Rob the Stage

Rob the Stage

The crowd was in an uproar, standing high, clapping so hard their hands could get stuck together. The Lights turned off, and the curtains closed. For a few minutes, the actors got to dissolve in the sounds of the crowd. 

“I can’t believe they’re still clapping,” a sweet voice said. 

“We outdid ourselves this time, my love,” another voice said, less sweet, but it complimented the softer voice with such prowess. These voices came from the top deck where the light technicians work their magic, and the crowd can’t see. After every show, the pair sat here, watching the outlines of hundreds of jumping fans. For the girl, there was no greater part of the day. 

A man in a suit climbed the stairs to them with a sweat and told them it was time to get out of here. They fled down the top deck, passing light technicians on the way. A line of actors and actresses already formed. The pair took their spots in the middle and waited for the claps to die down. As they did, the lights turned on and the curtains pulled open. Everyone was glad to get their shine at the same time. 

The crowd was on their feet once again.

“I love you Jack!”

“Jack!”

The front of the crowd would jump to him if security hadn’t controlled the front row. A chant started, “Jack - Jack - Jack - Jack!” 

Jack pulled his lover close and said, “They’ll be chanting ‘Alecia’ next week.” 

“It’s fine. This means you really outdid yourself tonight,” she said, smiling. The man in the suit came from the side, hidden from the crowd, and passed a microphone down the line of actors. It made its way to Alecia, who tried to give it to Jack, but he was deep in a joyous lane of listening to the crowd. “Thank you everyboddaayy!” she roared into the microphone. Seats were being flipped up, popcorn spilling everywhere. These fans loved the Chicago Original plays more than the Chicago Bears. Jack glanced at her, and she gladly gave up the mic. 

“Ladies and gents-” The crowd erupted, “I love the energy. That was our new play, written by manager Joe. It was our first time performing it, but it seems like you guys loved it. Get louder if you loved it because we’re doing it next week!” Oh, get louder they did. 

The actors bowed and fled backstage before the fans figured a way to get past security. Alecia and Jack congratulated all their co-performers and drove home. For two weeks they had been living together in a city condo on the nineteenth floor. In the same line of work, they split it 50/50.

However, Jack paid the initial settling pay with ease, as his bank account had more than theatre money. They grab some food from the fridge. Jack chooses a healthy option while Alecia looks for taste, but ultimately settles with a salad. She notices a glum look on him and asks, “What time do you have to leave tomorrow?” 

“Two am this time,” He said. Alecia goes on the other side of their counter to face him while eating. 

“Can you wake me up before you go?” 

He hesitates, realizes he’s taking too long to answer and says, “Yes, yeah of course.” 

After eating, Alecia showers, without him this time as he needed to take a call from manager Joe. She finished soon after the call, putting him in the shower. Finally he meets her in bed just three hours before Two o’clock.

“What’d Joe want?” 

He crept into bed, said, “Ah, told him I might miss a lot of rehearsal. This job might take most of the week.” She ripped away from his cuddled position, as he expected. 

“What, you can’t miss a week of rehearsal.”

He sighed. “You sound like Joe,” he lied, “trust me it’ll be fine.” 

She continued debating out of love. However, he knew he couldn’t play God and rehearse at the same time. It was two hours before the time when she fell asleep. He got a bit of shut-eye, but the time had come in a blur. He did not wake her up. On his way to the parking garage, he sighed in relief. It felt like he could finally breathe. The phone rang for a while, but no answer, so he left a voicemail. “You better be up, Joe. I’m on the way.” 

Arrived at his own vehicle, and drove north through the little morning traffic and the interstate. Destination: Fox Lake (Population 11,000). With barely any traffic, he had a pleasant drive, ending it by pulling off US Highway 12 into a 24/7 McDonalds. The sun still hadn’t decided to rise.

The McDonalds was empty inside besides a purple-haired, drowsy eyed worker. After an order of coffee, he went into the back room where the kids’ playhouse was. In the corner were three men. Two very similar looking, both wearing flannels as well. The other had similar hair as them, you know him as the man in the suit, Joe. 

