The Cube Heist (BWWM Interracial Romance and Crime) (3 page)

“Looks like if we decide to go with the deli, it has to be from twelve, right?” Lisa said.

Harper nodded. He looked thoughtful.

“It doesn’t give us much time, if we start at 12?” Harper said. “Drilling quietly can take up to two hours depending on the thickness of the wall.”

“Accessing the vault and the security system…” Lisa added.

“May take another three hours or more.” Harper finished.

They sat in thoughtful silence.

“The deli is just one option; let’s weigh others first and then we’ll see from there.” Harper said.

Lisa’s eyes were on the bank building.

“That cube must be really secured if it’s that special?”

Harper looked at her quizzically. “Weren’t you told?”

“Told what?”

“It’s not at the bank yet. It’ll be brought approximately two weeks and five days from now. That’s when we strike.”

Lisa fell back into her seat. Shit. That presented a whole set of worries. What if it wasn’t kept in the vault? What if they designed another safe place for it? Worse still, what if the plans changed and the location changed? All this work would be for nothing.

“You know there’s not much we can do if the plans change.” Harper said.

Was the man a mind reader? Her brain changed gears fast and she wondered how the boss had neglected to tell her such an important piece of info? They could even grab the cube before it reached the bank, and she told Harper so.

He shook his head.

“Its location is so secret, that even the bosses have no info. The only info that’s come through is the date when it’ll be brought in.”

Lisa whistled and nodded. Still the thought of grabbing the cube before it reached the vault would not leave her mind.

“Did I mention that we only have the one night to get it” Harper said. “It’s only in the bank overnight. The following day, it leaves for another secret location.”

Lisa’s only reply was a dropped jaw.

“You do know how important this job is for both of us?” Harris said.

Anderson nodded, swallowing hard. If everything went well, Harris would get his promotion and he had hinted at recommending his job of special senior agent for Anderson. Not that he had angled for it, however with a new mouth to feed; Anderson could do with the extra cash.

“So the only place we really need to worry about is the overnight stay at the bank. It’s our vulnerable part of the journey and if anybody was to strike, they’d strike then.” Harris said.

“Can we not have it at one of our secure locations?” Anderson asked with a frown.

“Look,” Harris said, smiling for the first time since Anderson had entered his office. “I know we mistrust security at banks, but the reality is that they’re very secure. The cube will stay overnight and will be in the bank vault.”

“Will we be allowed inside the bank to guard it?” Anderson asked knowing what the answer would be.

“Of course not, you know how the private sector and the Government work. We loath each other. The reality however is that we need to start working with them and according to the senior management in this organization, this is as good a time as any. It’s political, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“I don’t like it.” Anderson said. “It’s a huge risk and we are exposing the cube to unnecessary risks.”

“Anderson, you’ve become too cynical. If you want this job,” Harris said pointing a finger at a wooden plaque bearing his name and rank, “You must learn to work with all parties. Even if you think their idea is dumb. It’ll be safe in the bank. Even makes our job easier. Besides nobody knows anything about the cube and I don’t except them to. ” Harris expression turned solemn. “Keep your ear on the ground. If word on the cube gets out, there’s no telling what lengths they’ll go to get it. This must be kept very quiet.”

Harris then shuffled some papers on his desk which Anderson correctly understood to be a dismissal. He walked slowly out of the office his usual bounce missing from his walk. His partners, Jackson and Clark were waiting just outside the office for him. They hurried after him.

“The three bears, hey, where’s Goldilocks?” One of the agents in the open plan office called out as they walked out.

They ignored him, but the rest of the crew in the office burst out laughing. He had a point there, Anderson conceded. The three of them did resemble the three bears. Jackson was a huge black man and he walked as if he was about to ram into someone or something. He, Anderson was medium sized and Clark was the small bear with his diminutive build, which hid a brilliant mind and a black belt in Karate. You underestimated Clark at your own peril.

It was lunchtime so the trio headed to their favorite lunch hangout, a bar called Celeste’s. There was nothing feminine about the bar on West Street. It was dark inside, the only colorful thing were the red leather chairs. Anderson led the way to their usual booth at the corner where they could see the entrance as well as anyone walking along the street.

“What’s up?” Jackson asked as soon as they sat down.

“The cube will be holed up in the bank overnight.” Anderson said.

