32(S3E10)-The River

32

(Season 3, Episode 10)

The River

Fenton opened his hotel room door to Lana’s grinning face.  She stepped in and he shut the door behind her, his eyes watching her closely.

“Nice digs.”  She said, looking around.

“Indeed.”  Fenton spoke dismissively.  “Do you have it?”

“Of course.”  Lana said, bringing out the necklace.

Fenton snatched it from her and walked to the desk in the corner of the lavish room.  He pulled out a jeweler’s magnifying glass and examined the middle stone.  He smiled as he saw the micro-drive inside the same as when he had first procured the object.

“See, told you I could deliver.”  Lana’s self-gratification reminded Fenton that she was still in the room.

He looked up at her.  “Yes.  Yes indeed, you did.”

“So if you’ll just pay me, I’ll be on my way.”

“Two hours.” Fenton answered, still examining the stone.  “My buyers will be here then and they will be paying me, which will allow me to pay you.”

Lana groaned.  “I hate waiting.”

“A small price to pay.”  Fenton answered, continuing to play with the necklace.  Something did not feel quite right about it.  It looked like the necklace but something about the weight bothered Fenton.

Almost as if on cue, his phone began to ring.  He picked it up, checking the I.D.

The screen read ‘Sidney’.

He stared for a full second then turned to Lana.  “You said you took care of Sidney.”

Lana looked confused.  “I did.  I left her in the bank vault.  The bank would have opened two hours ago. She’s probably sitting in the back of a fed’s car right now.”

“Then why is she calling me?” Fenton asked, his voice even and ice cold.

“What?  That’s not possible.  She didn’t have her phone and-“  Lana was cut off as Fenton raised an irritated finger to silence her.  He turned towards the window and looked out on the city of Akron in the morning sun.  He took a deep breath and pressed the answer button.

“My only regret is that I couldn’t see your face when my number came up on your phone.” Sidney’s snotty voice came through like a nightmare.

“Well, this is confusing.  I have a former associate of yours here who says you should be on your way to prison for attempted bank robbery.”  Fenton tried to keep the rage out of his voice.

He could almost hear her smile.  “It would be rather hard for them to charge me with attempted bank robbery when there was no bank.”

Fenton frowned.  “Excuse me.”

“Put me on speaker.  I want Lana to hear this.”  Sidney said and Fenton hesitated.  “Come on dad.  What do you have to lose?”

Fenton scowled and put the phone on speaker, placing it on the desk in front of himself and Lana.

Sidney’s voice filled the room.  “Hello Lana.  How’s your morning going?”

Lana Frowned.  “Where are you calling us from Sid, the bank vault?”

“There was no bank.”  Sidney answered matter-of-factly.

Lana shook her head.  “I was in the bank with you, and last night I stole the necklace from you.  I locked you in.”

“That building was a bank, they closed that branch one week ago so the building is still basically intact.  I had to get help but the furniture was moved in the night before, the money in the cage is fake.” Sidney explained.

Lana shook her head as if reality had just warped around her.  “But it was fully staffed!  We cased it that morning!”

“Ah, yes.  The people.  You see, Tobias is a very friendly person.  In fact, when I helped him save his business a couple years ago, as well as the jobs of everyone working there, they became rather loyal to him.  Thankfully a couple of them were pretty good actors, too.” Sidney spoke with a special kind of glee in her voice.

“They were all cooks?” Lana said suddenly pale.  “Even the manager?”

“Oh he is a manager.” Sid almost laughed.  “A culinary manager.”

Lana felt sick.  “But, but why would you go through all this to give me the necklace?”

“Because it’s a fake, you twit.” Fenton snapped at Lana.

“Points to daddio,” Sidney said.  “Fake as can be.”

There was a knock at the door and Lana spun around.  “Who is that?!”

“Too early to be the buyers.”  Fenton said to her and to himself.

Of course, Sidney had the answer.  “That is detective Eugene Sellers.  My guess is that the people who would buy such an object are very dangerous people, so Detective Sellers is here to take your statements.  He has agreed to be nice if you tell him about the attempted murder of Tobias as well as everything else you have done.  I doubt your buyers would offer the same.”

