Double Take by Kendall Talbot Page A

Pete sniffed again.
    â€œSix ways,” Jack agreed and Pete nodded.
    Jack leant forward. “Once it’s done we go our separate ways. I don’t think we should meet again.” He looked around the table at Rachel, Stubbs, Donny and Pete. “There’s a good chance we won’t see each other again. Except for you, Jimmy. I guess we’ll catch up sometime.”
    Pete cracked his neck from side to side and the scars on his chin reddened. As he tilted his head back Jack noticed the extent of the burns down his neck and realised just how horrific the car crash injuries were. He couldn’t bend his elbows properly either. His arms were never completely bent and never completely straight. But with most of the scars covered in tattoos, it was only when he moved his arms that Jack even remembered them. The pain must’ve been excruciating.
    â€œBut the old gang only just got back together.” Jimmy still had a childish whine about him sometimes.
    â€œIt makes sense, Jimmy,” Rachel said. “After the robbery they’ll be looking for a woman and five men. One who only has eight fingers and one who’s covered in tattoos. Put the six of us together and we might as well put the handcuffs on ourselves.”
    Jimmy jutted his chin out and his mouth did a little curl at one side. It was one of those quirky things Jack had forgotten about his brother. His shoulders sagged but he nodded anyway.
    â€œOne more thing,” Jack said. “No partying between now and the job. I can’t have any of you getting drunk and talking about it.”
    They all nodded, surprising Jack. He thought he’d have a battle on his hands with that one. Maybe they finally accepted he was in charge.
    But then Rachel cleared her throat. “I have a couple of those silly charity things to go to. I’m sure I won’t drink too much.”
    â€œYou’re okay, Rachel. It’s not you I’m worried about.”
    â€œFuckin’ hell, why’s she—”
    â€œShut up, Jimmy. Now, we only have nine days to go. Let’s meet here again next Sunday and go over the finer details.”
    Jimmy stood up and then shoved his chair into the table.
    Stubbs stood and put his arm over Jimmy’s shoulder. “Come on, mate. I’ll take you to the pub for a lemonade.” Stubbs winked at Jack as he said it.
    Jack decided to let it go. He was certain that together the two of them could be trusted.
    After they all left, he shut the back door and slid the rusted bolt into place. He picked up his hand-drawn map of the bank that had taken hours to draw. He folded it in half, then half again and tore it into tiny little pieces and shared it between the pizza boxes. His plan was to put each box into a different rubbish bin. He then gathered them up and walked out the front door. As he locked his new padlock on the door latch, he pondered the foolishness of it. If someone wanted to break in, it wouldn’t be hard to knock down the ancient door. Nevertheless, he still double-checked that it was locked before he walked away.
    * * *
    Murray stopped the tape and rolled onto his back. Trent watched his dad’s Adam’s apple move up and down as he swallowed. He reached for the water bottle and handed it to his father who quickly gulped a couple of huge mouthfuls.
    â€œThat was cool, hey.” Trent leant over now, his face just a few centimetres from his father’s.
    â€œNo. It wasn’t cool at all.” Murray let out a breath. “When that guy came downstairs I thought we were done.”
    â€œBut I told you they can’t see us under here.”
    â€œThat’s when they’re coming from the front, but from the back, all it would’ve taken was for him to look in our direction. Especially when that guy said they used to play under here. And then he found the Matchbox car.” He exhaled in a big gush. “God knows what would’ve happened had he