To Catch a Thief (Closed)

[SweetAsSuga]

Closed for Ikely


Lola Connelly

Age: 27

Mysterious, charismatic, and alluring are just a few words that describe Lola. She is an enigma to everyone, revealing only what she chooses. A chameleon that is able to change her appearance and personality to fit a situation, you never know which side of Lola you will get at any given moment.






IC


Five. Two. Sixty. The numbers rolled through Lola’s mind. Five guards. Two possible exits. And sixty seconds to secure the target and reach one of the exits, all without any of the guards noticing. It was tricky, but it wasn’t anything Lola hadn’t done before. She had been pulling heists like this since she was seven and her dad took her to the Met in New York. Back then, though, she had been the distraction while her dad heisted the art. Her days as a diversion were long over, now it was her turn to pull the heists, something she’d been doing – successfully she might add – for a good five years.

Glancing at her watch, Lola waited until the second hand hit the four. Go time.

Across the room a little boy started screaming bloody murder, crying out for his mommy and asking everyone around him if they had seen her. Sympathetic women pulled their husbands towards the boy, trying to comfort him and help him find his mother. Three of the guards moved towards the crush of people surrounding the boy, speaking into their walkies as they did so. The remaining two guards stood on alert, their eyes scanning the crowd of people.

As all eyes were focused on the boy, Lola maneuvered her way through the crowd, slipping unseen through the crush of bodies. Just another face in the worried mass. It was within her reach, a glass case in the corner of the room. Inside the case a diamond necklace shone brightly beneath the little spotlight centered in the case. But it wasn’t the necklace that Lola was looking for. Reaching the case, she quickly picked the lock on the back and, keeping her back to the security cameras even though she knew the footage was on a continuous loop thanks to her tech guy, she slid the glass panel door open just enough to grab the pair of sapphire earrings that sat beside the necklace. They didn’t appear to be anything special, a simple pair of drop earrings; the sapphires cut into teardrops and surrounded by small diamonds. But Lola knew their true value.

Kneeling down, Lola deposited an earring into the hollowed out heels of her brown boots. Forty seconds down, twenty more to go. She moved back through the swell of people still frantically searching for the little boy’s mother, giving a subtle tug on the boy’s shirt sleeve. He wiped frantic tears from his eyes in response while continuing to plead for his mommy. The boy was good, Lola couldn’t have done better herself. But what else could she expect from her little brother.

With the exit a mere three feet away, Lola could pass through it in a few easy strides.

The alarm sounded just as she was about to pass through the doorway. Quick as lightening the guards sprang into action. Lola glanced over her shoulder at the commotion. It wouldn’t be long before the doors bolted shut, trapping her inside. Her mind moved swiftly, adrenaline coursing through her veins. A single bead of sweat slipped down her back. But she didn’t let the fear of getting caught stop her, she had learned to conquer that fear long ago. Before the bolts could lock on the door in front of her, Lola did a quick check to make sure the guards were otherwise engaged. People scrambled all around her, panicking as the alarms blared. The little boy who had lost his mother was completely forgotten. In the mayhem nobody was paying the slightest attention to the woman inching slowly towards one of the exits. And nobody noticed as she slipped out the door. And nobody saw her climb into the station wagon two blocks away and pull off the long, brown wig to reveal her own short, blonde curls. And not a single person cared to question her when she picked up the little boy from the police station an hour later.

 

[Ikely]

Ryan looking out his window: http://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/120524/16/4fbec78c06288.jpg


Ryan Noel woke up to the sun glaring through the large window of his penthouse suit overlooking the Mediterranean Ocean.

Ryan was staying in the Hotel Metropole, in Monte Carlo.

The company had arranged for him to stay there following one of his more dangerous missions.

Ryan was an operative for Central Intelligence. He had spent the last 7 weeks in the Northwest frontier of Pakistan hunting a Saudi cleric working with Al-Qaeda. He had completed his mission and the Saudi met an untimely end, having his computer explode while he was looking at gay porn on the internet.

As a benefit for completing a job well done, they had put him up in the Metropole in Monte Carlo.

Ryan loved Monaco.

But last night, while enjoying his time off, he was alerted to an incoming job tasking.
“I guess fun time is secure.” Ryan had thought to himself.

Ryan stood by the large window and took in the view.
“Get a good look now; you are probably going to some 3rd world shithole again.” He thought.

Ryan showered then put on some khaki 5.11 tactical pants, a red Ferrari F1 t-shirt and his Merrill shoes.
After tucking the Glock 19 in the small of his waist he put on his Oakley sunglasses and left to meet his contact.

Ryan met his handler at little restaurant called La Note Blue, on the Boulevard du Lavarotto.

They got right to business.

“Ryan, this one is going to be difficult.”
“Aren’t they all?” Ryan said

“Well this one is going to take the cake. You are to get inside the Iranian embassy in Vienna…locate a diplomatic pouch. Recover the pouch and get away without anyone knowing. The pouch contains the technical data on the stealth drone...the UAV that went down. As you know, it actually went down in Afghanistan. The Iranians crossed the border covertly and took it. Now we want the data back.”

