Moral Degeneration

I knocked on Penny’s door and waited. It wasn’t long until she made it to the door. Some bags under her eyes she still put on a smile as she threw open the door.

“Finally,” she said. “My day date.”

“Change of plans, hun,” I said with a frown. “I need help.”

“What?” She asked, stepping back inside as I followed. “What kind of help?”

I took a breath and let it out. “The illegal kind.” I studied her reaction. Searching for any tics or markers of deception, but there was none.

“Okay,” she said as she yawned and fanned her face. “Can I get coffee first?” She was wearing one of my hoodies, and was in black yoga pants. Dirty blonde hair, her nipples poked out staring at me. 

“It could take a while,” I said. 

“Is it related to what you had Luna and I buying?” She asked. I nodded. “Whatever you need.” She yawned again. “But I want 2 full day dates as payment.” 

“Penny, this is serious. This isn’t buying random stuff. This is if you blab then I go to prison,” I said.

She appeared to wake up with that. “What?” 

“Yeah. If you can’t keep this secret, I could get in trouble. A lot of trouble. I am trusting you. If you don’t think you can deal with it I can go to someone else.” 

“Did you go to anyone else?” She asked, perking up. I shook my head. Her grin only got wider. “So you’re coming to me first? Why am I given this honor?” I rolled my eyes, knowing she wanted her ego stroked. 

“Because to be honest I trust you to keep your head for some reason. I know I haven’t asked anything like this of you, but you were the only one that didn’t ask about Lanny’s problem.” 

“Well yeah, cus it’s sexy,” she said swaying as she moved toward me. “I love having a big strong man in my back pocket…and my front.” She stuck her tongue out. “What do you need me to do?”

“Do what you do best. Distract and drive,” I said.

She took in a breath then exhaled slowly. “That’s it?” She asked, annoyed.

“Trust me. If you can keep your head for this I’ll trust you with more in the future,” I said.

“Okay,” she said, shrugging. “I’m uh still exhausted from work though. I need that coffee. And probably a good dicking before we start.” Her hand moved to my jeans. 

“I figured as much,” I said. “But the sooner we start the sooner we can get to the actual date.”

“Dick now, as a deposit,” she said uncaringly. I shook my head and nodded. She let out a yahoo and jumped up. My hands on her ass I walked her to her bed. The apartment as clean as ever. Part of me was still worried she was doing coke or meth, but I hadn’t seen any signs of it so I pushed it out of my mind. 

 

My hands at the top of her pants I pulled them off in a smooth motion. “Fuck, I swear you got bigger and stronger again.”

“Just your imagination,” I said. I had struggled with what happened at the Nightingale club the night before, but after some good simple passionate sex with Luna and her falling asleep on me I felt better. 

“Fuck!” Penny yelled as I buried my face between her legs. Her cleanly shaven pussy was already dripping. Each movement of my tongue sending jolts up her body and groans from her it wasn’t long until she was wrapping her legs around my head. Cumming loudly she lifted her hoodie and pulled a nipple as the small orgasm faded. 

“Dick please,” she said, staring down at me.

“Yes, dear,” I said. Grabbing a condom I gave her the full course. Unfortunately she was exhausted and after cumming 5 times she fell asleep. I was left with blue balls and a wasted condom but I was on a time constraint. 

 

Picking her up and dressing her I carried her to the Elle. Setting her in the passenger seat I stopped at the local Starbucks. She woke up with the smell of a cappuccino and was wide awake when she realized we were in the new car. 

“Oh my god, Farrah wouldn’t shut up about this thing,” Penny said. “Why didn’t you pick me up?” 

“Kind of hard to do when I have no idea when you sleep. Besides, we had this planned,” I said.

She was quiet for a bit as I drove us. Eventually she asked, “And what if I quit?”

“What’s that?” I asked. 

“What if I quit stripping?” She asked shyly. “I mean…I can’t do it forever. And…” 

“And what?” 

“I don’t know,” she said. “Kind of hate sleeping during the day lately.” She looked out the window, but I understood what she was saying. I grabbed her hand, pulling it to me.

“Penelope,” I said. “I would love it if you quit so we could spend more time together. After we do all this, how about you and I have a long conversation about the future?” 

 

She opened her mouth, but instead of answering smiled and nodded. She had a happier look on her face as she sipped her drink and I took us to a farther part of town. “Think you can drive this thing over to 5th and Ashworth?” I asked. 

