Chapter 2 – The Untriumphant Return
The 7:47am train to London from Paris, England. 10:03am, 3rd November 2032.
Staring outside at the industrial buildings that whiz past at 300km/h, Alex Cooper can't help but think how much life can be like a blur and pass him by so quickly. If he ever wants to get his life on track, he has to start somewhere. Accepting that job offer from Tim seems to be the option for him right now, even if he paid a low wage it would still represent some sort of stable income instead of the sporadic payments from jobs he would do from delivering packages to scouting places. Nothing big came up, only small jobs. It was doing this process that he realized that his name carried zero weight in any discussion. 'You're a Cooper, it makes no difference' many of them said. While it hurt for him to hear that, it only spurred him on to try and become better, knowing that there would be no free pass to the top.
The usual cold and bitter weather of England seeps inside of the train despite the best attempts of controlling the temperature, so Alex simply changes the length of his blue top by pinching the end of the sleeve and pulling it down to a three quarter length before doing the same with his other sleeve. His tight plain blue shirt has adjustable sleeves due to the nanotechnology inside the fabric, it allows the wearer to easily change the length of their sleeves without having unsightly scrunched up sleeves. No longer does he need both long and short sleeve shirts when he has both in the one, but it's not that this technology is unique for him, it's not an uncommon accessory to see people wear nowadays. He could have had the same with his matte light grey skin tight shorts, that have large pockets on the sides (useful for stashing loot), so he could have long pants as well as short. But he never found his knees being cold especially with the thick coating of fur around the lower leg to keep him warm as the seasons turn towards winter. The dark grey fur drapes over his footwear; black, flat soled shoes that are extremely light whilst also being very flexible which helps as he curls his feet around a pole or on a wire to balance thanks to the graphene lining in the sole.
On the train, and indeed the carriage carrying Alex, most of the commuters are wearing suits making the cross country commute to do business dealing before returning home in the same day despite the advances in telecommunications. It's why most of the train is empty, only 30% of the seats are full. Computer's had grown more and more powerful according to Moore's law as well as internet speeds became faster and faster. This makes working from home a much more viable option than in the past as well as reducing the amount of business trips made, saving money in the process. Petroleum had grown more expensive as governments, wanting to actively reduce greenhouse gas emissions, incrementally increased the price of petrol to wean people off this habit. Petrol prices had rose to over 5 pounds a litre in England, making driving as well as air travel prohibitively expensive and only a thing for the wealthy unless the vehicle in question is electric, much like this train and most of the vehicles on the road nowadays.
The train slows down to a crawl as it approaches the station, a fusion of old and new architecture with it's brick walls and large ornate clock looking over the sea of glass and stainless steel below. Alex prepares himself by getting the two items of luggage he has taken over his travels: a large backpack that carries everything that he needed; clothes, identification, money, everything but one. That one item, more valuable than the entire contents of the backpack, rests inside a specially made rectangular case no more than 1.2 metres long and only 10cm high. Most people would think it's an electric guitar perhaps, but it's not, what use is an electric guitar in the world of thievery? Inside is his cane, surrounded by foam padding to protect it from knocks and bumps in transit, made from carbon fibre. He has another cane, the one that his dad used but it's too sentimental to take with him along with the real copy of the Thievius Raccoonus, those items he gave to his sister Erin to protect, she was the only one he could trust to keep them safe. Alex keeps a copy of the Thievius Raccoonus with him, but it's not like having the real thing.
"Welcome to London, the time is 10:09am and we will be disembarking shortly. Please take all of your items with you and we thank you for choosing this 7:47am service to travel to London this morning." The head of the cabin crew announces as the train inches it's way into the correct position to stop. Alex is already waiting by the door with the large backpack on his back and the case in his hand. As soon as the doors open, Alex steps out from the carriage and walks straight for the travelator to find the exit. But once he gets to the top, he spots someone wearing a suit and black tie, holding a board up with his name on it waiting down at the bottom. Alex knows that he didn't order a car to pick him up, so he grabs his phone out of his pocket and rings up Tim to check all the while he moves closer to the stranger. The phone rings, but he doesn't pickup. He's already called during one surgery today; therefore the walrus must be in one right now and not in a position to be disturbed. He spots the tan furred Labrador and analyses him from a distance, he can't see a firearm or a weapon on him, so he's not an assassin in disguise. Who would want him dead anyway? When he gets to the bottom, he look for the next place to walk so he can get away from this stranger, but he follows and approaches him, running to catch up with him.
"Mr. Cooper" He says from behind but Alex ignores him, he knows not to go with someone that approaches him.
"My employer wishes to acquire your services." He insists, sounding desperate, so Alex continues walking towards the taxi rank.
"He said it must be you." The chauffer insists. Alex takes one look back at him and stops, just to get him off his back.
"If you want a thief, there are many much better than me." He whispers to the chauffer.
"My employer says it must be you. If you don't come, I'll be fired." The chauffer warns.
"I'll send my condolences." Alex says coldly as he begins to walk off again. But before he has taken two steps, the chauffer has blocked his way.