Ryan laughed. “The Iranian embassy?? You expect me to just walk into the embassy and walk out with one of their pouches?”
“Yes, that’s the mission.” The handler kept a straight face.
“You do know that I am not a cat burglar. I am a field operative. I make shit blow up.”
“That’s the assignment. The company has authorized the release of funds for you to use to complete this mission.” The handler paused then said, “The pouch has a serial number. The number of the pouch you are to recover is 915648. Get the pouch and once it is in your hands, get to Tel-Aviv and you will be met and can hand it off.”

Ryan laughed again. “I am so dead.” He thought

“Alright, understood.” Ryan said with a sigh.
The handler slid a manila envelope across the table.

“That has schematics and a blue print of the embassy as well as several passports and a key for a safe deposit box with all your necessary items.” The handler said.

Ryan just nodded his head.

“Good Luck.” The handler left the restaurant.

As Ryan walked back to the hotel he thought, “This is way beyond me.”
He got back to his room, put on his board shorts and went to the pool.

As he watched through the orange lens Oakley sunglasses all of the beautiful woman walking by, with their long, tanned legs, it hit Ryan what he should do.

He grabbed his international cell phone and punched in a number.
Pavel was an international gun smuggler. He was a bad guy but Ryan had a good working relationship with him.

“Pavel, my friend I need some help.” Ryan said over the phone while watching a woman with the tightest ass he had ever seen bend over begin to, obviously for Ryan’s benefit, rub tanning oil over her toned left calf.

“Pavel, I need a burglar.”
Without giving specifics Ryan informed Pavel that he needed the best cat burglar around for a very dangerous job.
Pavel gave some excuse for not wanting to be involved in whatever it was that Ryan had planned.

The sunbathing woman now turned and facing Ryan began rubbing the shimmering oil on the inside of her thigh.

“Pavel, don’t fuck around with me. Just tell me who the best is and where I can find him.”

The oil was now being rubbed on the other leg.

“My friend, you do not want to do this. I have a name but it will cost you. Probably more than you think or are willing to pay.”

She now began to seductively smear the oil along her toned stomach up towards her breasts.

“How about this Pavel, how about you give me the name and I don’t give a call to Interpol about your dealings in Syria?”

Pavel was silent for a time.

The sunbathing woman walked up to Ryan and propped a tan bare foot on his shoulder saying, “Pardon me, have I missed a spot? If I have maybe you could help me with it?”
Ryan could hear Pavel breathing as he considered the offer.
Ryan looked first at the tanned foot on his left shoulder. The toes were painted red. It resembled arterial blood. Then over the ankle, along the calf, past the thigh then locking in on the woman’s bikini covered crotch. God, Ryan loved Monte Carlo.

“Pavel, something has come up. Either give me the name or deal with Interpol.”

Pavel groaned. “Alright, but if you contact this person, you do not tell them where you got the name.”
“Pavel, give me his fuckin name!”
“It’s not a him, it’s a her. Lola. Lola Connelly.”

 

[SweetAsSuga]

"Number of security cameras and guards?" Lola asked as she drove away from the police station, giving only a brief glance in her rear view mirror to make sure she wasn't being tailed.

"Six cameras, but the guards are a trick question. There were ten on the floor, and another five on break. Plus there were three who lived above the gallery who were on call for any emergencies." Luke Connelly quickly answered his sister's question. It was a game they liked to play, Lola would name a building or target which Luke then had to answer with the type of security they had in place. This game was how Connelly men and women had been teaching their children for the past five generations. It was the best way to ensure that the family name was still listed as the best among thieves.

"Good job." Lola reached over and ruffled her half-brother's dark hair. Luke had become her responsibility after their dad had died three years before. At the time, Lola was twenty-four and just making a name for herself. She'd been pulling off bigger and better heists, always trying to beat the best heists that her ancestors had pulled. There was no way that she wanted to be burdened with a, then, six-year-old Luke. He would only be a liability. But Luke had proven to be every bit a Connelly as Lola was.

"Okay...let's give you a hard one," she said, coming to a stop at a red light, "The Tate Museum in London."

"Which wing?" Luke quickly asked.

"Modern. Target is the Picasso of your choice."

Luke paused, contemplating what he had learned of the museum. The light turned green and Lola pulled out through the intersection. Taking a left, she headed out of the city.

"C'mon kiddo, times a wasting, too much longer and Interpol is locking you up for ten to twelve."

As Luke started rattling off the security, Lola turned the car down an alley and parked outside of an old, abandoned warehouse. With Luke still listing the security measures, the two made their way inside the warehouse and then up to the second floor where the offices used to be. Home sweet home. The offices were set up as two bedrooms, each with a cot and a suitcase of clothing, nothing more. Rule number one in any thief's book was never stay in one place for too long and never have more things than you can carry with you. It was a good rule, if a bit of a lonely existence.