“What?”

“I need you to drive the Chevelle,” I said. “You know 5th and Ashworth?”

“By the Walmart?” I nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “I get to drive?”

“Yes, I’m trusting you. I’ll meet you there,” I said and got out.

“Where are you going?” She asked.

“You’ll see. Wait for me at 5th and Ashworth,” I said. She nodded, but scooted over to the driver’s seat. Revving the engine her mouth opened and tongue stuck out as she kicked it into drive and peeled away. Shaking my head I ran a few blocks away to a grocery store and stole another car. 

I found Penny doing donuts in a parking lot close to where I said. Giving her a stern look she only laughed and followed. When we got to the gas station she parked inside. Only when she was joining me in the other car did she ask, “Who’s car is this?” 

“I stole it,” I said. Putting it in drive I headed off. 

“You stole this?!” She yelled.

“Illegal stuff, remember?” I asked. 

“Yeah, but how the hell do you steal a car?” She asked. 

“You asking ethically or literally?” I asked. 

 

“Literally,” she said. I eyed her. 

“I’ll teach you sometime,” I said.

“Okay,” she said, clapping and we got to the mall. I stopped outside the army surplus store that I went to with Audrey a couple of months ago. 

 

“Inside there is an old man. He lives at the back of the store. I need you to distract him,” I said.

“How old?” She asked, getting serious. 

“70s? I don’t know. Show off some cleavage. Old men actually appreciate it,” I said.

“Oh I know,” she said. Grabbing the collar of the hoodie she ripped it down the middle to show cleavage. Getting out without a word she walked inside as she shook her ass. Driving to the back of the store there was a camera but it was pointed away. Grabbing my lockpicking set and door opener I parked right behind the back entrance to his shop. 

 

To my surprise the back door was open. Opening the screen door as quietly as possible I had already checked and there were no dogs. The front of the shop was all knives, military gear, and such, but I’d spent some time there. I’d seen him show off a few guns to an older friend of his. I knew he had access to guns, and I wanted them. 

A straight shot from the back door to the front I noticed Penny at front leaning over the glass cases as the old man simply stared. She twirled her hair and pointed at stuff as she talked and the old man numbly nodded and brought out whatever she asked. 

Moving to the side I found the large footlocker in his room down the hall. My pneumatic piston with a compressed air tank attached to it in my hand I moved to the thick lock. Pressing the back of the lock against the footlocker I pressed the button. The piston shot out of the cylinder instantly. A loud thump sounded and the hiss from the valve was low but constant. Releasing the trigger the piston retracted and I pulled the lock off. 

 

Opening the locker I found what I had hoped. A range of assault rifles, I grabbed the AK-74. A wood stock and sleek metal it had been well maintained and was a classic rifle. Grabbing 2 boxes of ammo I shut the locker and threw the lock under the bed. Moving back to the hall, Penny saw me and grabbed the guy’s attention again. 

 

I was out the door and the still running car in an instant. Kicking it in reverse I took deep breaths as I calmed myself. Coming to the front Penny ran out with a big smile on her face. “Did I do good?” 

“Always,” I assured as I headed back to the gas station. 

“What did you score?” She asked, looking into the back seat. “A gun?”

“Yeah,” I said, forcing myself to drive the speed limit. There was a cop behind us but I ignored them. There was no way anyone had already called the car in. 

 

“Are you killing anyone?” She asked.

I studied her. She didn’t seem overly worried about it. “Not if I can help it,” I assured. She nodded, but smiled wide. Leaning her head on my shoulder it wasn’t long until we were back at the station. 

I filled the air tank for the piston again. It had 4 shots that it could do with such a small tank. Throwing the air compressor in the car I loaded the bullets into the AK-74 Magazine. I double checked and it was set up for automatic fire. To be legal it should have been missing a spring and pin making it semi-auto.

Throwing the gun in back of the stolen car we were on our way again. We left the city and found a secluded spot. “What are we doing?” Penny asked. “Sex?” 

“Later. First rule, never trust a gun you have never shot before,” I said. I pulled the trigger and a long spray left it. The bullets were loud but it was pretty accurate. 

“Oh my god, can I shoot it?” Penny asked.

“Sure,” I said. “Just a couple pulls of the trigger.” I walked her through how to chamber a round and she fired. 