Fenton took a deep breath.  “Well Sidney, it seems I have underestimated you.”

“Save it,” Sid’s voice was dark again.  “We’re done.  Go to prison or get yourselves killed.  Your choice. Either way, I win.”

“Indeed.” Fenton said.  “You always were my favorite.”

“You are ten years too late.  Goodbye Fenton.” Sidney hung up.

“What are we going to do?!” Lana was panicking.  “There is no way out of here!”

“No,” Fenton said accepting his fate.  “No, there is not.”

He crossed the room and opened the door.  “Detective Sellers.  Please come in.  My name is Fenton Sanoma and I would like to make a full confession.”

****

“You are ten years too late.  Goodbye Fenton.”  Sidney said before ending the call and placing her phone back into her pocket.

She did so just before walking through the front doors of the hospital, a small gift box in her hand.  The restaurant crew had returned not more than ten minutes after Lana had locked her in the vault to let her out.  They had brought a large flatbed and removed all the furniture they had brought in the night before and were out before the sun came up.

With the job done, her father on his way to either prison or hell.  The energy had drained out of her and was replaced by an all-consuming exhaustion.  She would relish the sleep she would get upon her return to home but she had one last thing to do before the reward of rest.

She had to say goodbye.

She made her way through the sterile halls of the hospital before reaching Tobias’s room.  Sitting on a chair outside the room was Hank.

She had never seen him so broken, his arm in a sling and his broad shoulders drooping low.  He looked up and half smiled at her.  “Hey Sid.”

“You look like shit.”  Sidney gave it to him straight.

“Arm hurts like hell and the sister won’t speak to me.” Hank said shrugging.

“She will, Linda’s not the kind to not forgive her brother.”  Sidney said.

Hank nodded.  “I know, just feel kind of responsible.  I should have stopped him from doing the job in the first place.”

“It’s okay,” Sidney answered.  “I took care of Fenton.  He won’t be bothering anyone anymore.”

“Good.” Linda’s voice snapped both Sidney and Hanks attention as she came out of Tobias’s room and shut the door behind her.

Sidney had a hard time finding the words.  “Linda.  How’s he doing?”

“He’s up and moving.”  Linda explained, her patience still obviously thin.  “He is going to be walking with a cane for the rest of his life.”

Sidney shrugged and tried to joke.  “Well, it will match his suit.”

No one laughed.

“I hope you got some peace out of this.”  Linda said with a very obvious sincerity through her rage.  “So that it was worth something.”

Sidney couldn’t answer.  She felt she had but saying so felt wrong.  Instead she just asked, “May I see him?”

Linda shrugged and stepped to the side.  Sidney walked in and shut the door behind her.

“You are such a hard ass.”  Hank said to his sister as a joke.

“And you’re a jack ass.” Linda growled back.

Hank did not get mad though, instead, he smiled.  It was the first thing she had said to him since the incident.  It meant he could fix this.

Eventually.

****

The door shut behind Sidney and Tobias looked up from sitting on the edge of the bed a cane in his right hand.  “Hey Sid.  So things escalated quickly didn’t they?”

Sidney laughed.  “Yes.  Yes they did.  Why did you do it?”

Tobias shrugged.  “I felt like someone had to.  Apparently I should have let someone else have the honor.”

They both awkwardly chuckled then there was a moment of silence that seemed to last forever.

“I beat him.” Sidney said finally.

“Never a doubt in my mind.”  Tobias answered with a grin.

Sidney sat on the edge of the uncomfortable hospital bed.

“Look, Sid.  I’m always going to be your friend, but I can’t be your partner anymore.” Tobias spoke without looking at her.

She smiled and handed him the box.  “Open it.”

“What is this?” Tobias asked.

“Late wedding gift.” She answered.  “Just open it.”

Tobias opened it.  Inside was a piece of paper forfeiting Sidney’s ownership rights of the restaurant to Tobias.  The other was the original necklace.

