Title: Escape
Author: DancingStar
Crossover: PSI Factor / Sue Thomas F.
Pairing: Connor / Lindsay, Jack / Sue
Rating: 12
Category: Comedy
Summary: The team wants to escape to Las Vegas. Unfortunately they´re all broke...
Comments: This story is based on true facts: One day I said to my colleagues, "That person who gets the most calls in the next two weeks travels with me to Vegas for free when I'm celebrating my 25th birthday there in 2013." But I´d like to say I´d never rob a gas station or a similar public building :-)
The song for this story is my soundtrack to my Las Vegas trip last August.
Vegas, I still miss and love you!
Escape
"Did I mention how awful my job is?", Peter asked and poured himself a large cup of coffee.
"Several times in the recent days," Lindsay recalled.
"If I find a better job, I´m quitting on the spot..."
"Well, it´s not as bad as you´re thinking..." They both had read the file about their new case only briefly and knew this time it wouldn´t be easy.
Connor finally entered the room and Lindsay was glad he hadn´t heard Peter's statement about his job. Or Connor knew about it and kept it in private.
"You're our boss," Lindsay reminded him and Connor looked a little bit perplexed at her, "Come on: Motivate your team."
Connor didn´t seem to understand what was going on, while they now sat down at the large, round conference table. Peter had to go through today's meeting and finally Connor said: "...I know the next few weeks will be difficult and full of work, but we will solve this case as well."
Peter watched how Jack Hudson and Sue Thomas, the two FBI agents who had been sent by the headquarters, also looked a little bit disheartened. They were in a very rural area, where a sect was claiming to be taken by aliens to their space ship regularly. Actually this case wasn´t very interesting for the FBI but the cult leader was a criminal.
"The person who solves this case will travel with me to Las Vegas for free when I´m celebrating my birthday there," Peter said and Lindsay now looked at him surprised. Lately, he had been talking about celebrating his birthday in the city of sin, but she had always believed it was fun.
"What if there is a tie?", Claire wanted to know immediately. She seemed to like that idea very much.
"I'm sure that won´t happen," Peter said.
"I could like a little vacation," Claire said and turned to Sue, so she could see her. Sue was deaf since her early childhood but she was lip-reading and because of that she knew what Claire was talking about. Claire didn´t expect that Sue also nodded: "I've never been to Las Vegas," she said. Her parents had never cared much for taking their children on holiday and so Sue and her three brothers mostly spent the summer vacation at home in Ohio. Only once they had visited relatives who lived in Georgia, but this vacation wasn´t exciting. In Georgia, there was nothing but farms and fields and occasionally a peach orchard.
"You really want to go to Las Vegas?", Jack asked and she nodded. Inwardly he hoped Sue wouldn´t be able to solve this case because he hated the idea she would travel to Vegas with Peter.
"I would also like to travel there," Claire exclaimed now.
"Hey, me too!", Connor yelled and suddenly everybody looked at him. They couldn´t believe he wanted to travel to the gambling metropolis. Peter knew the reason for his escape long ago: He had figured it out last week, when Connor was reading the personal ads in the newspaper and he had read a certain ad a little too long. The ad was obviously written by a woman who was looking for the perfect partner who liked Pina Coladas, was smart and hated yoga. Peter said that ad almost sounded like a song he had heard on the radio and laughed about it. When he had stopped laughing, he asked if Connor really wanted to respond and Connor nodded. So next day another ad appeared in the personal ads and Connor replied he wanted to meet the authoress in a restaurant in Vegas on Valentine´s Day.
Peter thought it was very cheesy and not kind because of Lindsay. He wondered if Connor really had no idea that Lindsay liked him very much and when she learned about his date, she would be very angry. Peter just hoped he hadn´t to watch their dispute, then. While Peter was thinking, his colleagues came to the conclusion not only one person should travel to Las Vegas, but all of them. But actually they all seemed to have a problem with the fact they suddenly had to pay for the trip.
