Myself and my bodyguard Jim were walking down the sidewalks of Las Vegas when I saw a young street punk grab a homeless lady's alms cup. He was running towards us, I looked at Jim, "Stop him." Jim grabbed the young man as he tried to dash by. He struggled for a bit until he realized he was going nowhere.

I looked at him in the eyes, I held that gaze until I knew I had had his full attention. "Why did you do this?" I asked politely. He looked at me with rage in his eyes for a bit, then realized who I was, "I..I... I'm sorry sir, I did not see you." he squeaked. With a slight smile on my face I asked, "If you did see me, would you of still done the deed?"

He started to say something, paused, tried again. "No, I would not have." he finally answered. "Then why did you?" I countered. "I needed the money to eat and to pay rent." was his reply.

I told Jim to release him, he did. As he stood there in front of me I asked, "You seem well enough off. Your cloths are not torn, your hair is cut." I nodded to Jim, he went through his pockets and came up with twenty seven dollars, I smiled, "So why steal from a homeless women who had maybe a dollar fifty on her?"

The young man was at a loss for words, he looked at Jim and knew his time was limited, "I .... I just wanted too. She is out here everyday asking for money. She has to have enough by now?" I raised my hand in a gesture to let him know to stop talking, with a scowl on my face I said, "I know this woman and, no young man, she does not." The boy gulped hard, looked around him and saw a few of my other bodyguards around, "What are you going do to to me?" he asked.

"That, my young friend, depends on what you are going to do?" I replied ......

The young thug, with his head hung low, took his money back from Jim and walked over to the homeless woman. He handed her cup back to her with his money piled high in it. She took it back and gave him a slap on the cheek. He turned and walked back to me, "So there, now I am broke." he wined.

I tried to hide the smile dancing on my lips. I coughed a few time, then gave him a stern look, "What you did was admirable, but who you did it to was just wrong." Jim popped his knuckles, the lad looked at Jim and fidgeted a bit, but then continued to look at me, "I need a numbers runner. You do this for me and I pay you $100 a week." I said.

His eyes boggled in his skull, "One hundred? Honest?" This time I did not hide my amusement, "Yes, honest." The young man looked at me for a bit then asked why. I ponder it a minute then replied, "I help those who need it," I thought back on what brought me to America, "and kill those who deserve it." it was either the rage I tried to keep out of my voice or the look on my face, but the young thug took a step back.

"Y..yeah, I can do that Mr. Lang." he stammered. I collected myself a bit to calm my anger and with a smile stuck out my hand, "Your word on it?" He grabbed my hand in both of his, "Hell yeah! Done and done. Best runner you ever had." he said. I laughed, he would be my first numbers running, besides my bodyguards. I gave him the address of the pick up point and told him to bring them to me within the hour.

As my new runner dashed away, I looked at Jim and asked his thoughts, "Not sure Boss, but I like the kid." I laughed at that and headed towards the nearest diner.