The Wheelman
A look of shocked bewilderment shot across Ike’s face.“Whaddaya mean I don’t get a mask!?” he sneered as he quickly twisted his shoulders to look toward the back seat.
“The wheelman never wears a mask” growled Blade through his teeth, clinched tight on one side.
Ike’s mind scrambled frantically for something he could say……some incontrovertible argument. One look into Blade’s cold grey eyes told him though that it was no good. He wasn’t going to get a mask.
A deep dread of the next four and a half minutes took hold as he began to see flashes of fates that could await a maskless wheelman. He shuddered a bit and tightened his grip on the wheel. The wheel was his job today. He glanced out the car window down the street. It was cloudy but, at least the roads are dry he thought to himself. Thank God the roads are dry.
Blade leaned forward from the back seat to give final instructions. His men all tilted their heads inward to listen.
In a low deliberate tone Blade spoke……
“OK, here it is. We got 4 minutes 21 to get this payday done. Put you masks on before we get outta the car. There’s cameras in front. The rest goes just like we planned. Got it?”
Everyone gave Blade one nod in unison. They were all nervous but, as Blade’s crew, they were set.
“ Ben! Start time when………..and ONLY WHEN!…… I slam the door shut.”
Blade was a meticulous planner - he was especially obsessed with timing. He often told the story of how one cell mate of his would have gotten away with 160 thousand if he had only pulled the rope tied around the bank manger’s potted fichus 3 second sooner.
“Three seconds! 160 G’s!!” he’d always yell, wide eyed, after recounting the tale.
Blade always planned his jobs to the second.
Startled, as if he had suddenly been jarred awake at 3 AM by a rat scurrying across his bed, Ben choked as his eyes slammed wide open. Stretching in his seat he cocked his hand up to check his watch. He gave a slight gasp when it wasn’t on his wrist. All he saw was the faint tanned outline of where it should have been. Panicked Ben started searching, trying not to show the crew the sudden fear he was feeling.
“Whatssa matter!?” Blade hissed.
“My watch – I, I…..wait……”
“Jesus H. You did bring yur watch right? I said RIGHT?!” Blade boomed.
Ben was frantically patting each of his pockets one after the other looking for this key piece of equipment.
You are the time man on this job! How can you NOT have yur watch!?” Demanded Blade.
“I dunno Blade!. I, uhhhh………”
Ben was now sweating profusely. Ike reached back into the seat beside Ben.
“Here it is” he said as he pulled the missing watch out of the folds of Ben’s jacket.
Blade shot a look of angered frustration at Ben.
Ike had seen that same look before when he had watched Blade try and make flower shaped marzipan for his girlfriend but could not get the roses to come out right. Ike also knew the look meant Blade’s fuse was burning perilously close to the powder too.
Blade, through a pained face, gathered his composure a bit. “Alright, we got the watch. NOW, let’s get this gig goin. Check yer ammo.”
“Ammo Blade? Uh, but…………….”
“We got the guns right?! Tell me somebody we got the guns!”
“We got ‘em Blade. They’re in the trunk . Here, here’s the key Blade.”
Blade snatched the key from Jake and stared at it a moment.
“These are Dodge keys Jake.”
“Yeah yeah. Dodge. That’s what I drive Blade. A Dodge.”
“Uh, gee Jake. Did we, uh, drive your car today or mine Jake?” asked Blade straining to maintain what little grip he had left on his anger.
Jake looked around to confirm his answer before he spoke.
“Uh, we drove your car Blade.”
Jake still hadn’t grasped the significance of this situation and Blade was about to erupt.
Just then there was a tap on the window.
The crew jumped in their seats.
Ike jerked his head around to a familiar face looking in.
“Hey Ike! How ya doing there Sport!”
It was Ike’s Chiropractor Jim.
This event confirmed Ike’s earlier opinion. He now knew, more than ever, that he should have had a mask. Every wheelman needs a mask he thought.
He decided not to mention this to Blade just now though. It would be poor timing.
posted by Knot @ 7:01 PM
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