Games

This story is about Coldham Fintan Noose III, a few months shy of twenty two. After a successful apprenticeship with Reginald "Christopher" Smith and his daughter Debra, Fin has gone independent as burglar and is making himself a name. Games plays shortly after The Pickpocket's pickpocket, which is one of my favorite stories. I hope you are going to enjoy reading it.

Charles Harold Fox was light brown haired, slightly built and medium in height. He kept his green grey eyes closed and tried to ignore his headache. Charles damned himself. It had been a stupid idea to challenge his nemesis Coldham Fintan Noose III to a drinking contest in front of the others. Fin, as Noose preferred to be called, had outright refused, but their boss had taken up the challenge and Charles could hardly bow out then. Another member of the team took also part.
Reginald "Reggie" Smith was very sure he could beat both, Charles and Jay, hands down. Charles didn't doubt it. He knew he could down a maximum of four or five shots. While Reggie wasn't drinking heavily, he had quite some stamina and will power. Charles hoped he wouldn't loose face completely and Jay, who was a couple of years younger than Charles, would have to give up sooner than him. Unfortunately even that didn't work out. As Charles had predicted, he couldn't drink more than five shots of vodka. Afterwards it was a close battle between Reggie and Jay. While Jay began to struggle soon after Charles, Reggie didn't show any signs of being drunk or unable to cope. He won, finishing one glass more than Jay. Afterwards Jay was worse for wear. Jamie Lu, the only female on the team, and Fin helped Jay to his room.
Charles had attempted to make Fin look either weak or stupid, when he proposed the game, hoping Fin would loose some of the high standing he enjoyed amongst the team.
Charles was driven by envy. When Reggie invited him to join his gang for a heist, he had readily agreed. Reggie was one of the best museum burglars in the country, and working together with him meant a lot of prestige for Charles. The pay was also excellent. Reggie told him, who the other team members were. Charles was unhappy to hear Reggie had chosen his protégé Fin as his right hand man, especially when Charles had gathered basic information about the members he didn't know. What he learned frightened him a bit. Fin was highly talented, well connected in the criminal world and respected. Charles realized Fin was going to eclipse him sooner or later. Still Charles believed he should have gotten Fin's position, because he was nine years older than Fin and more experienced. Unfortunately Fin proved despite his young age capable.
Well, Charles was not giving up undermining Fin.

©2012