"Alright, kid, get your school work done and I'll scrounge up some dinner for us." Lola said, pushing Luke towards his "room." They may be constantly on the move, but Lola didn't think that way any reason for Luke to abandon school.

Going into her own "room," Lola pulled her boots off and shook the earrings out of the heels of her boots. The sapphires sparkled in her hand and she grinned. There was nothing better than the rush of adrenaline from a job well done.

Lola grabbed the cell phone from her jacket pocket and dialed. The phone was a burner, a throw away. A pay as you go phone that could be tossed at a moments notice and was completely untraceable. Lola had a rule that she tossed a phone every three days. Any longer than that and you were asking for trouble.

"Hey big boy, I got the package for you." She said as the person on the other end answered. "Let's set up the meet shall we."

 

[Ikely]

Ryan spent the most of the next morning trying to find one Lola Connelly.

The only thing he came up with was a Lola Connelly, the daughter of Jack Connelly. Jack Connelly was the most prolific thief and burglar of his generation.

“The apple probably did not fall far from the tree.” Ryan thought

Ryan called and messaged all the assets the company could provide to help locate Lola Connelly.

There was nothing.

Ryan thought she was laying low for a reason. She doesn’t want to be out in the open. It would make her business much more difficult being Hi-Vis.
No, she was low profile, for sure.

He called his contact in Langley and had them run checks on any high dollar thefts anywhere on the planet.

The reply he got was quick. The only theft that had occurred in the last 48 hours was one in which a subject or subjects unknown had strolled into a well-guarded building and just walked away with a pair of sapphire ear rings trimmed with diamonds.

“Well done, Lola.” Ryan muttered to himself.

Ryan hated the idea, but he was going to have to leave beautiful Monte Carlo for New York. Fucking New York. The only positive about the place was the pizza

He booked his flight and was soon winging his way back to the U. S.

He continued his research on the flight he located the name of a man who had actually made contact with an FBI undercover trying to get him to pull a heist. He had mentioned that he was also in contact with a female burglar. That could only be Lola.

Ryan felt confident if he could find that man, he would be able to locate Lola.

 

[SweetAsSuga]

With Luke safely tucked away with his school books, Lola once again donned a wig, this one a red number with curls that traveled well past her breasts. In truth, Lola hated wearing the wigs, but she never wanted anyone to be able to pick her out in a crowd. It was best to constantly be changing her appearance. Dressed in a pale yellow dress and a pair of cowboy boots, Lola headed down to SoHo to meet with her client.

The man was situated in a corner booth of the small cafe, a newspaper open in front of him and a cup of coffee sitting by his elbow. He looked up at her as she took the seat across from him and slid an old film canister towards him.

"Here are the photos you wanted." She said, idly leaning back in her seat with legs crossed. She looked, for all intents and purposes, like any other woman in the city.

"Very good." The man replied, taking the canister and placing it in the breast pocket of his suit coat. "I thought you might like to see the ones I developed earlier." He handed her a photo envelope. Lola weighed it in her hands, feeling the heft of the unmarked bills.

"I can't wait to see them." She smiled pleasantly, tucking the money away in her brown hobo bag. "Well I must be off, I look forward to seeing more of your work someday."

With the transaction complete, Lola made her way back out onto the street. Now with two hundred grand more to her name.

 

[Ikely]

Ryan did not waste any time.

He met the undercover and got a short briefing on what he knew about the alleged female cat burglar.

From what he picked up, he needed to be in Soho, at this café. The best guess was she went there regularly and that was supposed to be the place the subject was to meet her and make an exchange.

Ryan switched to some casual clothing trying to blend in with the people.

He arrived and sat drinking a pumpkin flavored coffee while acting as though he was working on a laptop . He had inserted 2 ear buds that were attached to an iPod and used it as camouflage.

In fact, he was keeping a total visual watch at everyone moving within the café.

The one person who stood out was the man on the other side of the café, in a corner booth with a paper. He was trying too hard to look casual. He was not reading, his eyes were constantly moving about.

Then he saw her. She was wearing a yellow dress, highlighted by cowboy boots on her feet. From what he had learned about Lola Connelly, she had to be wearing a wig.

She looked good as a red head.

Ryan continued his surveillance of his suspect and thought there was an exchange but he could not be sure. Lola was very good at this.

Ryan anticipated the meeting was ending and he left some money on his table and left the café.

He went outside and took up a position and waited for his target to come out. Eventually she came out.

Ryan took up a position behind and to her right, maybe 10 meters behind her.

When the sidewalk cleared of people a little, he made his move.

Ryan closed the distance and with a few long steps moved alongside of her.
Without looking at her he announced in a casual voice, “Lola Connelly, we have to talk

 

[SweetAsSuga]

"Lola Connelly, we have to talk." The voice, deep and husky, came from her left. Years of training to keep her emotions from showing were the only thing that kept Lola from jumping in the air from fright. Only if one was paying extremely close attention to the woman would they be able to notice the slighest twitch of her lips to signify that she was startled.

