Chapter 17 – Sabotage
Zurich, Switzerland. 8:25pm, 5th November 2032.
"You're not happy with just the one million are you?"
"Not in the slightest."
"You don't care about the poker game." Alex accuses as he puts his cane in front of him as a defensive manoeuvre.
"All I care about is removing the constant boredom that I have, so I followed you here and… well, here we are." Jeremy says as he tries to saunter into the secret vault area, but Alex asserts his position.
"You're not getting in here." Alex warns.
"I don't see why not." Jeremy replies casually as he sticks out a leg just to taunt him, it makes Alex fake a jink forward which Jeremy anticipates and doesn't react to it.
"I'm not that stupid, going in there unarmed against you." Jeremy says sarcastically as he walks back to the black curtain that is still drawn across the front of the main vault. Alex uses his back tracking to move into the safe deposit box room to better guard the only entrance into the hidden safe room.
"Behold!" He says theatrically before raising the curtain to reveal a shackled antelope held in place by two henchmen. "The key to the safe!"
Arnold hangs quietly in the grip of the guards, preserving the confidence of the bank for as long as he is employed. The one security guard that helped open the safe is lying on the ground, dead.
"A social experiment, 30 seconds to save his life, the only way to do so is to tell me the combination to the safe. If not… let's just say it'll be painful." Jeremy warns before turning to the old antelope. "Oh, and you can play too to save your own life as well. So! Time starts now."
"Do not tell him anything." Arnold instructs to Alex. The next few seconds are full of tense silence. Jeremy checks his watch constantly to make sure he is on the exact right time.
"Okay, I'll play your game." Alex says, having thought of what he considers to be a brilliant idea. "It's a code with 3 billion digits with 4 options for each of the 3 billion digits. If did the math, then it'd take me too long. You know that too many combinations for you to crack, even with a supercomputer.
"I've got time, start listing each one down." Jeremy instructs. "Does it start with an A? or a C?, a G? or a T? I must say that one of the best explanations of a DNA secured lock I've heard of. That means the key is on you right now." Jeremy deduces.
Alex bursts forward to hit him with the cane in revenge. The first noise he hears is the crack of carbon fibre on Le Paradox as he strikes him in the side just below the ribs. The next noise he hears are the involuntary shouts and screams from the guards one by one in quick succession. Alex is more distracted by this than Jeremy who uses the time to try and pull a sneaky one on him that Alex is alive to it just before he kicks him, using his cane to block. Alex then hooks his cane around the leg of Le Paradox, holding his leg up to unbalance him.
"Alex, let's get out of here!" Matt exclaims from just outside the safe door.
"Matt?" Alex shouts as he trips Jeremy over by flicking over his leg using the cane.
"No time, the police are coming!" Matt says. "Hurry!"
Alex trips the skunk, sending him to the ground, and runs around the corner to get out of the safe, once Matt sees Alex sprinting, he turns to catch up to him.
"How'd you get in?" Alex asks as they climb up the stairs, Alex much faster than Matt, which means he gets to see the reason of how Matt got in. The front glass door is shattered and there are bodies lying on the ground, at least 5 just from his vantage point, the guards at the door, the guards at the top of the stairs, even the receptionist. This was not Matt's bidding, it's what he saw on the way in.
"Oh, Jeez." Alex exclaims in horror. "Oh no."
"Come on Alex, we need to move!" Matt says, unaffected by the presence of death around him, so much so that Alex is somewhat paralysed by the sight of it all.
"He's right." Jeremy says as he jogs up the stairs straight past them, unaffected by everything around him. "Until next time." He says, abandoning his personnel and walks straight past the lingering stench of death that is floating around the foyer without a second thought. Alex is half paralysed, unable to move.
"They're dead, we can't help them." Matt says from the top of the stairs. Alex is still shocked at the sight, Matt has to return to him to try and restart him.
"Snap out of it!" Matt says, snapping his fingers in front of his face. He sees Alex's eyes dart to his face. "Move!"
Alex starts moving slowly forward, as if he was trying to sneak past a security guard, one that's still living. Matt puts his arm around him to drag him forward and uses the other to cover his eyes, hoping the sensory deprivation will get him through this.
"Don't look, just keep moving." Matt says calmly as he ushers him through the lobby floor and towards the front door. He brings him to the front and onto the footpath where he receives fresh air and Alex knows that he's no longer in the private bank anymore.
