vintwood domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home4/delve3/public_html/bangbangboomcomic/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114Leon drove them the few blocks to the bank and parked in a nearby alley. As per the plan, he opened the back bay door to reveal nailed vegetable crates. He then sat himself down in the back to smoke a cigarette as if just a regular driver on a break while Barney parked on the sidewalk nearby, leaving his Chicago muscle to take the wheel. There was a sharp, determined energy to Barney\u2019s posture as he disembarked, too immature for it to be mistaken for confidence. It set Cheshire on edge as he fell into step alongside him. A real bank heist\u2014it should have been a thrill, but with Barney leading the charge and him not being allowed to make a show of it, he was finding it hard to work up his usual enthusiasm. There wasn\u2019t anything clever or artful in waving a gun at frightened civilians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t forget, these people aren\u2019t like back in Brooklyn,\u201d Barney warned as they approached the entrance to the bank. \u201cThey don\u2019t know you well enough not to sell you out, so don\u2019t give yourself away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI remember,\u201d Cheshire reassured him, and they each donned their handkerchief masks. I <\/em>just have to stay <\/em>in line <\/em>for now, <\/em>and <\/em>everything <\/em>will <\/em>get better.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The second car pulled up to the sidewalk directly in front of the bank entrance, and Jakub and Hannah climbed out with their faces already covered. Jakub hefted his rifle to his shoulder, and his solid, unhurried gait as he headed for the door put Barney to shame. As much as Cheshire had seen him in action, he couldn\u2019t help a little shiver of awe: this <\/em>was certainly the hardened, skillful criminal he had spent his childhood foolishly idolizing, so easy in his role that Cheshire wished he could have committed it to film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jakub entered the bank first and immediately sprayed a line of bullets across the far wall\u2014much too high to risk hitting anyone, but enough to blast the wooden molding off the tops of the line of tellers, casting splinters and one shattered clock onto the terrified employees. Barney shouldered his way in right after, bellowing, \u201cNobody move! This is a robbery!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019re regular cowboys now, huh?\u201d Cheshire remarked to Hannah as they entered right behind, but she didn\u2019t spare him a glance let alone a response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHands up!\u201d Jakub ordered, making an adorable effort to hide his accent as he herded the bank\u2019s only three customers into a corner next to an overpaid and underprepared security guard. \u201cDon\u2019t try anything. Lie down\u2014keep your heads down and I won\u2019t shoot you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hannah shot her way into the teller booths, and amidst the whimpers and shrieks she cornered the workers back below the countertops. So far so smooth, at least. Cheshire drew his gun just so he would fit in and swept his gaze across the lobby. Just as they\u2019d hoped the number of patrons and staff numbered under a dozen, and the neighborhood was well-off enough that none of them had ever suspected a bank robbery to reach them. No one was inclined to fight back or make a scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n None except for the security guard, apparently; as Cheshire passed by Jakub and his hostages on his way toward the back, he noticed the aging man in a security uniform reaching for the weapon on his belt. Cheshire leveled his revolver at the man and thumbed back the hammer, though he kept his finger far from the trigger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh, ah, old-timer,\u201d Cheshire scolded. He crouched down and held out his other hand. \u201cThese look like fine people; let\u2019s not make things harder for them, hm?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The security guard went pale, and without any further hint of resistance he allowed Cheshire to take his gun. His hands shook, and Cheshire felt rotten for it as he straightened up and followed Barney into the back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By then Barney had cornered the bank manager and what might have been her assistant in a side office. Cheshire could just about see him grinning full through his mask. \u201cLike candy, huh?\u201d he bragged, and he waved Cheshire over. \u201cKeep an eye on these two while I handle the vault.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheshire scrunched his nose as he took Barney\u2019s place opposite the manager and assistant, his gun only loosely aimed in their direction. \u201cDon\u2019t you mean the other way around?\u201d he asked. \u201cOr did our friend here tell you the combination?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Barney gave a bark of laughter that Cheshire definitely <\/em>didn\u2019t like as he headed toward the vault. \u201cOh, don\u2019t worry,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve got it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bank vault door was an immense steel square, crouched up against the far wall like a guardian sentinel. Cheshire looked from the turn-handle to the hinges, assessing each for the easiest point to blow, just in case whatever combination the manager had given up didn\u2019t pan out. It took him a few moments to realize that when Barney reached for the dial, it wasn\u2019t to put in any numbers; instead he wedged something into the mechanism, then moved to the other side to do the same at the hinges. Satisfied with whatever he was up to, he then jogged back past Cheshire and pulled out his gun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It wasn\u2019t a weapon Cheshire had ever seen before, though he recognized the intricate engraving on the revolver\u2019s barrel and grip enough that he didn\u2019t need to guess. Barney thumbed back the hammer with a loud, distinct clink<\/em>. \u201cHey,\u201d said Cheshire, turning away from the manager. \u201cYou don\u2019t really think that\u2019s\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Barney fired. In an instant, the short hall leading to the vault became a fireball. Cheshire reared back as several explosions detonated nearly at once, sending a wave of blistering heat and choking smoke screaming at them. He crashed into the manager and her assistant, ears ringing painfully and balance reeling, the revolver falling forgotten from his grip. For several seconds he couldn\u2019t properly see or hear, but he felt the shuddering impact of the vault door against the marble floor, and soon after, scorching heat along his arm and hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His glove and jacket sleeve were on fire. Too stunned even to curse, Cheshire frantically patted himself out and finally resorted to ripping both gloves off. His palms burned with a heat they\u2014for once\u2014weren\u2019t the cause of, and his heart pounded against his ribs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShit!\u201d Barney tore his singed cap off and slapped it against his thigh to rid it of embers. He smelled like burnt hair but there was glee in the part of his face Cheshire could see, and together they looked to the vault.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hallorran\u2019s revolver\u2014or rather, it\u2019s ammunition\u2014had done the job admirably: the vault door had had its lock and hinges blasted apart and lay face down on the ground with its insides embarrassingly exposed. The walls and ceiling were badly charred but the building itself hadn\u2019t caught, leaving only plumes of smoke between the robbers and their prize. Barney let out a triumphant shout at the sight. \u201cDid you fucking see that?\u201d he gloated, and he opened his jacket to reveal two large sacks tied around his midsection. \u201cC\u2019mon, let\u2019s grab the loot and go!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheshire followed dumbly. He blinked at the twisted, jagged hinges as he climbed with Barney over the safe door into the vault. The smoke stung his throat even through his facemask, acrid and unfamiliar to him, and he felt as if his teeth were still rattling from the blast. Were explosions always so jarring when someone else set them off? When Barney tossed one of the sacks to him he followed his lead, shoveling bags of cash and a few heavy-seeming safety deposit boxes inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey,\u201d he said as they sinched their full sacks tight. \u201cSo I guess that\u2019s the Hallorran revolver I\u2019ve heard so much about? Was that really the right way to do this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Barney laughed as he dragged his sack over his shoulder. \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter?