Chapter 8 – Early Rise and Fall
Central London, England. 6:23am, 4th November 2032.
"Wake up."
Alex opens up his eyes in surprise and instantly fumbles for his mirror that doesn't find his body. This is why he can't use an alarm.
"Wake up Alex."
He tries to calm down and eventually succeeds in less than half a minute. What could 'Il Ladro' want to do more than ironically steal his sleeping time?
"I'm up." Alex replies as he gets up and kneels on the couch to see the hologram watching down on him.
"I'm sorry to wake you up, but you have to move quickly, he's already left for the bank." Antonio warns.
"The bank doesn't open till 10am." Alex argues.
"Neither does the bank hold accounts for drug dealers." Antonio counters.
"How do you know all of this?" Alex asks after digesting his comeback.
"I have friends in this business who have some favours indebted to me." Antonio explains.
"How long do I have?" Alex asks.
"Not long, just go, hurry!" He urges, which prompts Alex to race towards Matt's room and trigger the silent alarm.
"Get up, the heist is starting!" Alex shouts. "Tyson get up!"
He has no time to check if they actually do wake up, he's too focused on the task he has to accomplish. He reaches for his cane, backpack, earpiece and glasses and race out of the apartment and down the stairs like before. Even though he is tired and hungry, the heist happens when it happens. He races out of the front door and into the darkness of the early morning, following the same path that he took last time. Once on the roof of the apartments, he goes into a full sprint. As he does so, Matt's face appears in the top left corner.
"Thanks for getting up." Alex says as he runs along.
"Cut to the chase, you have to get to the bank and look out for this courier and the way he's carrying the money. We'll have to adapt depending on what he's using to carry the money." Matt warns.
"I've got it covered." Alex says.
"You don't know if he's going to be using a duffel bag or a suitcase or a backpack or even if he or she's got a ride." Matt argues.
"2 million dollars is about 20 kilos of money. I can do maths as well." Alex replies.
"Very funny." Matt replies, unamused.
After jumping onto the side of the building, sneaking across the side, climbing up to the next set of buildings running to the end, not needing to get across to the building he was on before, Alex can see the bank, unopened and secure, only because of the exterior lamps outside this bank.
"Just stay focused on the bank, I'm going to help watch." Matt says as Alex sees Tyson walk past in the camera feed, fully clothed this time.
"Get Tyson to go to the bank as well." Alex instructs to Matt.
"He can hear you." Matt says.
"What?" Tyson exclaims.
"Go to the bank and help out Alex." Matt instructs.
"I was hoping to get a workout in this morning." Tyson argues.
"Later, now go, and put these on." Matt says as he hands out a set of sunglasses and earpiece. Tyson takes some time fiddling the earpiece into his ear, which annoys Matt.
"Hurry up." Matt says, clearly agitated.
"I'm going." Tyson says as he runs towards the door. Alex sits and watches the bank with all the alertness he has for this hour.
"I forgot to ask, the scan, the virus scan. How did that go?" Alex asks since there's nothing else that's better to do.
"I haven't checked yet, I'll do it now." Matt says as he switches programs on his computer.
"The phone's clean and…" Matt says calmly before seeing the results of his own 'secure' computer.
"Is it bad?" Alex asks. Matt doesn't answer, too embarrassed to say so, instead he puts a screen capture of his computer in Alex's view. He doesn't understand all of the computer terminology in front of him.
"Explain it to me." Alex asks.
"Ransomware, my computer's being ransomed." Matt says despairingly.
"But it's right in front of you" Alex says, unfamiliar with the concept.
"No, they've locked all the files so I can't access them, we have to pay money into an account to unlock them again." Matt explains. "The amount is very precise, £1,975,301."
"You don't think that's the exact amount of money I'm about to steal?" Alex asks.
"It's a safeguard in case we steal it." Matt says. "JLP really wants his money."
"I think I can see the courier coming down the street." Alex says. Matt's face just turns to complete disbelief as he says this, at the same time, Alex's view of the computer screen is suddenly cut off. What Matt sees on his end is nothing short of an obscene taunt, this is a message meant specifically for Matt.
