Smooth Criminals

John and I were in one of Chris's spare bedrooms looking at Kishaya, who was now bound to a chair with her arms and feet tied back. John stood next to me with his arms crossed looking at her. I had my hands on my hips. We were both just staring at her.

Her eyes went from me to John and back to me. "Is this really necessary?"

"Yes," John said, "because if we just let you run around free, you'd probably just end up running off and that would compromise our plan."

"So," she said, "are you two more than partners in crime?"

We both hesitated and looked at each other. "No, I said. We are just partners in crime at the moment."

"Yes," Johnny said looking at me, "at the moment."

Kishaya looked at the both of us. Her eyes fell on me. I looked back at her. "What about you and Michael? You seem like you two really hit it off when we were in the car."

I rolled my eyes. "For right now, Michael is also just my partner in crime."

"Then how do you explain that kiss in the car and in the field?" she said.

Johnny shot me a look of jealousy and worry. "What?"

I looked at Kishaya. "You little rat."

She gave me a devilish grin. Johnny continued staring at me. "Two kisses? Jesus, you just met the man!"

I looked at Johnny. "Why does it matter?"

He retreated and looked at Kishaya and then back at me. Kishaya looked up at me. "Maybe it's because he wants to be more than your partner in crime." She said biting her lower lip.

Johnny turned to her and shot a finger at her. "You just shut up, you dirty whore!"

"Johnny," I said putting my hand on his shoulder. "Just relax and go out with the boys."

Johnny continued staring at Kishaya and slowly dropped his hand and looked at me. He nodded slowly. "Alright." He paused for a moment. "I'm sorry." He took one more look at Kishaya and then quickly walked out of the room leaving me with Kishaya. I watched him leave and then turned towards Kishaya.

She raised her eyebrows. "Looks like you are a maneater up in this place."

I rolled my eyes. "Look, we're keeping you in here until we know that Frank knows we took you."

"Don't you think you've pissed Frank off enough? I mean, you burnt down his restaurant and you stole me. I mean, come on, do you really have to keep me here?"

I nodded. "Yes, we're gonna keep you here until we don't need you any more."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Can I get a glass of water or something?"

"Why, are you that thirsty that you absolutely need something to drink?"

"Bitch," she said under her breath.

"Call me what you like, but that's not going to make me get you anything."

"Look," she said, "unbelievably, I respect you. I truly do. But I don't respect the other guys you're working with. I like you. You have some pretty big guts to be running around the streets dressed up as a man doing criminal work. I respect that, and I also respect the fact that you're going to eventually end up being some big criminal with these guys. But I don't like the fact you're enemies with Frank."

"Why is that?" I asked.

She took in a deep breath. "Well, Frank is one of those guys that you don't get in the way of. And you just got in the way of him."

I squinted my eyes. "Why are you associated with him?"

She laughed nervously. "Why am I associated with him?" She laughed again. "I'm associated with him because if I wasn't, he'd kill me. And besides, I like being with him. He lets me do bad things to and with him." She said laughing again.

I blinked a few times and raised my eyebrows. "Alright."

"Chris told you about me, didn't he?"

I nodded my head casually. "He did mention that you pulled a knife on him after you got him down to his underwear."

She laughed a little and looked down at her lap. It was quiet for a few seconds and then she looked back up at me. "I like to play games."

I gave a sort of disgusted look. "So I've realized."

"I wanted to see if he was as risky as he showed to be," she said.

I tilted my head. "And you pulled a knife on him?"

She smiled. "I like using knives."

I rolled my eyes again. "Alright, well, I'm going to leave you here and go do what I have to do."

I grabbed a piece of cloth that Johnny left from off of the floor and went over to Kishaya. I quickly placed it over her mouth and partially in her mouth. I tied it around her head tightly. I smiled and looked at her.

"Have fun," I said. I walked towards the door and flicked the switch on the wall and the lights turned off, except for one lamp in the corner. I took one last look at her and smiled. She frowned at me and gave me a dirty glare. I shrugged it off and shut the door behind me as I left the room.

I made my way out of the house to the front yard. The outside light was on and it was the brightest thing in the darkness of the night. I looked around for the men and I heard their faint voices coming from inside the garage. I made my way casually to the garage. The light outside of the white building shown on me as I entered the garage through the side door since the main door was not open.

