28 Prep (1/2)

A few days later we were prepping. Adal had a plan using the rat Ricky had on us. The idea was for this Franky guy to report to Ricky that we were alive, and still running. Through Franky we would feed false info on a run to Ricky, and let the pickup place slip at the last minute.

Ricky was pissed that I got away. Most figured I was dead, but as far as Franky reported to us apparently Ricky wasn't sold on it. He knew I was still alive and wanted my head along with Johnny's, and everyone I loved. If it weren't for the police my family, and Johnny's would have been strung up in the streets.

The four of us gathered around Tony's office desk discussing the plan. Three of us sat while Nate stood giving details.

”Once Ricky knows it's a trap he will leave. You two won't even be at the drop point. You'll be down the road to intercept Ricky when he runs. You'll need a car, and I can secure that for you. You'll need some new guns, and with Adal's connections in the force we can get that. The car I hand you will be stolen, so gloves and a mask at all times in that car. We don't need your DNA being traced in it.”

From a pocket inside his canvas jacket Nate produced a few pictures of a car I remembered clearly. The same black Charger that ran me off the road in North Dakota. A hot spike of anger slammed into my chest when I realized.

”This is what his car looks like. Plate numbers are here too.”

”I don't need the plates. That's the car that ran me off the road. I won't forget.”

Nate gave me a nod, and slid the pictures over to Johnny.

”This whole thing is personal, but try to keep a cool head. We pull this off and then we all disappear. Know where you are going ahead of time got it?”

We all exchanged looks before I turned to Adal.

”All of us are leaving? What are you doing?”

Adalwolf shrugged and leaned back in his chair. He looked serious now. Not the usual dangerously amused type he carried.

”I was never cut out for this. My father was, but he and I are different people. We do this, and I'm leaving too. Same for Nate. The cops have nothing on you two so you don't have to worry about them, but Nate and I need to go underground for a while. You two just need to put distance between you and this town for a while.”

Nate agreed and leaned over the desk getting serious with us.

”Tell your parents you're taking a vacation or something. Doing some destressing after all the shit you've been through. Adal's people on the force will expedite any questioning, and you should be out of here a few days after this job. Do not come back to this town until either me, or Adal tell you it's safe.”

”Oh, so you guys are going to keep in contact with us?”

Johnny asked genuinely surprised. Adalwolf answered him with a pained grin.

”Sadly, I've grown attached to you two. This job could have far reaching consequences, and while I plan to stay far away from the drug game I will watch Ricky's empire to make sure we are clear. From here on out the four of us are tied by this. We all have a stake.”

Nate picked up two briefcases and sat them on the table. He pushed one to me and the second one to Johnny.

”I'm sorry I couldn't get more on such short notice, but after paying hush money to those I needed to I've found myself low on funds.”

Adal was genuinely sorry. We opened them up, and found more than enough money. Enough to live off comfortably for a year maybe more if we kept our spending low-key.

”To tide you guys over till you get on your feet wherever you go. I would suggest rounding up whatever you had left over from your other jobs before leaving.”

I looked to both Nate and Adal before closing the case and sitting it beside me.

”What are you two going to do? I mean our only connection to this is Ricky. When he dies we can get off scot free if we play our hand right. You guys have been in this a lot longer than us.”

Nate and Adal both exchanged glances before slyly smiling.

”For both of us this was a job we never wanted. We always hoped to get out and acted accordingly for most of our time in it.”

Adal stood up straight explaining with a rather satisfied smile on his face.

”Obviously my real name is not Adalwolf. No one I have ever worked with has known my real name. My real identity has never been on display. My hair isn't even blonde. I keep it dyed. Nate's real name isn't Nate, and he had a full fake identity put in place before my father hired him. It was one of Nate's stipulations.”

I nodded slowly impressed by the amount of careful thought they both put in, and then was promptly embarrassed by the fact that I had joined this on a whim.

”Well uh... What are your real names then? If you don't mind me asking.”

Johnny paused scratching the back of his head. He needed to see a hair dresser badly. His undercut was growing out, and starting to look a bit odd.

”I mean we are all tied now like you said.”

Adal laughed deeply and nodded to him.

”Sure Johnny. My real name is Kirin Petrov. Nate?”

He looked to Nate as if to ask if he would share. Nate shrugged sucking in a breath.

”My real name is Nathan Chambers. Guess my name wasn't as well hidden as Kirin's.”

Kirin smiled warmly and laughed again.

”Well I had time to come up with mine. Yours was just on a whim.”

He turned back to Johnny and I still smiling.

”Also, my true hair color is auburn. In case you wanted to know. Feels good to have it out there. Honestly I haven't heard my real name in years.”

I looked back and forth between the both of them. Neither of them really seemed like the same people I had started this little adventure with. Then again Neither I nor Johnny were the same. Johnny had a much deeper sense of responsibility after this. Between taking care of his family, and watching my back in the heat of things he seemed to have grown a lot. A far cry from the high school burnout I use to know.

I wasn't sure how much I changed. It's harder to gage your own growth like that. I felt more focused than when I started. I definitely felt less depressed, but I couldn't tell if that was just because trying to stay one step ahead of death makes stuff like that seem a bit trivial or not.

We all seemed different. We all wanted to be better. When all my friends left me in this God forsaken town in the middle of bum fuck Iowa I thought I'd be alone. I thought the only person I would have to hang around with was Johnny, and I never thought he and I would get that close.