Stolen

While in the car the boy starts to feel hungry.

"Mom, I'm hungry. Can we stop at Mc.jondals?" Full of hope the boy asks.

"No, we cannot. It's way too late for that. You can have some yogurt when we get home."

The boy looks back out the window, passing by the billboard and flashing lights. They eventually pull into a dark driveway that seems run down as hell.

They get out, and the boy starts to walk to the house. The mom opens the door and shoos him inside.

"Alright, mommy, can I have some of that yogurt now? I'm really hungry." He asks in a sweet voice.

"I'm sorry, honey that ride took way longer than I expected, so no dinner tonight, but I'll make you some fluffy pancakes when you wake up; how does that sound?"

The boy began to smile big and ran into his mother's legs and hugged them. "Thank you, mommy I love pancakes." His chubby cheeks rested against his mothers' legs.

" I know, baby now go to bed." "Okayyy." the boy races up the stairs but doesn't go to bed right away instead, he pulls out some paper and crayons.

He starts to draw on the paper making twists and coloring in certain parts. "I love you, mommy; you are the best. He labels his drawing of his mother and him holding hands.

He then takes it downstairs and uses a magnet to place it by others that he drew just like it. Finally, he tips toes upstairs and closes the door so as not to wake up his mother since he knows she is exhausted from her job.

Twenty miles away from where the boy is sleeping, soft waves can be heard breaking upon the hull of a boat. some men sit around each other on some crates smoking cigarettes and laughing.

"Alright, Jimmy, how many little rats do we have to pick up tonight?" A big man asks.

"Four, boss, says a young man with a smirk."

"Good haul if I do say so myself." Says the boss as he stands up. "Get the stuff. We have to head out."

The men look at their watches and scatter, and they pick up some low-dose tranquilizers and ropes. "Jimmy, grab the money we own the parents and haul ass."

"Yessir," the young man says as he picks up four briefcases filled with unmarked, untraceable money. They pack everything into a large van with most of the seats missing.

One hour after the men leave, knocking can be heard on an apartment door. Soft thudding and the sound of socks sliding on the floor can be heard as a young man opens the door.

"Yes?" He is quite skinny and look sleep deprived.

"We are here for pickup." The Boss says in a ruff voice.

The young man nods his head and allows the four men into his home. "It's down the hall to the left." So says the young man while he grabs a bottle of wine and shuts himself into his room.

The men then walk into the bedroom, where a small girl is resting without saying anything. The smallest of the men go right up to the bed and sting her neck with a needle.

The girl doesn't wake up from the pain, it was too quick. One of the men picks her up and carries her out to the van, and lays her down inside, two other kids are knocked out as well.

"Oi douche bag your money is on the counter."

"It's fine. I believe the full amount is there." Says the young man from the other side of the door with a weak voice."

"Ight then boys, let's get out of here." So says the boss of the gang. They get in the van and zoom off to their next target, a young boy, that lives with his mother.

Once again, knocking can be heard. A very young woman opens the door.

"He is upstairs, and please hurry. I can't wait to have him gone." The young woman bounces on the balls of her feet with a happy grin.

The men simply nod and put the briefcase next to the fridge on the floor.

"Come on, boys, this is our last stop, lets's make this fast." The men rush upstairs, eager to get home. They open the kid's door. But unlike the other kids that were all asleep, this one was awake.

"Shit." Says the smallest of the men. He pulls out his needle and walks toward the kid.

"Are you my mommy's friends?" The boy asks with an innocent face.

"Ahem, yes I am. I'm here to say hi and just give you a quick hug, okay?" The small man answers back.

The boy jumps up with a smile. "None of my mommy's friends have ever wanted to give me a hug before," he says with a big smile as he runs towards the small man and lands in his arms.

The boy jumps into the man's arms and snuggles in. But he suddenly feels a prick on his neck and his vision goes dark. His small limp body weighed next to nothing in the man's arms.

The men sigh and make their way outside.

As the boss is about to walk out the front door, he sees something that catches his eye.

"Did your son draw all of those?" He says as he points at the fridge covered in the drawings of a child holding his mother's hand.

"Sigh, yes, the kid is wayyy too clingy. That's part of the reason why I'm so happy to see him go."

The man shakes his head with a bit of sadness. Saying nothing, he pushes past the women. He gets in the van and starts to drive off.

"I feel bad for the kid we just picked up." Says the small man.

"Why is that?" Says the boss.

"Because she didn't even need the money at all, she could have given that kid a good life. Did you see that Mustang in her driveway?" He asks with a bit of venom in his voice.

"It's in the business. You'll get used to it, greenhorn." The boss laughs.

The small man shakes his head and looks at the kids in the back. "I'm doing this for my children," he says to himself as a way to reassure himself.

****

The van pulls up to a warehouse surrounded by trees and armed men three hours later.