A few minutes later, the female police officer rejoined the other man, and left. She wore different jewels. The minute they walked into the casino to head to the dining room, Eddie nodded at the two youngsters seated by themselves. They got up and joined him at the elevator, but stood off to the side. They waited and took the third elevator that came, not wanting to get into an elevator with other guests.
And, Joseph knew why. The three would go up, but one would stay by the elevator as lookout, and he would hold the door open preventing anyone else from taking it. He knew how fast they worked.
Once in the elevator he knew it was just a matter of minutes and it would all be over. He said a quick prayer that it would all go smoothly. He glanced at the monitor and saw Jewel. Everything looked good there. Thank goodness.
*
“All right kiddos,” Eddie encouraged the two newest recruits. “Do your thing. You got this.”
Although it was their first time, Eddie knew Rick and Dylan would do fine. He’d recruited and trained them himself. This was an easy gig. He’d seen the Vic himself. The diamond necklace she had gone to change would be worth a small fortune. That, plus whatever else she had brought for her trip made this one more than worth it. Normally he liked to have more time to target his heists, but Justin had sworn the info was good. And it looked like it was. Maybe his cousin would do well climbing the ranks. He was already doing well with recruiting.
He watched the two sixteen year olds who had taken off their shirts in the elevator. Underneath they had the black long sleeve t-shirts they were told to wear. From his nap sack, he removed the masks they were to wear. Tonight he’d selected gorilla masks. He laughed to himself. He had an array of old Halloween masks. He liked to change it up and use different ones every time. For himself, he used a ski mask. Keeping it simple tonight. The three shirts were stuffed into the small bag he had carried under his own shirt. It would be dumped. They’d take the stairs down, but he needed to keep pushing the elevator button while Rick and Dylan took the jewels from the room. It decreased the elevator traffic for the two to three minutes they would be in the room. He liked the odds. Again, Eddie laughed to himself at his own joke. This casino gambit, he’d come up with the idea himself, and it brought in a lot of money for the Dominguez syndicate. He knew Willie was pleased with him. He’d be moving up soon, and he’d give Justin his position.
He looked at his watch, and a trickle of fear coursed through him. The boys had been gone three minutes. They should pop out any second. He watched the door they had gone through pleased that the floor was still quiet. He began to count in his head. Sixty seconds. That’s all he could give them. Meanwhile, he fingered the phone in his pocket to alert Justin to get the car and bring it round to the stairwell exit.
A commotion behind him caught his attention and his finger slipped off the button. He stepped back in shock at the sight that met his eyes. Four men, all in uniform, were barreling down the hall from the stairway in his direction. He turned around.
Too late, the elevator doors had slid shut before he could step inside. A fist came out of nowhere and it connected as his finger dialed a button.
*
“It’s a sting. We’ve been . . .” Justin heard his panicked cousin say before he heard thumping and grunting. Then the line went dead.
We’ve been . . . We’ve been, what? Justin was about to run out into the night when he saw four policemen heading towards him from the front doors. That exit was blocked. He turned and saw more security pouring out of the elevators. He was trapped. Set up.
We’ve been . . . Played! He knew in an instant who had been behind this. That fucking bitch, Jewel! She had never liked him. He ducked into the casino and tore through the crowds ignoring the yells and complaints as he stormed through the crowds. The bitch was going to pay was his sole thought as he yanked the gun from the back of his pants. It had been hidden underneath his shirt. If she thought she was getting away with this, taking him and his cousin down, then she really didn’t know him at all.
As he flew through the casino as fast as his legs could carry him, he was totally unaware of the panic he was causing and the dozen men following his every move and blocking his escape routes. He only had one thing on his mind. Get Jewel, and then get away.
Chapter 26
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Panic struck as Joseph watched the monitors.
“Andreas, Justin’s gotten away. It looks like he is heading in your direction,” Nikko barked into his headpiece.
The moment he said the words, Joseph’s stomach plummeted like he had swallowed a lead weight. He exchanged a look with his brother, and of like minds, they both jumped and ran towards the door. Tawny was right on their heels, and so were the police chief and Nikko. Tom stayed to man the wall of monitors picking up Nikko’s dropped head set.
Instead of taking the elevator, Joseph and Jonathan chose the stairwell running down the two flights to the ground floor in less than a minute. Joseph led the way to the kitchens. There was another entrance from which they could gain access to the kitchens more quickly than passing through the crowded lobby.