\u201d he taunted, eyes gleaming wickedly. \u201cYou didn\u2019t think I\u2019d need you <\/em>for this, did you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The words struck Cheshire hard, and he couldn\u2019t react even when Barney laughed and shouldered past him. His stomach clenched with nausea as he struggled to keep up. Not needed? <\/em>he thought, and his heart raced all over again. By the time they charged out of the back room, he was sweating. He <\/em>brought me here just to show me <\/em>I\u2019m <\/em>not needed<\/em>. He clenched his jaw until it ached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jakub didn\u2019t have any trouble keeping the bank patrons in line. Most of them were either rather young or very old, and after watching the security guard give up so easily, they kept their heads down and their mouths shut. His rifle was intimidating enough even that Hannah was able to take her eyes off the tellers and fill a sack from each of the stations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The explosion from the back had everyone ducking beneath their hands. Jakub quieted them back down with only a few words, despite a ripple of apprehension up his spine. The explosion sounded different\u2014it smelled <\/em>different. Cheshire\u2019s magic was so familiar to him that even the vibrations echoing up through the floor felt wrong against the soles of his feet. He wanted to head into the vault to check, but by then Hannah was finishing with her sack and she motioned for him to clear a path to the door. They would have to get a move on if they were going to outrun cops to the waterfront.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Barney and Cheshire dashed out from the back moments later. Though they were still masked, even just a glimpse of Cheshire\u2019s pinched, harried eyes convinced Jakub that he had been right, and something had gone wrong. With Barney hollering for retreat there wasn\u2019t anything he could do about it, though, so after firing one more spray down the line of registers, Jakub followed the rest of them out onto the street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A few people had gathered in the general store opposite them to watch, drawn by the commotion. Police sirens wailed from somewhere down the street, their cars not yet visible but still too close for Jakub\u2019s liking. There wasn\u2019t time to ask Cheshire about the explosion, as he and Barney were already dashing toward the corner, and Hannah was dragging her loot into the back seat of their getaway car. Jakub leapt into the passenger seat and Barney\u2019s goon hit the gas; they tore away from the curb almost before Jakub could get his door closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the back seat, Hannah twisted to watch behind them. \u201cSo far, so good,\u201d she said with cautious optimism. \u201cI think we made good time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat explosion didn\u2019t sound right,\u201d said Jakub, \u201cbut at least they got the vault open.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beside him, their driver laughed. He was one of Barney\u2019s new Chicago friends that Jakub had never bothered introducing himself to, stocky with thick biceps. \u201cYou just haven\u2019t been down to the quarry,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019d\u2019ve recognized it, if you had.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jakub frowned at him; it took him a beat to catch his meaning. \u201cThe Hallorran?\u201d His ears rang with the memory of that night on the pier, and the heavy, distinctive clink <\/em>of the revolver\u2019s unique hammer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course. How else would you open a vault like that, without an expert cracker?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jakub ground his teeth, and he turned to cast Hannah a look. She spared only a brief wince before turning her attention to the street behind them. Jakub settled in his seat once more. This isn\u2019t <\/em>just <\/em>a <\/em>message <\/em>to Manhattan, <\/em>then, <\/em>he thought, gripping the stock of the rifle crammed in with him. He\u2019s going <\/em>to <\/em>sideline Cheshire for good.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe that was what Hannah had been getting at, back at the riverside: maybe she was hoping he\u2019d convince Cheshire to lay low for good, worry about tenants and bureaucracy and leave the real gang work to the family that mattered<\/em>. The thought made him sick to his stomach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luckily, he didn\u2019t have time to dwell on it; as soon as they turned right onto Richmond Terrace, a black and white blew through the light coming from the west and fell in behind them. A moment later its sirens blared to life, and Hannah cursed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI said too much,\u201d she muttered, and then she leaned forward to talk to their driver. \u201cCan you lose him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHold on,\u201d he replied, and they braced themselves as he jerked the wheel suddenly, barely making the turn onto a side street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jakub leaned his head out the window to watch the police car screeching past the turn, its front wheels bouncing on the sidewalk. By the time it had backed up and righted its course, their driver had turned again; Jakub had to jerk back inside as they nearly clipped the side of a parked car. \u201cThat car wasn\u2019t coming from the bank,\u201d he said as he kept an eye out through the side mirror instead. \u201cThat must have been bad luck.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have to lose it before we get to the water,\u201d Hannah cautioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The driver grunted. \u201cDon\u2019t worry; I know what I\u2019m doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He made another dangerous left on the narrow, residential streets; Jakub heard a few startled shrieks from bystanders on the sidewalks. The route took them straight back to the waterfront drive they had left, and they continued on at a more leisurely pace, fitting into the flow of traffic for a few minutes before ducking again through the side streets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe boss had me learn this area good,\u201d the driver bragged, and though Jakub frowned, he couldn\u2019t dispute it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They reached the rendezvous point in just under twenty minutes, as planned. Stas was waiting with the boat pulled up close to the shore, its engine running: it was an old fishing boat, twenty footer, with low sides and made from sturdy wood. The second car was already parked on the street; Barney and his driver were wrestling two sacks out of the back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jakub climbed out of the car and hefted the rifle to his shoulder. He could still hear police sirens much closer than they should have been, and watching Barney laugh breathlessly as he carried his loot down to the boat made him wonder if they\u2019d had a close call with the coppers, too. If they see us get on this boat, Chesh\u2019s truck decoy won\u2019t be worth much<\/em>, he thought, turning away from them to watch the street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sirens wailed louder than ever, and from around the nearest corner a cop car swerved onto their isolated side street. There was far too little time to think: the cop in the passenger side already had his window down, and he immediately opened fire, the first two bullets shattering glass while another three buried in the head and shoulders of the stocky driver. He was dead before he could draw his gun. Too far to make a run for the shore, Jakub threw himself down next to the car\u2019s wheels and crawled to put as much metal and rubber between him and the gunfire as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t kill cops<\/em>, Jakub reminded himself as he put his back to the front bumper. Even when a second black and white pulled in behind the first, guns blazing, he carefully lowered himself to the ground and took aim at the cruisers themselves, aiming for their tires and bumpers. If he could just hold them off long enough to make a run for the boat\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first of the two cruisers erupted in a fireball. Even crouched behind another car Jakub felt the rush of hot air and licking flames, and he had to cover his face with his sleeve. Smoke and ash stuck in his hair and set him coughing. His body ached with the unfamiliarity of the blast, and for several seconds he couldn\u2019t get his bearings while officers hollered for retreat. Then Hannah had him by the arm, dragging him up. He barely managed to keep a tight enough grip on his rifle as he let her drag him down the slope to the river. His feet striking water jolted him fully aware, and with Barney yanking at him from above, he dragged himself into the boat with Hannah close behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGo!\u201d Barney shouted, and the boat lurched clumsily away from the shore. As Stas turned the bow around, the cops on the shore collected themselves; everyone flinched and ducked for cover as several rounds struck the hull. But the boat kept going, and as soon as Barney had his balance he was aiming his revolver again at the shore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWait!\u201d Jakub shouted, snagging hold of his jacket. \u201cYou\u2019ll kill them!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Barney fired anyway, and this time it was his own car that exploded in a plume of fire. The remaining cops on the waterfront dove to the ground as they were showered with red- hot debris. The pause in their gunfire was all that was needed, and with the boat engine roaring, the Kozlow gang made their retreat across the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey\u2019re not getting my car,\u201d said Barney, and then he tugged his handkerchief off and laughed, sharp and a little manic. \u201cShit. Is anyone hit?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey killed Nowak,\u201d said Hannah, sounding largely unconcerned; she was focused on Jakub, patting him down for injuries. \u201cAre you all right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jakub tugged his mask down and was grateful for the fresh breeze off the water as he took in a great gulp of air. \u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d he said, combing the ashes out of his hair. He turned toward Barney. \u201cDid you kill any cops?