Chasing Gold

by David Leadbeater

  “I guess I assumed we could slip away, like we usually do. You game?”

  “Always. I trust your instincts as much as I trust my own.”

  “All right. We do the job, then get gone as soon as we can. Even if we have to dump the goods.”

  “You’ve got me wondering now. I didn’t notice anything wrong at the meet.”

  Cutler half-turned. “The guys at the meet were the ones I vetted. They were fine. But the guys we just met weren’t — though they do know everything down to the last detail. People that say ‘we’ll cover your escape’ don’t hold a place in my heart. They were pushy. Condescending. I sensed malice. I was close to pulling the plug right then.”

  “So why didn’t you?”

  Cutler grinned in the dark. “I’m in love with the job. Aren’t you?”

  “It is sexy,” Terri admitted. “And incredibly well planned.”

  “Why thank you.”

  “I meant my part.”

  Cutler laughed quietly, and then fell silent for a while. The hours were mostly spent in contemplation, focusing on the job ahead rather than the mind-numbing expanse of time in between. When the time came to act, neither Terri nor Cutler had any idea who or what might be lying in wait outside.

  “Stick to the plan,” were Cutler’s last words. “Split when we can.”

  Stealing down through the darkness like museum ghosts, they landed quietly on the polished wooden floor. After careful research they had deduced that this museum’s security had been designed to keep people out after hours, rather than in. Thus there were no room sensors; the museum instead preferred to employ extra guards that wandered the halls in seemingly random patterns.

  Terri crouched in the semi-dark, soon joined by Cutler. She had already lost count of the number of jobs they had executed together, but each one had been harder and more dangerous than the last — thus earning them a fearsome reputation.

  The Star-Spangled Banner hung to the left, a wall-length piece of material that had captured the American people’s hearts in more ways than one.

  It sat behind a glass cabinet, but every cabinet had to be opened and this one was no exception. Cutler used a custom-built device that mated microprocessors and fed back the most often used numbers, in sequence. It was always a restless ten minutes, waiting for them to be collected, but the upside was that they could leave it working in situ, and find the deepest shadows to wait in.

  Then came the almost impossible act of reaching the highest part of the banner. But whoever designed the cabinet didn’t count on Terri’s ingenuity. Lithe, light and dexterous, she could balance with one foot on Cutler’s shoulder whilst unhooking the banner with her hands. Cutler caught it as it fell; Terri jumped down and then helped haul it out of the cabinet.

  They had come equipped with shoulder braces — knowing the part of the rolled-up flag they needed would be heavy. They had practiced running in tandem night after night until they could achieve it with an almost sensory perception. Once outside, they would activate a dedicated comms system to help, meaning they would not have to be close to each other.

  Cutler checked his watch. “The video loop’s good for another ten minutes.”

  Terri crouched down, allowing Cutler to latch the back of the rolled flag to her shoulder before watching him attach the front to his own. The video loop was the least of their problems now.

  “This is it,” Cutler said. “We don’t know how they’re getting us away to safety. Just wait for the signal and hoof it to Independence.”

  “I still question that. It’s a long way.”

  “Risk is worth the pay off,” Cutler said. “Now, let’s go.”

  It wasn’t his usual saying, nor his usual caution.

  The security guards were hard at work, watching the perimeter of the building. Terri and Cutler pushed through the museum’s innards, corridor by corridor, until they reached their exit point — a service door close to the museum’s rear entrance. The moment they opened this door, alarms would sound. Cutler had offered to find a way to bypass the system, but their employers had said it wouldn’t matter at that point — they had been eager to lay down some kind of alternative escape strategy.

  And time had been an issue, they said.

  Cutler agreed against his better judgment, convincing Terri that the pay-day would see them comfortable for almost three years. It felt bad, it felt wrong, but Cutler was a thief. Money talked.

  When the shooting began, their hearts leapt into their mouths and they almost gave up. Only self-preservation and, from what they could see of the gunfire, they agreed it was being aimed high, kept them going. Terri saw pursuers and urged Cutler on.