"I recently bought a new car," Claire said, "I can´t afford the trip to Las Vegas."
"Who should pay for my move into a better apartment then?", Sue asked now.
"I can´t afford, too. But if we are in Vegas, the problem will disappear by itself", Jack predicted, "Maybe we get lucky and hit the jackpot." Sue immediately knew what he meant.
"It´s unlikely we´ll manage to get the jackpot in a casino," Connor said, "There are statistics that say it´s more likely to be hit by a lightning than winning so much money."
"So it wouldn´t help us to participate in the lottery," Lindsay sighed.
"We could rob a gas station."
"JACK!", Sue was horrified and Jack apologized, it was just a joke. She told him then about a man who had recently robbed a gas station in the city and after he had stolen $ 40, he was arrested by the police. Robbing a gas station wasn´t a guarantee of lots of money... Actually, Jack couldn´t believe he thought about robbing a gas station... But he wanted to go to Vegas.
"I must say: I'm terrified," Connor finally admitted, "That the proposal to rob a gas station came from Jack."
"I think it´s a good idea," Peter suddenly said and now it was Claire´s turn to be shocked, "PETER!"
"What! I mean, we don´t rob a gas station... We have to do it right and so I think we should rob a casino."
Connor struck his hands in horror over his head and got up. He wondered what was wrong with them that they came up with the stupid idea of trying to rob a casino and suddenly behaved like a crowd of crazy chicken. Certainly they had forgotten their common sense in their beds this morning, Connor was sure. And just because they really wanted to travel to Vegas.
"I was tired of my lady, we'd been together too long.
Like a worn-out recording, Of a favorite song.
Sun while she lay there sleeping, I read the paper in bed.
And in the personals column, there was this letter I read:
If you like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain.
If you're not into yoga, if you have half-a-brain.
If you like making love at midnight in the dunes of the cape.
I'm the lady you've looked for, write to me, and escape. " ("Escape- The Pina Colada Song" by Rupert Holmes)
Three months later, each of them had saved up $ 300, so they could afford flights to Las Vegas. Lindsay couldn´t believe they actually came to Vegas without a single penny in their pocket. They couldn´t even afford a nice hotel and she hated the cheap motel, which Peter had chosen for them and paid for the next five days in advance. The motel was located less than a mile from the Strip. Lindsay couldn´t imagine the Las Vegas Strip was such a clean, glamorous and well-kept street and when they had entered a small side street, almost one thousand chewing gum and cigarette butts stuck on the street. "This is a terrible place," Lindsay said and pushed the old curtain of her motel room to the side. She shared the room with Sue and Claire so they were able to save some money. Peter had paid $10 for two rooms per night. Lindsay thought wistfully with that $50 they could pay a room per night in a luxury room at a fancy hotel and at the moment to her it was worth every price.
"We don´t even have a bathtub," Sue stated, when she looked into the bathroom and discovered only a shower. She bet even that wasn´t cleaned well.
"Who needs a bathtub, when we sneak in the big hotels and we bask in the pool?", Claire asked, but Sue thought it was a bad comparison: after all, they couldn´t bath in the pool and the access to the pool area of a luxury hotel wasn´t for free. Lindsay had inquired: for entering the beach area at Mandalay Bay they had to show at least one room card. Non-hotel guests couldn´t even get near the pool.
Lindsay noticed how her stomach growled and she hardly dared to ask where they wanted to have dinner today. Finally they set out together because even Claire, Peter and Jack were plagued by hunger. To save money, they set off by foot to find a cheap restaurant. At a gas station Peter bought a bottle of water and he was surprised even here there was a slot machine. Previously he assumed those slot machines where only located in casinos at the Strip.
In the scorching heat they crossed a busy street and then followed the street to the south.
They passed by a building that looked like a black pyramid with a sphinx.
