A Killer's Field Day [Part D]

Oliver, Ethan, and Jamie regrouped at the center of the plaza.

Oliver arrived first, carrying a plain shopping bag that sagged under the weight of its contents. He placed it on the ground and crouched down to check the items again—three black ski masks and two aluminum baseball bats. 

Jamie sauntered in a minute later, a large duffel bag slung over one shoulder. "Well, I got the bags. Plenty of space for all the 'treasures,'" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he dropped the bag on the ground next to Oliver.

Finally, Ethan appeared, holding a large box of Coca-Cola cans under one arm and a plastic bag filled with five family-sized bags of chips in the other. He had the biggest grin on his face, looking like he had just won the lottery.

Oliver stared at him, exasperated. "You f***king were serious about the snacks?"

Ethan shrugged, setting the box and bag down on the edge of the fountain. "You think I'm going to rob the richest house in the city on an empty stomach? No way. Plus, we're gonna need energy. Carrying bags full of stuff is hard."

Jamie chuckled, shaking his head as he unzipped the duffel bag to inspect it. "You're unbelievable."

Oliver rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, "This has to be the dumbest plan in the history of plans." He pulled one of the ski masks out of the bag and held it up. "These better not rip when we pull them over our heads."

"They're fine," Ethan said, grabbing a can of Coke from the box and cracking it open. He took a long sip before continuing. "So, everything's set. We've got the masks, the bats, the bags, and the snacks. All we need now is to wait until tomorrow night."

Jamie leaned against the fountain, crossing his arms. "You sure your mom won't notice the money you took? Or the fact that we're suddenly all stocked up for a robbery?"

Ethan waved him off. "She's too busy working her ass off at the manor to notice. And even if she does, what's she gonna do? She barely has time to sleep, let alone question where a couple of hundred bucks went."

Oliver frowned, the uneasy feeling in his gut growing stronger. "This better work, Ethan. If we screw this up..."

Ethan cut him off with a smirk. "We're not gonna screw it up. We've got the plan, we've got the supplies, and we've got the motivation. Trust me, tomorrow night, we'll be walking out of that house with enough cash and loot to change our lives."

Jamie raised an eyebrow. "Or enough evidence to get us all locked up."

Ethan just grinned, raising his Coke can in mock toast. "To tomorrow night—our big score. The Nerss Manor's not gonna know what hit it."

Reluctantly, Jamie and Oliver exchanged glances before raising their hands in a half-hearted toast. Neither of them felt as confident as Ethan, but they were already in too deep to back out now.

Jamie looked back and pointed at someone. "Hey isn't that... Daniel Nerss?"

Oliver followed Jamie's point and saw Daniel. "Holy f***king sh*t yeah."

The three froze in place, their makeshift supplies and snacks temporarily forgotten as their eyes locked onto Daniel Nerss. He was standing near the escalators on the other side of the plaza, casually holding a shopping bag from one of the high-end stores upstairs. His demeanor was calm and self-assured as if the entire mall belonged to him—which, in a way, it practically did.

Daniel glanced around the plaza, seemingly oblivious to their stares. His tailored jacket and perfectly combed hair made him stick out even in the crowded space, a stark contrast to their disheveled appearances. For a moment, he appeared to be looking directly at them, though his expression betrayed no recognition.

"F***k," Oliver muttered under his breath, quickly turning away as if Daniel could sense their guilt just by looking at them. "What the hell is he doing here?"

Ethan's confident smirk faltered for the first time, but only for a second. He straightened up, brushing it off. "Relax. He doesn't know who we are. And even if he did, it's not like he'd suspect anything."

Jamie's eyes darted nervously between Daniel and their supplies on the ground. "You sure about that? He's the guy we're planning to rob tomorrow night. What if he recognizes something? Like the masks or—hell—your f***ing face, Ethan?"

Ethan waved dismissively, though his hand lingered closer to his Coke can, gripping it tightly. "He's just a spoiled rich kid. Probably shopping for something pointless. He doesn't know sh*t about us, and he's not going to."

Oliver wasn't convinced. "That's too f***ing close for comfort. What if he tells his mom about us being here? What if—"

"Shut up," Ethan hissed, cutting him off. His voice was low but sharp, almost threatening. "You're overthinking this. We're fine. Just act normal, and he won't even look twice at us."

Jamie snorted. "Normal? Ethan, we're standing in the middle of the plaza with ski masks, bats, and a duffel bag like we're in some low-budget crime movie. Nothing about this is normal."

Oliver glanced back toward Daniel, his heart pounding. To his horror, Daniel was now walking in their direction. He wasn't looking directly at them—yet—but the gap between them was shrinking.

"Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t," Oliver muttered, grabbing the ski mask bag and shoving it behind the fountain as if that would somehow make it invisible. Jamie quickly zipped up the duffel bag and nudged Ethan, who remained rooted in place.

"Do not f***ing engage," Jamie whispered urgently.

But Ethan, ever the stubborn one, smirked as Daniel passed closer. "Relax. I've got this."

"Ethan, don't—" Oliver started, but it was too late.

"Hey, Nerss!" Ethan called out, his voice loud enough to turn a few heads.