  Independence offered no way out. The van wasn’t there. Again, they balked. The banner was heavy; their employers had managed to monumentally ruin the entire escape plan.

  “Drop the banner,” Cutler said.

  “I can’t take the time. They’re too close behind.”

  “Then use your gun.”

  “No way! I’m not hurting anyone.”

  “Don’t aim at them. Aim at the buildings. The shots will be enough.”

  Terri felt the tears prick her eyes as she fired high and saw her pursuers dive for cover. This was sheer hell. In just a few seconds everything had changed. Still, they ran. Still, they fired, now gaining some distance. Sirens split the air and now even helicopters flew overhead. Whatever happened, if they were caught, their excuses wouldn’t matter. They’d never see the light of day again.

  “Keep going.” Even Cutler sounded desperate through the comms, a sound she’d never heard before.

  “A bit further,” she said. “And we’ll lose the banner. Make a dash for it.”

  “Well, I—”

  More men appeared around a corner up ahead, leveling guns at them. Cutler threw his hands in the air and immediately slowed; Terri did the same. Both of them recognized the man in front.

  Their employer.

  “You follow us,” he said. “We keep you safe.”

  “We didn’t sign up for guns. Shooting,” Cutler breathed. “Nobody mentioned this kind of shit. We’re out. Take your damn prize and go.”

  Seven guns leveled at their chests. “We will kill you now, or later,” the main man said. “But you will not speak to me that way again.”

  Terri suppressed the fear as it threatened to engulf her entire body. In the next moment she fell to her knees, screaming, as the men opened fire. But they were only firing above their heads now, aiming at those that gave chase.

  “Please,” Cutler tried. “Just take the damn banner and go. You have nothing to fear from us.”

  Laughter met the comment. “Fear? I fear nothing anymore. The Americans saw to that, long ago. Get them.”

  His men leapt forward, grabbing Cutler and Terri under the arms and urging them forward, still with the banner intact over their shoulders. It was painful going, and awkward, but their employers-come-captors gave no quarter, now aiming handguns at their heads.

  “You follow orders and you might survive this,” the leader told them. “But every time you question me I will shoot one of your limbs. Is that clear?”

  Cutler nodded at the same time as Terri. Suddenly, their lives had changed into a horrific nightmare ride. All the years that had passed between them now came rushing back to her. How could I let this happen?

  Life hadn’t turned out as her parents wished and, for the first time ever, she was glad that neither of them had lived to see her like this.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Alicia sought cover behind a large SUV as the new men appeared and started firing. Ducking down, she peered around a wide tire and saw the heated debate between the thieves and the shooters. Clearly, something was wrong. At that moment Crouch, Caitlyn and Austin came running up, dropping beside them.

  “Authorities can’t help for now,” Crouch panted. “They’re not exactly pinned down back there, but are prioritizing the lives of civilians around the Smithsonian and, obviousl
y, the National Mall. The damn shooters are not relenting. We’re on our own for a bit.”

  “They know we’re chasing the banner, right?” Alicia growled.

  “Oh, yeah, they know.”

  “You sound out of breath. Too much easy living whilst I was gone?”

  “Well, I do have a new love in my life — maple bacon sundaes.”

  Alicia stared. “What the fuck?”

  “They’re nicer than they sound.”

  Austin stared between them. “How can you do it? There’s bullets flying left, right and center, and you guys can’t stop chatting.”

  Alicia peered around the large wheel again. The thieves were being dragged away now, guns held to their heads. An interesting development. She mentioned it to Crouch as she watched. Slowly then, the shooters backed away, finally disappearing around a corner.

  “We ready?”

  They broke into a run, traveling the distance to the corner in just a few seconds. A man stood there, checking his rifle as if he’d taken this chance to do so. Alicia walked up to him, grabbed the stock of his gun and smashed the top half into his nose. Blood flowed; the man’s head whipped back and struck the wall behind. He didn’t fall though. Alicia forced the gun again, smashing it across his cheek, and used her right knee, sending it in hard just under his ribcage. Still, he struggled. The final blows were to his temple — three heavy elbow strikes. The man was unconscious before the third.

