They continued running until the visitor told them to stop, alerting them that they had reached their destination.
"Haaaaa, haaaaa, haaaaa,"
They panted heavily, most of them holding their knees in exhaustion, trying to relax.
"Hey, man, I don't know who the heck you think you are, but if we'd been delayed, I would have killed you," the visitor threatened as he grabbed Mark by the collar.
"Don't fuss, boss. That's just how he is when it comes to Martha. It won't happen again,"
One of the other men in the party intervened for him.
"It better not," the visitor said, releasing Mark.
Mark, after gaining his freedom, walked to Martha and asked how she was. Martha replied with a nod and then flashed a grin at him, too exhausted to speak.
"Thigh, and all those people were acting as if there was nothing wrong, just because we come from the slums."
Mark said, his voice heavy with rage.
"Enough of that. All that matters is that we're here," the visitor, now identified as the boss for this mission, spoke out.
Amongst all who stood there, he looked like he belonged in the slums. While the rest kept themselves as neat as possible, he had messy and filthy hair matching his dark skin, which one could clearly see was covered in grime. He had unkempt nails, under-average looks, and an even dirtier outfit.
Their destination was a large mansion that awkwardly stood separated from the rest of the city.
Several lights were on, proving that there were people inside who were still awake. But that didn't bother them, since the light of their main destination was off.
"Okay, guys, it's now or never,"
The boss spoke as they discussed a plan, exchanging nods afterward. They moved into a secret passage and entered the main house after a few minutes. Their journey was a smooth one since that path was an emergency exit for the members of the household.
"We made it in!"
Mark exclaimed with joy as they appeared in one of the master bedrooms. With the light still off, they switched on their flashlights and started moving through the room, searching for loot.
As they searched, the sound of snoring could be heard emanating from the background. They all began searching for its source, finding a man sleeping on the king-sized bed.
"Thigh, filthy pig," Martha muttered, disgusted by his physique as he was as fat as a well-fed hog.
"Shuuuuuu,"
The leader shushed, whispering to them that they needed to wrap it up quickly and leave to avoid any trouble.
With that, they decided to leave him be, leaving Mark on standby to watch his movements as they gathered the loot.
"Wow, what's this!"
Mark thought as he came across a box with the abbreviation 'B.K.O.' inscribed on it. A small note that read "Check it out in the morning" was attached to it, lying on the table beside the bed.
"It is really... a VR game console?"
He thought, a grin appearing on his face as he couldn't believe his eyes. He flashed a glance at the man and proceeded to move toward it, opening the box to find only a headpiece kept neatly inside.
"Hm? Why is there only the headpiece? Where is the rest?"
He thought, his eyes darting around for the rest of the set.
"Guys, time's up. Let's go before we get spotted,"
The leader whispered, alerting the rest.
"What should I do? Well, this pig doesn't seem the type to play VR games, so this is my personal loot!"
Mark muttered with a panicked tone, his voice softening as he went on.
Without wasting time, he picked up a bag from the side of the table and gently placed the console inside before proceeding to join the others.
While taking the bag off the table, he accidentally knocked over a bottle of perfume, which hit the ground, its glass container shattering upon impact.
This startled the man, causing him to toss around on his bed, though he didn't wake. Mark's heart stopped beating for a moment before he resumed moving toward the exit.
The sharp scent of the perfume woke the man up, however, and he began looking around in a panic, his hand fumbling along the wall to find the light switch. His delay gave Mark just enough time to escape and close the door to the secret passage.
"Aaaaaah, I've been robbed!"
The man yelled, throwing a tantrum as an alarm sounded throughout the house, initiating a complete lockdown.
Mark and his group ran, barely making it out before being trapped inside.
"What happened?"
Martha inquired between gasps for breath, exhausted from yet another run. Everyone exchanged looks, trying to figure out who triggered the alarm. Since no one admitted guilt, they decided to let it go, satisfied they had achieved their goal.
They continued walking, trying to blend into the crowd and avoid attention, until they reached a deserted alley in front of their usual shop for selling stolen goods. There, they shared the loot and sold it, watching as the others left upon receiving their share. Only Martha and Mark remained.
"Wow, that was a lot of jewelry. How did a pig like that man have so much of this stuff? Well, it's mine now, so I guess it all worked out."
Mark said as he turned to leave, feeling a twinge of sadness since he wanted to say goodbye to his crush but didn't know how to without making things awkward. He lowered his head and kept walking.
"Mark! Will I see you again?"
Martha called out, tears welling up in her eyes as her crush prepared to leave for a better life.
"Yeah, of course. You already know the house I've always wanted to buy. With this cash, I'm gonna get it, so you can come visit in your free time. See you later, Martha."
He said, flashing her a smile. They went their separate ways, but a tear slipped down his cheek as he walked.
"I'll see Martha again, soon. But now I just need to get the place and check out this VR game," he muttered, shaking off his sadness as he stepped into the city's light after buying fresh clothes. He made his way toward the house he had always dreamed of owning.