Chapter 7
The sun rose for the start of another day in Missouri.
Hud, Jack, Harold, and Willie woke up.
Jack and Willie had kitchen duty, and they made some eggs and toast with coffee breakfast.
After breakfast, Hud and his gang got dressed in their stolen suits and met in the living room.
Hud also had a potato sack he found in the kitchen. He tucked it under his suit coat.
"Man, I've never looked this fancy," Jack said as he loved the feeling of wearing a nice suit.
"I know. I also love the feeling of being in a good suit," Harold added.
"If we do it right, we'll be able to wear even better suit soon," said Hud.
"I like the sound of that. I'm tired of wearing my brother's hand me downs," said Willie while he put on his Fedora hat.
Hud, Jack, and Harold put on their Fedora hats, and they all looked like gangsters.
Jack and Willie walked over to the couch where their Thompson machine guns were placed. They grabbed them.
"Let's go," Hud said then he headed off to the door.
Jack, Harold, and Willie headed off to the front door.
A few minutes later, Jack drove the Ford Tudor Sedan. Willie was in the passenger seat with Hud and Harold in the back.
They headed off down Route 18.
They remained quiet during the ride while each one of them pondered how their first bank job would go down.
Then after a few miles down the road, Jack turned right on Route 21 and they headed north.
After they drove ten miles down Route 21, they stopped off in the tiny town of Thorndale.
Jack pulled the car into a gas station.
While Jack filled up the gas tank, Willie went inside and bought a road map of Missouri.
After the tank was filled with fuel, the gang drove off down the road and headed to Polk City.
Fifteens minutes later the gang drove into Polk City.
Jack drove around town, and they eventually found their destination.
He parked the Ford across the street from the First National Bank of Polk City. They sat in the car and eyed the bank and watched while customers went inside and left.
"I think it's time," Hud said when he noticed not a cop was in sight up or down the street.
Jack drove away and then made a U-turn in the street. He drove the car a little past the bank then stopped.
Hud, Harold, and Willie rushed out of the car then rushed into the bank.
Jack stayed in the car with the engine running. He had his Thompson in his lap while he eyed up the area for cops.
Hud, Harold, and Willie rushed into the bank with their weapons ready.
Hud and Harold immediately fired into the ceiling.
The five customers jumped a mile with two ladies screaming.
Hud and Harold rushed up to the two teller windows while Willie stayed by the door with his Thompson machine ready for business.
Hud shoved the barrel of his Colt 45 into the face of the young teller.
"This is a holdup. We want all your cash," Hud said with a threatening tone.
The young teller shook in his shoes and fought from peeing his pants.
The other older teller was also scared to death, as this was the bank's first holdup.
Hud whipped out that potato sack from his suit coat. He slid it through the teller's window.
Harold aimed his Colt 45 at the customers nearby. "Everybody remain calm, and nobody gets hurt."
The customers all huddled together scared to death.
The two tellers opened up their cash drawers. They started grabbing bills and shoved them into the sack.
The young teller's hands trembled while he handed Hud the cloth bag through his window.
Hud snatched that bag out of the teller's hand. "Thank you for doing business with us," he said in a smart-ass tone.
Willie kept his Thompson machine gun over to him.
Hud and Harold ran out the door of the bank.
Willie smiled at everybody in the bank then he ran out the door.
The street was quiet while Hud, Harold and then Willie ran to the Ford sedan.
The second they got inside the car, Jack floored it and raced off down the street.
Hud and Harold looked out the rear window and did not see a cop in sight.
"This was so fucking easy," Hud said while he continued to look at the rear window for any signs of cops.
Jack raced the Ford out of Polk City.
Hud and Harold still looked out their rear window.
"Does that town have any cops?" Harold asked since they none were spotted.
"I guess not," Hud said then he turned back around. "We're in the clear guys."
Jack, Harold, and Willie all cheered while Jack continued to race his car down the road.
Thirty minutes later, Jack pulled the Ford into Wilbur's farm.
Jack parked the car inside the barn.
They got out and closed the barn doors.
They rushed off to the house with their weapons while Hud had the sack in hand.
Once they got inside the kitchen, Hud dumped the cash from the potato sack. He immediately counted and divided up the money into four equal piles.
"That's eight hundred and twenty dollars each," Hud told the guys.
"Eight hundred smackers for about five minutes worth of work.
I love it," said Jack while he grabbed his pile of money and shoved it in his pants pocket.
