by Nina Hall
What was wrong with her? Within a few days, she had turned into a horny mad woman. Imagine fancying your work partner. Lisa felt pangs of regret at inviting Harper. He was a distraction. She couldn’t concentrate on anything, and would have preferred to spend the afternoon looking at him. Lisa sighed and returned to her task of checking her rope. As if he could tell her concentration was off, when Harper finished checking his rope, he moved over to check hers. Lisa let him; enjoy the feeling of somebody taking care of her.
Tom led the way up the rock, stopping to attach quick draws to the bolts screwed to the rock. Lisa and Harper were the last to climb. As Lisa climbed the first few steps, she felt Harper’s hands on her waist pushing her up. She wanted to stay there forever. Sweat dripped from her body as she strained to navigate the drilled holes on the rock. She managed to shake off thoughts of Harper, knowing how crucial it was to concentrate on the task at hand. In real jobs, she had no safety harness around her, instead relied on her training and sure footedness.
Lisa reached the top to thunderous applause from the rest of the team. She joined them and stood near a protruding rock watching out for Harper. When he made it closer to the top, she could see the beads of sweat dripping from his face. His t-shirt clung to his body, accentuating his well-formed arms and chest.
Their eyes met when he finished the climb and an electric current went through Lisa and she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. Tom gave everybody fifteen minutes to rest before they started the climb down. Lisa and Harper found themselves moving away from the group, and disappearing among the trees and thick vegetation that covered the top of the rock. They stood facing each other without speaking. Lisa could feel her lips aching to be kissed. Her brain refused to consider the implications of kissing Harper. She would worry about it later.
He moved a step closer, and tipped her chin with his fingers. His dark eyes bored into hers and he brought his mouth to hers, crashing her into a kiss that seemed to swallow her whole being. Lisa clung to him, running her hands over the muscles she had ached to touch.
Tom’s voice calling everyone brought them back to the present. They jumped apart as if someone had placed a red hot brick between them.
“God I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.” Harper said and turned abruptly to go.
Lisa took a moment to catch her breath. What was wrong with him? What was there to be sorry about? They were two adults who were unattached, so what was wrong with a little play? Maybe he wasn’t single, as Lisa had assumed. That would explain why he had gone off like someone who had been caught with his hands in the wrong candy jar.
Shit! Lisa cursed. She had done it again. She always seemed to put her foot in where Harper was concerned. She would let him know it was nothing and to forget about it. It wouldn’t happen again. Lisa took a deep breath and followed Harper, hoping they would finish as quickly as possible and go home.
CHAPTER FIVE
The following morning, when Harper rolled into Lisa’s apartment block, she was already waiting. Today she had dressed a bit more carefully. She wanted to make a good impression on Mark, Harper’s boss. He was said to be a recluse and very few people had met him. However he conducted his business, one thing Lisa knew, was that he was feared by many people, including the toughest in the business. The meeting was scheduled to take place out of town.
It took them an hour to get to miles creek, and they followed the directions towards the beach front. The house was set apart in a lonely part of the beach, accessible with a boat or a single sandy road that was clearly visible from the sprawling house. Lisa looked at Harper. His features looked as if they were set in stone. Cold and hard the way he had been that first day when they met.
Before they reached the house, Lisa decided to bite the bullet. They couldn’t spend the whole day with so much tension.
“Look about yesterday—”
“It was nothing. Forget about it.” Harper said.
Lisa sighed deeply and decided to let it go. From what she had learned of Harper so far, if he didn’t want to talk about something, he wouldn’t.
“So are we decided on gaining entry through the deli?” Harper said.
Surprised at the abrupt change of topic, Lisa nodded.
“The other options need time, something we don’t have in plenty.” She said.
They pulled up near the main entrance of the house. There did not appear to be other cars or people. Stepping out of the car, a light breeze blew from the sea, ridding the air of suffocating humidity. The sea air had discolored the white paint of the house, but rather than look abandoned, it looked cozy and rich with history.
“Mark lives here?” Lisa asked, surprised at the lack of security.
From the main road, they had driven up the sandy road straight up the house without anybody challenging them. There were no gates either or cameras.
“No.” Harper said with a laugh. “No one really knows where he lives. This is just a meeting place for today and after today, we’ll never see it again.”
“Ah,” Lisa said. “No wonder there’s no security.”
“There’s security alright. Look up there.” Harper said.
Lisa looked towards the beach on the jutting rocks. Squinting her eyes against the bright midday glare of the sun, she noticed two snipers, lying on the rocks, watching them.
“We’ve been vetted and given permission to enter the premises.” Harper said.
He led Lisa towards the house, and when they reached the door, it swung open as if someone had been watching them through the window. A homely looking woman in a crisp white uniform ushered them in and showed them into the living room. She served them with slices of fresh pineapples and mangoes and a glass of chilly fresh juice.
“I could get used to this.” Lisa said, enjoying herself immensely. “Great house, great view and fresh delicious food. What more could anyone want?”
