Drip
Drip
Drip
If there was one thing Ian hated about his rundown apartment was that his kitchen sink never stopped leaking no matter how many times he tried to fix it. His small apartment consisted of a sitting room which also served as a bedroom, a small island that separated the living room from the kitchen, which also doubled as a dining with a single tattered stool to sit on The apartment was basically just a small space divided into fractions with a small bathroom attached.
In simple terms the apartment was very out of date, then again that is to be expected as the neighborhood was notorious for harbouring criminals it was a miracle the rickety structure of his apartment was still standing. He didn't live here by choice, it was all he could afford and he was still falling behind sometimes having to alternate between meals and shelter but that was all about to change.
He kept checking his old cracked phone making a mental note to get a new one once his job was done. He was waiting for a message, one that will change his life forever. It all started when his boss said he had a special job for him, Ian worked as a delivery boy just not the kind you would think, he delivered something much more valuable than pizzas, and much more illegal to. He knew what his job consisted of and he stuck to it, he knew it was dangerous but he continued simply because he didn't have a choice. He made enough just to get by but with this job he was promised enough to be set for life he simply couldn't deny it even though it seemed to good to be true.
A loud ping distracted Ian from his daydreaming about all the things he will do once the job was over. He reached over and picked up his phone the contact made his eyes light up. It was time.
Leo
meet me at the pick-up point in ten minutes don't be late.
He reread the text over again to make sure he was seeing correctly then instantly sprang up. He took a second to calm his breath, by checked his pocket his phone wallet and charger basically all his possessions were safely tucked away in his leather jacket. He rushed to the door stopping to look himself over in the cracked glass window in front of his door. "You got this" he assured himself. With a small smile on his face he set off.
"You're late" were the words that greeted him the moment he got to his designated meeting point "I'm sorry" he he heaved still trying to catch his breath after running most of the way. "I told you not to be late were running on a tight schedule don't make me regret taking you up on this job" Leo responded a cold look on his face his boss had never been the nicest of people. "I'm really sorry please don't take me of the job I won't let you down I promise" all he got as a response was a grunt as Leo turned and walked towards one of the two parked cars behind them.
"You drive right"
"yeah why ?"
"this delivery requires you to drive"
The younger boy simply hummed to show he was listening
"It must be a big one then yeah ?" he questioned
"You can say that, look kid this one's gonna be a little different from what you're used to but I trust you'll be able to handle it don't prove me wrong".
With the way he kept talking about the job Ian was starting to get nervous his jobs were always simple take the package to the address drop it off take the payment and go back, of course you had you occasional issue people trying to make trouble saying the goods were fake or that they were being overpriced but he had been doing this job long enough to know how to handle such people so he rarely had serious issues this was the first time he was using a car too he was usually given a simple bike now that he was using a car he was starting to get really nervous.
"It's nothing to worry about just another delivery.... right ?"
He was trying to sound confident but Leo could tell he was skeptical
"look kid I didn't mean to scare you ok, it's just this package is way more valuable than anything we've ever delivered and in trusting you to not let me down".
His hands were placed on the boys shoulders now and he squeezed them in reassurance.
"Ok what do I have to do"
"That's the spirit kid, now this is your route" he handed him a piece of paper, "It shouldn't take you too long but be on high alert there are others trying to get their hands on this package so you need to be careful".
"How do I know I'm giving it to the right person then ?"
Leo then showed him a picture of a man
"this is who you should be looking for don't ask for a name just hand the package over to him he has the rest of your pay".
At the mention of his pay Ian perked up he was to receive thirty percent of his pay and the remaining seventy percent when the job was done.
"Here"
"Thanks", Ian zipped open the small bay and saw an arrangement of one hundred dollar bills this alone was more than he had been paid since he started working as a delivery boy. A small smile made its way to his lips as he let out a feathered breath this could really be his break all he had to do was not mess this delivery and he would be set for life.
After zipping the bag back closed he glanced up at Leo "Alright what do I have to deliver" he asked.
"Now kid I don't want you to freak cuz this is where it gets just a tiny bit complicated yeah"
Leo let out a breath and looked Ian in the eye
"It's not what you're delivering..... it's who"
The small smile that made its way to Ian's face slowly disappeared as the air seemed to have been knocked out of his lungs.
"WHAT"