"Did you know the Luxor Hotel is hollow inside?", Jack asked and Sue shook her head, "It's not that the first floor is the biggest floor: The pyramid-like structure of the hotel is hollow inside, the Rooms and suites are located at the side. Even the elevator is crooked... If you like, we can use the elevator and see the lookout point."
"Provided it's not too expensive," Claire protested and Jack began to hate the idea of saving money during this trip.
Jack sent Sue in sign language, she shouldn´t listen to Claire and Sue smiled.
After another few minutes of walking (Lindsay and Sue believed, they would die in the heat) they arrived at a huge hotel, which was shining golden on the outside. When they entered the building they were welcomed by a wave of cool air. Jack had read in a magazine, casino owners floated the casinos with oxygen, so the gamblers stayed fit for longer and spent more time at the gambling tables and he had wondered if this was true. They walked aimlessly through the casino for a while until they found a few restaurants but Claire was afraid of spending too much money so because the prices were too expensive. So they agreed they´d eat yogurt or a crepe at Yogurt Inn and then wanted to see the Luxor. Jack wanted to show Sue the lookout point at the pyramid-shaped hotel. No matter how much it was.
Lindsay took two Miami Heat Crepes for Sue and for herself, when Peter suddenly said: "I got a plan that will solve all our problems: in three days the poker world championship will take place at the Wynn Hotel. The people will be distracted and we could rob the casino."
Connor hoped he had misheard, because he still couldn´t believe that Peter stuck to his plan.
"Normally, the poker world championship takes place at the Rio Hotel," Jack said.
"Yes, but this year the rooms at the Rio´s aren´t sufficient anymore."
"My God," Connor said horrified and put the yogurt back on the table, "I can´t believe you´re still thinking about robbing a casino!... We shouldn´t do that." He would rather have a lot of terrible memories about that trip instead of ending up in jail.
"It was Jack's idea! He suggested robbing a gas station to get money!", Peter said defensively.
"I thought, you know it was only a joke! I would never... ", while Jack was talking, Sue was watching him very concerned, "It was obvious we can´t afford the most expensive hotel, but if you had asked before you booked rooms at this terrible, cheap motel, you'd found out that we could have at least a better home." Jack had checked the prizes for a suite at Bally´s, a good, central middle class hotel, and because they could afford it, he was angry they now lived in this seedy motel. Since they had decided to come to Vegas three months had passed after all.
"That's very nice if you can afford it," Peter said now, "But unfortunately I can´t. My shares in the stock market are developing horrible", he told very softly," And it´s getting even worse, I'm almost broke and I vouched for the recently opened practice of my father after the old one burned down last winter and he wasn´t insured... In some way I have to do this."
"Why didn´t you tell us you're in trouble?", Connor asked.
"Because you couldn´t help me, even if you wanted," Peter rolled his eyes, "I´m up to my ears in debt with one million dollar… My father´s new practice also needed new x-ray equipment and this was quite expensive."
Connor tried to calculate. Peter had really big problems and even if they would sacrifice all their savings, they couldn´t help him. "I think we should help Peter," Claire said and her friends wondered how they should do that. Claire replied to their question: "We still have Peters plan."
Lindsay didn´t understand why the Wynn was their choice. The Venetian was the most expensive hotel in the world and if they really... Oh God, this idea was so absurd that she didn´t dare to think about it. She couldn´t imagine her friends really wanted to rob a casino. Lindsay could see clearly, when Connor was thinking about this stupid plan and his facial expression told her what he thought about it. Even he was thinking about Peter's plan. Even then, when they went back into her cheap motel.
There they lay in their beds and apparently Claire fell asleep on the spot while Lindsay was thinking about their project. Suddenly Sue said: "I think the whole thing is really dull".
Lindsay had no idea she was still awake. Because Sue couldn´t see her in the dark, Lindsay turned on the bedside lamp. Weak light illuminated the cheap motel room, where three queen-size beds were standing. Lindsay saw how Sue was sitting up in bed and Levi slept on Sue's legs.
