Cassandra couldn’t deny that she was feeling a little bored back at the family headquarters, even with all the jobs she was being assigned; she missed participating in heists. The last time she scored a huge reward on a heist was just a few months ago, and everything got spent so quickly that she didn’t even realize how big her mountain of debt was. Luckily, she was able to pay it off, and after that her motivation for these big crimes died down to keep her safe from the cops. She was worried that she might get caught a third time, and there would be no chances to redeem herself. However, now that there was a few months gap between her last heist and her current position, she didn’t see why it would be such a bad idea to be uncouth for a day. As long as no one got hurt - that was her number one rule whenever she’d partake in these criminal scandals. No civilians involved; that was where she cut the line.

She was sitting in her office, watching the clock tick by slow as ever. Cassandra rested her chin in the palm of her hands and blew a breath of air to get rid of the strand of hair that was in her line of sight. It was about to be midnight and she couldn’t stop thinking about the jewellery store few blocks away from the family HQ. It was a family business, privately owned and apparently stocked to the brim with riches and whatever else was hiding in their safe that cost more than the balance in Cassandra’s bank account. Cassandra thought about the most ludicrous things at night, so it wasn’t a shock to her when the thought entered her mind that she would ask Nikolai,  the newest right hand of the family, if she could have his help on this jewellery heist. In a situation where she would have to do it alone, she was risking time being wasted. A timely heist was the best heist. Everyone knew or should know that time was vital to a successful heist because there was never enough of it.

It was truly a matter of life and death, and that’s just how it was for some mobsters everyday. Imagine waking up and the first thing you think of is if you’re going to die that day; well that’s how it was for Cassandra. Even after being newly recruited into MGM Inc, she always caught the feeling that someone was watching her like a hawk. Spies wasn’t such a big thing, but it was possible that rival families could be greedy and ask their associates to watch over one of the enemies. It wasn’t such a bad idea, actually.

Naturally, as a mobster - she had to make sure that she always had some form of weapon on her. Usually she’d take a bat because she preferred quiet torture rather than a loud ruckus. Guns were never her thing anyway plus bats were useful since you could take it anywhere, even out in public, and not let it be seen initially as a dangerous weapon. She was hiding under the fact that people could just pass it off and assume that she was an avid baseball player. There were some people she couldn’t fool though, which reminded her of Nikolai. He was the newest addition to the family and was now witnessing him being a part of the upper structure of Chicago, and Cassandra felt like she had known him forever. A surge of hope rushed through her veins as she thought about what he could bring to the table. He was certainly a delight to talk to and he always seemed to be in a cheery vibe.

Most of the members of MGM Inc had rushed home already, but she did see Nikolai rush off to his office somewhere. She decided to approach him quietly in case he was thinking of having time to himself. Knocking at his door, she waited for his familiar deep voice to echo throughout the room. “Nikolai? A-are you in there?” She waited, slightly impatient. Time was ticking and she only had a matter of time to prepare for it. 

Not only this would benefit the family once they got done with this, but Cassandra and Nikolai could get some bonding time done. She wished Rabbit had not gone home so early though so she could have involved her. But she'll just have to wait for the surprise tomorrow morning! 

'Wha....Who knocks at my door in the middle of the night!"  Standing up and stretching, he remembers his youth when he had taken things for granted.  Now, keeping his strength and flexibility required daily maintenance.  And sleep....Hew needed his sleep.  "What the fuck do you want!" was an instinctive response .

Sniffing the air, he could smell her.  The vixen that irritated him so much.  In his younger days, it would have been been cute.  Now, it was simply irritation.  So much energy.  Blah.  CassandraVilmont was a pain, but he liked her spirit.  

He was old....was he really wanting to take yet another pupil under his wing.  Bah....The ignorant whench didn't even know the difference between they're and their.  Let her live with her humble and ignorant upbringing.

Tired....He lays back down on his pallet and thinks of his love, Ellie.  Time to relax and sleep......

Cassandra widened her eyes as she heard the hostility in his voice. Gosh. This was certainly a change from the last time they spoke to each other. Maybe he was just having a bad day? - Cassandra thought calmy to herself. Surely she could relate to him, there were times when she just needed a break from the busy routine that life held. “Nikolai, it’s Cassandra.” She spoke back to him in a reassuring voice and placed her foot in between the door so he could see that it was her. Her black leather boots was always included in her daily outfits and she felt like she couldn’t live without it. It was a fashion statement!

