When a master thief is offered a promotion that requires murder, his survival depends on which weapon he picks up.
The Vacation Planner
Fingers Cerano knew the score. He could bypass any home alarm system with his eyes closed. He’d be in and out in fifteen minutes. Forty percent went to Nick Ruzzitti and Fingers kept the rest. Life was good until Nick wanted to talk to him.
“Fingers, I like you. You don’t cheat me. I want to bring you in tighter into my organization. But, first you got to go through initiation.”
“What is it, Nick? I’ll do anything you want me to do.” As soon as the words left Finger’s mouth, he knew he made a mistake. You never give Nick Ruzzitti that gift.
Fingers waited. “Fingers, I’m having problems collecting from Harry Stein. I think Harry needs to go on a vacation. You decide where Harry goes. Get back to me.”
Fingers sat in his sedan, the engine idling, watching Stein’s modest suburban house. The lights were out. His specialty was silent entry, bypassing the digital sentries, and stealing valuables while homeowners slept. He had never “sent someone on a vacation.” The weight in his jacket pocket, a generic bus ticket to a border town and a burner phone, felt heavier than any gold watch he’d ever boosted.
Nick was offering a promotion, but the price was a line Fingers had never crossed. If he helped Harry disappear, Nick might find out. If he didn’t, he was rejecting the ‘family.’ He checked the time: 1:15 AM. 15 minutes to decide.