"There must be another way to help Peter," Lindsay said in a whispering voice because she didn´t want to wake Claire. She remembered a crime comedy, which she had once watched, in which several people were pursuing a similar plan. However, these people were professional gangsters and she couldn´t imagine Peter, Jack and Connor really... Lindsay had to correct: she could imagine Peter in the role as a thief very well, but not Connor and Jack.
"It´s clear we´ll be in the slammer if this comes out," Lindsay thought she couldn´t handle the idea of herself behind bars.
"We must try to stop Peter."
"We´re moving to Bally's," Jack decided the next morning because he wasn´t in the mood for spending another night in a bad motel. Directly in front of their window a giant, bright, pink neon sign was blinking all night long and Jack couldn´t shut an eye. He wondered how Peter and Connor were able to ignore it. In addition, the mattress of his bed stank terribly.
When he told Connor about his moving plans to the Bally's, Connor was immediately enthusiastic and they didn´t ask Peter for his opinion. Silently they transported his and Claire´s luggage with Lindsay and Sue's help and in two taxis they drove to Bally's, a hotel located across the Bellagio and between Paris and the Flamingo Hotel.
In their new home they took the elevator to the twentieth floor, where each of them got an own room. Levi caused attention: usually, dogs weren´t allowed in the hotels. A young woman noticed the service dog mark on Levi's collar. "Is that a service dog?", the woman asked, Sue nodded.
"He's a hearing dog. I'm deaf."
"Then you can read lips?"
Sue nodded and then the woman replied WOW in sign language. Then the elevator doors opened on the twentieth floor, they got out and went to their rooms. At least Connor, Jack, Lindsay and Sue were relieved they now lived in a better accommodation. Like before, Peter and Claire didn´t seem to care what they thought about the idea to rob a casino. If Connor had known that Peter took the stupid idea of a robbery very seriously, he wouldn´t have come to Las Vegas.
"I didn´t think about my lady, I know that sounds kind of mean.
But me and my old lady, had fall into the same old dull routine.
So I wrote to the paper, took out a personal ad.
And though I'm nobody's poet, I thought it was not half-bad.
Yes, I like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain.
I'm not much into health food I am into champagne.
I've got to meet you by tomorrow noon, and cut through all this red tape.
At a bar called O'Malley's, where we'll plan our escape."
On the same day they were on the road again by foot and from Bally's to the Welcome to Las Vegas sign they needed in the merciless heat nearly 90 minutes. After a short stay, they went north along the strip.
"What's there?", Lindsay asked, pointing to a well-recognizable landscape with some palms. She believed to recognize a large green area.
"This is the Bali Hai Golf Club," Sue took Levis leash and looked at the brochure she had taken at the hotel. The golf course already looked very sophisticated and well maintained.
"I love golf. Let´s go", Lindsay said and wanted to go to the entrance of the golf club, but Connor stopped her.
"We can´t afford that," Connor recalled.
"But I thought...", Lindsay gave up. The golf course was really very tempting.
She knew they had so much money they could afford a better hotel and they´d have enough food and drink but for the extras, like a visit at a posh golf course, it wasn´t enough.
In addition, it was very difficult to get through the day without spending lots of money and therefore she thought she was extremely grateful when they returned to their hotel. Lindsay went to the pool to get tanned in the sun. At least the pool area was for free and Lindsay stayed there until evening.
Sue sat in a very futuristic design chair, stroked Levi, who was resting on her legs and she tried not to worry too much. Finally Jack came to her and leaned his arms on the armrests of the chair where she sat. "Would you go out with me?"
Sue was a little irritated when he asked that. "I'm not sure, but you've just asked me if I would like to go out with you?"
Jack smiled and nodded.
"I'm pretty sure I'm a terrible company," Sue answered, "You would very bored by me."
"We're in Vegas," Jack reminded her, "I don´t think we both could get bored here." There were so many things they could do. He was tired of not being allowed asking her... Anyway, at the moment it felt as if everything was possible here in Vegas.