Jack walked up wearing regular street wear. “Oh, look who it is. I got your voicemail tardy McGee,” Joe said. Jack rolled his eyes and shook hands with the flannel twins. 

“Jesse - Jeff, good to see you boys.” All four of them were brown-haired with chiseled jaws, and under thirty. The men spoke about their plans for summer for a while, quietly, even though they were in a different room. When the purple-haired girl came with trays of food and coffee, they all went silent. Once the playhouse doors closed, not only did they dig in, but they dug into the actual conversation. “Alright boys, it’s our second summer job, and last. It’s crazy a year ago we started this,” Joe said. 

“Oh, don’t go gettin’ reminiscent, softy,” Jesse said. 

“Hey cool it, I’m just saying this was good, but this is the last one…” 

“Didn’t he say that last time?” Jeff said, with eight fries in his mouth. Jack and Jesse nodded and chuckled at him. 

“Okay, listen up!” Joe said, raising his voice. “purple girl will probably call the cops on us, eventually. Four men sitting in the playhouse. So let’s get the plan created and over.” 

No one spoke for a second. The flannel twins had a look of confidence, like let’s - just - wing - it. However, Jack agreed with his older brother. The twins’ eyes widened at him. 

“This town is a lot bigger than the ones we usually rob. I chose the State Bank of The Lakes because it’s not the most popular, but the dough should be the biggest we ever seen. I’ll go in today and scout the numbers and all, but we gotta get our head in the game.” 

Jeff gave his twin a look that would’ve displeased the other two. Jesse, understanding the expression, didn’t hide the thought and said, “I mean, guys, we’ve never been close to messing up. Our elite minds compared to cops or banks-” Joe plopped his burger down, and intervened, “Can you guys just get focused. This isn’t baby time. There’s a reason we wait 3 months in between each robbery. You’d think if it was an easy win we’d do it every week.”  

The brothers discussed for two hours, each having a notepad in hand. They seemed to change modes when the plan started sizzling. At the end, they walked out and headed to the Super 8 Motel in Mundelein. Not too far out of Fox Lake. Jesse and Jeff hit the pool while Joe smoked a joint out his window, waiting for calls from the theater.

Meanwhile, Jack headed for the bank once it was open. Inside felt like a reality with only money, very little realness, besides the employees. One worker in a side office, and two at the long front desk. He asked the front lady about the amount of workers they have here on shifts. To cover it up, he said he wanted to work there. She didn’t have an answer for much, saying she’ll ask the manager when he comes in.

Although she knew most of her shifts there were four to five workers at a time. He asked if it was always this dead in the mornings. It was always dead. He finished his deceitful talk by asking when people came in. She raised an eyebrow, but he retracted, saying, “I can work as early as possible. I’m just wondering when I’ll be busy.” Still gazing, she told him within the hour.

Then Jack was off, looking for as many cameras as he could on the way out. At the Super 8, Joe and Jack took the day to sleep, having to wake up much earlier than the twins. The twins remained at the pool and waited for some ladies to join them. However, the only people who came were a lady and her grandchildren from Idaho. 

The next morning, they went to Midwest Breakfast Company in Spring Grove. Jesse chose the place. He and Jeff were too tired to realize there were plenty of closer restaurants to visit. The brothers ate and chatted for a while, all feeling the pre heist jitters. 

Afterwards, Jesse and Jeff drove back to their homes in Lake Geneva. A couple hours later they returned in white work van. They parked in the very back of the lot, and all four peered into the back. A desk on the left with a computer and monitor connected and stabilized. On the right were guns and masks, laying over deer hide. 

“Did we forget anything, your highness?” Jeff said to Joe. Manager Joe, big brother, looked through the van without even counting the bullets in each clip. 

“Mm, looks good.” 

They double locked the van and went to Jack’s room for the final discussion. When the discussion dwindled, Jack would look at his phone. Four missed texts from Alecia. Each one increased with temper, with the final one in all caps. He didn’t read the full messages, so it didn’t come up as read. 

