Chapter Five: Stake Out

Lunch with Rafael went well. He told me his adventures of how he hitchhiked his way back to Bridgeport. and how it was a fun experience getting to see things he might never have gotten to see had he not had that experience that landed him in the different town. After lunch I had to go to work, so we parted ways with a hug. Work went pretty normally, and when I was done, I went home to start my stakeout plan. I had the next day off, so I planned to get up early and go to the hotel where Rafael was staying. He had told me his room number, so I looked up the floor plan of the hotel online, and made a note of which direction his window faced. I had decided I would rent a car and use that to follow him wherever he went. Not going to lie, I felt pretty confident when it came to my stake out plan. I hoped that I would be able to pull it off without a hitch, or that I would be able to think on my toes if something did happen.

The next morning, I got into my rental car and drove to the hotel. I parked the car in a spot across the street facing Rafael's hotel room, and sipped on my coffee that I had picked up from the drive through. I didn't know how long I'd have to wait before Rafael actually went anywhere, but I figured most honest jobs started in the morning or afternoon, rather than the evening or at dusk, like a lot of illegal jobs did. After about one hour, I saw someone leave the hotel, a man with long hair the same shade of brown as Rafael's. I took out my binoculars to get a closer look, and sure enough, it was him. He was wearing a nice crisp shirt, black pants, and an apron. So far, he did look like he had an honest job, perhaps something in the food industry.

I watched as Rafael got into one of the many cabs that drove by the hotel. In the past hour, I'd seen at least six stop in front of the building. With my binoculars, I made a note of the license plate of the taxi cab Rafael was in, and then started my car. The taxi drove for about forty-five minutes, until it pulled up in front of the Bridgeport Cafe & Casino, in the fancy part of town. I was impressed with Rafael because it appeared he had managed to get a job in a really ritzy place, that looked like it paid their employees well.

By now, it was about 10am, so I stayed in the car at the parking lot across the street from the restaurant, getting out some snacks I'd brought and stashed in the back seat. I figured a typical eight hour shift would put Rafael's time of departure around 6pm. I read a book, while eating my food, and drinking some soda. This part of my stakeout was pretty boring, but I wanted to be diligent. Some of the jobs that Boss had the senior team members do involved overnight stakeouts, so in my mind, I figured this was me training myself in patience and observation skills. I got my MP3 player out and listened to some music, which made the time pass a little quicker. Finally, 6pm rolled around, and I was right about his shift ending because I saw him leave the building.

Rafael hailed another taxi and I once again followed, making sure to keep my distance, just as I had the first time. I smiled to myself when I saw him arrive at the hotel and go inside. He had been telling me the truth! He was going straight, and he was back in my life. I was excited, but terrified at the same time. My earlier thoughts of why I hadn't yet told Boss I knew Rafael was in town came back to me... I didn't know what Boss would do, and I had probably already screwed myself by waiting this long before spilling the beans. Now that Rafael was just working in a restaurant, he wasn't even going to be a problem for Boss because he'd used the opportunity of him 'dying' to change his life. Would me telling Boss about him now screw up Rafael's life? Shit. I sat in the car, at a loss of what the fuck I should do now, chance losing my job, or chance losing my friend, whom I had just found again?

I pondered my next move, staying across the street from the hotel as I did, and soon the sun set over the horizon. I pursed my lips, finally deciding that honesty was the best way to go. My next decision was do I leave Rafael alone, or do I tell Boss the results of my stakeout? I hoped that Boss would leave Rafael alone if he heard he had gone straight. I doubted Rafael would feel the need to turn our group in to the police, but I couldn't lie and say that I was 100% certain Boss wouldn't want to kill him because he might be a loose end who knew too much. The thought of cutting Rafael out of my life to save him made me want to cry. I had no idea I still had such feelings for him until now, when thinking of losing him again threatened to break my heart. On the other hand, I had no idea what Boss even thought. Sure, he was ruthless, but he always had a purpose for crimes he committed. He wasn't the kind of criminal who would just mug a random person on the street. If he mugged someone, it was because they were a small piece to a bigger puzzle. He paid people off too, for their silence, and I had a feeling Rafael wouldn't mind taking money from Boss to keep quiet. Finally, I made my decision. I started the car, and drove off in the direction of Boss' headquarters.

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Author's Note: Natalia is a Level 3 Thug.