The Rock

The Rock

         Two powerful men, both wearing short-sleeved black T-shirts and Khaki trousers, pulled up by the lakeside in their landrover. One seemed to be younger than the other. They both got out and the younger man went around the back of the vehicle to fetch a fiberglass boat. It was quite big with room enough for two. Glancing round to make sure they weren't being watched, they put two plastic paddles in the boat and carried it to the water's edge. "don't go very far, we don't want to be seen. The older one said.

"When should we begin?"

"We'll finish it in the evening when it's dark."

"The younger man shook his head and got in and, pausing only to sling a camera around his neck, began paddling.

"Do you have enough water, my friend?" The older man asked.

"Yes." came the reply.

"Call me on the mobile if you have any problems."

"Yes, I'll do that."

The man on the shore looked so sad it was as if he'd never see his friend again. He watched until the boat was out of sight behind some bushes. He went back to the land rover and returned to the shoreline with a beer and another camera. He settled down on a rock where all the money, diamonds, and gold were hidden. Chugged his beer and looked around him. The lake was calm and surrounded by flat land with hills and high mountains beyond. Rivers flowed down across the plains, feeding the lake. The man contemplated the beauties of nature; the birds, turtles, and frogs. "The lake is a big food source for them. They don't pay for it." He looked at a frog "I wish I were you." He thought. His beer finished, he began talking to himself. "Freedom's great but freedom and money together are better! Fifteen years for a bank robbery! It's not as if I stole from the poor. All those rich bastards with their safe deposit boxes!" He looked at his arm, "I've got this big fist tattoo on my arm but I've got another souvenir from that time! Prison taught me who and what I was. There it was the survival of the fittest and I survived. Fuck' em all!"

He got another beer and a fishing rod. He baited the line, cast it and waited for a bite. He continued to talk to himself. "What a great view. I wish I were great too. We'll get our hands on all the money, diamonds, and gold we stole all those years ago. Soon it'll be all ours and we'll be rich!" He looked at the rock and patted it, "Thank you for all the years you kept them for us."

The two men were friends; they'd done the bank job together and despite torture hadn't revealed where they'd hidden the loot. Their time inside had changed them. They'd learned that money talks and everybody, even the warders, and the Governor could be bribed. They'd learned to trust nobody, only their weapons. Above all else, if you wanted to be king of the castle, be ruthless in eliminating all opposition.

Joe, the younger meanwhile, was having the same thoughts about the money. How would he spend it? How much would the diamonds fetch? Suddenly he noticed something unusual behind the bushes. He reached for his phone immediately. "Hello Ted, I can see something is irregular around me."

"What is it?"

"I think somebody has followed me."

"Where are you now?"

"I am in the boat at the shore."

"Stay in the boat and paddle back as fast as you can." A little later he glanced at his watch. "Five minutes." He called his friend. I'll be with you in five minutes." Then he pushed the start button. He threw the rod into the back of the vehicle and got into the driver's seat. He'd only driven for three minutes when he heard a fire. "That was Joe! Oh, my God. What happened?" He said,

When he reached the scene he stopped, before he got out of the car, suddenly a second huge fire hit him, killing Ted immediately.

Four beefy men appeared behind the bushes, "we should look for the big rock." One of them said. 
KZ