“Check that car, will ya?” Kyle yawned, pointing towards an old sudan. I yanked at the front door and it creaked open.
“Open.” I mused, of course it was, I doubt even the owners cared about this old piece of junk.
Hands in pockets, he walked toward me, “Finally. Get in, were getting out of this s*** neighborhood.”
Same routine every time, I found the car, he started it, we drove. I slid into the passengers seat and pulled my backpack onto my lap. He didn’t even have to ask anymore, I knew exactly what to give to him and when. All it took was about 10 minutes of wire cutting and panel moving, and the car sputtered to life. He turned to me and grinned, that same old smug grin. I fell for it every time. I could just make out his green eyes looking proudly toward me in the shadows of that fall night.
We sped away, taking side streets and alleyways, we could never go long without checking our backs. It was tiring, but god, it was worth it. I watched his profile, lighting up in the passing streetlights. His subtle smirks, his deep cheekbones that became hollow in the shadows, the outline of his dark eyebrows. We drove until the houses became more and more worn down. The paint on the houses looked weathered and chipped, and the roofs were sunken with loose panels.
“Looks like the kind of neighborhood that can’t afford to lock their doors.” Kyle cooed, winking at me. I couldn’t help but feel a bit, but the adrenaline pulsing through my veins pushed those thoughts away with ease. We both hopped out of the car, throwing our backpacks over our shoulders.
“Shall we?” I smirked, reaching out my hand toward his.
“Let’s.” He grabbed my hand.
We walked hand in hand, up to the first house on the block, it had wooden boards nailed over the windows, and the front yard was riddled with overgrown weeds.
“It doesn’t look like anyone even lives here anymore,” I whispered.
“Doesn’t mean there won’t be anything good inside.” I could hear the smirk in his raspy voice.
“Alright, I’ll get the back door.” I moved silently around the side of the house, checking every window to see if I could get a peek inside. The place didn’t even look worth it. The backyard was filled with empty 40’s and garbage intertwined in the forest of dead plants and weeds. I slung my backpack around my shoulder, pulling out a set of metal instruments from the front pocket. It took about 30 seconds before I was able to jimmy the lock open. I grinned, it’s like they were asking to be robbed.
I stepped in quietly, moving across the creaking floorboards with as much ease as possible. I saw Kyle through the dusty hallway, all that illuminated his outline was the moonlight pouring in through cracks in the roof. I grabbed his arm and pointed to the deteriorating ceiling. It was rare when Portland wasn’t pouring rain, meaning these floors would be withered from water damage. He nodded, turning on his small hand light.
“Five minutes,” he whispered walking towards a closed door to our left.
I checked my wrist quickly, 2:27 am, it read. I scoured the living room, or what I suspected was the living room. It was littered with torn newspapers and magazines. A grungy couch sat in the corner,  I wouldn’t have sat on that thing if I was payed to. Nothing of interest in the first room, I moved towards the kitchen and began opening the cabinets. Cans of soup and fruits filled the pantry, all covered completely under a layer of dust. “This is pointless.” I muttered to myself, opening drawers as quickly as I could. I opened the freezer, sometimes we got lucky and found a bottle or two, but today didn’t look like it was one of those days.
I met Kyle back by the front door, shaking my head.
“All they have is f***ing cans of fruit,” I muttered.
He shrugged, “Yeah whatever at least we tried,” He stared distantly past me. “Did you check the fridge?”
“Yes, there’s nothing,” I motioned to the door, “Lets go. This place was too easy anyway, lets go have some real fun.”

