“We had the advantage, Nick.” Rachel ignored the laughter at Nick’s rhyme.
“Rachel, you didn’t know all the players,” Gus told her gently. “If Tanus has someone working the safety deposit boxes, or notes which ones get accessed, they could have tipped off a Tanus team not right outside the bank. Fletcher Exports screwed up with their two picks, leading to a nice first day. Predicting actions by Tanus on the heels of the police action may have led to disaster.”
“I wasn’t making fun of you, Rachel. I’m tired. We had a busy, hot day. Sit back and relax. While you were catching up with Danger’s day, I sent a note into Tanus headquarters, letting them know Javier Martine ended up at Fletcher Exports. I then put a note into Fletcher Exports, warning them not to send anyone else to Florida if they know what’s good for them, as if it came from Tanus. Now, we need to find out who the hell is down here from Tanus.”
“Other than scripting your plan like an old western, what’s the purpose of all this?” Rachel asked, not at all mollified by his explanation.
“To make your walk in the bank like a day at the beach,” Gus answered for Nick. “Nick shows up at the bank every day, doing something different inside, including getting a safety deposit box. How am I doing, brother?”
“Too damn good,” Nick muttered. “Either you’ve known me too long, or I’ve known you too long.”
“They won’t have a clue, Nick,” Gus reassured him.
“Jesus…that is good.” Rachel smiled for the first time since she sat down. “I go get the flash drives and pass them to you inside the bank. You take the drives and put them in your own safety deposit box. Then, even if something goes wrong outside, they don’t get the flash drives.”
“First, we have to stir the pot between Tanus and Fletcher. I want them watching each other with the same enthusiasm they’re watching for you. In the meantime, I’ll spend the next three days adding a checking account, money market account, and a safety deposit box. I want everyone around to believe I’m just some new local businessman.”
“Did you have any luck spotting what vehicles might be owned by Tanus?” Gus asked.
“We didn’t find any out of state license plates, but I still have to check for rentals,” Nick answered. “Vega was a surprise. I need to examine the SunTrust employee records more closely. I checked, and he used an alias to get the job. Fletcher found out about the drives recently. Tanus has had time to establish people at the bank we may not be able to spot.”
“This is getting complicated again,” Rachel pointed out.
“We’re not getting the flash drives at any cost. Our side will not take casualties. Today was only our first day, Rach, and we had a good one. Let’s not piss on our good fortune by hurrying fate. Moving on, how was your day with Danger, Gus?”
“Between Miss Outgoing, Deke, and the damn Frisbee, I nearly had the whole beach crowd checking us out.”
“Jean told me she had a great time with you,” Rachel said.
“We have to go to the beach again tomorrow to meet up with her new friends vacationing from Pennsylvania. I told her as long as she cleans up the dog dung, I’m fine.”
“She was out like a light at eight o’clock.”
“Her birthday’s coming up in a few days, isn’t it?” Nick asked.
“Yes, and you’ve already spoiled her rotten on this trip, so I don’t have a clue what to get her.”
“I have to go. Thanks to Danger, the chick magnet, I have a date tonight,” Gus announced, standing up.
“You Philistine, using Danger and Deke to troll for women. How could you?” Nick asked, already shaking his head in fake disappointment.
“They were an attraction today,” Gus acknowledged. “How was the Buick?”
“Perfect. Anything you can get similar to it would be a help. I’d be able to mount the transmitter easily again. The windows were just right too. It should be nice on your date.”
“No use wasting a beautiful new car rental.” Gus shrugged, waving on the way out. “See you two tomorrow.”
“Bye, Gus.” When the door closed behind him, Rachel turned to Nick, who was at the refrigerator for more refreshments. “How do you do it, Nick? I figured we’d storm the bank without a second thought when the cops left today.”
“Patience and a healthy survival instinct, Rach. There are too many variables right now to do anything hasty. I thought you liked the idea of switching safety deposit boxes.”
“I do. I’ll be less pessimistic tomorrow morning.”
“Do you think Deke needs a walk?”
“He’s out cold next to Jean. I went out with him for a while before Jean went to bed. Want to try out your patient approach in some other endeavor?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
“Damn, no rentals around, and no suspicious out of state license plates.”
They were parked in the same spot as the day before in a Pontiac 6, this time with Rachel behind the wheel. Nick worked the computer, while Rachel watched the bank and surrounding area with Nick’s digital spotting scope.
“I guess it was too much to hope for, that they’d be as obvious as those two yesterday.” Rachel held up two sheets of pictures. “Like you said last night, they’ve been down here waiting for a long time. I haven’t seen anyone resembling the men or women on these photo sheets you made up.”
“I didn’t spot any Tanus people inside either. I guess it’s time for me to make another appearance in the bank. I’ll set up a safety deposit box today. I’m hoping the bank has someone in particular who handles the area where the boxes are.”
“You’ll be a lot less comfortable, but I like your outfit better.” Rachel gestured at Nick’s gray slacks and light blue short sleeved pullover shirt. “You’ll look a lot more presentable today.”
Nick pulled his notebook computer case from the backseat. “This will be what I’ll have with me every day. You’ll go in with a large black purse with blank flash drives already in it when we decide it’s time. After taking the real drives out and putting them into a small zip lock bag, you’ll lock your box back up and come out. I’ll be holding the case in such a way you will be able to brush by me in the bank and drop the drives in. Then, you take a seat and mess around filling out something while I copy the drives. I’ll put the originals into my own safety deposit box. I want you to then look around nervously while I complete the transfer and leave the bank ahead of you. With any luck, the bad guys will have gathered by then, waiting for their moment.”
“If I didn’t trust you -”
“Yeah, this plan would be awkward. I could ditch you right then and there, leaving you to take the heat. Instead of that traitorous scenario, I’ll get my bag somewhere safe and cue Gus. I should have a good idea who the grabbers will be. I’ll take them out and give you the word to hurry the hell out of the bank and into the car with Gus. I don’t want you exposed for even ten seconds, so once the Tanus guys hit the deck, you run for the car. I’ll meet up with you at the condo. We’ll have all the poker chips then: original flash drives still in a safety deposit box, us with copies, you and Jean out of danger.”
“Wow, it sounds so simple when you put it like that.”
“Off I go.” Nick opened the door to a furnace blast of humid hot air. “Good Lord in heaven! I’ll keep you on the cell while I’m playing businessman inside. Watch for guys paying attention to me.”
“Okay. Just shut the damn door.”
Nick closed the door and adjusted his sunglasses. He hurried diagonally across the street so as to end up at the SunTrust bank entrance. He called Rachel while walking across the threshold.
“Nick, bring me back a Diet Pepsi.”
“Sure thing, Princess.” He walked to one of the people at a desk, asking about opening a safety deposit box. Fifteen minutes later, the man who had helped him fill out the paperwork guided Nick to the safety deposit box area, cautioning him on what would happen if the keys were lost. He buzzed the rear section. A pleasant faced blonde in her mid-thirties came to the window. Nick recognized her immediately.
“Rene will help you from here, Mr. Weatherby.” The man shook Nick’s hand.
