How to Shield an Assassin (Unholy Trifecta Book 1)

by AJ Sherwood

  “I’ve also pulled up traffic patterns over the past two weeks. Looks like we have two windows where the traffic tapers off enough that its feasible to get in and out quickly. From 9:30 to about 11:00, then again from 2:00-3:00. Which window do you guys want to hit?”

  “Morning,” Ivan stated without a second of hesitation. “If we need to do a false start, we can pull back and try again this afternoon.”

  Ari nodded in agreement. “If you’re ready? You don’t need a few more hours?”

  Kyou groaned, rubbing fingers against both temples. “I need a few more days. But I think Rems and I have the basics down. You three just need to be your sterling professional selves and do the rest.”

  It was a bit tight and Ari could admit to himself, privately, that he didn’t like jumping into this without more prep. But on the other hand, he hated having to follow an armored truck to an unknown destination, where he’d have to start from scratch all over again to break into yet another secure storage facility. They just didn’t have that kind of time, to chase something across the country. Assuming it stayed in country. He caught Ivan’s eye, then Carter’s, silently confirming with them. Both men nodded back. Yes, still a go.

  “We’re crazy,” Carter sighed, but an excited grin spread across his face. “Let’s do it. We don’t have a lot of time. Skip breakfast?”

  “I demand coffee,” Ari declared as he moved towards the kitchen. “But otherwise, fine. We don’t have time to cook or go grab something.”

  “I don’t like stealing on an empty stomach,” Ivan complained, but he readily followed Ari into the kitchen.

  “You can have my Lucky Charms!” Remi called to both of them.

  There were worse things to eat than sugar and coffee. Ari shrugged and hunted up the box. As he poured cereal into bowls, Carter came in close, mouth brushing near his ear.

  “Was it too much last night?”

  Ari shook his head minutely and shot the man a reassuring smile. “Actually, it was fine. I just couldn’t settle enough to sleep.”

  Relief stole over Carter’s face. “Okay. Try again tonight?”

  “Yeah. I just need to get used to it.”

  Ivan stole up on his other side and whispered, “Get used to what?”

  Planting a hand on his face, Ari shoved him off. Ivan sniggered like the irreverent child he actually was. “Aww, come on, share with the class.”

  Ari shot him the bird before pushing a bowl into his chest. “Eat your breakfast and stop being a pain in the ass.”

  Of course, Ivan smirked even as he did as told, and Ari had no doubt he’d bring it up again later. Just wait until Carter unleashed his plan to make them an official team—THAT would wipe that smirk off his face. Ivan was by nature even more lone wolf than Ari was.

  Well. Maybe not. He’d certainly paused his life quickly enough when Ari needed help with Remi. Maybe he was a lone wolf by chance more than design. That was food for thought. Thoughts for later, as he really had no time for it now.

  Remi turned her head and called over her shoulder, “But we still need a code name for Carter!”

  Ari had been thinking about this for a few days now, and he had the perfect suggestion. “Smiley.”

  That salt and peppered head came up as Carter gave him a ‘why the hell that?’ sort of look.

  “Because he’s always smiling,” Ari added, grinning at his boyfriend.

  Ivan held up a hand. “Seconded.”

  “Thirded!” Kyou said in agreement.

  “Motion carried!” the eight-year-old declared.

  Carter just sighed. “I thought I got rid of mandatory call signs when I left the military.”

  “Nope. No such luck.” Ari kissed him to soften the blow although he could tell that Carter was actually pleased.

  Ari checked and double checked that they had the print of the painting to switch out, the employee IDs, the fake work cases full of their own equipment. They helped each other paste on the replica fingerprints, making sure they all stuck on firmly. The prints would have to hold up to a lot of tote and carry. This wasn’t going to be an easy case of striding in, switching out paintings, and striding back out. For one thing, no security guard worth their salt would just let them take a portfolio case into the vault. They’d have no good reason to have it. It would look odd from any perspective. They had to somehow find the right timing to slip the portfolio in while distracting the guards at the vault. While also finding the right time to connect Kyou to the vault’s cameras so he could loop it and cover the switch.