"Please." The chauffer begs before reaching into his suit pocket, Alex readies himself to disarm the perceived gun he think he has in his jacket but it's an envelope. "This is an upfront payment, 2000 Euros, please accept it and let my employer talk to you."
Alex becomes more sceptical, but the contents of the envelope are genuine. It becomes clear that they really want his services, 2000 euros is more than what he was paid for doing crumby jobs overseas.
"Show me the car." Alex says, still sceptical but intrigued. He doesn't know of anyone who has contacted him about a job offer and was ready to just bolt away, but 2000 euros certainly talks it's own very persuasive language. He follows the chauffer to the car, a luxurious black sedan with incomparable lustre on the paintwork. Even in the gloomy English weather, it reflects every beam of light brightly. The chauffer opens the boot for him where he places his backpack, the case it too long for the boot so he slides across the width of the back seat in the foot well. It was better for him that it was too long, he doesn't like to leave it out of his sight, not for a second. The grey leather seats are so much more comfortable than any other piece of furniture he's ever sat on, it's like it's cradling his body softly as the supple leather contorts to fit the shape of his body. But it's not the most striking feature of the car, as he will soon find out.
The chauffer gets in the driver's seat and shuts the door before handing over two items to Alex from the front seat, a pair of goggles and a set of headphones.
"Put them on, it's the only way you'll see the holographic projection in here." The chauffer instructs before he turns on the cars engine, not that he could hear it, the electric motor turns on without the slightest hint. Alex first puts on the goggles that looks like a pair of ski goggles with the completely silver finish on the front, meaning no one can see inside. After putting on the goggles he puts the headphones over them, luckily for Alex the cars windows are tinted heavily so no one can see how bad this awkward combination looks from the outside.
"Beginning call." The chauffer announces through the headphones. Four lights mounted at various points begin to turn on and power up, the projector like lenses begin to focus the light as they coalesce into a single clear image standing on top of the centre console between the two front seats. The image has a blue tinge and stands about 40 centimetres tall. An older raccoon looks at Alex, standing up straight wearing suit that's not black but closer to a dark maroon or purple, the buttons on his jacket are much lighter, white or perhaps gold. The long pants are the same maroon colour, going all the way down to his ankles to his black leather loafers. In his chest, he wears a deep red cravat that rises all the way to just below his neck. His fur, grey, but a much lighter grey, greyer than Alex or even the shorts Alex is wearing.
"Good morning Alex." He begins in a distinct Italian accent. "My name is Antonio Regazoni, but all my friends call me 'il ladro' or ladro for short. I hope we can be friends."
Ladro, Italian for thief.
"What's the job?" Alex asks.
"Straight to the point I see. It's not a job, but a whole series of heists leading up to the biggest heist in history." Antonio explains.
"Why me? I'm sure there are much better thieves than me, even you're probably better than me." Alex reasons.
"Because, it would make me happy to see the next Cooper in action." Antonio replies.
"Listen, I've had to learn the hard way that my name is worth nothing in this world to others." Alex argues.
"But yet somehow your family name rises to the top every time. I don't see why you can't do the same." Antonio says. "I've gotten old and I can no longer do the heists that I want to do and I can't leave this place otherwise I fear I'll be found by the authorities, so all you'll see of me is in these holographic calls and messages."
"But what do you gain out of this by taking a novice and throwing him into the deep end?" Alex asks, still unsure about why it must be him doing this.
"What I get is the satisfaction, even the pleasure and privilege, of conversing, teaching and watching soon to be the world's best thief alive. And no, I won't get you raiding art galleries straight away, one must crawl before they can walk and walk before they can run and run before they can steal diamonds!" He says with excitement.
"The last heist is stealing diamonds?" Alex asks.
"Just keep it in the back of your head for now, that's far away, and who said it will be the last heist, that's only the last heist I have planned for you. If you want, after it's done, I can find more heists or you can leave and go your own path. Either way, I will feel I've done something honourable in my life." Antonio explains.
"You're placing too much confidence in me." Alex warns.
"Haven't you ever felt the rush to walk up to a roulette table and put it all on black?" Antonio asks rhetorically.
"No." Alex answers puzzlingly.
"Anyway, you're not doing this alone. I've assembled a team for you to work with, if you don't like them then I can find others, but I think they should be the ideal combination." Antonio explains. "They'll be waiting for you at the end destination, which should be in less than 30 seconds. So, when you arrive, go to the 10th floor of the apartment building and enter apartment 10A."
"How will I get in? Do you have a key?" Alex asks.
"If you can't break into my own apartment building then I'll know I need to work on much more with you than I thought." Antonio explains. "I'll meet you upstairs."
The hologram goes away as the lights turn off and the car arrives outside an apartment building in the centre of London.
"I'll be waiting in the underground parking garage, so you won't need your equipment except for your cane." The chauffeur explains. "And take it out of the case, you might need it."
Alex takes off the goggles, headphones, his seatbelt and leans over to unlock the thin case, revealing his prized possession. He slowly takes it out of the case and rests it on his lap before placing the case on the back seat of the car.