Fortunately, the tension they had earlier had dissipated and they were able to chat easily. An hour later, they heard the sound of an approaching car. Lisa braced herself for her first look at Harper’s boss. They came in together, Nick and Mark. Lisa’s eyes were glued to Mark’s face. He was short, but bulky, but what drew Lisa to him were his eyes. They were grey and dead, with no feelings whatsoever reflected on them. Unconsciously, Lisa shivered. This was one man she would not want to make an enemy of.
He too was checking her out. He made no secret of that fact and Lisa felt herself growing uncomfortable at his obvious scrutiny. They both stood up and Harper held her arm and led her forward.
“This is Lisa, and Lisa this is my boss, Mark. He likes everybody to call him by his name.” Harper said.
“Ehh Hello Mr. Mark.” Lisa said feeling uncustomary nervousness.
“Don’t start with that formality young lady, we’re all friends here. Call me Mark, everybody does.”
Lisa shook hands with Mark, and then turned to shake hands with her boss, who winked at her and immediately put her at ease.
“What’s your plan you two?” Mark asked as soon as they all sat down in the living room.
Lisa sat stiffly, straining her back and unable to relax against the comfortable white couch.
“We’ve narrowed down our plan to a deli right next to the bank.”Harper said, then went on to explain in detail, how they planned each step.
Harper was thorough, answering every question thrown at him intelligently and with details.
“You’ll have the drilling equipment, but you must do it yourselves. The fewer people who know about this the better.” Mark said.
“Alan will be your getaway driver. He’s top-notch and more importantly he can keep his mouth shut.” Nick said.
They spoke for another half an hour and then the two bosses left, citing other commitments. Mark however urged Harper and Lisa to enjoy the lunch which had been prepared just for them. They did just that. They chose to sit at a terrace table by the veranda, with the view of the sea.
The weather had
changed so dramatically, almost as if someone had pressed a button and nature had obeyed. A few hours earlier, the sun had been glaring down, scorching anyone foolish enough to expose themselves and now the skies had turned almost black. The sun had been swallowed by the dark clouds and there was not a single blue sky.
“I could stay here forever.” Lisa said, patting her tummy.
“Come-on, let’s take a walk on the beach before we head back.” Harper said.
They walked companionably along the sandy white beach. Lisa kicked off her shoes and walked barefoot. Despite the wind zipping across the sea, picking up waves and then dropping them, it was a beautiful afternoon. Warm sand nestled itself between Lisa’s toes as she walked. Lisa hadn’t felt like this in a long time. She felt at peace, as though everything in her world was exactly as it should be. Her worries seemed a distance away, as if she had left them all in the city and could only reclaim them when she returned.
Harper looked at ease too, his face free of worry lines. For Lisa, the day was a glimpse of what her life would be when she left Chicago. Without Harper of course. At the thought of never seeing him again, her heart twisted and a pain settled on her chest, taking her by surprise. To ease the pain, she allowed herself to fantasize about starting a new life somewhere with Harper. Like a flood, joy filled her heart and she wished with all her being that it was possible.
She looked at him again. Sensing her eyes in him, he turned to face her. Lisa inhaled sharply. Harper had that effect on her. A thought came to her then, shaking her to the very core. Harper completed her. Nothing mattered when she was with him. Lisa realised that she loved Harper. The very idea filled her with deep sadness and she felt as though a hole had been dug in her core, a deep dark hole that would be difficult to fill. She knew that Harper could never love her. To him, she was a colleague, someone to work with until the job was done.
Lisa knew now how a yoyo felt, moving from one extreme to another. Her mind was yanking her from extreme sadness to happiness at a dizzying speed. If that was love, then this would be her first time. Lisa had never felt so strongly about a man before.
She would enjoy every moment, Lisa decided. She would enjoy Harper’s company, stolen kisses if any were forthcoming.
“Do you ever think of leaving the organization and living legit?” Lisa asked Harper.
“All the time” Harper said.
Calm down, Lisa told herself. That Harper dreamed of leaving was not saying much. He was not planning on leaving with anybody, least of all, herself.
“I’m tired of this life now. The risks are getting too high for me. It’s probably age. Time for younger people to take over. I feel tired, you know?”
Lisa nodded.”I know exactly what you mean. I want to leave too, the timing is just never right. I want to start my life afresh. See like today. This is what I want. Peace. A change”
They were silent for a moment, both thinking about what the other had said.
“Something’s happened to me. I used to enjoy all the jobs, but now I seem to focus more on getting caught. It never used to be like that. I loved it. I loved the risk that I could get caught. Now, the thought of getting caught feels me with dread.” Lisa said.
“Me too. I’ve made up my mind. This will be my last job.” Harper said.
“Really?” Lisa asked with wide eyes.
Harper nodded.
“There’s no real reason why I should continue doing something that I no longer enjoy.”
“What does Mark think?” Lisa said.
Harper turned to her in surprise. “He doesn’t know. That’s not something you go telling your boss expecting a retirement package.”
They laughed briefly at that. Harper tone turned serious and he stopped to face her, putting his hands on her shoulders.
“Make no mistake Lisa. These men are deadly. They would not be willing to let the likes of us go just like that. We’re their investment. Take some advice from an old hand. Don’t tell Nick.”
“Nick’s not like your boss; he’s friendly and understands things.” Lisa protested.
