Gateway
The smell of engine exhaust was slowly getting stronger and stronger as Jimmy sat in the driver’s seat of his rusted car. His breath was even and measured, but his hands were sweating a bit and butterflies were gently fluttering inside of his stomach. He knew that the exhaust would soon force him to leave, and so he performed one last check of his equipment and clothes before turning off the engine and getting out. The night air felt cool and crisp, and he squinted gently at the light emitted by the full moon hanging in the sky above him. He had let his eyes become accustomed to the dark while sitting in the unlit car, and he was careful not to ruin it by staring directly at any light source.
The field before him and park to his right were clearly illuminated with chalky moonlight, and Jimmy slowly studied them to make sure nothing would surprise him once he began. The park was fairly new, filled with rounded plastic equipment and spongy wood chips. ‘Kids weren’t even allowed to be kids anymore‘, he thought, and smiled faintly as he remember the summer evenings spent with his friends on this very playground, smoking weed and attempting to set the plastic swings on fire with their lighters.
A white object set against the otherwise dark grass in the field brought Jimmy out of his reverie, and the fluttering sensation in his stomach flared and then receded after he realized it was a baseball left behind by one of the little league teams that practiced here. He took a few more deep breaths of the cool air and stifled the urge to cough and clear the tar from his lungs. He swept his eyes over the houses at the north end of the field. It was nearly two in the morning, but some windows were still lit in the large homes at the edge of the playground. Jimmy was especially careful when dealing with theses houses. Along with the good memories of his friends in the park there were the mental images of police summoned by the self-righteous homeowners that viewed Jimmy and his friends as social deviants. Frowning, he finally decided that no one was watching and turned to walk towards the woods behind him.
Jimmy followed the edge of the parking lot south until he hit the slowly curving maintenance road that would take him back into the woods at the rear of the field. The road was filled with cracks and bumps, reminding everyone that saw it that it had been abandoned long ago. He carefully avoided the bigger holes and walked at a leisurely pace. At this stage he was breaking no law, and so had no reason to hide or be in a hurry. Jimmy smiled, feeling his heart singing to him and listening to the crunch of the rocks under his feet. The suburbs went to sleep each night, leaving those awake with a novel feeling of loneliness coursing through them. His mind was blank as a general feeling of peace descended over him.
Soon he was completely surrounded by dark trees that bent slightly in the gentle breeze. Twigs cracked around him and crickets chirped and hollered as he strolled along the old road. The trees on either side of him were like a dark wall, which combined with a vivid imagination made him feel a little uneasy. He turned and looked towards the park behind him. The lights from the houses near the playground seemed very far away, and his hair started to stand on end as he listened to the night moving around him. He continued walking, his eyes wide and attempting to look in every direction at once.
He eventually reached the end of the road as it merged with the forest around it. Jimmy knew he had to walk through these dark woods in order to reach his target, and so he pushed down the fear that was threatening to take over his body and boldly pushed into the underbrush. The forest wasn’t as heavily populated as it used to be before the housing developments had sprung up around it, but it still required him to pay attention. One misstep could end his night with a rolled ankle, and that simply wasn’t an option. He darted through the trees towards the twinkling lights on the other side, ignoring the dancing shadows around him and struggling to stay focused on his goal. Branches reached out to grab him, and every few steps his walked into a new thick spiderweb that would cover his face. When he reached the edge of the woods he sighed with relief and spit to remove the bugs and spider silk that had accumulated inside of his mouth.
The house he was planning to hit that night was part of a new neighborhood built around a golf course. Jimmy had memorized the layout of the houses and knew the exact path he would take. He knew from experience that it was important to stay in the shadows, and so his route stuck to the dark areas between houses and avoided porch lights and motion-activated lamps. ‘It only takes one person with insomnia to ruin an entire week of planning‘, he thought. After verifying that nothing had changed since he had last surveyed the area he moved quickly in a crouch across the green of the 7th hole towards the road in front of him.
