by Estes, Danny
“Yes Daddy,” she replied, sounding just like her softer side, a personality they truly didn’t need out guarding their backs at this time or point.
“I really wish you’d be more serious from here on out,” he grumbled, setting the power level to half, “I really need to know you’re with me on this.”
“All right, sweetie, if it keeps your boxers from bunching up.”
Randolph shot her a glare which she reacted by giving him a toothy grin before pulling out the bag of mini mines.
“Excuse me, but what do you think you’re doing?”
“You’re about to cut a hole in the wall, right? Well, these will give us a few seconds extra if someone spots the different shades of darkness and investigates.”
“By blowing off his leg?”
“They’re not that deadly—more likely a foot, but it’ll give the guard something other to worry about than your hole.”
Randolph rolled his eyes skyward, then took note of his watch. Two minutes had passed in their exchange. And here he wanted to be inside the house by midnight before the security systems did a back up of the last four hours, before applying the extra security measures which had yet to be activated. As he held no time for arguing, Randolph stuck to the time table, ignoring her antics as he applied gun to wall. After a check of the hole depth the gun made, Randolph adjusted its strength till the beam burned through. After making a large enough hole to work comfortably, he returned Jill’s gun and activated the pen light using the laser to cut into the electrical tube. With the light held between his teeth, Randolph spread out the wires and checked them against the schematics on his palm unit.
“Can you cut the security line from here?” Jill asked.
“Yes, but that’s not what I’m doing,” Randolph explained around the laser light between his teeth.
“Then why are we wasting time here?”
Randolph spared her a glance. Now that’s the Jill I understand. “The security lines are hooked to a volt meter which would register the current change and set off the alarm. What I’m attempting to do is locate Mr. Hilden’s security computer and deactivate the system net on the inside by hacking into it. With luck, the crew watching the system will assume he’s gotten up and switched off the alarms so he could do some late night work.”
“I thought you said his computer isn't hard wired into the net?”
“It’s not; however, eighty-five percent of the professional population use a second computer as a backup system, with all the commands installed. In this way they have complete control while at their desk.”
“Uh-huh, and if it’s not?”
“We’re screwed.” He located the wire he needed, and hooked up his random code generator. Able now to relax against the wall, as his palm computer might take a while, Randolph hoped Mr. Hilden hadn’t a secondary unit as redundancy.
Jill stood and flattened herself against the wall, looking right and left.
“Jill?” He’d heard nothing to be alarmed about.
“Hush, love,” she hissed, easing out the two pistols in her waist band, flipping off the safeties and stretching out her arms to either side, “You keep doing your job and I’ll protect your sexy buns.”
Sexy buns? Randolph wondered how any man’s butt could be thought of as sexy. Regardless of the repulsive image of a male’s butt, Randolph shook his head and returned his eyesight to the screen. The first green dot was on, indicating Mr. Hilden’s computer was up and running. Good. Next came the second and third LEDs, letting him know he was in. Now with something to do, Randolph rubbed his hands together to warm them up a might before connecting the keyboard to the code breaker and eyed the screen as he let his fingers fly.
Ten minutes into his work, Jill slid down the wall. “How much longer will this take?”
“Depending on where he has the codes and files I need, upwards of an hour, perhaps more.”
“An hour?” Jill hissed, “Are you crazy? We’re sitting ducks out here!”
“It’ll take longer if you keep distracting me, now hush!” Randolph spared only a glace her way as she pushed back up to a standing passion.
Forty-seven minutes later, twenty-eight before the program reset for late night settings, Randolph unhooked the wires with a sigh of satisfaction.
“So can we go now?”
“I assume you’re talking about getting inside the house,” Randolph remarked, pocketing his equipment.
“I had hoped the way you were smiling he had left his bank account on the computer so we could leave the grounds.”
“That’s wishful thinking, and something I did explore, but alas no. All I’ve done is shut off his security net in the house and gained the entry codes to the door’s key pad so I don’t set off any silent alarms I hadn’t known about.”
“What alarm?”
“Exactly.” Randolph moved along the wall to the side door. He pulled out the lock picks and set them in place before punching in the entry code. Once entered, Randolph moved the instruments deftly with his fingers, unlocking the door easily. After a look in the darkened kitchen, he moved in and held the door for Jill while his eyes adjusted to the night light. He closed the door silently and resetting the inside pad, paused to look over the kaleidoscope of pots, skillets and utensils hung over a preparation table in the middle of the room. To his left, the cleaning station took up part of a wall, including a hydro steaming unit. The latest model, even. Over to their right, a walk-in cooler with variable locality temperature controls, very expensive and absolutely indispensable to connoisseurs of specialty dishes whose ingredients need a certain degree of temperature.
“Do we have time for a light meal?” Jill jokingly asked, trying to soothe away some of her tension.
“Oh sure, just give me an hour and I’ll whip up a meal to discuss his bank account over while we sip on his favorite wine,” Randolph remarked dryly, secretly wishing he could.
Jill stuck out her tongue then snapped her head to the entrance-way further in, instantly on guard and waving Randolph quiet.
Randolph waved off Jill’s deadly intentions, signaling her to hide as the lights in the other room turned on.
Jill shot a glare at Randolph as he squeezed behind the dishwasher. Obviously not wishing to lose the element of surprise, and only for his sake, she stepped into the cooler.
