As another slammed month races toward its conclusion, I freed myself from my hectic schedule, grabbed the list of genres, and asked ChatGPT to select three since I once again forgot to send the reminder for people to cast their votes. The first random genre is a Crime Caper. While that would normally mean it’s time to open the door for Jessica, I ended up going in a different direction and created a new character to explore the story bubbling within my mind.
The one thing I learned from watching Leverage is that a successful heist doesn’t begin when someone reaches the vault. It starts long before that moment, when the routes are studied, obstacles are identified, and every member of the crew learns exactly what they’re expected to do. The better the preparation, the fewer surprises remain when the job begins.
Mason, Gregory, and Silas have spent plenty of time preparing for their latest score. While they work inside, Leon waits behind the wheel, keeping in contact over the radio as the job inches toward its critical moment. For a crew that believes careful planning separates professionals from amateurs, every detail already has an answer.
Tonight, they intend to put that preparation to the test. Somewhere inside an office building waits the vault they’re targeting while the city continues moving around them. All that remains is for everyone to play their part and discover whether the plan survives contact with the real thing.
Excerpt of Planned Escape
Leon glanced at the rearview mirror, watching the office building disappear with each passing second. His car slid to a stop at the red light, a faint smirk tugging at his lips as he activated his radio. “How’s everything going in there?”
“Things would improve if someone wasn’t annoying us,” Mason said over the radio. “Stop talking. We’ll breach the vault in two minutes.”
Leon’s gaze drifted back toward the mirror as he adjusted his grip on the wheel. “I remember you saying something along those lines maybe ten minutes ago.”
“We ran into something unexpected,” Gregory’s voice chimed in.
When the light turned green, Leon eased onto the gas and continued away from the building.
As he crossed the next intersection, static crackled through the radio and distorted Mason’s voice. “We’ve opened the vault.”
The radio went silent as Leon passed a second light. With another crackle, Mason’s voice filled the confines of the car. “There’s no money in this vault.”
Leon pulled into a spot along the street and adjusted the radio. His faint smirk spread into a smile as he pressed the button. “Then what’s in there?”
“Files, drives, photographs, and who knows what else.”
“Mason, don’t you understand what this is?” Silas asked as he tore through the documents lining the vault. “There’s enough here to twist half of the city’s elites into doing whatever we want.”
Leon nodded as he studied the top of the building in his mirror. His smile widened, exposing his canines. “Then you’re ready for the surprise.”
Leon released the button, and a thick silence settled inside the car. As his chuckle broke the mounting stillness, Mason’s voice, now thin and thready, mingled with it. “Excuse me, what did you say?”
“Your attention would serve you better if you focused on finding an escape, not my words.”
“We have a driver.”
Leon shook his head as he turned off the car. “If you could look outside, you’d see I’m no longer there.”
Shouts and screams competed with Mason’s words, but Leon could hear each syllable, and with each one he smiled. “We’ll bury you with us.”
“We should try the east exit!”
His teeth still showing, Leon brought the radio to his lips. “You can try that one. But you’ll discover someone welded the door shut three nights ago.”
Several cop cars whipped past, their sirens blaring.
“We can always use the loading dock.”
Leon tsked multiple times as he waggled a finger at the radio.
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