  “Secure him, Austin,” Alicia said. “And catch up.”

  She peered carefully down the new street, saw their quarry hightailing it about one hundred meters distant — disregarding all precautions in favor of speed.

  “They’re running,” she said. “Must have some kind of timetable to keep. We have to run too!”

  Darkness shrouded this street, making pursuit even more dangerous. Alicia led the way, using every ounce of her experience and fully focused on the job. After just two minutes she proved she was right to do so — a shadow rose up from behind a parked car, aiming a shotgun at her. Alicia rolled and leapt up at him, grappling close together. When the others came up she snarled out an order.

  “I’ve got this. Keep them in sight. I’ll catch up.”

  Knowing her well, they rushed ahead.

  Alicia wrestled with her opponent, allowing him a little leeway just to create space. When he fell back to bring the shotgun around again he left himself totally exposed. She dropped to one knee, delivering four solid blows to his stomach, then rose with an uppercut, catching him under the chin. The shotgun, when it fell, ended up in her outstretched hands.

  “Well, would you look at that.”

  The man had fallen to his knees. Now he looked up with fear on his face. “Don’t worry.” Alicia smashed him across the temple with the steel barrel. “I won’t treat you like you’d have treated me.”

  She watched him collapse into unconsciousness and tied his hands.

  Then she looked up, and set off in pursuit. The comms were still working so she asked for a sit-rep.

  “D Street,” Crouch puffed back. “Under fire.”

  Alicia tapped it into her maps app and took off fast. There was nothing odder than using an app to find a battle, she thought, but hey, that was modern warfare. She soon found D Street and saw the combatants ahead.

  At the top of the street a random driver panicked at the sight of several men waving guns, and crashed his car into several parked vehicles. Alarms sounded, and shouts went up. Shots were fired. She saw the two thieves still being dragged, the banner balanced across their shoulders. She saw Crouch and the others, creeping between vehicles and advancing slowly. The shots were aimed at them, but plowed into cars and walls. Alicia saw an angry, half-asleep man stalk out of his front door, wearing a bath robe, and motioned him back inside with a wave of her gun barrel.

  “Street’s a health risk,” she said. “Stay inside.”

  He disappeared fast. Alicia couldn’t risk firing with the clumsy shotgun, so stayed low and quickly joined her friends. The men ahead were jumping over the hood of the crashed car to escape, highlighted just for a second. Russo picked one off with a headshot.

  “Still no joy from the cops,” Crouch reported. “Most of DC’s law enforcement are ranged around or converging on the mall.”

  “It’s still happening.” Her comment was a statement, not a question.

  “So, the mall thing.” Austin’s face scrunched as he tried to make sense of it. “That’s just a diversion, allowing these guys to escape?”

  “It feels like more than that,” Crouch admitted. “Though, either way, it is doing the job.”

  They moved out, again using vehicles for cover, and raced down the rest of the street. Another arrow-straight street bisected this one, with the enemy already halfway along. Crouch radioed in once more and received only a terse reply.

  “I get it,” he sighed as he replaced his radio. “I really do. The mall event will be seen as a terrorist attack. They have to give it top priority.”

  “Where the hell are they going?” Russo wondered, watching the runners.

  “Doesn’t matter,” Alicia said. “It’s easy. Just keep them in sight.”

  The thieves and their guards just kept running, meandering down the streets as if searching for a lost car, but Alicia knew they had to have a plan. By now, they were a fair way from the mall. Maybe this was all about creating distance. She threw the shotgun she’d appropriated to Austin just to see how he handled it.

  The young recruit almost dropped it at first, then caught hold and tried to appear confident.

  “Whatever you do,” she said. “Don’t use it.”

  “What? Wait… I…”

  “It’s for show,” she said. “You use it and I’ll be forced to hurt you.”

