Double Dealing(62)

Francois




The morning of the operation, just as the sun was rising, I left the barge. Stopping at a local garage, I picked up the small second-hand Vespa that we'd purchased for the heist. Small enough to park anywhere, I could connect the laptop we'd purchased to the battery of the scooter, giving it more than enough charge to do what needed to be done. The rig wasn't all that complex, and could be done with parts from any car shop. Taking Alex's advice, we'd purchased what the computer store called a netbook, a small laptop that was short on processing power but large on battery capacity and wireless Internet capabilities. I drove around the museum, looking for a good parking spot that wouldn't have the scooter towed or stolen. I found one in a parking lot near the museum and made sure to pay for the spot for the next twenty-four hours. After that, it wouldn't matter, since I wore gloves the entire time. If the police connected the scooter to the theft, they'd have nothing to go on. Even the netbook had been wiped clean before I turned it on and set it in the storage compartment underneath the scooter's seat. I put the keys in my pocket and walked away casually.

Taking public transport back to the barge, I was surprised at how nervous I felt. I hadn't felt this way about a heist in a long time, and I knew it wasn't the theft itself that was troubling my nerves. Despite the numerous issues with security, none of them were individually a challenge to my skills. I probably could have even pulled the job off without Felix. The biggest challenge inside the museum was the actual case the Quran was being stored in. It was made of bulletproof Lexan glass, which meant we couldn't shatter it, nor could we cut it with normal tools. Also, the case itself was actually built into its stand, meaning I couldn't lift off the case. However, the same way the Quran was put in was the same way we'd take it out, through a seam in the display case that had been chemically sealed in order to prevent heat damage to the book.

I was more worried about what would happen afterward. Handing off the book to our client would be the point in which the betrayal would take place, and to be honest, I didn't trust our client to do it right. After all, I was doing the job in order to sell out Felix, how could I not be worried that I too wouldn’t be double crossed? There truly is no honor among thieves, and the only reason you could trust someone outside of your eyesight was because it was in your mutual interest to not screw each other over too much. However, as soon as it became more advantageous to do so, you could expect to be screwed very hard, very quickly.

By the time I got back to the barge I was sweating, despite the chill in the early spring air. Felix noticed. "Are you okay? You look flushed."

"Yes," I reassured him. "The bus was just crowded. There was some tour group or something. Too many people in too small a space, and the driver had the heater on full."

"Okay," Felix replied, dismissing it. I sat down in my favorite chair, a leather armchair that reclined a fair amount and had an ottoman in front of it, relaxing. I needed to let my nerves settle, I'd need all of them later that night. I even pondered taking a nap to make sure I wasn't sleep deprived at the time of the actual action. Jordan, who was trying her best to be supportive, was staying in the bedroom.

"Is she going to come out?" I asked. "We still have a full day to wait before we even begin."

"I think she is more worried about it than we are," Felix replied. He looked down at the counter space between his hands and took a deep breath. He wanted to tell me something important, I could tell. “This is a first for her. Francois, I wanted to talk with you about that."

"What about?" I asked. I laid my head back and closed my eyes, crossing my fingers over my stomach. Regardless of if Felix had something on his mind or not, I wanted to just relax.

"This is my last job too," Felix said after a moment. "I can't do this any longer. Not with Jordan at home waiting for us."

"Really?" I asked. I lifted my head up and opened my eyes, bringing my hands behind my head.

Felix thought about his answer for a second then shook his head. "I don't have it in me anymore. I don't want this. I guess you could say I'm losing my edge. I can get through tonight, but after that . . . I'm done."

I chuckled. This was better than I'd have ever hoped. "What will the world be like without the Hardy brothers working together to steal what cannot be stolen?"

Felix laughed. "Probably a lot less stressful for insurance companies, that’s for sure. Francois, I know that you want to continue, to stand out on your own. I'm willing to support that, you know."

"I know," I replied, touched while at the same time knowing what was going to happen to him, and I had to make it a point to keep my nerve. There was no turning back now. "Felix, regardless of what happens, I know you will be the man who helps me find success."