Good morning… I want my money… you want your computer… There's only one way this can happen…
The typed words appear on the screen, row by row, revealing their sadistic plot.
If you warn him... I corrupt your computer… if you don't… I remove the virus. Ready?
"Matt?" Alex asks, hoping it's a temporary glitch as he stares intently at the courier walking casually and slowly towards the bank.
Meanwhile in the apartment, the mood is simply of futile dread. The feeling of being not in control and with nothing to stop it's impending course. It's what he sees right now on the screen, a camera from right behind Alex's position only 5 metres or so, attached to the chest of this assailant.
"Alex! Someone's behind you!" He says completely in vain into the camera, hoping that he can save Alex. Matt expects to see Alex turn around and fight this attacker, but he doesn't move, almost paralysed at watching the courier. The computer is replicable, as is most of the data on it in the form of backups, but there is no replacing Alex. The person puts a silent hand in front of the camera and stretches out his fingers including the thumb; A countdown, until what?
Matt can't look but he has to, half turned away and yet staring at the same time. Matt's furious that he didn't hold up his end of the bargain, but the rat is quickly learning that honour is a far off ideology for this person. One finger retracts, and then another, and another before the thumb retracts painfully slowly for added infliction of pain unto Matt.
"Hello." The person greets from behind. Alex turns his head but it's too late, he is too slow to react. The assailant's out stretched arms lash out at Alex, trying to shift the raccoon over the edge. Alex tumbles forward towards the edge and tries to stick out his hands to grip onto the edge. The figure moves forward calmly but urgently and kneels down to prevent the raccoon from surviving, in the process, he changes the camera to an infrared vision to depict Alex hanging invisibly off the edge of the building. He reaches out for his fingertips and begins to release them from their grip. It may be dark, but the voice gives it away even if it has changed significantly since he last heard it. Alex tries his best to hold on and regain his stability.
"Goodbye." The assailant says with a sarcastic sigh, as he lifts the last hand off the edge to send the raccoon plummeting towards the ground, he doesn't even need to see him hit the ground to know that he has done so. A job done quickly, he turns off the camera and begins to run off and hide before the sun fully rises.
However, Alex did not hit the ground or anything on the ground, he only fell one story and simply latched on to the edge of a window. He hangs invisibly off the edge, figuring out whether to go up or down. The climb up is almost impossible due to a lack of hand and foot holds. With time running out, Alex drops down one story again before waiting in a gap in the foot traffic to drop down to ground level. He instantly looks for a place to hide, somewhere where he can reappear without being suspicious. He finds a dark corner near a shop door and checks himself to make sure he's actually seeing himself and not a mental image of where he should be. All the while, he takes little peaks at the highly clothed person walking along the opposite side of the street who approaches the bank with an unaltered calm pace who now waits outside the bank. Alex decides to also wait to see what he is doing and find out what sort of method the courier is using to carry the money. Alex sees a clerk peak out of the door and pass out two black duffle bags, both of which look heavy.
Since the glasses aren't receiving any communication, he reaches to take them off but just as he touches them, they begin transmitting.
"You fixed it." Alex gleefully says, some good news for this morning.
"No, I didn't. But we…" Matt begins to explain.
"Then who did?" Alex asks.
"That's the courier right there, Tyson should be nearby to help you out." Matt explains.
"Thanks for that." Alex replies, but he's detected that something in Matt's general speech is off. "Are you okay?"
"We can talk about it later, for now, 2 mil right in front of us." Matt says, trying to get Alex, and himself, to focus on the issue at hand.
"Right." Alex notes as he watches the courier begin to walk down the street as casually as he arrived except that he's slowed down somewhat by the weight of all the cash. "I'm moving in."
"Don't be seen or he might bolt." Matt warns. "Tyson?"
"Yes." Tyson radios in, still getting used to the earpiece.
"Do you see Alex and the courier up ahead?" Matt asks. Tyson is about 100 metres away from Alex down the street.
"I see the courier but not… wait I see Alex, he's crossing the road." Tyson notes.
"Alex, Tyson is down the road." Matt warns.