Glancing at the stranger out of the corner of her eye she took in his broad shoulders, which filled out his shirt nicely. He was tall, probably around six foot, though most everyone was taller than Lola seeing as she only stood at five feet four inches. His hair was dark, which was a stark contrast to the brilliant blue of his eyes. He was, Lola couldn't help but admit, very handsome.

From his purposeful stride, Lola figured that he wouldn't be easily dismissed. There was no point in trying to throw him off and convince him that she wasn't the person he was looking for. After all, every aspect of his appearance screamed federal agent.

"I think you have me at a disadvantage." Lola said, keeping her eyes forward as she continued to walk down the sidewalk. "You know my name, but I don't know yours."

 

[Ikely]

Ryan could not tell if he startled her. If he had, she masked it very well.

"I think you have me at a disadvantage." Lola said, keeping her eyes forward as she continued to walk down the sidewalk. "You know my name, but I don't know yours."

“Yes, I apologize, my name is Ryan.” Ryan said casually
He could not see into her eyes. He desperately wanted to get a feel for what was going on inside her mind.

He had to be careful. These types of criminals could be dangerous, deadly, in fact.

“Lola, I have an offer for you. You have…certain talents and skills. They are a specific set of skills you have honed over a very lucrative career.”

Ryan felt that she would not be happy with this approach. It had to make her question her tactics.

“Lola, I have an offer for you. I need the best at what you do. Everyone says you are the best. If you are not as good as everyone seems to think you are, well this will not have a happy ending.”

Ryan watched for some reaction.

“It will pay well. You get 3 million dollars now, and 3 million dollars as soon as I have the…product.”

Ryan decided to not wait to give her the bad news.

“You should know now, before you say anything, it’s a very dangerous operation. If you get caught, there will be no prison time or anything…you just get dead.”

 

[SweetAsSuga]

Lola made sure that Ryan never saw her react to his words. She didn't want him to have any type of advantage, to use her emotions against her in any way. She still didn't know what he wanted from her or how he had even found her, and keeping him on his toes was one way to ensure that she kept at least a little bit of the upper-hand.

His mention of an offer intrigued Lola. She wasn't currently in search of a new job quite yet. It was always best to lay low for awhile after pulling off a heist. But the fact that he had sought her out, despite everyone in the business knowing that Lola didn't pull jobs so close together, was admirable. Not to mention that the offer of six million dollars was extremely tempting. There was a lot that Lola could do for Luke with that type of money. But the dying part...now that was something Lola could do without.

She had remained silent the whole time that Ryan spoke to her, listening intently, processing every word he said. The two had reached a crosswalk and, as they waited for the light to tell them they could cross, Lola finally turned to look him straight in the eye.

"Give me a day to think on it," she said simply. She slipped her burner phone into his jacket pocket. "When I reach a decision I'll call you." With that, Lola crossed the street, blending in with the rest of the city's pedestrians.

 

[Ikely]

Ryan was about to get insistent and aggressive when…she just disappeared.

“What the fuck?” Ryan said out loud.

Ryan scanned the people on the sidewalk. He did not see her.
Ryan was spinning in all directions looking first for the yellow dress, which should standout but he didn’t see it. Then he started trying to focus on the red wig. Nothing.

Lola Connelly had just vanished…

Ryan smiled, and then actually laughed out loud. “Damn, she is good” Ryan muttered.

Ryan started walking. As he walked he was thinking about how he really needed this woman to accomplish his mission. He knew he could not do this himself.

Ryan walked down Broome Street and soon found himself at the corner of Broome and Spring streets.

Ryan smelled the only thing that made coming to this place worth it for him. Pizza.

Soon, he found Lombardi’s. Ryan walked in and ordered a small pizza with the sweet Italian sausage and mushrooms and a coke.

Sitting down to eat, Ryan wondered what he would do if she told him to fuck off.

 

[SweetAsSuga]

Exactly twenty-four hours after slipping her cell phone into Ryan's pocket, Lola dialed the phone's number.

She'd spent the day before talking the whole thing over with Luke, getting his opinion and deciding what would be best for the two of them. Luke had been whole-heartedly behind her in taking on the job.

"Think of what we could do with that money." He'd argued. And Lola had thought. A lot. And after hours of thinking, she'd decided that she needed an aspirin.

In the end, however, the decision had been a difficult one. A lot of pros and cons had been thrown around. Death being the biggest con. But both Luke and Lola knew that she was good at her job and, if it meant never seeing Luke again, Lola would do everything in her power to come out alive.

With the phone pressed against her ear, Lola waited for the click that meant Ryan had answered.

"I'm in." She said before he could say anything. "Meet me in an hour at Washington Square Park by the chess tables." Not waiting for his answer, Lola hung up.

An hour later she sat at one of the chess tables. This time in a black wig that had been cut into a stylish bob. She wore a pair of glasses with green plastic frames, skinny jeans that showed off her long toned legs, and a white tank top that showed off the light tan of her skin.

Lola saw him approaching and she wondered what exactly she was getting herself into.

 

[Ikely]

Ryan finished his pizza. Now he could Leave New York City in peace.

