"H-hey Scott, it's in my bank…"
Scott shot up from the chair in his tiny room at the words of his friend. He ran over and saw the message on the phone.
[200,000$ credited to your account ending XX67]
"No way… Sid…"
"T-that insurance guy wasn't kidding…"
That was the first time, Scott and Sid had made their way to money. Starting out as just the two of them, they were desperate to make it big. Both Scott and Sid had made their way to the city in hopes of doing something, and finally, at the end of their wits they found a way.
A way that made them scrap their banks empty, to the very bottom with piling up everything they could save and then a small loan on top of it to buy the first arcade.
And it was here. The insurance money.
The plan.
The night they had set the arcade on fire, a short-circuit certificate that took another $2,000 to make, alongside every other expense. But money was here.
That was how, with one lucky encounter with the director of an insurance company, Scott and Sid began their business.
"W-we are rich!"
"We are rich!!!"
***
Months passed by, with every other month their eyes settling on a new target. The target was initially put on their radar by the insurance agent, but soon, Scott and Sid started talking to other people.
Before long, they were exploiting this ages-old policy alongside equally old and tired employees of insurance agencies to make big buck. Of course, a major amount of the money, almost half, always went to the agent, but that was still ok. They were all partners.
The small room turned into an office.
The screams of celebrations changed into a smile, a toast, and a command of 'let's find the next target.'
They had even hired people. An accountant named Adrian, and muscle, weak as it was, in Miles and a kid named Finley.
Scott and Sid's business was booming. They were getting rich. The dreams they thought they couldn't complete after failing everything in the city, now seemed within reach.
Except one night.
It was raining that day. Scott and Sid were in a car, one that they had just purchased.
That was when flashes of headlights from all around them stopped them in their tracks. Scott hit the brakes, and Sid leaned forward.
"What is going on!?"
"Who are these people—"
A crash rang out. The muffled sound of the rain-water turned loud as the windows of their car broke apart.
Dozens of people in suits were standing there, around their car.
"Get out."
A single command.
They couldn't do anything. Scott and Sid both had no choice but to be dragged by the men in the suits. Scared, trembling, the cars of the suited men drove them out of the city where even the lights were dim. Before long, they were near the outskirts where new places were still in development.
Scott and Sid were dragged into one such building, a concrete slab still under construction, and dropped to the ground.
A single man sat on a chair, his lavish looks and relaxed posture as he filed his nails in complete contrast with the background of the building.
"You two have started to eat into my business," the man said. "Rooney doesn't like that. Not at all."
They learned later that the man himself was Rooney, just a tick, a way of speaking. Scott, in that moment, surrounded everywhere, could not help but fear.
And his fear hit the peak when the man on the chair, Rooney, pulled out a gun from his lap and pointed it at them.
"For not shooting you, right here, right now, I want 70% of whatever you make. Every month."
"S-Seventy…?"
"Yes. Every month, for not shooting you one day of every month. It's a fair deal, right? It's not subscription, you are buying your entire life every time! Hahaha!" Rooney's laugh, innocent, full of joy at his joke, was enough to make Scott freeze. Stop. Stare.
"The first of that payment, right here, by sunrise. I'll be nice and take only seven hundred grands. I take it you understand, right? You are smart people, right? Let us both respect that, yeah? Sunrise. Scram."
That was it. The ultimatum had been given, and the announcement made.
The night was long.
It didn't stop raining.
As they were dropped in front of their office, Scott and Sid scrambled about. The first place Scott ran was back to his home. He had some cash left, Sid was going to do the same. Then pile everything with whatever was in the office…
But.
When Scott returned to the office, Sid wasn't there. Neither were the four-hundred thousand dollars in cash they had stored in the office. Everything was flipped upside down, and Adrian who used to stay in the office, was knocked out cold on the ground.
It all came crashing down.
In the rain, with his clothes sticking to him, Scott sat on the roads covering his head.
Every call returned a 'number is unavailable or switched off' and every bit of hope he had was being shattered by seeing what had been left inside the office.
That was when, a man appeared in front of him.
Lightning flashed the sky.
It was almost magical.
Scott looked up.
"Call this number. They will find what you have lost."
To this day, Scott didn't know who that man was. But with no other choice, all Scott could do was call the number.
And the next morning, Scott sat in his room.
Three bags were splayed around him, as the news on the television played.
[A tragic night as in the rain, two accidents unfolded at the same time.]
[A police captain Mr. Adam, his spouse and popular painter Mrs. Lilian, and their daughter Evelyn—]
[Another accident of Mr. Sid, a young entrepreneur who had made his way to the city in big hopes…]
It was all ok after that.
The trust that Scott had lost, was found and returned to him.
He didn't know to this date who that man was. But he had asked him.
"Who are you…?"
The man turned that night, under the rain, his umbrella covering his face.
"Mr. Scott…"
***
A soft hiss rang out as I drove the knife into the table.
It was a dead-end.
A damned dead end. The thing I and Peridot had hoped wouldn't happen. But it was not over yet.
These people were just not worth my time.
I took in a deep breath and got off the desk. Before leaving, I looked at the bastard named Scott again. It was alright, I needed him to finish the insurance proceedings.
"Mrs. Benson. Make sure everything goes to her. Within this week."
Scott nodded, his own breathing erratic.
I didn't say more. I pocketed the knife and turned around.
"Hey…" Scott called out. I didn't turn, but stopped.
"The world, is bigger than you can imagine."
There was no need to say more. I walked out.