Page 56 of Legendary

Cash gives a bitter laugh. “I’d love to see those hate-mongering bastards turn on each other.”

“I imagine it will resemble a nature documentary I once saw where, during a drought, a hyena pack started killing each other in competition for their dwindling resources.” I give a small shake to clear my head of the disturbing images and sounds the documentary captured. “Nevertheless, the bloodshed should keep Banks distracted.”

“Even if he decides to leave,” Johnny says. “Jonah and Daisy are keeping tabs on him and will run a stall to keep him from his compound until we finish setting up his skanky ass.”

I nod. “Cash, you’ve successfully procured the two Do Right Vans and the correctly sized uniforms?”

Banks is notoriously paranoid and will only let companies associated with his skewed ideals, and who have been vetted, to enter his home. Do Right Air Conditioning and Heating is owned by one of Banks’ cohorts, and consequently, is one of his service providers.

I hacked all the digital thermostats in his house to heat his house to ninety-five degrees. Within a half hour of doing so, Daisy, posing as a dispatcher for Do Right, answered a rerouted phone call from a member of Banks’ household staff arranging for a service call.

“Yep,” Johnny replies. “Cash and I jacked them last night.”

“And they’re packed with the various and sundry evidence we’re planting at the compound?”

“Not sure if I packed that sundry thing you’re talking about,” Cash replies. “But there’s enough evidence crammed in those step vans to send Banks away for a couple of lifetimes.”

“Excellent,” I say, checking off one more box in my mental spreadsheet.

I nod at the schematics. “Johnny, since you’re the only one who’s spent time in Banks’ home, is there anywhere besides his three safes and the false wall in his wine cellar that you recommend planting the evidence?”

“There’s a gardener’s shed placed a little too close to the main house that I always wanted to check out, but Jaimie was always up my ass—”

Cash lets out a growl at the mention of Jaimie, Banks’ niece, who Johnny dated to get access into Banks’ home and inner world.

“It’s hot when you get jealous,” Johnny says, placing one of Cash’s hands over his heart. “But you know ya got both my cock and my heart on lock forever, babe.”

Cash makes another inarticulate sound, but this one is much more pleased-sounding.

“Anyway,” Johnny says. “From the surveillance I was able to set up, all of you have a pretty good idea of the layout of Banks’ house. Since the staff knows me, I’m going to have to keep my cap on and lie low. If I get a crack at that shed, though, I’m checking it out, and I’ll throw some incriminating evidence in there while I’m at it.”

“Jeb will be the point of contact with the staff,” I say, and knowing that Cash is the only one of the three of them who likes to work with a plan, and even then only nominally, I skip over any sort of directives. “There will be three household staff and six guards to account for during our breach.” I put an aerial photo of the compound on the computer screens. “Besides the guards at the entrance, there are also two stationed around the perimeter, as well as two guards who roam at timed intervals. I’m tracking the movements of the employees through their smart watches, and the guards thorough their communication devices. I will be maintaining communications with Cash and Johnny over coms, and Jeb, since you will be interacting with staff and possibly the guards, an alert on your watch will vibrate if they come within fifty feet of you.”

“What’s the in and out time on this?” Cash asks.

“We leave in thirty- three minutes. Our goal is to be off the premises within one hour of our arrival at Banks’ home. Does everyone feel comfortable with that time frame?”

“We could do it in twenty,” Johnny scoffs.

“It's almost too easy,” Cash says. “After everything we’ve been through, we’re taking down Bank’s huge hate syndicate with a simple B&E. It’s kinda a letdown.”

“No worries, Cash. Something will go wrong,” Jeb says, not looking the least bit worried. “It always does.”

“If we’re lucky,” Johnny says. “I don’t want to fall asleep on this job.”

Cash laughs.

I scowl at them. “You’re all crazy,” I say, and call an end to the meeting.

Johnny immediately beelines for me. “We need to talk.”

“I’ve got things to do.”

“We can have this conversation outside—” He glances at Jeb who’s watching us with curiosity. “Or in here. You know I’m not shy. I’ll say everything I think about you two for Jeb to hear.”

“Fine,” I say turning off the video feed for the outside and getting up to follow Johnny outside.

“I told you not to catch feelings for him,” Johnny hisses at me as soon we hit the fresh air. “Jeb is the kinda guy you hit for a good time not a long time.”

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