“That’s a nightmare for us.” Clark said, rubbing his nonexistent beard.

“Shit!” Jackson said, “A bank is the worst part to hide something like that. There are too many possible leaks. The mob may get wind of it.” Jackson said.

“That’s the other thing. We need to feel around if they know. If they do, we’re dead. Securing our cube will be a nightmare.”

Sweat had gathered on Anderson’s brow. The thought of any of the organizations catching wind of the cube and its value made his blood go cold. It did not bear thinking about. He reached for his packet of Dunhill’s from his shirt pocket. Empty.

“Damn Mary!” Anderson said.

The guys chuckled and Jackson offered him one of his cigarettes. Anderson lit it gratefully and inhaled deeply. He knew he’d pay the price later. A lecture on how bad they were for his health and the coming baby. If only Mary knew. It wasn’t the cigarettes that were bad for him. It was his damn job. Too much pressure.

Despite the pressures, Anderson admitted to himself, he loved it. An office job wouldn’t suit him at all. He enjoyed been out there among people gathering intelligence and putting criminals where they belonged. If this job went well, he may well find himself with an office job. As much as he wanted the increase in salary and other perks, the thought of sitting behind a desk all day like Harris, and having to deal with politicians, was not for him. As with things he could not resolve there and then, Anderson pushed that thought to the back of his mind. He would deal with it when the time came.

In the meantime, he needed to concentrate on figuring out any loop holes that existed with the bank. “What you having today boys?” a waitress in a short frilly apron asked.

Anderson squinted, she was new. He knew most of the staff at Celeste’s.

They made their orders for food, with Anderson settling for a steak and salad, an improvement of his usual fries.

“See why I’m still single?” Jackson said. “Anderson here has stopped smoking, is now eating cow food, what next?”

“She says after the baby comes, she’ll be packing my lunch.”

Clark fell back into his chair, his expression mock horror.

Anderson grinned and shrugged. Mary could be a bit controlling especially now that she was pregnant and giving birth to their first child in three weeks. Anderson closed his eyes when he realized that Mary’s due date coincided with the date when the cube would be in the bank.

“Shit!” Anderson murmured.

“It’s not that bad dude, is it?” Jackson asked, his big face crumpled with worry.

Anderson laughed and said.

“No, no, it’s not that. It just hit me that Mary’s due date is the same as the day the cube is brought to the bank.”

“Jesus!” Clark said, leaning forward. “Talk about pressure.”

Anderson nodded. “That’s pressure alright.”

“We’re with you, whatever happens we’ll deal with it.” Jackson said earnestly.

They wolfed down their meal and lingered over their beers. Two leggy blondes entered the bar then. Jackson whistled and nudged Jackson. The two men turned to stare at the women as they walked towards their direction.

Anderson looked on in amusement. He did not miss being single. By the time he met Mary, he was truly ready to settle down and permanently say goodbye to the dating game. Even now, watching Clark and Jackson, it felt like such hard work.

“Hi Ladies” Jackson said standing up.

He struck out his hand and introduced himself before they could object and before they knew what was happening, they were squeezed between Clark and Jackson. Anderson excused himself then and headed for the bar. He sat down and observed the quartet. Like a well-choreographed movie, Jackson did most of the talking with Clark throwing the occasional word.

Anderson’s mind drifted back to what needed to be done. He fished out his phone and scrolling down the phone book, he pressed dial when he saw the number of one of his sources.

“Hey. I need some info.” Anderson said, speaking in low tones. “Find out if there’s a buzz on the streets of an upcoming big job.”

“Yeah, like a museum, bank, that kind of thing.” Anderson said, and then disconnected the call.

He felt marginally better after making that call. Still more needed to be done. It was not enough to send word out. He looked over at his partners. It was time to leave. He wanted to spend the afternoon looking at the bank and try to foresee any weak points. Anderson sighed. He wished they had the bank’s cooperation. It would make his job so much easier. He would ensure that the bank was solidly secure. Working from outside would make it doubly harder.

Now, they had to think like criminals. That was the only way that Anderson could think of how to counteract any problems or attacks that may arise. Anderson felt sure that something would happen that night. Unlike Harris who seemed happy with the arrangement, Anderson knew how the organizations worked. See, that was the problem of being a desk man. You lost touch with the street world.