  He’d swear, but he couldn’t think of any words strong enough.

  Kyou flicked a finger at him, beckoning him over, and Ari once again leaned over the back of their chairs. Kyou handed him a small USB drive, barely bigger than his thumbnail. “Wireless bridge. Plug it into the back of the camera and give me five minutes. We’ll be set.”

  “You want me to bullshit my way through measuring for hardware for five minutes?”

  Kyou patted him on the arm. “You’re charming. You’ll be fine.”

  Ari debated strangling him. Naw, he’d glue the keys together later on his keyboard. That always got Kyou in a tizzy. Pocketing the gadget, he went back to doing the last-minute things. It was already 8:30. Best to get rolling soon.

  Because Ivan needed to be in a different position, across the street and on top of a taller building, he left ahead of them. It left Kyou and Remi with the choice of three cars, but in their case, it was better to hoof it for the metro system anyway. They could get lost in the subway far easier than trying to cut through traffic. Carter ended up driving the security van, Ari in the SUV, and of course they all had their ear buds in.

  They slipped through traffic, and while it wasn’t light, it was definitely better than sanity-destroying, bumper to bumper nonsense. They briefly went out of their way to a back alley Kyou had control over, parking the SUV as their getaway vehicle. Ari switched to the van and Carter turned them around, retracing their route a little. The familiar zing of adrenaline coursed through Ari’s veins as they got closer to their destination. Some people thought him crazy, but he liked the challenge jobs like this brought him. They were more complicated than getting line of sight on a target and pulling a trigger, sure, but that was half the fun.

  This job had been far more fun than any other, and he knew why. Despite all of the rushes, the setbacks, the insanity of the deadline, Ari hadn’t felt nearly as stressed as he should have. Having such amazing support on his side made all the difference. Maybe Carter had a point about the whole team thing. He could get on board with this plan.

  Carter stopped at a red light, and Ari couldn’t resist the impulse to lean over and kiss him lightly. Blinking, Carter gave him a warm smile in return and that smile did funny things in Ari’s chest. Carter was handsome enough when he stood there breathing, but smiling? Ari had no defenses for that smile.

  “Was that a kiss for luck?” Carter teased him.

  “If we’re going to do that, I think it should be a proper kiss.”

  “I think we need a new rule,” Kyou interrupted, tone beyond exasperated. “No kissing on the job. Especially not when you’re on comms. You’ve got innocent ears listening in, remember?”

  “But I like it when they kiss,” Remi objected.

  Carter sniggered and Ari outright howled laughing. “You’re overruled, K!”

  The hacker grumbled out a curse not precisely something he should say in front of a child.

  “Just drive,” Kyou groused.

  Ivan chuckled into the comms but didn’t say anything.

  At the next turn, Knowles came into sight. Ari forced his head into the game and took in a deep breath, held it, then released in a steady stream. Alright, show time. This job meant more than the two million and change he’d collect. It meant a possible future with the sexy man at his side. And Remi. And Ari would do just about anything for that.

  “Showtime,” Carter murmured. “Eidolon, how are you?”

&
nbsp; “In position, drone is flying overhead. I’ve got you in sight.”

  “Copy that.”

  Carter turned onto the short drive in front of the tall metal gates and stopped, rolling his window down and aiming a friendly smile at the guard already strolling up to the van. “Hey. We’re Wilson and Miller from Assured Security. We’re here to do measuring in some place called the Vault?”

  The guard gave him a nod and used the walky-talky strapped to his shoulder. “Assured Security to do measuring in the vault?”

  A scratchy voice responded, “Yeah, they’re on schedule, let them in.”

  Bless you, Kyou. Having them on the list was always so much easier than charming his way through. Carter gave the guard another smile and rolled up the window as the big gates slid to either side. They rolled on through, following the pavement around the house, past the parking lot in the back, and to the vault itself.