Guilt started to plant itself in Cassandra’s mind. It was midnight, and usually everyone in the HQ would be sleeping right now. She wondered why Nikolai was here - maybe to finish up some paperwork or review some of the things discussed at the meeting today. Her impatience started to grow though, so she quietly pushed the door open just a little bit so there was a crack that he could see through. It was understandable if he saw her as a pain in the ass, heck, she had been given that nickname by her parents lots of times during her younger years. She was the happiest of them all, always seemed to be in a bright spirit when talking to people.

Nikolai was definitely reaching his older years, but Cassandra figured why should he let his age take over his life? It was just a number, after all. She had been wanting to take him to massage therapy so he could stretch out those tense bones of his. It’d help with the stress and certainly help to improve him mentally. Only now she realized that being old also came with being cranky. Actually it would be wrong of her to generalize, so maybe it was just Nikolai that was like this.

She didn’t underestimate him though. Not once. Even with all those years under his belt, Cassandra believed that there was more than what the eye could see. There must be a good reason why he was appointed such a high position in the family, especially so early. Being the bubbly girl she was, she wanted to just scream and shout in joy to wake him up, but she noticed that he was already leaning his head back to close his eyes again.

Cassandra scratched the back of her head and tried to think of alternative methods.

"CassandraVilmont, is that you.  Please enter."  Getting out of bed, he walks over and pours himself a glass of scotch.  Rolling his neck from side to side to loosen the muscles and rolling his shoulders to the daily aches and pains, he looks at the beautiful woman as she walks through the door.

She walks through the door with so much confidence.  He truly does appreciate this quality and finds it relaxing.

"Not used to having visitors this late.  My hours are always as I battle nightmares.  But that is my battle.  What brings you here young own."

She heaved a sigh of relief when Nikolai finally told her to enter, and she approached him in a happy manner. Cassandra felt terribly bad for interrupting him at such at a late hour in the night, but she wouldn’t be able to get to sleep without this being done. Cassandra exuded good intentions only and she gave him a short nod as she waited for him to gather his thoughts. “Well, I’m actually here because I’ve been meaning to ask you if you could… help me with something. I’m sure, by now you’ve been in a lot of heists?” This presumption that he was not new to these types of things just popped up in her mind and she didn’t hesitate to ask.

Sniffing the air, he feels the anger from his youth begin to rage inside.  Someone was pursuing his family.  And tonight they would understand why he had survived to be an old lion.  Pulling out two revolvers, one for each hand, he raced to the door and past the beautiful woman that just seconds before had disturbed his sleep.

"You're being followed." is all he could says and he continued to focus on smells and sounds of the night.

Looking at the vixen with a sideward glance, he said "Yes, I've done a heists in my past."  

He had to work to avoid allowing a smile to cross his face.  Not only was she toying with those that followed her, but she was playing him as well.  Enjoying the cat and mouse game, he laid back down in his bed and made himself comfortable.  Years ago, he may have attempted seducing the beautiful woman.  But now, he was old and angry and knew that only disappointment came from these interactions.

"Scotch is on the counter....help yourself.  What is mine is yours my princess."  Mockly, he closes his eyes, yet many years of training has her movements measured in his mind as she moves about the room.

Cassandra was suddenly jolted backwards as Nikolai sped past her, his eyes dancing frantically left and right on the lookout for anyone on her trail. He was definitely paranoid, or maybe he just had a lot of experience to know that it was important to always be alerted. Most importantly, at least Cassandra felt safe whenever she was in his presence. He was someone that he could look up to, like a role model, but she didn’t exactly look up to him in the same way he probably wanted her to.

She had sensed that there was some tension between them, but she wanted to make sure that their bond together wouldn’t go past being friends. Plus, she enjoyed being chased or toyed with sometimes. It’s better to leave it as it is.

“Oh, well… you see,” she poured herself a glass of water instead since she wanted to be sober for the whole thing, “there’s a jewellery store not far from here and we’ve got a pretty good chance of robbing it. Especially now. Almost no one walks around that area anymore when it’s this time of the night.” She gave him a suggestive glance before pouring him a glass of scotch in an attempt to sway him more by being courteous.

“And you can say no, but why would you ever pass up bonding time with the family?” A smirk slowly appeared on her face and she took a sip of her water.

