‘It’s incredible. On each side there are hundreds—maybe thousands—of safety deposit boxes. Big ones at floor level, smaller ones as you go up the wall to the ceiling. The first two numbers of the PIN—29—seem to refer to boxes—they’re all numbered. We’re trying to find box 29. We’re not game to ask anyone for—’
Suddenly there was silence and my heart froze. What was happening?
I could hear the sudden scuff of feet coming to a stop. I strained to listen harder.
Winter’s voice screeched into my ear: ‘Watch where you’re going!’ she yelled at someone who must have bumped into her in the hallway.
‘Terribly sorry, Ma’am,’ came an unknown voice.
I slumped with relief. That was exactly the sort of thing Oriana would have said to someone stepping in her way. Winter had nailed it, again.
‘Sorry about the interruption, dude,’ whispered Boges. ‘We’re still trying to find the box. There are guards patrolling up and down this corridor, but they don’t seem to be taking much notice of us. We’re approaching the lower numbers now. Box 29 shouldn’t be far away.’
I could hear Boges, but his voice was breaking up. ‘We’ve … SDB … 29. She’s … key … numbers … now.’
‘Boges,’ I said, ‘there’s some kind of interference. I can’t hear you properly.’
As I looked around, wondering what the interference might be, I got the shock of my life. The dark blue Mercedes screeched to a halt outside of the bank.
It couldn’t be! But it was! The worst possible thing that could happen was actually happening! I scuttled out of sight.
The real Oriana de la Force appeared, swinging her legs in their purple heels out of the car and onto the footpath. Cyril the Sumo, unapologetically parking in the No Standing zone in front of the bank, lurched out of his door, straightened his jacket, ran his fingers over his crew cut, and slammed the door of the car.
Immediately, I turned away. I couldn’t run the risk of being recognised.
‘It’s working!’ I heard Winter’s excited voice come through my earpiece. ‘It’s working!’
‘It’s opening!’ I heard Boges say. ‘We have the box open!’
‘Guys!’ I hissed. ‘Get out of there! Grab the contents and get out of there!’
‘There’s a packet in here!’ Boges said, too distracted to hear my warning.
I raised my voice, speaking between gritted teeth. ‘Listen to me! You’ve gotta get out right now!’ I commanded, desperation rising as I saw Oriana and Sumo scaling the bank stairs. ‘Grab the stuff and get out! Oriana and Sumo are outside! Any second now they’ll be walking into you!’
‘ What? ’
‘You heard me!’ I stared through the glass.The real Oriana and Sumo sauntered towards the scanner.
I grasped the radio with clammy hands. If Winter and Boges walked out now, wearing their Oriana and Sumo outfits, they would practically collide with their real-life counterparts and all hell would break loose!
Oriana and Sumo had stopped short of the door. They seemed to be deep in a massive argument . She turned to Sumo with one hand on her hip, and jabbed an accusing finger at him with the other. He was visibly upset, puffing up his chest and shouting back at her.
I looked past them, through the glass windows, and saw Winter and Boges, still wearing their fake outfits, hurrying towards the entrance foyer. Any second now and they would walk straight into the two criminals they were impersonating!
I snatched up the radio connector but didn’t have time to warn them again—they were already walking out.
A few metres ahead of them, Oriana and Sumo were still arguing fiercely. Don’t turn around , I willed the feuding pair. Don’t look behind you!
Rigid with tension I watched the scene unfold.
Boges and Winter only hesitated a second before walking through the automatic doors. They looked horrified when they saw the two familiarfigures just ahead of them, but they quickly veered to their right, out the
Suddenly there was silence and my heart froze. What was happening?
I could hear the sudden scuff of feet coming to a stop. I strained to listen harder.
Winter’s voice screeched into my ear: ‘Watch where you’re going!’ she yelled at someone who must have bumped into her in the hallway.
‘Terribly sorry, Ma’am,’ came an unknown voice.
I slumped with relief. That was exactly the sort of thing Oriana would have said to someone stepping in her way. Winter had nailed it, again.
‘Sorry about the interruption, dude,’ whispered Boges. ‘We’re still trying to find the box. There are guards patrolling up and down this corridor, but they don’t seem to be taking much notice of us. We’re approaching the lower numbers now. Box 29 shouldn’t be far away.’
I could hear Boges, but his voice was breaking up. ‘We’ve … SDB … 29. She’s … key … numbers … now.’
‘Boges,’ I said, ‘there’s some kind of interference. I can’t hear you properly.’
As I looked around, wondering what the interference might be, I got the shock of my life. The dark blue Mercedes screeched to a halt outside of the bank.
It couldn’t be! But it was! The worst possible thing that could happen was actually happening! I scuttled out of sight.
The real Oriana de la Force appeared, swinging her legs in their purple heels out of the car and onto the footpath. Cyril the Sumo, unapologetically parking in the No Standing zone in front of the bank, lurched out of his door, straightened his jacket, ran his fingers over his crew cut, and slammed the door of the car.
Immediately, I turned away. I couldn’t run the risk of being recognised.
‘It’s working!’ I heard Winter’s excited voice come through my earpiece. ‘It’s working!’
‘It’s opening!’ I heard Boges say. ‘We have the box open!’
‘Guys!’ I hissed. ‘Get out of there! Grab the contents and get out of there!’
‘There’s a packet in here!’ Boges said, too distracted to hear my warning.
I raised my voice, speaking between gritted teeth. ‘Listen to me! You’ve gotta get out right now!’ I commanded, desperation rising as I saw Oriana and Sumo scaling the bank stairs. ‘Grab the stuff and get out! Oriana and Sumo are outside! Any second now they’ll be walking into you!’
‘ What? ’
‘You heard me!’ I stared through the glass.The real Oriana and Sumo sauntered towards the scanner.
I grasped the radio with clammy hands. If Winter and Boges walked out now, wearing their Oriana and Sumo outfits, they would practically collide with their real-life counterparts and all hell would break loose!
Oriana and Sumo had stopped short of the door. They seemed to be deep in a massive argument . She turned to Sumo with one hand on her hip, and jabbed an accusing finger at him with the other. He was visibly upset, puffing up his chest and shouting back at her.
I looked past them, through the glass windows, and saw Winter and Boges, still wearing their fake outfits, hurrying towards the entrance foyer. Any second now and they would walk straight into the two criminals they were impersonating!
I snatched up the radio connector but didn’t have time to warn them again—they were already walking out.
A few metres ahead of them, Oriana and Sumo were still arguing fiercely. Don’t turn around , I willed the feuding pair. Don’t look behind you!
Rigid with tension I watched the scene unfold.
Boges and Winter only hesitated a second before walking through the automatic doors. They looked horrified when they saw the two familiarfigures just ahead of them, but they quickly veered to their right, out the
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