Chapter 327 - Bank of Banks, and Garbage Trucks
Selina frowned. “Whoever hangs around here for more than ten minutes will be chased off by security. If they show up again, the FBI will look into them. How can they possibly succeed?”
Luke nodded and turned on the walkie-talkie. “Sonia, do me a favor and find out which bank the county department’s armored truck in the murder case was from.”
Sonia was good at gathering intelligence and at cybertech. She was a promising specialist in the Major Crimes Division.
Two minutes later, Sonia replied, “Luke, I think the armored truck belonged to the Piclavie bank which was robbed this morning.”
Pondering for a moment, Luke said, “Check if the truck’s route includes the L.A. Federal Reserve branch.”
Sonia’s reply was even faster this time. “Yes, the truck transports money there on a daily basis.”
Luke hummed in response and ended the call.
Selina immediately realized what was going on. “Are you saying that they hijacked the armored truck to use it to sneak into the L.A. Federal Reserve branch?”
Luke nodded, but then shook his head. “To be more exact, I think they want to quietly take the money out.”
The Federal Reserve was the bank of banks.
Pissing off the FBI wasn’t as bad as pissing off this agency, which was America’s moneybag. These robbers wouldn’t be stupid enough to really force their way in to rob this place. One mistake from idiots like that and they would be killed on the spot.
The Federal Reserve branch had extremely tight security to begin with, and if it really was attacked by dauntless criminals, thousands of police officers from LAPD and LASD would swarm them; there would be no way for them to escape.
Luke checked the time, and it was slightly past three.
Telling Sonia and Alessandro to keep an eye on the building’s exit, Luke drove the car around the neighboring area.
After half an hour, Sonia suddenly contacted him. “Luke, something’s going on.”
Luke said, “Tell me.”
“That Big Nick brought two cars of county officers with him. They detained a black man who just came out of the Federal Reserve branch, and are now beating him up,” said Sonia.
Luke said, “Don’t do anything. Just keep an eye on the environment. I’ll be back soon.”
He turned the car, and just as he was about to pass the exit of the Federal Reserve branch’s underground parking lot, a garbage truck came out of the parking lot ahead of him.
Luke took a sniff and smelled a lot of cash, but the scent was a little strange.
“Focus the cameras on the garbage truck up ahead,” said Luke.
Suddenly, another garbage truck appeared and cut into their lane, before it sped up.
Luke was stunned. Two garbage trucks in a row?
It wasn’t entirely impossible, but it definitely wasn’t common.
Each garbage truck was responsible for a certain area. It wasn’t too surprising that their routes would overlap from time to time, but it was unusual for two garbage trucks to gather outside the L.A. Federal Reserve branch.
Even more strangely, the second garbage truck also had an odd smell of cash; it was very similar to the smell from the first truck, but not the same.
“Luke, Nick is taking the black man away. Do we follow him?” Sonia updated him.
Luke closed his eyes and considered for a moment. “No need. I’ll be back soon. Just stay where you are.”
At that moment, the garbage truck in the lead took a left turn off the street.
The garbage truck in front of Luke, however, slowed down to thirty kilometers per hour.
Luke slowed down as well and tapped the wheel unhurriedly.
A minute later, the truck took a right turn off the street.
Luke’s car also took a right turn to follow it. Selina suddenly said, “Luke, someone’s robbing the other garbage truck.” Luke was surprised. “What?” Why would anyone rob a garbage truck? He took a quick glance at Selina’s tablet, only to see a man pointing a gun at the driver in the other garbage truck several hundred meters in the distance, before he got in and drove it away.
What a surprising move! Luke suddenly chuckled and looked at the garbage truck in front of him.
He suddenly activated the walkie-talkie. “Sonia, stay on the garbage truck in front of me. Do you see it?”
Sonia soon replied, “I’m on it.”
Luke said, “Don’t get too close. Just follow it and make sure that it doesn’t escape. I’ll call the boss to come over, and the both of you can stop the garbage truck together.” “Okay, don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on it,” replied Sonia.
Luke turned off the walkie-talkie and made a call. “Boss, we’ve got a situation.”
Elsa asked, “What situation?”
Luke said, “I have two suspicious garbage trucks. I suspect that the robbers are using the trucks to transfer their loot. On my side, one of the robbers has just hijacked a garbage truck, and I’m not sure about the situation with the other truck. I’ve asked Sonia to keep an eye on it, and to wait for you to back her up.”
Elsa said, “Got it. I’ll contact Sonia right after this. Anything else?”
Luke said, “Those robbers probably have military backgrounds, and they’re ruthless. For your safety, boss, you better bring more men and weapons with you.”
Elsa said, “Okay, I’ll ask Dustin for enough reinforcements.”
Luke said, “It would be best if we get the garbage truck back to our department before we examine the stuff in it. You copy, boss?”
Elsa said, “…I know better than you do.”
It was very likely that the garbage truck was carrying a load of cash, which could be a major problem if it wasn’t sorted out in the police department.
The problem could be from the outside, or from the officers involved in the operation. Elsa knew that very well.
After the conversation, Luke turned the car around and went in pursuit of the garbage truck that had been hijacked.
A moment later, Sonia said over the walkie-talkie, “Luke, I’m following the truck. Elsa just called too.”
Luke said, “Listen to Elsa for now. I’ll call you when I need you.”
Sonia said, “Got it.” After ending the call, she heaved a long sigh.
She had planned to learn more by following Luke today, but it was quite a bummer that the two targets split up.
But she was a professional, and quickly threw away irrelevant thoughts and focused on the garbage truck in front of her.
Luke wasn’t interested so much in the garbage trucks as he was in the robbers.
He followed the hijacked truck all the way to an old, abandoned car yard.
He stopped the car at a distance and closed his eyes for a long time. Then, he opened them with an odd expression on his face.
Ten minutes later, two SUVs belonging to the robbers drove out and headed southeast.