“Okay, I think we need some code names here, because... you know, in the movies... they always have code names.”
He paced the floor of the broom closet, grateful to know the local pizza shop’s owner. It just made it all feel more legitimate - more surreal.
“Okay,” agreed his right-hand man. “Any ideas? Like Cobra or Bromski, what?”
He shook his head.
“No no no. We need a theme. Something classy.”
“Like names... from a book or something?” suggested his left-hand man.
“Exactly!” he cried, pacing the dirty 3-ft square hull. “Okay, I’ve got it. I’ll be Mr. Darcy.”
He pointed to his right-hand man.
“Dough-boy, you’re Mr. Bennett. And you, Lefty - you’ll be...”
“Wait a sec, Big Tim,” Mr. Bennett interrupted. “Why do you get to be Mr. Darcy?”
Mr. Darcy squinted with confusion, as if the answer was obvious.
“Because... I’m the man...”
“He is the man, Mr. Bennett,” interjected Lefty.
Mr. Bennett was getting flustered.
“Who died and made you leader of this outfit, anyway?”
The very small Mr. Darcy stretched on his toes to be face-to-face with Mr. Bennett. He whispered, but there was strength behind the hiss that reminded the gang he was in charge.
“Because I invited you to join this outfit, I scouted out the bank, I got the blueprints of the entire block, I got the guns and drills and masks, I came up with the plans, and most importantly... I know the owner here!”
“Actually,” chimed Lefty. “The owner is my dad. That’s why I work here.”
That reminded Mr. Bennett.
“Hey, I work here too.”
“We all work here, guys,” Mr. Darcy concluded, a little frustrated himself. “But I’m in tight with the owner... your dad.”
“Oh,” the others said together as the door cracked open.
A pair of black beady eyes poked in, along with an abstractly round nose.
“Smoke-break is over, fellas,” murmured the owner. “Back to work.”
As the balding old man turned back into the kitchen, the three boys followed they signaled to one another as they exited the closet. Mr. Darcy combed down his greasy hair. Mr. Bennett wiped his hands on his apron. Lefty scratched his chin. Then they all coughed simultaneously and strolled out into the dining area to carry on with their inconspicuous day jobs.
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