“Need me to get you some water, man?”
Easter declined while clearing his throat before continuing. “Ahem . . . before I let you in, I got to know that you don’t hold Bangkok against me.”
Snake reacted as though he were offended. “Look at me, Easter.” Easter looked in Snake’s direction, but not at him. “No, look me in the eyes so that we can be on the same page once and for all about this Bangkok debacle.” Snake leaned forward and Easter did as he was told. “We go back in this business together since day one.” He held up one finger. “I’ve always had your back and you’ve had mine. When have I ever let you down?”
Easter shifted a bit, but held eye contact long enough for Jordan to get what he needed. “I . . . I know what we have, but The Tarantula. He’s another story. You’re loyal to him. Hell, I was too at one point until he thought he was in charge and started to change. I’m my own man, Snake. I don’t need a self-righteous prick like Tarantula telling me when I can take a shit or how to think!” His finger rested on his temple to show that he had a brain like we didn’t know; even if it was pea-sized, he still had one.
Snake stood and began pacing. He made sure to take in every inch of the room. There was a door with a biometric lock on it. It had to be where the safe was located. He then turned his attention back to Easter. “I thought I was the only one feeling that way about Tarantula. Actually, I was okay with it since we always accomplished the jobs and got paid down the middle. Where Tarantula fucked me was when he thought he had the right to whatever he wanted, even if it was my woman.”
Easter peered at Snake incredulously before breaking out into a hearty roar when he was met with the same look. “So it’s true? I’m freaking thrilled that everything is finally out about The Tarantula and Seven; I couldn’t stand watching you fawn all over that bitch while she two-timed you with him. It was freaking ridiculous.”
Snake shot me an uneasy glance in the hopes that I wouldn’t blow my cover. I sat poised and ready to endure whatever it was that was about to be revealed.
Snake shook his head with a pained expression on his face. “You mean to tell me that you knew?”
“Everybody knew . . . well, except you.”
Snake threw his hands up. “Of all the jobs I’d pulled over the years, you’d think that I would be up on being two-timed. Especially, someone I considered like a brother, at that.”
“Hell, she had you so far gone that you wouldn’t believe me if I showed you footage of the two of them. You beat Bo into a coma when he tired, so excuse me for not wanting to meet the same fate, my friend. He’s never recovered from his head injuries brought on by you, you know.”
Snake hung his head remembering the rage that had taken over him that day. He’d felt so guilty for what he’d done to Bo. He’d secretly made huge deposits off of every job into his account to keep him and his family afloat since the man could no longer form a sentence, let alone earn a living. No thanks to him.
Easter knew that Snake was flashing back down memory lane as he sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity.
“Every time I think about what I did to Bo, I . . . I . . . I feel like such a fool.” He breathed deeply and slowly released it. “What can I say? She was my only weakness and they knew it. That’s why I stayed away. I had to get my head right after they betrayed me. They treated me like I was nothing, after all that we’d been through. So you want to talk about loyalty?” Snake’s voice elevated. “Tarantula doesn’t know the meaning of the word, but this is a new day. I came to Paris because it’s time that I got my dick wet again, and the only way to achieve that, is by doing what I love. I need to feel that surge running through the blood in my veins again, and this job is the only thing that can give me my life back, man.” His voice held such fury as he spoke. I didn’t know if he was for real or putting on a show, but he was damn convincing, whichever it was.
Easter clapped his hands like he’d just been entertained. “I’mma let you in on a little secret.” He stopped his round of applause long enough to clear his throat before leaning forward like there was someone else besides us in his suite. “Word going around was that I’d left the business after the botched Bangkok job. Also, rumor has it, that I double-crossed you all and needed to lay low. When the truth is, I never left. I just got smarter and decided to put my focus on bigger scores and work for myself. I got this apartment after that fiasco, which turned out to be a huge loss for us all—well, except for the one who got there first.” He scratched his head and cleared his throat again which were big indicators that he was lying about what really had happened in Bangkok. “I’m convinced that it was The Tarantula, but that’s another story. Pulling this off will be the biggest blow to The Tarantula’s overinflated ego, and I can’t wait to be the one to do it.” He rubbed his hands together looking like a little troll doll. “There were whispers about the Louvre score even then. According to those murmurs, the score is going to be astronomical if it can be pulled off. Since then, I’ve made Paris my home and connected with the buyer that was looking for someone to pull the job off. He’s very particular with what he wants.”
