[When Alfie wakes up to find his hearing completely back to normal, he's relieved enough that it puts him in something that almost resembles a good mood. It's a good enough mood that, while he's walking between buildings, he decides to pull out his tablet and record a little story.]
Right. The Forty Elephants. I told you they have different kinds of raids, yeah? They've got the subtle ones, and they've got the big ones. Well, one day, they send one of their new girls into Whiteleys. As a scout, see - they can't use one of their older members, because if someone recognizable as a Forty Elephant is so much as spotted about, there's a panic. And they don't want a panic just yet. Not until they're ready.
So this girl, she goes inside and starts lifting things. She's new, but she's trained; they've prepared her. She's approached by a cashier at one point, who's a bit suspicious over how long she's lingering without picking anything up to buy. But she gives him the most indignant stare she's got, and tells him, "If you don't trust my word and you don't care about propriety, then search me right now". He doesn't, of course - because he may not trust her, but he does care about how it'd look, a man searching a woman in the middle of a department store. And she knows that, yeah; they all do.
There's another new girl loitering outside, looking like she's doing a bit of window-shopping. First girl gives her the secret signal when she's ready, the one that says it's time. And that's when the rest of them come in. Twenty women, tearing out of an alley and into the shop, all at once, not bothering to hide anymore. They spread out, going off every which way, so the police have got to split up to chase them. A security guard grabs for one, but-- crash! She shoves a display cabinet in front of him, blocking his path. Grabs a couple of necklaces too, while she's at it. Shoves 'em in the inside pockets of her coat, right in front of everybody. Another one switches out her coat for one five times more expensive, and hangs the old one up on the rack next to the fancy ones, as a little joke.
They're there for, oh-- ten minutes. Not all of 'em are faster than the guards, but every one of them is trickier. They don't care about damaging property, and spilled goods and smashed displays are a good distraction. They've all got shoes with rubber soles, better for running on the slippery floors than what the guards have. Imagine the chaos. They're experienced thieves, knowing exactly what they're doing and how to do it best - and all the guards can do is chase them, yeah, and often lose. They started out two steps behind, and the Elephants aren't about to let them catch up. When they leave, they do it on their own terms; they can't be driven out. They end up taking away nearly five thousand pounds' worth of goods. Two get caught and will go to trial, but the rest hop into cars waiting outside and escape, to take their prizes home to count and sell.
And our first girl, the new girl, slips out after them, nobody the wiser.
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@ASolomons; audio; late morning 121
Date: 2016-05-26 03:33 pm (UTC)Right. The Forty Elephants. I told you they have different kinds of raids, yeah? They've got the subtle ones, and they've got the big ones. Well, one day, they send one of their new girls into Whiteleys. As a scout, see - they can't use one of their older members, because if someone recognizable as a Forty Elephant is so much as spotted about, there's a panic. And they don't want a panic just yet. Not until they're ready.
So this girl, she goes inside and starts lifting things. She's new, but she's trained; they've prepared her. She's approached by a cashier at one point, who's a bit suspicious over how long she's lingering without picking anything up to buy. But she gives him the most indignant stare she's got, and tells him, "If you don't trust my word and you don't care about propriety, then search me right now". He doesn't, of course - because he may not trust her, but he does care about how it'd look, a man searching a woman in the middle of a department store. And she knows that, yeah; they all do.
There's another new girl loitering outside, looking like she's doing a bit of window-shopping. First girl gives her the secret signal when she's ready, the one that says it's time. And that's when the rest of them come in. Twenty women, tearing out of an alley and into the shop, all at once, not bothering to hide anymore. They spread out, going off every which way, so the police have got to split up to chase them. A security guard grabs for one, but-- crash! She shoves a display cabinet in front of him, blocking his path. Grabs a couple of necklaces too, while she's at it. Shoves 'em in the inside pockets of her coat, right in front of everybody. Another one switches out her coat for one five times more expensive, and hangs the old one up on the rack next to the fancy ones, as a little joke.
They're there for, oh-- ten minutes. Not all of 'em are faster than the guards, but every one of them is trickier. They don't care about damaging property, and spilled goods and smashed displays are a good distraction. They've all got shoes with rubber soles, better for running on the slippery floors than what the guards have. Imagine the chaos. They're experienced thieves, knowing exactly what they're doing and how to do it best - and all the guards can do is chase them, yeah, and often lose. They started out two steps behind, and the Elephants aren't about to let them catch up. When they leave, they do it on their own terms; they can't be driven out. They end up taking away nearly five thousand pounds' worth of goods. Two get caught and will go to trial, but the rest hop into cars waiting outside and escape, to take their prizes home to count and sell.
And our first girl, the new girl, slips out after them, nobody the wiser.
[He pauses, signaling the end of the story.]
That one's for free.