Brain Storm, Cat Gilbert [read books for money TXT] 📗
- Author: Cat Gilbert
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Book online «Brain Storm, Cat Gilbert [read books for money TXT] 📗». Author Cat Gilbert
When guy number two came over and took the seat next to me, it was all I could do to smile and shift over, giving him more room. He barely even noticed me, he was staring so intently at the vault entrance. They’d been made. Probably a flag on the account, which we had been worried about. For whatever reason, though, they were playing this cool. Probably hoping to tail them and find me, or just waiting to grab them when they were outside the bank. I shrank into my seat, trying to become invisible and watched the vault entrance. Mac and Mama D could be coming out at any time, right into a trap.
I had no way to get in touch with Mac and warn him. There was a good chance that transmitters wouldn’t work through the steel walls of the vault, and we were afraid they might be scanning the frequencies anyway, so we didn’t even bother with headsets. My brain was scrambling for some way to keep him and Mama D in the vault until I was ready. When a possibility finally did pop up, it was so ludicrous, I almost couldn’t force myself to do it.
Mac said he was an Empath. He said he was more tuned into me than even he had imagined possible. Maybe I could think a warning to him, make him feel that there was a problem. It wasn’t much, but it was the only thing I could think of. Problem was, I had no idea how to do it, and there wasn’t time to think it through.
“Don’t come out!” I shouted in my head, concentrating on reaching out to Mac, hoping he’d somehow manage to feel me willing him to stay put. “Don’t come out, Don’t come out! Don’t come out!”
I glanced over at the guard. I didn’t think he was in on it with the others, which probably meant these guys weren’t with the police. I wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not, but at this point, it didn’t really matter. The guy next to me needed to be gone when Mac and Mama D came out of the vault, and I could think of only one way to make sure of that.
When I finally had my plan down in my mind, I reversed my chant, trying to relax and give him a clue that now was the time to get moving. I don’t know if he picked up on it or not, but within seconds, the wheelchair came into sight at the vault door. The man next to me saw them too, and I felt him shift his weight forward, ready to stand. I uncrossed my legs and braced myself, praying I was doing the right thing.
Mac walked calmly to the counter where Mama D signed out and thanked the woman. As they started heading toward the bank exit, the man next to me rapidly got to his feet, his eyes fixed on them. As he rose, his jacket rode back, and I caught a glimpse of his shoulder holster. I had assumed he was armed. Knowing he was, made it that much better. I straightened out my leg just as he started moving forward, and swept it backward as I got to my feet, cutting his legs out from under him. He went down hard and fast.
“Gun!” I screamed. “He’s got a gun!”
People began screaming and running, giving me enough time and cover to get in two strong kicks to his ribs to keep him on the floor until the guard could get there. I looked over to see the other man lurching up from his desk, hand reaching under his jacket, his attention centered on me, a smile on his face. He knew who I was, and he was coming for me.
I focused on the office door and how badly I wanted it closed. Almost instantly, it slammed shut, blocking him from view. It wasn’t going to slow him down for long. I knew he’d be coming through that door within seconds. I waited until I saw the door handle begin to move and thought about how badly I wanted that door to fly open. It couldn’t have gone any better. It flew back hitting him squarely in the forehead, sending him backward to the floor before bouncing closed again. From the slack-jawed look I had caught on his face in the instant before the door slammed shut, I was pretty sure he was out of the picture. At least for a little while. I turned to check that my buddy on the ground was still down and found that the guard was coming fast, gun drawn. I covered my face with my hands and joined the rest of the group, running from the building.
I got out just in time to see Mac and Mama D disappear into the van Jonas was driving. I turned right and headed down the street, slowing my pace to mingle with others on the sidewalk. Police cars went howling by me, screeching to a halt in front of the bank. Close behind them was Trinity, driving the low profile junker Mac and Jonas had shown up with after their morning errands. I was sure I was getting into the right car but did a double take when I opened the door and spied the driver. It was Trinity, but she’d gone all Mod Squad on me. Big hoop earrings, floppy hat, peasant blouse, and vest. She looked like she’d stepped right out of the 70’s.
“Good grief, Trinity. I barely recognized you.”
“It’s Candice,” she said, putting her foot down on the gas, as I closed the door and buckled up. “And if you think this is something, wait until you see Jonas.”
* * *
I GOT THE shakes around the same time we pulled onto Highway 30.
“Adrenaline.” I managed to get out in answer to the look Trinity threw me as we flew down the highway. We were supposed to meet up with Jonas and Mac at a parking lot at a home repair store in Bryant, fifteen miles away if everything went well. I had checked several times and couldn’t make any tails. I was pretty confident that by the time they had discovered I was in the bank, they hadn’t had time to get the message out. If anyone had a tail on them, it would be Jonas and Mac, but I wasn’t all that worried about them. If a cop and a spy couldn’t shake a tail, something was wrong.
By the time we pulled into the parking lot, my shakes were down to shivers, but I was totally wrung out. Jonas and Mac weren’t there yet. I scanned the area and accessed the situation.
“Mickey D’s or Sonic?” I asked, all the while knowing the answer. Trinity was a Sonic addict, as was I. All I got was a snort and an eye roll as she headed out of the lot.
“Take the exit with the light,” I said, checking my watch. “School’s letting out, and we’ll never make that turn without it.”
Sure enough, the cars were backing up down the road. We made it through on the first arrow and managed to get one of the last remaining spots before the kids had them all.
We ordered enough food and drinks for everyone, on the assumption that they would be joining us shortly. We managed to get back to our assigned meeting place without spilling anything, which was no easy feat since the 44-ounce cups didn’t fit in the car’s cup holders. Even with the tray they had given us, it was touch and go for a while.
Trinity and I waited in the car, quietly munching our fries and watching the entrance to the lot. She didn’t ask any questions, and I didn’t volunteer any information. When I had finally decided it might be time to start worrying, a bright shiny new van pulled in to park next to us. I looked up to see Jonas emerge from the passenger side of the van. In addition to his new earring, Jonas was sporting big baggy jeans, $300 sneakers, and an oversized U of A Razorback football jersey. He’d topped it off with a baseball cap, which he wore backward, and a pair of the darkest sunglasses I’d ever seen. With the attitude that was rolling off him at the minute, he was one scary dude.
“I didn’t know we had a van like that,” I said, rolling down my window, trying not to look intimidated.
“We don’t.” Jonas’ reply was terse. “Mac stole it. Right now, there’s some poor woman coming out of Bed, Bath, and Beyond with nowhere to put her sheets and pillowcases.”
He had opened the back door and was helping Mama D climb down out of the back. The combination of his gang look with Mama D’s rich matron look was so bizarre, I had to look away before he caught the smile that had reached my lips. It was obvious he’d had a hard time with the events of the afternoon, and I was sure he wouldn’t see the humor in the situation. Reaching in, he lifted out a duffel bag one handed, that I had to assume held the gold coins. Sure. Easy for him.
Mac appeared from around the side, and leaned in, wiping away any prints that remained in the back before tossing the keys inside and slamming the door.
“You know someone is going to steal the van again if you do that, right?” Jonas said it more as a statement than a question.
“I sure hope so, or I’m gonna lose my faith in human nature,” Mac returned with a smile, before sliding into the back seat of our car. “Yum - do I smell french fries?”
Jonas threw up his hands in disgust and tucked Mama D into the back seat before getting in himself. It was a tight fit with the five of
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