CHAPTER THREE
Buck's den—Thursday
"This looks good, Swede," Buck said, turning his head slowly to view the spacious interior of the casino. 'Walk' us to the elevator." He turned his view back to the left, revealing the slot machine lined walkway to the space in front of the elevators, the one on the right, the only access to the vault, located over fifty feet below. "This looks real, much better than a lot of the virtual reality computer games."
"This elevator has no 'UP' button. Instead, it has a computer-chip access card slot and an adjacent fingerprint reader to confirm the user's identity. For now, pretend that I have one of the cards," Swede said, "and of course the right fingerprint. Step to the rear of the car, please. The interior of the elevator does not enhance or even allow the allusion of movent. Sorry."
"This is good enough," Cool Hand said. "It is just as I remember it, except for the feeling that I am stealing my way into the lion's den."
"That choice of words—stealing and lion's den is apropos," Willy said. "I hope it does not later prove to have been an ominous premonition."
"Especially the lion's den part," Swede said. "Gentlemen, if you will step from the car, you will see the pot at the end of the rainbow, actually at the other end of the room. On each side are a couple of small rooms where they park some of the dollies used to transport money to and from the vault and about the casino. One of the doors, the one closest to the vault is the head. I got only a quick glimpse inside one of the other rooms when we were doing the commercial but they didn't take the camera inside. You will notice that the vault door isn't solid, none the less sturdy but the door is a lattice work of 2" x 2" chromium steel bars."
"Is this typical, George?" Buck asked. "I mean, is it secure to use this type of door?"
"This is in a 50 foot deep, steel reinforced concrete hole in the ground," Cool Hand said. "You may be able to see between the shiny steel bars, into the vault, but it would take an Abrams tank to blow a hole in one of them, or any other part of the surfaces and that is providing you could get the tank into the place. Also, you noticed the armed guard at the elevator door upstairs. He and/or one of his similarly armed associates is posted there, 24/7, 365 days a year, 366 on leap years. They wouldn't care if Dillinger got into the vault. He would never get out. They have no problem insuring or protecting the money. This place was mentioned in our just completed seminar on bank security. Although, not specifically spoken or stated at the seminar, one of the great deterrents to anyone who has designs on the assets of the casinos is the fact that the people who concern themselves with the security will arrange for someone to place said people on spits, along with everyone said people may happen to know or possibly had contact with concerning such designs. Everyone, right down to their neighbor's cat, if they have a cat."
"That was as long a sentence as I have ever heard you use, Cool Hand," Swede said.
"Not as long as you would stay on the spit, turning slowly over an open fire. You would welcome being arrested rather than deal with those people. I'm not talking about some simple savages, not that I mean to imply that the Indians of the Choctaw tribes are either simple or savage. The only time I would use simple and savage in a sentence about them is to say that they would simply call their savage security people and have them deal with it."
"We all know where the plan is leading," Willy said, "but we also know that it is no more than an academic exercise or one of futility. They don't have to worry about Dillinger. He is dead, just like anybody else would be if they tried to smash and grab something. Dead or manacled head and foot. They have armed guards just to escort the dollies of coins they move around the casinos."
"Too many negative vibes, Willy," Swede said.
"No," Buck said. "He is right. There is no way, that I know of, to break into the vault as Mr. Nordness suggested we should do. How did he put it—to knock off one of the casinos? This is academic, if the word academic can be used in a sentence with something so stupid, but interesting to consider and such a plan, even though it is just for conversation, should consider all the obstacles and/or pitfalls and as Mr. Custer said: It is a pit."
"Are we all crazy?" Willy asked. "None of us has actually said, "Let's devise a plan to rob a casino", yet all of us are thinking about it, knowing that it can't be done, outside the fantasy of movies."
"All of us, Willy? Swede asked. "That includes you, right?" He put the virtual image program on hold and the four drug-store Rat Pack wannabes took off the viewing helmets. "What have you done to further the plan, that doesn't exist?"
"I have photographs of armored cars, complete with close-ups of dings and dents and tag numbers."