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI dunno. Maybe.\u201d Barney holstered his revolver and sat down on the side wall of the boat. \u201cShit, Nowak, huh? In that case I hope I got one or two at least.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou should be hoping you didn\u2019t,\u201d Jakub shot back. \u201cThis was supposed to be about making a statement, not drawing a whole new burrough down on our heads.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Barney pulled a face. \u201cWhat\u2019s a bunch of sleepy Staten Island pigs gonna do to us<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey just killed Nowak!\u201d the second driver protested, and Barney at least had the decency to look guilty. He stood and took the man by the shoulders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd I got them back for it, did you see?\u201d Barney said, and Jakub had to move toward the rear to get further away from him, for his temper\u2019s sake. \u201cThey\u2019re gonna think twice before messing with us again, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jakub leaned his rifle against the side and sat down at the stern of the boat, letting the churning of the engine block out whatever else Barney was saying to the others. Manhattan <\/em>was always going to retaliate for <\/em>this<\/em>, he thought, watching the thick, tarry smoke rising up from the two destroyed cars on the shore. They were already far enough away that the officers moving around them were tiny and hard to make out. But now <\/em>cops looking to avenge their own? <\/em>He glanced back to Barney, who was leaning close to Stas as he steered the ship and clapping him on the back. All <\/em>for Barney <\/em>\u2019s <\/em>ego. <\/em>This <\/em>is never going to get <\/em>any better<\/em>. Hannah tried to meet his gaze, so he ducked his head and began searching his jacket for a cigarette. It\u2019s only going to <\/em>get worse, <\/em>and I <\/em>never belonged here to begin with.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Jakub tucked the cigarette between his lips, but as he resumed his search this time for matches, he felt something wet lap against his ankle. He glanced down, thinking that his soaked pants had just shifted uncomfortably, only to realize there was a puddle a few inches deep at the stern of the boat. And it was growing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey!\u201d he called, cigarette falling from his mouth. \u201cHannah!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheshire and Leon didn\u2019t have any trouble crossing the bridge into New Jersey. It was nearly a straight shot from the bank across the river, and there was just no way the cops had time to prepare a defense on either side of the bridge so quickly. Halfway across Cheshire had thrown his jacket and cap off the side, taking his only pleasure of the evening so far in watching them flutter off to get ruined on the shore somewhere. Good riddance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now dressed in a purple vest, his hair down and combed, he felt as if the weight of anonymity had been lifted, even if he wished he\u2019d thought to bring an extra pair of gloves. But he still didn\u2019t feel right<\/em>, not by a long shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat big gun of Barney\u2019s is really something, huh?\u201d he rambled, leaning back in his seat as Leon drove them onto the boulevard. \u201cMakes a great big boom<\/em>, and I know a thing or two about booms<\/em>, believe me. You ever see that thing go off?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, plenty,\u201d replied Leon guardedly. \u201cHe\u2019s been practicing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He looked just as uncomfortable as Cheshire felt, but that didn\u2019t stop the stream of nonsense coming out of Cheshire\u2019s mouth. \u201cHallorran really outdid herself,\u201d he continued. \u201cBig ol\u2019 fireball like that. Nearly singed my eyebrows off! I could\u2019a done it just as easily, mind, and with a bit more finesse. Would have spared my gloves!\u201d He laughed, even though Leon giving him a side-eye made his humor curdle in his stomach. \u201cBut yeah, he sure is proud of the damn thing. And it did the job, can\u2019t argue with that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou sound jealous,\u201d said Leon, and if only he had managed to inject some teasing into his voice, Cheshire could have easily laughed it off. As it was, it sounded like a warning, and it made Cheshire\u2019s already anxious stomach clench and harden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s not like that,\u201d Cheshire insisted. He knew that saying more would only make things worse, but he couldn\u2019t help himself. \u201cI don\u2019t care if he wants to use his fancy gun to blow things up\u2014I can do that on my own time whenever I want! What difference does it make who pulls the trigger as long as it works? And it did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUh-huh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJust seems like a waste, is all. He\u2019s gonna run out of those fancy bullets eventually, but this <\/em>well never runs dry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He waved his hand at Leon, only to remember a beat too late that he wasn\u2019t wearing his gloves. Leon glanced over, and his brow furrowed. Had he seen the brand carved into Cheshire\u2019s palm? Whether he had or not, Cheshire had only one method of recourse: he just kept talking. \u201cUnless he thinks he can just rob Hallorran again<\/em>, but she\u2019s on to him now, and Jake and I won\u2019t help him a second time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leon continued to eye him warily. \u201cYou speak for Jakub, now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuh?\u201d There wasn\u2019t any reason to panic over a question like that; everyone knew that Jakub had every reason to leave Hallorran the hell alone. Explaining that should have been a few simple words, but after the confrontations that morning, and the sudden thought that Leon of all people would be extra eager to rat him out to Barney, Cheshire couldn\u2019t put his thoughts in proper order. \u201cUh, no. Of course not. But Jakub, you know, he has history with Hallorran. He was real mad about the last one\u2014I\u2019m sure he\u2019s not keen on a round two. I mean, I really think.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRight,\u201d Leon said slowly, and Cheshire could just feel <\/em>Jakub\u2019s icy stare from across the distance between them, and he finally stopped talking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their trip through Jersey was surprisingly uneventful, to the point that Cheshire started to worry. A heavy truck speeding through the city, across bridges and countryside, should have drawn some concern. He wasn\u2019t much of a decoy if no one took notice. It was even a relief when they entered Jersey City and began to see black and whites throughout the downtown, but they still didn\u2019t encounter any real resistance until falling in line for the tunnel to Manhattan. By then Cheshire had his window rolled down and was leaning against the door, eager to be spotted by someone<\/em>, and he was rewarded with several officers parked alongside the toll booths pointing to him as they shared furious whispers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s about time,\u201d Cheshire muttered as one of the police cars started flashing their lights. The officers motioned for Leon to pull over, which he did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t put anything in the van, right?\u201d Leon asked, looking a little pale as four police officers headed toward them, and one of the patrol cars maneuvered in front of them to prevent them from speeding off. \u201cYou\u2019re sure it all went in the cars?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sure, Leon,\u201d said Cheshire, cracking his knuckles. \u201cIt\u2019s just veggies back there. Let me do the talking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The officers spread out, two on each side, and the highest ranking of them\u2014a middle-aged woman Cheshire had no hope of charming with good humor\u2014stopped just beyond the passenger side door. She was already unsnapping her gun holster. \u201cGood evening, sir. Heading into Manhattan?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMa\u2019am,\u201d Cheshire greeted in return. Now that the game was on he felt much more like himself, and he settled on a restrained but definitely cheeky smirk. \u201cJust passing through. We\u2019re on our way to Brooklyn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you.\u201d She had a suspicious gleam in her eyes that made it clear she didn\u2019t need any extra hints to know exactly who he was. Without any loot on him, Cheshire found it easy to enjoy the infamy free of worry. \u201cWhat\u2019s in the truck?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cVegetables! Potatoes and onions mostly. There\u2019s a little diner down on Bedford that makes a mean vegetable soup.\u201d Cheshire gestured as he spoke out of habit, though he forced himself to stop when her sharp gaze reminded him again about his bare palms. \u201cI\u2019m a friend of Edith, the owner. Got her a deal on produce from out in Long Valley.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The officer did not look one inch convinced. \u201cDo you mind if I have a look?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot at all!