Chapter 12: Bank Robbery with Colombo

That evening, after a long period of discussion and initial planning, Marco, Franco, Salvo and Colombo gathered in the dark corner of the "Venosa" café, where the whispers among the attendees harmonized with the sound of the acoustic instruments in the background, but the eyes were focused on the laptop open in front of Colombo. The atmosphere was charged with tension and excitement, and everyone was about to embark on a new adventure that would change the course of their lives.

Colombo, who sat in front of his device, seemed very calm compared to the others. He was pressing buttons quickly, writing complex codes with brilliance as if he were in his own world, as if everything around him was just noise. As the atmosphere was heating up with tension, Marco said in a low but enthusiastic voice:

"If this works, we will have enough money to recruit the best people in the game. We will get what we need from the "Galeani" bank, and then we will expand our influence."

Franco, who was sitting with one leg crossed, was watching Columbo closely and said: "Are you sure this will work? If we manage to rob this bank, we will be able to finance the entire gang formation."

Columbo, who seemed to be oblivious to what was going on around him, looked up from the screen and said in a cold voice: "I will be able to hack the bank's systems. But there is one condition."

Marco, who was smiling cautiously, said: "What is the condition?"

Columbo took a quick look at everyone, then said: "I do not want to interfere in the details of the operations after we are done. I will open the way for you, but I am not responsible for the chaos that will happen afterward."

Salvo, who always preferred the finer details, interrupted: "But what about security? There are cameras, surveillance systems, and everything is under strict supervision."

"I have thought of everything." Columbo said with a strange smile, then added: "I know how to hack the bank's security systems, I will disable them for a short time. Just make sure you are in and out quickly."

Franco looked at Marco and said, "If that's the case, we can start now, but we need a well thought out plan."

Marco, who had been planning this for a while, pulled out a piece of paper filled with written notes from his pocket, then began explaining the plan to everyone:

"First, we'll need a good disguise. We'll dress up as bank employees, then we'll infiltrate the place. We'll use Columbo's expertise in hacking electronic systems, and we'll infiltrate through the back entrances that will be unattended."

"But I can't shut down the security systems completely for long," Columbo said. "You have to be fast. You only have five minutes before you're discovered."

"Five minutes?" Salvo said, raising an eyebrow. "We have to be in and out much faster than that."

Marco nodded firmly and said, "Yes, and that requires us to be consistent, and to know exactly what we're doing every second."

Then Marco continued, "We'll need two people to work inside directly – Franco and Salvo. Your mission will be to disable the bank's subsystems, stopping the transfer of funds to the secured accounts."

Franco nodded and said, "I'm ready for that. But if something unexpected happens, we won't be able to escape so easily."

"Don't worry." Marco said with a smile. "We've planned for that too. We'll take advantage of the hidden entrances provided by the old maps we got. And with Colombo here, we'll be protected."

The Decisive Moment

The next morning, they all changed into the clothes that would help them sneak into the bank undetected. Franco and Salvo were carrying bags full of the tools they would need to deal with the security systems inside the bank, while Marco drove, with Colombo focused on his electronic device.

Before they reached the bank, Marco looked at Colombo and said, "Are you sure everything is ready?"

Columbo, who was ignoring the world around him and was only focused on his device, said: "Exactly. Just make sure you carry out the plan as we discussed. There is no room for error."

As time passed, they reached the bank. They stopped near the back entrance where they were supposed to sneak in. Inside, Columbo began disabling the security systems, while Franco and Salvo headed to the vault. As the minutes passed, the pressure increased.

Suddenly, Marco felt something strange. Just as he was entering the room designated for stealing the money, something unexpected happened. The alarm system made a sudden sound.

"Hurry up!" Marco shouted as he ran towards the door, "We've been exposed!"

But even with this, they managed to get out of the bank in time thanks to their distinguished speed, although their hearts were pounding heavily.

The result

Days after that incident, everyone was sitting in "Venosa" drinking their drinks, while the bags of money they had obtained were piled on the table in front of them.

Franco, who was feeling nervous, looked at Marco and said, "We did it, but are we really ready to deal with the consequences?"

Marco smiled broadly and said, "Yes, and we will use this money wisely. We will bring in the members we need and achieve our plan."

Colombo, who had been silent the entire time, looked at them and said in a calm voice, "I don't want any part of the chaos that will happen. But I will stay here... just to learn more about you."

Salvo, who was still worried, said, "Let's hope this stays under control."

In the end, the cafe was their only safe place, where they began to collect money and plan to bring in new members, expanding their gang even further.