text: “This is going to work. This WILL work.” ... “This...this HAS to work...” “Keith...listen man, you know we can pull out of this if you don’t feel right about it. We’re not locked in. We can scout another job, find another mark, a MUCH EASIER mark, one that’s not a suicide mission...we don’t have to do this one. ” “No. We need this job, Miles. I need this. This is our ticket out. We do this...we pull this off, and putting dinner on the table is never a question again. You’ll never have to worry about those final notices waiting in your mailbox. No more counting each ounce of gas left in your car to make sure you’ll have enough to get to work. Don’t you get it? We do this, and the struggle is GONE. We do this, and everything can go back to normal. We get our lives back again. We do this...” Miles’ emotions boil over. He swipes at the table, knocking everything to the floor. “...we do this, and Sarah takes you back, right? We do this and you get to be a family again!? Michael and Chris will come running to greet you at the door!? And everything goes back to normal? The past three years just gets erased, right? Is that what you really think is going to happen?!? WAKE UP MAN!” Miles’ voice echoes throughout the garage. Silence follows. Miles sits down, his head lowering into his open hands. “Keith, my dude...I get it, man. I know what you’re going through...but this is crazy. We’ve never pulled a job this big before. We’ve never worked with this many people on a job. We don’t know this city. We haven’t had enough time to scout. We’re rushing into this. I don’t like it.” “Miles, you never like-“ “I DON’T LIKE THIS, KEITH!” “WE DON’T HAVE A CHOICE!! That clearance code we got our hands on is now five days old, two days away from being reset. Security is at its tightest on that 7th day, and we won't have another chance to grab any other codes, which leaves tomorrow, and ONLY tomorrow, to pull this off.” “Keith, we’re trying to steal from Falzone. A.K.A. Gideon Falzone, the most dangerous crime boss in the city. A.K.A. the guy the police in this city won’t touch. A.K.A. the guy who’s bathroom we’ll be hung up in while his GOONS TARE US APART PIECE BY PIECE JUST FOR SNEEZING IN HIS DIRECTION.” Miles’ expression shifts from rage and frustration, to one of depression. He knows he can’t stop Keith. He’s known him all his life. Keith isn’t going to stop now. There’s no turning back. “...why him? Why now? Dude, there will be other scores, other jobs that don’t involve stealing from ‘The Lord of the Chicago Streets’...” Keith perks his head up from the ground. “That’s such a dumb nickname.” “Yeah, you tell him that while your insides are pouring onto his shiny marble floor.” Keith smirks for a second, then returns to his stoic look. “He stole from us first.” “So we throw our lives away trying to get back at him?” “WE’RE NOT THROWING ANYTHING AWAY. THIS WILL WORK.” “Keep telling yourself that...” Miles stood from his chair, and slowly made his way to the door. “Miles, where are you going? We still have to figure out the vault gate.” “Keith...” Miles’ voice started to break. “I’m out, man. I’m out.” Keith threw his notebook across the room. He recognized that tone of voice. This wasn’t a bluff. “Miles, don’t do this. Not now.” “I’M OUT, Keith. I don’t want any part of this anymore. This is suicide, plain and simple. And you’re not right, you’re not thinking clearly. You’re blinded by, by rage.” Miles’ voice begins to break. “You’re blinded by your family problems. You’re blinded by...your own damn pride.” “This isn’t about pride or any of that. It’s about making things right. Falzone was supposed to set us up after we did those jobs for him, and all he’s done is play us. We haven’t seen a dime from him. Because of him, I lost my job, I lost my girl, my kids...I lost everything because of him. He won’t get away with that. I’m taking what’s rightfully ours.” “Keith...dammit Keith, you’re the best thief I know, alright? You’re a goddamn savant when it comes to this stuff, but when you get in your own head, you can’t focus, and that always gets us in trouble. You’re biting off more than you can handle this time. This isn't a couple of months in lockdown like how Virginia played out. This is our lives at risk. And it’s not just your neck on the line here.” Miles points at the door to the left, where the rest of the crew waits. “It’s MY neck. It’s Randy’s neck, Mitch’s neck, Carol, Lindsay, Tim...those are KIDS in that other room, Keith. They don’t even know what they’re signing up for. Most of them aren’t even from here. And you’re willing to put all their lives on the line, for what? To dig yourself out of a hole that YOU PUT YOURSELF IN?” Keith’s expression went cold. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Miles?” “Man, you didn’t need to get involved with Falzone in the first place. You knew the risk. I warned you. The Old Timers warned you. But you went on ahead with it. All this bullshit you’re dealing with? It’s all on YOU. And I’m not dying for that, Keith. Not me.” “Miles...we can’t do this without you.” “Good. Then the plan is off.” Keith dropped his head, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. He walked over to the notebook, returned it to the table, and began flipping through pages. “Keith.” No response. “KEITH.” “KEITH!!” “FOR FUCK’S SAKE, MILES, IF YOU’RE OUT, THEN GET THE FUCK OUT!” Miles began to respond, but the words froze in his throat. He’d never seen Keith this far gone. He was genuinely afraid. “Please, Keith. Please...don’t let this be the last time I see you alive.” Miles turned around and went for the door. He swung it open, only to find the rest of the crew waiting right behind it. It was clear they heard every word. Miles paused, giving each person a long look. He feared for them. This would most likely be the last time seeing any of them as well. “Guys...good luck.” Miles pushed his way past the crew, down the hallway, and out of sight. Keith, only noticing the rest of them now, collected himself as best he could. “Come in, guys. We’ve got some new plans to go over, and only a few hours before showtime. Let’s get this done.