10 Execution

~Winter~

 I arrived home to see the children having supper. There was meat today. Thanks to Pamela, I smiled. 

It wasn't like we were impulsive when we started the orphanage. Business was good in Brighton until a baking factory opened a couple of chains in Brighton, and we couldn't make sales anymore. But that wasn't the main reason why we left. The Pimp we rescued Chelsea from was out to get us, and knowing we could be targets for pimps ourselves, we knew we had to leave. We never told Chelsea she was the reason we abandoned our home, and we planned to keep it that way. 

Some would say we should have reported to the Alpha of Brighton but people like us are always cut off from those in charge. That was my appeal to Brandon; he opted to see and welcome us to his territory instead of assigning a Kappa to do it.

I guess he ended up acting like them in the end.

Summer and I waited until the children were in bed before discussing our plan.

I took a shot of cheap gin and sat on the bed to discuss the plan with Summer. She was afraid, but the fact that she knew we had no choice made her resolve strong.

The last thing we wanted was to be at the mercy of anyone wherever we moved to. We planned to set up the orphanage and a sizable bakery to sustain it. To do that, we needed a shit load of money. The best way to get the money we needed was to steal only palladium jewellery, and since Summer and I had an idea of what it looked like, we planned to only grab jewellery that looked like the pricey metal to reduce the bulkiness of the loot and enable us to carry it through the woods in wolf form.

"So what is the plan?" She asked me, and I sighed. I took more sip of the liquid courage and smiled at her.

"I will make it simple. This plan involves Mountain, Gad, Kaizen Island and Greenville," I said, and she widened her eyes.

"Those are places in three different regions. Don't tell me we are going on a robbing spree, Winter. We can't pull it off. We don't even have weapons to pull that off," she said, and I chuckled. Summer’s eyes were so wide they seemed like they would pop out of her head.

"So, here's the plan. Mountain boasts a low crime rate, thanks to its affluent residents who deter theft. The city is meticulously planned, with designated streets for every purpose. Notably, they have an entire street dedicated solely to jewellery stores. This provides us with a specific target and a concentrated area of interest, minimising the risk of getting caught while wandering around.

I've also discovered that they have two lax alphas who frequently indulge in parties, indicating weak leadership.

My proposal is to target the jewelry stores during the night or early morning hours, as these establishments typically don't operate around the clock. No one wakes up in the dead of night to buy jewellery, or so I hope.

On execution day, I'll pick the locks, and we'll strategically take only palladium from each store. This ensures an even distribution of revenue loss instead of putting all our eggs in one basket. Subsequently, we'll return to Hayland, travel to Gad, sell the loot on the black market, and convert our earnings into gold bars. Our next move involves returning to Hayland, laying low for a few days, and then heading to Kaizen Island.

Once there, we'll use a portion of our gold to purchase new identities. Afterwards, we'll proceed to Greenville, set up an account, and utilise two weeks to shuttle between Hayland and Greenville, establishing our home and bakery. Our aim is to reside in a middle-class area, as we cannot afford the wealthier districts. Once everything is in order, we'll relocate the children, bidding farewell to our current residence," I explained, and Summer appeared stunned.

"You thought this through, didn't you?" She said in awe.

"Yes," I said.

"We need an alibi still," She said, and I smiled.

"Easy. Chelsea will be in charge of the children. She is sixteen, and she can manage a night without us. I will deliver Brandon’s cake in the evening. No bus leaves for Mountain after three in the afternoon. He can testify that we were in town. No one would ever know we left Hayland, to begin with," I said, and she nodded.

"I think we can work with this," she said, and I smiled at her. I'm glad she was willing to try.

"What if we get caught?" She finally asked me something I had no solution to, and I sighed.

"It is either we risk it or end up on the streets. It is an easy pick for me," I said, withholding Brandon's promise. I couldn't tell because it might be her hope, and I wanted us to leave this place.

That night, the air was heavy with the scent of gin as Summer and I indulged ourselves before succumbing to sleep. The two days that followed were consumed by meticulous planning, and as the moment to put our strategy into action arrived, we resolved to make our move under the shroud of night. Our decision was clear—no check-ins, no records—just a swift, clandestine journey to Mountain.