"I promise It´ll be a beautiful evening," he added with a smile and she gave in. She even asked if she should change clothes for tonight, but Jack told her she looked very pretty in her shorts and her light tank top. "Can Levi come, too?"
"If he wants to."
At dusk, Sue was surprised when Jack arrived with her and Levi at a little place, where helicopters used to start. The sun said goodbye with a reddish sky color. In February, the Vegas- sun was setting earlier than in summer.
"I promised the evening won´t be boring," Jack took her hand and they walked toward a black helicopter. The wind, which was caused by the rotors, was tugging impatiently at her hair. Finally the pilot came up to them and Jack said he had reserved a flight for two people this morning.
"Dogs aren´t allowed on board of the helicopter." The man looked at Levi, who sat beside Sue.
"He has to come with us," replied Jack, "He´s a hearing dog."
The pilot looked at Sue in a little disbelief, but then he handed her a couple of headphones with a microphone. Sue asked why she had to wear this: She wouldn´t hear the noise that was caused by the helicopter.
"Miss, you have to put on the headphones," the pilot said now, "Your boyfriend can only hear you through the microphone because the rotors are pretty loud."
"He´s not my boyfriend", Sue said and in the next moment she was sorry for telling this. She grabbed for the heavy headphones and sat down with Jack and Levi on the back seat of a small helicopter. When the small plane took off, she reached for Jack's hand. "I never did anything like this," Sue admitted, "I'm almost a little bit scared."
"Don´t worry, we´ll be fine," he said, "I'm with you." He squeezed her hand a little tighter, as the helicopter flew across the glittering Las Vegas Strip in the dark. Sue enjoyed the beautiful, scenic view, but finally she asked: "Isn´t this trip a bit too expensive?"
"Oh, I won´t tell Peter, if you want to keep this in private." He was still holding her hand.
Next morning Sue slept late and when she awoke, the sun already warmed the city. She thought about the beautiful evening with Jack: After they had finished their helicopter flight, he invited her to Planet Hollywood. This wasn´t a fine five star restaurant but after the last few days in their cheap, self-catering motel, Planet Hollywood was the best place on earth. Then they went back to their hotel and before he said goodbye to her, he had actually kissed her. Sue wondered if perhaps he had sunstroke but she smiled when she remembered how he told her he loved her. Instead of a "good night" she then said goodbye with a "I´m delighted to kiss you again tomorrow". She couldn´t believe how this evening made her so happy.
After Sue, Lindsay, Jack and Connor had breakfast and they talked about what they wanted to do today, Peter suddenly came to them. "We have only two days: The poker game is next Saturday," he reminded them, "And we don´t have a single plan, how to rob the Wynn."
Connor thought it sounded unbelievable to hear Peter talking like this. It was almost a little bit brash to bother them in the early morning with that. "Peter, I think that's enough now," Connor said, "You can´t possibly take this all for real."
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
"Lindsay, Jack, Sue and I won´t help you."
"You agreed to help me."
"I didn´t."
"You're here, is enough agreement," Peter said, "You just can´t wait to rob a casino because it´s exactly what you always wanted to do."
"Peter, we could end up in jail!", Connor said. Peter didn´t mention him, instead he began to plan their robbery: "We´ll rent a car, which we pay with cash..."
"Where do we get so much cash from we can afford a car?", Jack asked and Peter had to admit this question certainly made sense.
"Okay, then we remove the license plate of the car after we paid with a credit card."
"You mean the flight bus", Connor corrected. If they should all help, a car wouldn´t suffice as a getaway vehicle.
"I know someone who owns a bus company," Claire said, but her uncle who lived in the suburbs, certainly wasn´t interested in being involved in their robbery. Unless they´d need a minibus. Claire told about her idea and Lindsay couldn´t believe she actually suggested this. Lindsay noticed even Connor looked a little desperate because he realized the point where he could stop Peter and Claire was long past. But Peter liked Claire´s idea and so the two planned their projects, while Jack, Sue, Connor and Lindsay were listening to them, still in disbelief.
