Not for the first time since recruiting the young geek to his gang, Dezzy sorely wanted to rearrange the kid’s baby face.

 

The stream of sweet nothings Marcus was pouring into his phone came to an abrupt halt when Dezzy’s craggy face came into view.

 

“Get off the freakin' phone,” ordered the gangster, and reinforced the demand by tapping Marcus’s temple with the barrel of a gun.

 

“Delores! Sorry, babe I have to go. Yeah. See you tonight poochie-poo. Wear something special, okay? Love you,” said Marcus and blew a few kisses. “There’s no need to be so damn rude, Dez” he moaned after hanging up.

 

“It’s almost here, asshole,” spat Dezzy. “I want your full attention. Do you understand?”

 

“Okay, okay,” answered Marcus and peered into his computer screen.

 

An 18-wheeler pulled into the expansive, rectangular parking area about half a mile from where the two men had parked their truck in an abandoned warehouse.

 

“Okay, here we go. You know what to do.”

 

“I think so since I built the system,” said Marcus in that sardonic tone that severely tested the other’s patience.

 

Over in the parking area, the driverless big rig came to a stop. Its solar panel festooned roof split into two longitudinal doors which retracted to reveal the vehicle’s cavernous cargo space. The space was filled with neatly stacked boxes and rows of open compartments attached to its walls. Each wall compartment housed a drone.

 

“Hit it!” said Dezzy.

 

Marcus’s fingers moving swiftly over the keyboard. “I’m in,” he announced less than a minute later.

 

Dezzy stared into his computer and grinned as an inventory of the rig’s cargo load appeared on the screen. “High end stuff, kid, high end!” said the gangster triumphantly.

 

“I’ve got full control,” announced Marcus.

 

“Good. Start the flight sequence.”

 

The big rig’s rows of drones came to life, and began picking up packages from the truck’s interior. Soon, there was a steady procession of the aerial vehicles flying away from the huge truck like bees departing a pollen-heavy flower.

 

“We got 18 minutes tops to suck this baby dry,” said Dezzy, eyes fixed on the moving dots that represented each drone’s journey between the rig and their truck.

 

Eighteen minutes was roughly the amount of time it would take the trucking company to find out that their rig’s control system had been hijacked. In hopelessly congested urban centers, large trucks equipped with fleets of drones were used to make package deliveries from designated parking areas. Each fully automated rig functioned as its own air traffic control center connected into the larger, regional system. Together, these systems ensured that swarms of aerial drones in cities completed package deliveries to urban addresses without incident.

 

Dezzy licked his lips as he watched drone after drone drop into the roofless warehouse, desposit packages into his truck, and speed off to collect more booty from the 18-wheeler. Each addition increased the value of their loot.

 

While they waited for the drones to fetch the most valuable items listed in the rig’s inventory, Marcus took the opportunity to send Delores a lewd message. He still found it hard to believe that such a glamorous chick could fall for a guy like him. A high-end girl with high-end tastes, he mused. His phone buzzed and he chuckled on reading Delores’ equally lewd reply.

 

Dezzy threw a murderous look at his young partner in crime. This was their sixth heist, and although Marcus didn’t know it, the kid’s last.

 

“We ain’t got much longer, stay focused ,” urged the gangster, watching his screen for the telltale signal that they had been detected by the trucking company.

 

“We've got maybe three minutes more,” said Marcus, working his keyboard. A package on the rig suddenly caught his attention, and he quickly retrieved more data on it.

 

Exactly three minutes had passed when the signal that the robbery had been discovered lit up Dezzy’s computer screen.

 

“Cut it, kid, we’re busted,” shouted the gangster.

 

“One more package. It’s on the way.”

 

“I said cut it! They’ll track us!”

 

Marcus’ fingers hovered over his keyboard.

 

“Did you cut it?” yelled Dezzy. “They’re on to us for Chrissake!”

 

“I need this package, Dez, it’s almost here!”

 

The gangster lunged but Marcus dragged his computer away from Dezzy’s grasp. Dezzy went to grab his gun but Marcus anticipated the move and got there first.

 

“You’d better do it, kid, or you're dead," warned Dezzy, as Marcus shakily pointed the gun in the gangster’s direction.

 

Sweat dripped down Marcus’ arm and onto the weapon he struggled to aim. “Here it is!” he said at last.

 

A drone appeared and descended into the truck. Marcus immediately punched a key and the drone deposited the package and shut down.

 

“Got it. Okay, let’s go,” he said as the truck’s roof doors rumbled shut.

 

Dezzy started the engine just as another drone descended. But this one was emblazoned with the word “police” and carried twin firearms. The drone hovered in front of them, both high-impact weapons trained on the truck’s windshield.

 

“Do not attempt to move or you will be shot,” boomed a mechanical voice, its message underscored by the sound of multiple police sirens in the background. Another two police drones appeared in front of the truck.

 

“Shit,” said Dezzy and turned off the engine. He turned to Marcus who was still pointing the gun. “What’s in the package, kid?”

 

“A ring. Emerald. Exactly the one Delores wants. I’m going to ask her to marry me tonight.”

 

Dezzy laughed.