The Escape

"Attention all units, a robbery just occurred in North Hollywood. Suspects are fleeing in a black SUV heading north. All units, please intercept immediately."

The radio crackled to life, delivering the news as Simon sped down the highway. Having dealt with situations like this before, he was calm under pressure.

As soon as the broadcast ended, Simon heard the familiar sound of a siren. A police car appeared in his rearview mirror, its lights flashing brightly.

The radio crackled again. "Command center, 7B12 reporting, we've located the suspect's vehicle."

"What do we do now?" Booth asked nervously as he heard they had been spotted.

Simon flashed a calm grin. "Relax, just sit back and let me handle this."

With that, Simon slammed his foot down on the gas pedal, the engine roaring to life. The SUV surged forward, and everyone in the car was pushed back against their seats as the landscape blurred past them.

Suddenly, a police car came into view at an intersection ahead.

Simon reacted instantly, jerking the steering wheel and darting the SUV across the median, into oncoming traffic. The sirens wailed louder as he sped the wrong way down the road, the police car following close behind.

But Simon knew this wouldn't be enough. If the police helicopter arrived, they would have aerial surveillance and coordination, and escaping would be much harder.

Ahead, Simon spotted flashing police lights, signaling that the police were beginning to surround him.

He scanned the surroundings, looking for an escape route.

Not far ahead, Simon noticed a bridge. However, three police cars had already blocked the road at the far end of the bridge. Behind them, several officers with handguns and shotguns were waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Without slowing down, Simon drove straight toward the roadblock.

"What the hell are you doing? Are you insane?" Adam yelled from the passenger seat, his voice filled with panic.

Simon remained focused. His mind raced as he calculated their options.

Just as the SUV neared the police line, Simon suddenly jerked the wheel again. The SUV crashed through the guardrail of the bridge and flew off the edge.

"God!" Adam, Booth, and Crabby screamed in unison as the vehicle plummeted toward the ground below.

But just before impact, a trailer truck hauling a container appeared beneath them, perfectly positioned to cushion their fall.

With the container acting as a ramp, the SUV landed with a thud, bouncing slightly before coming to a stop on the road below.

"Ha! Good thing I've watched enough movies," Simon sighed in relief, the adrenaline still coursing through him.

"What the hell?!" Adam was still in shock, his voice rising with anger. "You lunatic! You had no backup plan and still did that?"

Simon shrugged nonchalantly, "What's the big deal? We made it. That's all that matters."

"You're a goddamn idiot!" Adam fumed, his frustration evident. "If it wasn't for you getting us out of this mess, I'd—"

"Chill out, Adam. Stop being such a drama queen. I knew what I was doing," Simon said with a grin.

Ignoring Adam's continued anger, Simon focused on the road, stepping on the gas once again.

Now that they had broken free from the police perimeter, Simon's next task was simple: get to the rendezvous point and swap the vehicle for a different one.

Thanks to his superior driving skills and knowledge of the roads, Simon managed to shake off the pursuing police cars in just over ten minutes. He arrived at the pre-designated location where the replacement car was waiting.

The group quickly swapped out their outfits and removed their masks. This time, Crabby, posing as a housewife, took the wheel of the family minivan, while Simon climbed into the passenger seat.

Crabby drove at a leisurely pace, just another ordinary driver on the road. Police cars continued to zoom past, but none paid attention to the unassuming minivan.

With the heat still on the SUV, the officers continued their search, unaware that Simon and his crew had slipped through their fingers.

It wasn't long before they reached the building where Doug had arranged to meet them. They parked in the lot and took the elevator up to a floor with no cameras.

In the room, Doug was already waiting. Without saying a word, Adam and the others placed the stolen money on the table in front of him.

Doug stood up slowly, walked over to the money, and casually inspected the stack.

"Simon, go grab five coffees, please," Doug said, pulling out a bill and handing it to Simon.

Simon didn't hesitate. He took the money and left the room.

After circling the block to make sure they weren't being followed, Simon walked into a nearby coffee shop, bought five cups of coffee, and returned to the building.

Handing out a cup to each of the others, Simon took the last one for himself and sat down to drink.

By the time he'd finished his coffee, Doug had already counted the money.

"This time, we've got 3.5 million. Each of you gets 700,000," Doug said, placing the money bags on the table in front of them.

Simon took his share, opened the bag, and quickly checked the contents. A thick stack of neatly bundled bills was inside. He didn't bother counting it, just zipped the bag shut without a word.

"Cool. It's been a pleasure working with you, Doc. When I run through this, I'll be back for more," Booth whistled as he picked up his share.

Doug didn't respond with an agreement or refusal. Instead, he simply said, "If there's nothing else, you can go."

The others didn't argue. They grabbed their money and followed Doug to the elevator.

Simon wasn't planning on staying longer, either. He followed them into the elevator.

Doug pressed the button for the basement parking levels.

The ride was silent. When the elevator reached one of the floors, Adam and Booth were the first to exit.

Crabby followed shortly after, but not before blowing Simon a playful kiss.

Simon smiled but didn't respond.

As the elevator descended to the final floor, only Simon and Doug remained.

When the doors opened, they stepped out and walked to the parked cars.