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According to the blueprint Brand had stolen for me, the vault had only one bandit trap The truck would enter through the garage door and wait The outside garage door would close and the interior door would open The truck would proceed into the center of the vault, where it would be unloaded and then loaded again We would be facing the truck ent through the gray metal employee door The closed-circuit TV ainst the wall to our right as we entered and ed along the near and far walls to our left There was a platforuard to stand on where he could observe the tables There were also more careater fear of theft by their euard didn’t have a designated spot I was guessing he probably wandered around the huge room or possibly kept a close eye on the armored truck crews

When I reviewed the blueprints, it seeh I wondered if the people who had built the vault thought that its location alone, so far off the beaten path, would be enough to protect it or if they had adopted that theory over a period of tiatehouse when the place was originally constructed--why else build it? It was entirely possible, of course, that Mesabi was sca theuarantee coverage and then tri After all, it was a down econoe workforce cut into profits

I told the woman to park close to the employee entrance When she shut off the car I said, "The money is insured, Ms Rooney"

"I know"

"This can be a story you’ll tell your children and your grandchildren or it can be a story that sorandchildren You decide"

She looked down at me Her eyes were cold Her voice was colder "You’re a sonuvabitch"

I ca it off Screw Bullert, screw ’em all But Jill, her lovely face, her warm smile--promises were made, some I spoke out loud, others that I had kept to myself …

"Everyone ready?" I didn’t wait for a reply "Okay"

7:15 PM Rooney left the Jeep Cherokee She moved to the metal employee door and punched a code into the keypad next to it She waited athe door handle There was a click loud enough to be heard inside the Cherokee I openedenough for rabbed the edge of the door, flung it open, and pushed Rooney inside, pushed her harder than I probably should have She stu down the barrel of the AK-47, sweeping it frouard to the next

"This is a stickup," I shouted "Don’t anyone move"

The words sounded so dahed No one else seeh, especially the ar next to their vehicle, drinking coffee from cardboard cups They stared as if someone had kicked in the bathrooer and embarrassment

Daniel, Roy, and Jithe AKs Brand supplied, although Roy had his own Roy went right and Ji the TVon top of the platfor the cafeteria tables There were several piles of cash on top of the tables, some of them neat and others not so much A bank employee stood next to each

"Raise your hands," Roy shouted Ji The bank euards already had their hands up, and I could only hope that no one noticed it but erously close to his sidearun and a bulletproof vest," I shouted at him "What do you have?"

His hands went up

Daniel stepped behind me "A little help," I told him He went first to the ar each one by one while Jimmy and I kept them covered When he finished and stepped back, I reached down, took Rooney by the arm, and helped her to her feet "Sorry," I ave Rooney a shove toward the far wall Daniel, Ji’s occupants behind her Jimmy took his position on the platform above the tables and watched theainst his shoulder

I was surprised by how quiet everyone was There was none of the screa you often hear in TV robberies, none of the threats and warnings, although one wo uncontrollably while another offered comfort, and I kneas a sound that would stay with uard sitting in front of the ood look at the AK as if he had done this sort of thing before

"You know he must have hit a silent alarm," Roy said

"I know Where’s our friend?"