It occurred to me soon after Travis left that my savings account, originally started for the operation, had finally found its use. Since losing my first at-home job, I continued saving whatever I could here and there and it was certainly enough to cover Travis’ escalating reimbursement for a while. I never knew what would become of the money, but I also never expected to be wasting it like this. There probably is no point in having false security like that anyway. The government could easily confiscate it tomorrow because I’d accumulated too much and caused suspicion. What creative ideas could I have for saving up so much money? Do I want to remove the chip? Do I want to take an illegal trip to another country that has no Nationwide Open Prison System? I’ve heard of them having done it to other people before; completely unjustified and almost completely unquestioned. Citizens don’t really care if the government steals from the bad guys, and the media has found these incidences don’t sell papers well anymore; now that the controversy has been forgotten over the years. Even the liberals who still claim to be on our side – who claim to protect the rights of all citizens, convicted or not…even they tend to turn their heads – there’s just no publicity in it anymore.

Unfortunately Travis only accepts cash and so I’ll have to go to the bank to withdrawal it. It’s something I haven’t had to do for years – I’ve always deposited my paychecks by mail. I clean myself up and dress in a business suit, hoping to look less like a criminal if it will help me at all. I’m hoping people won’t have the guts to needlessly attack me in such a public place.

The sun is so bright it makes me dizzy and warm – as if someone I never expected to see again is embracing me. I ease myself into the most important possession I own. Anytime I want to get outside and avoid notice, I drive. Our cars are one of the only places we’re protected by the government. A citizen can be convicted of manslaughter if they shock a motorist and cause an accident where the motorist dies, unless patrollers can be convinced that the motorist was endangering the citizen. Citizens can be convicted of second degree murder if the accident they cause involves another citizen. When these things happen, I get a vaguely sick feeling that justice has been administered. Many times I found myself restraining my urge to laugh; it’s another reason I stopped watching the news.

Pulling into the bank parking lot, my heart rate rapidly increases. I stifle its acceleration with short shallow breaths that are meant to turn into long deep breaths. Making my way inside, I notice the distinct sound of devices buzzing in people’s bags. I try to ignore those pulling them out.

“Good afternoon sir, what can I do for you today?”

“I want to withdrawal eighteen hundred dollars from my account.”

“Why do you need to withdrawal so much of it?”

I stare at her with as much indifference as I can muster. “My personal shopper has asked for a raise and I want to be able to pay him enough for six months without having to come back here several times and be asked these questions.”

Shit, I screwed it up.

She listens for a moment to her ear piece, nods and then fixes me with an apologetic gaze.

“I’m sorry Mr. Romilly but you have not been cleared to withdrawal that much. You may take six hundred dollars home with you today. How’s that?”

Quivering with anticipation, my fist meets her customer service trained smile, sending her glasses clattering to the floor and leaving a thick stream of blood trailing down her jaw.

She looks up at me quizzically and somewhat intimidated. “Would you like to withdrawal that much today?”

I know she’s not to blame. She’s only relaying a message from the bank’s patrollers, who’ve undoubtedly looked up my information and decided I was going to misuse my money on something illegal.

“That’s fine,” I say in what I hope is my most believable tone of acceptance.