The murmur was the first thing Daniel and Manuel heard as they approached the factory. Next thing they heard was Lucio's voice, although the words were unclear. The cheering and clapping came afterwards. Daniel could only assume what it was about, but the thought that Lucio might be up to something decent never crossed his mind.

"I'm back with Heron!" Manuel shouted the moment he opened the door.

"Hey hero! Where did you wander off?" Lucio asked.

"I needed to get a breath of fresh air." Daniel's eyes chose to look at the floor rather than the faces of his friends; the image of a butterfly with broken wings still lingered.

"Hope you're done breathing cause I've got big plans for the gang." Lucio's voice was filled with pride.

"Biggest yet!" Bernard confirmed his words. Daniel instantly knew he wasn't going to like this plan.

"So," Lucio began, "you guys and me, tomorrow, in broad daylight, are robbing the house of our beloved Mayor."

Once again cheering followed Lucio's statement, but Daniel didn't join the general joyfulness. "Are you insane?" he asked, not believing his ears. "Mayor's house is just waiting for you to come and rob it," he added sarcastically.

"Actually, yes," Lucio said with a big smile on his face. His grey eyes sparkled when he added, "If you know the right people and have the right information, yes."

Another statement followed by cheering and roaring laughter.

Daniel shook his head. He hadn't said a word, but the look in his dark eyes under the lowered eyebrows made Lucio come closer to him. He patted him on the shoulder. "Cheer up, man! The plan is foolproof. Listen," he said and hugged Daniel's neck. "The Mayor is changing his alarm system. Tomorrow morning a crew is coming to disconnect the old system, so that another crew could come to install the new one. And I know people. I have connections. Heron, we have an hour to snitch anything that's worth any money."

Daniel answered with a hollow laughter. "And you're sure that you will be able to walk right into the Mayor's home? Can you be sure that no one will be home? That the house will just be waiting for you?"

"Not me, man. Us!" Lucio's face lit up when a smug smile appeared.

Daniel's eyebrows sank even lower.

"Cheer up, dude!" Lucio wouldn't let go of him yet. "I know an inside man. The guy guarantees that no one will be home. Some business trip, something like that. The whole family is going. Anyway, we go in with no problems, and once we're inside..." Lucio's free hand waved slowly in front of Daniel's face. "Picture it – television sets, stereos, VCRs... whatever you can imagine, it's there! Jewelry, man! I'm telling you, the Mayor has expensive taste!"

"Let's assume that the plan really works like you say it will, what are we gonna do with the stolen things? Do you really think that the Mayor won't organize a hunt?"

"Don't worry, man! I already have a buyer. By tomorrow night, it will all be gone, and we will be rich!"

Another wave of cheering filled the inside of the old factory, but it didn't make the plan any better in Daniel's eyes.

There was no drinking that night. Lucio wanted everyone to keep a clear head for the upcoming venture, as he explained it. Daniel wondered if any of them had a clear head, himself included, if they let someone like Lucio dictate their lives.

Another night passed in half-sleep until Lucio's shout woke up the team. "Guys, get ready! This is the day we become rich!"

His footsteps echoed when he descended the metal staircase. Used to sleeping at least until noon, many of the guys grumbled about the time of the day. Daniel looked at the clock that hung on one of the otherwise empty walls, wondering whether it too was once a part of someone else's home. The shorter hand just slightly moved from the number eight, while the longer one was approaching the number three.

If he were home, he too would agree with the rest of the gang, but since the abandoned factory became his new home, he didn't mind getting up a bit earlier if it meant that he could steal a moment of solitude. Only four days had passed since he became permanent guest of Lucio Veles, but to him it seemed as though it has been a month. He had been friends with the factory gang for years, but it was these past four days that really opened his eyes, showing him true colors of his friends.

He got up, put on his oversized denim jacket, ran his fingers through his hair, and went outside where the air was fresh. Remnants of fog dragged low above the ground, and one magpie announced her presence by a loud screech. The sound made Daniel lift up his head. He didn't have to squint. The sun was nowhere to be seen, only somber clouds that covered the sky in a thick layer.

"Ready, Heron?" Lucio joined him in front of the factory. His hair was perfectly combed, except for that one strand that always fell across his forehead.

"No," Daniel replied sincerely. "I still think it's a bad idea."

"It's so sad to see how little faith you have in me." Lucio's hand wrapped around Daniel's neck once again, the seam on the sleeve of his leather jacket scratched his neck.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Twenty minutes later they were on their way. Daniel sat in the back seat of Victor's black car while emptied fields and scarce trees passed by him. A gloomy, cloudy day reflected his mood perfectly. They stopped at the entrance to the town, behind a dusty, white van. Rafael sat at the steering wheel, Lucio smiled next to him.

"Nice wheels, dude!" Victor burst into laughter.

In Daniel's opinion, he was the last person who should make fun of other people's vehicles. His four-wheeled pride was scratched and dented, rust accumulated on the lower parts of its body.

"Just you laugh," said Lucio. "When you see the loot, you'll be glad I borrowed this beauty."

Rafael pressed the gas pedal and the van was on its way. Victor's car followed.

They stopped in front of the biggest house in the whole street. Perfectly maintained front lawn and neatly trimmed box hedge directed the view towards the white two-story house with a red roof. The front façade was decorated by large windows with golden decorative details, and on each side of the massive wooden entrance door stood one roman pillar, like an immobile guard.

Rafael parked the van onto the driveway, while Victor pulled over on the opposite side of the road. He ordered Daniel to move towards the house.

"Maybe it would be better if you went, and I kept watch," said Daniel whose hand somehow refused to open the car door.

"The plan ain't changing," Victor replied. "I'm keeping watch, you're going with the guys. Now get lost, stop wasting our time."

Daniel sighed. It was pointless to continue the argument when he knew he couldn't win.

With a churned stomach and a metallic taste in his mouth, he exited Victor's car, and hurried towards the house, afraid that someone might notice him. He just glanced around, but he spotted no one. At half past ten, the street was desolate; the grown-ups were at work, the kids at school. Judging by the impressive houses, Daniel was convinced that people who lived there weren't the slacking type who spent their days whining about how difficult life was. The residents of this particular street were ambitious, eager to succeed and ready to take actions that would eventually lead them to their goals.

You just have to ring a bell, that's all, Daniel was trying to calm himself down. Walk up to the front door and ring the bell. That's it.

Although he tried to follow Lucio's instructions to move without stopping, his legs refused to cooperate. It seemed as though he was walking through thick snow. At the first step he had to stop to take a deep breath. Still, he felt as if the air he breathed in lacked oxygen.

He lifted his head. Only three more steps separated him from the heavy oak door. He forced his legs to start moving. Reaching the door, he extended his shaky hand and pushed the doorbell button.

A four-note melody chimed inside the house, but besides it, no other sounds were heard.

He rang once more.

Nothing.

Just in case, he pressed the doorbell button one more time, but silence was the only answer he got. It seemed as though Lucio was right when he said that the house would be empty. Now they knew it for sure.

Encouraged by knowledge that indeed no one was home, Daniel started to breathe normally. He pulled a sleeve of his oversized denim jacket and used it to wipe the doorbell button. He didn't want to leave behind a fingerprint. Once again, this time unintentionally, he rang the bell.

He froze when the front door slowly opened.

Thank you, my dear readers.

Daniel is in the middle of a new adventure. Would you trade places with him?

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Until next chapter...