“Delicate?” Sammy asked. Tatiana’s grin was a little too wide for Sammy’s liking.
“I hate ‘petite.’ It sounds like one of those little porcelain dolls you can fit in a pocket,” Golden Boy said. “It’s not very heroic if you’re pocket-sized.”
“Like a little bird?”
Sammy rolled her eyes. Had it been a whole minute without her saying “little bird”?
“Delicate sounds more like a princess anyway,” he said, tapping his knee. “Who shot you?”
“A Russian?”
“No, it has to be somebody you know.”
“Does she like driving fast?”
“Oh, I like a ‘she,’” Golden Boy said, mulling it over. “How about your sister?”
“Don’t have a sister.”
“It’s a story, sugar.”
“Is the story about over?”
“Your evil sister,” Golden Boy said with eyes wide as if intrigued. “She wants to be next in line for the crown.”
“Is she tall and thin?”
Golden Boy beamed. “Yes, yes, she’s everything you’re not. I mean the tall part. My back would never hold up, carrying a plump princess.”
The car slowed, rolling in front of the place.
Leo threw open the door. “We’re here.”
“I haven’t finished the story yet,” Golden Boy said, gnawing his lip. “Oh, go ahead. I haven’t figured out how to save you from the assassins.”
Tatiana turned to Sammy. “Don’t worry, little bird. I’ll save you.”
“Who’s going to save me from you?” Sammy asked, sliding across the seat and out the door.
“Suppose they’re not here when we bring down the gene editor?” Leo asked. “With those two anything is possible.”
Sammy pulled out her picks. “They’ll be here.”
“And you know this how?”
“My gut.”
“I feel better already.”
“You have the screw gun?”
“Of course.”
“Then get it out,” Sammy said, feeling for the last lock pin. “We’ll have thirty seconds once I open the door.”
Leo rummaged through the bag. “I recall the time constraints.”
“Four screws, one at each corner of the alarm box.”
“Yes, yes, let’s just get on with it.”
The last lock pin fell. Sammy opened the door. “Okay, you’re on the clock.”
Leo rushed to the alarm box. The gun skidded off the first screw.
“Seat the bit into the screw first.”
“There isn’t much light here.” The gun finally engaged the screw, twisting it out.
She should’ve brought a stool.
Leo palmed the screw and started on the next one.
Sammy pulled out two jumpers. “Don’t hold the screws. Let them drop.”
The gun ran off the screwhead again. Golden Boy’s car was still there. The next screw dropped. Sammy threaded the jumper wires into tight points. The third screw dropped.
The last screw spun as if it were a foot long. “It’s just spinning. Must be stripped.”
“Can you pull it out?”
“Don’t you think I’ve tried that?”
Sammy grabbed the cover by the opposite corner and bent it out enough to swing it out over the circuit board. Five seconds… Four seconds… Sammy jabbed the wire into one end of the jumper, then the other. Two seconds to spare. She dropped the other wire. She fished out another from her pocket and jumpered the reset.
Leo nodded. “Quick thinking.”
Sammy pulled the jumpers from the board. “You can put the cover back on. That’s if you can see what you’re doing.”
“Why does it matter?”
“Because if someone walks by, I want it to look normal.”
“I’m certain it will not appear normal if I’m found scrounging about for the dropped screws.”
“If you’re quick, nobody will see you.” Sammy hurried into the office. There were lights evenly spaced along the floor, making it easy to find her way around the place.
The locks on the doors were the circular kind. Sammy pulled out her notes. The pins had to be engaged counterclockwise.
“Hello? Where are you?” Leo asked, creeping along the glass wall.
“Picking a lock! What do you think?”
Leo stopped a few feet away. “Didn’t see you.”
“There’s plenty of light,” Sammy said, dropping the first pin.
“Shouldn’t we get the hoist first?”
Sammy found the second pin. “That’s your job.”
“Suppose the door to the loading area is locked?”
“Then I’ll unlock it.”
Leo huffed and strode off.
Sammy had the first door open and was working on the second when Leo rolled the hoist behind her.
“I had to adjust the leg spacing to fit through the doorway. Good thing I brought the tools with me.”
“Yeah, good thing,” Sammy said, finding the last pin. The door clicked open.
Leo pushed the hoist through the doorway. There was only about six feet of space between the two doors, and now Sammy couldn’t get in.
“Can you wait? I still have to open the next door.”
Leo pulled the hoist out. “I’m just testing to see if it fits.”
Sammy balled a few paper towels she’d brought with her and wedged them under the door. “It’s the same size as the other one.”
“Now we know it is.”
Sammy pushed the hoist out of the way. “You can do all your testing once I open the door.”
“Thought I could save you some time.”
This door didn’t have a keyhole. She felt around the knob, still no keyhole. She turned it. Locked.
“Something wrong?”
“Yeah, there’s no lock to pick.”
Leo stepped behind her. “Perhaps for added security?”
“Either that or they ran out of the other doorknobs.”
“Can you bypass the reader?”
“If I could’ve, you think I would’ve spent the last twenty minutes picking locks?”
