It was so boring. Was this really what rich people subjected themselves to all the time? How could they get through three hours of opera without blowing their brains out? It was simply absurd. Perhaps they were all rotten inside, red masses of smooth-brained elites. That could be the only explanation.

Luise had to take a break from the play, and excused herself. It was miraculous that she hadn’t been recognized.

Well, she had to admit that wearing Max’s makeup and dresses did make her look quite fantastic. She hadn’t even realized how similar the two of them were until she dressed herself up. It was one of those breathtaking moments when you finally realize that with a little effort, you too can look like someone fashionable. What helped the efforts more was that Jeanne, Maxine’s mom, was legally blind and could barely see anything a few feet in front of her. For what reason the woman liked going to plays, Luise couldn’t understand.

Just go to a damn movie or something.

‘Great Bastion of the Last Depths’.

What a stupid name. Something about a submarine or whatever. All the symbolism went right over Luise’s head, and she didn’t even care. Worrying about those types of things are for the privileged.

It wasn’t difficult to slip outside of the building without being seen. Even in the gaudy dress, she knew how to move when people weren’t looking, and the side doors were devoid of attention. Everyone was too busy paying attention to the play.

Luise lit a cigarette she had hidden in one of her dress pockets and put her hand against the wall to support herself. This was a nice theatre in the best part of town, but it was still grimey in the alleys on the side. It was sprinkling dark rain just centimeters from her face. How bad would it be to walk out and get the dress all dirty?

Three men walking by stopped when they noticed her. The bravest of the group decided to call out to her.

“Hey doll, you busy?”

She didn’t even spare them a glance before the group of men decided to walk off. Her aura was one of self-importance, even though she was just a maid. Normally, guys like that wouldn’t pay much attention to her, and if they did, she wouldn’t be able to intimidate them off just by ignoring them. It was nice to pretend to be rich.

When she first heard Maxine’s plan, it seemed insane.

To get out of being married away, Max was going to run away from home and have Luise pretend to be her. Tonight was the perfect opportunity, since Mr. Vasquez was out of town and none of the other servants would pay much attention. Max was going to live on the streets. After spending years away at college, she had learned about revolutionary and anarchist groups, becoming infatuated with the idea of class struggle. In her mind, she was going to go out and do her part by joining one of these parties.

“All a bunch of sentimental wank,” Luise said, flicking her cigarette away. “If you want to help the poor so much, why make me do your work like this?”

That was just Luise complaining. She didn’t actually mind being a maid. There were far worse jobs out there she had done.

At that time, Luise had said:

‘Wow, you think you’re really going to be fine on the streets like that?’

‘Of course I am,’ Max responded. ‘How hard can it be? I’ve studied all sorts of things, and I pay close attention to the news about the lower class. I know everything there is to know.’

And she said it with such confidence. Luise didn’t have the heart to tell her off, so she just agreed to the plan. Well, there were some other factors too. Once Luise got caught, she’d be fired from the Vasquez housing staff. Luise only agreed to help after Max gave her a huge sum of money, equal to roughly two years of pay as her maid. That way, when Luise got fired, she wouldn’t be hurting so much for a job.

‘And then we can hangout together, like friends,” Max said, smiling. ‘Get lunch as equals.’

Fuck you!

Luise had wanted to say that.

If you want to be equal, then just be equal! You don’t need to run away from your fortune to do so!

“Fuck me,” Luise said. “If I was her, I’d get married to some random fat old man in a heartbeat.” As she said this, a fat old man just happened to be walking by the alley. His face was covered in shock as he looked at her. “No. Not you. Get out of here.”

He walked away with his head down.

It was probably around time to go back in, or Mrs. Vasquez would start getting worried, so Luise fanned her body and went back inside. There was wine, so she took a glass and downed it in one gulp. Oh, right. Max wasn’t a big drinker. Luise did a quick spin to make sure nobody saw her, and when she was confident she got away with it, she returned to the viewing room to keep up her own acting.

***

--Two hours earlier--

“We’re really doin’ it??”

The gang was all pulled together and sitting in the hideout. It was dark and dirty, with rain spilling in through the hole in the roof. The warehouse the Gordoli Family used for operations was an abandoned automobile factory near the river. All of the other buildings nearby were also decommissioned, and the area was pretty much filled entirely with punks and criminals. That being said, the Gordoli Family was threatening enough to keep an entire building to themselves, and if anyone messed with them, there’d be trouble.

“Yeah, we’re really doing it,” Nick said, pushing his hair back. He put his hand on his youngest brother’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. You don’t even need to do anything. Just drive behind us and make sure that nobody follows us. There won’t be any cops.”