His steps sounded extraordinarily loud in the silence of the night as he jogged across the road. He was halfway across when he heard a car approaching from his left. He quickly sprinted the rest of the distance and threw himself into the wet grass, tumbling silently onto the spongy earth next to the sidewalk and laying perfectly still. The car didn’t even slow down as its headlights swept over him, illuminating his black outline and causing his stomach to leap into his throat. As soon as it had passed a safe distance he exploded to his feet and continued his journey without turning his head. It didn’t matter if it was a cop car or a civilian. If he had been spotted in his black clothes he doubted he would be mistaken for someone taking a late-night walk. The driver had not slowed down even a fraction, indicating that he or she had not seen him laying face down and unmoving. He pushed those thoughts out of his head and concentrated on the tasks before him.
The plan was followed to perfection, and soon Jimmy was in the shadow of an aluminum shed in the backyard of his target. He leaned against the shed, taking slow deep breaths and gathering his thoughts before continuing. As he waited he looked at the houses surrounding him. They were big and expensive looking, and each had at least a three car garage attached to it. Most of them contained executive types that could afford to live in a rich neighborhood with high property taxes, and were therefore his enemy. Satisfied that no one was up at this late hour, he turned his attention to his target.
He had selected this house after driving through the neighborhood a week ago while frantically searching for potential targets. He knew from the mailbox in front that the family was named Bulgart, but apart from that the only facts he had gathered were that they had money and were away on vacation. He had noticed the papers that had begun to pile up in the driveway, and while driving by later that evening he saw that the outside porch lights remained off after dark. He had made up his mind after watching a neighbor water the plants growing at the side of the house while he was walking by the next day. His plan was relatively simple, and so he had avoided this house and the surrounding area until tonight. It was always a good idea to minimize exposure when planning for a crime. If the police were to ask the neighbors if anyone suspicious was around before the robbery took place, Jimmy’s face would not be called forth with a snap of the fingers.
Jimmy focused on the door that led into the back of the garage. He reached into the pack at his waist and removed the lock pick and tension wrench, readying them in his hands and taking a deep breath. Once he was inside he could take his time, but the initial entry was always the most nerve-wracking part of the night. Jimmy looked at his entry point. It was a side door, and so it had no deadbolt, and he knew that people generally did not lock the inner door that led into the house from the garage. Once in the garage he could take his time, but the trick was picking the lock fast to minimize exposure. Even in darkness committing a crime was a gut-wrenching experience for him. He roughly forced air through his nose and moved towards the door.
He went to work as quietly as possible, his heart beating wildly in his chest and his knees threatening to give out. He had not studied the lock before this moment, and a feeling of wild panic cascaded over him when he first viewed it. In the dark the golden knob looked almost alien, and he realized he had never even seen this brand before. With an uneasy shrug he inserted the tension wrench and pick into the key hole, gently applying pressure with the wrench and slowly raking the pins with the pick. He only needed to make a few attempts before the lock opened with a satisfying turn, and he had to push down the overwhelming feeling of excitement that always accompanied initial entry so that he could put away his tools. He quickly opened the door and entered the garage.
Once inside he stood still, quietly taking deep breathes and allowing time to for his body to adjust to the adrenaline that was now pulsing through him. He could make out the shapes of cars and various tools hanging on the walls, but it was otherwise free of clutter. Each of the three bays had a car in it, and he hesitated for a moment. ‘Shouldn’t one of the cars be gone?‘, he thought, and then quickly dismissed the thought. People with this kind of money took a limo when they went to the airport. Shaking a feeling of uneasiness he slowly began to move towards the door leading into the house.
He reached the inner door and slowly turned the knob, wincing as it made a loud click. He slowly opened it, pushing it forward into the darkness of a small hallway. The rubber soles of his sneakers didn’t make a sound as he crept down the hallway. He wished he could turn on a light, but that would possibly alert any neighbors that happened to be awake. No sense in taking unnecessary risks. He looked around, his eyes almost completely accustomed to the darkness. The kitchen looked expensive. A huge refrigerator was integrated with the elaborate wooden cabinets that lined the walls, and the island counter in the middle had three sinks and two dishwashers. Any guilt that Jimmy might have been feeling earlier in the evening had completely vanished.