"Am I outside?" Alex asks quickly.
"Yeah, yeah." Matt replies, uncovering his face to see the nearly empty street.
"K, ok, let's get to a safe spot." Alex instructs, hearing the sirens in the distance. He sprints off ahead of Matt around the bank and along the street; occasionally slowing down to make sure he doesn't lose him. Alex moves into small alleyway where there is no one watching. Surprisingly to Alex, Matt is the least tired out of the two of them.
"Are you seriously scared of dead people, of bodies?" Matt asks as Alex leans against a wall to just recoup himself.
"Don't act like it's some flaw, okay. It's just, I saw them all alive only 10 minutes before and then; because of me, they're dead." Alex moans.
"No, It's because of Jeremy's henchmen that they are dead." Matt reassures him.
"I'm not as mentally tough as you are, what was that video game or something you played when I first saw you?" Alex asks to himself.
"I didn't play it and it's not the reason why…" Matt tries to explain but Alex isn't buying it in his emotionally distraught and stubborn state.
"How can't you be… affected by this? Those are people dead… dead! Real people, not on a screen, people that exist and have families and…" Alex rants in self-loathing.
"Alex, take it easy here." Matt tries to assure him.
"Do you not feel anything?" Alex moans.
"Alex, you're overreacting." Matt says, turning his calmness into being unpleased with his reaction.
"You have a heart of steel, not of flesh!" Alex rants.
"Alex…"
"Are you as cold as the skunk?!"
"Alex…"
"What?!"
"If you're wondering, it's because of this that you're out here and not in there with another dead body." He says, holding out a taser that he quickly replaces into his pocket.
"You shot them?" Alex asks. "How could you?"
"They're not dead, they'll be fine in a couple of minutes after the tingling sensation dies down once their in the back of a police van." Matt explains. "It's a Taser remember, not what they used."
Alex is still deeply distraught and in shock, his hands are a little jittery much unlike their usual controlled selves.
"We have to hide somewhere." Alex says, like a sudden impulse has overridden him. "We have to get away from here."
"Woah there." Matt says, tugging back on Alex's shirt from running off. "You're the thief, you know that if were going to not act suspicious that we have to stay calm, we walk, not run. You're not thinking straight; you have to take a break. Take a week off, go back to London, to your sister Erin. In fact, I'll call her now; she'll sort you out. Can you pass your phone?"
"No, I'll do it." Alex says, reluctantly getting his phone out and dials for Erin. It dials some more and then some more before it goes to a message.
"Sorry I couldn't answer, and if this is Alex calling I'll call you back as soon as I can." It says. Even the sound of her voice in such a bland and controlled setting seems to have a positive effect on him that Matt notices.
"You should go take a break with your sister, stay with her for a week or so then we can revaluate our plans unless Antonio decides he doesn't want some art adorned on his walls." Matt suggests.
Alex is trying to fight the suggestion out of selfish stubbornness, but in truth it's what he wants to do.
"Do it for yourself, you're not pulling any heists in this state." Matt warns. There is a brief pause as Alex thinks it all though, staring blankly at the opposite wall. "'you there?"
"Yeah… yeah, I should do that." Alex agrees but that past few minutes have been troubling for him, the whole ordeal is troubling for him. Alex slowly slides down the wall until he's sitting on the ground with his legs pressed close to his body. "Here…"
Alex opens his pocket and fishes out the diamonds he wanted to give to the rat.
"Take these." Alex insists.
"Their… massive. These will work perfectly." Matt thanks to his sullen friend as he looks at them in all of their beautiful shining glory.
"You can go, I just want to sit here for a bit." Alex says, the pavement has never felt so comfortable.
"I'm not going till you leave first." Matt says as he sees an ambulance whizz past with it's siren wailing and it's lights flashing that briefly illuminate the alley. He turns around and Alex is no longer there, however, he's not fooled. He moves back to the exact spot to where Alex was sitting and extends out his arm, expecting to feel something he can't see. He reaches into the corner and touches nothing until the side of the building. He looks down the other side of the alleyway and just catches a glimpse of a raccoon running off around the corner with a cane in their hand. He wonders what changed his mind so quickly but he realises that it doesn't matter, he's just glad that he did.