The entire group had come together. All in all, it was a dozen men, all brutes in their own right. Together, they were a deadly force.

“How’d you know that?”

It was Rolly who asked. The Gordoli Family’s verified badass.

Nick smiled.

“That part of town doesn’t have much in the way of cops. You know how it is, rich people have bodyguards instead of police to protect them,” Nick said. “But for this family, that isn’t the case. The senator keeps one or two men to protect him, but the information broker I went to said his family doesn’t keep any others. They won’t expect a thing.

“But that don’t mean we can be loud,” Nick continued. Despite what he was saying, he was loading bullets into a pistol magazine. “If people start to think something is wrong, it’ll all be over. Instead of acting like a bunch of fools, we need a plan. And to tell you the truth, I’ve already got one figured out for the daughter. She’s the easy one.

“For the son though? Nah, you know the place, Bruno. Go in with Jack and Rolly and be as loud as you fucking want. I don’t mind if you’re sending a message, so long as you all wear masks and don’t get tailed.”

“Hell yeah!” Bruno shouted, high-fiving his fellow gangster.

“Hell yeah!” They shouted back.

“Like I said, make sure nobody is following you, and make sure nobody knows who you are,” Nick said. “But we all meet back here with our spoils. Oh, and no matter what, don’t hurt either of those kids. Not yet, at least.” He let those words linger with a cruel smile at his lips.

***

--After the play--

“Wasn’t that just fantastic?”

As people started filing out, Mrs. Vasquez was speaking wonders about the Great Bastion of the Last Depths. Luise still didn’t understand it, but that might have been a good thing. Max wouldn’t understand the play either.

“The lead role seemed so handsome and brave, oh, I wonder whether he’s acted before,” Mrs. Vasquez said, squeezing who she thought was her daughter’s arm. “Did you recognize him at all, Maxie?”

“Ah, no, mother,” Luise said. While she looked similar to Max, their voices were quite different. Years of smoking made Luise’s voice sound scratchy. “I didn’t.”

“No? Then perhaps he is a new actor? If he is, I bet he’s got such an incredible future ahead of him. Oh! I know, we should grab one of the pamphlets on the way out and see if we can learn who he is. I’m sure your father would be able to secure a meeting with an actor, and I’m sure he’d come at a senator’s request. Wouldn’t that be great?”

“Yes, mother.”

Surprisingly, Luise acting as disinterested and distant as possible was exactly what Max would have done. It was what Mrs. Vasquez was expecting.

“Oh dear, are you alright? Your voice sounds so hoarse...was it from all that screaming last night? I hope you’re feeling all right.”

“I’m feeling fine,” Luise said. “Just a bit tired.”

That was not a lie. Having sat through the entire play was a draining experience. Or it could have been trying to pretend to be someone else like this.

Meeting an actor, though? Hah. That sounded great. How could Max want to give this life up? If only she could keep doing it, Luise would surely be happy. But as soon as Mr. Vasquez came around, the entire charade would collapse. He was too keen of eye to not notice. And with the other servants also standing around, her disguise would be pierced immediately. It only worked on Max’s mother. This strange dream would pass without too much more time. Might as well make the most of it.

“Oh no, are you sick?”

Mrs. Vasquez put the back of her hand to Luise’s forehead.

Weird.

“Hmm, you don’t feel like you have a fever, are you sure your throat isn’t hurt at all? I could try to see if your doctor has anything to help with that…”

Mrs. Vasquez’s nose wrinkled.

“What is that smell?”

Well, that fatal misstep could shatter the dream faster than expected. Oh well. Luise had already been paid to do this, so she didn’t actually care whether Max got away from her family or not. Coming out like this and playing along was just for the experience.

“Sorry,” Luise said, breaking the facade. “When I took that break earlier, it was so I could go out and smoke. That’s what you're smelling. Or maybe it was the drink from earlier.”

Max didn’t smoke or drink. This was it.

“Oh Max! You shouldn’t smoke! It’s bad for your health! What will your fiance think about it?”

Or maybe not. It appeared that Mrs. Vasquez wasn’t just poor of sight, she was also not very smart. Did that make this easier or harder? For a moment, Luise considered whether or not she could just keep doing this for years. Pretending to be a senator’s daughter and then marrying some wealthy dude in another district…

That sounded pretty good. Maybe things would turn for the better.

“Sorry mom,” Luise said, doing her best to sound like a good daughter. “I just wanted to try it. You know. I’m worried about getting married. I mean, what is this guy even like in the first place? Do you know?”