He made his way back to his hotel, The Trump Soho.

He made his way back to the room and stripped out of his clothes. He jumped into the shower and let the hot water relax him. As he lathered up, his thoughts turned to this mystery woman, Lola Connelly.

What made her tick?
Was there anything he could do to persuade her if she told him “No”.

He slept but not really. He tossed and turned. Something about this woman was getting to him. He recognized it. Everything he thought about was somehow diverted to Lola.
It had to be the mystery of her, he thought.

He woke up but did not feel like eating breakfast. He decided to kick around the city.

When that got boring he went back to his room.

The rest of the day went by and Ryan was still thinking about Lola.
What does she really look like?
What is her favorite food?

Ryan now really wanted to learn more about Lola Connelly. Either way, he was going to dig into her background and learn everything about her.

A phone started beeping.
A fuckin phone?!?!

Ryan started digging around and located the jacket he had been wearing last night when he met Lola. She had slipped the phone into his jacket and he did not even realize. Thank God, she was not a hired killer or he would be dead.

“What?” Ryan said in a low voice.
"I'm in." Meet me in an hour at Washington Square Park by the chess tables." Then she disconnected.

Ryan scrambled to pull some pants on and slipped on the Merrill’s on his feet.
He grabbed his NY Mets hat jammed his Glock in the small of his back.

Finding Broadway, he turned left and walk the 5 blocks to Washington Square Park. A check of his watch indicated that he was about 20 minutes ahead of schedule. He made 2 perimeter passes, watching the park.

He took a position near the chess tables.

The first thing he noticed were her legs. The skinny jeans made them look really good. Today, she wore a black bob haircut. She was looking good.

Ryan eased out of his cover location and glided towards the table where she sat and eased onto the seat.

Sitting opposite of her, moved his F-pawn forward 2 spaces.

“Your move.” Ryan said.

 

[SweetAsSuga]

With the ghost of a smile on her lips and without even acknowledging that Ryan was even there, Lola moved her B-knight so that it was in front of her C-pawn.

“What took you so long?” She mused, her eyes moving over the board, never once glancing at Ryan.

It was always best to keep your opponent on their toes, and by depriving Ryan of eye contact, Lola was keeping him guessing. She could sense from the rigid set of his spine that Ryan was frustrated. It was obviously getting to him that Lola refused to reveal herself to him, choosing to keep every aspect of herself a mystery even what she really looked like.

As Ryan studied the board, preparing to make his next move, Lola took the time to study him. His hands were calloused, indicating that he worked with his hands a lot. And the placement of the callouses could only mean that he was accustomed to handling a gun. Lola wondered what exactly he did. Obviously he was a Fed, so what could he possibly want with her. Shouldn't his job be to arrest her? What was he doing, then, offering her six million to do a job?

But Lola refused to ask him anything. She wanted to keep him off balance. She needed to stay in control of the situation and in forcing him to ask the questions she was doing just that.

 

[Ikely]

Ryan maintained a casual surveillance of the surrounding area.

This woman is good, maybe she had someone covering her back, Ryan thought.

“What took you so long?”
Ryan could not help it, he smiled.

“Lola, the fact is I need your…talents. I work for a…entity. This entity has particular…let’s call it intellectual property. Some very bad people have stolen that property. My benefactor wants it back.”

Ryan’s finger tips lingered on the round tip of his E-pawn while he watched her.

She was making a concerted effort to not look up at him. She clearly wanted him to do all the talking.

If that made her feel comfortable then Ryan had no problem with that.

“Your first words to me when you called an hour ago were that you were in on this deal. I will take you at your word.”

Ryan moved his E-pawn forward one space.

“This little bit of work is going to involve some travel. But your room and meals and other necessary items will be taken care of.”

Ryan stared at her.

If she looked up, he felt certain she would be breathtakingly beautiful.

“I need you to walk with me to my room. I have plans, schematics, and blueprints of the target location. I will give you all the particulars there.”

 

[SweetAsSuga]

Lola contemplated her next move. Chess had always been easy for her. It was a game that required strategy, logical thinking, the ability to think several steps ahead and anticipate future moves, and a certain amount of finesse. All things that being a good thief required. Growing up she had spent many nights playing chess with her father, and now, she often played with Luke.

“This little bit of work is going to involve some travel. But your room and meals and other necessary items will be taken care of.”

She could feel his eyes on her and knew that she was getting to him. She glanced up, her caramel brown eyes meeting his.

"Travel may be difficult. I have...someone to watch out for." She was hesitant to mention Luke's name just in case Ryan hadn't heard about her brother. "But," she paused as she moved her own E-pawn forward two spaces, "I may be able to work something out."

“I need you to walk with me to my room. I have plans, schematics, and blueprints of the target location. I will give you all the particulars there.”

Lola licked her top lip slowly, a habit she had when she was thinking hard about something. Her eyes moved from the chess board to Ryan. Did she dare trust him? For all she knew this was some elaborate plan to arrest her. Though she doubted anyone had any hard evidence on her. After all, she was very careful to cover her tracks. After a long, silent moment, Lola nodded her head.

