Baker's Luck

by D D Loomis

  “Just as the money was being transferred into our accounts, the system was pinged. Wilbur’s looking into what that actually means to us right now. Oh–hold on, he has something to tell you. I’ll put us on speaker so y’can hear both of us.”

  Wilbur’s voice came on the line. “Hey, Francis. Like Charlie said, we was pinged. Some of our data got scanned before my computer defenses kicked in. Luckily, the money’s okay. At least for now.”

  “How about your location? Did they get that?” I strode towards my room, mind kicking into overdrive.

  “Don’t think so. But I’ll keep an eye out.”

  “Maybe we’d better move that money to a safer location,” I said, feet picking up speed.

  Charlie’s voice came on the line. “Good idea, Francis. What’cha got in mind?”

  I entered my room, and headed for the desk. “I’ve got a rainy day account Alice set up for me in an offshore bank a couple years ago. Get with her and have all the money moved there, except for a couple hundred thousand into the account she has access to. Also, have her get you some cash and then move to another location. At least for the foreseeable future. That sound okay?”

  “Sounds good,” Charlie said. “I’m sure we’re okay, the firewall probably stopped the attack. Just in case, though, we’ll use another computer when we contact Alice. Won’t use the one that was pinged until we dig deeper into what happened.”

  “I think we’re okay, though,” Wilbur said. “I haven’t found any sign of an incursion beyond the fire wall. Once we get the funds moved to your private account, we’ll blow this joint.”

  I paused in setting up my computer. “Make sure and get the money transferred tonight, and yourselves out of there no later than tomorrow morning. You’re probably right about being safe, but don’t take any chances, y’hear me?”

  “Yes, Daddy,” Charlie said with a snicker. “We’ll see you later, man.”

  I disconnected, uneasiness trying to creep in. Was it time to head for home? I shrugged it off. Wait and see what Charlie and Wilbur came up with. Once they moved, they’d be okay. And right now, I was in the safest place I could be, hidden away in a North Carolina forest. One last connection and I turned on my computer. Now to alert everyone at T&M.

  INTERLUDE

  “How can it be gone?” asked William “Willie” Franks, holding his anger and fear in check with an effort.

  His number two man, Lance Cromarty, sat up straighter. “Uh–Not sure, Mister Franks. That computer nerd you got taking care of the books just told me…”

  Willie ran fingers through thinning hair, taking a deep breath to settle himself. “We had this conversation before, Lance. That ‘nerd’ as you call him is my cousin, and his name is Dennis. Now get him in here to explain what you told me.”

  Willie shook his head as Lance scurried out. Damn it, was he surrounded by idiots? He stood and began pacing, not able to hold still. There had to be a mistake. Money didn’t just disappear from secure accounts. Especially in Belize. One of those accounts, his personal nest egg, had been there for over seven years…

  Dennis hastened in, a file folder in his hands. “Sorry about the news. I would’ve come in right away, but had to gather some data.” His thin, hawkish face was set off by slicked-back dark hair.

  Willie sat behind his desk, gesturing for Dennis to sit. “What’s this about funds disappearing from our Belize accounts?”

  Dennis perched on the edge of his chair and nodded soberly. “Afraid so. Just as we were paying for information concerning where the counterfeit money was located, the forty million was sucked away. As were the funds in all our other Belize accounts.”

  Willie’s hands began trembling. “How…”

  “Only way is by inserting a special program in each account to be that exacting. I’ve talked to the bank. The person or persons who did this had to go to the bank to do it. Which means pictures of those involved were available.”

  “Any clue about where the money is?”

  Dennis’ face became even more pinched looking. “No. But I had time to put a security trap on one of the accounts a couple days ago. The electronics package used by these perps was good, but we were able to get some data that I’m still deciphering.”

  “I want those pictures on my desk…”

  Dennis flipped open the folder. “Already here,” he said. “That’s what was keeping me from bringing you the information when I first found out. Oh, and one other thing. The program used to steal the money also put a time lock on what occurred. Far as the North Koreans are concerned, the forty million is in their account. Won’t discover otherwise until tomorrow about this time.”

