And When The Walls Come Down

Our Paths Cross Again

My old man is a thief, and I'm gonna stay and pray with him 'till the end, but I trust in the decision of the Lord, to watch over us, take him when he may, if he may I'm not afraid to say, that I'd die without him, who else is gonna put up with me this way? I need you, I breathe you, I'll never leave you...

They would rue the day, I was alone without you...

Off to the Races - Lana Del Rey

///

It had been Sergio's idea for me to meet the team last, "That way," he'd said, "they won't have as much of a sense of familiarity with you. You have to remain a stranger to them in order for this to work, they can't share the same camaraderie with you, that they have with each other." It made sense, of course, especially since I would be playing a completely different role than they were, and so while our Professor taught the others in a classroom, I was taught outside, still connected to the living world, via a slew of encrypted emails and calls made from burner phones.

While the others spent months learning and relearning the plan, going through every possible contingency with each other, I was left alone, spending those same months crafting my new identity, which had to be as believable as possible in order for everything to go as expected. Despite the drudgery and utter boredom my newfound normal life brought, I didn't complain. There was simply too much on the line for that.

///

The night before the day of the heist, I was cordially invited to dinner. I took too long chosing my outfit, feeling stupid for even wasting time on such a trivial thing, but I also knew the importance about making a good first impression. Some said that nobody remembered the first meetings, but I did, I always did.

After all, I still remember perfectly what they were wearing, the day our paths decided to cross.

///

The house in Toledo was stunning, imposing and elegant at once, far out on the outskirts of the city. It reminded me of times past, a life I lived long ago. As I made my way up the path, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia so strong that I felt my breath catch.

Upon entering, I made my way to the kitchen, guided by the lights and sounds coming from the doorway. I don't know why I hadn't seen it coming, but there he was.

He sat in all his presumptuous glory at Sergio's right hand.

Why was he here? I had been sure he'd still be in Florence, living it up with Tatiana and Martin.

I didn't meet his eyes, and forced myself not to react in any way, not until I was sure where I stood with him.

Dinner was already well underway by the time I had walked in. A luxurious dining table in the middle, where a merry band of ragtag nobodies sat, eating and laughing, all while being observed by the calculating dark eyes that belonged to the man I loved.

Despite both of them sitting right there, Sergio and Andrés seemed withdrawn from the group, watching them with a detached interest, the way one might look at a small insect trying to turn on its front legs after being flicked off on its back.

The two women took notice of me first, tensing, pretty brown eyes looking up in distrust.

Sergio stood up, pushing his glasses up his nose as he motioned over to me. "Ah. Thank you for coming, let me introduce our final member of the group, this is-"

"Luxembourg." I interrupted simply.

"Lux for short then." He finished.

"That's not a city." One of the young men sitting at the table was quick to correct, his slight gap tooth smile smug.

"It's not?" I cocked my head, looking at him, acting confused.

"It is." The Professor interjected, rolling his eyes, knowing just what the sentimentalism behind it meant. Andrés had frozen imperceptibly, of course he would understand just why I had chosen that name, it was the place where we had first met, after all, before he smiled languidly.  "Please take a seat." Sergio commanded softly, a handsome but young boy pulled out the chair next to him, almost tripping in his haste, motioning for me to sit. I smiled prettily at him, "Thank you."

Taking note of the way the woman with cropped hair narrowed her eyes in my direction, a look I was all too familiar with, gracing her pretty face, I bit back a smile, so much for no personal relationships right Professor?

"Lux, this is Berlin, he is the one in charge of the operation, once inside, you will obey only him." I nodded, staring at the man politely, never making eye contact, but understanding the unspoken command that our previous identities would remain a secret.

Nairobi was the young woman with dark eyes and a darker smile, she seemed like the type to promise a fun time, but there was no mistaking the intelligence that hid behind her happy veneer. Tokyo, the one who'd been the first to size me up, was the one with the cropped hair, her slight stature made it seem as though she was defenseless, she was clearly used to being underestimated, a fact she surely used to her advantage. Rio, the boy who'd pulled out my chair for me had golden curls and a sweet smile. A slightly older man in a thick sweater smiled at me, and I wondered at the role he would play in our group, he was introduced as Moscow. Denver was the one who'd corrected me on my chosen name. The last two were clearly going to be the muscle, despite the fact that they were smiling and laughing along with the rest of them, there was no mistaking the brute strength of their bodies, they were named Helsinki and Oslo.

I could only wonder where Sergio had found this colourful band of misfits, and why hadn't Martin, and the others been included in this? I dared not voice my questions, and though I was disappointed, I was relieved all the same, even just having Berlin here was proving to be too much for me.

"So Professor, tell us, what part will Lux play in our little game?" Berlin asked, leaning back in his seat, long fingers tapping at his smirking mouth. Our Professor cleared his throat, and then, began our lesson.

///

"Hello my little Princess, did you miss me?" I swallowed, feeling like the naive, lovestruck little girl I had once been.

"Berlin." I met his eyes bravely, using his new name, just in case we'd be overheard, and he smiled, opening his arms in an invitation I had never been able to refuse.

///

The bed was too big for me. I couldn't get comfortable no matter how many times I moved, I had too much on my mind. I wondered why Sergio had chosen me, of all people, to help pull this off.

Surely, I hadn't been his first choice, not after what had happened in Florence all those years ago.

Had Berlin put him up to this? Did he even know I was to be included in the plan? I tasted the word on my lips, whispering it to myself.

"Berlin."

It definitely suited him. I rolled onto my side and tried to sleep, for tomorrow, my life as a hostage to the biggest heist Spain had ever been witness to, would begin.

///

Please comment if you'd like to see where this goes!