“Thought there might’ve been another reason.”
“Yeah, I wanted to brush up on my lock-picking skills,” Sammy said, tapping on the door’s glass pane. It was a thinner glass than the enclosure.
“Most office facilities have unbreakable glass for safety reasons.”
“Let’s hope this isn’t like most places,” Sammy said, backing away. “You want to ram it with the top of the hoist?”
Leo looked from the door to the hoist. “I’m sure it’s a waste of time.”
“It’s either that, or we pack up and leave.”
Leo tilted the hoist, then shoved it into the glass panel. It bounced and rested against the glass.
Sammy sighed. “Notch one for safety.”
Leo stared at it as if it had a secret to tell him. “What about a fire?”
“You want to burn the door down?”
Leo pulled the hoist upright. “Suppose the building is on fire and a person has passed out from smoke inhalation. Search and rescue comes to their assistance, but the door is locked and they have no card key. They can’t break the glass to open the door. What was added for safety has now become a death trap.”
“You should have a long talk with them. Then we can come back and break the glass and steal the machine.”
“You’re missing the point,” Leo said. “It can’t work that way because it’s a death trap.”
“That’s really fascinating, Leo. Let’s put everything back in place, and I’ll work on card readers on the next try.”
“Don’t you see? The way in is by a fire.” Leo stepped closer to the glass, staring at the machine. “The editor isn’t doing any sequencing, and it has a simple interface.” He turned toward her. “We should be able to disconnect it and hoist it up and out of here fairly quickly.”
“I think you missed a few steps.�
��
“If we trigger the fire alarm, the door should open up as a safety measure.”
“It’ll also bring cops and the firefighters.”
“It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to disconnect and hoist the editor out of here. We’ll be long gone before help arrives. That’s assuming those two are still out there.”
“It’s never more than a few minutes,” Sammy said. “Something always goes wrong.”
“It’s fairly—” Leo grabbed her arm. “Someone’s coming.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
______________________________
Sammy scrambled to get behind the desk along the wall. She peeked out but didn’t see anyone. Two figures tottered along the glass enclosure. It was Tatiana guiding Golden Boy. He was wearing the mask and by the look of it, he had it on wrong.
Sammy stepped out from behind the desk. “It’s just the kooks.”
“What are they doing here?”
“Being their usual kooky selves.”
Golden Boy tilted his head to see Sammy through the off-center eyeholes. “Can you see me? It’s supposed to make me invisible in the dark.”
Tatiana grinned. “Followed the breadcrumbs.”
“She’s like a bloodhound,” he said, patting her arm. “Only in a good way, girl.”
“Why don’t we turn on the lights and have a party?” Leo said.
Golden Boy laughed. “He really is the deadpan jester.”
Leo huffed and walked away.
“Tell me you’re breaking into a safe.”
“Trying to break into a door. The deadpan jester wants to start a fire.”
“So he can make funny faces against the flames?”
Sammy chuckled, gazing back at Leo.
“Marshmallows! We have to get marshmallows, girl. Nothing like marshmallows over a fire.”
Leo stomped over. “We’re not starting a fire! We’re tricking the sensors into thinking it’s one.”
Golden Boy took off the mask. “Was really looking forward to those marshmallows.”
“It’s much riskier, so it’s up to you two if you want to do this.”
Leo turned to Sammy. “Up to them?”
“They have to drive us.”
Golden Boy tapped her arm. “Will there be shooting?”
Leo groaned.
“It could be nothing, or we could be up to our elbows in fire engines and cops.”
“I love fire engines. I almost bought one, but they wouldn’t let me ride in it with the lights flashing. What fun is that?”
Sammy looked up at Tatiana.
Tatiana brushed her cheek. “My little bird is starting to shed her molt.”
Now might be the time to run out and never look back.
“Think if I put the mask on, I can sneak onto the truck?” Golden Boy asked. “I always wanted to ride one with the lights on.”
Leo huffed. “This’ll be a disaster.”
“This is your idea, Leo,” Sammy said. “You have the final say.”
Leo stared at the machine, lights flickering in the darkened space. He let out a long breath. “Who knows if we’ll get another chance?”
“Okay, whenever you’re ready.”
“Ready?”
“To start your fire.”
“Me? I assumed you had a means of starting a fire.”
“Yeah, I always carry a fire starter in case I have a sudden urge to build a campfire.”
Golden Boy raised his hand. “Don’t forget the marshmallows.”
“There must be an establishment nearby that sells a fire starter.”
“Girl, we can get a fire starter and the marshmallows too.”
“Come, little bird,” Tatiana said, nodding for her to follow. “I’ll show you how to start your fire.”
Sammy followed her out of the glass enclosure. “Should I tweet?”
Tatiana headed for a group of desks along the wall. “Only if you want to set my heart aflutter.”
“Pass.”
Tatiana clutched her chest, feigning disappointment. She pulled the chairs out from one desk after another, checking underneath.
“What are you looking for?”
“Cold feet. Do you ever get cold feet?”
“Yeah, I always leave them under a desk.”
Tatiana stopped by the next desk. “Which desk? I have ways to get them real toasty.”