Dismissing the feeling that she was being followed, he thinks to himself Ole man, your getting paranoid in your old age...relax.  Not every fight is your fight.  Backing away from the doorway, he sees that CassandraVilmont has poured him a scotch and she sets it on the counter and nods to him.  Walking over and taking the drink, he takes a sip and feels the fiery burn as it moves down his throat.

Trying not to show his excitement of the chase, he turns to his family member and says "Purely as a bonding opportunity, I'm slightly interested.  But only if it's well planned.  I don't need any more jail time as I have work to do with the family.  Tell me your plan and I'll decide if you really know your stuff kid".  Looking at the young woman, he had heard rumors of her adventures and really had no doubt that she was talented.  But he wanted to see how she thought so that he would know how to best utilize talents in the future.

Walking over to a chair and ottoman, he sat town and kicked up his feet, waiting for her explanation. 

Cassandra looked up from underneath her lashes and tried not to show her amusement at his excitement. It certainly was an ego boost given that this was almost her time to shine, to prove to him that she was capable of planning such things. She set her glass back down on the counter so she could be free from any distractions, then proceeded to give an overview of the plan. “Hold on, let me get something.” She replied back to him then walked out of his office to grab the office blueprint of the jewellery store, where this would help to back up her preparations. Cassandra felt confident enough to know where the exits and vaults were after reviewing this for an hour beforehand. But she needed it now to show Nikolai where she was going with the plan.

“Okay here,” she pointed to the sketch of the front entrance, “obviously we enter here, and then when we get inside - I am 100% sure that there’s an alarm at the front counter. It’s supposed to be pressed for emergencies, like this heist for example. So, I’ve gathered information about the workers, and only one person is supposed to be in store tomorrow morning. It’ll practically be empty since it opens bright and early at six on the dot. We get there an hour early, and make sure that we have a gun on us - but I need to make this clear: We’re not going to be using it.

Its only to threaten the worker from touching that emergency alarm. If it’s touched, we’re dead meat. I think it’s best that you do the distracting job so I can go ahead and grab the money from the vault and the diamonds from their protective glass cases. I know the place better than you and I don’t want to place further risk in you not finding the stuff in time.” Cassandra had placed half of her butt on his desk during she spoke and she leaned forward intently.

“When all that is done and dusted, we urge the worker to face their bodies to the floor, and that’s our cue to quickly head out back through the front entrance again. Yada yada yada, we get back into the car, express our sighs of relief and speed off like nothing ever happened. The worker didn’t die, we didn’t die. Everyone wins. That’s how I see it, anyway.”

Watching her explain the heist in detail left him with a greater appreciation for her attention to detail.  He had to admit, he had thought that this would be a plan with a few gaping holes, but quite the contrary.  She had thought everything through and he had a real appreciation for the fact that it wasn't about killing.  There was enough of that in this brutal world and he had enough blood on his hands from past "family" affairs that he could go the rest of his life without causing another death.

Staring into her eyes, he set the scotch down, knowing it would soon be time for business and he needed all his senses as sharp as possible.  The stare lasted longer than expected, but he was still looking for the fatal error in her plan to no avail.  Clearing his throat, he said "I have to say Cassandra, your plan is really well thought out.  Your plan and your the lead.  Pick me up at 4:30 am."  Seeing her relax and the excitement in her eyes, he continued "I'll take care of the clerk.  You cover the rest.  And I promise not to kill the clerk, but that's all I'm promising."

Her explanation of the plan had been a clear success, evident through his approval of the conspiracy she had been carefully thinking. Now it was time to just get a good night’s sleep, and be physically and mentally prepared for tomorrow. It wasn’t going to be hard waking up tomorrow though. It was the norm for her to wake up randomly at two o’clock in the morning, usually to pee, but she could never get back to sleep after that.

“Mhm. I’ll be keeping my eyes on you to make sure you don’t.” She replied back to Nikolai in a playful manner with a devious grin plastered on her face. There was no denying that even through his cold stares earlier, Cassandra felt like deep down he was a funny and extremely honest man, and there was that saying that honesty was the best policy.

She finished the remaining water in her glass and put it back down on the counter. With a smile and a wave, she left his office feeling pleased with how the conversation went. Now it was back to her bed for tomorrow was a whole new day, and the future seemed bright and rich.

As she walked out and the door closed, he finally let a smile cross his face.  Murmuring to himself "Confident little shit".  He stood, locked the door, and headed to his sleeping pallet in the back.  

Lying down, his mind continued to play through the plan.  Reaching over, he set his alarm for 3 am, and quickly fell asleep as his final thoughts were of CassandraVilmont.