  Willie studied the three men in the photograph closely. “Get this to Lance. We need to identify ‘em soon as possible.”

  Dennis stood up. “Already being done. I’d better get back to my office and keep working on the data we got from the security trap.”

  Once he was gone, Willie rubbed his face and stood up again, too agitated to sit. This was a disaster. One he might not survive if he didn’t locate the funds. At least they had a day’s grace.

  Lance arrived, closely followed by two others. “We know who it is, boss. One of ‘em is the guy who interfered when we were takin’ care of that Lenora bitch. We can use our police contacts to locate him.”

  “How’d he get the information about our accounts?” Willie asked.

  The man behind Lance half-raised a hand. “I was in the bathroom when that asshole rescued the broad. I’m not sure, but I think she slipped something in his coat pocket.”

  Willie slowly walked back to his desk and sat, deep in thought. Finally he raised his head. “Okay, I think I know what happened. Now what about the counterfeit money? We still on track to pick it up?”

  “A crew is heading to its location now,” Lance said.

  “Then the only other problem I see is Lenora. She knows enough to hang us all.”

  “No problem there,” Lance said. “She’s still in a coma, and not expected to live.”

  A small measure of relief coursed through Willie. “Okay, then that means we need to concentrate on finding the real money, and killing those involved.” He pointed at Lance. “Come up with a plan on how you’re going to do that in an hour, and how many men it’ll take. Use all our resources for this if you need to, including bribing officials to get information. Any questions?”

  “No questions, boss.” They hurried from his office, with Lance already snapping commands.

  Willie leaned his elbows on the desk, weariness setting in. If they failed to take care of this, Crosby might find out. When that happened, it would be the end of him, even though they’d managed to get the two hundred million in counterfeit money. There was no forgiving when you screwed up this royally.

  Operating funds would start becoming a problem in a couple weeks, since there was only a couple hundred grand kept on-site for emergencies. Such as this one. He shuddered, thinking of what had to be done. Time to unload the cocaine, at the best price he could get. No more waiting until the seasonal rise in value. That would extend his operations several more months, give him time to recover. Might even get over this setback, long as word didn’t get out to his boss.

  Was it time to disappear? He violently shook his head. No. Not without enough money to live comfortably the rest of his life. Such as he’d had in one of the Belize accounts that was no more. He rubbed his now-aching neck, mind fruitlessly searching for an easy way out of his predicament.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “All right, everyone, let’s head for our seats.” John Morrelli, class instructor, wandered through the midst of the chattering group, herding us towards the square of tables at the other end of the room.

  I finished the delicate task of removing an earring from Emily with my teeth, an eighty-year old lady. Doing it without her noticing was a ticklish job, even
though I was hugging her. God, if only she was thirty years younger. Must’ve been a real beauty in her day. Still good looking, for that matter. Her hand gave my butt a pat as she turned away. Bet she used to knock the men for a loop.

  Once we were settled in, John moved to the front. He was an imposing figure at six-four, and built like a linebacker. Hell, he probably had been. “Thank you, Francis, for the great idea of having a social gathering prior to our second day of classes. I really enjoyed the fruit and soft drinks you provided, as well as the snacks.” Everyone began applauding, causing my face to heat in embarrassment.

  “Mister Young, your fifteen pages are first in the hopper,” he said. “Just like we did yesterday, each student will give you a five minute critique…” I settled in, trying to concentrate. I was up next.

  “…So with a minimum of revisions, I feel you have a publishable article.” John looked around the group. “Any other questions or comments for Mister Young? Okay, folks. Pass your copy of his work to him, and we thank you for sharing it with us.”

  After everyone had quieted down again, he looked at me. “Francis, it’s now your turn to be critiqued.” He smiled, holding up the ten pages I’d supplied to each member of the class. “I must admit I’m looking forward to this one. Were you really a thief and pickpocket in the past?”