"Alright," she stood up and looked down at Ryan, "let's go."

 

[Ikely]

Ryan had been correct. She was beautiful.
She had looked up at him, finally.

"Travel may be difficult. I have...someone to watch out for."
"But, I may be able to work something out."

Ryan continued to study her intently.
He knew something was going on in her head when he saw her glistening pink tongue ease between those 2 pouty lips, then very slowly, and deliberately lick her top lip.

Ryan pursed his own lips together watching Lola.

Finally, she stood up and said, "Alright, let's go."

Ryan stood, and said, “Trump Soho.”

They walked the distance back to the hotel.

On the elevator to the 4th floor, Ryan was studying her, looking for any sign of a weapon.
Lola was, after all, a thief by trade.

Ryan opened the door to his room and walked in. He then stood at the door and indicated with his hand for her to enter.

As soon as she was clear of the door, he eased it shut, then spun around before she could turn.

He ran his hands between her breasts, then down the front to the waist line. He inserted his thumbs in the waist band and moved them all the way around. He then ran his right hand along her spine, under her coat.

No weapons.

Ryan then waited for her response.

 

[SweetAsSuga]

His hands were on her as soon as they walked through the door. Lola expected it, what idiot wouldn't check for weapons. But Lola had never been one to carry so much as a Swiss Army knife, she preferred to handle situations with her wits...or her fists. Needless to say, Lola had been prepared for Ryan to immediately check her. But she hadn't been prepared for the way his hands ran over her body, nearly cupping her breasts as he checked, his hands nearly caressing her all over. And she certainly hadn't been prepared for the way her nipples hardened at his touch or the jolts of electricity that shot between her legs.

But Lola couldn't blame her body for reacting the way that it did. After all, it had been...way too long since anyone had touched her in that way. Except for her own hands of course. Being on the move as much as she was, and with Luke always there, made it difficult for Lola to have any of her needs fulfilled. She couldn't even masturbate to a decent orgasm because she didn't want Luke to hear her.

Once Ryan's hands moved off her body, Lola stepped away from him.

"Satisfied?" She asked with a smirk. She glanced around the hotel room, taking in every detail with a keen eye. "Now you said something about blueprints and schematics." She made her way across the room and settled herself onto the bed, crossing her legs and eyeing Ryan up and down. "Show me."

 

[Ikely]

Once Ryan's hands moved off her body, Lola stepped away from him.

“Lola, you understand. This is a dangerous business that I am in. I just have to be careful, much like you.” Ryan said.

"Satisfied?" She said, smirking at him. In his mind, Ryan could only think, “Not even close…”

"Now you said something about blueprints and schematics."

Ryan noted that she was looking all around the hotel room. He would have done the same thing. She was taking in the environment. She was noting everything. The position of his baggage, whether or not the sheets were messed up, that the light in the bathroom was on and other characteristics were obvious to the trained observer. They could save her life.

Ryan went and grabbed a 3 day assault pack from the corner of the hotel room.

He unzipped the pack and pulled 2 rolled up pieces of paper that looked like posters.

He went and sat down next her on the bed.

He immediately felt her body heat. It radiated from her body and was mingling with her scent.

Ryan had to focus his attention on the matter at hand and not start fantasizing about Lola Connelly.

Ryan unrolled the first paper and draped it over their laps.

“That, Lola, is the Iranian Embassy in Vienna, Austria, and it is our target.”
He let her take that in.
“Your job will be to get inside, undetected, seize a diplomatic pouch, and remove it, all while not getting caught.”

Now Ryan grinned. The look in her eyes when he stated out loud what she would be expected to do was priceless.

 

[SweetAsSuga]

Lola looked from Ryan to the papers and back again.

"Shut the fuck up." She said, jumping off the bed. "You expect me to break into a fucking embassy, and not just any embassy, but the fucking Iranian embassy. You've got to be out of your fucking mind." When she got mad, Lola had a tendency to swear...a lot.

"I don't fucking know who the fuck you work for, and I don't fucking care because you know what, I'm not doing this fucking job. I've got people counting on me here and I can't go to who the fuck knows where and do this kind of fucking job."

Lola was sure that Ryan was a nice guy, but there was no way she could put her life on the line for a job like that with Luke depending on her to make it home alive. The risks far outweighed the reward.

 

[Ikely]

Ryan sat on the bed and let her go off.

He certainly was hoping her ego and belief she was the best burglar around would be the catalyst to get her to go along on this operation.

Very clearly, that was not the case.

As soon as Lola was done venting, Ryan stood up and went to dresser and picked up his iPhone. He opened up the gallery and found the surveillance pic.

It was a nice picture of Luke, her little brother. The surveillance picture showed Luke at school, between classes.

Ryan handed the phone to Lola then went and sat down in one of the chairs surrounding the circular table near the window that overlooked the city.

“Lola, I understand what you are saying. I completely understand.”
Ryan watched her and saw that she was considering murdering him…or at least trying.

