Masks XXIV: Establishing a Balance

Rodford Edmiston

Part One

The meeting - as is true of so many gatherings of the type - was held in a little-used section of a large and otherwise busy warehouse. Only a few lights were on, in an area surrounded by dusty crates, some of which formed a zig-zag path in. There was a card table with folding chairs, but no-one was seated. However, the lightweight table had multiple photographs and diagrams on it, along with some printed instructions. One man, tall and wide and muscular, addressed the best-dressed of the small group. Smiling confidently.

"Boss, I'll get 'er done if it harelips ever' cannibal in DC!" said Aurness, with humorous determination.

"Remember, there's only two months at the most."

"Should take less than a week to arrange. Then one night for three teams to hit the three targets at the same time."

"Then, as you say, git 'er done," said the arranger, Parker, now also smiling.

* * *

The pair on the couch in front of the apartment's television appeared mismatched in several respects, despite their current display of physical intimacy. One was Caucasian, one was Black. One appeared to be in her mid-teens, the other in her late twenties. However, both were in good physical condition. They were also very affectionate towards each other.

Vic Peltior was a young woman with vaguely Asian features, though her eyes lacked the epicanthic fold. Her hair was dark brown, and rather short. Her skin was dark enough to make her look perhaps Mediterranean. She had taut muscles and high, firm breasts, something which was currently very obvious. She had broad shoulders tapering to a slightly narrowed waist, downward from which her body flared into very feminine hips. Just now, she was casually picking out a tune on her guitar, Smokey.

Meanwhile, Michelle Peltior was much darker, a bit taller and better endowed, as well as wearing makeup, which her partner wasn't. She appeared to be older than her wife. In fact, they were very close in age.

"I like the fact that when it's just the two of us in here, I can go without a bra," said Vic, lowering the guitar, stretching and scratching. She leered at Michelle. "Actually, both of us can."

"You don't need one as much as I do," said Michelle, smirking back. "I also suspect you like to go braless when you play your guitar due to the vibrations affecting certain parts of your anatomy."

"No comment," said Vic, with mock solemnity. She sighed, and lost some of her light mood. "Would you believe that I still find putting on a bra a bit... arousing?"

"Of course. You are such a boy when it comes to things like that. I will note that I sometimes get turned on by women's underwear, too, though that's because of who's been wearing it. However, after the hard day I had, right now I need to rest for a while before I'll be ready for anything more than snuggling, so keep that in mind. Not that I object to your snuggling..."

"I can definitely wait," said Vic, reaching for the remote. "What was so hard today, though?"

"One of my older regulars died. Her will requested that I do her hair one more time."

"You had to give a perm to a corpse?!" said Vic, startled.

"It's not the first time," said Michelle, smiling a bit. "It's not that bad, actually. They don't talk or move around, unlike my usual customers."

"I should hope not."

"The funeral home employees do most of the work, and help when I need the body moved."

"Yeah, let's watch TV. Get both our minds off that."

Vic's brilliant phone rang while she and Michelle were watching a nature show. Which meant they were actually paying a lot more attention to each other than to the program. They had hoped - given that this was a Friday night - that both their work weeks were over. Vic gave an exaggerated sigh, then vaulted over the back of the couch. She landed within reach of the phone, where it lay on the table near the apartment's entrance. She grabbed it and took the call just as the first ring faded. The office was hours closed, but the Bureau of Special Resources had, well, special resources for dealing with certain problems. Mostly due to the small number of employees in the local office.

"Request for super help with a police matter has been sent to this office," said the automated voice, "with attached sound file."

The voice changed to that of a police dispatcher.

"All units, two-eleven in progress at the 6ixth-4rth Bank branch on Richmond with shots fired. At least three suspects, armed with automatic weapons and wearing body armor."

"Gotta go!" Vic shouted at her wife, as she ran for the bedroom. "Bank robbery with armored robbers."

"Go!" said Michelle, tolerantly. "Save folks' money! Oh, and put on a bra!"

As Vic drove - Code 3, with lights and siren on, definitely with a sports bra under her armor's body stocking - she tried to get more info. There wasn't much from that scene on the police scanner except the bare minimum. However, a call to one of her police contacts revealed more. The Detroit police department had asked specifically for her help, partly because she was a super, partly because the bank was federally insured (though Vic was pretty sure that would only be pertinent during the after-robbery investigation) and partly because of her own armor. However, after she hung up but while she was still en route she heard a report on the scanner that the robbers had fled the scene, somehow evading all pursuit. The radio didn't have any specific message for Vic, though, so she continued her drive, now Code 2.

