A Common Ambition

"This is it, the start of my new and prosperous career." Bill was looking at the door to the First National Bank of Northfield.  

           "History was changed in this town," a young man about Bill's age remarked. Both men were enjoying a tour of Northfield, Minnesota, the famous town that dared to fight the infamous James-Younger Gang.

           "Yes. Have you ever wondered what would have happened if the bank robbers had been better prepared?" Bill turned to introduce himself. "My name is Bill Wilson," he held out his hand.

           "No one in Minnesota wants to contemplate a different outcome. These rural folks are convinced of their superiority. My name is Steve Jackson." He shook Bill's hand. "Are you staying in Northfield?"

 "Yes, I'm staying at the Archer House." Bill gave the name of a historic hotel that was close to some of the main attractions in Northfield.

           "Really? That's where I'm staying. Let's have dinner and drinks in the restaurant after the Northfield tour." Steve didn't usually make friends that easily, but he had never met another man that might share his view of history.

 "Deal!" Bill wanted to hear Steve's opinion of the blotched bank robbery that ended the reign of the James-Younger Gang. Was it possible that Steve wanted to change history, or make his version of history? Could he trust Steve?

Dinner was quiet. Both men were hesitant to continue the conversation they started during the tour. When the check arrived, Bill broke the silence. "It's a pleasant evening; let's go for a walk outside."

           Steve eagerly agreed. He had a plan that he wanted to share but caution prevented him from talking freely in the restaurant where anyone could overhear. The outcome would be ruined if the wrong person overheard their conversation.

           The streets of Northfield were deserted; Bill was the first to speak. "I've always thought the residents were conceited because they stopped the unstoppable James-Younger Gang. I would like to knock down that conceit a few pegs. I think you might share that opinion, am I wrong?" Bill was blunt, but he wanted to know Steve's intentions. If Steve was a member of law enforcement, no crime had been committed . . . yet.

           Steve did not hesitate, I have always disagreed with the way James and Frank James have been portrayed. They were not common outlaws! The people of Missouri would not have given shelter to murderous bandits!"

           Bill was swayed by Steve's passion. "My friend, we just met but I trust you already. We can rob a bank in Northfield. It's perfect. We will avenge the James-Younger Gang and collect a tidy paycheck." 

 Planning the heist took some time. Both friends agreed that to avoid the mistakes of the past they needed to learn what went wrong with the robbery.  

 "Let's use a code name when we plan our burglary.  You never know who might read our e-mails or listen in to our phone conversations." Steve was adamant because he did not trust the government.

           "Yes, you never know when the CIA or FBI will violate our right to privacy. From now on we will refer to our joint venture as our lifetime vacation." Bill didn't want to think about a late-night visit from the authorities.

"We need to know the area around our lifetime vacation spot." Bill e-mailed Steve, " If things don't go as planned we will need someplace safe to stay."

           "Yes, that was a problem when others took the same lifetime vacation. I have some time this weekend so I can visit other towns in the area."

 "I'll check out the equipment that we might encounter during our lifetime vacation. Sometimes the right tools make the difference between success and failure." Bill told Steve during one of their many cell phone calls.

           After many e-mails or phone calls, Steve felt confident enough to make a suggestion. "Let's make another visit to our lifetime vacation spot and review our plans."

 The friends spent a week in Northfield to examine every detail. Finally, they were certain that their plan was flawless.

 "Naturally, our lifetime vacation will take place on September seventh," Bill said.

           "Of course." Steve agreed.

All the careful planning was worth the effort. Bill and Steve were able to break into the bank without raising a single alarm. They removed all the cash that was in the vault, but the biggest prize was the electronic transfers they were able to complete. Over ten million dollars were transferred to a Swiss bank account. This money was transferred to two different bank accounts in the Cayman Islands. Next, the money was transferred to another Swiss bank. Then, the money was equally divided and transferred to the Cayman islands again. 

           It had been a very busy night.

Steve was waiting to board an airplane to Brasília, the capital of Brazil. According to his passport, his name was Stephano Jones. He was reading an article about a bank robbery in Minnesota when a young man about his age sat next to him.

           "That's a very dramatic headline," the young man pointed to the newspaper. 

           It was pretty dramatic, the headline read, "Bank robbers thwart Northfield, Minnesota."  The article explained that the town that stopped the James-Younger Gang had just been robbed. An unspecified amount of money was stolen.

           "My name is Guillermo Ways." The young man introduced himself by the name that was on his passport. "Are you going to Brasília?" It was a good guess, the sign on the airport gate said Brasília.

           "Yes, I've always wanted to go to Brazil." Steve winked at Bill as they both boarded the plane.

           Two years later, Stephano was the best man at Guillermo's wedding. The lovely bride was surrounded by a plethora of friends and family, but only the best man was in attendance for the groom. Guillermo didn't mind because one good friend like Stephano was worth a hundred lesser friends.

 "Do you know the man who just came into the church?" Miguel asked Guillermo.  

           "I've never seen him before," Guillermo replied.

           "Could I interest either of you in a trip to the United States?" The stranger was sweating, probably because he was wearing a black suit. He addressed the two friends. "I've heard that Minnesota would be a distinctive place for a honeymoon."

           Guillermo shook his head and replied, "I'm happy right where I am and I have no plans to leave."

           Stephano agreed, "Brazil is my home and I don't plan to leave."

           The stranger replied, "You might want to acquaint yourselves with the extradition treaty that took effect in 1964."