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheshire swung his door open, and the officers each stepped back, eyeing him warily as he climbed down from the cab. Leon disembarked as well, hands half raised as if unsure what to do with them. Cheshire tried to make up for his lack of confidence by doing a little turn to show off his lack of weapon. \u201cYou can search me, too, while you\u2019re at it,\u201d he invited. \u201cI\u2019ve got nothing on me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The woman stayed back, a hand on her gun, while one of the other officers took him up on it. Finding nothing, they herded him toward the second police car parked at the back of the truck. He stayed still and obedient, smiling pleasantly at his apparent guard dog while the others opened up the rear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As promised, only wooden crates labeled for produce lay inside. It was only then that Cheshire realized he had no idea where Barney had gotten the goods from to begin with, and he couldn\u2019t help but hold his breath as the first was pried open. An officer reached inside and pulled out a large cabbage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou said potatoes and onions,\u201d the woman officer said, eyeing Cheshire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMostly,\u201d he corrected her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLong Valley, hm?\u201d the woman prodded as her compatriots continued to root through the truck\u2019s contents. \u201cDreary out there, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheshire shrugged. \u201cIt\u2019s all right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhich farm did you say you picked up from?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n You think <\/em>you\u2019re <\/em>gonna <\/em>catch me <\/em>like this? <\/em>Cheshire thought, unable to help a smirk. \u201cIf you have to ask, you haven\u2019t been out there,\u201d he said breezily. \u201cYou could just read the label on the crates.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She returned his humor with icy irritation. \u201cExcuse me. I just didn\u2019t expect to finally meet the famous Cheshire Bloom hauling turnips like a common workhorse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheshire shrugged again. \u201cPotatoes and onions. Mostly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The woman glared at him, but she was interrupted by one of the toll booth operators jogging toward them. He tipped his cap and offered the officer a slip of paper. \u201cExcuse me, ma\u2019am, but we heard back from the Staten\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The woman cut him off with a hard look as she accepted the paper. After a quick scan her eyebrows rose; Cheshire pretended only polite curiosity when she looked to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, Mr. Bloom?\u201d she asked. \u201cWould you like to hear the latest from Staten Island Police?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheshire\u2019s natural instincts guided his mouth into a barely interested half smile. \u201cWhy? Is there competition out there I haven\u2019t heard about yet?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSee for yourself,\u201d she replied, and she handed over the paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whatever <\/em>this says, <\/em>don\u2019t <\/em>you <\/em>dare make a <\/em>face<\/em>, Cheshire<\/p>\n\n\n\n told himself firmly as he accepted. The toll booth agent\u2019s handwriting was barely legible in the fading light, and he held it close to his face, hoping that by squinting he could help cover up any reaction to the hastily scrawled words: Robbers running <\/em>by <\/em>boat, 1 <\/em>killed, <\/em>2 <\/em>cops, <\/em>boat hit.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheshire handed it back. He was pretty confident the officer wouldn\u2019t be able to glean any panic in his expression; he was less sure she wouldn\u2019t hear his pulse thumping out of his ears. \u201cBy boat!\u201d he declared. \u201cThat\u2019s a new one\u2014wish I\u2019d thought of it. Do they think it\u2019s Lucky?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo,\u201d the officer retorted, losing some of her patience. \u201cNo, they don\u2019t.\u201d She glared at him a moment longer, waiting for a proper reaction, only to scowl. \u201cYou\u2019re a real piece of work, Mr. Bloom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI get that all the time,\u201d Cheshire replied automatically, though his mind was spinning. If the boat\u2019s <\/em>been <\/em>made already, <\/em>there\u2019s no point <\/em>in us <\/em>wasting <\/em>our <\/em>time here. <\/em>He swallowed. It can\u2019t be Jakub. He\u2019s fine. <\/em>\u201cWell then, if you\u2019re done rifling through our cabbages, we\u2019ll be on our way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo.\u201d The woman waved to the officers in the back of the truck, who were each keeping one eye on the goings on outside. \u201cKeep opening up those crates\u2014I want to see inside each one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou don\u2019t have a warrant for that,\u201d said Cheshire, and though his smile remained in place, the humor behind it sloughed off. He raised his voice so the rest of her officers would be sure to hear. \u201cSo unless you have a real good reason for having pulled us over, we\u2019d like to go now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s been a robbery,\u201d the officer insisted, \u201cand you<\/em>, in your entirety, are probable cause enough.\u201d She poked him in the chest while still keeping one hand on her gun. \u201cAnd you\u2019re going to stand right there until every one of these crates has been checked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheshire held up his hands in surrender and promised to do just that. He glanced to Leon, who could only stare back, confused and anxious. Even <\/em>if we could <\/em>break <\/em>through the tolls, we <\/em>can\u2019t do <\/em>them <\/em>any <\/em>good if we get trapped <\/em>in <\/em>the tunnel<\/em>. We <\/em>just have to wait<\/em>. He leaned back against the patrol car and tried to look passably casual. Jakub can <\/em>handle <\/em>it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jakub heaved another bucketful of water overboard, but it didn\u2019t seem to be doing much good. They\u2019d already tossed as much weight as they could bear, save for the heist loot and a few life preservers, which Stas had insisted on seeing as he couldn\u2019t swim. Jakub didn\u2019t say anything on that but he wasn\u2019t all that confident about his chances, either\u2014he hadn\u2019t been in water over his head since he was a young boy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I <\/em>was supposed to be driving the car <\/em>back<\/em>, he thought, emptying yet another bucket. The water kept leaking in, every inch submerged allowing for more of the bullet holes in their hull to take on the river. It wouldn\u2019t be long before the engine flooded completely. \u201cBarney! We have to make for land!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are!\u201d Barney snapped back. He\u2019d finally lost that smug grin of his at least, and he turned to Stas. \u201cWhy aren\u2019t you heading east? We need land!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stas, already wearing one of the preservers around his neck, wiped sweat from his brow. \u201cYou said not to! If we get too close to Governors Island there could be military\u2014you said so!\u201d Barney cursed and looked to the island\u2014they all did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lines of soldiers barracks were only barely visible from the water, but there definitely were lights flicking on along the pier, and it didn\u2019t take much imagination to paint figures on the shore as war-deprived soldiers willing to take up vengeance for murdered cops. Lights on the water to the west and southwest proved there were plenty of police themselves on their tail, and way too much distance between them and their port. Even if they were able to continue up the river as planned, too many people knew how they\u2019d made their escape, and soon every pier along the shore would be occupied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen the closet land is Manhattan,\u201d said Hannah, voicing the conclusion each of them had hoped to avoid. \u201cWe make for Battery Park and risk the rest on foot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The jagged Manhattan skyline had never looked quite so foreboding. Lucky will <\/em>have <\/em>heard <\/em>about the heist by now, <\/em>Jakub thought. She\u2019ll know it\u2019s <\/em>us. <\/em>He ached for a cigarette. \u201cShe\u2019s right. We won\u2019t make it if we have to circle Governor\u2019s Island.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Barney scrubbed his fist across his mouth. \u201cFuck, you\u2019re right.\u201d He slapped Stas on the back. \u201cGet to the park. We can land where the ferry does.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cO-Okay!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The rest of them went back to bailing out the boat as best they could, using buckets and oars and hands. The boat continued to sink. Stas pushed it as fast as it would go, but they were still almost thirty feet from shore when the motor gave out with a pathetic sputter. By then Barney had at least had the good idea to tie as many of the life jackets together as he could, making a decent raft for them to load the bank loot along with Jakub\u2019s rifle. Stas refused to give up his.