Connor's Luck

 
    "This is the one," thought Connor Stevens as he drove up the interstate exit ramp. He had driven almost fifty miles away from his home to be safe. He still didn't know if he could go through with it. He knew he didn't want to. But people had to do things they didn’t want to do all the time, right?     You've heard all the hard luck stories. Connor's hard luck was nothing unusual, nothing that any one could call an extreme hard luck case at any rate. Still, each person has their own level at which they break, each person has their own motivation for crossing the line. Connor had his motivation.

     Sure, sure, 'tell it to the judge' they'll say if he gets caught. He knew that was always a possibility, maybe even likely. It hardly mattered any more though.

     Option one was to kill himself. The insurance policy was paid up until the end of the month, and as long as it looked like an accident, his wife and son would collect a handsome remittance of fifteen thousand. Or was it ten? Didn't matter, Connor had rejected that one. If he killed himself, what would Amber and Nathan do when the money ran out?

     While the insurance pay out would be a huge help, in the long run, the funds would dry up and Amber wouldn't be able to provide for Nathan's needs. And little Nathan needed a lot, including a father, even if his father was in jail. Connor's eyes teared up just thinking about little Nathan. And Amber...
     Connor had spent a week checking out the different exits off the interstate, looking for a good place to hit up, one that was busy almost all the time. This was his second option. He didn't know how much they took in each day, but it would be a start. Probably several grand at least. That would get them by for few weeks if they were careful, and if Nathan didn't have any serious setbacks.

     He had to spend some time looking inside himself, looking at what he was going to do as just a job. In and out real quick like and nobody gets hurt. Just another job, and then maybe another..

     He pulled in to the Neighbors gas station and parked a little off to the side. Connor stared at the gun in his lap. A pitiful old 38 special his father had given him. It was registered and he had a permit to carry it. All the legal stuff. But he stared at it like it was a bug he wanted to swat away. He knew he could never use it.

     There were two other cars in the parking lot, one at the pumps, and one parked right in front of the door, just like you see damn lazy ass kids do all the time. You would think it would hurt them to park on the side and walk ten extra feet. It was one of them ugly ass little cars with all the suspension lowered and the lower than low profile tires on it, so when they go over bumps, their dumb ass little pin heads bounce off the roof and their kidneys get displaced. "Fine looking car, you dumb ass," thought Connor.

     He stuffed his 38 in his jacket pocket and got out of the car. It was close to closing time, and the traffic was light. Connor walked into the store, wondering what to expect, wondering if he could even go through with it. He saw the two other people, browsing the shelves, looking for the little jar of mayo or the box of toothpicks, who knows. Connor walked straight to the bathroom. Figured it would give the two guys a few more minutes to clear out. A few more minutes before he became a common criminal.

     Two minutes ticked by with agonizing slowness. A lifetime flashed by Connor as he sat on the commode, waiting, waiting to get his nerve up. Hoping he would talk himself out of it. He remembered how, as a kid, he was always the lucky one. He would always win the coin toss and the silly bets kids often made. Luck was something he always took for granted, until it ran out and left him. Now he had nothing, and he was looking for a little of that luck back, hoping he could get away with this. It was time...

     As Connor walked out of the bathroom, he saw one of the shoppers, a long hair grubby sort at the register, and the other, a baby faced teenager, slowly walking up the isle towards them. Then things started happening pretty fast...

     "Ok pumpkin," said the man at the cash register, "As long as you have the cash drawer open, how 'bout emptying it into that bag you just put my smokes in, real quick like, and no one gets hurt!" He pulled out a gun of his own and was pointing it at the young cashier.

     First thing Connor thought was, "Damn, he stole my line, real quick like..."

     The teenager started side stepping towards the front door, Connor thought the boy was going to make a quick run for it. But he surprised Connor, surprised old long hair as well. As the cashier was dumping the cash out of the drawer into long hairs bag, baby face pulled a gun too.

     "Hey!" said baby face to long hair.

     "Aw pumpkin, now just what in the hell are you trying to do here?" Longhair said to baby face. Connor tried to melt into the wall, but long hair spotted him. "And you asshole, get over here where I can watch you," he said to Connor.

     Now things were getting interesting. Longhair was waving his gun between the cashier, baby face and Connor. Baby face was waving his gun between longhair and Connor as Connor walked towards the front like longhair had told him to.

     I want the money dad," said baby face, "I got this habit man, and I got to feed it, now quick, give me the damn money!"

     "Go find your own store to rob pumpkin. I got my own habits to take care of."

     The female cashier was cowering behind the counter. Both of the gun wielding men were so engrossed in stealing the money from each other that neither one of them noticed another car pull up to the store. Connor noticed though. He saw a little girl get out of the car and start walking towards the store entrance, clutching a few dollars in her tiny hand. A little girl about the same age as Nathan, his son...