Chapter 20
Snake’s eyes gleamed interest in Easter’s story. “So, who’s this mysterious buyer?”
“Now, you know I can’t give you that information, but once I get the goods of his choosing, just know that we will be able to retire if we want to.”
Snake’s tongue darted in and out a few times while he sat taking in all of what Easter was selling him. “Fair enough, but how much are we talking? Surely, you can give me that much at least.”
“You always were a man about the details, Snake, but to answer your question, the bounty is in the high-seven figures, my friend.” He smiled cunningly. “Just to let you know, the Louvre, and taking down The Tarantula, have become my missions in life. I’ve accomplished most of my goals while getting to know some good escape routes from the Louvre, in case those blueprints didn’t come through. I’ve studied their security measures and uncovered a few blind spots in the process.” Easter happily divulged. “Plus—”
“Blind spots?” Snake interrupted.
“Yes, blind spots. The palace is heavily secured, but like anything else, it has its flaws and weaknesses. Focusing mainly on the assets, while leaving ‘spots.’ ” He used his fingers as quotations. “Their vulnerability is what I’m going to use to get the job done.”
Snake shifted his body weight when he leaned forward to get where Easter was going with his findings. “So, let me get this straight: you know the changing of the guards, which is the easy part. You have an idea of what measures are being taken, but what you don’t know, is what you can’t see like the lasers that I’m sure they have in place. Plus, I know there has to be silent trigger alarms on each painting and other valuables in the place.”
Easter chuckled in response. “Of course they do, Snake, but as you should also know, I’m well versed in the art of stealing much like your hero, The Tarantula. When I was able to stomach his arrogance long enough, I actually learned a lot from the bastard. The Louvre is very secure and you’re right; I wouldn’t have been able to see the lasers during business hours except in the case of the valuables, which are always activated. As I told you, I’ve been studying. I took a detector and went to the museum after midnight when I knew all security would be in full force. You can see the lobby of the pyramid through the glass ceiling which would be the ground outside. I stood on it peering down to see if I could find any lasers and as suspected, I didn’t.”
“Easter—”
Easter jumped up and practically threw a temper tantrum for being interrupted. “Give me some fucking respect!” His arms flailed about crazily and spit flew from his angry, contorted mouth. “I’m better than The Tarantula, and you will respect me, damn it; and this is why.” He held up one shaking finger. “It was I who successfully got away with Matissio’s Pope and two other valuable paintings during a heist at a premier art gallery last year. Me! Not h
im, but me!” His hand flew to his chest pounding it fiercely. I was hoping he was going to knock the wind out of himself so we could just take what we needed and leave.
Snake and I looked at each other confused, then back at Easter, who was indeed throwing a fit. Snake held up his hands in surrender letting the little imp have the floor before he had an aneurysm. The scowl on his face was that of a spoiled child, and it nearly killed me not to bust a gut.
