Man, college is expensive. Alan Larson knows that at first hand. He eats very little a day, has to rely on public transportation to get around, and lives in a cluttered apartment.  He is sick and tired of working at Billy Bob’s Burgers 40 hours a week just to get by, and juggling school at the same time. Alan studies criminology and forensics, and is one of the best students of his class. He aspires to be a private investigator some day, working for big, important clients, so that he will be able to build a vast wealth and hopefully open a security firm one day. Alan played sports during high school and a short time in college. He was adequate at gymnastics, boxing, and martial arts. All three of his instructors urged him to go pro. He refused. He wanted the lifestyle set upon investigating, and using his mind to solve puzzles. Alan has his mind set upon this to hopefully one day solve the puzzle of his father’s murder. A case that has gone cold for the last 15 years. His mother tells him that a random mugger killed his father on his way back home from work.
Whenever he asks his mother for anything about his father’s murder she just says “remember what I told you darling. I told you everything” and looks away.
She can’t even look him in the eye. He knew something was up.

One day during class, the professor introduces a new unit to the students. One based on robbery, and stealing of any sorts. The professor talks of many robbers of how they have “masked” their tracks, and how they hid clues in plain sight. Then, he showed the students how sophisticated robberies have been pulled off, and demonstrations of “shadowing” clues in the crime scenes. Then instantly, a light bulb flickered in Alan Larson’s head. His professor just taught him how to basically get away with robbery. This would be his ticket to not rely on transportation anymore because he has a nice car, to eat as much as he desired, and live in penthouse apartment. It would be better to not steal from a bank or anything too complex, so he decided to steal from a Costco. He could even get the food he wanted in bulks! He could even taste the microwavable chicken dumplings in his mouth. He searched online for a Costco that would be far enough, so that no one would connect him to the area. And suddenly, he got matched with a Costco, just 50 miles outside of his city.
“Perfect.” he thought “Now to scout the area, and decide on a point of entry, and which  valuables to steal.”
Alan then realized something. “Cameras! Security alarms, triggers, security guards!”
He knew he needed more help, and instantly thought of his friend Horace Leonard.
He also worked with him at Billy Bob’s Burgers, and they both always talked of how exhausting it was to juggle school and work. Horace was good at computers, and happened to be an expert at hacking. Employing Horace’s services was essential for what needed to be done.

The next day at work, both Horace and Alan were talking during their lunch break.
“Yeah Horace dude, I have an idea, but I really need your help to pull it off.” Alan said nervously.
Horace took a bite of his sandwich and looked at Alan with a weird look. “What’s up dude?”
“Well you know how expensive college is, and stuff, and how we are both struggling to make it by.” Alan said with a nervous look.
Alan believed that he would say no, but there was one way to find out.
“Go on” Horace said curiously with his sandwich in his hand.
“I wanted to steal expensive things that we can sell, so that our lifestyle might go a little easier for us. I am tired Horace. Tired of getting only 5 hours of sleep per day. I can’t do this any longer” Alan said as if he was begging him “I need your help to do this.”
Horace’s facial expression looked like as if a light bulb switched on.
“Alan my man, that is the most smartest thing I have ever heard you say.”
Alan took a big sigh of relief.
“I was thinking of stealing from a Costco. They got food, and electronics, and jewelry too.”
Horace looked at Alan and said “that is the second most smartest thing you have ever said.”
Alan laughed.
This nerdy kid was actually pretty funny, and his appearance deceived a lot of people, he was actually pretty cool. His bow tie that he always wore, his thick framed glasses always repelled people from him, but it was their loss, their mistake.
“We have to go through some reconnaissance first. I’m assuming that you already have selected a Costco to rob.” Horace said.
“Yeah I did, its the one near Bellmore.” replied Alan.
“Alright I’ll pick you up at 5 and we will head over there.” said Horace.
Alan smiled. He was happy that this was getting some air off the ground.
“Sounds like a plan.” Alan said.

At 6 p.m. Alan and Horace pull up to Costco. Horace hands Alan a pair of glasses.
“I don’t need glasses” Alan said as he looks confused at Horace.
“It’s not an ordinary pair of glasses. It has a built in camera in it so that we can analyze the reconnaissance. And a microphone too.” Horace said with a smirk.
“Oh okay.” Alan said as he puts it on.
“Do you even have a Costco card?” Horace said.
“Crap no I don’t.”
“Here’s one I forged it” Horace said as he hands over the card.
The card look like a real one. It could make the real ones look fake.
“Thanks” Alan said as he gets out and heads towards Costco.
Inside, Horace tells Alan to take  pictures of vents, cameras, security systems, anything that could help them. After 30 minutes of doing recon at Costco, Horace asks him to return back to the car.
“Alright I have a pretty good plan, Alan. Lets go home and discuss it.” Horace said and starts the car and drives off.
As soon as they reached Horace’s place, Horace began explaining the plan. The plan was simple really. There were no guards during the night time, so the night was the perfect time to go. Horace explained that he will disable the cameras wirelessly, and Alan will scale the building from the top and enter the building via the vents. They just needed 200 feet of rope, and a screwdriver to unscrew the vent that Horace will provide and Alan just needed to be dressed in black.
“Why in black?” Alan said curiously.
“Because that’s what they do in the movies duh.” Horace said as if Alan should have known previously.
“Fine, fine when will this go down?” Alan said.
“Saturday at 1 am.” Horace said.