  It really didn’t look like much. It had all the grace and elegance of a cardboard box, actually. Flat roof, straight sides, and unadorned cement walls. Ari had seen bunkers with more imagination than this. The cameras on all corners left no blind spots on the outside, and the two guards standing outside the main door struck him as the humorless sort. Ari shared a glance with Carter, the man almost eerily calm.

  “Going in,” Carter murmured just under his breath. He parked directly in front of the door, as there was no other place to stop. They snagged the toolboxes and small step ladder through the side door, leaving the portfolio tucked out of sight for now. The guards were watching them too closely to sneak that in just yet.

  Slamming the door closed, Ari got his pleasant face on, the one no one really looked twice at. As they strolled toward the door, Carter waved to the guards in greeting. “Hey, guys. Need to do some measuring inside.”

  “ID,” one of the guards responded, sounding bored to tears.

  They raised the badges clipped to their breast pockets. The guards barely gave them more than a glance, just checking that photo matched face before moving on. One of them swiped the door open with a keycard and they slipped through with ease.

  “Two guards outside, confirmed,” Ari murmured as they entered the air-conditioned building. “And damn, it’s freezing in here. What do they have the aircon set at, arctic?”

  “It’s all of the books and parchment that they have inside,” Ivan answered. “Have to keep that climate controlled.”

  “I think they’re trying to preserve stuff by freezing it solid.”

  “You’ve got another guard making the rounds inside the vault right now. I think he’s there to watch you two,” Kyou pitched in. “Get me access to a camera.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Ari looked around the room, getting his bearings of the top floor. Art hung in a uniform line along the walls, all of it priceless beyond measure. Eight different glass cases protected different statues and one open book. It looked like an art gallery, only with more security. And cement walls. If not for the art, it would look like a prison in here.

  As they entered, the elevator dinged and a new guard stepped through. This one looked a little older than the guys outside, with more of a beer gut and a relaxed air, as if he’d seen it all at least once. “Hey, you guys from Assured?”

  “That’s us,” Carter lied glibly. “Did they tell you why we’re here?”

  “Measuring for the new hardware, they said. Although I thought someone already did that a few weeks ago.”

  “Yeah, they did,” Carter agreed with an easy shrug. No skin off his nose, that was what his body language relayed. “And then they came out with the latest and greatest cameras that can do even more fancy shit. You know how it goes.”

  “Anything running is obsolete in the tech world,” the guard agreed with an answering grunt. “So you’re measuring for the newest stuff, gotcha. Alright, well, I have to follow you around.”

  “No problem, man. We’ll need you to tell us where the breaker is and all that anyway. Let’s see…” Carter made a show of looking around. “There’s our first camera. Miller, you want to measure that one?”

  “Sure.” Ari undid the small, folding step stool he had with him and set it under the camera. He popped up with a measuring tape and made a show of measuring from the ceiling to the mount, then from the wall to the base of the camera already there. As he did so, he plugged in the pocketed USB port. “Four inches down, six inches flush.”

  “Huh. I think that’s going to be a tight fit.” Carter scratched at his chin, frowning up at the camera as if he really were thinking about camera adjustments. “You got a three prong or two prong outlet up there?”

  “Three.” Ari mentally applauded his bullshit ability. He’d not be able to think of ways to keep this going, not like Carter was doing. Did he even know how to install security cameras? “I don’t know, man, I think we might need to change where the cameras are mounted.”

  “Yeah, looks that way.” To the hovering guard, Carter explained, “New ones aren’t as bulky as the old ones, but they’re motion-sensor rigged. They’ll follow whatever’s moving, so we have to give them room to turn, otherwise they’ll smack up against the wall. Or tear something by rubbing against it.”

  “Motion sensor cameras, huh. I’ve heard of motion sensors, but I didn’t realize you could have cameras that actually tracked movement.”