“How? Throw them in a fireplace?”
Tatiana pulled back the chair on the next desk and flashed her smirky grin. “Oh, there they are.”
Under the desk was a small heater.
Tatiana reached down and switched it on. She picked up the picture screen and flipped through it. “My guess is that this is the little bird who sits here. She looks ‘delicate’ too.”
Sammy didn’t recognize her from her earlier visit. The lady was either short or the guy she was standing next to was really tall.
Tatiana bounced up and down in the chair. “Definitely a little bird. Do you want to try it out?”
Sammy lay the picture screen on the desk. “What are we doing here?”
Tatiana rocked in the chair. “Making a fire, of course. Where there’s heat, there’s fire. Isn’t that how it goes?”
“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
“I believe you’re right, little bird. Let’s make some smoke then.” She flipped out a silver switchblade, plunged it into the seat’s back, and then pulled up, ripping through the fabric as if gutting someone.
What the hell?
Tatiana ripped out a piece of the cushion and dangled it in front of Sammy. “Do you think the little bird will miss it?”
Was she crazy?
Tatiana laughed, rolling the heater with her foot so the grates faced up. She dropped the cushion on it. “Do you want to have a go at the seat?” Tatiana asked, offering her the knife. “Who knows how much smoke we’ll need.”
Sammy shook her head.
Tatiana shrugged and slipped the knife into her coat pocket. The cushion started to smoke. “That’s how you make a fire. You just need to find a little bird with cold feet.”
“Yeah, I’ll remember that next time.”
Tatiana picked up the smoking heater and carried it into the glass enclosure.
“It looks sacrificial,” Golden Boy said. “Doesn’t it look sacrificial?”
Tatiana searched the ceiling. “We’ve sacrificed a little bird’s comfort.”
Golden Boy watched. “Will it be enough to please the gods?”
Tatiana settled on a spot on the ceiling and held it up high. Leo had one hand on the doorknob and the other holding the hoist. Lights flashed, alarms rang, and a white mist billowed out from the ceiling, creating a thick fog.
Tatiana placed the smoking heater on a desk. “The gods are pleased.”
Golden Boy had a look of wonder. “This is so exciting. Noisy, but exciting.”
Leo rushed through the door, pulling the hoist behind him.
“Need any help?” Sammy shouted over the blaring alarms.
Leo shook his head. “Just make sure their car is by the loading area.”
Sammy followed them down the steps and out through the front door. The place looked like one big flashing bulb. It’d certainly draw someone’s attention. “Can you pull the car to the side of the building?”
Golden Boy looked back in wonder. “Do you think there’ll be a chase?”
“Hope not.” Sammy dashed back inside. The mist had filtered down into the first floor. The alarm had changed to an intermittent loud beeping noise, but the lights still flashed.
Leo looped the hoist’s straps around the machine.
Sammy was hoping the hoist would be rolling out of the room by now. “Problems?”
“Hooking up the hoist didn’t work as smoothly as I had hoped. The fire-suppression system didn’t help either.”
“Yeah, nothing ever works as you expect.”
Leo tugged at the straps, then ratcheted up the m
achine. “It’s going now. Are they in the back?”
Sammy ran back to the elevator and pressed the button.
“Fire emergency; elevator disabled,” a mechanical voice said.
“No!” Sammy banged on the door.
“For your safety, please use the stairs.”
“It’s not a real fire.”
“Operation will resume after safety personnel has addressed the emergency.”
Sammy slid down against the door. The lights were still flashing and the white mist was all but gone.
●●●
Leo guided the hoist between the two doors. “Are they there?”
Sammy sighed. “Got a problem.”
“I knew we couldn’t trust them. I’m sure they’re shopping for marshmallows.”
Sammy shook her head. “The elevator’s disabled because of the fire.”
Leo rolled his head back. “Talk about tunnel vision.”
“Unless that hoist can roll down steps, we got to call it a night.”
“If we can bring it to the edge of the top step, we might be able to guide it to the landing.” Leo shook his head. “It’d be too unstable. We’d wind up damaging a perfectly good machine.”
“How far down can this thing drop?”
“Four, maybe five meters.”
“What is that, fourteen, fifteen feet?”
Leo nodded.
“Should work, come on,” Sammy said, waving him to follow.
Sammy raced through the maze of the glass enclosure with Leo behind her, the machine swaying in the turns. They stopped by a window with two panes that swung open. “Should fit, right?”
Leo swung open the panes and rolled the machine to the window. He had to ratchet it up a few notches to swing it through. “It fits.”
Sammy stepped to the side and peered out. The window was on the side of the building but toward the front, exposing them to anyone on the street. “Want me to go down and have them move the car up?”
Leo shook his head. “I’ll need you to help me stabilize the hoist if the editor starts to sway.”
Sirens wailed in the distance. They were close and getting closer. “Never helped stabilize anything before.”
“Hopefully, it won’t require it,” Leo said, pushing the machine until it cleared the window.
Tatiana got out of the car and looked up. “The cavalry’s on its way.”
The Girl Thief Page 16