Willie grabbed his pile of cash, kissed it then shoved it in his pants pocket.
Harold grabbed his pile, looked at it. "You know something, maybe we should put our money in the bank.
You know, for safekeeping," he jokingly said.
Jack and Willie chuckled over Harold's comment.
Hud shoved his pile of cash in his pants pocket. He then walked over to the counter where the two bottles of whiskey were placed near the Missouri road map. He grabbed the one bottle, opened it then took a big drink. He was happy.
Then Hud looked like he forgot something. "Fuck! I forgot about the bank having a vault," he said and felt stupid.
"We'll get it the next time," Harold replied.
"Yeah, next time. Go relax and stay off the front porch, so nobody from the road sees you," Hud said.
The guys all walked out of the kitchen with a spring in their steps.
Hud walked over to the counter and grabbed the map. He opened it up and looked it over. He found Bellwood then he found Pine Hills that was located northwest of St. Louis. "Jack," Hud called out.
A few seconds passed, and Jack entered the kitchen. "Yeah."
Hud motioned for him to come over to the table.
Jack walked over to the table and saw the road map.
"We're going to Pine Hills to hang for a while. Study the map. We're leaving in the morning," Hud said then got up from the table.
Jack studied the map and had a route figured out.
Hud and Harold made a bunch of ham sandwiches for dinner, and they ate at the kitchen table.
"Listen, guys, I think we should move out tomorrow morning," said Hud.
"Where are we going?" Willie asked.
"Pine Hills to hide for a while," Hud replied then looked at Harold. "Remember old Pete Huddleston?"
Harold thought for a few seconds. "Yeah. He got out a month before I did."
"When he left, he told me to come to Pine Hills. He was going to work at the Pines Motor Court.
His brother owns it. I figured we could stay there for a while before our next job. Saint Louie is not too far away, and we could have a bit of fun," Hud told everybody.
"Pussy!" Harold said with a horny grin.
"Yes, pussy," Hud replied.
Jack and Willie looked forward to some fun since they now had plenty of cash.
Hud thought for a few seconds. "I think that if we're successful, we could use Pine Hills as a good place to lay low after our jobs."
Jack, Harold, and Willie all nodded in agreement with smiles.
Morning arrived, and after a quick breakfast, Hud and the gang got dressed in casual clothes.
After they loaded the car with their suitcases and weapons, they left Wilbur's farm and headed northeast.
"Jack, make sure you take it nice and easy. We don't want the cops to stop us for speeding. Make it look like we're law-abiding citizens," Hud told him from the back seat.
"Got it," Jack replied and drove leisurely down the road.
Around noon, the gang arrived at the town of Dothan they stopped at a gas station and filled the tank of the Ford.
Then they went into town and ate a quick lunch at a diner.
After lunch, Hud bought a newspaper at a newsstand near the diner.
While Jack continued his trek down the country roads heading northeast, Hud read the newspaper. He found a small article about their robbery in Polk City.
"Listen up, guys. Here's an article about the robbery in Polk City," he said then looked the article over. "The police of Polk City does not know the identities of the four robbers," he read out loud.
Jack, Harold, and Willie were all smiles knowing they got away scot-free.
Hud tossed the newspaper out his door window.
"Jack, after we get settled in Pine Hills, we'll head off to Saint Louie one night. While we're there, I want you to get us a new car. Then we can ditch this one somewhere," Hud said.
"You got it, Hud," Jack replied.
It was quiet during the rest of the drive to Pine Hills.
After a drive through the streets of Pine Hills, Jack finally found the Pines Motor Court. It was a small motel with ten small cottages they rented out. Each cottage slept two, and it had a small kitchenette.
Jack pulled his car by the office.
Hud got out of the back of the car and walked into the office.
When Hud entered the office, he saw Pete Huddleston reading a True Detectives magazine behind the front desk.
Hud slowly up to the desk and rang the bell.
Pete jumped up a little pissed over that ringing sound in his left ear.
His eyes widened with joy the second he saw Hud on the other side of the counter. "Well, I'll be. It's Hud Hudson," Pete said then he rushed out from behind the counter.
They shook hands and smiled at each other.
"I'm glad to see you're finally out of that hell hole," Pete said.
"Me too, my friend," Hud replied.
"So, do you need a cottage?"
"Actually I need two, and we'll pay a good price if we can use false names," Hud replied with a smirk.
