High Rise Escapade
Two weeks had since past between the thieves' arrival and the present time, allowing a short period of breathing between each acquisition. Although it was important to remember that the heist was coming up shortly and that Fujiko had already left to begin her part, the others maintained as though it were months away. Practice reminded them to carry on as if it were a normal 9 to 5 job (meaning to not stress about it.)
The weather had also improved as spring was beginning to show its head between bouts of rain and gusty wind. Almost three months had passed since beginning the job, but it had seemed much shorter due to constant travel and the busy schedule they had to keep. Even though they kept quiet in their inconspicuous hotel room, they knew every detail pertinent to their mark – the rich, but very ill Blake Yonner.
"Jess, are you about ready?"
"Yea," she replied walking out of her room in her white lab coat and carrying her kit of medical supplies. Straightening her cuff and fixing her hair, the woman was everything in concerns to 'ready.' "It's about that time, isn't it?"
"Right, let's go over this one more time."
Lupin stood by the door in matching attire with Jigen (scrubs being their outfit of choice this time around) while Goemon had donned the apparel of a maintenance man. As soon as Jess approached the master thief began:
"At this moment, Fujiko has done her part of putting the mild poison in Yonner's nightly water that goes with his cornucopia of pills. If Jess is correct, and 8 years of college is backing that she is, it will take effect in 45 minutes."
"Are you sure Fujiko has gained enough trust to be in charge of such things?" the samurai inquired.
"Yes; she sent a message last night that the papers we created as her being a licensed care-giver were legit enough for Yonner's bodyguards. In fact, they call her a complete angel."
"Hah, she is obviously the best actress there is, then, because that's total bull sh…"
"Please continue, Lupin," Jess cut in although slightly laughing at what Jigen was about to say. She needed to make sure she had everything straight, so maintaining a focused mentality was key for the doctor.
"Well, a call should be going through at any moment, which we are already set to intercept, to which we'll continue on with part B. Goemon, you set to head to the roof?"
"Yes, I will see you all in about an hour," Goemon replied. Gathering his needed materials, the samurai then left the other three for his position that would later become extremely important in terms of survival.
"Now, I told Goemon this earlier so he's fine to leave, but you need to know Zenigata learned of our plan."
"That's kind of a big deal, man."
"You would think, but thankfully us scoundrels all think the same since Yonner made Pops keep his distance. He's not allowed on the premises (since the old man has some secrets of his own he doesn't need the law finding,) but if the house goes into alarm, he's allowed to send in the police brigade."
"Sounds impossible."
"You forget who you are working with my bearded friend," Lupin exclaimed with a smirk, "just remember where our ending destination is."
"Lupin has a thing for changing addresses as frequently as possible," Jigen remarked to Jess."
"I've noticed, I think it is related to his inability to commit," she responded in the same teasing manner.
"Ha ha, you two are really cute, but it's my own little safety precaution to keep me from ending up in a communal jail shower with some guy named Bubba who has a fancy for my fine form."
Point being made, Lupin opened the door for his comrades and set out to complete their task. Group dynamic was good and he had a feeling it would be an interesting night.
Blake Yonner (the center of the group's interest), had made millions by buying up residential communities and turning them into large money generating skyscrapers - seemingly a normal businessman to the general public. It was only the seedier side of the world that knew of his interests in trinkets relating to his English ancestry and the lengths he go through to get them.
He kept homes in many major cities in order to oversee his industries, but made sure each home was no more than 5 miles away from the best hospital in town. It seemed that while he took great care of his wealth, it was his health that was failing miserably. Yonner had made it a point this year to go to the black market sale in his home country, but paid for it as his body couldn't really seem to take all the flying. It was suggested that he take on a caregiver, and it was then he met the beautiful Fujiko Mine who set the group's plan into action.
In Tokyo, Yonner's home looked as all the others in the sea of city buildings. Taking up residence on the top floor of one of his sky reaching citadels, the penthouse was the only place for a man of his fortune. All around his lofty post, body guards stood as sentinels throughout and never paid mind to the full staff of maids and service workers who scurried in a quiet fashion so as not to be yelled at. In fact, so great was their disregard for the servants that none of the bodyguards would recall ever seeing the window cleaner who silently made his way to the top floor on his rickety plank of wood held on only by a thin pulley system.
"My Fujiko dear, are you sure you sent the message to the hospital?"