“I want you to know, that I have been authorized by my benefactor to use every available tool at my disposal to gain your cooperation.”

To Ryan, the environment inside his room was extremely hostile.

Ryan took the iPhone back from Lola and sat back down.

“Lola, I cannot, I WILL NOT doing anything to bring your brother into this. He has done nothing to bring this at him. I will not involve your little brother.”

He let Lola consider that for a moment.

“Lola, what I am going to do is ask for your help. If you are not going to do this, will you at least help me do it? Just look at the intel and help get a plan together. If you are not going to do this, then I have no choice, I will have to do it myself, but I need your help.”

Ryan took a long draw off of a bottled water.

“I will just need you for 2 weeks, think of it as a paid vacation. Help me get in and get out, then you leave, 3 million dollars richer.”

Lola did not reply. He stood and walked to the window and stared out at New York City.

“Lola, I really need your help. “

He took a long swallow of the water.

“The doors open.” He said softly without looking at her.

 

[SweetAsSuga]

It was all Lola could do not to jump across the room and tackle that son of a bitch. He wasn't outright threatening her, but the fact that he knew about Luke (and had a photo of him too) and that he kept repeating how he was authorized to use whatever means necessary...well that was as close to a threat Lola was going to let him get. And when someone threatened her little brother, Lola was like a mother lion protecting her cub. There was no way in hell that she was going to let that bastard - or anyone that he worked for - touch Luke.

She stalked towards Ryan slowly, her eyes boring straight into his. She stood toe -to-toe with him, their faces so close that her nose almost touched his.

"Let's get one thing straight," she said, poking a finger into his chest...hard. "If I'm going to do this for you, I don't ever want you mentioning my brother ever again. I don't even want you to think about him. And if anyone so much as harms a hair on his head while I'm gone, I will come after them and I will kill them. Do you understand me."

Before Ryan could even reply, Lola grabbed the papers from his hand and spread them out on the bed. With her tone all business, Lola said, "Now, I'm going to need a few things to do this."

 

[Ikely]

When Lola came in close and started poking him with that delicate finger, Ryan was not expecting the feelings that his body generated.

Any other human being that would have been that close to Ryan would have a broken wrist and be face down on the floor.

But Ryan did not react.

First, she had every right to cuss him out. Merely hinting at threatening her little brother was justification for her to deck him. So Ryan was not angry at that response

The other feeling was different.

Having this beautiful woman so close to him was causing him to feel…what? Was it lust?
For an instant, he imagined grabbing her up, their lips meeting, tongues touching and falling on the bed. He wanted to rip her pants from her body and climb between those shapely legs.

That did not happen.

Lola snatched up the blueprints and schematics and plopped down on the bed.

Lola rattled off a list of items she would need.

They spent the next 2 hours poring over the blueprints.

Ryan pulled up a map of Vienna from his laptop. It was a satellite feed from Langley and located the embassy.

It was located at Jauresgasse 9, very near the city center, and to Ryan it looked almost impossible to penetrate.

It was 1 block north of the botanical gardens, and was surrounded on all sides by occupied buildings.

It occupied the Northwest corner of the intersection of Jauresgasse 9 and Reisnerstrasse.
The embassy was the corner section of many embassies, as it turned out.

The Norwegian embassy was just 2 buildings south on the Reisnerstrasse.

There would be no roving guard patrols on the outside. On the inside, that was a different matter entirely.

But, as with most covert operations, getting inside was the easy part. It was getting out that was hard.

As Lola looked at all the data, Ryan leaned in. He could smell her and her scent was intoxicating.

“Lola, let me suggest you get Luke out of the city and somewhere safe that only you know about.”

He went to his pack and pulled out $1000 and a burner phone and handed it to Lola.
“The phone only has one number it can dial and only one number that it can receive. I will get us tickets for tomorrow and call you.” Ryan stared into her eyes looking for any signs of backing down.

When there was not any, he announced that he was going to take a shower then go to sleep.

Ryan peeled off his shirt and walked into the shower, closing the door behind him.

 

[SweetAsSuga]

After she listed the absolute basics of what she would need - including everything from a high-level clearance pass for the embassy to some generic silly putty - Lola settled in to look over the papers.

The blue prints were highly detailed and the security schematics, though detailed, did lack information that only observing the embassy could supply. By her rough calculations, Lola would need to spend at least a week surveying the embassy and watching the guards in action. She would also need to test their response times somehow. All these details ran through her head as she looked over the plans. Before she knew it, two hours had passed and she had learned as much as she possibly could from Ryan and the plans. All that was left to do was to board the plane.

Ryan shifted closer to her. The proximity made Lola slightly uneasy. She didn't like people invading her personal space, but this uneasiness was due to something more, though Lola couldn't place her finger on it.

“Lola, let me suggest you get Luke out of the city and somewhere safe that only you know about.” He said.

"You think that hasn't occured to me?" She snapped, a little annoyed that he would suggest something so obvious. But, strangely, she was touched that he would care. "Sorry," she apologized with a heavy sigh, "I always get a bit on edge right before a job."