“Is this what I think it is?”  Tobias said, lifting the necklace.

Sidney smiled.  “Give it to your wife, it’ll help smooth this over.”

“Are you sure you want to give this to me?”  Tobias said, now referring to the contract.

Sidney stood, getting ready to leave.  “Have a family, run your business and have the life you always wanted.  You deserve it.”

Tobias nodded.  “Thank you.  What are you going to do now?”

Sidney shrugged.  “Let’s face it Bias, you were holding me back.”

Tobias couldn’t help but smile.  “Is that so?”

“I’m going back to the rapids,” She said ignoring him.  “I’m not ready to settle down, yet.”

Tobias smiled.  “Take care of yourself, Sid.”

“Right.  You too Sidney.”  He said and with that Sidney walked out of the room and out of Tobias’s life. As she walked down the hallway, her mouth formed into a bright smile.  She couldn’t help it.  She had always loved a good beginning.

END OF SEASON 3.

 

 

31(S3E9)-The Back Stab

31

(Season 3, Episode 9)

The Back Stab

The doctor read from his clipboard with clinical precision, telling Tobias everything that had happened to him in the last forty-eight hours.  Tobias should have been listening but he wasn’t.  He was staring at the side of his wife’s head while she listened and held his hand.

He had been in and out of consciousness since he had first come out of the coma and his thoughts had been more than a little scrambled but one remained constant.

Why was she still here?

This was the third time he had broken his promise to her; his promise to stop helping Sidney with the crimes she couldn’t seem to stop committing.  She should have walked away, she should have left Tobias to die, but instead she was sitting here holding his hand, listening to every word the doctor said about her useless husband who had gotten himself shot nearly to death on their wedding night.

Linda realized suddenly that Tobias was staring at her and she turned.  “You need to listen to this. It’s important.”

Tobias nodded and turned back to the doctor.  “I’m sorry, doc.  I’m just a little scrambled.”

The doctor nodded.  “Of course, Mr. Snyder.  It’s understandable.  You are lucky to be alive.”

Tobias couldn’t help but gaze back to Linda, then back at the doctor.  “Yeah, I think I am.”

“As I was saying, you will be staying here for a little while.  The bullets hit your spine and there has been some nerve damage.”  The doctor continued.  “As it stands, you will probably never gain full use of your right leg, but we will get you moving again.  I know this isn’t the kind of news most want to hear but-”

“Thank God.” Tobias’ comment of relief interrupted and confused the doctor.  Both Linda and the doctor stared at him and he regretted saying that out loud.

It didn’t change the fact that he was relieved.  There was a dark part of Tobias that could never quite walk away from the crime.  He could blame it on Sidney all he wanted but at the end of the day, he knew he had choose to do these things.  Some part that kept him coming back.

Now it was out of his hands.

Without full mobility of the legs, there was no possible way that he could be a thief.  It was finally over. It was as if the dark part of his soul had taken the bullets in order to let the good half live.  The part that wanted him to be a family man and a chef, got to live.

“I’ll give you guys some time.”  The doctor said and walked out.

Linda thanked him then turned back to Tobias.  They both sat in silence and Tobias could feel the weight of his sin now.  He never wanted to say something so cliché but he felt himself about to begin apologizing and swearing, again, to never again be a thief.

 Linda stopped him before he got started.  “Don’t.”

Tobias stopped talking and stared, waiting for her to finally give up on him and walk away.  It was what he deserved.

She didn’t.  Instead she spoke.  “You have made that promise to many times, don’t make it again.  I’m sick of hearing the words.  Instead of telling me, show me.”

Tobias couldn’t help his actions and he began to cry.  “I’m so sorry, you deserve better.”

“I know.”  She said and lightly touched his cheek.  “It’s up to you to give me better.”

He held her hand so tight, he planned to never let go.

