"Count Me In"

Chapter 2: flashback into how Peggy joined the group of robbers.

"You all are so loud"  A soft and sweet voice called out from the darkness that engulfed the yard and house.  Big D in a lesser stained version of his red/orange shirt jolted upright from his crouch, a slightly younger looking J.D and Ed reflected his stance.  They stared off into the pitch black night, no moon in sight, in search of the voice's owner. 

 

A soft crunching, hardly audible to anyone but the three men, approached them.  Suddenly a thin silluette stood in front of them, it's arms crossed in front of it's chest.  Two lumps were located there and they processed what they were.  They had been caught by a female. 

 

"Beautiful," Big D grumbled to himself as he shook his head at his conspirators.  They glanced from one another, confused and in awe. 

 

"Glad you think so.  Too bad you can't really see me,"  the girl cracked and then pulled something out of an invisible pocket.  They stiffened, suspecting she'd had a gun but instead, with a click a light turned on.  They spotted the unmistakable silluette of a camping lantern.  The girl adjusted the light, widening it's focus so that all four of them were illuminated.  They looked at the girl, a younger version of Peggy, with wary tension.  They couldn't understand her motives or what exactly she was doing.

 

 "Good.  Now that we can see each other," Peggy started then suddenly looked up at the dormant house.  She waved the men to follow her as she strolled, appearing carefree to the three men, down to the neighborhood club house.  The fence to the pool was left slightly ajar and it moaned in exasperation as she slowly opened it farther.  Peggy plopped down on the concrete floor by the pool and put her lantern down with a clank.  The three men eyed her and hesitantly sat down across from her, their eyes wide with suspicion.

 

"Ok, so I figured I'd come and talk to you all after watching ya'll carelessly rob my foster parents house and then my friend, Cindy's house.  You all got to tighten up your act 'cause dude, are you slacking in stealth.  You guys are definitely not like those bandits on t.v and in movies... you suck,"  Peggy stated with a grimace.  Big D's already wide eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as she spoke and J.D's jaw was halfway to China by the time she finished her spew.  Ed was as monotone as ever and watched her with carefully guarded eyes.

 

 "What do you suppose we do about that, little lady?"  J.D asked, scraping his jaw off the floor.  Peggy pursed her lips and glanced at each of the men before answering.

 

"Listen hear, and listen good little man,"  Peggy sneered at J.D, "my name is Peggy, never little lady, and I suggest you all recruit somebody who's got skills."

 

"And who would that be?"  Big D asked, trying hard to keep from laughing at this 14 year old's attempt at being tough and mad.  In his eyes, she was a kitten.

 

"Me of course,"  Peggy said, annoyed that he'd ask such a stupid question.  J.D raised an eyebrow at her.  A child join their gang?

 

Big D simply nodded, a smile playing on his lips.

 

"Okay, kiddo.  But I gotta tell you, it's not easy getting in with us.  You have to go through a test,"  He said, his eyes glancing from J.D to Ed in a knowing way: "Yeah, I'm lying.  Don't say anything".

 

"Sure!"  Peggy's face exploded with joy at the thought of actually getting a chance.  She jumped up and pulled up her sleeves.

 

"What do I gotta do?"  She asked, excited.  Her face was glowing and her eyes wild with eagerness.  They had no doubt in their minds that Peggy would do anything Big D told her to.

 

"See that house over there?  With the 'Beware of Dog' sign?"  Big D asked her.  She glanced over, smiled, and nodded.

 

"That's Aunt Jude's house.  You want me to rob it?"  She asked, looking back at Big D with expectant eyes.  He nodded.

 

"Not just that but I want you to get that big diamond necklace she wore the other day to town.  Also, you gotta go through there,"  He said, pointing to the fence that had the "Beware of Dog" sign taped and stapled to it.  Peggy barely gave it a second glance.

 

"Gotcha!"  She exclaimed and before anyone could react, Peggy burst through the gate of the pool, and headed straight for her aunt's house.  The three men watched, shocked silent, as the girl's figure hopped and disappeared over the fence.

 

Silence.

 

Big D shrugged and turned to the other men. 

 

"J.D, Ed, lets go before they wake up.  Grab the lantern while you're at it.  Might as well use it,"  He said gruffly.  Ed immediately grabbed up the light, extinguishing it as he picked it up.  The three men cracked open the pool gate, wary that it would give them away.  They hurried down to their van and began loading their stolen goods into the back, J.D and Ed leaping into the van as they did so.  Big D walked over to the driver's side and started to open his door when that child-like voice came from behind him.

 

"Hey!  I'm not that fast!"  Peggy wailed teasingly as she climbed into the van through his open door.  He gawked at her silently and glanced back at the house he'd sent her in.  The house looked undisturbed.  

 

"What the?"  He muttered and then looked back at Peggy who was digging through her pockets and pulled out something that clinked and caught the light from the street lamp post -the diamond necklace no doubt.  Big D shrugged and got into his seat, trying to ignore the stares he could feel on his back.  J.D would just have to deal, Big D settled because once he was caught in a promise, he never backed down from it.  Peggy had followed through and if she could manage that house that quick, they might actually have use for her yet.

 

Big D started up the car and drove, at a regular pace, down the street and onto the highway.

 

"I'm guessing you got the necklace,"  Big D said and turned his head towards Peggy.  She was beaming in the darkness of the van, a smile stretching across her entire face.  She dangled the expensive teardrop shaped diamond necklace in the air between Big D and herself.

 

"Yup!"  She gleamed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.  "It was a bit too easy."

 

"Hmmm..." Big D stared out onto the endless stretch of highway, a random car occasionally passing by.

 

"What's your name?"  Peggy asked, cocking her head to the side.  She realized then that the other two men were in the back and she looked from one to the other, taking in their shocked expressions and smiling.

 

"You can call me Big D.  That there is J.D and Ed,"  He said, gesturing with his head towards the two silent men.  She nodded absentmindedly.

 

"So, now I'm part of your gang?"  Peggy asked enthusiastically.  Big D frowned.

 

"Now, I don't like the name "gang"  but yeah.  Now,"  Big D said and turned his head to stare intensely at Peggy, "you know that once you join, there isn't any going back alright?  This here is a brotherhood...family... you get the point.  We don't desert each other.  We're in this for life, got it?  So, you still in or what?  Back out now or forever hold your damn tongue."

 

Peggy stared back into Big D's eyes with trust and hope for a fresh start.  'Family', the word warmed her inside.  She'd never trully had one.  She grinned up at him.

 

"Count me in"