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Back The Lying House Save as PDF
Chapters (103)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover Text
  3. Praise
  4. Booklist
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. 81
  88. 82
  89. 83
  90. 84
  91. 85
  92. 86
  93. 87
  94. 88
  95. 89
  96. 90
  97. 91
  98. 92
  99. 93
  100. 94
  101. Epilogue
  102. Acknowledgments and a Personal Note
  103. Excerpt

Jeff caught his breath. “I’ll take it in my office.”

By the time he closed his door, his pulse had kicked up. He swallowed and picked up the handset.

“What is it, Vida?”

“All settled in there in Miami with Lisa?”

“Vida—”

“I know what you did in Cleveland, Jeff.”

“Vida, please. You have to stop this.”

“I know what you did, and I swear to God you’re not going to get away with it. Do you hear me?”

The line went dead in his hand.

12

FBI special agent Terri Morrow let out a slow, even breath.

The First SkyNational Trust Bank in Fort Lauderdale, the one she was watching right now, was going to be robbed.

Morrow’s heart beat a little faster as she reviewed what she knew.

In Macon, Georgia, the ex-girlfriend of a member of a criminal crew faced losing custody of her child for a drug charge. In exchange for immunity or a suspended sentence, she’d revealed that her ex’s gang was set to pull off the heist. “And it’s not the first one,” she added. “I know because I’ve done research for them.”

Macon police then alerted the FBI.

With less than twenty-four hours to act before the heist, the FBI had moved quickly to lead a multiforce operation on the bank to catch the suspects in the act and to secure an ironclad case against them. Their subjects were ex-convicts who had belonged to white-supremacist prison gangs and were believed to be behind at least four other commando-style armed bank robberies in Texas, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi.

The FBI’s information gave them the specific targeted branch, located in a strip mall not far from where the I-95 and I-595 intersect. Time of the robbery would be within fifteen minutes of opening, with the crew posing as tradesmen and construction workers. They had good descriptions of the suspects.

Last night the FBI had alerted bank management who contacted staff informing them not to report for work in the morning because the branch would be closed due to a computer failure. The FBI working with other police agencies moved in early to place armed law enforcement, hastily trained in bank procedure, to work as bank staff so the bank remained open for business.

Other agents, posing as customers or bank staff, would protect any customers who arrived early by taking them out a rear entrance. FBI SWAT team members were also nearby in concealed positions surrounding all entrances.

Fort Lauderdale police and Broward County sheriff’s deputies had taken up concealed points forming an inner and outer perimeter around the strip mall using unmarked vehicles.