The theatre was now mostly empty, but they were both still sitting before an empty stage.

“Well, I’m sure he’s a nice young man,” Mrs. Vasquez said. She bought it completely. “I know he doesn’t always get it across well, but your father really is a good judge of character. You should trust him. He means the best for all of us, even though it might not seem that way.”

Luise pretended to reflect on that, then nodded.

“Yeah, you’re right mom. Thanks for taking me to the play.”

“No problem, sweetie.”

Ugh. Having to pretend to be a sweet loving daughter was gross. Was this how people really acted? Luise was an orphan, so she only learned about family interactions through movies and books. This seemed like a sentimental moment, but it just felt sappy.

The two eventually got up to leave. As she said, Mrs. Vasquez grabbed a brochure for the play so they could research the lead actor. For some reason that was her primary focus. They got to the valet spot and the man working the counter took their ticket.

“One second,” he said, smiling and rubbing at his mustache. “Your car will be out in a second, I think.”

Because neither of the two ladies had an umbrella and rain started sprinkling, the valet grabbed his own to cover them. He gave a wide smile as two cars pulled up.

“Hmm? What’s this?” Mrs. Vasquez asked, taking a look around. They were the only two at the valet, and both mother and daughter had come to the play together. “Is this for someone else?”

Both cars were the same type of model that drove them here. Almost indistinguishable from each other. To the women, it seemed slightly strange.

“Oh, it isn’t anything serious, ma’am,” the valet said with a weak smile. It made his large nose look even larger, casting a shadow down his face. “But unfortunately...there was a driver issue. Your ticket says you’re the V-vasquez party?” He flashed the ticket with their names on it.

“Yes, that’s us.”

“It isn’t anything to worry about...I was talking to the drivers when they got a call from your husband. Lenore said he was returning early, and wanted to take his wife on a date. Very specific orders, from what I heard. O-oh, perhaps I shouldn’t tell you this? It was supposed to be a secret...well, whatever. He wanted to take his wife out to surprise her, or something like that, and requested an extra car to take her. The daughter will be d-driven home as per usual...unless there are any issues with that?”

“Lenore came home early?” Mrs. Vasquez said, shocked. “Oh my! If I had known, we wouldn’t have spent so much time talking after the play, especially if he wanted to go out! I’m so sorry for the trouble.”

“I-it’s nothing,” the valet said. He once again smiled as wide as his mouth could get and laughed weakly.

“No, really, here, let me give you some extra money for a tip.” As she spoke, Mrs. Vasquez went through her purse and pulled out a few bills. Luise noticed it was around the hourly wage she used to make. This would make his day, she imagined. The greedy and crooked grin on his face was obvious, along with the way he kept leering at her. This must’ve been the price to pay for being rich.

Two servants stepped from the cars, gently taking Mrs. Vasquez to one and leading Luise to another. Luise didn’t recognize them with their funny mustaches. Must have been the ones who worked for Mr. Vasquez.

“Here you go, madame,” the servant said, popping open the back door.

Luise got inside and relaxed. Geez. Finally she could loosen up a little and not worry about pretending to be a good girl or whatever. If she had the night to herself, she could relax in Max’s bed. Heh. That was something she had always dreamed of. The servant got into the driver's seat, and the car started moving. He was playing something on the radio.

Some kind of rock band. The grungy sort. Luise liked this type of music.

“Hey, can you turn it up a bit?”

“Yeah, sure can,” the servant said, twisting the knob. Then, as they pulled down a street, he fumbled with something underneath his seat.

Luise saw it a second too late.

He put on a gas mask, then hit a switch. There was a hissing sound as the doors locked and gas was sprayed across the back seat. She tried to do something, but because she was surprised, it was only a few seconds before Luise was completely unconscious in the back of the car.

***

The driver pulled down another alley, where there weren’t any streetlights. He stopped where two of his fellow Gordoli members were waiting, all wearing gas masks, and he gave them a thumbs up. With practiced skill, the three moved the car into an empty garage and switched out the license plates, then did a few aesthetic adjustments to the car. Not even a minute later and the automobile was almost completely unrecognizable.

They pulled Maxine Vasquez out of the car. She was still unconscious, but a little less pretty than the pictures they had gotten. Must’ve been the lighting. They tied her up and added a gag, then tossed her in the trunk of the car. One man went out to double check if any police were nearby, then gave the signal for the rest to leave.

That man was Nick and he smirked as he hopped in the backseat, scratching at the scar across his face.