Smooth Criminals

Michael walked past me and began waking down the sidewalk. John followed after him and gave me a quick smile. My mouth hung open since I didn't know what to do. Should I follow them?

I turned around to look at them as the walked. Michael turned around.

"Are you coming, darling?" he asked.

I quickly gathered myself and moved over to Michael. He started walking by my side. John came over to my other side. Donatello quickly sat up and came walking up in between Michael and I.

"So, what are we doing?" I asked in my real voice.

Michael smiled. "Do you have any friends that know about you?"

I shook my head. "I have friends, but they don't know I'm the Masked Ghost."

Michael stopped walking. The other three of us, including Don, stopped and looked at Michael.

"But do you think they were ever suspicious?" Michael asked in his high pitched voice. even though his voice was calm, I could feel the worry in his tone.

I shrugged. "I couldn't say."

Michael nodded and looked at John. I looked back at John. John looked at me and then back at Michael. I looked back at Michael.

"Are your friends...," he hesitated to look for the word, "important in the society?"

I laughed a little. "Well, they work in a whore house."

Michael smiled "Perfect."

I looked at John and then back at Michael. "What do they have to do with anything?"

Michael tilted his fedora back so I could see his deep brown eyes. A strand of curly black hair fell between his eyes. "Your friends will be suspicious when you aren't at home any more."

"Wait, so I'm not going home again?" I said looking at Michael. I looked back at John and then back towards Michael. "Where do you two even live?"

Michael smiled again. "Well, basically we stay anywhere that the police don't come."

John spoke up. "And one of those places would be a whore house."

I looked at him and back at Michael. I raised my eyebrows. "You live in whore houses?"

Michael smiled. "We aren't like that, Alyssa. Can I call you Alyssa?" I nodded. "We don't sleep with one hundred women. We stay in the basement and we sneak down there most of the time."

I looked back at John. He was smiling. "We'll need to get your friends so that we can make sure they'll keep your secret a secret."

Michael spoke. I looked at him. "Your secret is our secret now. That's why we must keep it a secret."

I nodded. "Okay, then."

Michael looked at me for a second. He creased his forehead. "Which whore house do your friends work at?"

I raised my eyebrows. "The Matrix."

Michael nodded.

"Do you know it?" I asked.

He nodded again. "I've never been in there, but I can guarantee you it won't be a problem. Just let me do the distracting while you two," he looked down at Donatello, "three get your friends."

I saw John nod out of the corner of my eye. "How do we do that?"

John smiled. "Just follow me, little darling."

Michael looked my body up and down. For a second I thought he was examining my features. Maybe he was. He looked me in the eyes. "We'll get you something else to suite you when we get there."

I nodded. Michael tilted his white fedora forward over his eyes again. He began walking down the street. The Matrix was about three blocks down.

I followed after Michael with John by my side and Donatello on my heels. I looked up at John.

"May I ask how you two men got into this business?"

John didn't look at me as he sighed. "Michael got into the business when he was two years younger. His parents never really appreciated him because he never worked. All he did was dance and sing," he looked down at me, "which he does well at by the way. Very well." he looked straight again at Michael's back. Michael didn't seem to be paying any attention.

"Michael decided that since he couldn't dance and sing for a living, he would become a criminal and get his money by taking it away from other people. It works for him because he's so graceful. He can literally go dancing into a place and just take their stuff without them really noticing.

"As for me, I joined him when we found each other in an alley. Michael was about to kick my ass, pardon my language."

"Don't matter," I muttered.

He began again. "So, he was about to kick my ass when I held a gun to him. At the time I didn't know it was him. He was the biggest criminal around. After we settled our dispute, Michael asked me to join him, just like he asked you. You should be grateful, by the way, because he doesn't ask many people to join him. And there, you have our story." John's voice sounded as if he came from the south. He had that rich southern accent in his voice.

I looked back up at him. "Where are you originally from? If you don't mind my asking."

John shrugged his broad shoulders. "Don't matter. I originally came from Kentucky, but I then became a fugitive on the run after I was caught robbing a bank. Normally that didn't happen for me because I can clear a bank in about two minutes flat."

