Prowl (Nothing Else Matters But Survival Book 1)

by Stephanie Nicole Norris

  Symone’s head dropped and she blew out a deep breath. “So what am I supposed to do? Twiddle my thumbs?”

  “You’ll be our getaway driver and you’ll need to be good because with the load of cash we’re going in for, if we’re caught, none of us will ever see Drew or daylight again…”

  Leah let her words drift and the ladies all caught her point.

  “And you,” Leah turned on Brooklyn.

  “Yeah Symone fucked up, but stop acting like your Little Miss Perfect. I seem to remember you falling for a guy that was married last year,” Leah snapped her fingers, “What was his name, Malcolm?”

  Brooklyn’s mouth fell. “We said we’d never bring that up again!”

  “And we won’t. I’m just reminding you that nobody’s perfect, so get over this vendetta you have with Symone. What’s happened has happened. Let’s move forward. A lot of shit is going on and I don’t know about you, but there’s no need to add unnecessary layers of frustration to it.” Leah sighed and everyone knew not only was she referring to Drew being taken, but the reappearance of her twin and the weight of the courts wanting to place James in the system.

  Nia laid a gentle hand on Leah’s back. “I’ll do whatever you need me to. If that’s coming to court with you, I’ll do that. They can’t take James from me. I’m his biological mother and he’ll stay in your care. James will never know anything.”

  Leah offered Nia a compassionate smile. “We’ll deal with it later. One crisis at a time. Right now, the main thing is getting Drew back.”

  Nia looked to Brooklyn.

  “Are you sure doing the bank job is the one we want?”

  “I don’t see why not,” Brooklyn replied. “Brandon McGee has done the hard work for us. At this point, it’s only a matter of getting inside and getting out quickly.”

  “How long do we have,” Nia asked.

  This was the part Brooklyn knew would be tricky.

  “Five minutes, give or take.”

  At the apprehensive look on Nia and Leah’s faces, not to mention Symone shaking her head, Brooklyn added, “I know it’s a tight timeframe, but most jobs like this are done within 90 seconds. The one we did at the beginning of the year took us all of 67 seconds to get in, get to the back and rob them blind. We can do this one in five minutes.”

  A cynical laughed came from Symone and Brooklyn held back fumes.

  “What’s so funny?” Brooklyn asked through clenched teeth.

  “We need twenty million dollars! The heist we did was for $500 thousand and even then, it took a good amount of watching and waiting before we moved in.”

  Brooklyn rose to her feet from the chair she’d occupied in front of the monitor.

  “Listen, we’re doing this. The choice is not ours. We don’t have the same amount of time we had in the beginning. I will not sit idly by while my sister is being held hostage by that lunatic!”

  “We do have a choice!” Symone barked back. “We can take on the Steinmetz Pink Diamond heist. It will get us all the money we need and then some. You said it yourself!”

  “I changed my mind!” Brooklyn roared. She shook with a force of anger, fear, and trepidation; scared to death what would happen to Drew if they did the diamond heist instead.

  “It would take a week Symone! A week!” Brooklyn reiterated. “Then who would move it? We can’t use Legend for obvious reasons! We’d have to find someone else and if it was your sister--”

  Leah side-eyed Brooklyn. “If it was her sister, what? I don’t remember you going to war to help me find Nia when she disappeared.”

  The comment slipped right out of Leah’s mouth like she’d been waiting to say it.

  Brooklyn turned to her, “How dare you…”

  Nia stepped in quickly. “Guys, don’t, please.”

  Her eyes settled on them all. “Tensions are high, I get that, but Leah, you just said, let’s not tear each other down.”

  Everyone watched each other. The seconds of silence felt like minutes as they all went through their own storm of thoughts.

  “Fuck this,” Brooklyn spat.

  She pushed past Symone and headed straight for the front door. Symone caught her by the arm and Brooklyn whipped around with the glower of a raging bull.

  “Where are you going?” Symone asked.