In what felt like minutes, the alarm began to ring.  Hitting the top with a little more force than necessary, the alarm was shut off and the clock was knocked from the nightstand.  Rotating around to put his feet down on the floor, with a practiced motion, he reached over and pulled on the metal chain and the room was filled with light.  Rubbing his eyes, the plan began to run through his mind once again.  

He continued to rehearse what Cassandra had shared as he showered, shaved and dressed.  Walking to a storage area, he pulled out a roll of duct tape and two lengths of cord.  Placing these in a hidden pocket inside his trench coat, he poured himself of cup of coffee and waited for Cassandra to arrive.

Cassandra had gotten a good amount of sleep last night, despite it being shorter than usual - she slept soundly due to the great conversation she had with Nikolai the night before. Now that she had showered and gotten ready, her mind was refreshed and prepared for the planned heist. She decided to grab a protein bar on her way out as she didn't have enough time to make breakfast. Food was the last thing on her mind as she drove to the family headquarters, and saw him waiting for her with a warm beverage in his hand, the smoke slowly coming out from the top of it. 

"Ah, caffeine. Best way to start the day." She nodded in silent agreement and greeted him with a salutation gesture. "Good morning, boss. You look good. As always. Gotta look alive, now." She reached inside her jean pocket and pulled out some metal keys. "Now hop in." 

As she walked ahead of him towards the direction of her vehicle outside, she started to giggle to herself at how she contrived this such last minute. This was her adventurous side, rare when seen, but success was almost guaranteed since she was such a cautious person. And she took pride in having rules, such as the 'no killing civilians' one. When the car was on the road, Cassandra was happy that her plan yesterday had finally superseded reality. Now all she had to do was stick to the plan and execute it just how she imagined it to go. She couldn't afford to make a mistake. And it would be a bad move on her part since she was the one who chose to involve Nikolai. The last thing she wanted to do was put in harm. 

Sitting in the front seat, he took inventory once again of his possessions.  Feeling his gun in a shoulder holster and tucked neatly up under his left arm, his left hand held the cup of hot coffee while his right hand slid across first one pocket of his grey trench coat, then another.  Knowing they would be there, he still appreciated the reassurance of finding first the duct tape, then the small bundle of cord.  Then he pushed back into the seat and could feel the solid form of his long knife sheathed in a belt holder.    Comforted in knowing he had all of the needed tools, he turned his attention to his partner.

"You look bright and alert this morning.  That's good"  In his mind he thought She's also beautiful, but I think I'll just keep that to myself.  Continuing, "So, I assume we enter the store acting the part of a happy couple, in search of a special trinket?  That will pull the clerk away from the location of the alarm.  Does that work for you or do you have something else in mind?"

He begins to feel considerable anxiety as he notices that she likes to drive REALLY fast.  While he may be getting older, this girl definitely has a lead foot.  Looking over, Cassandra looks completely relaxed and in complete control.  Looking forward, he sees a light turn yellow and instead of an anticipated slowing down, hears the roar of the engine as she accelerates through the intersection.

Cassandra steadily controlled the vehicle as she glanced at Nikolai with a questionable look. "I was thinking more that as soon as we enter the vicinity, we take charge and go for the kill. We don't have any more time to waste. We're coming there an hour early. That would be enough time to secure the place and make sure not too many cars or people are passing by." The morning sun shined through her window, in her eyes; a reminder that everything would be okay as long as she kept optimistic. 

"Definitely feeling a little more bubbly than usual." She gave a short nod as she turned one more corner that slowly head her to a car park, specifically made for customers intending to visit the jewellery store, which was called 'Rosebud Jewellery'. It looked like any other store, generic and run-down, but what caught her eye was the diamonds that could be seen through their transparent cases. She parked the vehicle right at the front of the store for easy access after they got all that they wanted. 

Once she turned off the vehicle and threw the keys in her pocket, she checked for the duplicated key she picked up before heading over to Nikolai's. "Got the copy of the key that opens the glass cases. So, you do the distracting, and I'll work on the locks. Just help me on the suitcases on our way out. It's going to be heavy." She took a deep breath, smiling nervously while looking back at him. Then she looked at her watch.

"Three minutes left. Prepare your engine, boss." 

