Chapter 61
Trenchard was getting impatient. He knew the organization was busy, but he had bills to pay. Sam understood he was no longer a free agent, able to select targets and pull jobs on his own schedule. Now, he was an employee forced to wait on his bosses, and he hated it.
On the other hand, the scores assigned to him by Simon had been profitable. When he could get them. Trenchard took the risk and asked for another meeting with Simon.
“How can I help you?”
“I’m sorry to bother you, but cash is running short. Do you have another assignment?”
“Not at this time.”
“Ok. This is a courtesy notice to let you know that I’m going to pull a few freelance jobs in the interim. There will be no splash back on you or the organization. But I need to eat.”
“If something goes wrong, we can’t help you.”
“You’ve seen the professional nature of my work. Everything will be fine.”
***
As he drove home, Trenchard exhaled in relief. Now that the big decision was made, he had to select targets. He had a few ideas in mind, but they would take the usual careful research and preparation.
He preferred luxury apartments over penthouses. The big shots in penthouses set up roots to stay long-term and tended to have more and better security. While high-priced apartments were advertised as secure, tenant turnover was high as the bureaucrats and lawyers ascended in the corporate structure. The usual leaseholder was relatively new and accepted the standardized safes and security systems provided by the landlord. This made things more predictable for Trenchard.
At his desk, Sam sifted through buildings until he found his target. Now, he needed to survey the area and pick out likely tenants who might be away on the coming weekends.
***
Mark Pace sat in his cell. He had done time on the obstruction charge, but things were different. A murder charge hung over his head. This time, he had to face the possibility that he might never get out.
He wondered about Leon. They had stood together through thick and thin. His cousin always seemed to come through when it mattered. Mark had been happy to partner with him for many years of ups and downs. He had been loyal to his family.
But Leon didn’t have to do the time.