jetpack_monkey | Out of the Chicago Loop (Ocean's 11, PG)

Yay fic. This is my

yuletide story. I'm reposting it here for archivey purposes (and will also be throwing it on MonkeysWithJetpacks.com at some point).

Title: Out of the Chicago Loop
Fandom: Ocean's 11 (2001)
Rating: PG
Genre: Heist (what else?)

Characters: Danny and Rusty are the main ones. Others pop up as the story progresses.
Pairings: None, although some read it as Danny/Rusty and who am I to argue?

Summary: Most of the gang unites for a Christmas heist, but what is Danny not telling Rusty?

Notes: Written for Killa in the 2006 Yuletide Challenge. Thanks to Erin for the quick beta and the Internets for all the keen information. I had a lot of fun with this one.

Rusty was freezing his ass off. He leaned against the radio tower Danny had climbed up, and willed himself not to shiver his body apart. Sure, he thought, let's pull a heist in Chicago. Let's pull a heist in Chicago in the middle of goddamn winter. Let's pull a heist in Chicago in the middle of winter and forget our coat on the plane. He blew warm air over his chapped hands and rubbed them together. His red, swollen fingers felt like they were gonna fall off.

"Cold, Rusty?" Danny asked from his perch, never taking his eyes out of the binoculars. Danny came prepared, like usual: long black coat, leather gloves, and a knit cap pulled over his ears.

Rusty just gave him a Look. The kind that said, 'Yes, Danny, I am cold. This suit might as well be made of paper and don't say anything about Ted Nugent or I swear to everything holy I will deck you.' It was the kind of Look that didn't need the words to back it up, because his jaw was chattering so hard he was afraid of biting his tongue off.

Danny climbed down from the tower and huddled close to Rusty. The new source of warmth would have been more welcome if it wasn't so damn smug. "I think we could do it. We'd need Basher and Yen to do it right."

"When's our window?" Rusty asked, although it came out more like, "W-when's our w-w-w-ind-d-dow-w?"

"Tomorrow. Christmas Day," Danny said.

"You didn't tell me that," Rusty chattered.

"Does it matter?"

Rusty jerked his head toward the roof stairs. "I'll tell you when I can feel my hands."

At the restaurant, Rusty sucked the grease off of each of his fingers in succession. At least the food here was good. He dipped a fry into his ketchup.

Danny looked supremely disappointed by what he had just been told. "You don't work Christmas?"

"I don't."

"You pulled that postage stamp job in Pittsburgh on your birthday."

"I'm very religious," Rusty deadpanned.

"I can't do this without you," Danny said. "If you're out, the whole job folds right here."

"That's too bad."

"Come on. It's a sizable take, low risk. We could do this one in our sleep."

"Linus lives in Chicago. Why not call him up?"

"Uh...." Danny scratched the back of his head.

"He's already inside."

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Janitor?"

"Intern."

"Clever."

Silence hung around the table like a lonely neighbor.

"You're not giving me all the details," Rusty said.

"When have I ever played you wrong?" Danny asked. His question was immediately met with another Look from Rusty. "Okay, fine, when have I ever played you wrong on purpose?"

"You've held back information before, and it's always gone sour. Now you've got Linus doing an inside job? Last time we talked about his prospects, we agreed he needed babysitting."

"We did agree on that."

"And now you've got him in there on his own, without..." Rusty looked at the moment of guilt that flitted across Danny's face. "Who else is in there with him?"

"Saul."

"He seemed pretty definitively retired last time I saw him."

"You know Saul."

Rusty ran a hand through his hair. "I don't like this."

"Just trust me," Danny said.

"What aren't you telling me?"

"What's with the third degree, Rusty?"

"I don't like being left out of the loop."

Danny shook his head. "You're not out of the loop. Ask me anything, I'll tell you. That's the deal. It's always been the deal."

"I usually don't have to ask."

"Is this about Isabel?"

Rusty didn't say anything.

"If you let your personal life affect you in the field, you're going to make a mistake," Danny said.

"Is that way you're cutting me out? Because my girlfriend left me?" Rusty asked, a hint of bitterness creeping around the edges of his voice.

Danny kept his voice smooth, as he always did. "No. I'm not cutting you out. You don't even work Christmas, Rusty."

"Well, I'm breaking tradition. Lay the plan out for me," Rusty said. "Including what we're stealing."

Danny winced. "Can't do that."

Rusty crossed his arms. "Why not?"

"The job came down from Linus's dad. Strictly hush-hush on what we're taking. I just have a description of the container."

"You've never taken a job in your life where you didn't know the mark," Rusty said.

"I took this one as a favor to Linus."

"You're getting soft. This kind of a job has disaster written all over it in crayon."

"Crayon's easy to wash off."

"The plan, Danny."