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019ll be fine,\u201d Barney reassured him impatiently as they floated the makeshift raft out over the back end of the boat, which was almost completely submerged by then. \u201cJust hold on to the money and keep kicking. It\u2019s not hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jakub shuddered as the water sloshed up to his thighs. There was nothing to do but continue forward, and he tried to keep his prosthetic gripped to his rifle and out of the water as the boat fell away beneath his feet. I <\/em>wonder if Cheshire <\/em>can <\/em>swim<\/em>, he thought, focusing on that idle curiosity to hold back the panic that threatened to bite its way up his spine the higher the water climbed. Probably. <\/em>He can do <\/em>whatever he sets <\/em>his mind to<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou okay?\u201d asked Hannah, staying close at his side as they began the slow kick to shore. Jakub nodded but didn\u2019t want to open his mouth so close to the river surface. If we <\/em>get <\/em>out <\/em>of <\/em>this, I\u2019m taking Cheshire\u2019s bathrobe, <\/em>he promised himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the time they reached the shore a small crowd had gathered, drawn by the spectacle of their boat gurgling beneath the water. Two men had even jumped the railing along the park shore and were waiting with arms outstretched to \u201crescue\u201d them from the river. Stas reached them first, thanking the strangers over and over as they pulled him onto the concrete promenade, then Hannah and the driver of the second car. As Jakub reached the shore, however, he didn\u2019t have much choice but to pass his rifle up to Hannah, which their savoirs took clear notice of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGetting late for a swim,\u201d a middle aged man teased, but cautiously, as he offered Jakub his hand. \u201cWhat happened to your boat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNone of your business,\u201d Barney retorted, though he then had to shove the revolver between his teeth to keep it dry as he passed up one of the money bags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jakub allowed the man to haul him up onto solid ground. Once his feet were planted he felt steadier, though not any less anxious; the strangers were looking to each other, and the telltale whine of approaching police sirens seemed to alert them to the situation they\u2019d stumbled into. He could feel his nerves beginning to unravel, and determined not to be caught off guard again, he grabbed his rifle from Hannah and leveled it at the small group of bystanders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUp against the railing, now<\/em>,\u201d he ordered, prodding the older man who had helped him up with the barrel. \u201cGet down on your knees and keep your hands on the top rung.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat the hell is going on?\u201d the man protested, but another, harder poke shut him up, and he and the others nervously complied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Barney and his two men continued pulling up the money while Hannah moved deeper into the park. \u201cWe have to go,\u201d she called back to them, the blaring of sirens drawing ever closer. \u201cIf we have to leave one\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo!\u201d Barney insisted, and he finally dragged the last sack over the rail. \u201cWe\u2019ve got it\u2014let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n They made a run for the parking lot. It was still early enough that several cars were about, their owners spread out across the park. They bolted to the nearest, an older Ford with a push ignition that couldn\u2019t have been easier to steal. Jakub wondered if it belonged to one of the men they\u2019d accosted as they piled inside and tore out onto the street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As soon as they had turned a corner and were out of sight on the park, Hannah slowed to a much more leisurely pace. \u201cWe can\u2019t keep going like this,\u201d she said, slapping long strands of wet hair out of her face. \u201cThere\u2019s no way they won\u2019t shut down the bridge before we can get there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s nowhere safe for us in Manhattan,\u201d said Jakub, crammed in the back seat with Stas and the Chicago driver. He had to struggle to position his rifle in the tight space. \u201cIf the cops don\u2019t find us, Lucky will.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut we can\u2019t <\/em>go to the bridge,\u201d Hannah insisted. \u201cCops are dead\u2014they\u2019ll shoot us on sight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n But Masterson won\u2019t? <\/em>Jakub thought. He honestly wasn\u2019t sure. \u201cThen let\u2019s go north, as far as we can. We\u2019ll stay away from the rivers and find somewhere to hole up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHarlem,\u201d said Barney, snapping his fingers as if it were a brilliant idea. \u201cWe\u2019ll head north into Harlem. Cops won\u2019t think of that!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jakub started to protest, though again he couldn\u2019t immediately think of whether it was a decent idea or a terrible one. \u201cThat\u2019s Big Mitt\u2019s territory, and they\u2019ve thrown in with Lucky. What if they rat us out?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey\u2019ll have to find us first,\u201d replied Barney. \u201cAnd if that fucker Masterson comes sniffing around, we\u2019ll play it like Mitts let us in. Shake them up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That would only work if we had Cheshire<\/em>, Jakub thought, biting down hard on the impulse to say as much. He <\/em>can talk his way out of anything<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His doubt must have been radiating, though, as Hannah cleared her throat. \u201cI don\u2019t see we have much other choice, rather than break into some building at random. Cops will be watching the shores\u2014we need to get off the streets, and no one will expect us north.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFine,\u201d said Jakub, and he and the others hunkered down in their seats as best they could, hoping not to attract any attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was slow going through the city. Hannah was an excellent driver, her ears ever vigilant for the sound of distant or approaching sirens, and she maneuvered the streets with perfect caution that was nevertheless agonizing. Crammed down in his seat with his rifle wedged in beside him, Jakub was sore and buzzing with anxiety by the time they reached Harlem. Hannah drew them to a halt along the side of the street and twisted her door open. \u201cEveryone stay quiet,\u201d she hissed, and they piled out. She had brought them to a large public park, its entrance bordered by tall trees, a short, wrought-iron fence separating the street from a squat municipal building. By then it was late enough in the evening for the facility to be closed, but not so late that it would seem unusual for employees to be working, or for park visitors to be lingering inside the grounds. The five of them crept up to the municipal building; Jakub made sure to reach the door first before anyone could suggest blowing through the lock. After working his metal fingers a few times to get an idea of the necessary force, he closed his fist around the door knob until the metal contorted, and he was able to shear the assembly off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBeats having to pick it, huh?\u201d Barney whispered, patting Jakub on the back. \u201cGood work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jakub pursed his lips. \u201cSure,\u201d he said, and he led the way inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The interior was dark. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as they moved down the entry hall. There were only a few offices in the building, two large supply closets, and at the far end an activities room that doubled as a cafeteria. After making sure all the curtains were drawn, they all sprawled out on the floor of the large room to catch their breath and let their nerves unwind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs long as no one saw us come in, we should be safe for a while,\u201d said Hannah. She pulled a chair close to the double door entrance and sat down with a long sigh. \u201cFuck.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFuck,\u201d Barney agreed, but now that they were in relative safety, he couldn\u2019t keep from grinning. \u201cWe made it, though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe haven\u2019t \u2018made it\u2019 until we\u2019re back in Brooklyn,\u201d Jakub scolded him. He shrugged out of his soaked jacket and was tempted to take off his shoes, but that seemed like tempting fate one step too far. \u201cThis was really stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t have been stupid if it had worked,\u201d Barney retorted. \u201cAnd it would have worked if the fucking pigs hadn\u2019t shot through the boat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019re not going to argue over what went wrong,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hannah interrupted. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter, because we\u2019re not doing anything like it again, ever.\u201d She fixed Barney with a hard eye. \u201cBoss\u2019s orders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Barney rolled his eyes, but his hand shook as he slicked his hair back. Maybe he had some inkling of how close the call had been after all. \u201cYeah, I know, but at least we got the loot. There\u2019s got to be a million dollars in here!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA million?\u201d Stas repeated, perking up. \u201cHonest?