"That would be to. . ?" Swede asked.
"Serve as a guide to disguise a truck to look like an armored car."
Cool Hand laughed but Buck said, "No. No, that's good. Take a look at the tape of the commercial. The truck wasn't a real armored truck. It was just a prop, really. Of course, all they put into it was stacks of paper in shrink wraps to look like currency."
"And speaking of currency," Willy said, "where would we get enough to finance such an operation. At one of Cool Hand's banks? Such a plan should be all the collateral necessary to secure a loan."
"You do have a way of bringing these flights of fancy back to reality," Cool Hand said. "But let's at least look around in the vault some more. This is a good job of rendering. How did you get the dimensions, Swede?"
"As a scale, I used the dimension from the width of my shirt pocket in the video they gave us and worked from there. The graphics program did all the work."
"They didn't really give us the copy we have," Buck said, smiling. "We were supposed to have received the edited version. I wonder if they know that they gave us the original by mistake?"
Willy said, "I know I haven't mentioned it to anyone. Swede, walk us over to the vault, to get a closer look."
"Right this way, gentlemen. If you hold your hand out, you can almost feel the metal door."
Complying with Swede's suggestion, Willy placed his index finger where the vault door would be. Just as he 'made contact' with the door, an alarm sounded. "You see what I was saying. Even this computer game has us covered."
"Relax!" Cool Hand said. "It's only my cell phone. Excuse me for a moment."
"You're kind of jumpy, Willy," Swede said. "Guilty conscience?"
"It startled me too," Buck said.
"Bring your file on down to the den," Cool Hand said. "We're not really plotting to overthrow the country."
"Who was it?" Buck asked.
"I forgot to mention that one of Betty's friends, Cathy McBlevins, is looking for a job and Betty told her about an opening at the bank and that I would put a word in for her. She says that she knows you, Buck, and in fact worked in your crew for a short time."
"I remember a Cathy, good looking girl! But McBlevins doesn't ring a bell. "
The door opened and Betty came into the room, followed by an attractive, well-built female. "I don't know whether to leave you here with these four or not but Gail and I are in the middle of watching a good movie. You're on your own, girl."
"Cathy Veli," Buck said and extended his arms to give her a hug. "How have you been and what is you name? McBlevins? Married, I assume."
"I was. Currently unattached. Do you know any rich bankers?"
"Actually we do," Buck said. "Well, we know of them."
"Isn't Mr. Smith available?" Buck asked.
"More or less," Cool Hand said. "What type of position are you looking for, Cathy?"
"The higher, the better," she said, "but secretary sounds good enough. If there are any better ones around that I can do, I'll consider them. But for now, if I can just get inside, it will be good. I can operate most of the current programs used in business and I have my own network for travel arrangements. Betty says that is a problem in your office."
"What are you doing at the present?"
"I work part time for a heavy equipment leasing company—cranes, bulldozers, trucks, you name it. Plus I rep for a uniform supplier, waiters, band uniforms, policemen, tailored military uniforms, whatever. But the work is seasonal for the equipment and spasmodic for the uniforms."
Buck held up two thumbs. Cathy could not see him but Cool Hand did. He said, "This guy has influence, Cathy and I know he will prove to be the best reference you can find. Be sure to put me down for a reference as well."
"What are you guys up to," Cathy asked. "Is this the local draft board?"
"Local draft board?" Swede said. "What are you talking about. Is there something we should know about our friend?"
"Hasn't he ever told you about the people he and his henchmen had 'drafted' into the military?"
"I never drafted anyone, Cathy. Those were just rumors."
"Lightning could strike your lying ass, Buck Huston. You scared the hell out of some of those kids with those letters that would just "appear" on their desks. One of them actually left work and returned to Atlanta to report."
"We managed to stop him in time. Actually, I wasn't the one who did it. I just knew about it. It was the Pantum."
She pointed a finger at him, laughed and said, "You're guilty! And you know it."
"You had better put in a good word for this girl, Cool Hand," Willy said and laughed. "She apparently has enough dirt on our man to bury him. It could eventually get us as well."
