30(S3E8)-The Trick

Episode 30

(Season 3 Episode 8)

The Trick

 

Lana exited through the back just like she had entered.  She could not help the smile on her face.

It had been nearly twelve years since she had an opportunity to work with Sidney and she was looking forward to finally getting rid of her for good.

Twelve years ago they had done a job together.  Since then, Sidney had made it her mission to make Lana a Judas in the business, forcing her to work alone on any jobs she wanted to do.  This had made her life very difficult.  It had caused her to focus on smaller plans rather than larger ones that would need partners.

Of course, Lana had betrayed Sidney but what did Sid expect?  Lana was a thief.  Sid could have been a better sport about the whole thing.  After all, Sidney didn't get pinched.

The tables had now turned and Lana finally had the chance to correct the mistake of not making sure Sidney was arrested the last time.  All because Tobias had been shot.  The idea made Lana giggle.  She had met Tobias on a few occasions and had never liked the man.  He had the look of someone who did not belong, like he was in the business against his will. He smelled like a cop.

Lana got to her car and got into the driver’s side but before she could start the car her phone rang. It was an unavailable number which made Lana leery.  Curiosity got the better of her and she answered anyway.

"Hello?" She asked, giving as little information as possible in her voice.

"Lana Simon?" The voice was smooth and confident.  It also sounded older… aged.

"Who is asking?" Lana replied, her interest peaked.

 

"My name is Fenton Sanoma and I have a business proposition for you."  He got directly to the point.  "I firmly believe your services have been requested for a bank job with Sidney Thomas.  She wants to steal a specific item from a bank.  If you steal it from her and bring it to me, I will pay you $2.5 million. 

Lana sat in silence, unable to read the situation.  Fenton picked up on her confusion and spoke.  "Miss Simon, I was hoping I could get an answer."

"It sounds too good to be true."  Lana came back with this trying to figure the situation out.

"Well, I could pay you less if it would help you decide?" Fenton replied, matter-of-factly.

Lana nodded to herself.  "Okay, I’m in.  How do I let you know when it's done?"

He gave her a phone number.  "You will call that number when you have acquired it and I will tell you where to bring the goods.  Nothing funny with the Item, just bring it straight to me."

With that, he hung up and Lana chuckled to herself.  With that kind of cash, she could get out of Ohio all together, hit the big times in New York or L.A., start over with a fresh reputation and even burn Sidney in the process.

It was going to be a good day.

 ****

Another sleepless night should have put Sidney into a state of absolute exhaustion, but it hadn’t. Instead, she felt rejuvenated.  After the night of hard work with the crew she had rounded up it looked as though this con would turn out to be her masterpiece.

One worthy of the big time.

Not to say that she was happy with the situation, she wasn’t, but for the first time since Tobias had been shot, she could feel a wave of confidence rolling over her.

Maybe she didn’t need Tobias as much as she thought she did.  Maybe it was time to let Tobias be the family man he had always wanted to be.

She pulled into her driveway as the sun broke over the horizon.  Lana was already waiting for her, hands on her hips.  She did not look happy with the vehicle.

Sidney opened the door of the truck and stepped out.  “Sorry, I’m running late.”

The fact that she was late didn’t seem to bother Lana.  “What the hell is this?”

She was referring to the large Orkin logo on the side of the doors and the hood.  “It’s our free reign to case the place.”

Sidney was already in one of the terrible Orkin uniforms with red pocket protectors.  She tossed Lana a bag containing a second uniform.  “Put it on and hurry up.”

It took them nearly an hour to reach the backwater bank.  It was a branch of the very small Bank of Magnolia.  Lana complained nearly the whole way there about the uniform and the truck.  “This is just, plain ridiculous.”

Sidney gave her a hard look.  “It’s going to get us full access.”

Lana scoffed.  “No matter how small this chain is, they are going to know that they did not call exterminators.”

Sidney shook her head.  “No, this bank has an annual check.  I had a hacker friend make a call to Orkin and cancel the check-up so that we could take their place.  We are expected.”