He went to his pack and pulled out $1000 and a burner phone and handed it to Lola.

“The phone only has one number it can dial and only one number that it can receive. I will get us tickets for tomorrow and call you.” He looked her straight in the eye, sizing her up. Lola returned his gaze without so much as a blink.

Abruptly, Ryan announced he was going to take a shower and then hit the sack. Taking that as her cue to leave, Lola gathered up her things and headed for the door. She cast a look over her shoulder, as if to say good-bye, and was greeted by the sight of a now shirtless Ryan.

Damn, Lola thought, taking in the muscular cut of his body. Maybe this trip won't be so bad after all. Shaking the thought from her head, but her lips forming into a smile, Lola headed out the door.

 

[Ikely]

Ryan had heard the door to the hotel room close, and then turned the shower on.

Ryan realized that Lola was really getting to him.

She was one of the sexiest women he had ever known; no doubt she was in the top 3.

Even though she was a thief by trade, he found her skills to be exciting.
But most importantly he just loved her attitude. She took no shit, from anyone. He was certain that if he did anything she did not like, she would try to kick his ass. She had spunk and Ryan found that to be her sexiest trait.

Ryan climbed out of the shower and wrapped the clean terry cloth towel around his waist then just dropped into the bed.

In the moments before he drifted off, he saw Lola, naked. He saw himself fucking her deeply.

Ryan went into REM sleep with a smile on his face.

The next morning he used his encrypted satellite phone to call back to the farm.

He told the operator his list of items.

He would need two Canadian passports, since those were the easiest to generate.
Next he needed some cover story that would allow Lola access to the Iranian embassy. That was a tall order. If they came up with a plausible story there was no guarantee the Iranians would even fall for the cover story.

But Ryan got lucky. The head of the Iran desk knew that one of Iran’s leading nuclear scientists was going to be at the embassy in the next week for a conference at the University of Vienna. They created a cover story of Lola being a Canadian business person who had some materials and machine parts that could aid the Iranians in speeding up the enrichment process. Using a clandestine contact in Vienna, they managed to arrange an appointment for Lola to meet the scientist at the embassy. Ryan’s only problem with this hare brained plan was Lola was an international cat burglar, not a nuclear physicist. She would have to study up on the science. If she slipped up it could cost her.

Ryan next booked 2 reservations in business class on British Airways flight 4270 departing JFK at 1755 on the day after tomorrow. The flight was nonstop to Vienna.

Next, they made reservations for the Canadian couple at the Hotel Imperial in Vienna.
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/pub/media/97/lux97ex.102957_md.jpg
The hotel was within easy walking distance to the embassy and would allow for them to plan and do reconnaissance.

Ryan then made sure all of the other equipment and stuff that Lola had requested would be there in the room safe.

Ryan then picked up the phone and pushed the button to dial Lola’s burner phone.

Ryan found that he was anxious to hear her voice.

When she answered, he let the melodic tone of her voice sink into his brain.

“Lola, we leave day after tomorrow. Come by the room at 12 noon tomorrow and get your package.”

Ryan paused for a moment, then said “Oh yeah…if you aren’t familiar with nuclear fission, buy a book or something. You need to know everything about it before we get to Vienna.”

Ryan laughed out loud at her response then rang off.

 

[SweetAsSuga]

With Luke safely tucked away at their aunt's farm in upstate New York, Lola had returned to the city with enough time to get back to the city and meet up with Ryan before their flight. It had taken a lot of begging to get Luke to agree to stay with their Aunt Vi for the next two weeks. After all, what kid who was used to big crowded cities wanted to spend two weeks in the middle of nowhere with no one but a middle-aged woman and a bunch of animals to talk to? But, after awhile, she had convinced him that staying with their aunt was the safest place for him.

Making her way through the hotel and up to Ryan's room, Lola ran through her mental check-list. Number one priority were the books she had brought along with her. Lola was smart, maybe even genius level, but how the hell was she supposed to learn everything there was to know about nuclear fission in just a few days? When Ryan had told her that over the phone, Lola couldn't stop the stream of curses that came flying from her lips. Of course he had hung up before he heard any of them, which just caused Lola to curse even more. So now, she had three books, all weighing roughly the same as Lola herself did, tucked inside her overnight bag. The sheer size of the books left little to no room for Lola to pack any clothes, but that was alright, she'd just do a little shopping when they landed and charge it all to whatever the hell agency Ryan worked for. She did, however, make sure to bring along a wig. Of course it took up no room in her bag as she was already wearing it. This wig was a dark brown with subtle blonde highlights, the hair was wavy and came to Lola's shoulders. The length of it would allow her to put it up into a bun which, when paired with the no-nonsense glasses she had brought along , would provide the perfect look for a business woman.

Reaching Ryan's hotel room, Lola knocked quickly and waited for him to answer. Her fingers played with the hem of her knee-length floral skirt, a nervous tick that only appeared when she was completely unsure of herself, which didn't happen often.