Story 15 – Part 3 – In a Struggle

“And I thank the patient strangers, who pass through my life,” Regg sang out as he watched Carmine and Tech continue on their way.

As he continued with his song, Agent Michaels spotted the slight wave that Tech and Carmine gave him. Carmine had an uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time when it came to providing help. Of course, that usually meant that he had an uncanny ability to be where disaster was going to strike half the time, as well. Regg hoped to keep the situation from exploding too much onto the street.

The two men that Carmine had pointed out were just loitering, and so Regg continued singing. It had been several months since he had played the guitar and he was really happy that it came so naturally to him still. With all of the extra money he was making from playing on a street corner, Regg was debating whether or not he should do it more often. He could take that girl from the karaoke bar to a really nice restaurant with the money he was making. Regg tinkered with the transition and launched into a new song with a harder beat.

“I’ll cause a ruckus, I’ll cause a fight,” Regg sang out loudly. “I know what I’m doing, and I won’t go down without a struggle. Just you wait! This is my ultimatum!”

“I am seriously going to record this and see if I can make some money from your singing,” Dev said over the radio. “Maybe I’ll get you an agent.”

“What is wrong with you guys?” Agent James growled.

“It’s called getting in the groove,” Dev answered. “It seems that breaking you in is harder than breaking in Moto. It’s probably a good thing we left him to do desk work. The other agents will take good care of him.”

Agent James grunted and scared away another person who was trying to give him money. He made a pretty convincing, ornery beggar. Regg could not decide if he actually felt bad for Bradley James or not. They could have had him be a shopper, or else eat at the little café that was nearby. It probably was not that nice to have him give up his dignity, but the fact that he was willing to do it meant that he had a good chance of eventually just going with the flow.

“Waiting, and watching, for something to happen,” Regg sang out as he started another song. “It feels like I’ve been here forever. Something is supposed to happen, but why am I all alone? Why am I waiting and when will the answer come to me?”

The two men that Carmine had pointed out before he left were still hanging around. They both seemed anxious, but Regg could do nothing but wait until they made the first move. He did not mind waiting, since the actual struggle was likely to be shot, but he doubted that Agent James was enjoying the wait. Agent Michaels shrugged to himself and continued in his singing. A lesson in patience and humility was always good for an agent now and again.

Regg played for another ten minutes before one of the men actually did anything. As it turned out, the man with the bucket hat was just a shoplifter and pick pocket. Dev radioed that he would have the man picked up later, and so Regg turned his attention to the guy at the café with the designer shoes. Agent Driver had to give James specific instructions to not stare at the man and so Agent James just ended up glaring at the money on his tin plate.

Another five minutes passed by and Regg was beginning to wonder if his fingers could keep it up much longer. With a quick glance at the man, Agent Michaels decided to do a little bit improvisation. He finished up his last song and gave a lavish bow. The crowd that had gathered gave him a round of applause and Regg had to give another encore before really having to stop because his fingers were starting to bleed.

He only pulled a few of the bills out of the case, enough to buy lunch, and packed up his guitar. He had to be careful since he did cut three of his fingers on the strings. Regg picked up his guitar and walked over to the café and asked for a menu as he sat at one of the outside tables. He ignored the other customers as he tried to take care of his fingers with a napkin. When the man finally made his move, Regg was ready for him.