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The Con is on ?
Carole smiled sweetly as the waitress came over with their drinks. She thanked the young girl who placed Dean's drink in front of him while she handed her the glass of orange juice. Dean raised an eyebrow.
"Jen, I thought we could toast the deal."
"We can chick." Carole smiled over the top of her glass. "I reckkon it is definately a deal worth toasting."
"Then?"
"What's with the orange juice?" Carole interupted him. "That is a very long story involving a cardiac bypass op and a massive sodding 'eart attack. And is for another time."
"You had a heart attack." Dean raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah. Doctors called it massive inferior MI. ST segment elevation n all. The works as the nurse on coronary care said."
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"What the Hell is she playing at?" Danny hissed. Sean rolled his eyes, he knew Danny had no idea how Carole worked or how good she really was.
"She." Sean paused, he couldn't help the smile on his face. "Is the best grifter I have ever met. Mickey and Ash included. Now shut up and let her do her job."
"She just told him she almost pegged out."
"She nearly died. True. Scared the living daylights out of us all. But she's fine now." Sean started the car engine. "She's a good girl."
"Telling the mark the truth?"
"Keep it as close as possible to reality. Less having to cover her tracks then. And if you hadn't noticed she has a ruddy great scar down her chest. If you hadn't noticed I'd bet it was the first thing he saw."
"Yeah well." Danny smirked. "I was always a leg man, myself."
"You are terrible mate." Sean laughed before pulling the car out in to the main traffic. Eddie and Albert were still there to watch ther grifter in action. He knew they had to be with Mickey and Emma if they were to ever stand a chancce of the con working or seeing Ash again.
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Emma stared up at the old warehouse. She knew Ash was in there somewhere, possibly with Rachel. The con had to work for them to be able to get in and get Ash out. Mickey closed his eyes for a moment. He felt sick to his stomach that one of his crew had got into danger again.
"Mickey?" Emma turned and rested a hand on his. "You ok?"
"Yeah." He sighed, forcing a smile on to his face.
"You don't have to pretend with me." She turned his hand over and twined her fingers with his. He met her eye for a moment, aware that the blonde woman could read him like a book. "You're scared stiff and worried sick about Ash."
"Yeah." Mickey sighed.
"It's not easy, is it?" She touched his face gently.
"What?"
"Always having to be the grown up. It's not much fun is it." She stated rather than asked. "How long have we got?"
"About five minutes from when either Albert or Carole text me." He sighed. "Em,"
"This is Ash we are talking about. He is fine. Probably annoyed as Hell but fine. He has to be."
"Yeah." Mickey held her hand to his face, kissing the palm gently. "You're right."
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"C'mon." Albert leant forward in his seat. The CCTV footage of the club filled the small screen of the computer in front of him. Carole could be clearly seen leaning slightly further forward than was strictly necessary. She smiled at the mark while Eddie ran a hand over his face.
"Where's Stacie?" Eddie asked. "I thought she always did stuff like this."
"Honey traps?" Albert almost scoffed the word. "We have never run a honey trap and we never will. Carole is the only person we know that Dean and Rachel will have no way of recognising."
"I'm not saying that." The kindly Liverpudlian began pacing the room. "I."
"Stacie is on her way to meet Emma and Mickey. She is fine."
"Good." Eddie sat back down heavily. "What can I do?"
"Stop panicking, trust your girlfriend and get me a drink. In that order." Albert smiled before shaking his head. He had no intention of telling the landlord how close they were to the con going dramatically wrong. As if Ash walking into a trap deliberately isn't enough to make the con go wrong. What the hell were you thinkng? My God man! Albert shook his head, pushed all thoughts of his friend to the back of his mind before returning his attention to the screen. Carole looked alot happier as she took the money from the greedy crook in front of her, she shook his hand and walking out of the club. Seconds later his mobile phone sprung to life.
"Carole, my dear."
"Alright Albert?" She half laughed into the phone. "Time to bring our boy home."
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A/N Just a filler. Nearly at the end. Please review.