Lana reluctantly accepted the idea, finally.  “Okay, so what is the plan?”

“We head in like we own the place.  You stay with the bank manager, who will want to stay with us the whole time.  Keep him away from his office and I will see if I can’t get the vault code.”  Sidney explained before tossing Lana some impression clay.  “You lift the bank key and get an impression with this.”

Lana looked at the small lump of clay.  It was rectangular and about the size of her index finger.  Thieves had been using this for decades.  You would press a key into the gray clay and hold it for a second, then, once the key was removed, she could compare it to known key codes and make a copy for the front door.

Sidney pulled into the empty parking lot.  It was 7:15 A.M. and there were only a few cars which most likely belonged to employees.  “Ready?”

Lana nodded.  “After you, mastermind.”

Sidney frowned at her then got out.  Lana followed.  The front glass doors lead to a lobby where the A.T.M was.  Then, a second set of glass doors opened into the very small branch.  A small main lobby in front of the clerks counter with small sections for each clerk.  There were three at most.  Behind the counter was the vault to the right corner.  It was open for the morning’s business.  Then, to the left corner, were a couple of small offices for a loan manager and the branch manager.

Only one teller was in, a petite twenty something brunette.  The woman noticed them as they came in and called out to the back office.  “Hey Ron, the bug people are here!”

“On my way!” A male voice called from the back.

The teller turned back to Sidney and Lana.  “He’ll be right with you.”

“Thanks.”  Sidney said as the teller went back to counting.

A couple of seconds later, Ron, a short, balding, Latino man in his thirties walked out from the back. “Oh, we got ladies this time.”

Sidney and Lana frowned in unison.  Of course he would be a chauvinistic pig.  “Indeed.  Okay, so we are running late.  We need you to accompany my partner Maude here into the vault and I will scan the rest of the offices.”

Ron looked uncomfortable.  “Um, you can’t go into the offices alone.  It’s against policy.”

Sidney stepped forward to Ron, taking an aggressive stance, playing up a butch dyke angle.  “Look Ron, we don’t have time for this.  We are a nationally recognized, bonded business.  I have better things to do than steal from you, okay?”

Ron shrunk away.  “Yeah, okay.  I guess its fine.”

“Good.” Sidney said and moved toward the offices.

****

Lana had to fight the urge to smack Sidney.  What the hell was a name like Maude?  Lana knew for certain that she was not a Maude.

“This way,” Ron said with a smile heading towards the vault.  “I hope you are nicer than your partner.”

Lana smiled, mischievously.  “Oh, I am.”

Ron stumbled over the short step into the vault when she said it and Lana almost laughed.  They then made their way to the vault.  The walls were covered in different sized boxes, each with a number.  The vault was not big enough for a table in the center so the money sat behind a locked gate on the one section of the remaining wall.

Lana made her move, stumbling on the step as she entered the vault and crashed into Ron.  She made her move and snaked the key out of his pocket.

“Whoa, you have to watch that first step.”  Ron said, his words dripping with intent.

“Thank God you were here to catch me.” Lana fired right back, her own heavy sexuality dripping forth.

Ron sputtered, not quite sure what to do with it.

“Jesus, Maude I can’t leave you anywhere!” Sidney’s voice snapped Ron to attention.

When Ron focused on Sid, Lana pressed the key into the clay.

“Um…  This isn’t what it looks like.”  Ron stuttered like a man who had been sued before.

“It never is, is it?” Sidney eyed him, suspiciously.

Lana slipped the key back into his pocket and pocketed her clay mold.  “Give him a break, Joon.  The vault is good.”

“The offices are good too, let’s get out of here.”  Sidney Replied.

Ron looked confused.  “That’s it?”

Lana turned and grinned.  “I’ll try to make it last longer next time.  I promise.”