By the time she arrived there were multiple units on site, plus a CSI team. Vic knew a few of the officers and investigators, as well as the two ranking detectives present. That pair guided Vic through the scene and briefed her on what had happened.

"We got lucky," said Sergeant Müller, as he led Vic around the building. "Someone out jogging late spotted a vehicle parked after hours at the car wash over there. While the jogger was looking to try and see what was going on - thinking the van might have been stolen for a joy ride and just left there - he saw the flare of an oxy-acetylene torch being lit at the bank's back door. The jogger had his cell phone with him and called it in while he ran home."

"The suspects were obviously breaking in after hours to avoid a confrontation," said Lieutenant Boucher. "However, they were well armed and wearing body armor, probably just in case."

"When the first units showed up the suspects fired short bursts of full auto, just to make the responders keep their heads down. Then they used military-style withdrawal techniques to get away while under return fire," said the Sergeant, whom Vic remembered had been an Army Ranger. He shook his head in reluctant admiration. "The executed a standard break contact drill; sequential suppressive fire and retreat."

"They knew what they were doing all around," said the Lieutenant, obviously impressed. "Including their choice of which bank branch to hit. Turns out the main branch is closed for remodeling, and this branch and two others in the city were chosen for holding those assets while it was out of service."

"Probably because they were pros, the responding officers got off lightly," said Müller. "The robbers were more interested in getting away than fighting it out. There were some minor injuries on our side, but no-one killed or even seriously hurt... except in the pride, I guess. We figure they got away with nobody on their side hurt. No signs of blood or anything like that. They even took their equipment."

"To quote from Juggernaut," said Lieutenant Boucher, who was old enough to have seen the movie first run in theaters, though only if his parents had taken him, "'God save me from enthusiastic amateurs.' Give me a pro any day. Yeah, they're harder to catch, but they're also less likely to hurt anyone and more likely to just give up when they realize they're caught."

"There were still a lot of rounds fired, though," said one of the other cops, with a sweeping gesture.

"Yeah, I can see the bullet holes," said Vic, nodding slowly. "On both the bank and that car wash back there. As well as on those first responding units."

"That's how they got away," said Lieutenant Boucher, nodding towards the car wash, which was just beyond the back parking lot of the bank, with only a narrow grass strip separating the properties. "They stashed their vehicle in the closest stall, and those all exit beyond those trees, so there's concealment for a getaway. As they withdrew they ran to the vehicle - we think it was a full-size van - threw their gear in the back and just drove away. We didn't get plates, make or model."

Vic was a bit surprised there was no leaking plumbing at the car wash, but all the pavement there appeared to be dry. In spite of the bullet holes. Which she realized were mostly in the upper part of the metal wall.

"That convenient hiding place for their van may be why they hit this branch and not one of the other two where the extra money was stashed." Vic paused, frowning as something occurred to her. "Or were those also targeted?"

The Lieutenant looked startled, then quickly stepped away and got out his phone.

Well, at least I made some small contribution to the case, thought Vic, with a slight smile.

The detective finished his call quickly, sighed, put his phone away, and turned back to Vic. Who decided to get the man's mind off that possible oversight.

"I see they cut the wires into the building," said Vic.

"Yeah. This branch lacks some of the modern security measures they're installing at the main office, so once the robbers cut the phone and power - both available through above-ground utility poles instead of going underground - the building was completely isolated. The security company does a query of the alarm system by phone every fifteen minutes, but the robbers apparently knew the timing. They started their operation right after one query."

"They could probably detect the query by an induction probe," said Vic, nodding. "Wouldn't even need anyone at the bank or the security company to tell them the schedule."

"That's our current evaluation," said Boucher. "We know they had one of those folding ladders. Inside jobs give you inside information, but that's also a potential source of leaks about the job."

"Professionals," said Müller, nodding.

"Any idea how they planned to get into the vault?" said Vic.

"It looks like they used shaped charges all around the frame at the other two branches," said Lieutenant Boucher. "At least, that's the evaluation of the person I talked to. She said that something had cut through all the way around, leaving burn marks, and the door just dropped out of the frame. Minimal damage in the vault."

"Probably military veterans," said Müller, with an assured nod. "Maybe even Special Forces or something like that."