Therefore, he put his phone down, and Alecia headed to rehearsal alone. The main points of conversation lasted a few hours, but when it ended, they all stayed in the room, playing cards, then hitting the pool at night. Close to ten pm, they decided it was bedtime (Joe’s idea).

All in their own rooms with a weight feeling around them. No matter the confidence or the greatness with strategy, no one could be ready for the task. Jack couldn’t sleep much with the idea this town had a higher population. It was still small, but even the genius couldn’t stay confident the night before. 

Morning of, the brothers got some early fresh coffee trying to energize their nerves out of existence. Jack finally answered his eight missed messages as he was being checked out of the Super 8. Stashed their belongings in each car, then grouped into the van. 

In fifteen minutes, they arrived at the bank five minutes before they opened. Joe, not just the manager, but also the heist watcher, went around the entire property. He looked for customers in their cars as well. Luckily, there were none. He returned at Eight twenty-nine am. It was time.

Joe wore a dark ski mask, the twins wore big clown masks, and Jack wore a Barack Obama mask Jesse gave him. They busted through the front doors. Jeff sprinted to the front desk with a sawed-off shotgun. The employees backed away to the wall as he commanded. Jesse with two pistols jumped at the office workers and pushed them into the center of the room. 

Jack with no guns had the most equipment. Jeff tossed him a worker’s key card, and he left for the back room. Joe stayed by the doors, on watch. In the back room, Jack pried his machinery into the vault door. The true science of the heist began. 

The twins occupied the employees so none could press a secret emergency button. For fourteen minutes, the drill plowed through the vault way longer than hoped for, but they spent five minutes gathering four bags of money. During this time, they knew there’s no chance the emergency button wasn’t hit. With guns and money, they sped out of there.

Down the road, cops were flying by. Joe, sweating, took a right immediately into a neighborhood. Then they peeled off the strips covering the license plate and moved on. Police were all over Fox Lake. The brothers carefully returned to the back of the Super 8, got their cuts, and left in their separate cars. 

Jack made it back to Chicago with a bag full of cash. Alecia was at rehearsal. Instead of joining her, he bought her a necklace. The necklace saved him from a storm of yelling when she got home, but she still showed off her fiery glares. The following day, she was adamant that it was her day off and his turn to rehearse alone. 

However, Jack barely needed to rehearse. He remembered all his lines with ease. The only flaw of the day was not having his partner to practice with. When he got home to their condo, the first thing he saw was two boxes of shoes and a Burberry bag. 

Alecia heard the door close and dashed to the kitchen with his bag of money. “Really, Jack?” She bellowed, “Hundred-fifty thousand dollars in a couple days, and you hid it under the sink. Plus, even better, I heard about a four-man robbery up north. Are you fu-” She continued to obliterate him all night. Only in rehearsal the next day did she let him breathe.

The bag of money stayed on the counter front and center in their condo. Before the week’s play, Jack recounted and noticed a lot of cash was missing. He would wait until after the show to confront her. He considered just doing it, since she had no problem starting arguments every night, but he settled on after the show. 

They drove separately to the theater. When Jack got there, Joe had the replacement actress on deck. He had no choice since Alecia didn’t show up. The show went on with or without her, of course. However, during an intermission, Jack went looking for his brother Joe looking for an explanation. His brother was not there anymore. He gazed around at everyone with raised brows. “What is going on?” He muttered, no one could answer him. 

He continued his flawless performance, yet with a bit of weariness. There was no connection in the show, no after show talks on the top deck. His girl missing, brother missing. The crowd still chanted his name like he was a God, but at the bowing portion, his reign ended. While holding hands with all co-actors, a team of police swarmed the stage. They went strictly for Jack and took him on the spot. The crowd hesitated, but applauded more, thinking it was a part of the show. 

It was misery. His face was blank all the way back to Fox lake. He said nothing either until he got to the local jail and saw Joe in another police car. Inside were already two people in the cells, the twins. It was a grim cell. They swore they didn’t sell anyone out. 

Jesse whispered to Joe and Jack, “Apparently some Chicago actress knew everything about us.” 

Jack leaned back against the bars with pursed lips. 

“She stole the show this week.”