He didn’t see anything worth taking in the kitchen, so he cautiously continued into the belly of the house. There was only one doorway in the hallway that connected the kitchen to the front door. He walked past it, glancing into the front foyer and seeing nothing of value before returning to the doorway. The room was pitch black, having no windows and therefore no moonlight shining into it. He strained to make out shapes in the room, eventually giving up and carefully pulling out a military flashlight. He verified that the red lens had remained over the bulb during his entrance and flicked it on. A dull red glow covered the room as he investigated it. A heavy-looking desk rested in the middle of the room and the rear wall was dominated by fully stocked bookshelves. A few pieces of art adorned the walls on either side of him, and Jimmy briefly considered taking them. He quickly shook the idea out of his head, realizing that he had no idea where he could even sell such things without suspicion. He wasn’t that sophisticated yet.
He turned his attention to the desk. An expensive watch and a few rings lay next to the lamp near the edge, and he eagerly scooped them up and stored them in his bag. He continued his search, running the flashlight over the rest of the desktop and then pulling out drawers. As he quietly rummaged through the desk the ceiling above him gave a sharp crack, as if there was suddenly weight placed upon it. He froze, fear filling up his chest and dripping down into his stomach. He waited almost a full two minutes before deciding that he was letting his imagination get the best of him. ‘Every house makes noises‘, he rationalized, ‘stop being such a pansy‘. He continued his search, finding a few less expensive watches in the top-most drawer. After stuffing them into his pack he turned to check the rest of the room.
He examined the bookshelves that were positioned along the back wall, reading the titles of the books as his eyes lingered over each one in turn. Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Homer, Twain…many more were names that Jimmy didn’t recognize. The man that used this room was obviously well-educated. They all signified college. Higher learning. Jimmy quickly looked away.
The rest of the room did not contain anything of any worth, and so he extinguished his flashlight and moved cautiously back out into the hallway. He crept towards the stairs that lead to the upper part of the house. Jimmy knew that his best chance of finding expensive items lay above him. His heart had calmed down and returned to its normal rhythm, and his mood had brightened considerably once he had entered the home. He knew that his money problems would be solved after this job, at least for the short term. Damon would get his money and Jimmy wouldn’t have to worry about the debt hanging over his head. He smiled as he took the first step towards the bedrooms upstairs, and stopped suddenly as the light in the kitchen flickered to life.
He could feel a cold hard worm wriggling inside of his stomach as he stared down the hallway towards the new source of light. He was frozen where he stood, with one foot on the first step. He heard the refrigerator open and close a few times, and then the sound of a drawer opening and closing, and then finally the earsplitting clink of plates hitting each other as one is removed. He slowly removed the foot he had placed on the first step and frantically wondered what his next move should be.
His mind refused to function, but he knew that if he waited the person would eventually cross him as they headed back upstairs. Without fully weighing his options he crept back down the hallway towards the study he had recently exited, hoping he could hide in the darkened room until the danger had passed. His knees were shaking badly, and he was suddenly sweating very heavily. The sound of his sneakers hitting the hardwood floor sounded like gunshots as he moved into the study. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the light turn off, and on a whim he decided to hide behind the door rather than just stand in the middle of the room.
He had just stopped moving when the light turned on with a resounding click, blasting the room with light and hurting his eyes. Someone walked into the room, giving no indication that they had noticed Jimmy. He could not see the person, but he heard them pushing papers and pens together as they searched through the desk. ‘Please god, let me get out of here‘, Jimmy prayed. Tears were welling up in his eyes and his knees were shaking so much that he was afraid he might collapse. He mind felt full to the point of bursting and the worm in his gut was thrashing about and poking its sharp head into every piece of him. Suddenly the room was silent, and Jimmy’s eyes went wide as he held his breath. For almost a minute nothing happened. He stood completely still, his lungs screeching at him and his brain flinging conflicting commands at his body. He was paralyzed. Without warning the light clicked off and he was again plunged into darkness.
The first coherent thought that entered his head was to run out of the house as fast as he could. Instead he waited, cemented to the floor, his hands savagely gripping the rough fabric of his pants. He took short ragged breaths as he tried to decide what to do. After a few moments the unchecked panic began to recede, and he decided to wait until his eyes became adjusted to the dark again before moving. He stood, frozen, as the blobs in the room slowly began to coalesce into familiar shapes. The only thought in his mind was escape, and he could feel the oily panic bubbling and seething below the surface of his psyche, waiting for the slightest pinprick to allow it to pour out and cover him.
