Read Die Tryin' for Free Online Page B

looking for was meteors,
re
, believe me. Get it right.’ He turned his attention back to Marco. ‘This all sounds pretty straightforward so far, but what’s the catch? There’s gotta be a catch somewhere.’
    Marco smiled wryly. ‘All right, here’s the deal. Fifty percent of profits are mine. The rest you split between you.’
    ‘Fifty?’
Nick XR2 exclaimed. ‘Come on, Marco. There’s four of us, plus one more makes five. Splitting the pot fifty-fifty means we lose out. Seventy-thirty and we’re in.’
    Marco chuckled. ‘Remember: I’m the man with the plan. Without me, you lot ain’t getting nothing.’
    ‘And without us, you ain’t getting nothing either,’ Nick XR2 reminded him.
    Marco digested it, weighed it up, then: ‘All right. Sixty-forty and we’re cool.’
    Nick XR2 slapped his thighs. ‘Done!’ he said.
    Charlie jumped to his feet. ‘I can’t believe I’m listening to this shit!’ he exclaimed. ‘You lot can’t be serious about this. To rob a grave is bad bad bad, man. Bad fucking karma. That shit is gonna come back and bite you, believe me.’
    ‘Oh, cut the superstitious
skata
, Charlie,’ Nick XR2 said, with a groan. ‘Listen to what he’s saying. This bitch was someone with more money than sense,
re
. And it’s pretty obvious to me that she only gave a shit about herself and nothing else. Besides, what good are the jewels doing her at the moment? Fuck all, that’s what. Imagine what we could do with them; living breathing human beings.’
    ‘I don’t like it,
re
…’ Charlie responded, his voice loaded with apprehension.
    Nick XR2 tutted out loud. ‘What do you think, Tone?’ he then asked. ‘You been quiet. What do you think about all this?’
    Tony sighed and drained the last of his Stella, crushed the empty can, and belched. ‘I say what the fuck. Could be a laugh.’ Charlie rolled his eyes and spun away in defeat. ‘However,’ Tony continued. ‘I
am
just a little bit sceptical about why he’s come all this way to do this on his Jack Jones. Where are your boys? Why ain’t you getting them involved? Why find a bunch of desperate Greeks to do this for you?’
    Marco stared him face on, a stern look etched on his face. ‘Would you trust someone who ate his own dog, bumped off his own gran for inheritance, or sold his mum’s wedding ring to score a gram of skag? No, neither would I, so I never asked any of my mates to get on this with me.’
    Tony shrugged and reached for another Stella. ‘Fair enough.’
    ‘Besides, I’d rather not get on something like this with friends,’ Marco added. ‘Causes…
friction
. In my opinion, it’s better to get on shit like this with people who know little about me, and me little about them.’
    ‘So what, we’re gonna give each other aliases like Mr. White and Mr. Pink then?’ Tony asked with an air of sarcasm.
    ‘Little bit late for that, Tony,’ Marco said and gave a half-wry, half-gleeful smile.
    Tony ignored him and gulped more beer.
    ‘If this is all true,’ Nick Black said. ‘then how come no one else has had the jewels? How do you know they’re still there?’
    ‘Cos no one knows they
are
there,’ Marco instantly answered. ‘If you don’t know that something exists, how can you even know to start looking for it in the first place?’
    ‘How do
you
know about it then?’ Nick Black enquired.
    Marco sighed and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a piece of folded paper and handed it to Nick Black, who took it, opened it up and read out loud what was printed on it.
    ‘I,
blacked out name
,
revoke all former wills and testamentary dispositions made by me and declare this to be my last will and testament. I appoint,
blacked out name again
, to be executers of this will and wish to leave my estate and personal effects to the crown, other than any items of jewellery or gold, which I wish to be placed inside my tomb where my late husband is already buried…’
Nick stopped reading and looked at Marco.