The men were laughing. I stood in the doorway looking at them as they hoovered over some large piece of metal. Michael was in his white suit and hat again with the blue undershirt. His jacket was hanging on the chair he was sitting on. Michael looked up at me and stopped laughing. He continued smiling. I smiled back at him. I looked at the piece of metal and realized it was a gun.

"What's wrong with it?" I asked nodding towards the gun.

Johnny and Chris both looked up at me. "What makes you think something is wrong with it?" Chris asked.

"Well," I said moving closer. "You have it in several different pieces and I can tell that one part of it is bent, so I was just wondering the exact details of how it's broken."

Johnny laughed a little. "Why would you care?"

I looked at him. That's one reason I don't like him as much, he's arrogant. "Because maybe I could help fix it."

Michael looked up at me. "What do you know about guns?" he asked seriously.

I gave a crooked smile. "More than most girls would."

Michael smiled more. "Well, maybe you could help us."

Chris looked up at me. "You are a mystery, woman."

I smiled more and walked over to the gun. I looked it over once. I could tell what it was and what was wrong with it just by looking at it.

"Just a simple AK-47, is it not?" I asked.

"Yes," Michael said looking at me.

I looked a piece of it and picked it up. I grabbed a spring that went with it and rolled it around in my fingers. I nodded thoughtfully. I held it out to Michael so he could see it.

"This spring," I said, "it's wound too tight and therefore when you shoot, it'll make the bullet go 10 degrees off to the right while it's in the air."

"Damn," Chris said.

"Incredible," Michael said.

"You cheat," Johnny said.

Michael looked over at him. "How would she 'cheat'?"

"She probably heard us talking about how the bullet would go the wrong way and now she's just making it up," Johnny said.

"Well, lets see," Michael said. He picked up a pair of pliers and loosened the spring. He quickly put the gun back together after doing so. He loaded it up with some bullets and turned around and pointed it towards a flower pot that was sitting on a shelf on the wall. He aimed his shot and he pulled the trigger. In an instant, the pot exploded and dirt fell to the ground. I smiled at the result of my intellect.

"Ah, come on," Chris said. "I just planted those flowers."

Michael set the gun down and looked at me with a smile. He turned to Johnny and frowned. "What's your problem tonight, man? You're treating everyone terribly. Get it together." He paused. "I think you owe someone an apology." He said nodding towards me.

Johnny's eyes came up to me. He leaned back in his chair. "I'm sorry." He leaned forward again. He looked at Michael. "I'm gonna go to sleep. Big day tomorrow." He said as he got up and walked out of the garage. I watched him leave and thought to myself that he was slipping down my scale from a 9 to a 7. He was becoming really jealous.

Michael looked at me and sort of read my mind. "He's feeling pretty left out since you came. He feels like you're taking his place."

"Do you feel that way?" I asked.

Michael smiled. "No. The only place you're taking is the empty place in my heart."

I smiled. "That was really corny."

He shrugged. "I know, but it's true."

Chris yawned and then stood up and stretched. "Well, I'm gonna go and sleep. See ya guys, I mean well, I'll see ya tomorrow." He walked out of the garage leaving me alone with Michael.

I looked over at Michael. "Do you think Johnny will ever accept me?"

Michael smiled. "Johnny accepted you from the very minute you showed us to you. He just doesn't accept the fact that I may be winning you over before he did." Michael's smile faded a little. "Plus, he's just really stressed about getting Frank."

I nodded. "I see."

Michael leaned on the table and looked at me. I looked at him. "So, when would you be willing to let me reveal myself?"

Michael shrugged. "Whenever you want, I'll be ready to help."

I nodded. "Would it be easier if I did it before or after we took down Frank?"

Michael licked his lips. "Probably before."

I nodded again. "Lets do it tomorrow."

Michael tilted his hat back. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," I said leaning on the table, closer to him. "The sooner the better, right?"

He smiled. "I don't understand you. You are a complete mystery, but that's why I like you."

I smiled. "Maybe you'll get to know me."

He smiled. "Hopefully, I will."