He waited only a few more moments before he crept out from behind the door, expecting at any moment to either hear a police siren or be hit with a heavy object. He poked his head into the hallway and saw no dark figures waiting for him, so he continued. He tried to look in every direction at once as he move down the hall at a snail pace towards the garage and his exit. Rational thoughts were beginning to seep back into his brain as he worked his way through the recently used kitchen, and as he reached the edge of it he stopped. He remembered the large debt hanging over him, and looked over his shoulder at the unlit room and hallway behind him. He briefly considered a new course of action, and then angrily pushed the dark thoughts out of his head and continued on with his escape. ‘That would be would be much worse than having to deal with Damon‘, he thought, but hesitated when he remembered Damon’s threat. He shook his head, reaching the door leading to the garage and not even bothering to shut it behind him as he quickly moved towards his freedom.
He reached the outer door and put his hand on the knob, and after taking a moment to gather his breath he threw it open. He was running before it closed behind him, sprinting as fast as he could through the sleeping homes towards the wood to the north. As he ran he disregarded his previous route, fear dominating his mind and reducing him to a quivering animal. His feet felt like they weren’t touching the ground as he ran. He vaguely recognized the sound of his feet slapping against the pavement as he cross the street. He slowed slightly as he hit the tree line, crashing through the branches and ignoring the danger of running on uneven ground in the darkness.
When he was over the maintenance road he was again running at full speed towards the park, his arms pumping wildly and his hair ruffling in the wind. He skidded to the stop right before the woods ended as he saw headlights sweep across the grass in front of him. He turned and dove into the underbrush to his right, laying perfectly still and frantically trying to calm himself. This was almost too much for him to bear. He was laying face down and he could feel wet leaves and twigs sticking to his body. Something wriggled against his face, and panic once again threatened to surge up and take control of him. He pushed it away with his hand and slowly raised his head. He could see the headlights, motionless, but pointed in an odd direction, away from his position. He slowly crawled on his stomach towards the parking lot, careful to remain close to the ground and inside the tree line. His jaw dropped when he was finally able to get a clear view.
A police cruiser was idling next to his parked car, and a cop was slowly walking around it with a flashlight. Jimmy couldn’t stop the groan from escaping his lips. He watched in despair as the cop wrote something down and quickly walked back to his car. Jimmy’s mind worked quickly. He couldn’t just walk up to the car, because why would he be walking outside at two in the morning dress entirely in black and with a lock pick set in his pocket? No, that was out of the question. But he couldn’t just abandon his vehicle. His mind swam, and nausea washed over him as he weighed his options.
Jimmy sighed, realizing that there was no way out of this. If the people in that house reported a burglary, his car being parked out here would make him a suspect. Perhaps the best course of action would be to turn himself in now and try to get a more lenient sentence. Jimmy started to push himself to his feet just as the cop briskly walked back to his car, placed a piece of paper on the windshield, and returned to the cruiser. After a moment the police car slowly turned around and drove out of the park, leaving Jimmy half standing in the tree line.
After a few moments he walked over to his car, emotionally exhausted and not even caring anymore if he was caught. He looked down at the paper and realized it was a parking ticket. He had been issued a citation for parking in the lot after dark. Two hundred dollars. With a sigh Jimmy removed the ticket from his windshield and looked up at the moon. His stomach hurt, he owed the city money, he owed Damon a lot of money, and now if the burglary was reported he wouldn’t have an alibi. ‘Things literally could have not gone worse‘, he thought dejectedly. He would spend the next day or so agonizing over the burglary attempt, and then once that had passed he would switch to agonizing over the drug money he owed Damon. That was a greater threat than the burglary charge.
He stood next to his car, ticket in hand, and thought for a moment. His mind felt dull and listless and his entire body was sore, but he recognized that he was still living and breathing. If there was one thing his Dad had taught him it was that as long as you are breathing it is a good day. He tried to force a smile as he entered his old car and drove out of the parking lot.
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Posted on December 15th, 2007 at 10:12 pm
