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The Gallagher family dining table was covered with a spread-out map of the South Suburbs impound lots.
Lip's finger hovered over one spot circled again and again in red pen—the exact lot where Shane and Kevin were right now.
He tapped it hard. "Electrical transformer box is right here. If shit really hits the fan, we smash the box, kill the power, slip inside, grab the laptop, and bounce."
Fiona stared at him like he'd lost his damn mind. "Are you fucking crazy? If we get caught, we're going to prison—not just losing a van!"
"So it's the absolute last resort!" Lip snapped, voice tight with frustration.
"The main plan is A: squeeze through the gap, find it fast, get the hell out. But we need a backup—even if it's just sixty seconds of chaos!"
His finger slid across the map. "There's a hole in the fence down this slope, hidden by weeds and trash. I tested it last night. I can squeeze through."
Fiona looked up from the blurry Google satellite view on the laptop. "You actually went in last night? Then why the hell didn't you just locate the van? Even a rough spot would help. We don't even know where it is right now!"
Lip raked a hand through his curly hair. "You think I didn't want to? There were guards patrolling with flashlights. Figuring out the entry and the gap was already pushing it. The important thing is the route and speed once we're inside."
"We split up, find the van—white piece of shit, it'll stand out—grab what we need, and get back out the same way. Twenty minutes, in and out."
"And if we don't find it?" Fiona pressed. "What if they already moved it? We're just gonna wander around until security grabs us?"
"We'll find it," Lip said, voice rising. "Shane and Kevin are over there trying to redeem it right now. I checked the process—even if they pay today, the van won't be released until the day after tomorrow at the earliest. But what if they do inventory before then and find the laptop—"
His words cut off as Fiona's phone started ringing.
The name on the screen made the already suffocating room go dead silent.
Shane.
Fiona yanked her hand back like the phone was on fire. She looked at Lip, lips moving with no sound.
"You answer. You answer it."
She couldn't. The pressure and everything Lip had told her had her on the edge of cracking. One wrong word and her voice would give them both away.
Lip's throat worked. He took a deep breath, snatched the phone, and answered.
"Fiona, listen carefully. I'm inside the van right now. Think hard—did you guys leave anything else behind? If you did, tell me now so I can grab it."
Shane's low, urgent voice hit Lip like a slap.
He's inside the van? How the fuck did he get in? Those city assholes chased me like dogs but they just let Shane open the doors?
Lip's head spun, but his mouth moved first. "No."
His voice came out dry. "I took the cash box and all the accounting papers with me. There's nothing left."
"Lip?" Shane sounded confused—why was Lip answering Fiona's phone?
But time was short. Shane didn't push. "You sure?"
"I'm sure," Lip forced out, every syllable painful.
He wanted so fucking badly to scream "Yes! The laptop! It's jammed between the oven and the wall in the back!"
But the second the thought rose, pure terror drowned it.
He couldn't face the look Shane would give him. Couldn't handle the disappointment, the disgust, the moment Shane finally decided this family wasn't worth saving anymore.
Right now the only thing that mattered was getting that laptop back and burying this whole nightmare. As long as the computer was safe, they could pretend none of it ever happened.
A loud cough came from the other end—the middle-aged worker reminding Shane his time was up.
Shane didn't ask again. "Fine. Tell Fiona we're not redeeming the van. Too damn expensive. I'll head home soon."
The call ended with a click.
Lip kept the phone pressed to his ear, palm slick with cold sweat, until Fiona's shaky voice yanked him back.
"What did Shane want? What did he say?"
Lip cleared his throat and set the phone face-down on the table.
"He said they're not getting the van back. Fines are too high."
Fiona froze, then slumped back in her chair with a long, exhausted sigh.
The van was gone. A huge chunk of money was gone. But at least Shane hadn't asked about anything else.
"We have to move faster," Lip said, voice urgent again. He leaned over the map, finger stabbing the spot. "Route locked, plan solid. If Shane isn't redeeming it, they'll do a full inventory tomorrow. We're out of time."
---
At the same time, Shane climbed out of the van.
The middle-aged worker stood there. The second Shane was clear, the guy casually pressed the loosened seals back into place like nothing had happened.
Shane and Kevin left the impound lot and walked back to the beat-up Ford.
"Shane," Kevin scratched his head, face twisted with pain. "Maybe we should just let the van go, man. Eighteen hundred bucks? That's straight-up robbery."
Shane nodded. "Yeah, we're not paying that. Whoever's dumb enough to drop eighteen hundred on that piece of shit deserves to lose it."
Kevin slid into the driver's seat and started the engine.
Once Shane was in, Kevin hesitated. "I've got over eight hundred from the last couple weeks' cut. I'll throw in some of my own cash and just buy a cheap used one. This time… you don't have to make Fiona and Lip cover it."
Shane turned, eyes cold. "No, Kevin. They're paying you back. Every cent."
Kevin blinked. "Huh?"
"It's not about the money," Shane said firmly, rubbing his forehead. "It's a lesson. They need to feel exactly how expensive 'just this once' actually is. This time it's eighteen hundred. Next time it could be something none of us can afford. Don't worry—they made enough these past few days. They can cover it."
Kevin opened his mouth, ready to say they're family, let it slide, but the look on Shane's face stopped him cold. He knew that expression. Once Shane decided something, it was damn near impossible to change his mind.
"Well… it doesn't have to be the full amount," Kevin tried. "We can split it three ways. I had a hand in letting them use the van too—"
Shane stared at him for a long second. He knew the big soft-hearted bastard would probably sneak the money back to Fiona later if they pushed too hard.
"Fine," Shane sighed. "We'll do it your way. But they're still paying the majority. And when you talk to them, keep it serious. Don't laugh it off."
Kevin nodded quickly. "Got it. I'll sound real mean. The kind of mean that makes Fiona cry."
Shane gave him a sideways look. "If you could actually pull that off…" He shook his head and looked forward. "Whatever. Let's go. Drop me home. I need to figure out how we're fixing up that tattoo shop."