"I'll see you guys later," She said. "I'll leave my résumé with Betty. But seriously, put in a good word or two."
"Consider it done. Anyone who has as much on one of us as you do has to be catered to." She smiled again and left. They realized that her file had not even been opened, not that such an inspection was necessary. Nobody puts anything in their résumés to suggest that they have ever done anything less than hang the moon, anyway.
"The Pantum. . ?" Willy said. "What, or who is the Pantum."
"It's a nickname we gave to a guy who worked with us a few years ago, "Buck said. "He pulled more pranks on people than anyone in the building but never got caught or even blamed for any of them. In fact, I was usually the one blamed. I and an old friend..." He paused for a moment. "His name, or nickname was Willy also. Willy D."
"You gave me the high sign a minute ago, "Cool Hand said. "Is this just because she is an old friend or is she suddenly part of the scheme?"
"Just a thought. Who is the secretarial job for, one of our fabulous four?"
"No, but she will most likely have to meet with one or more of them before she is hired. In fact, I know she will. All new and prospective employees have to. One of the four, Little Joe himself, is the one I intend to make the recommendation to. He was appreciative of the cover I provided for him in Orlando."
"Does he carry any weight around the office or is he just a token poor boy who 'made it to the top'?"
"About half and half, I suppose. He enjoys a fair amount of respect, although after what happened in Orlando, maybe he shouldn't be trusted all that much."
"That is probably happening on the local scene as well. See if you can press the issue. He and your bank will be pleased if the association is allowed to grow. I guarantee it. Cathy is pretty smart! She can run an office."
"And. . .?" Willy and Swede said, almost in unison.
"Yeah!" Cool Hand said, "And?" The three turned their eyes on Buck and Cool Hand said, "You want to know what's on that disk! Right?"
"And you think she can find out?" Willy asked.
"Just help her get the job and we'll see. By the way, what time is it, Swede?"
A puzzled look came over Swede's face, knowing that Buck wore a wrist watch, as did all four of them. Also, there was a digital clock on the wall, an atomic clock that resets itself every five minutes in case it get off time but he realized that he no longer had his watch and said, "What the. . .?"
"What did she lift from you, Cool Hand? Be sure to check all of your pockets."
"Billfold. . .pen and pencil, pocket knife."
"Besides the watch, Swede?"
Embarrassed, he said, "Billfold, notebook." He paused, checked his trouser pants and added, "Four coins. That's about it. What about you, Willy?"
"I'm a married man," Willy said and laughed. "I don't get that close to unauthorized boobs. Besides, I noticed our man, Buck, here, take inventory after giving her the hug."
There was a light tap at the door. It was Gail, with the lifted items in her hand. She handed them to Swede and Cool Hand said, "Who looks after you boys when you get out into the world. Do you have some guardian angels." Buck laughed and Gail handed him his belt buckle." Shaking her head, she left the room and then returned to the door and said, "Oh, Cathy said for you to have a nice day, all of you."
"She hasn't lost her touch," Buck said. "Not to worry. She isn't a thief; she does this only as a parlor trick. She also worked as a magician's assistant."
"I though I was more observant than that," Swede said."
"Same here," Cool Hand said. "But Gail is right. We probably have been lucky, as often as we move about in crowds such as in the casinos. Does her talent have anything to do with your interest in getting her the job?"
"Just a contingency. . .for the academic exercise. Did you find about the amount of money on hand at the Star and the Moon?"
"As you know, all casinos are required by law and the gaming commissions that govern them to have enough cash on hand to cover any losses that may occur. The really big payouts, namely the 6 out of 60, 8 out of 80, etc. games have an annuitised pay out. The winner, if there is ever actually a winner, would receive only a few thousand dollars on the spot. The remainder would be arranged through his or some bank."
"Do you mean that they do not have that much money on hand?" Swede asked.
"Oh, yes. They have it, and much more. And they move it around, that part that they don't have invested in markets. They keep the locations of large volumes of currency under wraps, for security reasons. Only banking institutions, such as the one I work for have the locations.