  Carter nodded. “They’ve been in the works for a while. But it’s only recently they’ve worked out all the kinks. Do you know if all the cameras are mounted the same way?”

  “I think they are.”

  “Hmm, we better measure them all and double check.”

  Ari approved of this plan. That was a great way to buy them some time. Not to mention, it would be the perfect excuse to get them into the lower levels. Their painting wasn’t on this one, so it had to be on the second or third level.

  As they went to the next camera, ostensibly measuring it, the guard asked, “So what makes this one more spiffy, aside from the motion sensor tracking?”

  Kyou supplied the answer smoothly: “Tell him it’s got an advanced 1080 sensor with 100 degree viewing angles and a low-lux sensor.”

  Carter repeated the information calmly and added, “That and it’s in a vandal-proof bracket. This model’s good for indoor and outdoor, too. No need for two different types of camera.”

  “Yeah, perfect,” Kyou approved.

  “Okay, we’re good on this level. Let’s go down to the second level.”

  The guard, of course, wouldn’t just go along with this. “But they’re all set the same way for each level. You don’t need to measure them all.”

  “Vandal dome,” Kyou suggested, the words accompanied by a rapid-fire clack of keys.

  “We want to measure to see if there’s a possibility of installing a vandal dome,” Ari offered, folding the stepstool. “Cut down on the number of cameras the security guards have to keep track of. It’s not possible on this floor, you’ve got too many blind spots. What’s on the other two levels? More statues and glass cases like these?”

  The guard led them toward the elevator. “Well, some, not as much on the second floor. There’s a flatter case on the third level. You think a vandal dome could cover the whole distance?”

  “I mean, maybe? Our latest is also a 1080p and it’s got a really crisp image.”

  The elevator was definitely meant for cargo. It had the width for it. They went down to the next floor and Ari tried not to crawl out of his skin. Elevators and he were not friends. He’d been stuck in an elevator too many times with bad outcomes to like taking one.

  With a ding, the doors opened and he thankfully stepped out of it, looking around. Of course the painting wasn’t on this level either. But it still answered the question of where it was—it must be on the third level. As long as he knew which level it was at, they could move.

  Catching Carter’s eye, they exchanged subtle nods.

  Time to go.

  “Eidolon,” Ari murmured under his breath. “Go.”


  25

  Carter

  Carter made a show of looking the ceiling over. “Miller, you got your wall scanner on you?”

  “Shit, I think it’s in the other tool box,” Ari responded, going with their pre-planned signal. “I’ll run up and get it.”

  He hated taking the elevator back up, but had to in order to look normal to the guard. As soon as the doors closed, he asked, “We good out there?”

  “Guards are not happy about the drone but not moving yet,” Ivan reported, sounding irritated. “I’ll draw them out in a second, but you might need to make a show of checking for that scanner.”

  “Copy that. K, Widow?”

  Kyou snarled out, “We might have a situation. Some tech came in to do an inspection of the computer. He’s decided to install an update and reboot the system.”

  That sounded potentially bad. “Uh, and what happens when he does that?”

  “The system checks all hardware for anomalies, and the bridges you and Eidolon put on the cameras get detected. I’m trying to hack his BIOS and give him a false reboot but I’m fighting against time. Be prepared to come out hot.”

  Well, shit. “I can unplug the boggle on the top floor camera real fast?”

  There was a ruminative pause. “That…might help. That way the main house is flagged and you guys look fine. But that means I’ll have to start from scratch on the cameras in the vault. You’ll be exposed for five minutes.”

  Not ideal, then. Dammit.

  “Uncle K, I can get the cameras back. I watched how you did it.”

  Another digestive silence. The elevator doors chimed as they opened and Ari stepped through, although he wasn’t sure now what to do. Go fetch the portfolio and switch out the paintings? Wait and see if he had to mess with the camera? Did Remi really have the skills to do this, or did she just think she did?

  “You sure, Widow?”

  “Do not doubt my solnishko,” Ivan scolded.