END EPISODE 30

 Hy

29(S3E7)-The Wife

 

29

(Season 3 Episode 7)

The Wife

The night Tobias was shot…

Linda did not feel the pain in her hand.  Her nerves were working hard to send her brain the information that it was broken but it would not listen.  She had been married less than twelve hours and had just watched her husband be air lifted into the night sky in a helicopter with three bullet wounds in his chest. Her brother was cut and hurt from the fight with an international hit man after he had put the bullets there.  She was in her wedding dress and covered in her dying husband’s blood.

She had broken the hand on Sidney Thompson’s jaw.

She could feel the hot rush of emotions as she screamed at her husband’s best friend and recent partner in crime.  She could feel the blood flow to her cheeks and forehead.  She felt like she was being pulled under by a rip tide of rage and anger.

She knew very few things for certain, beyond the fact that it was all this woman’s fault.

The conniving, double-talking bitch who, even now, denied having anything to do with it, was responsible.  She was always responsible.

She brought out the worst in Tobias.  She was a poison.  A disease that seemed to touch everything that Linda held dear.

This was the first time in Linda’s life that she actually wanted to kill someone.

The cops broke it up, grabbing her. The detective seemed nice enough, but Linda did not care.  She just wanted someone to pay.

****

The Ride to the Hospital…

Eugene had put the siren on and they were making good time but he was still using it to try and get information from her.  He was trying to be sensitive and roundabout in the questioning but he knew that Linda was not stupid.  Panicked and in shock, maybe, but not stupid.

“So how does your husband-” He began into his seventh question and Linda had enough.

“Know Sidney?  Illegally.” Linda cut him off and he looked surprised.  “She is a two dollar con artist and my husband used to be a thief.  They have done jobs together and this, I’m sure, has something to do with that.”

“Used to be,” Eugene pressed.  “Are you sure he’s not a thief anymore?”

Linda closed her eyes feeling the pain well up again into her gut.  “No.  No, I’m not.”

“Then I have to ask-” Eugene began and again Linda cut him off.

“No, you don’t have to ask.  My husband has done a lot of stupid things.  First and foremost on that list is caring about an immature and irresponsible woman.  I know he is dying on a helicopter and all I want to do is see him because, as stupid as he can be, I love him.”

Tears hit Linda’s eyes and ran down her face and she hated herself for it.  She hated crying and looking weak, especially in front of people she didn’t know and didn’t care for.  “Now, if you don’t mind, could you shut the fuck up and get me to the hospital?!”

She screamed the last part and she could tell it had an effect on the officer.  He took a breath to say something else, then thought better of it and just nodded in response.

****

The Hospital - 15 Minutes Later…

Linda was out of the car before it had stopped, tripping over the torn and ripped dress and hitting the concrete hard.  The pain of her hand was suddenly her whole world as some of the shock was wearing off.

She pushed the pain away and pulled herself to her feet and ran through the sliding doors of the E.R.  It was late and there were only a couple of people in the waiting room but they all saw her as she walked in like a vision out of some horror movie.  A bride in a blood soaked wedding gown.

She tried not to think of how ridiculous she looked and moved directly to the desk.  The security guard, a buff, middle aged, black man was already moving to intercept her as well as the front desk woman.

“Ma’am can I help you?”  The woman said in a friendly but stern voice.

“Where is my husband?” Linda asked, trying to keep the hysterics out of her voice.  “Tobias Snyder… where is he?”

Eugene had caught up, his badge out.  The receptionist turned to him, as if Linda was some crazy person.  Linda felt the rage boil up inside of her but Eugene spoke before she could.  “The gunshot victim brought in by life flight.  This is his wife.  We need an update.”

The nurse’s eyes filled with pity now and Linda tried to figure out what she hated more; the pity or being ignored.  She decided pity would get her more information so she accepted it.

“Oh my God,” The nurse moaned and shook her head.  “I’m so sorry.  I will find someone to get an update.”

The nurse motioned to another nurse and the other one ran off the get the update.  “Just sit down right here for a second.”