     Connor was afraid to think of what might happen if the girl burst into the store, surprising the men as they argued about the money. He couldn't let the girl get in the middle of a shooting match between two crazy drug addicts. All thoughts of his own purpose for being there at the store vanished.

     The tinkle of the bell hanging from the front door of the store announced the girls arrival. At the same instant, Connor yelled as loud as he could at the two men as he grabbed for the gun his father had given him, hoping to distract them. And distract them he did. Long hair and baby face both saw Connor reaching into his jacket and fired their guns at the same time. Connor was blown off his feet and landed in a pile with his hand stuck in his jacket pocket, still reaching for the gun.

     Before the girl realized what had happened, she was in the store. Long hair must have had his fill of baby face because he then aimed his gun at him tensing his finger on the trigger to shoot, but baby face quickly grabbed the little girl and was using her for a shield. The cashier was blatting like a wounded sheep.

     "Shut up bitch!" Long hair yelled at the store clerk.

     "Drop your gun man," yelled baby face. "You wouldn't shoot this little precious thing now would you?"

     "An insane laugh erupted from long hair. "Asshole, I been shooting kids since before you was born. You're just a kid yourself, maybe I can get you both with one bullet."

     From behind baby face, a faint, weak voice spoke. "I think you've shot your last kid pumpkin."

     It was Connor. Somehow, even with two bullets in him, he had managed to get his gun out and had it aimed at long hair. Long hair swung his gun the few inches it took to point it at Connor but still wasn't quick enough. Connor fired twice and long hair dropped in an bloody heap.

     Baby face instantly shoved the little girl aside and swung his weapon on Connor, but he was only half way there when Connor's gun barked twice more. Baby face flew off his feet and slammed into the stores front door. The last things Connor heard was the tinkling of the front door bell.

***

     Connor woke as he was being wheeled out of the store on the paramedics stretcher. He was vaguely aware of a little girl running up and pointing at him. He heard her little voice yelling, "That's him grandma, he saved me! He's the one who saved me!" Then everything went dark again.

***

     "Mr. Stevens? Connor Stevens?" a persistent voice kept asking.

     Connor was aroused from his disturbing dream. He had been dreaming about someone stealing his money.

     "Who are you?" he asked the woman seated at the side of his bed in the hospital room.

     "You were going to rob the place too weren't you Mr. Stevens?" she asked.

     Connor didn't respond.

     "You were talking in your sleep Mr. Stevens. You were telling someone it was your money they were taking, your sons only chance."

     "Yes." Connor finally said. "I imagine the cops know all about it by now anyway."

     "No," the woman said hesitantly, "they have no idea that was your plan."

     "Well, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they figure it out," said Connor.

     "Oh I seriously doubt there is anything else for them to figure out." The woman was smiling down at Connor.

     "What do you mean?" asked Connor.

     "Well, they took the cashiers statement, and according to her, you saved her and my daughter with absolutely no concern whatsoever for your own welfare. Even with a sick son at home who needs his father, you risked your life for strangers."

     "How do you know about Nathan? And the little girl, is she...?"

     The woman interrupted, "Fine, she's fine, thanks to you Connor. Tell me something, if the other two thieves hadn't beaten you to it, would you have gone through with it?"

     "I... I don't know. I honestly don't know." Connor replied.

     "I think you probably would have. Fathers will do almost anything for their children, isn't that right?"

     "Yes, probably so," said Connor. He then continued, "I asked you how you knew about Nathan?"

     "Oh, I have my sources. You see, I'm in a position where I can get pretty much anything I want. But what I really want now is to thank you for saving my grand daughter. She means more to me than you can imagine."

     "I think I know very well what she means to you. I am a father after all."

     The woman nodded her head in understanding and without further conversation, left the room. Connor's wife, Amber came in shortly after. She gave Connor a huge hug and sat down in the chair so recently occupied by the mystery woman.

     "You're a hero Connor," said his wife. "It's in all the papers."

     "Aw, shit Amber, I'm no damn hero. I was going to..."

     "Hush now, you have to get your strength back. Nathan's going to a specialists tomorrow. He said to say hi to daddy."

     "Amber? How in the hell do you think we can afford..."

     "Quiet now Connor. It seems we suddenly have a mysterious benefactor. Everything is all taken care of."

     Connor was amazed at how everything had worked out. He had planned on robbing a store, and instead he now laid in the hospital with two bullet holes in him and was being labeled a hero. He guessed he just wasn't cut out to be a criminal. Maybe there was a little of that Connor luck left in him after all.