Blinded By The Light

At the same time, Jozefien and I tied up Mr. Rojas.  We left some play in the rope we secured to his wrists, so he would be able to open the massive vault door.  The system used a palm scanner keyed only to the pattern of blood vessels in Mr. Rojas’s right hand.  

We tied a rope around his neck, just a little tight.  I secured the other end around my waist.  The man who had built a powerful drug cartel, and ruled it with an iron fist, was now a dog on a leash.  I was his master.

The heavy door of the vault made a whooshing sound as it opened.  Jozefien bound and gagged Mr. Rojas, then joined the rest of us.  We loaded the take into garbage bags, boxes, and whatever else we could find.  Sasha had a neat trick for tying the corners of a bed sheet to make a tote bag.

We got all of the cash, the gold and silver coins, and the jewelry.  We were eyeing the artwork and the antique rifle collection when we decided the pile we’d made would fill the back of the Expedition.  Our stomach was full.  The next task was loading the loot into the getaway vehicle.

Aside from our crew, there were only three people on the property who weren’t tied up or in a coma.  Mrs. Rojas was asleep in her room on the third floor.  Diego was making rounds with the dogs.  Hector was stationed at the front gate. 

If Hector happened to pay attention to the camera feeds for the front door and the parking area, he would see the loop that had been recorded earlier.  The security system was no longer an issue.  We still had to concern ourselves with line of sight.  From his guard shack, Hector could see the front door and the parking area.

However, the Expedition blocked his view of one of the first floor windows.  We had already disabled the window alarm.  As long as we stayed low, and avoided Diego and the dogs, we could load up the vehicle undetected.    

Barbie monitored the security system on her phone.  The rest of us carried the bags and boxes.  We had to time our movements to the part of Diego’s round when the house would block his view. 

  

When Barbie sent the stop signal, that meant Diego was nearing the edge of the house.  Everyone scrambled back in through the window.  I glanced over the remaining loot.  About half had been loaded into the car.

After Barbie sent the all clear signal, we finished loading.  Then hid inside the vehicle as Diego passed in front of us.  When he disappeared again around the corner of the house, it was time to hit the road.

The gate never opened without approval from Mr. Rojas or the front door guard.  Both were indisposed at the moment.  Our plan was to dispense with formalities and use the brute force method.  We knew Hector would hear the engine start and become suspicious, since he hadn’t been notified of our exit.  More than likely that would bring his rifle into play.  

Jozefien had added armor plating and bulletproof glass to the vehicle, in case shots were fired.  And beefed up the engine, suspension, and brakes to handle the extra weight.  We had one more trick up our sleeve.

The right headlight had been replaced with an E-HL9 series LED light.  It produced 27,400 lumens, 40 times as powerful as a standard headlight.  The lens Jozefien made for it focused the light into a narrow cone.  

The frame she built to house the light had two motors, one that moved the light up and down, another moved it left and right.  The app Candy wrote, along with the laser pointer built into the housing, allowed her to aim the light as if she was playing a video game.

Barbie was monitoring the security system.  Candy was in charge of the light.  Jozefien was driving.  Sasha and I were along for the ride.  When Barbie said go, my wife started the car.

As expected, Hector reacted to the sound of the engine starting.  He had explicit orders if any one tried to enter or exit the property without permission.  He was in the driveway, rifle aimed, as we made the loop out of the parking area and headed to the gate.  

The difference between Candy and Hector was that he had been caught by surprise.  Candy had been preparing for this moment for years.  His first shots sailed just over the roof of the Expedition.  She had the laser pointer in the middle of his chest when she activated the light.

For him, it must have been like walking out of a dark house and staring directly into the sun.  Hector screamed, dropped his gun, and covered his eyes with his hands.  Jozefien honked the horn and he jumped out of the way.  The AK-47 clattered under the wheels of the vehicle just before we struck the gate.

It felt like a head-on collision, but we were strapped in and ready for it.  Jozefien had disabled the airbags.  The loot was held down by a strong elastic webbing.  The reinforced bumper stood up to the impact.  

There was a metallic groan and a loud pop as the latch snapped. The gate swung open.  The SUV turned onto Chapinero Norte road.

  

Two miles away, a Ford Expedition carrying five robbers and a pile of loot drove into the service bay at a warehouse.  Minutes later, a somewhat rusty and dented cargo van carrying a priest, four nuns, and “food and clothing for the poor” pulled out.