On the day before the big heist Claire sent Lindsay and Sue in a hardware store to buy 20 square meter black film, which they then wanted to stick to the inside of the flight bus window´s. Furthermore, they should buy black clothes and hats in a clothes shop for themselves and their friends and in a toy store they should buy six water pistols that looked like real weapons. When it was evening, Sue felt more uncomfortable. "I can´t believe I'm really doing this," she told Lindsay, when she and Claire got out of a taxi near the bus company. Again and again, Sue thought, she as an FBI agent had to stop this stupid plan, but on the other hand, Peter was in trouble...
By foot, they finally reached the small bus company in a suburb of Las Vegas. The taxi ride had cost nearly $ 50.
"I feel like a tank buster", said Claire, as she put on leather gloves in order to leave no fingerprints and giggled, but it wasn´t funny to Lindsay. She thought it was strange to be here in the dark and noticing Claire couldn´t open the locked door which led to a parking lot. Claire finally decided to climb over the high fence and inside the courtyard she opened the electric gate. The door opened quietly rumbling and Lindsay and Sue entered the yard. They were aware they already had one foot in prison. Together with Claire, they chose a van and Claire opened the door of the car with using an emergency lever that was hidden under a flap. She sat behind the steering wheel, but then she crawled under the seat and short-circuited the flight bus. Lindsay and Sue asked who had taught her this, when suddenly a voice announced via walkie-talkie and Lindsay was terrified.
"Are you there yet?", Peter asked and a scratching echoed through the line.
"Yes, Claire´s just about to get the Flight bus", Lindsay replied unenthusiastic.
"Very well, then turn off the headlights of the car."
Lindsay didn´t understand. "Why?"
"Do you want that someone sees you?"
"Of course not," Claire was done and started the engine of the minibus. When they had left the street where the bus company was located, they turned on the lights because if they´d drove without lights, the police would probably notice them.
Till next day, they hid the flight bus in a garage a little off the Strip. While Lindsay and Sue were busy at the hardware store this morning, Peter tried to find a place where he could hide the vehicle without causing a sensation and when he met a blind bar owner, who had a garage for rent Peter took his chances.
When they reached the garage, Peter, Jack, Connor and Levi were already waiting. Jack and Connor helped Peter only reluctantly with darkening the windows of the bus, so that the occupants of the vehicle couldn´t be seen from the outside.
Claire was busy showing Lindsay and Sue how to cut holes for the eyes into the black wool caps, so they could wear this as a face mask during the heist. While they worked, Lindsay shook her head in disbelief. She couldn´t believe they would actually do this...
That today was the day when Peter wanted to rob the Wynn, Connor had almost forgotten when he was in this room in the next evening and got ready for his date with the authoress of the newspaper ad. Today was Valentine´s Day and Connor wondered if this was a positive sign.
Finally, Peter knocked at his door and Connor let him in. Peter wanted to ask if he wanted to drink something with him after Lindsay, Sue, Jack and Claire were busy. As far as he knew, Jack was on the road with Sue and Levi to show them some nice places of the city.
"My goodness, you really want to go to the date?", Peter asked when he noticed Connor was wearing his best suit, "I've had my last blind date in high school... What do you do if it turns out your date is an old, lonely grandmother?", asked Peter.
"Then I´ll be a gentleman, I have dinner with her and then I politely say goodbye to her and actually I wasn´t thinking about something else." Connor left and Peter was left behind.
As agreed, they wanted to meet in a restaurant and the waitress at the entrance informed him he was already expected. Connor nodded and followed the young woman to the table at which his date was waiting. Usually it wasn´t his style to meet foreign women from whom he believed, they would be perfect for him, but...
They reached the table and a very pretty, blonde woman turned around to face him.
"Connor?"