As departure loomed, a sense of apprehension crept over me, casting shadows on my resolve. Our mode of transportation was unconventional; no vehicles for us. Instead, we opted to traverse the woods in our wolf forms, bags cinched around our bodies with clothes tucked within for our arrival. The plan, though sounding almost fantastical, carried an air of possibility, and I was determined we could pull it off.

Standing in the heart of the forest, I gazed into the enveloping darkness. While most feared the night, Summer and I were raised in its embrace. Darkness, to us, was a companion, not a threat.

"I can't believe you talked me into this," Kira, my wolf, muttered within my mind.

"It's for the greater good. Soon, it will be over, and it will be like it never happened," I urged, attempting to reassure both Kira and myself.

"What if what we get is not enough?" she questioned, voicing the concerns echoing in the depths of my own thoughts.

"We'll go for the expensive stuff," I assured her, though the intricacies of distinguishing genuine from fake eluded me. It was the best plan I could muster—a crime we could commit and survive. Robbing a bank was an entirely different gamble, and I couldn't fathom putting us in such peril.

Summer took the lead, seamlessly shifting into her beautiful grey wolf, Ray. I knew Ray wasn't thrilled about our endeavour; her eyes betrayed her reservations. Draping Summer's bag around Ray's neck, we secured it in place. Then, it was my turn. With their help, I shifted into my wolf form, and together, Ray and I managed to fasten my bag securely. The woods awaited, and with the night as our ally, we embarked on this perilous journey, driven by the hope that our plan would unfold without a hitch.

We sprinted through the woods for over an hour, a relentless blur of movement cutting through the darkness. The crescent moon, the sole beacon in the night sky, illuminated our path. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, and if I claimed not to be afraid, it would be a blatant lie. Fear was a shadow I couldn't shake, but the alternative was the unforgiving streets. Brandon's offer, a tempting but dangerous proposition, was never truly an option for me.

Our arrival at Mountain transpired around one in the morning. The unfamiliar territory left us uncertain about the location of the coveted Jewelry Street. Resuming our normal forms, we dressed using the contents of our bags, and I decided to rely on my phone's GPS to guide us. According to the map, we were a mere thirty minutes on foot from the desired destination. The plan was for Summer and me to traverse the distance on foot, skirting the street in the woods to remain unseen.

Navigating the darkened woods adjacent to the road, we maintained a cautious distance from the streetlights to avoid detection. Despite my initial estimate of thirty minutes, it took us nearly fifty minutes to reach our destination. Exhausted and out of breath, we finally emerged onto the street at approximately two fifteen in the morning.

Mountain unfolded before us, a picturesque haven illuminated by streetlights that surpassed anything Hayland had to offer. I understood Brandon's fervor to elevate his home, but comparing it to Mountain was like comparing apples to the moon. Mountain belonged to the Lord of the East, Head Alpha of the East, and the leader of the Royal Council—a Volkov, pure royalty. The contrast was stark, yet Brandon's ambition soared higher than the realistic realms of achievement. Unlike him, I preferred earning my progress rather than relying on charm. Whatever he called it, the truth remained—he was a gold digger.

Fortunately, the streetlights illuminating the jewellery stores were dim. Adjacent to the road, we approached a stationary Jeep. Summer and I waved continuously and desperately, signalling as if seeking a ride. No response came, confirming our suspicion that it was empty. Though my heart pounded, we pressed on.

Crouched by the first store, I began picking the lock, the mechanism yielding after a moment of focused effort. As we entered, we kept our heads bowed, using our hair as a makeshift disguise.

"I can't believe we didn't bring masks," Summer remarked, and her observation echoed my own thoughts. Robbing a store without masks was an oversight, but we pressed forward. Our long hair would have to suffice. Without dwelling on the issue, we focused on the task at hand—selecting items that exuded opulence and stuffing them into our bags. We wouldn't hit every store, a maximum of five seemed sufficient. Hopefully, the loot would be enough to secure our relocation.