Walt Thatcher woke up at the crack of dawn to the sound of rats scurrying around his one room apartment. He groaned, wishing he could afford a nicer place, but on his salary, it would take him years to save up enough for first and last months’ rent.
He got dressed and hopped on the subway, headed for another tedious day of collecting garbage. He got off the train at the truck depot, running past his coworker, Anna McMalian, with barely a hello. She was always the first to the office in the morning and the last to leave, keeping everyone on a tight schedule.
He climbed into his truck and revved the engine, eager to finish his rounds and cash his paycheck.
He was beginning to see why people called New York “The city that never sleeps.” The first traffic light he saw already had bumper to bumper traffic, and it was still dark out. The roads were so icy, Walt had to swerve out of the way to avoid hitting a black SUV. Normally his runs went smoothly. He picked up the can, took out the trash bags, and tossed them in the back. He was about to do the same today, when he noticed a small, black, book on the ground next to the trash can. He picked it up and read the cover. “Open in case of emergency.” He couldn’t resist flipping through the pages, and what he saw astonished him.
It had a list of people and information about them. There were all sorts of stories – details about robberies, kidnappings, and murders. But the craziest part was that he recognized one of the names.
Anna McMalian had hijacked a delivery truck. Walt had never imagined her doing anything worse than jay walking. She always seemed so perfect, with her tight bun and her perfectly ironed clothes. Walt was so engrossed in reading about the details of her crime, how she held up two drivers of an armored truck at gunpoint and forced them to their knees on the side of the road.
Who had written this book? Why would anyone document these crimes, unless of course, to use them against the criminals?
BANG BANG BANG.
Walt looked up with a start to see none other than Anna McMalian looking through the window of the garbage truck. Had she seen the book? Did she even know it existed? Should he tell her what he knows?
She swung over to the passenger side and climbed in just as Walt snuck the book into his jacket.
“You weren’t at the usual deli during lunch break,” she said, handing him a brown paper bag. “I brought you a ham and cheese sandwich. But weren’t you supposed to be done with this stop a while ago?”
Walt glanced at the clock on the dashboard. 12:47. He must have been sitting there reading the book for hours! Anna must have checked the GPS on the truck to find him. As he unwrapped his favorite sandwich, he eyed her suspiciously.
How could this be the same Anna from the book? She would never hurt anyone or kill anyone. But the description fit her perfectly. The blonde bun. The job at the sanitation department. For God’s sake, it even had her name.
“What’s wrong, Walt?” she asked, and Walt snapped out of his daze, realizing he was still staring at his untouched sandwich.
“Uh, I was just… thinking… I might need some gas!” he said.
She glanced at the gas gauge. “You’re almost at a full tank. Have you even done your rounds today?”
“I started them, and then- “
“And then?”
He couldn’t keep it from her. He didn’t know if it was her kindness or her suspicion, but he had to come clean.
“Anna, I found something…” Walt said, fumbling for the book in his back pocket.
“Where did you get that?” Anna demanded, her eyes widening with fear.
“It was just lying there on the ground next to the garbage,” he explained, but she wasn’t listening. She was flipping through the pages, and over her shoulder Walt could see her name written again and again.
“What is this, Anna?” he asked, and when she looked up at him, he saw she was crying.
“I needed the money,” she said. “I’m scared Walt, no one can know. If they do, I could go to jail.”
“What are you involved in?”
Just as her lips moved to form a name, he heard a gunshot behind him. Anna lunged at him – he was afraid she was going to hurt him but instead she grabbed the wheel.
“Step on it!” she yelled, and he slammed his foot on the gas as they peeled away from the curb.
They sped down the road, weaving in and out of traffic, and where they were going, Walt had no clue.
“Turn here,” Anna said, and he obeyed. He didn’t know what else to do. They headed down a dark alleyway.
“Let me out of the car,” she said.
“Not before you tell me what’s going on,” said Walt.
“Walt, you don’t want to know anything about this.”
“I want to help you.”
Just then, the sound of a motorcycle revved down the alley.
“Then cover for me!” Anna said, and she slipped between two buildings and was gone.
A man in a black leather jacket got off the motorcycle and stomped towards Walt.
“Where is she?” he demanded.
“Who?” Walt asked dumbly.
“You know who.”
“I’m just here to pick up the trash,” Walt said. “I don’t want any trouble.”
“Tell me where she is, and you won’t get any.”
Walt looked at the man’s giant hands, the gun on his belt, his cold eyes. And he knew in that moment he would do anything to protect Anna.
“She’s in the truck,” he said, and the man walked towards the door, his hand on his gun. Walt grabbed the trash can and threw it at the man, knocking him to the ground, unconscious. he had zip ties in his glove compartment, but he never thought he’d use them for someone’s wrists and ankles. But he didn’t have much time. He tied up the man and heaved him into the back of the truck, along with the rest of the trash. He didn’t want to know what Anna would do with him.
Back at the truck depot, his coworkers were all swigging on bottles of water after a long day’s haul. There were gonna be a lot of calls from unhappy customers whose trash never got picked up today. But Walt had a feeling Anna would cover for him. He walked into the office, and there she was, behind the desk, her hair pulled back in a neat bun, as if nothing had happened.
“Hi Walt,” she said calmly.
“I have something for you,” Walt said. “In the truck.”
“I have something for you too,” she said.
He didn’t know, as she walked towards him, if she was going to kiss him or punch him. He didn’t even know what he wanted.
“I think you’ll be happy when you check your account balance,” she said, taking the key from his hand. “Thanks for your help today.” But before he let go, he put his hand around her waist and pulled her in and kissed her.
She smiled.
“I’ve got work to do,” she said, and walked out the door. On her way out she tossed something black towards the trash.
When Walt checked his account balance, he saw there was $20,000 deposited by Anna McMalian. In his bliss he forgot to tell her that when she threw out the book, she missed.

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