“Don’t be a fool. That’s a persona that he’s adopted to get him what he wants. Lisa get real, that man controls half of Chicago. His friendliness is an act. Getting rid of you would not even cost him an hour’s lack of sleep.”
A sense of gloom settled on Lisa. What Harper was saying made a lot of sense. She knew too much about the Oldz. In the last year she had started attending some of the meetings. She had felt so proud, the only woman in a group of eight powerful men. She now saw that the closer she was to the hub of the Oldz, the harder it would be to leave. She wished she hadn’t gotten so involved, even helping Nick with major decisions. She knew which judges and cops were on the payroll.
“I guess you’re right.” Lisa said.
They walked on in silence.
“Are you seeing somebody, like dating?” Lisa finally got the courage to ask.
“No. The last thing I need right now is that kind of distraction. My priority right now is the job to go well and then I’m outta here.”
“OK, that makes sense.” Lisa said, knowing how little sense it made to her heart.
She did feel relieved that he wasn’t seeing anybody. Although knowing Harper, this was probably just as bad. He was stubborn, and if he had decided that getting involved romantically would hinder his work, she knew nothing would change his mind.
“I almost got married once.” Lisa said.
“Oh yeah?”
“Aha. So almost, that I was in the altar” Lisa said, laughing at Harper’s shocked face.
She went on to tell him the story of her wedding that never was.
“Wow that must have been hard, walking out when you were so close.” Harper said when she finished.
“It was. But a relief too. Can you imagine getting married to a legit person who knows nothing about your other life?” Lisa said with a shudder.
“Accepting his proposal wasn’t one of your smartest ideas.” Harper said.
Lisa laughed and punched him on the shoulder.
“Probably not”
“Do you regret not marrying the guy?” Harper asked her.
“Hell no” Lisa said without a shadow of doubt.
“But it did teach me to steer clear of legit people even friends.”
“That’s a lonely life Lisa.” Harper said.
“It is, that’s one of the reasons why I plan to leave the Oldz. I want more now. I want friends, heck, even a family.”
“Wow, you don’t settle for little, do you?” Harper said.
Lisa put her hands on her hips. “You know what you’re right. I don’t.I want it all.”
Telling someone made her dreams real and reachable. Suddenly Lisa knew she couldn’t wait for any longer. Like Harper she would leave after this job.
“Thank you Harper.” Lisa said.
“For what?”
“For helping me get a few things sorted. I feel sure now of what I want. This will be my last job too.” Lisa said.
“Don’t go rushing into anything Lisa. You have to be careful.” Harper said, sounding worried.
“I won’t be rushing. I’ve prepared for this moment for years. I just wasn’t sure ” Lisa said, thinking of all the investments she’d made abroad and money saved.
CHAPTER SIX
Anderson hovered near Harris’s office waiting to be called in. Finally the door yanked open and Harris bellowed, “Anderson, get in.”
His stomach muscles clenched at the thought of asking favors from Harris. It was a reasonable request, but depending on the mood you found Harris in, it could go either way.
“Shoot, what brings you here?” Harris asked.
“I want an inside look at the bank, the vault and a rundown of their security system.” Anderson said.
Harris sighed. “Anderson, can’t you just let it be. All bank vaults are secure; otherwise, we would not be taking the cube there.”
Anderson kept quiet, a tact
ic of his that usually worked so well. This time was no different. After two minutes of silence, Harris threw his hands up.
“Alright,” he said. “Only because I know you’re a thorough man and I won’t hear the last of it.”
He picked up his phone and dialed a number.
“Get me Diamond bank.” Harris said to the switchboard.
Moments later he was connected and Anderson smiled when he heard the change in the boss’s tone. Harris could turn on the charm when he wanted. He was speaking to one of the bank managers releasing his full charm. Finally he uttered thanks and disconnected the call.
He wagged a finger at Anderson.
“You owe me.” He said. “They say this request is unusual and unnecessary, they know what they’re doing and they’re right. We don’t need to be poking our noses in their business. Our job is to have the cube get to the bank safely. After that, how they do it is up to them. We guard the bank perimeter. When our team takes possession of the cube in the morning, our job is done.”
“Thank you boss, I’ll feel better prepared when I know the layout of the bank.” Anderson said.
“Did you say layout?” Harris said. “Anderson, this is not a museum tour. You’ll be satisfied with what you’re shown. You’re not to go there demanding the blue print of the building, got it?”
“Yes boss.” Anderson said with a grin, and then he got up to leave.
He found Jackson flirting with the new receptionist, a blond with huge fluttering eyes. Clark as always was listening rather than joining the conversation.
“I hate to interrupt such an important gathering.” Anderson said.
They made their way to the bank, parking as far away from the entrance as possible. They didn’t go straight into the bank; instead, Anderson led them to the back entrance. There was not much movement and Anderson was happy to note that the bank was completely sealed from behind. He only gave a passing glance to the leather goods back door and the deli. The door of the leather goods shops was closed and the deli’s was open. They seemed pretty heavy doors, though Anderson wasn’t worried that potential criminals would use either entrance to gain entry to the bank. It would be too much work and time was of essence which there was very little.
