Page 43 of The Hitchhikers

He handed one to Alice.

Alice had never done anything wrong in her life. She didn’t speed. She didn’t steal. As a teen, she’d never broken curfew or drunk alcohol. And now she was going to rob a store.

She followed Simon out the RV door—after giving Tom a kiss and whispering to him that she was going to be okay, even if their eyes said that neither of them were sure about that.

Simon kept to the dark side of the street, hands in his pockets, shoulders hunched, and his head tucked so that his face was hidden. They each had a bandana around their neck. When theygot closer, he instructed Alice to pull the bandana up over her mouth and nose.

Five feet from the front door, Simon signaled for her to stop. They stepped into the shadow of the building near the dumpster. Simon looked up and down the street, then lifted the handgun out of his pocket, checking the ammo. Alice startled at the sharp, clicking sound.

“Pleasedon’t shoot anyone.”

“Only if they shoot first.”

Alice didn’t want anyone to shoot. Not first, second, or last.

“Get your gun ready.”

Alice took the toy gun out of her overalls. She had a pillowcase stuffed in her other pocket. She didn’t know how much money Simon thought she was going to be hauling out of there, but she guessed it made more sense than shoving bills into pockets. She hated the feeling of the fake gun in her hand. She hated that she was going to have to point it at someone.

“Keep it in your pocket,” Simon said. “Stick it out just enough that she can see it and it looks real. I’ll be standing at the door with this.” He brandished Tom’s gun.

Closing time was in ten minutes. Alice prayed that there were no last-minute shoppers who might burst through the door. She was dying of heat in the overalls, could barely breathe through the bandana. Her forehead was itchy and sweaty under the baseball cap.

With one last look around the street, Simon stepped forward. Alice was meant to follow but she couldn’t make her legs work. Simon turned back, grabbed her wrist, and yanked her along with him. They were at the front door. Simon peered through the glass.

“Stay behind me,” he hissed. Alice could smell his nerves, a metallic tinge to his skin. Sweat, fear.

He shoved open the door, gun out in front. “Put your hands in the air!” he shouted.

A woman screamed. Alice had followed Simon as instructed and now she saw the terrified woman behind the counter. Middle-aged, with brown shoulder-length hair parted in the middle. Plain white blouse. Eyes large and focused on Simon. Her hands were pressed to her mouth, and she was backed up against shelves.

“Take everything out of the till and slide it across the counter. Nice and easy.”

The woman lowered her hands and pressed a few buttons on the cash register. She was sobbing in breathy, panicked moans as she fumbled inside and took out handfuls of cash.

Simon gestured to Alice. “Go.” Alice took unsteady steps toward the woman, her hand shoved in her pocket so that the gun looked like it was sticking out.

“Just do what he said, and you won’t get hurt.” Alice tried to sound firm, her voice rough and low. The woman had to follow the orders for her protection.

She slid the stacks of cash over to Alice, who shoved them into the pillowcase.

“You got a safe?” Simon said.

The woman shook her head. “My boss makes us deposit at the bank every night. Everything was in the till.” Her voice quivered. “I swear.”

“Get those cigarettes.”

Alice grabbed cartons and filled her pillowcase. Simon was filling his with items off the shelves. Chips. Candy. Chocolate bars. Batteries. Film for cameras. Then he abruptly spun around and aimed the gun at the woman, who began sobbing.

Alice froze. No, no, no. He couldn’t shoot this woman. He couldn’t.

“Where’s the tape?”

The woman pointed to another shelf.

He lifted a roll of silver duct tape off the hook, then camearound the counter. The woman was trying to move backward in scurrying movements, her hands out in front.

“Get on your knees.” The woman’s face was sickly pale as she dropped behind the counter, out of Alice’s sight. Simon bent down. Alice could only see the top of his head when he moved, but the sound of tape being ripped off the roll was loud and clear.