I smiled at the thought. I would one day be robbing a bank with the Dynamic Duo. The thought thrilled me. It was my dream.

"Any more questions?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Not at the time."

Michael spoke up as we turned a corner. "Good because we are here." He stopped at the corner and the three of us stopped as well.

Michael turned around and faced us. I looked over his shoulder at the Matrix sign that was across the street. The sign was bright with white lights surrounding it.

Michael pointed at the front door. "I go through there," he pointed down an alley that was next to the building, "and you two go through the back and get your friends."

He looked at me. I nodded. His face was breath taking. I could hardly look at him. He was one of the most gorgeous men I have ever seen. John wasn't bad looking either. They were both almost flawless.

"Good," Michael said. "Stay here until you hear the music."

I looked up at John for an explanation. He was smiling at Michael. What did he mean, the music?

"Will do, Michael," John said.

Michael nodded towards John and then looked down at Donatello. "Keep him quiet."

I nodded again.

Michael nodded to the both of us and then turned towards the Matrix. He began walking gracefully down the street and towards the building. I watched him from behind the side of the building we were next to. John looked over me. Donatello sat at my foot.

I watched Michael tilt his fedora up before he entered the building. I looked over on our side of the street and saw three children looking over a fence at Michael. I looked up at John.

"Those kids won't do any harm."

I looked back over at Michael and watched him disappear into the Matrix. The door closed behind him.

"Come on," John said.

I looked up at him and then wztched him dash into the middle of the street. He stopped and looked at me.

"But, Michael said-"

John smiled. "Just come here."

Donatello quickly went over next to John. I sighed and ran over to them. John continued smiling. The three children looked at us from over the fence. I smiled at their cute little faces.

John grabbed my wrist and pulled me down the alley and over to the side of the Matrix.

"What?' I asked him.

He pointed to the window that had bars over it instead of glass. John ushered me over to the window. I hopped on top of a garbage bucket and looked through the window while trying to keep my face hidden.

"Watch some of Michael's better work," John said.

I looked through the window and scanned the room. Everyone's eyes were focused towards the door. I followed their gaze and found Michael standing all by himself in front of the door. Michael quickly looked over at me and then he faced straight again. I watched him anxiously, curious what he was going to do. The entire whore house was quiet and all the eyes were focused on him.

After several seconds Michael turned sideways and flipped the end of his jacket back to show a gun. Atomatically every man in the building pulled out a gun and were about to face it at Michael, although Michael didn't have a gun. Instead, Michael pulled out a coin and balanced it on his thumb. Michael flipped the coin into the air with his thumb and all of the eyes, including mine, followed the coin. It soared through the air towards the jukebox on the other side of the room. The coin flipped into slot in the jukebox and music started playing.

I looked over at Michael and he began dancing. The rest of the men in the room started dancing with him. My eyes caught the sight of Diana next to the jukebox fanning herself. She quickly walked over to Michael. All of the sudden a voice filled my ears along with the music. I looked over at Michael and he was the one singing.

I looked back at John. "That's him singing?"

John smiled. "Yes, Ma'am."

I took a quick glance through the window and heard Michael singing a familiar name to a familiar person. He was singing to Annie with Annie in his song. I didn't understand what it meant. He quickly spun around on his toes in front of Annie and then began dancing again.

John pulled my elbow. I turned around and jumped off of the garbage bucket. I pushed my fedora onto my head and followed John.

"How does he have Annie in his song already?" I asked John as we moved around to the back door.

John smiled. "If you haven't noticed already, that man is already full of mysteries."

We reached the back door and quickly walked in. No one heard our entrance dur to all the dancing and all of the music and Michael's voice. We both looked over at Michael who had jumped on the stage and grabbed the microphone and all at the same time dancing. I watched his moves in awe and shook my head by how in awe I was.

John pointed his finger over my shoulder. "Is that one of your friends?"

I nodded as he pointed towards the girl with a crown on her head and with the looks of an Asian background. "That's Diana."

John ducked under my arm as soon as Michael stopped singing, but as the music continued. John quickly danced over to Diana to fit in and grabbed her with his hand over her mouth. Michael took a quick glance at him and then at me. John quickly grabbed Diana in a dance position and danced her across the floor and over to me.