  “He’s not ready for a gun,” Crouch said, moving at her side.

  “Not ready… then why the fuck is he here?”

  The older man shook his head. “Ah, it’s a long story.”

  “Long-lost son? Kid you didn’t know you had? Oh shit, don’t tell me it’s Russo’s toyboy?”

  Crouch laughed as Russo choked and almost tripped over his own legs. “Nope, none of those. I’ll explain later but, for now, keep him out of it.”

  Alicia grunted, but took the shotgun back. By now they were traversing another street and the area around them was pitch black. Somewhere far ahead they could hear a low rumbling and the sound of car horns.

  “Freeway of some kind,” Crouch said.

  “You think they’re planning to use it to escape?” Caitlyn asked, tapping at her map app.

  “Who knows what they’re planning? It’s all very unorthodox.”

  “But one thing is for sure,” Alicia added. “This thing they’re doing — it’s working.”

  They continued the chase, Crouch flagging and now even Russo starting to slow. Alicia grinned at the big man, clapping him on the back.

  “Hey Robster, you wanna lean on me a while?” she drawled.

  “Fuck. Off,” he panted.

  “What? No ‘bitch’ at the end? I’m disappointed.”

  “I. Don’t. Have. The. Energy.”

  “Those thieves,” Crouch said as they kept pace with their assailants. “Does anything look off about them to you?”

  Alicia nodded, ducking fast as one of the men targeted them for a bullet. “Looks like they’re being coerced,” she said. “Like I said before. But that’s not a bad thing. Means we have friends on the inside.”

  “Maybe,” Crouch said, returning fire. “I guess we’ll see. That’s a big old space up ahead.”

  Alicia saw it for the first time. An enormous structure surrounded by a vast parking lot, floodlights brightly lit, the endless open bays offering no shelter and no protection.

  “Move in, close up,” she said. “This is our chance.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The armed men made good use of the few scattered parked cars dotted around the parking lot, moving from cover to cover. Alicia
judged the figures as barely adequate — yes, they’d had some training but their instructor had either been severely rushed or intensely incompetent.

  Out here, under the stark bright lights, everything was in the open.

  She saw the male and female thieves, Terri Lee and Paul Cutler, their faces bloodied, black leather suits ripped. She could see stress carved deeply into their features. She counted nine armed men surrounding and urging them on; although nobody was standing up to be the leader. The thieves were weakened, wilting under the weight of the banner and the skill it took to keep it straight as they ran among men that cared nothing for their welfare.

  “Hey, where are they going?” Russo suddenly shouted.

  Alicia looked closely. “Shit, they’re running for the store. And it’s open.”

  The large structure was a twenty-four-hour supermarket with two large sliding double-doors waiting to greet the runners. Alicia sped at the same pace as those they chased, seeing them disappear through the doors and then, a moment later, hurl a grenade out into the parking lot.

  “Bomb!” she cried.

  The team dived onto the tarmac, scraping exposed flesh and staying low. As low as could be. The grenade rolled before it exploded, closing the gap. The noise was chilling, the expectation of what might happen nightmarish. Alicia heard deadly fragments striking the light-stanchion she’d rolled behind, felt two small tugs at her clothing, but nothing penetrated. When she looked up, the parking lot ahead was clear.

  “We okay?”

  “Go.” Crouch was already on his feet.

  Alicia took back the shotgun and leveled it as they approached the doors, carefully skirting the new hole that had been blow into the car park. A quick glance inside revealed nothing. She moved closer, activating the doors and then slipped past. A white-painted, well-lit entryway met her and then the entire store opened up just a few meters ahead.

  “Gotta be at least three exits,” Russo grumbled.

  Though the store was relatively quiet, some civilians were inside and screaming at the sight of the men with the guns. Alicia saw someone running from a home furnishings aisle to the left and ran across. The man running away saw her, tried to stop quickly, and ending up slipping on the polished floor, rolling to her feet.