"I just need to grab my gloves from by backpack." Alex says as he gets out of the car and goes to the back of the car and hears the boot unlock. He opens the latch for his backpack and search for his pair of tight black gloves with a rubber like layer around the palm to help grip on surfaces. Alex shuts the boot and proceeds to grab his cane. But the car begins to pull away with the side door still open. Alex goes into a sprint and reaches inside with his left hand, pulling out the cane from the bottom of the shaft and closing the door with his right, the chauffer not making any sort of apologetic gesture as he drives around the corner. Standing in the footpath, as people walk by in both directions, Alex looks up at the height of the building. It must be over 20 stories tall, so it shouldn't take long to get up to the apartment.
Alex walks up to the large glass front door and looks at the keypad, above it is a sign carved in metal and coloured black.
'To dial apartment, press the number then the hash key to select letter.'
Easy enough, Alex thinks. He presses 1, then 0 then presses the hash key once for apartment 10A. He presses the enter key and hears the apartment intercom dial. He hears the lock beep twice and a light turn to green, unlocking the door.
"Too easy." Alex mutters to himself, small wins are enough for him. He walks inside to the empty lobby, a mixture of exposed concrete and laminated stone floors with a few pieces of modern art and furnishings to add a splash of colour. Alex casually walks towards the lift and cockily swings around the cane and presses the up button with the butt of the cane. He thinks it's impressive as he finds a security camera watching him from the far corner and thinks that Antonio must be watching from these cameras. As the doors swing open, Alex gives a small wave to the camera as he strolls inside and presses the button for the tenth floor. What test could this be, Alex thinks. He realizes what the catch is when the elevator suddenly stops about 5 seconds after it started moving up.
"Very funny." Alex says to the security camera inside the elevator.
"You see, this happened once to me in India. I know what to do." Alex begins to explain to the camera as he proceeds to force open the elevator doors. When he fully opens them up, he sees that he's stuck perfectly between the 4th and 5th floors. The gap above and below the large concrete slab is too small for Alex to crawl through.
"Okay, you got me there." Alex comments to the camera. He spots the roof hatch on the roof of the elevator, exactly where you'd expect to find a roof hatch. He realizes it's the only way out of the elevator carriage and this is the test he has to pull himself through. Alex turn the cane around so the shaft is facing upwards and pushes it against the hatch, it's secured shut. Alex begins thrusting the cane against the hatch to try and bust it open, it takes several repeated blows straight to the lock but it finally gives away as if flings open onto the top of the elevator car with a loud twang as it collides on the exposed steel. The elevator shaft extends into darkness where the top can't be seen from this far down; only the steel cables reach into the abyss above. It's up those cables that Alex must climb to reach the 10th floor. In order to do so, he has to first get on top of the elevator car. He switches the cane into his left hand and jumps up as high as he can, grabbing the top of the elevator with one hand and holding himself up.
While he holds himself up, the raccoon puts the cane into his mouth and reaches up with his other hand. It's held in his mouth next to the hook so as he pulls himself up, he tilts his head 90 degrees so he can fit the can through as well. It's not the most pretty of exits, but then again, aesthetics aren't the main objective. Alex stands up and sizes up the challenge, a 5 and a half story climb up a steel cable. Placing the cane back in his mouth (he thinks he needs a more hygienic way to do this), he takes a two step run up as the cable and jumps up as high as possible, gripping it with both hands and quickly winding his feet around the cable to prevent them from slipping. With a stable position, he begins to climb up the cable quickly, going at just under a metre per second, counting the number of floors he passes. Climbing had always been easy for Alex, from when he started out in the remote forests of Sweden to more challenging climbs like telephone poles, crane booms and skyscrapers under construction.
When he reaches the 10th floor, opposite the elevator doors, he stops and analyses the situation. There is a small ledge, barely 10cm deep just before the elevator doors, whereas Alex is 1 metre away from reaching the doors. With the cane in his hand he could reach it but not force the doors open. There are some motors on the top of the door to open and close them in time with the elevator; perhaps there is a button to open them from the inside. Alex reaches out with the cane to find such a button but it's hard to look when he is trying to hold onto the cable at the same time. After climbing up a bit higher for a better view, he spots a large red button on the left. He reaches out from the cable and presses it with the hook of the cane. The doors open and immediately Alex throws the cane into the landing area before he jumps down as far forwards as he can, performing a forward roll as he lands in the lobby. As he stands up and collects his cane, the doors close again. He didn't think about how long they would stay open for, but he knew that he had to move fast. Looking around for the correct apartment, he finds it on the left of the corridor with the apartment number written on the front.
Alex tries the door but it's locked, he knocks on it as well but there is no answer. The something shiny catches his eye, a paperclip just resting on the ground so coincidentally. He knows this has to be a set up. With a sigh, he bends over and picks up the paperclip, bending it out into a straightish line before working his magic on the lock. Within 10 seconds, he unlocks the door and swings it open to discover who will be his partners in crime.