John let go of Diana and she looked at me. "Alyssa?" She looked me up and down. "Why in good heavens are you wearing mens clothing?"

I shook my head. "I'll explain in a second."

John looked at me. "I'll take her in the basement, you get Annie."

I nodded.

"I'm taking Don," he said.

I nodded again.

John grabbed Diana again and rushed over to another door that led to the basement. Donatello followed them.

Michael's voice filled the room again and I looked over at him. Two men were grabbing at Annie. Michael gracefully moved over to them and knocked both of them out. Michael then grabbed Annie and began dancing with her more gracefully than anything I've seen in the whole world. Michael let go of Annie and Annie looked at him as if she were in love. She placed her hand over her heart.

Michael disappeared into the other part of the building with several people following him. Annie stood about fifteen feet away from me. I titled my fedora forward and danced across the floor with the music still playing. I danced up behind Annie and grabbed her with my hand cupping her mouth. I quickly pulled her back towards the basement door. She tried to scream, but I wouldn't let her.

When we got to the door, I spun Annie around. She slapped me across the face and then I pulled my fedora back.

"Annie! It's me," I said.

She looked at me and tried to read my expression. She was one or two inches shorter than me.

"Alyssa?!"

"Just, come down here and I'll explain everything," I said ushering towards the door.

Annie pursed her lips and moved past me and down the stairs. I went onto the stairs and shut the door behind us. The music and Michael's voice could still be heard through the walls.

Annie came to the botttom of the stairs and looked over at John and Diana. She then looked back at me and I came to the bottom of the stairs.

"Explain." Annie said.

I looked over at John and Diana. They were both sitting on a couch with John facing Diana. I looked at John.

"Well, this is John." I said.

Annie looked at him. She smiled. "What's your last name, John?"

I looked at John. "Depp. John Depp."

He stood up and shook her hand. Annie looked back over at me.

"Why are you wearing mens' clothing?" Annie asked.

I looked over at John for some help. John looked at Annie.

"Annie?"

"Ms. Alanen." Annie corrected.

John rolled his eyes. "Ms. Alanen, your friend, Alyssa, happens to be the Masked Ghost."

Diana and Annie both looked at me. "What?"

I nodded. "It's true."

Michael's voice and music echoed off of the bare walls. I looked at Annie.

"Now, explain to me why he's singing about you." I said. The music stopped and I heard what sounded like shattered glass.

All five of us, including Donatello, looked up at the ceiling.

"Don't worry," John said. "Just another one of Michael's tricks."

"Michael?" Annie asked although it sounded more like a statement. "Michael Jackson?"

I nodded. "Yes, and why exactly are you showing like you know him?"

Annie acted like she didn't know anything.

"Annie?" I asked.

"Ms. Alanen?" John asked.

"Annie?" Diana said.

Annie gave up. "Alright." She stomped her foot for dramatization. "I had an encounter with him."

"Encounter?" I asked.

Donatello whimpered.

"It's a long story. Best be I wait for him to tell you." Annie said.

I tilted my head. there was screaming and moaning upstairs. I listened to what the people were screaming. It suddenly came to me. Annie are you okay? They chanted.

Then I heard Michael's voice over everyone's. "Annie are you okay?!"

Then everyone chanted. "Are you okay, Annie?!"

The music started again. I looked over at Annie. "I can't wait to hear this story."

John looked at me. "Is it just me or do you think they need new walls in here?"

I looked down at him and rolled my eyes. I looked over at Diana.

"So, explain to me why you are dressed like that. Are you the Queen of the whores or something?"

John gave a smirk and tried to hold back his laughter.

Diana gave him a dirty look and then looked at me. "Not yet, but I am close."

I sighed. "Great."

We all stood there listening to the music upstairs for about two minutes. I desperately wanted to watch Michael dance, but I wasn't going to say anything. Michael's voice began singing again with the music.

Suddenly there was stomping added with the music and dance. The stomping was peculiar because the feet dancing upstairs were all quiet and graceful. The music didn't stop.

We all stared up at the ceiling when we heard the many gun shots being fired. Screaming was added to the gunfire and shattered glass was added to that. The music didn't stop.

I looked at John. "Michael."