Three months later . . . Two weeks after Margo’s plea deal, the feds tracked Earl Churchill in the Bahamas. From what Bruce heard, US Marshalls barged into his little bungalow as he was screwing a twenty-three-year old. He was arrested for accessory to a federal crime. His trial was scheduled for early fall.Bobbi Bennett had been caught a month ago. She used one of her aliases to request a cashier’s check for seven million dollars for a yacht. She had abandoned Aaron’s because she knew the authorities were looking for it. Her plan had been to live on the new yacht in the Caribbean for at least a year, then she was going overseas. She had told the US attorney that the last time she saw Anthony was in South America in exchange for the Justice Department lowering her sentence to fifteen years with a chance of parole in ten.Anthony Mandel was discovered in Belize when the authorities there busted a brothel a month after Bobbi had given them the lead. Trent Michaels was able
One week later . . . Bruce was lounging on Alec’s sofa at his house. Bruce was sipping on a beer, and Alec was nursing a rum and Coke. Lana was upstairs lying down. She was further along in her pregnancy, so she got tired easily. They had learned last month that she was having a boy. Ever since then, Alec had been bragging about how he was going to teach the kid how to play football and basketball. Alec had already bought him a football, and the kid hadn’t even been born yet. “Bruce, I know you said you are fine, but you’re not,” Alec said flatly. “It’s like working and hanging out with a completely different person.” “Ah, shit. I don’t want to talk about this,” Bruce groaned and sipped his beer. “I know you felt like the lowest specimen on the food chain after you . . . saw Margo at the safe house that last time. You know she’s mad at you . . . probably thinks you’re the biggest asshole in the world. The only wa
It was Saturday. William Blanchette and Neil Rolls were at Margo’s condo instead of spending time with their families. They really wanted her to work for the bureau. During the week, she had filled out several job applications. She wasn’t sure if anything would come of it or not. Margo had to admit that the job at the FBI sounded intriguing and challenging, but she really didn’t want to be put in a position to interact with Bruce on a regular basis. Plus, she wasn’t sure how she would be received by any co-workers she would have to interact with. After all, she was a former bank robber, and Bruce’s co-workers could see her as a manipulative skank. She expressed that to the gentlemen as they enjoyed sweet tea and pepperoni and cheese snacks. “Perhaps we can make it where you can work from home,” Neil Rolls said. “We can set up a secure server here and communicate through email.” “It could work,” Blanchette mused and sipped his tea.
Bruce was helping his best friend, Alec, move the rest of his things into his fiancée’s house. Until he was married, Alec and his German Shepard, Lucky, were going to stay at Bruce’s apartment. Alec and Bruce had just finished carrying in the last four boxes, an elliptical trainer, and free weights. They were resting on the couch. Alec’s four-year-old daughter, Keisha, walked in. Lucky followed behind her. She was carrying a stuffed bear. “Are you finished?” She had dark brown hair that was up in a ponytail. “For now, honey,” Alec answered. “Good. So you’ll live with us now?” Keisha asked. “Just a few more days, sweetie. It won’t be long,” Alec answered. “It’ll go by before you know it.” “Okay, Daddy. Mommy said lunch will be ready in a few minutes,” Keisha said. “Uncle Bruce, are you staying for lunch?” “I wouldn’t miss it,” Bruce replied. “Good. I like it when you’re here, too
Three weeks after the wedding . . . Margo and Bobbi walked up the plank to the forty-foot yacht docked at the Tampa Bay Marina. A meeting with all four partners had been called by Aaron, their scout and master planner. The sun was shining, and it was about ninety degrees. The scent of the ocean filled the air. They walked to the patio area on the back deck. Anthony was already there. “Hey, girls,” Aaron greeted. At thirty-six years of age, he had dark blond, slightly curly hair that was a little long in the back like a beach bum. He lived and operated from the yacht, Christina. “I got mimosas already poured. I figured we could have a light brunch. The casserole will be ready in twenty minutes, and we’re having croissants too.” “Marvelous,” Bobbi said as she sat down next to Anthony on the green upholstered, cushioned booth. “I haven’t eaten all day.” She picked up a mimosa-filled champagne glass off the table. Mar
Two days later . . . Aaron had given the members of BAAM a week to give him a decision on the FRB heist. Margo had a few friends in Tampa, but no family. It wouldn’t be that big of a hardship for her to leave the state. But never seeing or talking to Bobbi again pained her. They had shared a lot of good times. She had also shared some good times with Anthony and Aaron, but not like she did with Bobbi. They had girl talked about men and the latest fashions. Being friends with Bobbi had made Margo’s life less lonely. If they did the job and pulled it off, she would have all the money she would ever need, but she’d be alone. Her father had left her and her mother when she was six, never to be seen nor heard from again. Her mother was a drug addict who had contracted HIV from sharing needles and died from complications of the disease. Plus, Margo was an only child. She had been married twice, but neither one of those relationships had worked out.
The decision had been made. BAAM was going to hit the Federal Reserve. They had ironed out the first few steps they needed to take. They were going to meet again in a week to give Aaron cashier checks for two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. He was in charge of allocating the funds where it was needed. Margo had just arrived at Tampa’s premier nightclub, Club Prana, with Anthony and his cousin, Morris, who was the same age as Anthony. They went to the sky bar, which was located on the roof of the club. They had just dropped Bobbi off at the airport. She had gotten a job interview under an alias Anthony created for her. She had worn a red-haired wig and contacts that made her eyes look blue. Bobbi was the master of disguise with makeup and was able to angle her cheekbones to looks slimmer than they really were. The interview was at the reserve location in Dallas. Atlanta didn’t have any openings that she had experience doing. They sat
Margo had made a list of things to do and get in order before and after BAAM hit the Federal Reserve Bank. She also had to work on creating the virus. Then she would have to put the virus through several trials to make sure it worked.BAAM sat inside an office in an old factory located in the industrial district of Tampa. It used to be a sewing factory until the crash in 2008. The recession after the crash doomed the factory for good. No one had been in it since. According to Aaron, the owner of the building was a motivated seller, and he got the place dirt cheap. He had used a dummy corporation to get a loan from the bank and put down fifty grand as a deposit. “Well, this is it. What do y’all think?” Aaron asked. “It’s big and dusty,” Bobbi answered with her noise turned up. “I’ll be sure to hire a cleaning service,” he said sarcastically. “We haven’t had a chance to really look around,” Anthony stated. “As long as it has po