****

Regardless of Sidney’s second sleepless night, she felt good.  She had spent the night working, putting one of the most complicated cons together and she was happy with it.  Since Tobias had been shot she felt lost and alone but for the first time she began to feel like she was just fine without Tobias. Her brain even began to take it one step higher.  With Tobias’ negative attitude, and his constant insufferable reluctance, he had possibly held her back.  Maybe, just maybe, she was capable of so much more.

“This is a good spot.” Lana said, pulling the car into a Wal-Mart parking lot.

It was a little under a mile to the bank but Wal-Marts made the best places to park for a robbery.  They were open twenty four hours and were huge inside so it was hard for a patrolling police officer to be concerned about a car in the lot.

Too many good heists had been spoiled because of a simple thing like parking.  There was nothing that would set a policeman’s radar off faster than a lone car in a parking lot of a closed building. In any kind of heist, the escape was the most important part.

Sidney had no intention of escaping, however.

They parked and hoofed it to the bank, staying away from the road and sidewalks which made the trip twice as long.  They reached the bank which sat eerily in the absolute darkness.  Lana stopped and they watched the building for a good couple of minutes, making sure there were no surprises.

“Okay,” Lana began.  “I use the key on the front door and open it, and you go in after me and get the security code on the inside.  Then we have all night.”

Sidney nodded.  “That is the plan.”

“Okay, let’s do this.”  Lana said and they went to work.

Sidney had to calm her nerves she had never been on this side of the job.  It had always been Tobias.  She couldn’t help her excitement.  They moved quickly across the parking lot, hitting the first door in less than three seconds.  Lana flawlessly slid the key into the door unlocking the deadbolt and swinging the door open.  Sidney passed through the door.

She moved to the alarm panel and punched in the code.  That was that.

They were in.  Lana strolled in with a smile on her face.  “And just like that, we’re going to rob a bank.”

Sidney gave her a hard look.  “Let’s just get this done.”

“Awe, we should savor this.”  Lana purred, leaning on the main counter.  “Want to pop your lesbian cherry on a bank counter?”

Sidney frowned at her.  “The vault.  Let’s go.”

Lana frowned.  “Fine, you are such a party pooper.”

Lana strolled over and they keyed the bank Vault before spinning the giant locking mechanism and pulled the big metal door open.

“Huh, this door is a lot lighter than I thought it would be.” Lana said as it opened.

“Its box thirteen.”  Sidney said walking in ignoring her.

She found the box and opened it, a smile creasing her face as she pulled the necklace out.

Then she heard the click of the hammer.  “You should have taken the fuck.  You could have at least had a little fun before prison.”

Sidney stared down the barrel of Lana’s .45.  “Wow, a gun to the head?  That’s so uncreative.”

“I prefer to think of it as simple and elegant.” Lana said, her smile unwavering.  “Fenton made a better offer.”

“Spare me.”  Sidney scoffed and tossed the necklace to Lana.  “This is why you will never get the good jobs.”

Lana laughed.  “That’s funny, I’m going to make a load on this thing and then I’m going to set up shop in a new town and you are going to be doing 25 years.”

She stepped back and put her hand on the door and pushed it closed.  “Adios Sidney.”

The bank door locked as it shut with Sidney inside.

****

Fenton stared out over the night sky from his top floor room, sipping scotch.  The cliché did not escape Fenton but it didn’t bother him either.  His phone rang and he eyed the number and smiled.

“Do you have it?” He asked.

“Easy peesy,” Lana replied, happily.

“And Sidney?”  He asked.

“I left her locked in the vault waiting for the police in the morning.”  She said.  He could hear her smiling.

“Wonderful, come straight to my hotel.  I’ll text you the address.”  He hung up without giving her a chance to reply.

He quickly thumbed another number.  Two rings and a deep voice with a Russian accent answered. “Hello.”

“I have it.  The deal is back on.  Do you still have the money?”  Fenton asked.

“Of course.”  The voice said.  “Where are you?”

Fenton gave him the hotel’s address and the man spoke one final time.  “We will have someone there in six hours.”

The man hung up.  Fenton finished his scotch and smiled.

It was going to be a good day.

End Episode 31

 

 

 Hy