"Got it." Alex whispers as he nears the courier. Silently, he retracts his cane and looks for what to do. The courier holds one bag in each hand, with each bag almost touching the ground as he walks along. He sees the one place that would get them both at the same time, the fleece covered neck. Alex raises his cane and wraps it around his neck, forcing him backwards towards the ground. The bags hit the ground almost instantly, but he makes sure that the courier doesn't, Alex wants answers.
"Who is your employer?" Alex asks furiously, hanging him by the neck from his cane. The courier buckles his knees to lever himself up and sit on the ground.
"Who?!" Alex asks harshly as the courier tries to break free by pulling down on the cane to unbalance his attacker. Alex is not fazed and is too intent on getting this one answer from his victim.
"Take the money, just let me go!" He begs having tried so hard to stay silent.
"Who is your employer?!" Alex asks again.
"I don't know!" He pleas. He sounds like he's younger than Alex and that really puts the raccoon off. He freezes in the middle of the street as the courier kid scrabbles his way to safety, running at top speed down the street. Alex sees him take off and lets him be, he's got these bags of cash to take. Alex opens up the zipper of a bag and finds bundles of cash that light up Alex's eyes; his first big payday. However, that elation turns to confusion as he inspects one of the notes. The large picture of the king has been altered significantly.
Alex looks back up again to see where the courier has gone, thinking about whether to chase after him or not considering how far away he is right now. But that decision is made up for him as he sees Tyson burst from one side of the street and drag him back, unable to match up to the tiger's brute strength.
"Can you analyse this face?" Alex asks, holding a fake 100 pound note in front of the glasses.
"I'm guessing it's him." Matt says straight away.
"I know who it is." Alex says, confidently but nervously.
"It's…." Matt tries to answer as a pang of dread rushes through his body, it's brings back haunting memories.
"Wait, are you okay?" Alex asks as he watches Tyson escorts the courier down the street towards Alex. Matt holds his head in his hands, not wanting to been seen as he descends into the traumatic horror.
"I need a minute." Matt says with difficulty, Matt's feed goes away as Tyson shepherds the courier back to Alex.
"I caught this guy running off, thought you might need him back." Tyson says as the courier gulps in his throat.
"Thanks." Alex says before grabbing a bundle of 'money' out of the bags. "What is this?"
The courier is reluctant to answer but Tyson cracks his knuckles in his fists and that action makes him pop.
"I promise, it's not counterfeit." The courier worriedly answers.
"Then, answer me, what is this?" Alex asks, not a politely as before.
"It's money, yes, it's money." The courier states adamantly but nervously.
"No it's not, this is paper, this is fake!" Alex states.
"No it's real! Please, I beg you." The courier argues, worried there's punishment if he doesn't convince them of his views.
"How is this real money then?" Alex interrogates forcefully.
"It's a currency! A currency!" The courier argues again.
"Okay then." Alex begins sceptically. "Are the contents of these bags worth anything?"
"Yes!"
"How much?"
"I don't know!"
"Approximately."
"2 million."
"I mean, compared to real pounds, real dollars, real money; how much are these worth?" Alex asks finally.
"Nothing." The courier answers from under the mountain of clothes.
"Okay, I've had it, just go." Alex commands irately.
"Shouldn't we…?" Tyson begins.
"He doesn't know anything." Alex explains. "Just let him go."
Tyson lets the courier runs straight past him as fast as he did before. Alex calms down a bit before trying to lug one of the bags onto his shoulders to carry.
"Let me take them, it won't suffice for a morning workout, but it will do." Tyson reasons as he picks up the two packs and begins lifting them up and down beside him with outstretched arms as they walk back to the apartment, hoping to workout out his arms on the way.
"You know, when I cracked my knuckles, I just did it for effect, like in the movies. I didn't think it would actually work." Tyson comments as they both walk away, hoping to get this money to the apartment in a timely manner so they can all eat something for breakfast. Alex stays silent, trying to piece together the courier's words and figure out what he meant.
"Listen, if in anyway I was a dick when I was a kid…" Tyson begins to explain, now rich if this money is worth something, he doesn't want to be out of favour with someone he bullied at school.
"You don't have to bring it up, everyone starts at a clean slate, okay? 10 years is a long time, people change, everyone changes."
There couldn't be a more poignant statement.