying in a hotel for weeks, considering that the news would no doubt be spreading in about 48 hours, he knew everyone would be on the look out for a pair with a child or something like that. He figured that if she settled in a home, they could blend into the crowd and cause less stir. Pete nodded at Nick who took the luggage, plastered a bored look on his face and followed Pete and Valeria to the security post. A middle aged blonde man with reading glasses looked at them from inside the post. "Welcome to Oak Homes, how may I help you?" He said with an easy tone, a smile on his lips already. "We were wondering if we could get a flat here" Pete volunteered. "Do you have a contract with our agents?" He asked politely. "There's the thing, my wife and I just got into the State, we were hoping if we could save some money from getting hotels and instead just get a place at once" Pete explained. "I'd really love to help but I'm afraid if you haven't met our agents we can not proceed" the mn said with a sympathic glance at Valeria and the baby. "Here's a card, reach them now and I'm sure a contract will be drafted up in less than 48hours" Pete took the card, looked at it for six seconds and then stuffed it in his breast pocket. "Thank you sir" he said and led Valeria gently to the entrance. "There's a hotel a block away, I'm sure you could get a room for little, just tell them Rogers sent you, I'll call them to tell them you're coming" the man called out as they towed their heavy luggages out. "Of course, thank you so much" Pete replied with smile. "So sorry I couldn't help" "Thank you" Valeria called out and they all strode out of the lobby to the July sun. "What's next Mr. Genius?" Nick asked with a deep frown as he carted the luggages and loaded them behind the truck again. "Let's check out the hotel, even for the night. The baby is asleep and frankly I'm tired of this whole stupid dress" Valeria added "You should never ever take a recommendation of a hotel anywhere. First, it's always shitty and second, you never know who'll come asking questions" Pete stated as he entered the drivers seat and dumped his Colt handgun in the glove compartment. "So...." Valeria asked a little impatiently. "I get that we need to sleep and all__" Pete began. "You think?" Nick retorted "I'm tired too guys" Pete reasoned with a glance at them both. "My point exactly!" Nick replied exasperatedly. Pete casted him a reprimanding look and went on. "Let's secure a place, a baby and two grown men in any hotel will rouse more than necessary attention. Don't forget this is still fresh news and the cops everywhere is eager to get promotion with this sort of case" "So what's the deal? Sleep on the road again?" Valeria asked "Fuck no!" Nick decided quickly and made to open the door and exit the vehicle. "Relax, we're not doing that again. The big needs and place to sleep, change of clothes, food and whatever else and I don't think you can manage that in the car" Pete said. "Don't you mean we can't manage it? This baby isn't my responsibility alone! And if be happy to have my arm back please" Valeria stated and dropped the baby dramatically on.m Pete's laps, flexing her arms and looking out the window. Pete took hold of the baby who had woken and began wailing loudly, he passed the boy to Nick behind and started the car. "We're all in this" he stated "Great, how did we decide this?" Nick asked with a grimace as the baby continued his fit. "Don't be a sissy, we've done better jobs" Pete said. "With rifles and masks, not a freaking baby" Nick shot back with a glare. "This is better pay, and it's only a few weeks tops" "Better be" Nick grumbled and rocked the baby awkwardly. "Why don't you feed the baby" Nick asked and looked at Valeria from the rearview mirror. Valeria simply flipped him the finger and looked ahead. "I doubt those boobs were made for a baby" Pete said with a suggestive wink at Valeria. "Real funny guys" she said dryly. "Have you spoken with Tommy yet?" Nick asked. "The old man is being extra careful, doesn't want to get any of this rubbed on him, he insists we speak only after a couple of days" Pete replied. "Smart prick" Nick says. "Yeah, he doesn't want the stain at all" Pete agreed. "I hopefully it's all worth it, us doing the dirty work for him" "Oh, I bet you it is, it's not the money as much as the deal he's cutting out for us" "Yeah, the stack" Nick stated. "Damn right! It's the stack and believe me it's a rare deal, I had to be sure he could actually pull it off before agreeing to this" Nick nodded, sure that Pete knew exactly what he was doing. Truth is, he always did and he and Valeria always left the details and schemes to him, only showing up for what they called the field work. Pete was the master of planning and it always panned out just fine. They had just finished a gig at Toronto two days ago, the cash from the job still untouched when Pete had said he had a job that was far better than what they had planned next. At first, Valeria had been a little hesitant, afrer all, their next gig involved gold and priced paintings and these were things that Valeria valued almost above every and anything else.