  I forced a chuckle. “Well, that’s something I’ll neither confirm nor deny. Let’s just say I’m on the side of the law at present.”

  “I’ve got to admit I never had someone submit the intro for a book titled ‘How to be a Pickpocket and Thief.’ And the last paragraph not only got me interested, but from the comments I’ve received, everyone else too.”

  I shrugged. “Like I said, if there’s time at the end of my critique I’ll give a short demonstration of how vulnerable people are to pickpockets.”

  “Then let’s get to it,” he said.

  Only a few had verbal remarks, while the rest said their comments were already written on the pages they’d critiqued. The final comments by the instructor were also short.

  “…And if you keep a close eye on your habit of repeating ‘as’ and a couple other words, you’ll do fine.” John shuffled the papers stacked in front of him into a folder. “Now, as you requested, the floor is yours for the next fifteen minutes.”

  “Thanks, Mister Morrelli.” I handed out sheets of paper, ensuring everyone had a copy before continuing. “This particular presentation is a boiled down version of one I’ve given to security types and private citizens over the past year. It’s been well received, and hopefully by you, too.”

  My eyes traveled around the table, coming to rest for a moment on Dave. He had the ghost of a smile on his face, as if enjoying a secret joke. Wonder if he’d seen me… “The form I just gave you has points that list steps to take to ensure your belongings are safe. Not only on a trip, but in a public gathering like this.” I paused, and lowered my voice for dramatic effect. “How many of you would notice if I boosted something from you, if you were in a group where you felt comfortable?”

  “What’s ‘Boost’, Francis?” Emily asked.

  I smiled at her. “It means I take something from you without you knowing. Some people are pretty good at doing this kind of thing, and you have to keep your guard up or become a victim.”

  I reached into a large bag next to my chair, lifting out a bottle of red wine. “I have a challenge for all of you. Suppose I was a pickpocket, working a crowd like you folks. How many in this class could I take something from without you realizing it? Write that number on the back of the form I gave you, if you would. Those who guess correctly win a bottle of wine or beverage of your choice.” There was a stir around the room at this.

  John half-raised his hand. “You plan on doing this at tonight’s happy hour?”

  I tossed a small cloth sack on the table in front of Dave, who chuckled and emptied it out. Wallets, bracelets, watches, rings and one necklace cascaded onto the table.

  “Did anyone guess nine?” I asked, a smile spreading across my face. “The only one who didn’t give me a chance to lift anything was Dave. The rest of you rubes were easy.”

  After a moment of stunned silence, everyone began talking at once. I lifted my hands until it was again quiet. “Dave, could you make sure everyone gets their property back? Thanks. As to how I was able to do it, there are several factors. Misdirection is one of the main ones.”

  Half-an-hour later, I wound down. “John, I’m sorry to’ve gone over on my time. I see that there are still some questions. Howsabout I answer them after class, so we can get back on schedule?”

  John stood, a wide smile on his face. “Thanks for the extremely interesting talk, Francis. I think I speak for all of us when I say this has been one of the most fascinating critiques I’ve taken part in for quite some time. Now I think it’s time for a break. Be back in fifteen minutes, people.”

  Once the crowd had thinned from around me, I got Dave aside. “From the look on your face, you knew something was up. What’d you see?”

  Dave chuckled. “Wasn’t so much what I saw as what you were doing. Very enjoyable, man. It was fun watching you swoop in for the kill.” He shook his head. “Got to admit, I only saw you actually take something once. The necklace.”

  “Yeah, that’s the hardest to do without anyone noticing, especially the victim.”

  “The other thing, just before you moved in on someone, I could see your focus sharpen on that person. Might need to work on it, as it’s apparent you’re going to do something just before you do it. Once done you noticeable relax.”

  I cocked my head, thinking back. “Well, hell. You’re right. Thanks.”

