The Plan

Night fell, and the gang was seated in the living room, the room thick with cigarette smoke and expectation. On the coffee table was a large blueprint of the bank spread out, with red notes and scribbles on it.

Thalia stood in front of them, arms crossed, eyes piercing. She wasn't so much leading as ordering. Dean sat beside Garrett, pretending to be interested in the map, but his focus was on her. Every word, every movement.

"Listen up," Thalia began. "This ain't no smash-and-grab. Security's tight. We go in clean, we come out rich. We screw up. we don't come out."

The room fell silent. They all knew what she was saying.

She pointed to the map. "We're splitting into teams. Garrett, you're on the vault. Mitch, you're handling cameras. Daniel…" Her eyes met his. "You're on lookout. Keep our exit clear."

Dean nodded, hiding his disappointment. He wanted to be closer to the action—to her.

Thalia continued, outlining the timing, exits, and contingencies. Her confidence was catching, but Dean could see—this wasn't a job to her. This was a statement. Power.

As the meeting broke up, Thalia looked around the room. "Prepare your equipment. We go in tomorrow night."

Dean stood, his heart racing—not with fear, but with something more dangerous. He was getting in deeper. Closer.

And a part of him didn't want to stop