Daniel stopped mid-step, his gaze slowly shifting toward them. For a moment, he said nothing, his cold green eyes scanning the three of them like a hawk. Then, he raised a brow, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Do I know you?" Daniel asked, his tone polite but distant, with a hint of curiosity.

Ethan shrugged casually, his cocky grin firmly in place. "Nah. Just figured I'd say hi. You're kinda hard to miss."

Daniel studied him for a bit longer, a small grin on his face. "I see. Well, hi," he replied simply, then shifted his attention to Jamie and Oliver, who both avoided his gaze like their lives depended on it.

"Nice to meet you," Ethan added, leaning back against a nearby pole like they were just a bunch of regular teens hanging out. "You shop here a lot?"

Daniel tilted his head slightly as if trying to decide whether Ethan was worth his time. "Occasionally," he said after a pause. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason. Just thought it'd be cool to see what someone like you buys." Ethan gestured toward Daniel's shopping bag. "Anything interesting in there?"

Daniel's faint grin widened, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Nothing you'd find interesting, I'm sure."

Ethan chuckled. "Fair enough."

There was a moment of silence, thick with tension before Daniel glanced at his watch. "Well, it was... interesting meeting you," he said, his tone suggesting he found them anything but. "Enjoy your day gentlemen."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away.

The second he was out of earshot, Oliver let out a shaky breath. "What the f***k was that, Ethan? Are you out of your goddamn mind?"

Ethan shrugged, still grinning. "What? I was just being friendly."

Jamie stared at him, his jaw tight. "Friendly? You just talked to the guy we're planning to rob! Do you realize how much you could've f***ked us over?"

"Relax," Ethan said. "He doesn't suspect a thing. To him, we're just some random kids in the plaza. He's got no reason to think otherwise."

Oliver ran a hand through his hair, his pulse still racing. "That was way too close, man. I don't care what you say—this whole thing is starting to feel like a bad idea."

Ethan's grin faded slightly, but his confidence didn't waver. "It's not a bad idea. It's a motherf***king, sisterf***king good idea. And tomorrow night, when we're swimming in cash, you'll thank me you f***kers!"

Jamie shook his head, his voice barely above a whisper. "You're gonna get us killed—or worse, arrested. That guy isn't stupid, Ethan. You think he didn't notice how weird we looked?"

Oliver sat down on the fountain's edge, rubbing his temples as if trying to push out the anxiety flooding his brain. "We're not ready for this. We're sloppy. We're standing out like a sore thumb, and now the target himself has seen us."

Ethan snorted, crossing his arms. "Stop being such a f***king pussy, Oliver. He doesn't know anything. And even if he does, what's he gonna do? Send a private investigator after three teenagers in a plaza? Come on, use your head."

Jamie threw his hands up, his frustration bubbling over. "Oh, I don't know, Ethan. Maybe he'll mention the weird group of kids hanging out with bats and ski masks to his f***king security team! Or maybe he'll just pull the footage from the mall cameras and realize you were dumb enough to call out to him!"

Ethan glared at Jamie, stepping forward. "You think I don't have this under control? You think I don't know what I'm doing?"

Jamie stepped closer too, his voice rising. "No, Ethan, I know you don't know what you're doing! None of us do! You're dragging us into this stupid plan of yours, and for what? A couple of shiny things and some cash? This isn't a movie, Ethan! There's no happy ending here!"

The tension was electric, the two of them practically nose-to-nose as Oliver jumped between them, hands raised. "Hey! Stop it, both of you! This isn't f***king helping!"

Ethan huffed, stepping back, but his expression was still sour. Jamie muttered a curse under his breath and turned away, pacing in a tight circle.

Oliver looked between the two of them, his voice quieter now but no less urgent. "This was already risky, Ethan, but now we're on Daniel's radar. If you're wrong—if he does suspect something—we're screwed. And not just us. Your mom works for them. If they connect her to this..."

Ethan's jaw tightened, his confidence cracking ever so slightly. He glanced down at the ground, then back at Oliver. "It's gonna work," he said, but this time his voice lacked its usual bravado. "It has to. We don't have a choice."

Jamie turned back to face Ethan. His voice was tired but firm. "We do have a choice, Ethan. We can walk away. We don't have to do this."

Ethan stared at him, his eyes dark and unreadable. For a moment, it looked like he might consider it. But then he shook his head. "No. We've come too far to back out now. We're doing this, and it's gonna work."

Jamie didn't respond, his expression unreadable. Oliver just sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. He didn't have the energy to argue anymore.

Ethan picked up his Coke can and drained the rest of it in one long gulp before tossing it into the nearest trash can. "Let's get out of here. We've got a big night tomorrow."

Without waiting for a response, he grabbed the snacks and started walking away. Jamie and Oliver exchanged a weary glance before reluctantly following him.

As they left the plaza, none of them noticed the figure standing near the stairs to the second level, watching them intently. Daniel Nerss leaned casually against the railing, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. After a moment's hesitation, he tapped on the screen and brought it to his ear.

"Yeah, it's me," he said, his voice calm and composed. "I just saw something... interesting. We might have a problem."