Chapter # 3 – Ernesto & Kurt
After finding some choice shorts to throw on Travis could smell him self and decided a shower was in order.
While showering figured he might as well shave in case there's any young cuties by the pool today.
An hour later Travis was in his finest rock shirt, cargo shorts and flip-flops picking a prime seat poolside; A seat with a view of the building and hopefully Leon's apartment.
Lighting one of the purchased cigarettes Travis eases back into the deck chair. His first and hardest thought, is recalling how the interior of the building is orientated.
His first mental resolution to the orientation comes after several minutes. That's right my apartment has a view of the pool. Hah I remember saying to the super that'd be cool to sit out on the balcony and watch the babes. Fuck why the hell it'd take me so long to figure that out. That means Leon's apartment is on... straining the mind he ties to envision them but Leon's apartment is opposite the elevator.
Thinking too heavily about places and movies with long corridors Travis sidetracks himself to point of staring blankly at the building. Where was I going? Oh where's that guy's apartment? This side or the other?
Refocusing on the building he notices dozens of window coverings moving. Most from the breezes, several were people keeping an eye on Travis. Tenants that thought about sunning poolside all changed their minds spotting Travis down there staring blankly up.
Only thinking the wind is blowing widow coverings Travis mentally counts up the floors. When at the seventh floor and rechecking it's the seventh he scans each of the windows and doors. Getting half way across the floor he notices the sliding patio doors that are closed have the safety slide lock bars. Never noticed how many of those bars are in place. Makes going through the patio door harder.
Checking the other floors he notices most of the building has those bars on the doors. Not a big deal for his plan but something unlocked is easier to take.
Unable to see the apartment doors on the floors higher than the seventh he goes back to window watching. Reducing the choices to four possible apartments, his mind still can't figure if this is even the side Leon lives on.
Staring up Travis doesn't notice two known men coming out of the building supervisor's first floor apartment patio doors.
The first out is a tall muscular man of thirty plus years. Dressed in a tight black T-shirt and light colored pants. Except for a tuft of brown hair on top most of his head is shaved bald. From behind dark sunglasses the man scans the apartment grounds.
Talking in a friendly manor saying goodbye the second man slides the door closed. Half a foot shorter than the first man this one's no little guy either. More rounded in features to a point he has no noticeable neck. Turning around he leans back from the sunlight and reaches for sunglasses dangling from a shirt pocket.
Though semi concealed behind cedar bushes Travis is spotted and identified by the first, who speaks with a hint of a German accent, "Hey Ernesto, is that Travis over there? He still owes Gio too, right?"
Putting on the sunglasses Ernesto confirms it. "Yeah, yeah Kurt it is. And he does." Chuckling he taps the other's arm and points that way, "He probably owes half the people in this building one way or another. Can't believe the balls of this guy just sitting out there like that. Let's have a chat with him."
"Agreed." Seeing no others around Kurt's hoping to get rough just because. "He's just a scumbag. Do you think he'll have any money?"
They start walking towards the pool as Ernesto considers the possibilities, "Maybe."
"Seems like nobody has much to give, already." Kurt points back with a thumb, "Supervisor of an apartment building and he can only give us what? What was that three hundred on a forty thousand dollar debt."
Ernesto shrugs, "Strange times my friend. The regular working stiff can't even go to work. There's going to be a trickle down effect."
"Like a butterfly effect."
"Yeah," Ernesto smiles noticing Travis has no idea they are there yet, "I heard, some of the airlines may not survive this year."
"Ah the skies look better," Kurt gestures up, "Maybe no more chem. trails dripping on us now."
Hadn't thought about that yet Ernesto looks up, "You might be right there. Now lets' see what trail this chem-head leads us down."
A sly grin forms on Travis's face spotting Leon stand and stretch behind the dinette window.
Looking directly up Travis plans on getting onto the roof after midnight and dropping down the balconies.
"Sure." Reaching the main gate to the enclosed pool area Kurt attempts to open it, "Ah locked." He contemplates hopping over the three foot high, chain-link fencing.
The gate being touched draws Travis back to the ground seeing the two before him. Slowly it comes to him who it is, before recalling he owes their boss, "Oh hey look who it is Burt and Ernie coming to join me poolside. How's it going guys?"
Being call Burt annoys the hell out of Kurt, "I told you never call me that, Travis." He shakes the gate a bit in frustration.
"Hah, need a key for the gate man," Travis smiles at first than it dawns on him, he owes.
Motioning to Kurt to move down the fence line in case Travis bolts, Ernesto replies with a grin, "Travis, you stupid thieving bastard. When did they let you out? Again?" He laughs.
"Two months ago," Travis keeps an eye on Kurt
"Yeah well you still have a debt with us." Ernesto leans on the fencing, "You have anything for us?"
Not in top physical condition Travis wonders if he can out run the younger and better shaped man, "Well," going for humor pulls out the change he has left, "your welcome to all I got here. But things is tight. Not working yet, my PO had a job lined up until this corvus shit started."
Neither man is amused, especially seeing the tarred quarter. Ernesto takes in a deep breath debating on letting Kurt put a beating on him or not.
Ernesto coarsely exhales, "Tying to be cute? Come on Travis you've owed Gio, for quite a bit more than the money you owe. Twice his gives you honest work getting out of jail and twice you not only rip off his customers but him too. What can you scrounge up?"
Just a hop skip and jump from the thief Kurt needlessly points out their time line, "Gio's only got a couple more days to come up with the money."
Quickly Travis surmises their boss man is hurting for cash too.
"I know that," Ernesto points to the thief with a knowing eye, "asses like this manage to come up cash when they really need it, all the time. We don't care how you get it, you better have something better than your chump change there, tomorrow. And delivered to Gio's café. After five o'clock your ass is fair game."
"Fair game for what?" Travis snickers winking at Kurt, "You two wanna take what I owe out of my ass? Burtrude's so tightly wound if I mooned him with my fine ass he'd get hard and try and tear me in half with his dick."
"What?!" Kurt tightly grabs the fence's top-rail, "I'm no fag like you. Hear that's why you really like time in jail, for a little corn holing for cigarettes."
