Venice; Money Heist

Prologue

"Do you see the man in the corner? The one who looks like a teacher?" I stole a glance at the corner but turned away immediately, pulled my cap lower, and focused back on the diamond-studded jewellery in the display case. "Yeah, he doesn't look like he could afford anything in here, and he doesn't seem to be looking at anything... are you sure?"

We had the habit of stealing from the customers of the stores we were planning to rob during our reconnaissance. Most were either foolish or simply ignorant, hiding their valuables in pockets or bags that thieves like us could easily access. Tonight, this jeweller is our target... Aníbal and I are a well-coordinated team and have already robbed more than 15 jewellers and numerous other shops and banks. After both of us were released from prison, we pondered how we wanted to spend our lives, and the answer was already evident. Aníbal is a whiz at computers, and since the age of six, he has been involved in web programming. Our parents thought he was playing computer games while, in reality, he began his career as a hacker. In 2010, he initiated his first major hacking attack. Following a heist in Geneva, in which he was involved, he is wanted by Interpol. My story is a bit different. After graduating, I joined the military and quickly realized that I wanted more. So, I rapidly improved my skills in shooting and close combat, climbing the career ladder within the military and starting training with a special unit. However, I was dishonourably discharged and arrested after a specific incident where my superior sexually harassed me, and I responded by assaulting him. One might wonder how this is possible, as it seems trivial to be arrested for self-defence. Well, he ensured that no one knew the truth and fabricated a story that never happened. Since then I noticed that Anibal developed a greater need to protect me. In any case, Aníbal and I realized that by combining our skills, we could go far, and that's how we ended up in this situation.

"He seems like an easy target. Just grab his wallet as you walk by... once the store closes, I'll turn off the cameras, and we can start the real plan..." Done and done. Hidden in my pocket, I was holding my gun while I slipped past the man and grabbed his wallet with my free hand. "Okay, come on out. I think we've got enough before someone notices." Swiftly, I left the store and walked one block further into an alley where my brother was waiting for me, unaware that someone was following me.

"That was way too easy. I was hoping for a bit more action, I must say... I miss the shooting." Aníbal grins at me and pulls me down by the arm. "Show me, how much is it?" After counting almost everything, I opened the wallet of the teacher, or at least I assumed he was one, expecting some bills to greet me, but I instead saw prison mugshots of Aníbal and me, with a photo of me in the military behind them. Shocked, we both stared at it. "Ahem." We tensed and turned around, meeting the gaze of the person who managed to sneak up on us, and I scolded myself for being so dumb not to notice them. The teacher stands in front of us. He gazed at our loot and Anibal's laptop amused and nudged his glasses, almost embarrassed. "Excuse me, but I believe that belongs to me." My eyes narrow suspiciously. I tossed him the wallet but kept our pictures in my hand. "Where did you get these?" I demanded. "I have my sources, but that's not important now," comes his relaxed reply, and even though I knew something was off about this guy, his voice had something friendly and trustworthy about it. His calm demeanor surprised me, considering I discreetly aimed my gun at him. Passersby won't notice, but the twitch of his eyes towards my hand tells me he definitely was aware of the situation.

Aníbal positioned himself beside me so that he could intervene if something happened, and even though he's younger than me, he towers over me by a few centimeters. The teacher's eyes dart between the two of us as he pushes his glasses up again, waiting for an answer. "Who the fuck are you?" my brother asked lowly. He reached for his pocket, but stopped when I pointed my gun at his face, shooting him a glance that served as a warning. Slowly, he raised his hands. "Easy. I just want to show you both something... I don't have bad intentions." Slowly, I lowered the weapon, and he took out a small digital camera from his bag. "The streets are full of police looking for both of you. They're distributing pictures of you and asking different shop owners for footage from their surveillance cameras." Shocked, I looked at the pictures, but one particular picture stood out. I stared at the shocking and sad image until Anibal took it from my hands. The picture showed our parents shaking hands with the police while one officer held a picture of me in his hand. "Your parents tipped off the police and filed a report against you, Señorita Cortes." I looked up at him (he was a few inches taller than me). "Why are you here? And why are you telling us this?"

"I have an offer for both of you. I'm planning the biggest heist in the history of Spain... tell me, how does 2.4 billion euros sound to you?"

And that's how I met my guardian angel.