Since rendezvousing with Boyd nine hours ago, before the statue’s delivery, Wheeler’s been hiding in the secret compartment in the newly constructed base of the statue. If Wheeler wasn’t claustrophobic before, he sure as hell is now.
“Sue me,” Wheeler said when defending his wanting a simple job for the caper. “I helped edit the documentary and hacked the sound system. You guys are finished on Friday, but I have summer school starting Monday and that comes with a boatload of assignments due on the first day.”
So yeah, Wheeler’s been folded up in the statue’s base like a contortionist, reading and working by flashlight. Or, more likely, he’s on H8box posting the whole night for millions to follow.
Now with Stranko and Hale gone, the real waiting begins. For the next twenty minutes, Ellie, Kate, and I sit hidden, watching the parking lot and statue for any sign of the Chaos Club.
Nothing.
“Be patient,” Ellie says. “They’ll be here.”
I wish I were as optimistic. The plan’s founded on the assumption that the Chaos Club was here to witness Stranko’s and Hale’s exits, followed by Ellie’s assault on the statue. With the coast clear, we’re hoping they’ll make their move. Now, at 9:45, there’s no one, leaving me feeling like a major dumb ass.
Then my phone vibrates in my hand.
Adleta: Movement on south side.
Ellie’s squints into the darkness.
“There,” she says.
“I can’t see anything.”
“Me either,” Malone says.
Ellie grabs my head and points.
“There.”
I strain my eyes and am unable to see anything at first. Then I see them. They’re almost impossible to spot, skulking along the building in the shadows, but there they are, two people with backpacks.
“What do you have? Bionic eyes or something?”
“No, silly. Cats have great night vision.”
We watch the two intruders as they slowly creep to the statue. At this distance, they appear to be roughly the same size as my two kidnappers from the baseball field. The dark makes it impossible to see their faces.
“What if they’re wearing masks again?” I say.
“Shut up,” Malone says.
“Yeah, shut up,” Ellie says. “This is going to work.”
They’re right. I see that now. Everything has worked out exactly as planned, minus Malone’s twisted ankle. Once the Chaos Club enters the security curtain, it’s over for them. And they’re less than a minute away. Even when I drew up the plans, I realistically understood it was a long shot. Something would go wrong. Like Stranko wouldn’t follow the text bait. Or Hale would call for backup instead of going to his car. But no, it’s working. Hell, wrong verb tense. It’s worked. We’ve done it.
Then—
“Oh no,” Malone says.
“What?”
And this time it’s Malone who grabs my head and points me toward the front of the building to the person standing there.
Stranko.
? ? ?
Shit.
Double shit.
Triple shit.
The three of us remain frozen, like somehow Stranko will spot us through the camouflage of the trees. He surveys the parking lot with his hands on his hips like a pissed-off drill sergeant. The two Chaos Club members hug the ground along the side of the building, no doubt trying not to vomit.
Ellie speaks barely above a whisper, saying, “He must’ve Hulked-out or something.”
“Adleta said the door was messed up,” I say and take out my phone. “We need to get Wheeler out of there before he gets caught. Stranko has to have called the cops. We have to abort.”
“No way,” Malone says. “You know what you have to do.”
Oh man.
Heist Rule #21: Always have a backup plan.
That’s the one drawback of being the heist team leader. You not only have to memorize everyone’s roles, but you have to be able to perform them as well. And that includes the backup plan roles too, unfortunately.
“I can’t do it,” I say.
“Oh, you can do it, and you will, Maxwell Cobb,” Ellie says. “Now hurry up.”
She helps Kate up, and after a quick wardrobe switch with Malone, I’m ready.
“Here, don’t forget my mask,” Malone says.
“Good luck, Mongoose,” Ellie says. “You’ll be great.”
Or paralyzed for life. One of the two.
I step out of the trees and hustle across the parking lot, past booths and rides, toward the lawn and statue. I force myself to keep walking so I don’t wuss out. Stranko’s away from the building now and approaching the statue when he spots me.
Stranko stops.
I stop.
Fifty yards separate us.
Does he know who he’s looking at?
I take a single step back.
Stranko leans forward.
I take two more away.
“Stop!” Stranko shouts.
Three more steps back now.
“I said stop!”