Saturday rolls around, and oh my is Alan nervous. He goes through multiple scenarios through his mind, and buys a taser due to the fear he has for that night. At 12 am Horace knocks on Alan’s door and he gives him a nod that it is time. Alan takes one look at his apartment. He will never again live in his filthy, moldy apartment that he was always disgusted to call his home..
Alan whispers to himself “I always hated this place” and closes the door.
The two reach Costco, and the plan immediately goes to action. Horace tells Alan to open the front gate as soon as he is in so that they can load the goods in his car and escape. Horace said to go in because the cameras are already hacked ever since they were in range, so Alan goes out and scales the building with the rope around his shoulder. He scales the building, and unscrews the vent to enter the building. He crawls through and ends up at the vent that connected the roof and the building. He goes through and slides down the rope to the floor. He walks to the metal gate and opens it. A big screech comes out as the gate goes up. Alan faces the outside and waits for Horace.  Horace pulls up and exits the car. But then he immediately freezes and puts his hands up.
“What the hell are you doing, Horace?” Alan said
“We need to go get the stuff in...”
Alan turns around.
At least 10 men with guns pointing to them in suits, and a man in the back with a cigar in his mouth stepped forward.
“What are you boys doing here?” he said with a raspy Italian voice.
“You’re trying to rob me, eh?” he said with anger.
As he stepped forward a noticeable scar became visible on his face, from his eye across his nose. His dark hair and blue eyes foreshadowed the pain that was coming.
“Y’all work for De Antonio don’t ya? I’ll send you back in body bags!” he screamed. “No, no, no! We are just college students. We wanted to just steal so our lives could be easier!” Horace screamed with his legs shaking.
The man took a long stare at Alan and Horace.
“Let me see your IDs.” he demanded. Both Alan and Horace threw their IDs and trembled as he looked over them.
“These guys don’t work for De Antonio” he mumbled.
“Well you boys won’t be in body bags, because you will do something for me. You see I own this Costco. It is the front for my operations. Illegal operations. The man I spoke of, De Antonio, is my main rival. I want you to steal his drugs and bring them here, since you think you can steal. Do that and I will take care of you guys. He owns a Walmart across town.”
The man said that as if he expected that out of them. And he has their IDs, he will be able to find them.
“Oh by the way, name is Slim Z. Pleasure to be of associates. Here is my number.”
Slim Z hands over a business card to the two and said “Now get out.”
Alan and Horace ran out of there, and zoomed out of there in the car.
Horace was crying the whole time back.
“How are we gonna do this Alan?! We are dead either way!!”
“We got into the Costco, we can get into this De Antonio’s place too. Plus, we have to” Alan said with a straight face.

The next day, Alan and Horace were talking during their break time during work.
“I couldn’t sleep last night, Alan” Horace said with a sad tone.
“Me neither dude” Alan said.
“We have to do recon that Walmart tomorrow” Horace said.
“Alright pick me up at 5.” Alan replied.

The next day at 5 p.m. the two arrive at the Walmart. Horace hands him the same glasses, and gives him a nod. While taking reconnaissance photos, Horace brings up a good point.
“Alan, Slim Z will continue to use us. I don’t think this is a one time thing. We have to come up with a plan to take both of these guys down.”
Alan did not think of that.
Slim Z will use them again and again.
“What do you propose to do?” Alan asks.
Horace always has a plan in mind.
“We can plant the drugs at the Costco, without Slim Z’s knowledge. And we can leave some here and we will call the cops to inform them and leave an anonymous tip.”
Alan was actually surprised.
“Good idea Horace. That’s the plan now.”

At Horace’s place, the two start developing the plans to infiltrate the Walmart.
“Okay this is gonna be smart one” Horace said excitedly.
“You climb on top of the air vents, and you take sleeping gas and pump it throughout the system. Then we can sneak in and steal the drugs and get out. This will be done during the night, so all we have to deal with is De Antonio and his men. I’ll get the gas masks.”
“Wait a minute,  we can knock two birds with one stone here. We can call De Antonio up, and tell him that we have the location secured, and De Antonio is asleep too! Slim Z would want to execute De Antonio, and if we can catch that on camera, we can call the cops at that moment, and bam! Problem solved.”
“Alan”
Horace said as he adjusted his glasses
“That is the third smartest thing I have ever heard you say.” as he smiled.
“I’ll pick you up on Saturday we will break in at 1 am.”

Horace picks up Alan and the two go on their way to Walmart. The car ride was quiet. You could feel the tension and nervousness throughout the whole car ride. When they got there, they knew exactly what to do. Horace already disabled the cameras and Alan was inserting the gas in the building. Alan navigated his way through the vents and found his way to the doors.
“Are they sleeping?” Horace asked.
“Yeah they are in the back. With the drugs. Call Slim Z.” said Alan.
Horace called him.
Barely 10 minutes later, Slim Z showed up with the same exact goons from the previous night at the Costco.
“Good job boys. I knew you could do it” and handed back their IDs
“Now for De Antonio and those drugs.”
Alan stood by Horace and whispered “Did you call the cops?”
“Yeah they are on their way” Horace whispered back.
“Hey Slim Z, can we get out of here? If you need us, you have our digits man” Alan asks. “Yeah sure, scram”

And for certain the two hurried out of there. At a safe distance, the two watch Slim Z’s incarceration on Horace’s laptop. Horace was still connected to the cameras.
“Dude you’re gonna hear the fourth best thing I have ever said” Alan said with a grin on his face.
“And what is that?” Horace replied with curiosity.
“If Slim Z’s gang is here and arrested, who is at the Costco? We can still go and pull off the original plan!” Alan said.
“Alan, that just beat the first greatest thing you’ve ever said. Now lets go!” Horace said with excitement.