  “Which reminds me,” Dave said, raising an eyebrow. “I was the only one to guess the correct number. But since I don’t drink wine, how about a cup of coffee instead?”

  I gave him a closer look. Yeah, he was definitely coming out of his shell. “You got it.” Shoot, wish all my payoffs were this cheap.

  * * *

  It was after eight the next evening and several of the students with guitars had started a jam session in the canteen. The place was packed by the time they were into their third tune of the night. Even Dave was more relaxed than ever.

  I’d just stepped to the doorway during a lull in the music and heard a vehicle pass by, heading for the parking lot. Something about it didn’t seem right.

  “No lights on,” Dave said, coming up behind me. “Wonder what’s up?”

  Mom slipped by us, heading towards the lobby in the building next door. “Probably another lost tourist,” she grumped. “I’d better go up and give Heather a hand. She’s such a scaredy-cat.”

  The next tune started, drawing us back inside. “Think I’ll go to my room for a minute,” Dave said. “Be right back.”

  I watched him go, mind busy. Yeah, he’d felt it too. Not quite right. Wending my way through the seated crowd, I plunked down next to John. “Heads up. Something’s…”

  A dark-haired woman in her early twenties touched my arm. “Francis?”

  I turned, noting how white-faced and nervous she was. “What’s up?” Her hand on my arm was trembling, and I eased her into an empty chair next to John. “You okay, Ma’am?”

  “I–um–Mom asked you to come to the office.”

  Dave was at my elbow, a deep scowl on his face. “Four, maybe five guys. Three in the lobby with Mom, one in the car.” He slipped a folding knife into my hand. “You any good with one of these?”

  I smiled in spite of myself. “Prefer ‘em to a gun sometimes.”

  By now, John was looking concerned. He stood, eyes scanning the room. “What’s going on?”

  I shrugged. “Not sure, but it isn’t good, whatever it is. The SUV that just arrived might’ve brought trouble. Keep this lady here while Dave and I scout out the situation.”

  “I’ve gotta go bac
k with you, or they’ll hurt Mom,” the lady said, wobbling to her feet.

  I patted her on the shoulder. “The best thing you can do is stay here.” I turned to John. “Start herding everyone out the back and into the trees. Keep ‘em there until this thing’s over.”

  Other than a widening of his eyes, John stayed calm. “You got it. Just holler and I’ll have some back-up headed your way.”

  “Thanks, John.”

  “I’ll take out the guy in the SUV,” Dave said, and disappeared up the stairs again.

  Thinking of Mom in the hands of those pukes in the lodge had my emotions spinning between anger and fear. I hefted the knife Dave’d handed me, flicking it open and shut. Nice three inch blade–perfect for close in work. Taking a deep breath, I stepped out the door and strolled towards trouble.

  I pushed through the entrance to the now-darkened lobby, glancing around. “Mom? You wanted to see me?”

  “No, but I did,” a deep voice said. A large man stepped out of the office, Mom held in one of his hands. “Just turn around and get in that SUV in the parking lot and no one’ll get hurt.” A man appeared behind and to my left, another on the patio between us and the canteen.

  A hoarse scream from the parking lot froze everyone for a split second. I flicked open my knife and dove past the one on the left, slashing across his midsection on my way by. He emitted a mewling sound and sagged to the floor, trying to hold his guts in.

  “Run, Francis!” I turned in time to see Mom grab the big guy’s arm, throwing off his aim. He clubbed her to the floor, and almost as an afterthought fired into her body.

  By the time he swung around I plowed into him, knife swinging. My first thrust was blocked and he flung me to the side, knife knife flying from my hand. Shit, this guy was an animal! I rolled to my feet, and frantically blocked two punches that pushed me back against a full-length picture window.

  He grabbed my throat and began choking me. Three rapid gunshots caught his attention long enough to get leverage and peel one of his fingers from my throat. A quick jerk and it snapped, drawing an anguished grunt from him. I kicked him hard as I could in the groin, doubling him over. A spinning kick to the side of his head put him down and out.