“So we left.” I shrugged, leaning back in my chair, staring straight ahead.
“After that where did you go?” He stared at me, bags under his eyes.
“We went home,” I said, raising my eyebrows. “Kyle can vouch for that.” I flashed a knowing smile, staring straight at him now.
“Kyle won’t be vouching for anything, he’s a suspect just as you are.” He was on edge, I could feel his bouncing leg shake the table.
I squinted at his chest, “So, umm Officer Bailey, that’s what that says right?”
“It’s Detective.” He glared.
“Oookay, Detective.” I nodded, grinning. “Is this a bit early for you? Cause I know I’m absolutely exhausted, maybe we start this back up tomorrow? When you’re good and ready of course.” I smiled sweetly, fire in my eyes. I could feel his rage boiling down on me.
“Alexis, this isn’t-”
“I prefer Alex, Detective.” I cut in, shrugging.
“Alexis, there are six bodies standing between my respect for you. And that boy that you two kidnapped, that boy will die,” he stopped, glaring into me, “Look, we can cut you some sort of deal if you just compromise. Kyle will have no idea that you compromised. Just help us out and we’ll help you.”
I laughed, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I stared back out the tinted window behind his head, “And even if I did, Ha, well I wouldn’t tell you a damn thing. ” I grinned again, “You have nothing on us, but suspicion. I don’t mind sitting here for 72 hours, but after that, we’re gone.” I grinned, “And next time? Next time we won’t be coming back.”

“Where to now?” Kyle asked, after our second car came roaring to life.
“Next town over, find a house with something of real value this time.” The adrenaline had cooled down, I needed a boost.
He turned toward me, “Those houses have alarms, Alex. We can’t afford to get caught right now. Not with all…” He trailed off, staring into the vacant night.
“Babyyy come on, pleeasee. I want a real challenge.” I pouted, “Come on, we’ve gotten into houses like those before, it’s easy. You’re just being paranoid.”
“Yeah, alright.” He shrugged, “You owe me,” He threw me a wink, smiling that devious smile of his.
‘I don’t owe you s***,’ I thought, grinning right back.

“Kyle, you cooperate with us, and this will go smoothly. You don’t? And we wait till your girl Alexis squeals. Which she will.” Detective Sanchez asserted, “The girls always do.” He whispered, a deviant smile creeping up the side of his mouth.
“Alexis?” Kyle mused, “She’s the hardest chick I know. You’re not gonna get s*** out of her.” He leaned back, eyelids low and locked.
“Then what about you? Are you going to help us out, or do more lives have to be cowardly taken?” Sanchez snarled.
“I’m getting pretty thirsty, think I can get a coke or somethin?”
“Water. Here.” He grumbled, throwing him a bottle of lukewarm water as he reached for the door.

“He’s not giving me anything.” Sanchez shook his head, raising an eyebrow.
“Besides a bunch of attitude, she’s not either.” Bailey grunted, finishing his second cup of coffee.
“It has to be them, the profile fits exactly. And that little f***er, he’s just taunting me, I can feel it.” He paced, still shaking his head. “The last house they robbed, where was that again?” He froze, staring at Bailey.
He shuffled through a pile of papers, “Umm, right off of 12th and Davenport.”
“That’s what, 10 minutes away from a police station? How could they not know that? Every step up till now has been perfectly executed. The robberies, the kidnappings, the disposals, it’s all been nearly untraceable until just 4 hours ago. What went wrong??” Sanchez pondered out loud, pacing again.
Bailey shuffled messily through the file again,“Well the alarm seemed to have been triggered from the back door along with the corresponding movement sensor.” He looked up, “Do you think it was stress that caused them to slip up?”
“Stress? No… They’re too experienced to get stressed over that…And they had to have known they set off that initial sensor, so why did it take them so long to get out of the house? They could have been long gone, but they had just left by the time we got there.” Perplexed he stopped pacing, “Bailey, what if they wanted us to catch them? What if that was the plan all along? It fits the profile.” He sputtered.
Bailey readjusted his glasses, “It fits half the profile. The dominant one. They had to have known what they were doing, and the other was just along for what they thought was the usual ride.”
Sanchez’s eyes snapped wide open, “She told you.” He gasped, “In her interrogation she told you what their usual routine was. She takes backdoor, he gets the front door. God dammit she’s still a step ahead.” He raced out, back to the interrogation room where Kyle sat.
“You’re probably starting to wonder how you’re even here. Right? Because from what I know, you two are solid. You know every trick, every step, every loophole. You know it all, you could probably do it with your eyes closed. Yet you, Kyle, are here. How is that? That a team so good, could slip up so badly?” He emphasized. “Unless, she already told you?”  Kyles eyebrows furrowed, yet his eyes were still vacant. “Oh? So she didn’t?”
“What are you talking about?” Kyle growled.
“Alexis, you’re sweet, sweet, darling love turned you two in.” He announced, grinning ear to ear.
Kyle rolled his eyes, “That’s ridiculous.” He hissed with tight lips. “She wouldn’t. Not after all we’ve been through. I was pushing her too hard, she just got nervous.”
“You like to think you’re in control don’t you? Makes it easier, huh? When really, deep down, you know if she said jump, you would say when.” He grinned, “Not only was the back door sensor triggered, the movement sensor was too. She had to have known she triggered them, she’s too good not to. So why didn’t she tell you?”
“Shut up. She wouldn’t do that.” Kyle spat, fire boiling in his skin. “She loves me, were going to get married one day. And it won’t be in a prison cell.”
“How well do you know the one you love then Kyle? Or better yet, does she even love you??” He jeered, playing with fire.
“SHUT UP!” Kyle burst, his face growing red. “She wouldn’t. She loves me. She loves me.” His jaw was clenched tight and his hands were balled so tightly into fists his knuckles grew white.
“Then you tell me, Kyle? Why are you two here?? What is it she has planned??”

