engine.
It was a two story building, with an intimidating presence because of the armed guards standing outside. They were two, one on each side of the heavy brass doors. At eight sharp, the doors swung open with flourish. The bank was now open for business. It was busy, with many people streaming in and out. At about eight-thirty, a police car stopped in front of the bank and two burly cops came out of the car.
They walked up the steps to the entrance of the bank and spoke a little with the guards. To trained eyes like Lisa’s and Harpers, they saw the way the two cops eyed the street up and down. They entered the bank and came out shortly after apparently satisfied. They spoke a few more words to the guards and left.
This was the one part of the job that Lisa detested. She hated sitting still. Her body craved activity and staking out a potential job drove her crazy. She constantly reminded herself that it was a necessary part of the job. Once she had trusted a partner she was working with and lived to suffer the consequences. At the time she had just started out and trusted people more. He had chronicled the movements of a couple, the owners of a mansion which held invaluable pieces of art. The couple were private collectors and was foolish enough to keep many of their pieces of art in their home. They were going on holiday and Lisa’s partner assured her that the house would be empty.
Her colleague failed to notice the gardener, an old man who lived on the premises. In the midst of scaling the back wall to the second floor, the gardener had walked out and walked just below Lisa. He picked something like a rake near the house and then returned to his quarters. In shock Lisa had slipped and then made a scraping noise as she fought to regain her balance. She had held her breath. The man had continued walking nonchalantly. Later she had concluded that he was deaf. How else could he not have heard that scraping noise?
She stifled a yawn an hour later and fought the urge to fidget. She glanced at Harper. His eyes were glued to the bank, with no signs of boredom. She envied him. At twelve, Harper went out for sandwiches and coffee in the deli next door to the bank. She devoured hers hungrily and then settled back to continue with their watch.
Every hour, there was a police patrol. The same two burly policemen came every hour until two o’clock when their shifts changed and another duo took over. Lisa timed their patrol. It was quick, between three and five minutes, but it was thorough.
The banks closed the doors for the day at five.
“You look beat.” Harper said, his face creased with concern. “Let me drop you home and then come back for a couple more hours.”
“No,” Lisa said with vehemence. “I’m OK, I can handle a few more hours.”
Resolutely she stared straight ahead, though she could feel Harper’s eyes boring into her face. She would sit here until they both went home; the last thing Lisa wanted was preferential treatment because she was a female.
“Alright.” Harper said with a sigh.
* * *
Lisa woke with a start to complete darkness and in panic fumbled around. Her hand came up against a solid mass and she tried to push it away.
“Easy now” A deep voice said soothingly. “It’s me, Harper, you fell asleep.”
“Oh Shit.” Lisa said.
Harper laughed a deep sound that seemed to come from his stomach.
“What time is it?” Lisa said rubbing her eyes and trying to peer out of the van. It was total dark outside and she couldn’t figure out where they were.
“Where are we?”
“It’s ten and we are parked further down the street. The bank is up there, see?” Harper said, pointing a finger. “We’d stayed in that position for too long. We are lucky we weren’t spotted.”
Lisa could feel the stickiness of saliva on her cheek. She wiped off the drool with the back of her hand and felt glad for the darkness. She hated to imagine how she looked with
It was a two story building, with an intimidating presence because of the armed guards standing outside. They were two, one on each side of the heavy brass doors. At eight sharp, the doors swung open with flourish. The bank was now open for business. It was busy, with many people streaming in and out. At about eight-thirty, a police car stopped in front of the bank and two burly cops came out of the car.
They walked up the steps to the entrance of the bank and spoke a little with the guards. To trained eyes like Lisa’s and Harpers, they saw the way the two cops eyed the street up and down. They entered the bank and came out shortly after apparently satisfied. They spoke a few more words to the guards and left.
This was the one part of the job that Lisa detested. She hated sitting still. Her body craved activity and staking out a potential job drove her crazy. She constantly reminded herself that it was a necessary part of the job. Once she had trusted a partner she was working with and lived to suffer the consequences. At the time she had just started out and trusted people more. He had chronicled the movements of a couple, the owners of a mansion which held invaluable pieces of art. The couple were private collectors and was foolish enough to keep many of their pieces of art in their home. They were going on holiday and Lisa’s partner assured her that the house would be empty.
Her colleague failed to notice the gardener, an old man who lived on the premises. In the midst of scaling the back wall to the second floor, the gardener had walked out and walked just below Lisa. He picked something like a rake near the house and then returned to his quarters. In shock Lisa had slipped and then made a scraping noise as she fought to regain her balance. She had held her breath. The man had continued walking nonchalantly. Later she had concluded that he was deaf. How else could he not have heard that scraping noise?
She stifled a yawn an hour later and fought the urge to fidget. She glanced at Harper. His eyes were glued to the bank, with no signs of boredom. She envied him. At twelve, Harper went out for sandwiches and coffee in the deli next door to the bank. She devoured hers hungrily and then settled back to continue with their watch.
Every hour, there was a police patrol. The same two burly policemen came every hour until two o’clock when their shifts changed and another duo took over. Lisa timed their patrol. It was quick, between three and five minutes, but it was thorough.
The banks closed the doors for the day at five.
“You look beat.” Harper said, his face creased with concern. “Let me drop you home and then come back for a couple more hours.”
“No,” Lisa said with vehemence. “I’m OK, I can handle a few more hours.”
Resolutely she stared straight ahead, though she could feel Harper’s eyes boring into her face. She would sit here until they both went home; the last thing Lisa wanted was preferential treatment because she was a female.
“Alright.” Harper said with a sigh.
* * *
Lisa woke with a start to complete darkness and in panic fumbled around. Her hand came up against a solid mass and she tried to push it away.
“Easy now” A deep voice said soothingly. “It’s me, Harper, you fell asleep.”
“Oh Shit.” Lisa said.
Harper laughed a deep sound that seemed to come from his stomach.
“What time is it?” Lisa said rubbing her eyes and trying to peer out of the van. It was total dark outside and she couldn’t figure out where they were.
“Where are we?”
“It’s ten and we are parked further down the street. The bank is up there, see?” Harper said, pointing a finger. “We’d stayed in that position for too long. We are lucky we weren’t spotted.”
Lisa could feel the stickiness of saliva on her cheek. She wiped off the drool with the back of her hand and felt glad for the darkness. She hated to imagine how she looked with
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