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHonest! You can help count it when we get back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Barney grinned wickedly. \u201cAnd we did it all ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re <\/em>not <\/em>back <\/em>yet<\/em>, Jakub wanted to say again, but he busied himself with spying through one of the windows outward. It seemed quiet, but there was a building full of apartments across the street, and there was no telling who might have been looking out of the dozens of windows there. We\u2019re <\/em>not home free by <\/em>a <\/em>long <\/em>shot<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There wasn\u2019t anything to do but wait, so Jakub checked his rifle to make sure it hadn\u2019t been water damaged and settled in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is a bad idea,\u201d said Leon, yet again, as he buckled himself into the truck\u2019s passenger seat. \u201cWe should be at the bridge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf they made it to the east shore, they\u2019re home free,\u201d reasoned Cheshire, his tone level despite all ten fingers drumming the steering wheel. \u201cIf they didn\u2019t, we can\u2019t help them until we figure out where they are, and we\u2019re not going to do that driving around aimlessly in a vegetable truck.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen shouldn\u2019t we be following the cops?\u201d Leon persisted. \u201cThey were the ones tailing the boat in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheshire shook his head, though he kept his attention locked on the hotel they were parked across from. \u201cWe won\u2019t know if the coppers we choose to follow are heading toward the others or toward another roadblock until it\u2019s too late.\u201d He stopped fidgeting to instead grip the wheel tight. \u201cBut Masterson isn\u2019t going anywhere until he knows where. If he steps out of that building, we\u2019ll know Barney and the others have been made.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leon continued to squirm. \u201cAnd if he spots us<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen I guess I\u2019ll just blow him up!\u201d Cheshire replied, and he laughed. \u201cLeon, calm down. You\u2019re safer with me than anyone else, and you know that.\u201d He glared up at the Four Thrones; his palms already felt hot and itchy, and he wasn\u2019t sure if it was dread or anticipation hopping him up. \u201cI can handle Masterson.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n They waited unspeaking for another fifteen minutes, watching as traffic gradually thinned into a sparser than usual night time crowd. A few cars pulled up to the Four Thrones that emptied familiar-looking thugs, though Cheshire couldn\u2019t be sure if they were moving any faster than usual. Jakub\u2019s fine<\/em>, he told himself over and over as he went back to drumming his fingers. He\u2019s <\/em>fine, he\u2019s always fine. <\/em>You\u2019d know <\/em>by now if he <\/em>wasn\u2019t. Somehow<\/em>. He swallowed. He said <\/em>we should <\/em>talk, and it <\/em>seemed important, so no way he\u2019s letting himself get <\/em>killed <\/em>before then.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n At last the main doors opened, and out strolled Herb himself, Camilla on his arm and a posse at his back. As they split up to their vehicles Cheshire started the truck up. \u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d Cheshire told Leon preemptively. \u201cI\u2019ll only follow close enough that we don\u2019t lose them.\u201d His lips quirked. \u201cI\u2019m sure even if he does spot us, he\u2019ll let us tag along. He\u2019ll want to give me an earful for this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s not encouraging,\u201d said Leon, but he had no choice other than to hold on as Cheshire pulled onto the street behind the Manhattan entourage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jakub and his compatriots waited in the municipal building for over an hour, watching the occasional car drive by. A police car made a pass at one point, and Jakub held his breath, but it moved on without raising any alarm. Still, his tension never unwound, and even as the others took a few minutes of sleep where they could, he remained strictly vigilant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think they\u2019ve made us,\u201d he said, taking up his rifle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hannah joined him cautiously at the window and peered out. He pointed her toward two tall men leaning against the wall of the apartment building opposite them, next to an open window. Both were standing close together and chatting inaudibly as they passed a cigarette back and forth. It didn\u2019t seem that either was paying much attention to the park, but that only made Jakub more concerned. It would have been more natural if they did <\/em>look over occasionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow long have they been there?\u201d Hannah asked. \u201cOne came out not long after we got here. The other<\/p>\n\n\n\n almost half an hour ago.\u201d Jakub chewed his lip. \u201cI don\u2019t like it.\u201d As they watched, a third figure climbed out of the open window to join them: a burly woman wearing a holster. The man currently holding the cigarette offered her a puff, and they continued to cluster together. She cast only one look at their car parked across the street and then turned her back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Hannah said, squinting at them. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to tell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey know we\u2019re here,\u201d Jakub insisted. \u201cWe should go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Without waiting for Hannah to agree, Jakub began moving around the room, urging the rest of their companions up. \u201cBarney, we have to go,\u201d he said, pushing the money bags toward him. \u201cWe\u2019ll come out the other side of the park\u2014there has to be a closed business we can break into or something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re sure?\u201d Barney asked, screwing his cap into place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jakub was spared from having to answer when Hannah cursed, and she hurried to help Jakub rouse the others. As Jakub struggled into his still-wet coat, he risked a glance across the street: a car had pulled up to the curb behind theirs, and the three figures from across the street were headed toward it. One held open the rear door and out climbed Big Mitts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With his own curses Jakub made for the kitchen, everyone quickly following. As he\u2019d hoped there was an outside door, and they all rushed through it, keeping as close to the building as possible to avoid being seen as they circled around back. What sounded like a shout of recognition spurred Jakub faster, and before anyone could consider standing their ground he charged ahead deeper into the park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t even think <\/em>about firing on Mitts,\u201d he demanded of Barney as he led the group off the normal path. There were very few trees or other obstacles to provide cover\u2014they could only hope to reach the other side and find another building as shelter. \u201cWe\u2019ll never survive a shootout.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI got it, I got it,\u201d Barney wheezed, all out of bravado and gripping one of the loot bags tight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More shouts chased them down the length of the park. \u201cWe know it\u2019s you, Kozlow!\u201d Mitts themself hollered, but Jakub didn\u2019t stop running, so no one else did, either. At the very least Harlem would demand a portion of their take, and he hated to think of how Barney would respond with the Hallorran still at his hip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The other end of the park came into view: a parking lot, a fence, and open streets beyond. There was a chance they could split up among the buildings, lose Mitts\u2019 gang long enough to each find their own hole-up for the rest of the night; Jakub felt that chance immediately crumble as he watched three cars pull into the lot. Each had barely parked before a collection of familiar Manhattan thugs piled out brandishing guns, Herb and Camila among them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jakub headed for the nearest tree and pressed himself against its trunk. We\u2019re fucked<\/em>, he thought, holding his rifle at the ready with no idea who to aim at, if anyone. Barney stumbled into him a moment later, and his wild eyes said the same. There was no hope of them staying hidden and they were outgunned on both sides. \u201cBarney,\u201d Jakub hissed, \u201cyou\u2019ve got to give them the money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Barney shook his head, so preemptively Jakub snatched his wrist, just in case he was thinking of drawing the Hallorran. \u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know.\u201d Barney huddled closer as the rest of them took cover along the path, both enemy gangs closing in on either side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey, Barney!\u201d shouted Herb as he strolled up to the cobblestone sidewalk at the edge of the park. Camila hung on his elbow, dolled up in a fur coat as usual, both of them confident in their surveyal of the situation. Their loyal soldiers stopped, fanned out to prevent their quarry from sneaking past. With Mitts and their crew handling the rear, Kozlow was trapped. \u201cThe fuck are you doing hiding in the bushes like that? You\u2019re breaking my heart, here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re the ones with guns out!\u201d Barney retorted, and Jakub couldn\u2019t help but hold his breath, fearful of every word out of his mouth. \u201cWe\u2019re supposed to be allies!