“For the last three years . . . ” The look in his eyes dared Snake not even think about interrupting him again. Again, it took all that I had to control myself. “Nothing has consumed me like the Louvre. She’s the last thing on my mind when I go to sleep at night and the first thing when I wake up in the morning.” He waited to see if Snake was going to object. When he saw that he wasn’t, he proceeded. “The lasers aren’t visible to the naked eye and since there’s no law against looking, no one paid me any mind. First, I used the detector and got somewhat of a read, but after viewing the specs’ proximity, the readings had to be coming from the glass. We all know there’s a sizeable amount of space between the ground and the floor of the museum. Not one to have only one trick up my sleeve, I then put on a pair of what looked to be regular eyeglasses, and that’s when I saw them. I examined as much as I could to see how they were running and the sons of bitches changed positions every thirty seconds it seems. There’s no learning the sequence in order to crawl through like Tarantula would normally do. That’s old school and played out, just like he is.” He laughed. “My next thought was to figure out a way to freeze them, but thought, that would more than likely trigger a silent alarm leaving us vulnerable. Just when I was about to give up, I saw a blind spot. To make sure this spot wasn’t a glitch in the system, I went back sporadically for six months disguised differently every time and discovered it was permanently blind.
“And that’s not the only thing; the guards delay the lasers to prevent them from going off as they make their rounds. I managed to get locked in the museum for ten minutes once everything was shut down. I put on my glasses and saw other blind spots that were the same circumference as the one I scoped for six months. I tripped the alarm on purpose to see how fast the response time was, and what else would be activated to know what we were up against. That one incident gave me just as much insight as the rest of my research. I conducted a few more alarm triggers to see if something new would occur, but they all yielded the same results. I know the camera positions, timing, layout and the rhythm of the lasers and how they are placed. During this experience, I did some checking around on the backgrounds of a few guards, collecting detrimental dirt that I don’t mind exposing if we have to get in through them as they’re making their rounds, if all else fails.” Easter seemed to be power-drunk. “Let’s just say, I’ll be better prepared than the great Tarantula ever was.”
I was waiting on him to take a bow after his long-ass spiel. Snake raised his hand like a kid in school to make sure it was OK for him to interject. Easter nodded his approval.
“As a man, I just felt disrespected, but as a mastermind, I apologize for making you feel inept. However, I would appreciate it if you’d stopped making comments as if I was Tarantula’s bitch. He’s your hang-up, not mine.” Snake threw the ball back in Easter’s court.
Easter hesitated, undoubtedly thinking before he said the wrong thing. He knew by the look on Snake’s face that he’d used his one and only lifeline and not to try him again. “Sorry . . . er . . . umm, Snake. You know I get passionate when it, umm . . . comes to umm . . . you know to . . . to pulling off a caper.”
“You’re straight. I just wanted to make myself clear so there would be no misunderstandings.” Snake motioned for him to continue with a gesture of the hand.
“As I was saying, I know where each piece is located, its cataloging information as well as its significance. The whole enchilada. The only piece missing was the original blueprints, which have information that the newer ones wouldn’t like old underground tunnels, and even older water exits. I finally commandeered them, but at a hefty price. Validation has already been made to ensure that they weren’t fakes. It wasn’t easy, but luckily for us, everyone has a price.”
Snake folded his arms over his chest. “If you were able to get them validated from someone within the museum, couldn’t you have just as easily gotten the prints from your source?”
“There’s too much red tape involved, and I don’t need a paper trail. It’s like I said: everyone has a price, especially when it comes at the expense of their life.”
“Can I see them?” Snake asked. The thick cloud of tension that was hovering over the room, as well as my need to laugh, was now slowly dissipating.
Like a giddy kid being given permission to play with his new favorite toy, Easter didn’t waste any time scurrying as fast as his stubby legs would take him to the door with the biometric lock. It opened to an empty room with a huge vault inside. Snake waited giving Easter the privacy he thought he had while going through all of his security measures that included a retina scan, like Jordan thought it would. Without raising suspicion, he took a quick survey of what was inside the vault while Easter turned his back to retrieve the blueprints. From where I was seated, I could see most of everything that was taking place.
When they returned to go over them, I was still sitting in the same spot twirling my hair. While Snake browsed the blueprints, Easter tried to be slick and throw a few flirtatious gestures my way, as though he didn’t just act a baby in front of me. I smiled and batted my eyelashes like the airheaded bimbo I was supposed to be.
