The Golden Thieves

Thou shall not steal. Those were the words printed on a train advertisement that hung above the heads of the morning commuters. Amongst those commuters was a young college drop out named Jolene. She was down on her luck, in debt, and contemplating her next job opportunity. As the train stopped a young posh woman got up to exit. As she was leaving, a black leather wallet fell from her coat landing in the center of the walkway. Surprised no one noticed, Jolene grabbed the wallet in full intent of returning it.

Before Jolene could reach her, the train doors closed on her face. On the outside of the wallet a golden scripture read 'steal your fate'. At the next stop the train security staff entered the carts in search of something and/or someone. Realizing it may be for the lost wallet, Jolene approaches the staff and says “Here, I think you are looking for this!”

The train security took one look at the wallet and arrested Jolene as a runaway fugitive. In the interrogation room, Jolene is seen with tears in her eyes. A male officer enters the room with a huge stack of papers and a big smile on his face. “We finally caught you,” the officer continued, “You have 12 warrants out for your arrest and you slip up by taking a public train.”

“I’m just a broke college dropout,” cried Jolene.

The cop just continued to read off the crimes committed. “I have alibis for everything you’re saying to me. My name is Jolene Linn Carmel, I’m 24 years old and have an emense amount of college debt. I can prove everything I’m saying!”

The officer didn’t believe her and slammed the black leather wallet in between them.

“I know you're lying sweetheart. Your real name is Jasmine Lisa Cantor. You have been on the run for a while and this wallet of yours was documented at one of your robberies. Aren’t these your initials on it?”

On the opposite side of the wallet were golden initials of J.L.C. Jolene picked the wallet up realizing that her initials were the exact same.

“This is either a set up or a big misunderstanding."

The cop smiled and said, “You best get yourself a lawyer.”

As the officer left the room Jolene looked inside the wallet and found a large amount of money and a check for 20 thousand dollars. There was also a little black book but before she could read it, two police officers came in and took her away for her one phone call.

Shaking at this point, Jolene decides to call her brother. The phone rings for a long time before someone answers. “Hello Arthur, it’s Jolene I need your help.” Instead of her brother answering-a voicemail begins. Jolene hangs up and tries to call him again. Suddenly, the police take the phone from her hands and put her back in a holding cell where another woman is sitting inside.

“What’s wrong with you sweetie,” asked the other woman.

“I was framed,” screamed Jolene!

“Tell big Rhonda what happened.”

“I was on a train and this lady dropped her wallet. The wallet said steal your fate. Instead of stealing it I tried to return it. Then out of nowhere, I’m framed as a thief with no questions asked!”

Suddenly, big Rhonda stepped back with complete disbelief.

“Girl you have been marked! Stay away from me! Do you not know where the saying steal your fate comes from,” asked big Rhonda.

“No, what are you talking about."

“Steal your fate is a motto of the Golden Thieves. They are notorious of committing crimes and framing it on trusting bystanders,” said big Rhonda.

“What the hell am I supposed to do with this type of information,” asked Jolene.

“Well, your options are limited from what I know. In order to stop being framed you need to find the original owner and return the wallet. Usually they expect people to steal their fate, so you’re going to have to do some shady things in order to find her,” said Rhonda as she began to scream for help.

“Stop screaming,” pleaded Jolene.

“I’m giving you a head start! When the cops come in, I will punch the living hell out of them and you will steal their keys to escape. From there; get the wallet from the holding cell and take it to the original golden thief. Then your name will be cleared of all crimes.”

Big Rhonda kept screaming bloody murder before a single cop appeared in the holding cell. As the cop separated the two roommates, Rhonda punched the crap out of the skinny officer. Jolene frantically takes his keys and runs out of the cell as the other cops notice the commotion.

“Steal your fate girlfriend,” Rhonda screamed as the other officers took her down.

Jolene out ran most of the cops to the holding cell where she saw the wallet awaiting to be locked up. She struggled to open the cell door before another cop trampled her to the ground. As the two wrestled for control, Jolene acts quickly stealing the mace off the officer and spraying him in the eyes. Coughing from the fumes, Jolene rushes to the door and finally opens it with the last remaining key. She grabs her stuff and jumps out of the window.

In the distance there was a bus taking visitors from the jail back into the city. Jolene runs to the bus barely catching it from its departure. As she looked out the side window, she notices cops filing into their vehicles taking off into the opposite direction. Before she could sit down the bus driver harassed her for the fair. With only the stolen cash in the black wallet, Jolene uses it to ride the bus and finds a seat in the back.