"Yes sir, they said it would take no longer than 10 minutes and that's the time it takes just to take the elevator."
"Oh, you are such an angel – always looking out for me. If I were younger I wouldn't hesitate to make you my wife."
"I'm…flattered sir."
Lying in his private study, Blake Yonner only let his "trusted" caretaker stay with him while his guards stood in wait of the doctor. The poison had done its job in simulating chest pain, although it was only spasms and not a real problem. The idea was to replicate and it worked perfectly. Sitting patiently in her chair next to the ailing man, Fujiko cooed and told him all the things a man wants to hear when he's sick. It was only a short while until the expected knock came at the door.
"Mr. Yonner, the doctor is here," one of the large hulks standing outside the door said as he opened the door slightly.
"Did you check her papers?"
"Yes, she's all clear."
"Excellent, bring her in."
"There's just one thing, sir…"
"What is it? The more you delay the more this problem may snowball into something worse."
"She brought her nurses…but they are men."
"Oh, sir," Fujiko cut in, "that's just a new trend. Many men are finding satisfaction out of being a nurse these days."
"Well, if Miss Mine finds no problem with them, than I certainly don't. If it makes you feel better, you can keep them outside."
"Very well, sir."
From there, the door was opened for the lovely young doctor who strolled in with all the confidence she could conjure. Nodding slightly to Fujiko, she sat down next to Yonner and opened her medicine bag.
"I'll let you and Dr. Abraham be alone, sir. In the mean time, I'll tend to those nurses."
"Always so cordial, of course my dear." The old man watched with adoring eyes after his caretaker and only turned his gaze back to the other woman in the room after the door had completely closed. Jess was amazed at Fujiko's ability to capture men so intently, but it was what she did best.
"Now Mr. Yonner, I hear you are having chest pains. May I listen?" Jess indicated while taking out her stethoscope.
"Most certainly. You have received all my records correct?"
"Yes sir," she replied and listened for a bit. "It sounds as though it just a mild irregular beat. I can give you a shot of something that will calm it down and regulate its rhythm."
Nodding, Yonner accepted and trusted the doctor's advice. They were the ones who had kept him alive longer than he was quite sure he should be. He winced only for a moment as she injected him in the arm and waited for it to take affect. What he felt, though, was wooziness and when the serum took fully over him, his eyes closed softly and he drifted off to sleep.
Waiting a moment to make sure Yonner was laid in a comfortable position; Jess then brushed herself off and opened the door to the study. What she found to her left and right were the two guards who had formerly been standing post quite unconscious. Unfazed by this site, she stood staring at her watch and listened for any commotion that could mean trouble.
Time was of the essence, as the serum would wear off in 30 minutes, and as time went by without any change, Jess began to get antsy.
"Where are they?" she asked out loud after the 25 minute mark.
"Right here," Lupin responded as he, Jigen, and Fujiko came in breathing heavily but smiling at having found the desired keys. "He had them in a safe in his room. They always like to have their valuables in their rooms…so unoriginal."
"Great, but you all cut it short," Jess responded as she opened her medicine bag and pulled each of the thieves' guns. "I was getting worried that the old guy would…"
But Jess stopped in mid sentence when she and the others heard a heavy sigh coming from the room to whose doorway they stood in. Looking back, they saw Yonner squint his eyes and upon realization of what was happened grasped for an object around his neck.
"You…you bastards," was all he was able to spit out as he pressed the button on the small remote connected to a hidden necklace. The house, usually a gloomy and silent fortress, suddenly came alive with the all too familiar sounds of sirens.
"We need to go now," Lupin exclaimed taking his gun with the others. "To the roof; hurry!"
Sprinting down a long hallway, they passed more unconscious guards who had fallen victim to the thieves' heavy blows. Mixed between were the scrubs the two men had worn as they had since changed in their more comfortable and familiar attire. Footsteps could now be heard and when finally reaching the sign labeled "roof," the gang scrambled to reach the edge of the building.
"What happened?" Goemon asked as he saw the rest running towards him.
"The old guy had some fight in him. Zenigata's men are coming. Zip line ready?"
"Yes, car's waiting at the bottom of the second building."
While the majority of the group had successfully infiltrated and acquired the desired keys, Goemon had made his way to the top of the building using the window cleaner's pulley. From there he had strung a zip line from Yonner's building to another across the street. Finishing just as the others had shown up, he was glad he constructed it with haste.