“Looks authentic to me,” Snake approved as he scrutinized the document before handing it back to Easter. “I have the perfect crew for the job you’re trying to pull off. I met these youngsters some years back when we were all hired by a giant corporate suit to get copies of a prototype before the first e-reader was introduced to the public.”
Suddenly, Easter’s short arms started whipping about wildly as he jumped to his feet. “Whoa . . . wait a minute, rattlesnake! Did you pull it off and who was this suit?”
Snake chuckled. “You know the rules. I can’t divulge that information and of course it was a success. Why do you think one company is now dominating the market when it comes to those things?”
“And some youngsters helped you pull off a job like that?” Easter asked skeptically.
“The Kids, as I now call them, were damn phenomenal in that expedition. The girl’s name is Delilah, and man, talk about having knowledge, balls, moves and skills, this chick can’t be touched. The guys, Stanley and Kirk, are nothing to sneeze at either. They remind me of a younger version of Triple S, and you know how in synch and in demand we were before Jordan fucked up that chemistry, but never again. What do you say?”
Easter sat down and leaned back into the sofa while rubbing his double chin. “Snake, normally I go with my own men, people that I know personally, and a girl . . . shhh . . . that’s Tarantula’s kind of thing. As my father always said, never send a girl in to do a man’s job.”
That was it! I couldn’t contain the laugh that finally made its way out of my mouth. Snake rubbed my leg, indicating that I needed to put a lid on it. Tears sprang into my eyes, but I managed to stop before I became a howling fit.
Easter’s look of lust for me was replaced by one of how dare she. “I see the lady of the night has heard something amusing. Do you mind sharing what it is?”
“I—”
Snake interrupted by holding his hand up before I could explain. “Never mind her; she’s just my chosen arm accessory for the night. As I’ve stated earlier, if I’m to be a part of this, they are the ones that I work with.”
Easter leaned forward with his hands positioned in his face as though he were praying. His leg began to shake. “I need you, Snake. This kids team you have, I . . . I don’t know. Let me get back to you on that. This job is being done for a very important man, and I can’t afford to have any screwups or I’m dead, literally, man.”
Easter’s pleas went over Snake’s head as he gave his conditions once more. “If you want me, those are my terms, and they’re nonnegotiable.”
Easter drew in a deep breath and looked over at me, then back at Snake. “Okay! Fine. As long as my man Novikov can be on the team, then I can live with that.”
Snake smiled slightly at the victory while nodding his head. “The name Novikov doesn’t ring a bell, but I see no problem with it as long as he respects my team.” He paused for a brief second. “I have a question for you, though, Easter.”
Easter arrogantly responded as if he hadn’t given Snake enough control over his mission already. “And what might that be?”
“How is this going to be the undoing of The Tarantula?”
As if he were bipolar, Easter belted out a hearty laugh becoming excited all over again. It was like he just hadn’t acted a fool a minute ago. “Who do you think came up with the plan? He’s slipping, and having too many pillow-talk sessions with the women he entertains. I sent a woman I knew he couldn’t resist to seduce him, and like the hound dog that he is, he took the bait and after one drink too many, he revealed the seller to her. I contacted the source and made him an offer that he couldn’t refuse. The money I paid for the plans will seem like peanuts once we storm the Louvre and get The Collector what he wants.”
I choked when I heard that name. Both men looked in my direction. When they saw that I was OK, they continued their conversation.
“So the man that has you petrified is that rice-eating son of a bitch, Collector?” Snake asked Easter.
“You know him?”
“Yes, I know of him. He’s powerful, I’ll give him that, but he bleeds like every other man when punctured or shot.”
A surge of energy renewed Easter’s confidence after hearing that Snake didn’t fear The Collector. “I like where this is headed; maybe we can do a little side action if you know what I mean. In the meantime, I need to get going to meet with a prime piece of ass that’s attached to the one and only Giovanna. Every man’s fantasy. Unlike The Tarantula, you can guarantee that I won’t be getting wasted and giving away the keys to the kingdom. I’m telling you, he’s losing his touch, Snake.”
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