"Lindsay?" Connor didn´t know how he should respond and when Lindsay desperately gasped for air, he knew she hadn´t expected this. The waitress had left them and wished them a pleasant evening, but they wondered if they would still have a good time. Connor remembered about Peter's question what he would do if his date would be an old lady, but she wasn´t at all: instead, his pretty colleague was sitting at the table, which he had reserved and she was waiting for him. For a second he wondered if Peter was to blame, but he hadn´t told him or anyone else, where exactly the date would take place.
"Lindsay, I didn´t... So, I didn´t know you like Pina Coladas."
"I didn´t know that you...", she hardly knew what to say. Lindsay realized that Connor was still standing in front of the table and before the other guests in the restaurant noticed, she asked him to sit down. "I can´t believe of all people you responded to my newspaper ad", Lindsay admitted but inside she had always hoped someone like him responded.
"Do you want me to go?", he asked and she quickly responded to this question with a "no."
They were a little uncomfortable. They both had sought for love, both were in love with each other without the other knew about it and now fate brought them together in such a miraculous way. The try to find a different partner and forget the feelings for each other, was unsuccessful.
"This is terribly embarrassing to me," Lindsay finally admitted, "You don´t have to spend the evening with me."
"I would like to," he grabbed her hand and she looked a little bit surprised, "I´m very glad you are the person I´m meeting here today."
"I´m also very relieved it's you," she couldn´t stop looking at him, "I..." They were interrupted by a waitress who brought them wine and the beautiful moment was over. She almost had told him, what she felt for him, Lindsay thought.
They left the restaurant just after dinner and walked for a while. They watched a few free shows in front of the famous hotels along the Strip, then went past the Venetian were they observed some gondola drivers and then stopped to enjoy the fresh air. In February the nights cooled off in the desert and a little freshness fell upon the city.
"It was a very beautiful evening. I was the most perfect Valentine´s Day I´ve ever had", Lindsay told him, when they stayed side by side on a stone railing that separated them from the water canal and the gondolas. She had to admit it was an evening, she always wished for.
"Yes, it was very beautiful," Connor said suddenly and when she looked at him surprised, he couldn´t help and he had to raise his hand to caress her cheek. Connor noticed immediately how she took a breath to say something, but she didn´t. Instead, he stroked her cheek again before he leaned toward her to kiss her. Lindsay didn´t dare to move, but her instinct told her to return his kiss. Almost frightened, she noticed she hadn´t hesitated for a second as he began to kiss her. Finally he broke the kiss and when she looked at him with wide eyes, he wondered if she was scared or surprised by his kiss.
"For... For what was that?", her voice was very thin.
"I always wanted to do this," he smiled, but then he looked at her seriously, "Lindsay, I was wishing you are the person who wrote the newspaper ad."
She still couldn´t stop looking at him. "And I was hoping you'd respond. Connor, I love you." When she had said this, she wondered if she had really done this and if they wouldn´t rush into this. But then she felt his hands on her hips, she moved closer for another kiss. This time their kiss wasn´t shy but passionate and challenging. The night was young and Connor wondered how long it would take to return to their hotel. But there was still one thing that kept him busy.
"How many people responded to your ad?"
"Just one: You."
"So I waited with high hopes, then she walked in the place.
I knew her smile in an instant, I knew the curve of her face.
It was my own lovely lady, and she said, "Oh, it's you."
And we laughed for a moment, and I said, "I never knew.
That you liked Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain.
And the feel of the ocean, and the taste of champagne.
If you like making love at midnight in the dunes of the cape.
You're the love that I've looked for, come with me, and escape.
If you like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain.
If you're not into yoga, if you have half-a-brain.
If you like making love at midnight in the dunes of the cape.
You're the love that I've looked for, come with me, and escape. "
When they passed hand in hand and quite happy the Harrah's Casino (Lindsay cuddled up to him and even a bit of that feeling was incredibly beautiful to Connor), the blue flight bus slowed beside them.