“Stop right here, this one looks good.” I said, pulse beginning to race again. This, this would be fun.
“Okay last stop then we need to dispose of, you know, the kid.” Kyle added, uneasily flashing a smug glance.
“Relax baby, I already did it. He was easy to cut up. Tender.” I smirked, watching a grimace flash across Kyle’s face, and then quickly recompose.
“Oh- Okay, well good.” He nodded wearily, lighting up a cigarette between his bony spider fingers.
I creaked the passenger door open. Looking fondly at the black trimmed house sitting behind an entitled white fence. It had perfection behind every door, just waiting for us. Pickets stuck around the fence, preaching political views and warning unwanted visitors of  the intricate security systems lying behind the doors. One by one we hoped over the small metal fence. Walking lightly across the fake grass.
I ran around toward the side of the house, “I got back. See ya soon.” I winked.
“Alex. Be. Careful.” Kyle warned, a stern gaze lay across his face. His eyes looked dead again, I loved it.
“Babe. I always am.”

“That can’t be true.” Kyle shook his head, more to convince himself than anybody else. “Why would she want us to get caught?? That defeats the end pla-” He stopped short of breath, and his eyes grew wide. “This is her end plan.”
The life drained from Sanchez’s face as he rushed out the metal door.

“Alexis I am serious. You tell me where that little boy is, and I make sure we make a good deal.” Bailey demanded.
“You know what? I’m getting tired of this.” I said faking a yawn, “I want to call my lawyer now.” Reaching my hand out towards him.
“There,” He defeatedly sighed, pointing towards the old phone on the wall.
“Look at that, you are good for something.” I threw a smirk over my shoulder and picked up the phone on the wall. I took a deep breathe, Kyle would understand. He wanted this just as much as I did. I breathed out, dialing the number. I had practiced a thousand times, I had to guarantee there were no flaws.
“BAILEY DON’T LET HER MAKE THAT CALL-” Sanchez burst through the door yelling.
I closed my eyes as I pressed call, the cellphone in sole of my boot beginning to vibrate and ring. And then the world went silent.

We jumped back into the running car, heart beats racing, temples pounding.
“Now that was fun.” I smiled rolling down the window as we sped away.
“Yeah it was.” He grinned, leaning back in his seat with one hand over the steering wheel, “You see that macbook I f***in snatched? That s*** is dope as f***.” He pounded his fist on the steering wheel.
“Baby, you know what would be even more fun?” I raised my eyebrow, rubbing his arm.
“What?” He asked, I could hear a sense of caution behind his raspy voice.
“You know those pigs that are always out to get us? Those stupid cops that are the reason we always have to run?” My pulse was beginning to raise again, goosebumps raising atop my arms.
“Yeah, f*** em.” He said, laughing a bit. I could feel the tension raising as I let the silence go on. “But what? What about em’? He questioned finally.
“We should blow up a whole police station. We could make them explode, tons of em.”