Linda couldn’t hold it anymore.  “I don’t want to fucking sit down!”  She screamed at the top of her lungs.  “I want to know if my husband is alive or dead!  I want to know why someone shot him!  I want to know why I’m not on my God damned honeymoon right now?!”

The plump, strawberry blonde nurse just stared for a second, waiting for Linda to run out of steam. When she was sure she had, she said, “Well, yelling about it is not going to help, honey.  I’ll tell you what I can do.  I can get you some clean clothes and take a look at that hand of yours, and then Meg will be back with some information as soon as she can, okay?”

Linda stared at her, then felt the sobs roll over her as the adrenaline drained out of her.  She could no longer fight it.  She sobbed uncontrollably and nodded.

The motherly, strawberry blonde said her name was Pam and she walked Linda into the back.

****

Two Hours After Arriving at the Hospital…

Linda sat in the uncomfortable waiting room chair, sipping her coffee with her good hand.  Her right had a compound fracture and had been bandaged and splinted.  She was wearing hospital scrubs, it was all the attendants could find for her before Pam had cut her out of her wedding dress.

Something so beautiful and she never wanted to see it again.

They had told her it did not look good, they already had him in surgery by the time she had made it to the hospital and they did not want her to be optimistic but, they were doing everything they could.

She was done crying.  She was now filled with a white, hot rage.

“How you doin’ Sis?”  Linda had been so out of it, she had completely failed to notice Hank coming down the hall with his arm in a sling and bandages where he had been stabbed.

She stared at him for a long minute.  “Is that a joke?”

Hank took a step back, pain in his eyes and shame.  “Look, this was supposed to be-”

“Let me guess,” Linda cut in.  “The last job?  It’s always the last, fucking job with you people, isn’t it?  Like a drunk who just can’t seem to put his bottle down and go home to his wife and kids.”

Linda could not remember the last time she had used the F-word so much, but she couldn’t help it.  It felt right.

“Linda, it’s not like that.  We just had to do this one, for Sidney.” Hank said.

Linda’s face contorted into a look that would frighten the devil himself.  “For Sidney?  For fucking Sidney?”

She couldn’t help herself, she hurled the lukewarm cup of coffee onto Hank.  The cup hit his chest and covered him with brown liquid.  “God damn it!” he cursed and stumbled.

“I’m done with you, Hank.  And I’m sure-as-shit done with Sidney.  You two can pound salt together but you stay away from Tobias and me.”

“Excuse me.”  The doctor broke in meekly and the two turned, snapping out of it.  “Your husband is out of surgery.”

Linda’s rage escaped her.  All she could do in that seemingly endless moment was pray.

“He’s survived the operation, but only barley.  We got the bullets out but he lost a lot of blood and this deprived his brain of oxygen causing him to slip into a coma.”  The doctor was reserved as he spoke.  “We moved him to the I.C.U and will continue to monitor him closely.  The next twelve hours are critical.”

****

Two Hours After the Surgery…

Linda sat in the room alone.  The sky through the window was now becoming the dark purple that heralded the sun rise hues of fall.

The monitor beeped continuously with Tobias’s heartbeat.  Each space between move nerve wracking for Linda than the last.

Each one could be the last. 

“I’m mad at you.”  Linda could not help herself.  Maybe it was the stress or the shock but she needed to say something even if Tobias couldn’t hear her.

“I think it’s the worst part about all this.”  She continued.  “You did what you said you wouldn’t do and picked her over me.  As mad as I am at Sidney and Hank, I can’t really blame them for this.”

She took a deep breath as more tears came.  “You made the decision to do this.  You put yourself in this position.  I can’t help but think this is what you really want.”

Linda stood up and moved to the edge of the bed, placing her hand over his.  “That’s fine.  You got what you wanted.  You got to die for her.  Now it’s time to live for me.”

She kissed his forehead softly and a tear rolled from her cheek onto his brow.  She whispered softly one more time.  “Live for me.  You owe me at least that much.”

Linda could feel her hope loosen.

Then she felt his finger move.  His eyes fluttered and came open.

The night gave way into the day.

End Episode 29