 

“Oh my god,” she yelled laughing. Firing it again she focused on a tree and blew chunks off of it. “Best date ever.” 

“Good,” I said, taking it back from her. Putting it on safety and checking the magazine I refilled it and threw it in back. “Now the real test. Are you sure you’re in?” I asked. 

“All the way, baby,” she said, rubbing her hands together. I gave her a once over but nodded. 

 

“Okay,” I said. “You’re driving.” She got into the stolen car without concern. “First, protection. Gloves for you. Balaclava only when I tell you.”

“Fucking hell, we are really doing this, aren’t we? Are we…robbing a bank?”

“No, really not that illegal either. We are…appropriating illegal money for our own gain.” 

“What?”

“You’ll see,” I said. I directed her where to go and we were at the first stop around 10: 30 AM. The street was dead. Since it was a weekday everyone was at work so no collateral damage would happen.

“Okay, that white house there,” I said pointing. “That is owned by the Hermanas.”

“The gang?” She squeaked.

“The same. I’m going to walk in the back door. By…10:39 I will be walking out the front. You will hear shooting, ignore it. You don’t move from this spot until you see me walk out the front door.”

“What if you get shot?!” She asked, finally getting scared.

“I will be walking slowly,” I said. “Don’t worry. These are untrained amateurs. I won’t be killing anyone, and any gunfire you hear will be maiming. You speed like crazy, got it? Pick me up, drive on the sidewalk if you have to. You put the balaclava on in 5 minutes. No sooner, and don’t forget it.”

“Wait!” She said, her eyes wide as she breathed in and out heavily. I was worried she changed her mind. “I love you.”

I grinned. “I love you too,” I said. Kissing her she pulled me closer, taking another kiss. 

“You come back. I’m not having that be the first and last time you say it,” she said.

“Deal,” I said. Stepping out of the car I grabbed the gun and my piston. Throwing the gun over my shoulder with the strap I ran across the street. Moving between houses I looped around and came to the back of the drug house. They were usually hidden in innocuous neighborhoods like this because no one suspected it. I’d checked it out the night before on my way home. Another house just like the drug house was for sale down the road so I broke in and knew the layout of this one.

Taking calming breaths I put on the balaclava. The black mask covered everything but my mouth and eyes. Long slow breaths escaping me I took a deep one and bolted for the house. Jumping over the short chain link fence I was in range of the cameras out back. 

 

Closing the distance to the back door, my piston broke the 2 locks at the back within a few seconds. I pushed in the door and pointed my gun. A woman coming from around the hall, she didn’t see me and I followed behind her. Hearing cursing in another room I heard, “Policia!” 

The girl in front of me turned and I shot her in the leg. She fell down with a scream and I ducked into the kitchen. Someone peeking out from the hall I shot them in the hand causing them to drop their gun. It became a blur after that. Shooting I moved through room by room. Kicking guns away I warned them in Spanish. 

When they understood I wasn’t police they quieted and it was very civil after that. I was pointed to the drugs and money. Grabbing the large duffel bag with everything filled in, I ran out the front door. The tires screeched and I made it to the car as Penny stopped right in front of the house. THrowing everything in back the Hermanas ran after us shooting as Penny sped us off. 

When we were a few blocks away she finally slowed down and stopped. Her eyes wide she pulled off the balaclava with shaking hands. “Holy fucking shit!” She yelled. “I’ve never been so scared in my life!”

“Out, I’ll drive,” I said. We got out and she was in a daze as I drove us away. I watched for anyone but we got lucky. 

 

“How the fuck did you do that?!” She yelled. “I’m still shaking.” 

 

“Practice,” I assured. “You did great. Seasoned people have been known to piss themselves. Getaway driver is not a glamorous job, but it is the most vital.” 

 

“Holy fucking shit balls,” she said, laughing as she leaned her head back. I pulled the car over, connected the compressor to my air tank and filled it as I continued on. “That was…fuck! I don’t care anymore. Do whatever you want, but you’re stuck with me forever, Russ.”

 

“Good,” I said. “Cus we are going to do it again?”

“What?!” She yelled sitting up again. “Again?” 

“Yeah, 3 more times,” I said. “We need to try to hit them all within the next hour. So get your head in the game darling.”

“Fuck!” She said tapping the console. “Okay, okay. But I want like some crazy good dates to follow this.”

“Deal,” I said and headed to the massage parlor.