Pete looked at the windows of the office and saw the Ford parked outside with Jack, Wilbur, and Harold inside. His gut told him these guys were up to something. "Okay, but the minute the heat starts heading in our direction, you're out of here. I'm retired from that type of life and want to live my golden years in peace."
"That's fair. How about we pay triple the rate to turn a blind eye," asked Hud.
"You must have had a successful job," Pete replied, knowing their money came from some type of robbery. But he did not want to pry for any more information.
"You can say that," Hud replied then glanced around the office.
"Will your brother be a problem?"
"Naw. Remember when I told you that I got arrested for robbing a hardware store over in Pine Hills?"
"Yeah."
"My brother Wally was with me. We robbed it for supplies to work on this motel. He slipped away when the cops arrived. I never told them he was involved.
He had a family. I didn't. So, he still owes me."
"That sounds good," Hud said then reached in his pocket and removed two twenty-dollar bills. "This should be good for a week. I'll give you forty each week," he said while he handed Pete the bills.
"I know Wally will be okay with this extra cash," Peter said. Then he went back around the counter and two cottage keys for Cottage 9 and 10. He placed them on the counter. "I'll put you guys at the end of the cottages away from everybody.
Don't party to draw attention," he told Hud
"Sounds great. Thanks," Hud said.
Pete grabbed a registration form and passed it across the counter with a pen at Hud. "Fill it out and use some fake names."
Hud stared at the form for a few seconds. Then he filled it out and used the names of Elmer, Robert, Clark, and Homer Whitestone from Chicago. He passed the form back to Peter.
Peter looked at the form. "Looks good," he said then shoved the form under the counter in a cardboard box.
Hud grabbed the two keys and headed to the door.
Hud went back out to the car and got in the rear seat.
"That's ten each week for the cottages," Hud told everybody while Jack started up the car.
Jack, Harold, and Willie each reached in their pockets and handed him a ten-dollar bill.
"Okay, here's our cover. I'm Robert Whitestone, Harold is Clark Whitestone, Jack is Homer Whitestone, and Willie is Elmer Whitestone. We're brothers from Chicago looking to move to New York eventually.
Remember those names while at this place," Hud told everybody.
His gang members nodded in agreement that they understood their cover story.
After Hud and Harold settle in Cottage 9 and Jack and Willie settled in Cottage 10, they walked off to Pappa's Diner down the street.
After they ate dinner, Hud and Pete gave him some good fun locations, they headed off to St. Louis to celebrate their two successes was in order.
So after he got some advice from Pete on where to party, they drove off to the big city.
But when they first arrived in St. Louis, Jack drove around and was on the lookout for a new car.
Then he spotted another Ford Tudor Sedan that looked exactly like the one they drove.
Hud's eyes widened with an idea. "I have a better idea than stealing it. Pull over next to it and swap license plates," he told Jack.
Jack smiled, liking that idea.
He pulled the Ford over to that other identical Ford Tudor Sedan.
Jack and Willie got out of the car and went to the trunk.
They opened it and removed a screwdriver.
They rushed over to that other Ford sedan.
A little while later, Jack had swapped license plates with that other Ford sedan.
Jack drove in their new Ford sedan and eventually found the Jazzy Tones Club.
Hud and the gang inside the club and drank some liquor and listened to some good jazz music.
After they were all liquored up, Hud and the gang headed off to another location to satisfy another urge that had been building up.
They walked up the stairs from an outside door of a building.
Hud knocked on the door at the top of the stairs.
A few seconds passed, and a small speakeasy door opened. A pair of female eyes peered out.
"Can I help you?" the female asked in a throaty voice.
"Pete Huddleston of Pine Hills stated that we could come here for some fun," Hud told the pair of female eyes behind that opened door.
The speakeasy door closed, then the sound of locks being unlocked was heard inside. Then the door opened.
"Welcome to Madam Harriett's House of Pleasure, gentlemen. I'm Harriett," Harriett Barnes, an overweight lady around fifty years old, said while she stepped aside.
The inside of this whorehouse was upscale and plush. It was big-league compared to the whorehouse in Booneville and Millie's home.
Hud and the gang entered the greeting room and immediately saw six sexy young women in skimpy outfits sitting on two plush couches.
Harriett closed and locked the door.
Hud then saw a small bar where behind it worked Butch Collins, a thirty-five-year-old thick-necked thug with greasy slicked-back black hair.
"Okay gentlemen, that will be fifteen for thirty minutes with a lady of your choosing," Harriett said while she walked up to them.
