Chapter one: The deposit
At approximately 7pm local time, on Friday the 14th of March, 2016, a group of highly trained and skilled individuals were about to perform the largest heist the world has ever seen, one spanning over several days. These men were members of the notorious ‘Midas Touched’ group, a European gang of criminals, who Interpol believe are responsible for some of the most glamorous armed robberies in history. Their bold style and intricate planning is thought of as artistry, even by criminologists. They have targeted many different countries, and have France’s most successful robbery among their thefts.
In 2009, the gang came to attention with their first robbery, when they stole a £750,000 diamond from a jeweller in London. These men knew exactly where the jewel was and what kind of securities had been in place. The only thing the cameras caught was a door opening before it was shut down. In one minute and thirty seconds they had the vault open, the owner subdued and every other civilian in sight tranquilized with a specialised dart gun.
In the span of four years these individuals quickly gained a name for themselves both in their meticulously planned heists and there, as of yet, 100% success rate. There has recently been a report of them hitting a small jeweller store in the US, although Interpol is still trying to find out the specifics.
If the Midas Touched group had been among the top ten bank robbers in the world, they would surely take the crown after their next heist, doing something no other group has ever done before; robbing two banks at the same time whilst under siege from the police.
Earlier that day.
There are two kinds of bank robberies; a snatch and grab, or a long haul. Most, if not all, robberies are aimed at speed and dexterity, grabbing as much as you can within as little time as possible. Usually bank robbers get between five and fifteen thousand dollars in hard cash before they make their escape. There are exception to this rule, groups of individuals who actually break open the safe’s or are more thorough, yet this comes at an obvious cost in time. The individuals that stood before this particular building had chosen it for a specific reason. It wasn’t for the close proximity to a nearby highway, nor its location far from a local police department. They chose it because it was easily defendable and had another bank right across it.
Three individuals entered the bank simultaneously, displaying weapons that resembled that of paintballs. Before anyone had time to act they were unleashing into the crowd, hitting tellers and security staff first before moving onto the other people in the room. Those that were hit would quickly pass out, a small dart imbedded in their flesh would spread a small tranquilizer that would ensure paralysis within seconds, yet only lasting for about a quarter of an hour.
While the three individuals were supressing the staff and civilians below, two others were working the second floor, hitting anyone they found and sending in the information through their communication devices. Within five minutes the entire building had been swiped clean of any undetailed individual. There had not been any demands for cash what so ever, a strange occurrence to say the least.
When the cops finally arrived at the scene, tipped off by an anonyms caller, they found the bank barricaded somewhat. Furniture had been placed in front of the few windows the place had, metal bars fused with the upstairs windows and several weak spots had gained a human shield; hostages tied in place in front of those locations. The roof had been rigged with explosives and the doors leading to the roof had been welded shut and barricaded. The only way into the bank was the front door, one covered with thick boards and as much steel as possible.
Reports quickly came in of the horrible situation, hostages trembling in fear as they remained tied in front of the windows, looking scared and helpless. Some of them wore vests that looked to be rigged with explosives. By the time swat came to the scene it finally dawned on the police officers. This wasn’t a robbery anymore, it was a siege.
From the few witnesses outside they had a small description of the people who were doing this. Reports spoke of three armed men in the lobby, all of them wearing grey work overalls with military grade body armour. They carried a whole variety of weaponry, even some saying they had ‘bags full of it’. The only weapon they had identified so far was a
Brenner 21, German made heavy assault rifle that was designed to supress and shock. The minute the cops called in that the group were wearing golden masks to conceal their identities was the second Interpol called in, telling the local authorities that interpol was taking control of the situation.
The man eyed the crowd through his
M308 , watching the police set up their little barricades and swirl around their police tape. They looked baffled and slightly fazed at the sight of the heavily fortified bank before them. One glance through the semi-automatic rifle was enough to give the man a ‘feel’ of the situation. He had already marked the officers on the scene and was currently tracking the suv’s that came speeding into the scene, no doubt shouting ‘authority’ in to the mix.
He grinned as he slid backwards, throwing the rifle to one of his teammates and nodding. The negotiating would no doubt soon commence, or try to in any way. For now they would simply set up shop, discuss tactics and establish a chain of command.
These people had no idea as to what kind of game they were truly playing, or on what kind of scale. He had three hostages inside this bank that he had brought with him, a type of leverage that would make this whole process go smoothly and efficiently. He began making his way downstairs and nodded to one of the other men, the one holding a single pistol with one hand and a frightened male hostage in his other, nearly snapping the man’s neck with his firm grip. The man was suddenly forced outside of the building, hands tied behind his back with duct tape. To his chest was duck taped a small parcel and a cell phone. The parcel was marked with red letters, displaying the words ‘read me’.