"Be careful, the only way it would fit was to put it at the very edge past the slope," Goemon warned as pointed to the slight slope the building took at the top.
Standing back, each took to the zip line one at a time. Goemon went first to test his craftwork would indeed hold. Keeping true, the structure was safe and as soon as he landed on the other side Fujiko flew across, followed by Lupin who promised to ensure her safety. Next to go, Jess reached up to take hold of the bar that would swing her to safety, but heard a maniacal laugh erupt behind her.
"No way are you going to escape, Lupin," a familiar voice yelled.
"Shit – Zenigata's here, we're both going on this turn, Jess," Jigen whispered.
Placing only one hand on the bar, Jigen turned around to take a few shots at the incoming crowd of policemen who were beginning to swarm the roof. Bullets flew past his ears that were still ringing from the sirens that blared around him. Finally, after fending off enough to ensure some safety, he began to push off until he suddenly felt the bar loosen and heard a scream.
Turning back around, he looked down with widened eyes at Jess clinging to the side of the building and wincing in what appeared to be immense pain. The bullet that had whizzed past his ear had snapped the handle of the zip line and had dropped the girl holding onto it with unexpected force. With luck, she grabbed on to the edge, but not without gauging her leg along the rough concrete rim.
"Hold on!"
"I don't have any other choice!"
Jigen reached down and grabbed the young woman with both arms and dragged her up and looked across to the other building where the rest of the gang stood with an expression of both horror and amazement.
"Goemon, you know what you have to do! Cut the wire and get the hell out of here!"
"We can't just leave you all, man!" Lupin yelled back.
"You friggin' can and will! Goemon, cut it!"
With a nod, Goemon complied as he knew it was what must be done to carry on the heist. As hard as it was for him to see the string fall limp against the building he had just stood on while Jess and Jigen struggled to stay out of gunfire, he remained cold in all extremities so as to not express his guilt.
While the rest of the gang made their way to the car, Jigen had finally pulled the wounded woman from the side of the building.
"Well, we're stuck between a rock and a hard place," the gunman remarked with a sigh as the two took safety behind a large pile of storage crates. In the distance his friends became smaller and smaller until they disappeared into the building across the street.
"Jigen, put this in your pocket," Jess replied quickly as she removed some items from her medicine bag and handed them to them to the man seated next to her.
"What are they for?"
"My leg, I'll need them later."
"Are you able to walk?"
"Well, I can't fly as I found out."
"OK, I got an idea."
Before he could act, though, Lupin appeared again on the building across the way and shouted to the detective who was beginning to close in on the two who had been stranded.
"Hey Pops, you definitely missed me! I hope you aren't getting too old. I thought you were cleverer than that!"
"LUPIN!" Inspector Zenigata cried. "How did you men miss him? Get him you idiots!"
Giving his friends enough time to move, Lupin had distracted the Inspector just enough for them to make their way to the inconspicuous window-cleaner pulley that held tight against the building.
Blinded in his need to catch the master thief, Zenigata turned around in an attempt to head Lupin off on the street. While he and his confused men pushed through the small roof door, the doctor and the gunman made their way slowly to the pulley. Nearly dragging the girl, Jigen set her as carefully as possible on the plank and the jumped on himself.
"So, how much do you trust me," he asked eyeing the policemen.
"This question only means one thing."
"Yea, hold on."
Taking hold of the lever in one hand and the girl in the other (who clung on to her human crutch with all the courage that was left in her weakening frame) Jigen pushed it down and to the ground they flew.
Windows zoomed past, though Jess never saw as she kept her eyes closed. Although it would have been possible to go down slowly, it was not an option if they wished to stay ahead of the policemen and Yonner's guards who were sure to follow upon finding their boss in his drugged state.
As they neared the sidewalk below, the lamps of the Tokyo night began to brighten their way in their frightening decent, leaving the events of the night back at the top of the building. Closer and closer the pavement came and with a shove and a grunt, the gunman was able to stop the pulley a few feet from the ground.
"You didn't have to go that fast!"
Hoping down first from the plank, Jigen reached up and grabbed the wounded woman. People were beginning to gather at the sight of the pair. It wasn't every day people fell from the sky bleeding.
"I know, but we need to move. Grab onto my arm. It's going to be a long night."