Looking around, she noticed a woman reading a book with her purse on the seat next to her. A cell phone glistens in the open purse awaiting someone to steal it. ‘Desperate times call for desperate measures,’ Jolene thought to herself as she quickly grabs the cell phone. She jumped off at the next stop remaining unnoticed. The phone had a security lock on it so no one could use it. Unable to get any additional help, Jolene’s next plan is to find out where this Jasmine Lisa Cantor lives. She opens the wallet to find the little black book smash inside and begins to read it. The only thing inside the black book was an address.

“How convenient a pirate map with an address,” Jolene joked to herself.

Her options were limited for transportation in the neighborhood she fumbled upon. The only option was an unattended mail truck with the doors wide open. Remembering the motto of steal your fate; Jolene jumps inside and tries to find spare keys. Before any keys where found a man grabs her shoulder and whips her to the ground.

“Where do you get off at trying to steal my delivery truck,” asked the pissed off mail man. Jolene noticed the keys on his belt buckle and grabbed them while shoving him to the ground. She takes off in the truck like a bullet as the man in the distance calls on his radio for help. Jolene plugs in the address on the GPS and finds out that Jasmine lives 30 minutes away.

Almost half way there, the route took her past her parents’ home. The block was swamped with cop cars. As she drove past her street being discrete as possible; one of the left tires hit a shard of glass. The sound of the tire popping was similar to a gun shot. It made the cops halt towards the mail truck with their guns pointed. Realizing that a postal truck has come into some tire troubles- the officers put their guns away.

“Oh crap,” said Jolene noticing she is stuck with a busted tire.

One cop started to jog towards her waving a friendly hand to assist. In a panic she drives off with the damaged tire causing the police to become suspicious. Some of the officers began to chase her in hopes to stop any possible endangerment. As she was driving, the truck became harder to control. The vehicle swerved side to side making oncoming traffic steer away from it.

“Pull over,” a cop screamed over a megaphone.

Instead, Jolene sped up making another tire bust due to the lack of support. The rims began to scrape as sparks flew from the edges.

Only a block down from Jasmine's house; Jolene parks the truck in the middle of the street; blocking any cops from getting past her. She runs down the street as cops begin to chase her with tasers drawn. As Jolene pulled up to the house, cops were seconds away from catching her.

“Jasmine please open up,” screamed Jolene as she banged on the front door.

When the locks began to crack open, a sharp sting hit Jolene’s back. The cops tased her to the ground while making an arrest.

The next day Jolene was back where she started; in a jail cell sitting next to big Rhonda. The two looked at each other with disappointment. Big Rhonda stood up to lean on the cell bars.

“Theres no gang called the golden thieves,” Rhonda said.

“Excuse me,” said Jolene in complete disgust.

“I made it up to get you out of my cell."

“You better be joking,” said Jolene as she got in big Rhonda’s face.

“I’m not joking! I saw you as weak and gullible so I took a chance and it worked.”

Big Rhonda stood straight up looking down on Jolene’s face taunting her to start something. Eye contact never broke between the two women as both were ready to fight. Being out weighed and out sized by big Rhonda, Jolene felt she had nothing to lose after the chaos that unraveled yesterday. Before anything could go down, an officer approaches.

“Jolene Carmel you made bail,” said the officer as he unlocked the cell door.

In disbelief neither Jolene or big Rhonda could comprehend of such turn of events. A woman sat in the waiting room wearing silk high heels and a satin black dress.

“Did you pay my bail ma’am,” asked Jolene.

Her eyes opened wide realizing it was the posh woman from the train. She didn’t respond but instead lit a cigarette and began to walk out of the police station.

“You can’t smoke in her miss,” a male officer called out.

The posh woman took one look at him as she put on her sunglasses. A cloud of smoke filled the air as she exhaled while continuing to walk out. A black Lincoln car awaited outside. The driver opened the car door for the two women. Jolene was directed to get inside as the posh woman pointed to the back seat.

While they sat in the back together; the car took off to a secret location. The woman hands Jolene a gold mask and tells her to put it on.

“What is this for,” asked Jolene.

“Well, my dear, you don't go through a whole initiation for the golden thieves for nothing,” said the posh woman as she smiles and replaces her sunglasses with the same golden mask.

The End.