They did it the same time every week. The group of runners ran past the same spot, every Wednesday, at Five-Thirty in the mornings. Every time.

They ran past, stopped at the same bush, and then did the drop. They ran another kilometer, past the red parked car on the street that was always there, nodded to the man sitting in it, waited for the nod back, and continued running. 

After another kilometer or so,, they found the next bush, that had the money waiting in it for them. The leader picked up the stack of money, slipped it into his bag, and nodded for the group to keep running on.

Once they got back to the meeting spot that all the runners would meet every Wednesday, the group leader handed out a small stack to each runner, payment for their silence, and agreement in the whole operation. 

The operation was perfect. The group leader was the manufacturer of the product, and he got his group of seven or so runner friends ran with him and to do drops and pickups. He paid them well, all for running with him on early Wednesday mornings. 

What added to the perfection, was the fact that no one, absolutely no one suspects a group of early runners as drug runners. No one is really awake and can see anything happen, and runners look like they’re just doing that: Running. 

The leader had been building up his stock for a while, and was preparing to ask his group and buyer whether he could maybe add an extra day or two. He was sure both parties would agree, it was a win- win for both. His group of runners which so brilliantly disguised the whole operation, would love to add a few more days of pay, as this was all they relied on. If they were offered the opportunity to double, or even triple their drug running project profits, he was sure they would  jump at the chance. He didn’t know what his buyer would say, but he needed to ask.

He had grown his manufacturing exponentially over the past few months, and this was what had sparked his desire to sell more of it per week. 

The meeting was planned for the following Thursday. After the regular drop and delivery on early Wednesday, he had separated from his group, and went over to the parked car, and asked the man through the tinted windows if he could arrange a meet. The man just drove away, and he received a text only ten minutes later telling him the time and date of the meet.

The message said they were to meet at his house. He wasn’t sure how they knew where he lived, but he didn’t ask. He had made lunch for whoever would be coming to his house. He had sent his wife away to her friends for the day, telling her he needed the house to himself. 

He was nervous.

He had never met his buyer before, and was scared of how they would react to his asking about selling more product. 

An hour passed, the clock ticking nearer, he got more and more nervous.

And then.

He door a knock on the front door.