"Fifteen for thirty minutes? I spent three back home," Willie called out in a raised tone of voice.
Butch reached under the bar and plopped a double shotgun on top of it.
He patted the shotgun with his right hand to let the potential customers know that they did not take kindly to any trouble.
"We know you can't last longer than thirty minutes," Harriett said with a smirk.
Hud glanced at the shotgun under Butch's hand. "Fifteen is fair for these high-quality ladies of pleasure," he told his buddies while he kept an eye on this one particular blonde.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Willie replied while he glanced at Butch's shotgun.
"Okay, payment upfront," Harriett said while she held out her right hand.
Hud, Jack, Willie, and Harold each handed Harriett the payment.
"Choose your lady. And if you so desire, you can tip the lady if she provides an excellent service," she told the guys.
Hud, Jack, Harold, and Willie looked at the available ladies.
Hud looked back at the blonde. She was a sexy twenty-year-old natural blonde with a double chin that added to her sex appeal. For some reason, there was some spark between while they made eye contact.
"That's Ester," Harriett told Hud while he walked over to her.
"Come, Ester, my darling," Hud said and offered her his hand.
Ester smiled; she accepted his hand.
She walked Hud out of the room and down the hall.
Ester led Hud into the first empty room to the right. While they went inside that room, the rest of the gang members picked out their whores and were on the way to the other rooms.
Ester closed the door to the room.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"Hud," he replied, then walked up to her.
Hud started to slow dance with her. Then he moved his lips close to her lips.
She moved away from his lips. "Kissing is not allowed," she said.
"I understand," he replied then he rested his head on her shoulder.
Having her in his arms was an incredible feeling for Hud.
"I hope you fucked a woman before," Ester replied.
"Of course, but not as pretty as you."
After a few minutes of slow dancing to no music in the room, Ester stepped away from Hud. She started to remove her sexy outfit and let it drop to the floor.
Hud looked at her naked body and loved her perky A-cup tits and her firm round butt cheeks.
Hud immediately removed all of his clothes and was naked in front of her in seconds.
Ester checked out Hud's body and her eyes widen in a little joy when she saw that he was well hung. "You're big. I like that," she said with a smile and walked over and grabbed his dick. It felt to be about nine inches to her estimate once it hardened in her hand.
"Let's fuck," she said while she playfully pulled Hud over to the bed by his penis.
She immediately got on her back and spread her legs opened. Hud climbed on top of her. Ester moaned a satisfying moan when Hud entered inside of her.
After ten minutes of Hud on top of Ester and then Ester on top of Hud, he finally had his orgasm inside her while he was back on top.
He got off her, and they cuddled on the bed while she rested her head on his left chest.
"So Mister Hud, what do you do for a living? If you don't mind me asking," Ester curiously asked.
"Oh no, I don't mind," he replied, then paused for a few seconds to come up with a viable response. "I'm in the money acquisition business."
"Money acquisition business? What's that?" she replied but had a hunch.
"It's sorta complicated to explain, but I'm working in the banking industry," he replied.
"Just long as you're not foreclosing on people's homes. My pappa lost his farm last year. It had been in the family for eighty years.
He was so devastated that he put a shotgun to his head. I was then homeless, and that's why I'm here. Momma died when I was ten," she told Hud.
Hud actually felt sorry for Ester.
"How much of that fifteen do they give you?" he curiously asked.
Ester hesitated for a few seconds. "I'm not allowed to tell you that," she replied.
Hud had a gut feeling that it was not much. "Understand."
After twenty minutes of cuddling and chatting, there was a knock on the door. "Time's up," Butch called out from the hallway.
Ester and Hud got up out of bed.
While they got dressed, Butch could be heard going down to the other rooms telling them that their times were also up.
"I hope to see you again," Ester said and looked hopeful.
"You will," Hud replied and looked sincere. Then he reached in his pants pocket and removed a five-dollar bill. He handed it to Ester.
She looked happy. "Thanks, I don't get much in tips," she said.
"You should," Hud replied.
Ester gave Hud a little kiss on the lips to thank him.
Ester walked Hud out of the room.
A little while later, Jack drove the gang down the street away from the whorehouse.
Everybody in the car looked satisfied but yet a little disappointed.
"That was great, but I really didn't like having to use a rubber," Jack said while he turned left down another street.
"Me too. Never used one on a whore and it felt strange," said Willie.
"My w