  “I’m going to get this money. None of you can stop me. I’m done talking! You’re either with me or you’re not.”

  Leah sighed and rolled her eyes. “You can’t pull off a heist like this alone and you know it.”

  Brooklyn shook off Symone’s grasp and held her arms out.

  “Watch me.”

  Brooklyn didn’t wait for any kind of response. She turned and walked right out the front door.

  “Shit,” Symone said chasing after her.

  Nia looked to Leah. “We have to do this with her.”

  Leah didn’t respond verbally, but with a curt nod, she agreed.

  “That’s it then; it’s settled,” Nia replied.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Brooklyn wait! I’m coming with you!”

  Symone rounded Brooklyn’s Impala; sliding into the passenger seat. Brooklyn slammed the door and started the engine.

  “Get out, Symone.”

  “I said, I’m coming with you. Now, don’t fight me on this. Where are we going?”

  “Get… out… Symone…”

  Locking her door and folding her arms over her chest, Symone sat still refusing to exit the vehicle.

  “I’m not playing games with you, Symone. You might not want to be in this car with what I’m about to do. Now get out. I’m not being mean, I’m saving your ass. Get out!”

  Symone sat up off the seat locking eyes with Brooklyn.

  “I said… I’m going with you. Now, if you want me out bad enough, I’m willing to watch you try it.”

  Symone wasn’t getting out and Brooklyn would just have to deal with it. The back doors to the Impala swung open and Leah and Nia climbed in.

  “We’re in,” they both said simultaneously. Nia and Leah glanced to each other. It had been a long time since they’d done anything together, much less speak at the same time. Brooklyn whipped around to them.

  “There’s no going back,” she said.

  “You’re the headliner behind this operation, Brooklyn, and although it’s imperative that we get Drew back, you have to have your head on straight. One slip up and it’s over,” Leah stated matter of fact.

  Brooklyn rested in her seat, her shoulders slightly slumping. Her head fell back and she shut her eyes tight.

  “You’re right, but just hear me out.”

  They were all listening carefully, interested to know what Brooklyn’s plan was for grabbing such a huge haul of cash.

  “In about twenty minutes we’re going to the bank to wait for Brandon McGee to leave at the end of his shift. We’ll follow him home and make note of his address. Tomorrow morning when he leaves for work, Symone, you follow his wife. Take note of what school the children attend, and where his wife is employed. As soon as you get the information, text it to me. Then, make your rounds to the bridge on 39th and wait for me to call you. The monitor’s range will pick up live activity in front and on the side of the bank, but because I’ll have the cameras on a loop, you won’t be able to see inside.”

  “Shit,” Symone sighed.

  Brooklyn exhaled. “Because Mason has also seen my face, I’ll need to go incognito. I have a wig and sunglasses and we all know where the cameras are, so no looking up.”

  Brooklyn took her eyes to the rearview mirror. “Leah, I’ll need you already inside. You need to walk in with Brandon and let me and Nia in the back door where there’s a secondary employee entrance.”

  “How am I supposed to walk in with him?”

  Brooklyn’s voice rose. “Just let me finish.”

  Again, they were silent, listening to Brooklyn’s plan.

  “Every day the security guard is waiting at the door with Brandon McGe
e when he enters. But he will mysteriously get sick and they’ll have to call in a temp.”

  When Leah opened her mouth to speak, Brooklyn shut her down.

  “Don’t ask me how he’ll become ill. You don’t want to know the answer to that.”

  That shut Leah’s mouth, but her brows were still furrowed as she stared back at Brooklyn through the mirror.

  “You will be the security guard that morning. I have a uniform for you.”

  “Isn’t there an officer on duty?” Leah asked.

  “There is and you’ll have to stay.”

  “What?!”

  “You’ll be completely exposed because you’re playing the role of a temp. They won’t have your name but they’ll have your face. So, you’ll continue to play your role until the end of your shift or when the police finish questioning you.”

  Leah didn’t look optimistic and Brooklyn turned in her seat to face her.