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, yeah, I thought so, too!\u201d Herb waved impatiently for them to come forward. \u201cQuit skulking around back there and let me see that ugly mug of yours, we\u2019ve got\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was interrupted by a crunch <\/em>of metal, and he turned about, just as baffled as all of them to see the tail lights of a tall delivery truck. It had backed into the lot and kept going, straight into the rear of Herb\u2019s car and rocking its front wheels onto the curb. Everyone stared in blank confusion and a few guns went up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSorry!\u201d a voice called from the open driver\u2019s side window, and a hand reached out to wave. Jakub thought he might faint at the familiar, sing-song apology. \u201cSorry, that was my mistake!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWha\u2026\u201d Herb turned fully to stare as Cheshire roared the truck forward again; the car rocked back with a heavy rattle. He was so caught off guard it took him a while to settle on a reaction, and he gestured angrily. \u201cBloom! What the fuck are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSorry!\u201d Cheshire called again, and with the truck a safe distance and finally stopped\u2014blocking the entrance to the lot from the street\u2014he stepped down from the cab. He left his door open as he headed toward the group with hands raised in surrender. \u201cSorry, I didn\u2019t mean that\u2014I got distracted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat the fuck is he doing?\u201d Barney hissed, but Jakub had no idea and could only gape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou owe me for that,\u201d Herb said. \u201cDo you know how much that car cost?\u201d He didn\u2019t seem to know what to make of Cheshire, either, and he visibly struggled to bring himself back on script.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheshire laughed, not a care in the world as he strolled up to the line of Manhattan thugs. Each gave him a wary look, and even Herb was on guard, but no one tried to stop him. \u201cOf course!\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ll buy you a whole new one if you want. You know I\u2019m good for it, Pal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He stopped right among the line, and everyone stared at him as if he\u2019d lost his mind. Jakub was half convinced of the same, but he had no idea what to do, palm sweating around the grip of his rifle. He leaned out from around the tree just enough to hopefully gain Cheshire\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRight now you\u2019re a good-for-nothing<\/em>,\u201d Herb retorted, swiftly regaining his characteristically grating charm. \u201cLook at this mess you\u2019re in!\u201d He waved his arm at the standoff. \u201cAre we staging a reenactment or something? Because I could have sworn you and I have done this dance before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheshire glanced into the park, unperturbed. When he spotted Jakub, a relieved smile showed briefly in his face before he could settle back into unconcerned amusement. He gave Jakub a wink and turned back to Herb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat can I say?\u201d he teased. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to find a better partner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jakub settled himself with a deep breath. When he looked again, he realized that Leon had slipped out the other side of the truck and was leaning close to the rear door, waiting. \u201cHe has a plan,\u201d Jakub whispered to Barney. \u201cWhatever happens, just follow his lead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLike hell,\u201d Barney muttered, but he didn\u2019t move a muscle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMr. Bloom,\u201d said Camila, and the park was so quiet even her gentle voice carried perfectly. \u201cPlease call your people into the open. They\u2019re being rude.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah!\u201d Herb motioned for him to continue to the inside of their circle. \u201cGet out there too\u2014I want you where I can see you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheshire moved to the fore, putting a good twenty feet between them though still maddeningly calm. \u201cHow about here?\u201d he goaded. \u201cCan you see me? \u2018Cause if so we should get started with the negotiation, I suppose.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCall your people into the open,\u201d Camila repeated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jakub readied himself, but before he could even begin to move Cheshire shook his head. \u201cNaw,\u201d Cheshire said easily. \u201cThey\u2019re fine there, and this is between you and me, anyway. Right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Herb gave a loud scoff, and when Cheshire held his ground, he started to laugh. \u201cYeah.\u201d His smirk grew vicious and Jakub\u2019s skin crawled. \u201cYeah, of course it is. You\u2019re <\/em>the one who broke his word, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jakub held his breath as he lowered himself onto one knee. He had no idea how well Herb\u2019s or Mitts\u2019 people could see him, but he didn\u2019t care; he put Herb squarely in his rifle sights. Cheshire had left him a clear shot and he knew he could sweep half their line in a matter of seconds if he had to. If Mitts shot him in the back…at least Cheshire might have time to make a run for it. He was so busy focusing, a hundred scenarios in his head, that he didn\u2019t notice Barney moving until the sack of cash dropped next to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is fucking stupid,\u201d Barney muttered, and he shoved the Hallorran into the back of his belt as he stomped out of hiding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBarney\u2014\u201d Jakub was far too late to grab him; he had no choice but to reposition his shot, curses in his throat. If we <\/em>get out of this<\/em>, he thought, teeth grinding, I <\/em>might just <\/em>kill <\/em>them both<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe <\/em>I <\/em>should just let <\/em>Herb kill him<\/em>, Cheshire thought, sweating through his good shirt as Barney stalked up beside him. Flying by the seat of one\u2019s pants was hard enough without <\/em>a passenger, let alone one as volatile as Barney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEnough of the bullshit, Masterson,\u201d Barney snarled, looking rather ridiculous in his soaked clothing and a bandana still hanging off his neck. \u201cWe all know you\u2019re not going to shoot us dead, so get to the <\/em>point<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, we know that, do we?\u201d Herb said, eyebrows raised. Barney\u2019s arrival had all the guns back up; even if Herb didn\u2019t give the order himself, it wouldn\u2019t take much to start a nasty shootout with them smack in the middle. \u201cYou just decided that, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheshire shrugged. His <\/em>attention isn\u2019t on Barney, it\u2019s on you, <\/em>he thought. \u201cHe\u2019s an ass, but he\u2019s right,\u201d he said. \u201cEveryone knows we didn\u2019t want to be here. It\u2019s bad luck, that\u2019s all. Nothing to go to war over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWar?\u201d Herb repeated, and he scoffed some more. \u201cMy friends here putting a few bullets in Kozlow\u2019s boss and their biggest gun isn\u2019t \u2018going to\u2019 war, that\u2019s \u2018finishing\u2019 one. And you\u2019ve given us every reason to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd a vault\u2019s worth of reasons not to,\u201d Cheshire insisted. \u201cDon\u2019t be\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re not getting this take,\u201d Barney talked over him. \u201cWe worked hard for it and it\u2019s ours<\/em>, so give us some terms we can agree on before the cops find us here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheshire tried not to wince; if Barney was determined to call Herb\u2019s bluff, there wasn\u2019t much he could do but put up a confident front, too. It even seemed like it might work, for a moment: Herb looked to Camila, and though he said a few joking words about \u201cthe gall\u201d of it all, he was clearly seeking her authority. Camila considered for a long moment, staring at them from over the collar of her thick fur coat, and finally she motioned for her soldiers to lower their weapons. That they complied was reassuring until she spoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI want Bloom,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheshire felt the air rush out of the park. All eyes had been on him all along and he\u2019d welcomed them, but suddenly each was a knifepoint, none more so than Barney\u2019s beside him. Instinct wrung a laugh out of him, but panic crushed it thin. \u201cOh. My. I\u2019m flattered, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLike we talked about,\u201d Camila went on, and Herb\u2019s smug grin had him burning all over. \u201cYou\u2019ll come over to Manhattan and work for me from now on. Then we take fifty percent of tonight\u2019s take and everyone goes home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t talk about anything,\u201d Cheshire tried to protest, but he hadn\u2019t prepared for this and the humor leaving his tone was far too obvious. He turned to Barney. \u201cBarney, I didn\u2019t\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWere you in on this?\u201d Barney demanded, glaring at him with every ounce of the bitter distrust he\u2019d distilled over the years. \u201cDid you fucking tip them off?