It was morning in Strickland, and on a certain street, vehicles moved about as usual. The sun was starting to get high, casting long shadows against the pavement. Down the street, there was a garage. It was a plain building, the kind you wouldn't look at twice. It was half open, but the interior couldn't be seen because of the way the light hit the entrance. It looked empty from the outside, but it wasn't.
Inside was a young man with dark hair. He was twenty-four years old, and though he didn't really look like it, he had the aura of someone who could be an assassin. He moved with a certain kind of quietness that made people nervous.
This man was Jake Donner.
He was sitting on a wooden chair in the center of the concrete floor. The garage smelled like old oil and dust. He adjusted his T-shirt, which he wore together with some denim jeans. He wore a dull blue jacket on the T-shirt, even though it was morning. He looked like he was waiting for something, his eyes fixed on the door.
He wasn't alone. Opposite him was Drayke. Drayke was leaning back, looking a bit tired. He was twenty-five, and he was the one who had just robbed the bank the day before, and the tension was still visible in his shoulders.
"What we've been waiting for has already started to happen," Jake Donner, JD for short, said, as he swept back his hair. He looked calm.
"Yes. It's already on the news. And just as planned, the only footage they have is that of the dump truck," Drayke said. He was restless, lightly kicking a leg of the chair he sat on. The sound of wood hitting the floor echoed in the quiet garage.
"That's great... for now, at least. We need to be sure," JD said. He looked at Drayke, his expression serious. "But are you sure you did everything neatly? You're sure you didn't break any tables or anything—"
"I was careful, JD. You can count on that. I moved exactly how we practiced. I didn't touch anything I didn't have to," Drayke insisted.
"In that case, why don't we run through the plan, just to see if we missed anything," JD said as he leaned backwards to rest on the chair. He wanted to hear every detail again.
"Is that necessary? I mean, we've already done it. We got the money, and we're here," Drayke said, wiping some sweat from his forehead.
"It's necessary, to see if we missed even a step. You can never tell with the police. They look for the smallest things," JD said. He wasn't going to let it go.
Drayke hesitated for a bit, looking around the garage, then said, "Alright. If it makes you feel better."
"Okay. So, the first part of the plan. You get employed in the biggest branch of Allock Bank. That took some time, but you did it. Then you work there, under the persona of Alan McHenry. You had to act like a totally different person, gaining trust and gathering necessary info in the process. You learned the layout and the codes."
"Yes... I was the perfect employee," Drayke confirmed.
"Then on the d-day, you get to the manager's door. That was the most dangerous part. I shoot the main power supply box from the outside using the silenced rifle, you get inside the office as soon as the lights flicker, take necessary stuff, and get out. You had exactly sixty seconds."
"Right. It felt like ten, but I made it," Drayke said.
"Since the power is out, the inverter turns on. But the cameras don't work when the inverter is on, except the front and back cameras outside the bank. We checked the wiring diagrams for weeks to be sure of that."
"Yes. The internal ones stayed dead," Drayke said, nodding.
"So you do the necessary inside, still unseen by any lenses. You have your cleaning gloves on the entire time so you don't leave any oily prints on the glass or the safe. You take the 'trash' out in the standard black bags, sign out at the desk, and never return."
"Yes. I walked right past the guard," Drayke remembered.
"And on my part, I take the dump truck. I pick the trash up wearing trashman clothes so no one thinks I'm out of place. I pull up to the curb, throw the bags in, and take it to the designated location, which is—"
JD was still talking when a shadow was seen at the garage door. The light was blocked out suddenly. Both men went completely still.
"The door is soundproof, and our voices were low, so they couldn't have heard us," Drayke said in a low voice. He reached into his waistband and drew his pistol. His hand was steady, but his eyes were wide.
The door opened slowly, creaking on its hinges. The silhouette of a man could be seen standing there against the bright morning sun. He suddenly paused, seeing the gun pointed at him. He slowly raised both hands up in a defensive posture.
"Hey, woah, put it down. That isn't necessary. I'm not here for a fight. I just want to see the two people who managed to rob Allock Bank without being caught," the man said. His voice was deep and tinted with a bit of slight glee, like he was impressed by them.
Drayke still persisted in aiming at the man. He didn't trust anyone who just showed up like that. JD looked at the stranger, then he slowly reached out and put his hand on Drayke's arm. He whispered something to him, telling him to wait.
"Step in. What do you want, old man? And how did you find this place?" JD asked, his voice cold.
The man's full features came into view as he walked out of the glare. He looked old, with graying hair and lines on his face, but he didn't feel old. His movements were smooth and confident. He looked like he'd seen enough in this world to know how to handle himself in a garage with two men who could attack him at any moment.
"The name's Charter. What a nice garage you've got here. Good for privacy," he said as he walked towards JD with total nonchalance, as if there wasn't a gun in the room.