"It was too easy," Vincenzo thought, a faint smirk barely perceptible behind the stark white mask as the black sedan zoomed through the sparse early morning traffic. The engine's hum was a silent assurance as he expertly navigated the urban landscape. "Far too easy."
In the back, the atmosphere was far from his collected calm. The two men exchanged nervous glances, their silent agreement broken by a strained mutter.
"Don't we need to discuss how to retrieve the consignment suitcase from the police?" one of them whispered, urgency lacing his tone. "They'll be swarming the scene by now."
"We need a plan," the other man added, his voice barely audible over the rush of the wind.
Vincenzo remained silent, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. There was no need for discussion, no need for the trivial planning thses amateurs relied on. His mind was already miles away, meticulously mapping out the next steps, the escape routes, the rendezvous point. He had calculated every contingency long before the mission even began. The white mask, a stark, expressionless void, hid his perfect calm from the nervous scrutiny of the men behind him. They were still catch in the immediate aftermath, while he was already on the next phase, the next mission, the next move. He had no need for their chatter; his mind was the only plan he needed.
***
The sedan's tires shrieked in protest, the sudden, violent stop throwing Leo and Carl foward against the seatbelts. Gravel sprayed against the undercarriage as the car shuddered to a halt on the narrow shoulder, the hum of passing highway traffic suddenly a roar. No indicator, no warning, no plan discussed on the way- just the abrupt suicidal halt.
"What the hell, man?" Leo spat, unbuckling with shaking hands, his voice tight with frustration and confusion. "Are you crazy? We're a sitting duck out here!"
Carl scrambled out of the passenger's side, slamming the door hard enough to rattle the chassis. He yanked his door open again, leaning in to glare at Vincenzo, who remained impassive behind the wheel, eyes fixed on the empty stretch of the asphalt ahead. "This is the police route, you lunatic! The consignment van is coming any minute, and we're parked like we're having a damn picnic. What's the play? What are you thinking?"
Vincenzo didn't move, a strange stillness settling over him. "Sometimes," he said, his voice quiet, "The obvious is the best place to hide." He finally killed the engine, and the sudden silence inside the car was unnerving, broken only by the sound of the wind whipping around them and the distant, growing wail of sirens. Carl and Leo exchanged nervous glances, the confusion still etched on their faces, the unexpected stop leaving them completely off balance.
***
As the first sunrays hit the highway, casting long, stark shadows across the asphalt, Vincenzo got out of the car. He was still wearing the white, sad mask, an unsettling contrast to the serene dawn. He tilted his head, and the small bells attached to the mask jingled faintly in the still air.
Behind him, Leo and Carl continued to panic and complain. "We should have hidden the car, dammit! They're going to find use here!" Leo hissed, pressing his face into the upholstery.
"Shut up!" Carl yelled. "The sirens are getting closer! He has a plan, right? Tell me he has a plan!"
Vincenzo ignored them both. He simply walked to the rear of the car and, with a smooth, deliberate motion, opened the trunk. As the wail of police sirens grew louder and closer, promising an imminent arrival, he reached inside and took out a smoke grenade. He weighed it in his hand for a moment, the sound of the approaching law enforcement drowning out the men's desperate whispers. The sun crested the horizon fully, illuminating the mask's hollow expression just as the first red and blue lights flickered into view at the end of the road.
***
Vincenzo advanced with fluid, unburdened gait, the approaching police cruisers nothing more than an audience for his next performance. He didn't run, didn't sneak; he simply walked, a silhouette against the flashing red and blue, his head tilted slightly to the side as the small white mask on his face jingled softly with each step. He just wanted to have some fun, a simple, raw desire that stripped away any instinct for self-preservation or stealth.
The first police cars stopped abruptly, their tires screeching on the asphalt. Doors flew open, and a wave of officers spilled out, weapons drawn and pointed directly at the advancing figure.
"Hands in the air! Drop to your knees, now!" one officer yelled, his voice strained with a mixture of fear and authority.
"I said, get on the ground!" another officer shouted, his hand shaking slightly around his pistol grip.
Vincenzo just smiled beneath the plastic, the sound of his amusement a low chuckle that was lost to the wind, but felt all the same. He spread his arms slightly, a gesture of mock welcome, and kept walking.
***
The first bullet escaped the police officer's gun with a crack that echoed off the highway. Vincenzo didn't even flinch. He dodged it with an almost supernatural ease, the bullet whistling harmlessly past his white mask's bells, making them jingle again, a sound like a child's toy turned into a nightmare soundtrack.
Officer Miller tightened his grip on his weapon, his voice tight with adrenaline. "Stop! Drop the weapon now!"
Vincenzo, in silent response, produced a smoke grenade. The pin was already pulled. He threw it not at the officers, but at the cluster of police cars. It was a perfect throw. The canister bounced once, then erupted in a thick, grey-white cloud, instantly swallowing the street in a cold fog.
Sergeant Evans yelled, "Hold your fire! Can't see a damn thing!"
Like a ghost materializing from the ether, Vincenzo walked slowly into the rising smoke. The bells on his mask chimed with each deliberate step, the only sound other than the crackle of the grenade. Hidden from view, he reached the nearest police van, a dark silhouette against the swirling fog. The back door lock clicked opened, and he easily retrieved the consignment suitcase, disappearing entirely into the rolling grey.
To be continued...🤍