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course not! She\u2019s messing with you.\u201d Cheshire looked back to Camila, but she was deadpan and Herb triumphant. \u201cLucky, come on, what I told you <\/em>was that I\u2019m not <\/em>interested. Just take your fifty percent like we agreed at the Thrones and get this nonsense over with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou don\u2019t speak for us,\u201d Barney snapped, \u201cand they\u2019re not getting any <\/em>of this take!\u201d He gestured angrily at the truck. \u201cYou show up right behind them and expect me to believe you\u2019re not <\/em>on their side?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI had to follow them to find you at all! I\u2019m not\u2014\u201d Cheshire shook his head, nearly at a loss. All the Manhattan goons were watching him with snarling amusement now, Herb most of all. \u201cHerb, friend, tell him<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Herb shrugged, insufferable. \u201cYou\u2019ve been my good buddy since day one and everyone knows it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Is this the play? <\/em>Cheshire thought, his pulse frantic and downright jittering as he tried to make sense of the situation. Play <\/em>along <\/em>until Jakub is <\/em>safe <\/em>and <\/em>then <\/em>turn <\/em>on them? <\/em>He could feel Barney glaring holes into his face and knew, with nauseating certainty, that even if he pretended to turncoat he could never go back. Everything he had built with Kozlow would be over. They didn\u2019t need him and he would lose everything<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No<\/em>, Cheshire thought as the full consequences of that pounded through his chest. No, <\/em>Barney \u2019s wrong\u2014they need me. <\/em>Jakub <\/em>needs me. <\/em>\u201cOh yeah?\u201d he said, desperate and downright manic as he lifted his hands. \u201cIf I was really working for Lucky, would I do this?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It wasn\u2019t difficult to imagine the fire. Cheshire turned his focus on the parking lot and all three of the cars Manhattan had arrived in exploded in a trio of brilliant orange and coiling black. The blast echoed like canonfire, shocking the line of goons so badly that some dropped to their hands and knees while others whirled in panic. Even Herb stumbled, buffeted by the rush of hot wind and shielding Camila from the debris. His face was blank with shock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t stop. <\/em>Cheshire shoved Barney to the ground and spun. With the light from the burning cars he could easily make out Mitts and their crew, struggling to regain their wits and their weapons. Don\u2019t let <\/em>any <\/em>of them shoot. <\/em>His stomach lurched, and at the last second he turned his focus away from the figures and to the iron fencing that stretched down the path: one by one the rods shattered, chasing the Harlem gangsters away from the fiery scene. A trashcan showering them in blazing garbage sent them scattering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cManhattan does not own Brooklyn!\u201d Cheshire shouted as he turned back to Lucky\u2019s crew, and a frightened laugh rippled out of him at the blazing, unholy spectacle. \u201cAnd it sure as hell doesn\u2019t own Cheshire Bloom!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well you can\u2019t fucking stop now<\/em>, said his conscience. He zeroed in a few off-color bricks making up the park\u2019s stone path\u2014they cast gravel and dust into the air when they burst like land mines, a rough smoke screen shielding him from the still struggling gangsters. He could feel tiny, edged pebbles pelt his legs like shrapnel, and Barney cursed as he covered his face. With that reminder Cheshire hauled him up again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGet to the truck!\u201d he ordered, pushing Barney on. He turned back to look for Jakub and spotted him rounding the same tree he\u2019d been at earlier, but his rifle was raised and his finger squeezing the trigger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even then, Cheshire startled at the report of the gun. He turned and was stunned to see Herb reeling back, a gun in his hand and blood soaking his chest. Camila reached for him, stricken, but she had no hope of supporting his weight and they tumbled to the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For almost a full minute, Cheshire stood frozen. He blinked around the glowing park at the chaos he\u2019d raised and couldn\u2019t for the life of him remember why it had seemed like a good idea seconds ago\u2014or if it had at all. Black smoke billowed from flaming wreckage in all directions like a vision of Hell, and the air burned to breathe. Most of their enemies were in full, terrified retreat, while Jakub and Hannah fled from hiding with Kozlow boys in tow. He should have been running, right? Instead he stared at Herb, who was gripping the gunshot wound in his chest as Camila tried to staunch the bleeding. Maybe he was always meant to die by a bullet and Cheshire should have let him bleed out in his car a year ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But it was too hard to think about that then, when Herb stared up at him with all his arrogance and childish humor gone. He\u2019d learned his lesson too late and he deserved a witty taunt into the grave, a \u201cyou wanted to see my magic\u201d <\/em>remark, but the hollow fear in his eyes replaced any satisfaction Cheshire might have felt with a cold and piercing shame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019ll burn in hell,\u201d Camilla told him, shaking but fierce, and Cheshire gulped, believing her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCheshire!\u201d Jakub called, and at last Cheshire fought back to his senses. As he turned to run he caught glimpses of metal barrels reflecting the firelight, and he blew up the first revolver he was able to make out; the holder let out a terrible scream that rattled Cheshire\u2019s nerves, and thankfully it was enough to discourage any others from taking aim against him as he dashed for the truck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jakub was standing in the open back of the truck; it lurched forward, and he had to grab at the door to keep from being thrown. Even so he kept his eyes on Cheshire and waved him on; Cheshire reached the vehicle just before it turned out onto the street, and Jakub helped to haul him in so they could close the doors behind him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHoly moly,\u201d said Cheshire, still gripping Jakub\u2019s arm as they tried to settle among the vegetable crates. The police hadn\u2019t bothered to re-cover all those they\u2019d opened, leaving box lids and even a few cabbages strewn about. The interior reeked of smoke and without any light it was difficult to get his bearings. \u201cDid everyone make it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was met with only a shift of boxes as the truck rumbled on. He squinted into the dark, trying to determine just how many of them had crowded in, but having gone from painfully-bright to no light at all, he couldn\u2019t get his eyes to adjust. All he could be sure of was Jakub\u2019s metal hand clenched tightly in his vest. \u201cIs everyone all right?\u201d he tried again. \u201cLeon?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leon coughed, closer than Cheshire had expected due to the tight confines. \u201cI\u2019m okay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, phew.\u201d Cheshire relaxed and even let out a quiet chuckle. \u201cSorry if I singed you there; I really didn\u2019t mean for it to get that hot. What about the others?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHannah\u2019s driving the truck,\u201d said Jakub, and even just the sound of his voice helped loosen Cheshire\u2019s wound-up guts. \u201cI think she has Stas with her up there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheshire was almost afraid to ask. \u201cBarney\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m right fucking here,\u201d Barney muttered, and Cheshire couldn\u2019t help but startle. \u201cGorski, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot sure I know who that is, but good.\u201d Sitting seemed like too much trouble given the circumstances, so Cheshire braced his free hand to the truck\u2019s side and welcomed Jakub closer for stability. \u201cHell, though, cops said they got one of us\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNowak,\u201d said Jakub. \u201cThat was at the river, though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCops said?\u201d Barney prompted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He didn\u2019t sound like his usual, berating self\u2014in fact he was uncommonly quiet, and it put Cheshire on edge again. \u201cIt\u2019s a long story,\u201d Cheshire said, and when that didn\u2019t ease any tension, he added, \u201cAsk Leon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether Leon was about to back him up didn\u2019t end up mattering. \u201cIt\u2019s fine,\u201d Barney said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He didn\u2019t offer more than that. No one did, and as the silence dragged out Cheshire began to sweat all over again. With the rush of the standoff in the past, his thinning adrenaline made everything a little clearer, and a little frightening. He wound his fingers in Jakub\u2019s coat. \u201cThanks for covering me. I didn\u2019t even see that asshole had a gun until he went down! You\u2019re a lifesaver, literally!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI had a good shot,\u201d said Jakub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Silence again. Cheshire gulped.