My Kidnapper's Mistake

Chapter 24: Plan Discussion

Anya's P.O.V.

We've had the first repetition of strategy a week ago and we've noticed that the response times have lengthened quite a bit, we could also move in for closer observation without being spotted. Megan had successfully hacked through every update and extra firewall in addition to surprising us with the blueprints of Richard's mansion. We would never be more prepared than this, except maybe if we managed to get somebody on the inside, but we didn't have enough time for that. It was time to share our master plan with the rest of the team.

Everybody was once again gathered in the kitchen for a meeting.
"We have another week to prepare for the heist." I announced.
"You sure that's enough time?" Clive questioned.
"Positive. Now here is the plan. Julian if you'd open the blueprints please."
Julian rolled out the blueprints to Richard's mansion on the kitchen island.
"Jason as our master thief we'll leave the actual theft to you. We've scouted out all of their strategies from every angle and we'd only have to set the alarm off on more time, so that we'll end up with the strategy we'd planned for as the next one."
"We're planning on robbing with them putting their prevention tactics into play?" Clive asked sceptically.
"Yes, Jason you'll need a uniform and you'll enter the property from the north wall. A squad will be moving past that wall somewhere between 3 to 4 minutes after the alarm was set off ,in the direction of the house. You'll have to merge with the squad. Tristan you'll merge with a group going in from the front gates and Brian form the east wall. You'll be Jason's back up, you won't be taking part of the robbery unless Jason requests help. If everything goes smoothly you will march to the house and disappear when everybody is going back to their posts."
The plan wasn't full proof, but Julian and I had reconned that they'd have a better chance of not getting shot if the guys with guns couldn't tell friend from foe. We were counting on the fact that during the chaos they won't bother looking to closely at faces and notice that they had never seen Tristan, Brian or Jason before.
"Sounds good so far, but tell me how am I supposed to get the ledgers out?" Jason inquired.
"Bulletproof vests."  I stated simply. We were actually still working on that theory, but he didn't need to know that.
"What if I get shot?"
My worries exactly, but I knew better than to voice my concerns. If they got wind that I doubted my own plan they would worry more than they needed to and that as a certain way for the plan to fail.
"Try not to." Kevin filled in.
"The three of you will have only 5 minutes to exit the property and get to the rendezvous point where Julian will be waiting with a car." Julian had first wanted to also be back up, but after explaining that two would be sufficient and that we would need his superior driving skills for the get away car I had managed to get him in a safer position. Call me selfish or whatever you want, but I'd much rather send any of the other guys onto the property than send Julian in. I had my reservations about sending any of them into enemy territory, but I would find a way to manage. Julian on the other hand , I wouldn't even send in there dead.
"And what if we don't?" Tristan wanted to know.
"You'll be shot down by the snipers." I state acting nonchalant about the idea, even though I considered the straight shot from the outer wall to the get away car the most dangerous part of the heist.
"Jason you'll have to spend some time with Nicolette, she'll tell you all about the security of the safe the ledgers are held in and in what room. Megan and I will be tracking your movements as well as those of the guards and will be in constant contact. Any questions?" I concluded.
"Was it really necessary to eat your way through the entire two pounds of peanuts?" Kevin asked, holding up the empty stainless steel container.
"It baffled me to find that we even had that many peanuts, but I won't complain. I've had this odd craving for them and there they were. So I ate them." I shrugged, this time not having to fake nonchalance.
"Two pounds!" Kevin emphasised the quantity.
"Shocking I know. Stuart I'll need your expertise with Jason's modified vest, care to join me in the basement?"
"If I must." Stuart's tone didn't match his words, he couldn't quite mask his excitement about helping to prepare.
"Great, the rest of you start making lists of what we would be needing." I ordered.
"If you're done helping Anya. I'll also need your help." Jason called after Stuart and I.

I'd bought a ledger the same size as the ones Nicolette had told me her father's were.
"There are twelve cash houses, so there will be twelve ledgers." I told Stuart.
"Twelve." He mused.
"Yes and Jason mustn't have to take the vest off. He'll need to make the swap quickly."
"Keep in mind Richard's ledgers have been used so they'll be thicker. Even if we stripped this vest down to it's stitching you won't be able to fit twelve ledgers in without some effort."
"Can't we just pack them in tightly?" I asked hopeful, seeing my plan crumbling before it even had time to mature.
"That'll take time."
I looked down at the ledger and vest cursing myself for not putting more thought into how we'd get them out. It was all fine and well if Jason got to the ledgers but with no way to get them out, the entire operation would be for naught.
"Do we really need the entire ledger?"
"What do you mean?" I perked up.
"Only the first page will contain the location and cover business of the cash house. Do we really need the entire ledger stipulating all the cash that went in and came out of the house?"
"I haven't thought of it that way... No we just need the location."
"We can sow in a pocket at the top so Jason can rip out the first page of each ledger and stuff it in there."
"Brilliant! Where would we be without your brains?" I exclaimed.
"Another pro is that they won't notice anything missing right away, now I believe you have some sowing to do and I'm needed elsewhere." Stuart left the basement to ho help Jason.

I couldn't help but wonder if the mixed feelings of hope, excitement and nerves were a good thing. Did the guys from Ocean's 11 and Fast and Furious also experience these mixed feelings? They were just actors after all,but it's the thought that counts. I couldn't phantom what people did mere hours before a heist. Did they eat a nice breakfast, wish their loved ones a good day and walked out the front door like every normal working class American? The kidnapping hadn't been nearly as difficult as this.