As it turned out, he knew exactly where to place the charges to blast open the door, but he neglected to tell me that he couldn’t do it without using enough explosives to wake half the sleepy little town.   We would probably have to deal with the sherif now, but that’s what contingency plans are for.

Kat was already inside the vault, I could hear her jingling the keys as she made her way towards the back of the vault where the lock boxes were kept.   Kat was my inside man, or woman I should say.  She was the one who took a job with the bank and worked her way into the safe deposit department, that way we could just barrow the keys necessary to detach the lock box from its iron prison.

"For once you’re right,"  Less beamed with the praise.  "But that still leaves us with the problem of getting out.  If you haven’t noticed the alarm going off already."  His smile dimmed considerably.  "We need to get out of the building before we blow it up; considering we want to be alive to spend our money."

"You could just leave through the front door,"  suggested the elderly security guard they had caught napping in the lobby.

"Yeah, and stumble into the sheriff,"  I sneered back at him.  The cantankerous fool, who did he think he was dealing with anyway?

"Suit yourself."  He returned to his study of the the powder burns that had blossomed on the wall next to the vault just a few minutes earlier.

"You got it yet Kat?"  I yelled back into the vault.  "Thanks to Less, time has become a very expensive commodity."

"Keep your jock strap on, I’ve almost got it," came the reply from inside the vault.   There came a whoop of success from the vault and I knew she had it.  Her lithe figure appeared in the opening, carrying the box in both hands, smiling.  "I think we can go now gentlemen."

"Right, did you find a good second way out while you were working?"

"There’s a small window leading from the ladies room into the back alley.  That leaves me a way out, looks like you two are stuck."  She smirked.

"Well I’ve always wondered what the inside of the ladies’ room looked like, so I guess you’re going to give us a guided tour."

"You’re not serious are ya?"  Asked Less

"Well if you’re afraid of the little girls room you can stay right here, or try to go out the front door, in plain sight of the Sheriff coming down main street.  Just set your timed charges and join us in the the ladies’ room."  I motioned to Kat and we headed for the back hall.

Less reached into his duffel for the explosives, then hesitated,  "What about the security guard?  Do we just leave him here?"

"Nah, let him go.  We’re just thieves, not murderers,"  I called over my shoulder.

Kat and I reached the restroom.   I glanced around the darkened room and spotted the window Kat had mentioned on the far side next to the stalls; the opaque glass diffusing the light of the full moon.  It was just large enough for Kat to get through, and maybe me, but not Less.

"He’s gonna crack."  Kat lit up a cigarette, and sat down on a couch next to the door.

"Relax, the plan is going smoothly.  We’ll make it as long as that big  lumox does what I say."  I had my doubts though, he was definately a mama’s boy, a little twisted perhaps.  He would be the third explosives man in as many years that I introduced to our little scheme.  They always seem to get caught up in their work.

We waited a few minutes longer and then Less burst into the room, his eyes going straight towards the window, "I can’t fit through that!  You can’t leave me here!"  He pleaded.  He wasn’t to fast with most things, but when it came to explosives and his own survival he was quick enough.

"Which way did the guard go when you cut him loose?"

"The timers are only set for five minutes!  You can’t leave me here!"  He was becoming frantic.

"Shut up and listen to me!  Which way did the guard go when you cut him loose?"  I practically had to yell it in his ear.

"I dunno, toward the front door, I guess."  He stammered.  His gaze shifted nervously between me and Kat who was lounging on the couch, a cigarette in hand.

"Alright then, break out that window for me will ya."  I pointed towards the small pane of glass and Less started to panic again.

"But I can’t fit…"

"Just break it you fool!"  It would have been easier to do it myself, but I had to start building the big guys trust, and this was the most effective way.

Less went over to the window reluctantly and, placing his now empty duffel bag over the pane to protect his hand, smashed it with one blow.  All the while mumbling, "I should have listened to mama, she knew best.  She said I’d end up in no good.  Mama was right."

When he turned Kat and I were standing in the doorway.  "Come on you big ox, lets go."

"But I thought you said…"

"Don’t think, just do what I say and we’ll all get out."

As we walked back past the vault I could see the glowing lights of the timers ticking off the seconds; we’d make it just fine.

"What about the man traps you said were here?"  Said Less cautiously.

"Would the guard have gone this way if he knew he would be trapped in a building about to explode?"  I replied as I followed Kat calmly to the front door.  Less’s two neurons were too busy to reply.

As we approached the door the lights of a police cruiser parked in front were busy washing all of main street with red, white and blue.  Sure enough, it was empty and the engine still running.  No doubt the guard had spread the news that we were escaping through the back alley.  Kat was already making her way to the drivers side; I opened the back-seat door on the passengers side for Less.

"Where’s the sheriff?"  asked Less.  His face couldn’t have been any more puzzled as he inspected the inside for its missing occupant.

"No doubt running around to the back of the building with the guard to catch us as we escape through the window in the ladies’ room.  Now get in."  Kat could barely keep from laughing at the small town simpleton who was our companion.

"You mean it was supposed to go like that?"  Less asked incredulously.

I glanced over to Kat, "I think he’s starting to catch on to the game."  His initiation was complete, he would trust me without question now.

"You’re a real smart man boss!  Real smart!  My mama didn’t know there was men so smart as you!"

Kat laughed and I grinned.  He was simple, but as long as he could do his part there was a place for him in out little band.

Thanks to the sheriff we were at the city limits when the bank went up.  As I counted them, the firey glow illuminated the gold coins we had so recently liberated from their cell.  Kat cut out the lights and pushed the engine for its best possible speed.  The car I had rented was still in the abandoned barn where I had left it.  We made a quick change and headed out for the state border.  It wouldn’t be too long before I found another small town, and we’d do it all over again.