The Big Thaw - Donald Harstad [119]
“All units, Alpha Mobile has ten-thirty-three traffic. Alpha Mobile has three armed suspects getting out of a tan Chevy van in the bank parking lot!”
Twenty-three
Sunday, January 18, 1998, 0942
The presence of the armed suspects was confirmed almost instantly by Alpha 2, who added, “And Alpha Two has the van moving toward the bank, right behind the suspects … I think… I can barely see it…”
The fog now began to play more of a part in the proceedings.
“Alpha Three can’t see anybody …”
“Alpha Four no viz at all.”
“Tell everybody to hold position,” said Volont, straining with the rest of us to look out the window.
Sally’s voice crackled over the radio. “All units hold,” she said, as if she did it every day. At the same time she picked up the telephone and looked at Volont. “Time to wake up Conception County?” It was a good question. If the suspects headed off over the bridge, we’d have maybe seventy-five seconds before they were in Wisconsin. He nodded. She began to dial.
This was a very critical time. We didn’t want them to know we knew they were in the bank, or that we were anywhere around. This was a time to build the robbers’ confidence, and lure them into the open. Well, that’s what the book said.
“Hello, Betty,” said Sally, into the phone. “We’re up, but not running.”
Then, for a time, nothing seemed to happen.
“I can’t believe this shit,” said Art. “They just walked in. From nowhere. Didn’t check it out or anything.”
“It’s the fog,” said Hester. “Nobody could see ’em coming for more than a block… they could have been around for a while.”
We were all in a state of amazement. I don’t think anyone in the room had ever seen a bank robbery actually go down before.
“Remember,” said Volont, “we let ’em come out.”
“Sally,” said Hester, “why don’t you check on the other banks? See what they have.”
I thought that was a good idea. Apparently, Hester hadn’t been as mesmerized as I had been.
Sally got on the phone to our own Sheriff’s Department. No activity with any of the other banks. The silent alarm for the Frieberg bank had gone off, so our department and Lamar had known just about as soon as we had.
So far, so good. I thought my heart was going to bang right through my rib cage.
“How long they been in there?” George was nervous.
I guessed. “Two-three minutes. Seems like a long time, doesn’t it?” I wanted desperately to get down to my car, and head over toward that bank. Worst thing I could have done. It was very likely that, somewhere, there was an accomplice looking for just that sort of thing. An accomplice with some means of communicating with the three inside the bank. Even though my car was unmarked, it did have a cop feel about it. Extra antennas, for one thing. Cheap, with almost no trim, for another. I would really stand out if I were to stop where I could see the bank. And unless I was guided by an angel, there was no way I could time it right and get there just after they left. Nope. But maybe on foot…
“I think I’ll just walk over that way,” I said. “Any takers?”
Volont had to be up at the Command Post. Banks were federal responsibility, and he owned the resources. Art didn’t even respond. George shook his head with a rueful grin. He’d go if Volont thought of it, basically. Which pretty much left Hester. It was her office, though.
“Sure,” she said, grabbing her trench coat and turning to Art.
“Don’t worry,” she said, “I trust you not to snoop.”
Three minutes later, we were on the paving, and walking briskly toward the bank. “I think we can see even less down here,” I said, with a chuckle.
“Ah, but it’s good to get out.”
I glanced at her. “Why don’t women ever wear hats in this kind of weather?”
She looked at my head. “Gee, I dunno, Houseman. Maybe ’cause we don’t look as good in a baseball cap?”
I was wearing my blue U.S.S. CARL VINSON ball cap, with the yellow printing.
“You suppose?”
“I’m sure of it.”
I stepped into the street, and nearly fell. Great. Ice. The warm air that produced the fog apparently lost