  “I know this is not ideal, but we have to do this. Remember when we did our first heist? Symone pretended to be a bank customer placing a deposit?”

  Leah knew where this was going, but that didn’t mean she had to like it.

  “This time it’s your turn.” Brooklyn readjusted in her seat.

  “We’ll need another car. Symone is our second stop, where we’ll switch the money and transport. I’ll take care of that. I’ve also been working on a mechanism. I’ve tried it three times and it’s worked. Basically, once you get in Leah, Brandon will explain to you what your job and duties are that morning. You’ll make rounds, going from one end of the bank to the other, making sure nothing’s awry. The police officer sits up front where he can watch incoming and outgoing traffic. But before the doors are opened, Brandon will make his way to the vault. When he does that, let him linger. We need him to put more money in bags, so we’ll have less to do. When he leaves the vault, the doors to the branch will open and the day will begin, business as usual. I’m going to trip a switch which will allow me to set off the ATMs in front of the bank. The commotion will draw the police officer’s attention along with any other members of the bank including Mr. McGee. This is when you let me in. While they’re busy trying to disperse the crowd that will surely run to the ATMs for the free money, Nia and I will come in and help you grab the bags of cash.”

  “Do you have any idea how much it is?” Symone asked.

  “Not exactly, but by the looks of what he’s stuffing, it’s at least two to three million.”

  “That’s not enough,” Symone groaned.

  “I know, but like I said before, I don’t know how much it is exactly. Could be five or 10 million for all I know. Whatever it is, we’re taking it. The biggest part of this job will happen from the main server. Like you pointed out Symone, two or three million isn’t enough,” Brooklyn sighed. “I’m going to hack their system and send a wire transfer for the full twenty million.”

  Everyone was quiet as they waited for Brooklyn to proceed.

  “This will not be as simple as it sounds,” Brooklyn admitted.

  “I’d like to point out,” Leah said raising a finger, “That none of this sounds simple, especially the part where you wire transfer twenty million dollars.”

  Brooklyn pressed her lips thinly together and nodded her head up and down slowly.

  “The first half of this mission is easy breezy if we all stick to the plan. However, it’s going to take me at least ten minutes to hack the bank’s system. I’ve already tried and their internal system has a plethora of backdoors. Going into the wrong one would trigger an alarm, and it can only be done on the bank’s server.”

  “Ten minutes?” Symone said, “We only have five, Brooklyn.”

  “Don’t you think I know that?”

  “Then how are you going to get it done?”

  Brooklyn hesitated before answering. “I’ve been practicing the bank’s code. I can only get so far before I’m rerouted offline. That’s why it has to be done on the bank’s internal server. My thought is, being on the bank’s internal server, it won’t take as long.”

  Brooklyn turned to them.

  “I know you don’t want to hear this but here it goes. If I get caught… run.”

  “Bullshit!” Symone said.

  “What type of foolery is this, Brooklyn?” Leah yelled.

  Brooklyn turned back around and started the engine. She checked the dashboard time and backed into the street, heading towards Atlantic Bank of New York.

  “We have to prepare ourselves for the worst. We do it with every heist.”

  “Not like that!” Leah said.

  Brooklyn glanced through the rearview mirror at Leah.

  “What do you propose? That we all get caught? Then what happens to Drew, the pharmaceutical company, our land? You can’t give up if I’m caught. There’s too much on the line.”

  “How about none of us get caught,” Symone said.

  “I said, in the worst-case scenario.”

  Brooklyn crossed the highway and rode at speeds of eighty miles an hour. It took them forty-five minutes to make it to the bank where Brooklyn pulled to the curb across the street and parked. She opened her door.

  “Where are you going?” Leah said alarmed.

  “Calm down, it’s still business hours, I need to feed the meter or we’ll get a ticket.”

  Leah breathed a sigh of relief. She knew all too well about desperation when a family member was in trouble.

  “I’ll feed the machine, I’m the closest to it,” Symone said getting out of the Impala. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a few quarters and fed the machine. The passenger door rocked as she crawled back inside and shut it.

