****
Frank took great care to contact the necessary authorities the previous week after he and Shay hatched the plan to stage the bank robbery. From bank President to the Federal Banking Reserve, he'd contacted them all. The cleaning crew had been notified not to show up at their normal time; they would be contacted when they could come back to work.
Because Shay and Alex, at the request of Rooney, would be required at the bank in their UC personas, Frank had requested a FBI team to pose as the bank guards. A courier dropped off the uniforms and ID badges for the "cleaning crew" and all was in place for the sting to get underway at 9 p.m.
Concealed in the van less than a block away, he and Cody double checked mic and camera feed as the hour drew near. "Shay, Alex...check in," Frank commanded.
"Here," Alex replied in a whisper. "It's very... eerie in a bank at night."
"Copy that," Shay agreed. "Are the guards in place?"
"Affirmative. Be ready for a distraction to get Rooney into the safe depository. Make it believable."
"I'm ready," Shay acknowledged.
9 p.m. on the dot the cleaning van approached the rear entrance of the bank. Rooney sat in the passenger's seat. He turned to Ricky and said, "Let's go. With this job, we'll be set for life."
Ricky nodded as they pushed open their doors and then opened the rear door for the remainder of the crew to exit. Cleaning Supplies and equipment were grabbed up and carried to the door by the jumpsuit clad group. Ricky found himself holding his breath while they waited for the guard to unlock the door and let them inside the bank.
Frank watched the cleaning crew enter the building through the surveillance cameras mounted throughout the building. The guards moved off, letting the crew go about their business, but kept watch over their movements, as would be expected. From the far side of the screen, he noticed a pair of shapely legs enter the picture and heard the tap-tap of her high heels echo through the empty bank through the audio feed.
"Ms. Cameron," the guard acknowledged the woman.
"Pete," she replied. "If you'll excuse me a moment, I need to borrow a few of these gentlemen. I had a bit of an accident up in the boardroom and knocked over the plant stand. There's dirt everywhere."
"Of course, Ma'am," Pete agreed readily and watched as she approached the group and instructed three of the men to follow her. He noticed the men that followed also brought a vacuum cleaner with them.
Once out of earshot of the guard, Shay spoke, "This way," she instructed leading them past the elevator to the boardroom to the lower level where the safe deposits were kept.
Alex heard the sound of footsteps in the quiet hall long before Shay arrived with Rooney, Ricky and the one called Deuce. "It's about time," she whispered harshly and watched while Deuce set the vacuum against the wall. "Let's get this over with."
"Hand over the keys, Blondie," Rooney instructed with his hand held outstretched, palm upward. "Tell me the box number the bonds are in."
"1248," she snarled and tossed him the key. "Hurry it up, before the guards become suspicious."
"Security cameras?" Ricky asked suddenly.
Andrea frowned and shook her head. "None in this section. It's a violation of privacy to view what goes in or out of these boxes."
He nodded and turned his attention back to Rooney, who was busily emptying the deposit box for 1248.
"C'mon, Ricky...fill those bags and let's get the hell outta Dodge."
"What the hell does it look like I'm doing?" he spat while he shoved the documents into one of the bags they had pulled from their jumpsuits.
"Just shut up and get it done and get the hell out of my bank," Shay groused.
"Zip it, Blondie," Rooney ordered hatefully. "I'm not beyond killing you just for the helluvit."
"Okay, that's the last of 'em," Deuce announced, handing the stack of bonds to Ricky. "Let's go."
Ricky nodded and picked up the bags, tossing one to Rooney. He motioned to the door, "Ladies first."
Shay and Alex took the lead in returning to the lobby. Ricky and Rooney joined the cleaning crew, who gathered their supplies and made for the rear entrance of the bank.
"Ms. Cameron? Just a moment, please?"
Rooney turned at the sound of the guard's voice. The one Blondie had called Pete.
"What is it, Pete?" Shay asked, knowing what was about to go down."
"I need to see those bags, Ma'am," he answered hesitantly.
"Of course," she replied and reached for the bag that Rooney held.
Growling, he snatched the bag away and drew his gun.
"Take 'em down!" Frank's voice bellowed over the ear mics. Shay absently noted that he sounded breathless and knew he was out of the van and running toward the bank. While Rooney took aim at the scattering security guards, Shay and Alex reached under the hems of their dresses and withdrew the guns fastened to the inside of their thighs.
Rooney spied their movement and reach out for the closest woman - Andrea. He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her toward him. As he did, he brought the butt of his gun down on her hand, causing her to drop the gun she held.
"Sonofabitch!" Alex cursed from the pain that screamed through her hand.
"Give it up, Rooney," Shay demanded, leveling her gun at him. She carefully eyed the rest of the crew, who now had their guns trained on her.
"You've got nowhere to go," Pete yelled, showing himself from behind the desk at the far side of the lobby. His two partners also appeared from behind two other nearby desks.
Rooney surveyed the lobby carefully as he and his crew backed out of the lobby with Andrea positioned in front of him. "What the fuck is this?" he glared at Shay.
"Let her go, Rooney...it's over!" Rickey shouted. "Don't make this worse than it has to be. We go down for felony bank robbery...let's not add murder to the tab."
"We've been set up, you stupid prick! Can't you see that?" he spat and firmed his grip as he took aim at Shay.
"Take cover Shay…" Cody warned in her ear. Shay slid behind a nearby desk.
Keeping the other crewmembers in sight, Ricky turned to Rooney and leveled his gun at the man's head. "I can see that," he answered coolly as he flipped open his credentials. "Federal agent. You're under arrest."
"Fuck that! I'm not..."
"Give it up," Alex bit out and struggled against the hold he had on her hair. "You fight this and he'll put a bullet through your brain. Do you want to die?"
"Bullshit," Deuce yelled as he ran for the rear entrance. "I'm not going down..."
Shay noted from her vantage point from behind the desk that Deuce returned slowly to the lobby. A wicked smile spread on her mouth when she saw Frank come through the doorway, dressed in his black tactical outfit, his gun trained firmly at the center of Deuce's forehead. A sudden thought of just how damned sexy he was in black flashed through her mind before she mentally admonished herself for her thoughts.
Jake reached over and took Rooney's gun as he released Alex. "It's over," he said as he watched Frank rid Deuce of his gun and the other FBI agents take the weapons from the rest of the crew.
Shay joined Frank and the team while Rooney and his gang were cuffed and lead from the room. "So, how'd we do, BossMan?"
"You all did a damn good job," he praised before taking her elbow and leading her away from the group. "Close call, there, Donovan," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her.
"It wasn't that close, baby. We've had closer," she reasoned and molded herself to his firm body. "Damn you look fine in these things," she commented as she tugged on the black material. "Wear these home tonight and I'll let you have your way with me," she purred.
Frank chuckled and kissed her hungrily. "A little interrogation role play?" he grinned wickedly.
Shay patted his hip and felt the thick metal handcuffs. "Yeah...don't forget your equipment."
With his lips just a breath from hers he teased, "You know I have ways of making you scream."
Shay's body quivered at his playful threat. "Yes, you do...and many times over."
Alex was rubbing her wrist where a bruise was already forming from the butt stroke Rooney had given her. She half smiled as she watched Frank and Shay in their half-hidden location. Just as she was about to turn to Jake and congratulate him, she heard his voice in a hushed whisper.
"Yeah… I know it's late. Can you come by in an hour?"
Alex groaned. This was not going to be easy to tell Shay and Frank. As Jake shut off his phone and turned back to her with a questioning look, a plan formed in her mind.
****