Diamond in the Rough

Music blasts from the basement of the three storey house, the familiar clanking sound of iron on iron. Jem had turned the basement into his own personal mini-gym, a place where he could work off his anger in a constructive way. Jem's in very good shape, muscular after having spent every opportunity in prison to keep in shape. Just because he's free doesn't mean he is going to let all his hard work go to waste.

Doug slides down the stairs quietly and watches Jem as he does presses on the concrete floor.
Jem sits up, sweat dripping from his face, the veins and muscles in his arms swollen. He drops the curling bar which clunks onto the floor.

"You got something to say, say it now" Doug tells his friend, his brother.

"That's my line here" Jem replies, grabbing a towel from a rail.

"That was a mistake coming over there"

"Me? You're the one whose at a fucking pizzeria with the witness from our robbery!" Jem barks.

"Relax. I know what I'm doing"

"You're seriously fuckin' up kid" Jem grabs a beer from the single unit fridge, a dribble makes it's way down his chin. "Is it over?"

"Don't worry about me"

"I am worried about you,motherfucker. You're trying to get me incarcerated and you're slow rollin' this other deal" Jem points out.

"I haven't been slow rollin' shit" Doug snaps back.

"This pussy must be tight. It got you on a three week bender and you don't even drink. But don't let it be some five week delay pussy and really don't let it be get-your-boys-in-the-Lewisberg pussy neither"

Faced with Jem's bad temper and rising anger, Doug decides to try and calm him down.

"We got heat on us right now and this shit takes time to get right"

"We got heat on us, let's start fuckin' all the witnesses. I'm blowin' the assistant manager. Did I forget to tell you?" Jem replies viciously and
sarcastically.

"Fuck you. You want to take it over, go ahead"

"Dougy, no one needs to know you're fuckin' her and no one needs to know you're putting hits on puerto ricans for her either. So get off your ass and set this up" Jem says.

Doug turns on Jem and gives into his anger.

"Jem. It's been set up. You got such a fuckin hard on to go? We go tomorrow."

*****

They are in a seedy hotel getting ready for their next job. They have all showered, scrubbing vigorously at their bodies to remove as much dead skin as possible. Their skin is red and irritated from the amount of antibacterial soap and hard brushes. Jem sets up the weapons, wiping every piece and ammunition with alcohol swabs to eliminate DNA. Jem snaps the AK-47 magazines into place and grins. Des and Gloansy are suiting up in dark clothing, taping down the cuffs of their pants and sleeves with tape, another precaution.
Doug stands before them as the weapons are being loaded into the duffle bags, their disguises close to hand.

"We don't need to get hurt and we don't need to hurt anyone else" he says, looking at all of them, but most importantly making this clear to Jem. "Let's do this shit"