  “I have a question,” came Nia’s timid voice. All eyes turned to her. “If you’re going to wire transfer the full twenty million, why are we taking the money from the vault?”

  Brooklyn, Symone, and Leah eyed one another.

  “Do you want to tell her?” Brooklyn asked Leah.

  Leah turned to Nia and caught her up on how the pharmaceutical business their parents co-owned was in trouble.

  “Then we found out our farmland is up for auction. To make a long story short we need, 75.4 million dollars to keep the land and save the company.”

  Nia’s eyes bugged out as she did the math. They would have to start completely over if they handed the money over to Legend. Being with Legend, Nia knew quite a lot about assets with different companies. The pharmaceutical business was worth billions. Nia didn’t know one company in the drug industry worth any less. What surprised Nia was the debt their family owed. It meant they were practically bankrupt. A sadness fell over her.

  Her family had endured stringent hardships and she wasn’t around to help them or her son. But things would be different now. She would do whatever it took to help; even if this heist didn’t work and she had to give herself over to Legend. James was better off with Leah, anyway. Leah had made it this long without her; Leah could make it even longer. Nia’s sight went to Brooklyn. The strain on her face told Nia that Brooklyn would surely break if Drew didn’t come back. Nia hated to think what Legend would do to Drew every sickening moment she was in his presence.

  “Here he comes,” Brooklyn spoke up, straightening her posture in her seat.

  Symone, Nia, and Leah took their gazes to the front doors of the bank. Brandon McGee stumbled out and walked to the employee parking lot that sat attached to the side of the building. Brooklyn put the Impala in drive and waited for him to exit. When he did, she allowed a few cars to pass before she trailed him. Brandon lived in the upper part of Manhattan. The neighborhood was clearly out of his price range; with manicured lawns, carved bushes that sat around each house, and fancy sculptures announcing the wealth of the district. Brooklyn knew this area well. She’d dated Malcolm for a year and spent a lot of time here, but that was before she found out he was married. Brandon’s home didn’t have a gate surrounding it like most of the homes did. But it was palpable he was keeping up with the Joneses.
r />   “Grab this address,” Brooklyn said as Symone whipped out her smartphone and typed the address in her notepad.

  Brooklyn glanced to her. “You’re supposed to use the burner phones.”

  “I don’t have one on me. This is just temporary.”

  Brooklyn reached over to the glove compartment and pulled the latch. It sprang open revealing several burner phones. Symone lifted a brow.

  “I never leave home without one.”

  Brooklyn made a U-turn and left the neighborhood. While she was giving a lesson on being safe, she needed to get her personal vehicle out of this area.

  “Get some rest tonight. Tomorrow, we take Atlantic Bank of New York.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  The shrill of Symone’s alarm clock snatched her out of dreamland and it was a good thing, too. She’d found herself stretched underneath Mason as his toned physique glided across her warm flesh. Shaking off the wet dream, Symone reached over, laying a heavy palm on top of the blaring device. The clock read four a.m. She could settle to get a few more z’s, but she wouldn’t. Pulling herself to a sitting position, Symone tossed her legs over the bed taking in a few deep breaths. Her eyes scattered around the room taking in the amber and white colors that accentuated the dated furnishings. This could be the last time she set eyes on this room if things didn’t go well today.

  “Now that’s no way to start the morning,” Leah said.

  Symone didn’t turn to her right away.

  “You seem indifferent about this heist, why?”

  It was then that Symone turned to Leah standing in the doorway casting a shadow over the entrance of the room.

  “You don’t really need to ask me that, do you?”

  Leah sighed. “You have to think of this job like all the others, if not, you’ll slip up and we both know that can’t happen.”

  Symone stood, stretching her limbs and rotating her shoulders. Last night, the four women went back and forth over every detail about their impending heist until they were blue in the face. Symone dragged herself off to bed shortly after eight p.m., needing to get as much rest as possible.

  “Brooklyn never came back.”