More information quickly became available. This robbery had been abandoned, with only some minor damage to the outer door at the rear entrance. The thieves hadn't even made it to the second set of doors. However, as the investigators continued studying the scene of the attempted break-in here, Lieutenant Boucher was soon given additional information about the other two crime scenes. Shortly before he had called to check on the other branches, the security company watching the banks had reported a loss of communication with them. When they were checked by police, the responding units discovered that the thieves were long gone, leaving obviously violated vaults. Besides the deft treatment of the vault doors, the safe deposit boxes had been opened quickly and efficiently, most likely through expert application of a portable concrete saw.

"Damn," said Vic, when the Lieutenant relayed the information. "This was definitely a well-planned job. Three teams, organized to hit three targets at the same time."

"No warning, no bystanders, no fuss, just get in, do the job, and get out," said Sergeant Müller. "Bet we don't find a fingerprint or hair tag one at any of the scenes."

"No bet," said Vic, with a sigh. "Well, at least I didn't have to fight anyone tonight."

"There's always tomorrow night," said Müller, darkly.

One thing Vic tried which she was careful not to emphasize that she was doing was to take her helmet off for a careful sniff around, as she was also looking closely at various items at the crime scene. Her sense of smell was not superhuman, but even the human level of odor detection could be useful. Many humans were unknowingly anosmatic, and simply didn't realize what they were missing. Even the majority of people with a normal sense of smell didn't pay much attention to it.

There were many strong odors around the doors, mainly of hot metal from the torching. There were multiple body odors as well. However, one thing stood out.

"Garlic," said Vic, frowning.

"Beg pardon?" said Sergeant Müller, confused.

"Have you or any of the other responders had garlic in a recent meal?"

"Uh, no?" said the Sergeant, not enlightened by this. However, he dutifully asked around. "Nope. None of us. Do you think that's a clue?"

"Probably not," said Vic, with a sigh. "Could be a security guard had a sandwich or something with garlic, and didn't wash his hands before he pulled on the door handle to check it, some time before the robbery. Or any of a multitude of other sources. Ah, well. Keep me appraised."

"Will do," said the Sergeant, looking impressed. "Uh, don't forget the car wash stall."

"Right," said Vic, nodding as she turned to head there.

* * *

"We got two outta three, boss," said the big man, gesturing at the neatly organized piles of loot as the other entered the walled-off part of the warehouse. "Not a bad haul, if less than we could'a got."

"That's about what I was expecting, actually," said Parker, nodding. He sighed contentedly as he looked at the haul. "Excellent. My accountants will tally everything and calculate your share. Meanwhile, I want you and your men helping with security. Just be sure they know to be discreet."

"Wouldn't'a picked 'em otherwise, boss," said Aurness, grinning.

* * *

"You're awfully quiet today," said Michelle, the next morning, as the couple did minor Saturday chores around the apartment, post breakfast. "What's bothering you?"

"Those robberies of the bank branches," said Vic, frowning as she loaded the dishwasher. "Most people are saying they were planned by a mastermind, but I'm not seeing that. There's none of the usual flourishes and stylistic touches. Just a set of exquisitely well planned crimes. Which were then carried out by professionals. Maybe by teams brought in from the outside for the job, then paid off and dispersed once it was over."

"Well, you're the one who has personal experience with masterminds," said Michelle. Now it was her turn to frown. "Didn't you tell me, though, that some of them didn't fit the pattern?"

"True," Vic admitted. "They're rare, though, and even they will usually have some sort of trademark, a way to let others know who was behind some clever scheme. There's nothing like that which I can find in this case."

"So if that is eliminated, what does it leave?"

"A bright and experienced non-super planner and organizer," said Vic, nodding confidently, as she closed the dishwasher door. "Maybe with more than one person involved in the planning part."

"Was the haul enough to justify someone like that going through all the effort? Like, maybe enough for organized crime involvement?"

"Good questions," said Vic, nodding again. "Yeah. Even with a haul of just two-thirds of what they might have gotten, they got a lot. Just how much will have to wait until customers reveal what they had in the safe deposit boxes. It's a good bet organized crime is involved. I think I need to make some calls."

"So if there's no super involvement, why are you working on the case?"

"That's part of the 'Other duties as assigned' in my contract," said Vic, with a humorless grin. "Supers working for the Bureau are supposed to help local law enforcement when asked. Sometimes they abuse that, but usually they don't bother asking unless there's something about the case which they think I can help with. Like the fact that the suspects were wearing armor of their own and using automatic weapons, this time."

Vic sighed, and gave her wife a tired smile.

"Well, the calls can wait for Monday. I don't think there is any hurry. Right now, I'm in for the weekend. I hope."