They were about four in Chicago, with the Grey Network and the Oldz being the largest and the ones who controlled the city. They had eyes and ears everywhere. Hoping that they knew nothing about the cube would be wishful thinking on Anderson’s part. They were also very competitive, each dropping money everywhere to make sure they were the first to hear anything new happening in the city.

Clark looked over at Anderson, who gestured to him that they should go. Anderson paid their lunch bill, saying a silent thank you to the bureau, which catered to every agent’s midday meal. Clark drove, and Anderson sat in the back seat. Cruising towards the Diamond bank, Anderson looked out and as always he felt the heartbeat of Chicago by looking at its busy residents.

They depended on people like him to keep them safe. When would the city be free from these criminal organizations? The fact though was, as soon as they managed to contain one by successfully prosecuting their bosses, others crept up. Sometimes, like now, Anderson felt as if they were only containing the problem, not eliminating them.

But trying to finish them off completely was like removing weeds from garden forever. Impossible. Just when you thought you’d got the last of them, others hidden behind rocks sprouted up.

Traffic was heavy at this time of the day, and it took them almost half an hour to get to the bank. Clark guided the car into an empty parking slot. Immediately, a policeman showed up and tapped the widow.

“You can’t park here mate.” He said.

Clark showed him his badge and with a friendly wave, he left. The parking that Clark had picked was too near the bank for Anderson’s liking.

“This is too close, we can hardly observe anything.” he said.

They moved again, this time to a parking further down the road, on the opposite side of the bank. There, they had a good view of people entering the bank, and those like them, watching. Those were the ones Anderson was looking out for. If word had leaked of the cube being held overnight at the bank, then for sure there would be people staking it out.

“If you wanted to steal from Diamond, how would you do it?” Anderson said.

The bank was a solid building, its architecture imposing. It stood tall and big, daring anybody to try and infiltrate it. Except, Anderson knew that to a determined person, it could be done. Hell, these criminals even accessed the banks in brought daylight.

“Looks pretty tight to me” Jackson said.

Clark was silent and Anderson knew his brilliant mind was busy considering all possibilities.

“It would have to be an inside job.” Clark finally said.

Anderson turned this over in his head. The mob had tentacles everywhere, but they also usually needed time to arrange for contacts. It was unlikely that they would try to install someone at the bank. They just didn’t have the time. Unless, they already had someone. That thought sent a shiver down Anderson’s spine.

If they had someone within the bank, then he Anderson had a bigger problem than he’d previously thought. Someone with access to the bank would easily arrange for the cube to be stolen. They would not even have to break anything.

“I think we’re wasting our time.” Jackson said. “This thing has been kept very low. The possibility that word had leaked is very low.”

Anderson swallowed down his irritation. As much as he liked Jackson as a person, he hated his casual attitude. He never tried to foresee potential problems, preferring to deal with problems that were already present.

“The only way to be sure is to behave as if there’s a leak.” Anderson said. “Then we won’t be caught by surprise. Besides what have we to lose? We just need to be prepared, that’s all.”

Jackson shrugged form the front seat. “OK, you’re the boss.”

He was. Anderson led the team and had done so for three years now. The promotion had fuelled his confidence and increased his faith in the bureau. However, he now realized that the further up the ladder you climbed, the murkier the water became. Anderson wasn’t sure that the promotions further up were worth it. They were so far removed from what he loved doing. Being out on the streets, keeping the tempo of the city going.

“Want some coffee?” Anderson asked the two men at the front.

Anderson made his way to the deli neighboring the bank, walking as close to the walls of building as he could. A police car pulled up and two policemen stepped out. Anderson knew they were carrying out security patrols on the bank every hour. It had been his idea that they should start early so as to get people, customers and potential criminals alike, used to the presence of the police. That way, it would not be obvious that something was cooking on the material day, worth a lot of police patrols.

The deli was packed with customers but Anderson was happy to wait his turn in the queue. He wondered idly if anyone wanting to access the bank would consider accessing it from the deli, he quickly dismissed that thought. They’d have to drill through the wall and that would take hours. Which they wouldn’t have.

If it were him, Anderson thought, he’d grab the cube before it entered the bank. And that was impossible. Its current location was so secret that only Harris and two other people knew where it was. The more Anderson thought about it, the safer he felt. By the time he got his coffees, the weight on his shoulders had lifted considerably. He left the deli whistling, for the first time that day, noticing the warmth of the sun on his skin.