December 25th - The Museum of Science and Industry

Standing to the side of the delivery docks, Rusty was still cold. Basher had loaned him a pair of gloves, which solved the chapped hands issue, but he still felt naked otherwise, the freezing wind slicing through the material of his outfit.

Basher looked at him. "You gonna be okay for this?"

Rusty nodded, although the cold on his joints made the movement seem slighter than he'd intended. "Just need Linus and Saul to show."

As if on cue, the window above them opened and Linus motioned to them to come up. Rusty boosted Basher up to the window where Linus and Saul (but mostly Linus) pulled him through. Linus offered his hand for the next body, and Rusty jumped and just barely grabbed on, his feet kick-walking him up the wall until Basher got his other arm and hauled him onto the carpeted floor of The Museum of Science and Industry's Human Resources department.

Rusty didn't even notice that he banged his shin on the window frame. He just pulled the gloves off and silently praised the warmth. "Nice place."

Linus nodded. "If I ever wanted a real job, this one wouldn't be too bad. They've got a movie exhibit on the east side of the building... all sorts of cool stuff. You can even make your own movie and - "

"Where's Danny?" Rusty cut him off.

Saul, distinctly uncomfortable in his security guard's uniform, frowned. "That Mallomar trick worked five years ago. This whole health food kick people have these days, I'll never understand."

"Says the guy who eats three oranges a day," Rusty said. "What happened to Danny?"

"The other security guard didn't go for the bait," Linus explained. "When Danny and Yen slipped into the employee entrance using my badge, they got caught."

"Caught only applies when you stop running, Linus," Saul said.

Linus rolled his eyes. "Okay. Fine. They're going to get caught."

"We doing this job on our own, then?" Rusty asked. Usually not a problem, but he still felt like he didn't have half the details.

"Danny had a back-up for this, okay?" Basher said. "We can do the job without Yen. It's sorted."

December 24th. Again.

"So we're stealing a box," Rusty said.

"We're stealing a box with something valuable inside of it, yes."

"But we can't open the box."

"Not without the key."

"Which Linus's dad has."

"Exactly."

Rusty considered this. "Why not just have Basher blow the box?"

"We don't need what's inside. This is strictly pay-for-hire. We do the job, we get paid."

"What are we up against?"

"This is why we have to do the job tomorrow. They have a security detail swarming the building at all times of the night. Plus, they have a dedicated security expert who keeps a close, personal eye on every breach. This guy's good. He's better than Livingston at gadgetry."

"Okay...." Rusty said.

"On Christmas, the guard detail will be reduced to just two in the wing we're concerned with. One of the guards will be Saul. The security expert is visiting family in Virginia, and thanks to a contact that Frankie has in the TSA, his monitoring equipment did not make the flight. The easy part is getting in...."

"What's protecting this box?"

"It's in the Recent Acquisitions area, which is locked every night by a deluxe lock mechanism. It cannot be blown open. If it is, the museum will lock down, and we will be trapped inside."

"So we're gonna need - "

"A key. Exactly."

"We don't have a key."

"No. We do have Livingston and Yen. Yen is integral. This plan cannot happen without Yen. He'll climb through the ducts...."

"How long have you had this plan?"

"A week."

"So when you were scoping out the museum before?"

Danny said nothing.

"Just because I didn't bring a coat."

"I thought it was funny."

"You're an asshole, you know that?"

Back to December 25th.

Linus rapped his knuckles against the impenetrable looking door. "I don't know about you, but this plan seems pretty Yen-centric to me. I know I can't fit in a vent."

"Leave it off. Danny knows what he's doin'," Basher said. "Unless you got a better idea."

Rusty considered the door for a moment, and then glanced at a space just above them. "Basher, you bring your kit with you?"

"Always have, but Danny said...."

"Danny's being chased around the museum by a rent-a-cop with our only greaseman," Rusty said. "I'm in charge of the job now."

Saul harrumphed. "You boys can fight it out, I gotta head back to my station in case that other guard gets bored with running after Daniel." He tottered off.

Rusty's eyes flickered back and forth, thinking. "We're heading upstairs."

Linus shook his head. "There's a completely different set of guards up there. Livingston's got their video on a loop, but if they see us...."

"Then we'd better make sure they don't see us, A, and B, Livingston?"

Linus glanced around. "You didn't know?"

Rusty turned and stalked up the nearest staircase, with Rusty and Linus close behind. He headed down the corridor, took a left, and then stopped. "We are directly over Recent Acquisitions. Basher, anyway you can blow the ceiling without drawing attention to ourselves."

Basher grinned. "Yeah. Might at that. Probably solve Danny's problem as well." He handed Linus a few metal boxes. "Plant a couple derrys about as far away from us an' Danny as you can."

"Oh come on, guys. Don't just send me off on some errand," Linus said with a whine.