"Lindsay? Connor?", asked a voice and the window of the car opened, "What are you doing here?" Peter knew about Connor´s secret date with the authoress of the newspaper ad and now it dawned to him who was the person.
"We had dinner," said Lindsay.
"Yes, now I understand what happened," Peter realized, "We are just on the way to the Wynn casino."
"Today?"
Peter nodded. The big poker night was held today. All people would be distracted and they wouldn´t notice the five masked figures until they had robbed the casino. Peter's plan was to waylay for some of the money carts, which were brought by the casino staff from the vault to the so-called money cell. They would enter the building, grab the money, run out where Sue was waiting behind the steering wheel in the flight bus then park the vehicle back in the garage behind a bar and with the money they´d escape. Peter thought it was extremely stupid Sue had to bring her dog, because if the police would find their flight bus and find the dog hair it was clear who did it...
"You have two minutes before we arrive at the Wynn," Peter said to them, while Connor and Lindsay got in the bus. Peter noticed that the dress and high heels, which Lindsay was wearing, were inconvenienced. So she would have to stay with Sue in the flight bus.
How Peter had said, two minutes later they arrived at the Wynn and its sister hotel, the Encore. "Do you have your pistols?", Peter asked, patting the real-looking toy gun, which hung on his belt.
With a queasy feeling in their stomach Lindsay and Sue were watching how their friends got out and with their masks on their faces they entered the hotel. Inwardly Connor wondered if he was really crazy or insane to do this and take the risk of losing his life and Lindsay, whose affection he had discovered only a few hours ago.
Peter had planned the heist very well, because when they stepped through the front door a money cart was just pushed past them. Connor watched how Peter grabbed the toy gun on his belt, but at that moment, he and Jack saw something more important. At the same time they grabbed for Peter´s and Claire´s arms, dragged them roughly through the door and when they had left the building, they threw them into the flight bus which was waiting for them outside.
"What's going on with you?", Peter asked blankly and he had to back off not to lose his temper, "We've almost reached the money cart!"
"The security people at the hotel had guns! Real weapons! Be reasonable!", Connor said and finally removed the black hat from his head. He couldn´t believe Peter risked his life so recklessly. Now Jack removed his mask, too.
"If you want to do that, then you have to do it without us."
"I can´t believe you´re pinching!" Claire sounded very disappointed and Connor realized she still didn´t understand. "There´s no room for complicity in the story of Bonnie and Clyde," Connor said now, "If you want to do that, then you can´t rely on us. Jack and I won´t help you."
Lindsay and Sue, who waited in the bus, breathed out relieved. It took less than one minute till Peter and Claire had decided what to do. Connor then came to them and told Sue she should start the engine now. The blonde woman did what he said and when they drove away, she was surprised to see two dark figures in the rearview mirror. "Oh my God, they haven´t ...?", Lindsay said, who had also seen it and turned around. Only Jack was sitting on a rear seat of the flight bus and held Levi's collar. Lindsay could see how Peter and Claire entered the casino again and she swallowed hard. "Do you think we´ll meet them again?", she wanted to know and remembered how Connor had been talking about the weapons of the hotel Security. She didn´t know what would happen to them now.
"We´ll meet again, I'm sure," Connor's voice sounded very strange, "I'm just wondering in what condition... and if it was worth the risk."
In fact, two days later they met Claire and Peter again: They met on the McCarran Airport, when they checked in their luggage. Disappointed, Lindsay and Connor noted that Peter didn´t talk a single word to them, even though, they were standing behind each other at the counter. He was probably still offended and angry.
They assumed Peter and Claire had changed their mind and hadn´t robbed the Wynn, because otherwise they wouldn´t be here.
Lindsay asked Connor how long it would take before Peter stopped being offended and thanked them for saving him from a big mistake. Connor then had to admit he had no idea. But he hoped Peter would realize it was better to be reasonable and he would give him and Claire the necessary time to forget the incident.
Finally, they never talked about it.
Fin