Stepping out from the car, he did one more pat down to make sure all of his tools of the trade were still in their correct position.  Clouds of vapor filled the crisp morning air as he controlled his breathing and calmed his mind.  Looking around casually, he scanned the area for potential witnesses to the crime they were about to commit.  Feeling confident that CassandraVilmont's instincts had been correct, the street was virtually deserted at this time of morning.

Both Cassandra and him watched as the sole worker went and unlocked the front door.  The worker then returned to cleaning the glass display cases without a care in the world.  Seeing that luck was on their side, the worker was cleaning the front side of the display case and would have to walk around the case to reach any type of button.

Looking at Cassandra, he pulled a knit scarf from around his neck, up over his mouth and nose.  With everything form his eyes down now hidden, he said "Show time.  As discussed, I'll take out the clerk, you get the hardware.  We need to be in and out in less than 5 minutes."  Seeing her nod in agreement, he reached up, released the clasp holding the gun in position, and grabbed onto the grip of the gun, but did not remove it from the holster.

Walking quickly to the front door, he pulled the door open with his left hand as he removed the gun from the holster with his right.  With three long strides and a click of the gun's firing mechanism locking in place, the clerk turned and threw up hands in a defensive gesture, crying out "Please...please don't kill me....Oh god, please"

Nikolai responded in a calm, deadly voice "Shut up...NOW.  Turn around and lie on the floor, face first.  Follow my orders and I won't kill you.  Try to do anything stupid and I'll make sure your death is nice and slow.  Turn around and get down..NOW!"  Purposely having kept himself between the worker and Cassandra, there was no chance that the worker would ever be able to identify her in a lineup.  

He could hear Cassandra moving behind him, but kept his focus on his part.  Once the worker was on the floor, the shock had set in and he was beginning to cry.  Unfortunately for him, Nikolai had no sympathy for the weak minded and said "Put your hands behind your back, now."  The terrified sobbing clerk followed directions and placed both hands behind, near the small of his back.  Pulling out a section of the cording he had brought, it already had a slip knot tied in one end which quickly secured the workers hands.  Then he continued "Now your feet, bend your legs and bring your feet back toward your hands."  The clerk did as directed and within two minutes of entering the business, the worker was hog tied on the floor with hands and feet bound.  

With his business done, he replaced the gun in the holster and fastened the clasp to prevent it from falling out if he needed to move quickly.  Turning, he looked to see how Cassandra was progressing with her part of the heist.

Time was scarce, and so they moved quickly into the store, almost as if they were ninjas in a virtual game. Cassandra noticed that he had something to cover up half his face, but she instead relied on the fact that her back would be mostly turned towards the worker, who would probably be too stressed and restricted by the cords that Nikolai had brought. And that's exactly what happened. Everything had turned out perfectly, with Cassandra gracefully and quickly moving around the store, pushing the duplicate key into each of the locks and finding the precious jewels that seemed to have been waiting for her this whole time. As if this was their indeterminate fate. She took quick glances at Nikolai and gave a short nod, showing that she was ready to head outside. 

The suitcase she had been holding was now full to the brim, and she gave it another look to make sure that there was no space that she hadn't filled yet. With all the cash and diamonds now secured in the bag, she looked at Nikolai again, but this time she spoke abruptly. "Alright. Lets move." She sprinted out of the front entrance, not even looking back to see if the worker was alright, and headed straight for the car. Everything happened so fast. The wind pushed her hair back as she ran, and her fingers trembled as she gripped onto the suitcase. "Fuck, it's heavy." Her muscles strained while carrying the load, and she waited for Nikolai to head out of the store to help her. She heard a few more shouts from him directed to the worker to stay put, and then finally he was at her side to help her. 

When they reached the car and threw the suitcase at the backseats, Cassandra clicked on her seatbelt, because safety was always the number one priority. Even in a situation like this. She shared a look with Nikolai, one of approval and satisfaction with how their execution went, and drove away from the store. Not much was said during the ride back to the headquarters, but she could feel the sound of her heartbeat banging in her chest. The adrenaline rush was a moment of ecstasy for her, and it seemed that this was even better than sex. But that was a whole 'nother story for another time.

She parked the car properly in the driveway of the family HQ, back to its original position like how it always looked, and urged Nikolai to help her out again, if he please could, with the suitcase. Maybe it wasn't the right time to head inside with all these riches because as soon as they both stepped inside, Cary_Grant was right in their faces. She couldn't tell if he was mad and fuming or strangely excited and filled with abundant joy. 

"Er.... we went on a road trip?" She bit her lip, side-eyeing Nikolai.