Rusty's expression was very "Bitch, please." "Linus...."

"My skill set has been completely wasted in this job," Linus complained, brushing past Rusty.

"What'd you give him?" Rusty asked after the kid was gone.

"Flashers. Big noise, bigger light, no real harm. Might set the sprinklers off, though," Basher said. "Completely mask what we're doing here." He started setting up his own explosive.

Linus returned in a couple minutes. "Jesus, I nearly got spotted a few times."

"So," Rusty said. "You work here, remember?"

"Almost got it, gentlemen," Basher said. "There." He pulled two radio transmitters. "Best get around the corner and plug your ears, lads. This one's going out to the whole museum."

December 24th Again Again.

"Once Yen's in?"

"He'll open the door from the inside, you'll get in...and then Basher's on."

"Crack the safe?"

"As in olden days," Danny said. "Stethoscope and a little luck. The box arrived to the museum in a safe handmade by a locksmith in 1890."

"Why not just steal the safe and worry about the contents when we get back?"

"Do you want to lug a heavy safe out of the museum?"

December 25th.

"This is completely off the mark," Basher said, staring at the safe.

"What? It's an antique."

"It's an antique made by Anton Lazarey. Most of his safes make today's security experts weep. I could burn off the hinges, but I didn't bring any corrosives with me."

"So...."

"So we're gonna have to haul it."

Linus's eyes widened. "You're kidding, right? That thing's gotta way a ton."

Rusty grimaced. "This is not my best day ever."

"Let's just get it done, then, moan about the back pain later, okay?" Basher slid his hand under the safe. Rusty followed suit.

"Fine," Linus said, grabbing underneath the back of the safe.

"On three, then. One. Two. Three."

They inched the safe off the table and then inched their way to the door. If you'd asked Rusty how he felt, he would have said that his spine was about to flip right out of his back. It didn't, however, and the three of them managed to get the safe, step by excruciating step, to a side door where Saul was waiting with a van. They plunked the thing in the back. Rusty climbed into the passenger seat while Basher and Linus leaned against the safe. The van sped off like hell, police sirens beginning to sound in the background.

Danny, however, was not among them. Neither was Yen.

"They made it out, Robert," Saul said from the driver's seat. "They must have."

***

Rusty, Basher, and Linus hauled the safe, covered in a coat, onto a hotel cart, which Basher then took up to his room so he could get the door off.

Danny didn't answer his hotel room door. Worse, Rusty couldn't find his own keycard. He headed over to the suite that Yen and Basher were sharing while they were in town.

Rusty paced the room while Basher pulled vials out of his bag. "Danny's not back yet."

"Neither's Yen. They'll turn up," Basher said.

"Think we might've - "

"Nah. No way the flashers got him nicked. Anyway, if you're interested, I'm about to open the safe."

Rusty leaned against the wall. Basher carefully applied some foul-smelling liquids to the hinges. They hissed as they hit the aged metal and after a few seconds, there were no hinges to speak of, really.

"Powerful stuff, that," Basher said. "Wouldn't want to get it on your lolly." He pried the door off. "And there's the candy surprise." He handed it over to Rusty.

"It's a black shoebox."

"Bit of a downer, really."

Rusty tossed off the lid and picked up the contents. He looked vaguely miffed. "My room key. Interesting." He walked over to the safe and felt around the back. He found the catch and pulled it. The back swung open easily. "Trick safe."

Earlier That Night.

Danny and Yen walked into the open side door and moved the snoozing guard, still clutching the drugged Mallomar, into the closet. They headed to the east wing.

-

"My skill set has been completely wasted in this job," Linus complained, brushing past Rusty and filching his wallet.

-

"What you wanted," Linus said, handing the key over to Danny.

-

Rusty was too overcome with the sound of explosions to notice Linus slip his wallet back in his pocket.

-

Halfway up to its destination, the elevator containing Basher and the safe stopped to take on another passenger. Danny shifted the garment bag from one shoulder to the other, dug into his pocket, and handed Basher the room key Linus had grabbed earlier that night.

December 25th, Evening Edition.

Basher scratched his head. "Told Danny it wouldn't work."

"Told him what wouldn't work?"

"Better head over to your room. Act surprised?"

Rusty walked down the hallway, not sure whether to be impressed or pissed off. He slid the card into lock, turned the knob, and just about tackled the smirk in front of him and the man wearing it. Danny simply pointed to the outfit hanging from the wall: a battered-looking leather jacket, a bullwhip, and a fedora.

"Is that...." Rusty might have been drooling.

"The entire Indiana Jones package, as worn by Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark. The exact props, in fact."

Rusty touched the hat.

"You might want to thank Yen more than me. He nearly lost a hand getting this out of the case."

"I didn't get you anything."

"Merry Christmas, Rusty."