Chapter 39: Training Plan

With Brian and his family packed off to orientation, things started to get back to normal

in the office. Business was certainly getting back on track. There seemed to be plenty going on.

After the worries over Tricia it was a relief to get back to some real work. I had the project for Steve Glennis to deal. I was happy with the way the account management activities were working out generally but I needed to do some more thinking about that. Sebastian had finished the first version of the web site and circulating the video to our clients seemed to have worked in driving folk to look at the new services. We were already seeing some benefits from that. Tricia told me that the research teams were rushed off their feet doing quotes for the Search & Snatch service and she had four pick-ups scheduled the following week. I should have been pleased at the increased activity, I know, but it meant Tricia and I weren't getting much time together and after recent events I was seeing that as a bad thing.

Harry had the idea that I ought to get some more field experience. "I get worried," he said, "when anyone that hasn't had the experience starts tinkering around in field ops. I mean the thing in Kushtia sounded like it went OK and you've sat in on a number of pick ups now but it's not the same as doing the job yourself. I think you ought to do some more familiarisation."

"How do you mean," I said. The ops side was interesting and anything that Harry had planned was likely to be more fun than working up market plans.

"Well, do you remember the practice run we set up when you met Tricia first of all?"

I did. The burglary had been one hell of an adrenaline rush. I nodded.

"OK," said Harry. "We've got another site that you can practice on."

Harry's team set up a briefing session. The idea was that I'd raid a small office on the edge of town. There would be one girl there according to surveillance. I just had to secure her and rob the place. They'd scoped it out. They reckoned I'd be safe to do it solo. I wasn't so confident, but Harry insisted I'd be all right.

I pulled on a pair of latex gloves and a ski mask. Once I got inside, it was pretty obvious that there was no one else around apart from the girl behind the desk, just as the briefing had said. She looked up as I walked towards her. She put her hands up to her face as she saw me, obviously startled. Dark hair, early twenties I guessed; efficient looking in a neat, white, short sleeved, blouse. I didn't want to scare her too badly, even if it was only so she didn't make too much noise. I slid my jacket back and pulled the pistol from the waistband of my trousers. "Please don't cry out," I said, quietly. "And keep your hands where I can see them. I don't want to hurt you."

"Oh, wow," she said, apparently unfazed, "are you robbing the place?"

I was surprised by her reaction. "Err, well, yes, I mean, look aren't you supposed to be frightened by this?" I waved the gun at her.

She grinned back. "Don't be silly. I know about guns. I can see you've still got the safety on."

"Shit!" I said, nonplussed. I looked down briefly at the gun but jerked my head up again, half expecting her to try to jump me across the desk. I looked back at her. She was grinning.

"Don't worry. I'm not bothered. You can take what you want from here. I'm pissed off with the place anyway. It's just so dull. The boss is a fart. You've brightened the place up."

"I don't suppose you know where the safe is?"

"Of course! It's through there in the old man's office." She pointed to a door behind her. "Here, I'll show you." She got to her feet. "Ooh, I guess I ought to do this properly," she said raising her hands above her head in a gesture of surrender as she walked across to the door to another office. I watched her rear. With her tight black skirt and her high heels tapping on the wooden office floor, I was enjoying the view. "Come on, follow me," she said looking back towards me over her shoulder. "It's this way."

"Look, don't think I'm not grateful and everything but this isn't really how you're supposed to be is it?"

"Oh, come on! You're not some mindless thug. Actually you're kind of cute and I quite like forceful men." She led the way into the other office. "The safe's down there," she said, pointing behind the desk. She stood with her back to the wall, hands still raised. "The key's in the drawer of the desk." She smiled at my evident confusion, but her next remark did nothing to make it any easier. "But you'll probably want to tie me up first, won't you?"

I almost dropped my gun.

"I mean, so you can go through the safe. I don't think there's much in there but, you'll want to have a good look and you can't really rely on me standing here like this can you? Anyway, I'll get tired with my hands up like this."

"Oh, all right," I said. She smiled. "I don't suppose you've got any rope have you?"

She shook her head. "Don't be silly," she said. "You can't expect me to do all the work."

I looked around. The office windows had a venetian blind, a long cord hung to one side. I decided it would be good enough. I yanked it free of the blind. She looked approving. "That'll do," she said. "How do you want me?" she asked flirtatiously, raising an eyebrow.

I was convinced that I would be safer with her tied up, though not for the usual reasons. "Turn around, get your hands behind your back," I ordered, waving the gun at her.

She giggled but she did as she was told. "That's better. This is more fun." she said as I closed in behind her, pushing the barrel of the gun against the nape of her neck. "And that's quite sexy." I ignored her, focussing on using my other hand to loop the cord around her wrists. With a couple of turns of the cord in place I felt able to put my gun down so I could tighten the cords and knot them off. I let her go and she turned around. "Pretty good," she said as she flexed her arms experimentally but without seeming to loosen the cords.

"Are you an expert, then?" I asked.

"My boyfriend's tried a few times," she laughed, "but he's not as good at it as you."

"I'll take that as a compliment. Now take a seat while I have a look in the safe." I took her by the arm and led her to the big, leather, padded, chair that stood behind the desk. I found the key and went to open the lock. Nothing happened.