Total pages in book: 182
Estimated words: 171288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
“Check your pockets.” V’rex gave her a confident grin.
Penny put her hand in her left pocket…and felt half of the flavor stick.
“Oh,” she said disappointed. “It’s still here.”
“Check all your pockets,” V’rex told her.
Penny put her hand in her right pocket…and pulled out the other half of the stick.
“Hey!” she exclaimed. “I left this on the table. And how did you put something into my pocket without me knowing it?”
“The same way I took something out without you knowing, sweetheart.” His grin widened. “But you haven’t checked all your pockets yet.”
“But there’s only one more and I know you didn’t—” Penny began as she looked down at the pocket over her right breast.
To her surprise she saw the flavor stick she’d given V’rex poking out of the small pocket as though it had always been there.
“Wow…” She plucked it out and looked at it and then looked at V’rex. “I’m impressed. I can’t believe I didn’t feel you putting the sticks in my pockets!”
He shrugged.
“It takes a light touch—and long fingers don’t hurt either.” He held up his hands and wiggled the fingers in question as he raised his eyebrows, making Penny giggle despite herself.
“Can you teach me to do it?” she asked, curiously. “Not that I’m interested in living a life of crime when we get out of here, but it might be a useful talent to have.”
“I can try—if you really want to learn.” He nodded and plucked one of the half-sticks out of her hand. He put it in his own right hip pocket and then made a “come on” gesture with his fingers.
Penny walked towards him, trying not to look at the pocket the stick was in. She was just minding her own business, she told herself. Just in a hurry to get from point A to point B.
As she passed V’rex, she bumped him on the shoulder and reached for his pocket at the same time, all while muttering, “Excuse me.” She had the stick in her fingers when a big hand caught her by the wrist.
“Hey, little lady,” V’rex growled down at her. “What do you think you’re doing?”
He lifted her hand, displaying the half a flavor stick and glared at her until Penny felt like she really had been caught stealing.
“I…I don’t…” she began uncertainly.
“I felt your fingers,” V’rex said, abruptly dropping the menacing growl. “Or I wouldn’t have stopped you. Tell me—what do you do now?”
“Now?” Penny looked at him blankly. “You mean after you caught me?”
“Uh-huh.” He nodded. “What do you do now?”
“I…I’m not sure what you mean.” Penny shook her head.
“Think about it,” he said patiently. “You’re too small to fight me so what can you do?”
“Um…” Penny was still at a loss.
“Either make a scene—start screaming that I’m the one attacking you. Or start crying,” V’rex advised. “Anything that draws attention will make a regular guy feel uncomfortable. Chances are he’ll let you go and then you can make a break for it.”
Penny frowned.
“That seems like an awfully cynical way of thinking.”
V’rex shrugged.
“It’s a way of surviving, sweetheart. You use what you’ve got. Now try it again.”
They practiced until Penny could successfully get the flavor stick out of his pocket without V’rex feeling her fingers, both approaching from the front and standing behind him. The big Hybrid praised her skill and Penny had to admit, it wasn’t one she would have thought of acquiring before now. Not that she really had any use for it.
“Okay, you’ve got it,” V’rex said, when they’d been working on it for a while. “If you ever decide to ‘lead a life of crime,’ as you put it, you’re all set, sweetheart. Just remember, the two techniques I taught you mostly work in big, busy, crowded places. Tram stations are the best because there are always lots of tourists loaded down with luggage and not paying attention to their valuables. That’s the best kind of environment for a clean pick.”
“A clean pick?” Penny raised her eyebrows.
“Meaning your mark never suspects a thing and you can get away quickly into the crowd without them ever seeing your face,” V’rex clarified.
Penny nodded thoughtfully.
“Okay, but what if you wanted to steal something from somebody who wasn’t distracted?” she asked. “Could you do that? I mean, what if you were the only other person in the room and you had no reason to bump into them?”
“That’s doable.” V’rex nodded. “But you have to get a little more personal. Here…” He handed Penny one of the flavor sticks. “Put it in your pocket.”
Penny did and then stood there, staring at him, waiting…wondering what was coming next.
Fifty-Nine
Suddenly, a change came over the big Hybrid’s demeanor. His pale gold eyes went half-lidded and he came to stand much nearer, so their bodies were almost but not-quite touching.
“Hey there,” he murmured, looking down and catching Penny’s eyes. “Been watchin’ you all night.”