Chapter 1
"We should rob a bank."
"What."
"Bank heist."
"No, we heard you. I want to know why you think that's even a suggestion."
"Actually, I think she might be on to something."
And so began the greatest heist since Oceans Eleven- no, The Italian Job, the original not the remake.
Holtzmann, naturally, was in charge of their tech. Crude as they looked and as prone as they were to explosions they did the job.
Patty had an almost worrying knowledge of all the best spots in New York to hit. How she knew, none of them wanted to ask, the accepted the gift as it came.
Abby lead the team. For someone who based her entire career on the pursuit of the paranormal she could keep a surprisingly level head.
Erin was there too.
So when the four of them, armed to the teeth with technology that none of them should ever have been allowed to handle in their lives arrived at the back of an abandoned building at 9pm on a Tuesday (‘Listen it makes perfect sense to rob a joint on a Tuesday, nobody will be expecting it- who robs a bank on a Tuesday? No one that’s who.’) all in black with ski masks (with the exception of Holtzmann, who had elected to wear a black and white striped shirt, black trousers, and a novelty black eye mask. God she even had a burlap sack with a dollar sign painted on. She hadn’t even done anything to her hair.)
“What are you wearing?”
“This is what all the coolest thieves wear. You guys look like spies or something.”
“We look like idiots.”
“Don’t be a downer Erin.”
“I hate all three of you.”
“With that attitude this definitely won’t work.”
Erin sighed, loudly. They all shushed her. If she’d just was a tenured professor she would not be in this position. One video of you yelling about seeing a ghost gets posted by your formerly estranged best friend gets posted online and suddenly you’re in a dirty alleyway about to commit theft.
Holtzmann kicked down the door to the building. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”
“I’ve seen you do that before. Multiple times,” Abby said, doubtless having flashbacks to the years with the prior to forming the Ghostbusters. Holtz shrugged and lead them in, lighting up a torch.
She snuck about cartoonishly despite knowing full well there was no security there. They all thought she was enjoying herself just a little too much.
“If we get caught I’m making a deal and ratting all of you out.” Patty, like Erin, could not believe she had agreed to do this. Unlike Erin she had no doubt they could get away with it.
“You know what, I honestly wouldn’t blame you.”
“Shut up guys we need to stay focussed,” Abby said, how was she so calm at a time like this?
“I don’t even know the plan,” Erin practically whined.
Abby stopped to turn to face her. “It was sent out in an email. I made a whole PDF file for you.”
“You emailed me the plans for a bank heist?” she blanched.
“You normally check your email. I flagged it as important and everything.”
“Just. Abby. Just. Just tell me the plan. God, who emails stuff like that?”
“I figured you’d just delete it after reading it, you’re a smart girl. For goodness sake Erin.” She started walking again. Holtz hadn’t gotten too far ahead since she insisted on diving behind every possible object as if she was hiding. Kevin would be proud.
“Erin, babe, angel face, light of my life, you just need to hang back and look pretty. Your usual thing,” she stage-whispered at her from a turned over wheelbarrow. Why was there a wheelbarrow in a long-abandoned building anyway? Abby saw Holtzmann go to pick it up before shooting her a look that even she couldn’t defy.
“I’m a leading particle physicist.” One that didn’t have tenure.
“Ah, we know, but you’re definitely not a leading criminal,” Patty teased, patting her on the shoulder.
Abby loved her best friend. She loved all her friends. But Erin had always been a character. “One time I saw her steal a grape, just one grape, from the grocery store and she had to leave we couldn’t even make it to the checkout.”
“I haven’t been since,” she admitted, the shame in her voice masked but still unmistakable.
“Is that why we’re out of milk? Because you’re too scared to go back to the store?”
“I betrayed their trust. I have a loyalty card and now it means nothing.”
“What about that time when we stole all of our equipment from the Institute?”
“I didn’t know we were stealing it you never told me what we were doing I thought it belonged to you.” She still felt scandalised. It was almost a year ago but it still nagged at her.
“Kind of wish we’d done that this time.”
“I’m here aren’t I! I have a mask!”
“You also don’t have a bad bone in your body.”
The rest of the walk to… somewhere… was done in silence aside from the occasional clanging of metal against metal that was undoubtedly Holtzmann.
Abby abruptly stopped. Patty seemed to relax. The three of them seemed to share a wordless understanding and Erin was really starting to wish she’d read that email.
“You’re up Holtzy.”
“Hells yes I am!”
‘Oh no,’ Erin thought.
Holtzmann was on the floor, hitting it gently with her knuckles, before she shot up and stamped on the same spot. “Got it,” she said to no one but herself. “Hey Patty, my favourite historian, a little help?”
Erin had no idea what was happening.
Patty crouched down opposite Holtz and they both lifted a panel up and tossed it aside.
“Erin you go first.”
“What? Why me? |We aren’t going down there are we?”
“It was in the email.”
“But there’s no ladder.”
“Just hang down, you’ve got stupid long arms, you’ll probably hit the floor before your elbow straightens.”
She threw a hunk of debris down the hole to see how deep it was. Not that it was of any use to her because she didn’t know how to work out depth that way, she’d seen it in movies and was desperate to try and seem more competent. It didn’t work.
“I’m not doing that.”
“Erin,” Holtz said, extending the ‘I’. “Come on I’ll hold ya.”
Abby was behind her so fortunately Erin didn’t see the way she raised her eyebrows at Holtzmann.
She hesitated. She didn’t want to let the team down and this was one of the only bonding experiences she’d ever had. “Fine.”
So she lowered herself down, legs dangling over the edge.
“Turn around and give me your hands.” She did as she was told. Holtzmann lay down on the floor, turning the white stripes on her shirt almost black. “I got ya Gilbert.”
She took the plunge, closing her eyes. Of course, they were right. Holtz didn’t have to bear even an ounce of Erin’s weight. There was a poof of dust followed by coughing. “I made it.”
They cheered and followed her down, Holtzmann slapping their backs like a military operation. She herself jumped down after gently lowering down her equipment. Erin didn’t want to know what was in there.
“Let’s go,” Abby said, lighting a head torch that she hadn’t been wearing before.