Randolph took note of Jill’s decision with thanks, and settled comfortably a moment before he heard talking in the other room, drawing closer to the kitchen.
“I’m telling you, there’s something wrong,” Randolph heard an angry voice complain as the kitchen lights came on and the door swung open. “Mr. Hilden’s bedroom lights are not on, yet I saw movement flicker on my screen in this room.”
Randolph ducked low as he could get, and only then noticed the washer was polished stainless steel. Upon seeing the reflected images of the two men approaching, Randolph knew to a certainty if he could see them, they sure as hell could see him if they were even remotely careful in looking around. Sending a glance upward for help, Randolph watched the men separate around the preparation station as the other man commented.
“Well, I don’t see anyone. The outside alarms are not going off, nor are the ones in here. Mr. Hilden must be up if he was even down here or we’d have our ears blasted off with alarms.”
“But what if it’s that guy Mr. Hilden’s been so upset about? He’s supposed to be the very best at circumventing even state-of-the-art equipment.”
“Jeff, you’re giving the guy way too much credit. Mr. Hilden has four systems alone covering the grounds, and if that doesn’t get him, the explosive pressure plates in the yard will.”
“But what of his new companion, isn’t she supposed to be a top notch assassin?”
“She’s an ex-military sniper, you dolt, which makes her absolutely useless in close combat. Besides, if she does make it to the house, Mr. Hilden has a special surprise for her. Now will you get your look see over with, so I can get back to my video show?
”
“I still want to report this,” Jeff grumbled.
“Oh, for the love of…there’s no one in here damn it!” The other pulled open the cooler, motioning his partner to have a peek. “If there was, this is the only place a person could hide.”
Randolph closed his eyes briefly in anticipation of the coming seconds, but surprisingly nothing happened. No shouts. No bodies falling. Nothing! To his surprise, Randolph opened an eye and saw Jill within the cooler, spayed-legged, both guns raised, but as neither man looked in the cooler before the door slammed closed, she never fired a shot.
“Satisfied?” the one nearest to the cooler griped. “Now cut the crap and let’s get back to our office, perhaps your equipment needs a diagnostic test.”
Jeff grumbled, but seemed to concede the point to his partner as they left Randolph alone with his heart attack.
When the door closed and the lights went off, it took Randolph some moments before he could get his rubbery legs to support him in squeezing out of his hiding hole and over to open the cooler door for Jill to step out.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Thanks for not shooting,” Randolph said with sincere gratitude.
“Don’t thank me yet,” she said, closing the door and rubbing her arms. “Because I didn’t take them out when the opportunity presented itself, we may have to deal with them at a later point, more likely at a time most inconvenient for us.”
Randolph regretted the fact Jill could very well be right if he made a mistake; still, he feverishly hoped he lived up to Mr. Hilden’s expectations.
Reapplying the night vision goggles, Randolph motioned Jill to follow, and moved up to the door. He opened it enough to look both ways down the wooden hallway.
“Which way?” Jill whispered.
“I don’t know—this hallway’s not supposed to be here,” Randolph said over his shoulder. The front of the home would be their best bet. He slipped out, and made himself like a piece of wallpaper, moving with practiced ease along the wall.
Randolph stopped at a door on their side as the wall in front of them ended in an entertaining room. With a look-see in the door, he breathed, “Bathroom.”
Jill nodded as he flattened himself up on the other wall so he could peek around the entertaining room with relative concealment. From where he stood, the wooden flooring below his feet vanished, and a white polished marble floor began. Next he took note of the sheep-skinned furniture, oak trunk tables and the absolutely beautiful redwood coffee table with an oblong glass top. With a stray thought of his mother, and how she would like that table, Randolph looked past the sound system and found the stairs by a low-level glow.
Having learned from the guards’ inspection there was a secondary alarm running to register movement, most likely installed to keep track of any guests, Randolph signaled Jill to the floor and they crawled along like two water spiders till making the stairs.
Once seated on the first rug-covered step, Jill whispered, “Did you catch a look at his video pictures? They’re quite lovely.”
Randolph glanced sideways at Jill, removed his goggles and looked about. Four video pictures, each depicted the Virgin Islands before the last storm some twenty years back wiped them clean.
“Yes, they’re quite lovely,” he admitted, as he watched one move between night and day in only a few seconds. “Now keep low and your weight evenly distributed as we ascend.”
“As you say, love,” Jill whispered with a bit more affection in her voice then the present situation dictated.
Randolph looked more closely at Jill, wondering if she’d allowed her softer side out; she was only one of the two to use terms of endearment with such feeling. But then Randolph discarded the notion, knowing full well Jill wouldn't be that stupid. As the pair moved between duel saltwater tanks to either side of the stairs, with an abundance of sea clams, colorful coral, clown fish and the very poisonous but beautiful lion fish, Jill took that moment to tap him on the shoulder.
“Darling, this gives me a grand idea.”
“Oh, what about?” Randolph asked, stopping mid way up the stairs to turn and look her in the eyes, trying to see if he was wrong about his assessment.
“Our home-to-be of course, wouldn’t a tank like this be absolutely adorable in the wall between the living room and kitchen?”
What in the hell was Jill up to? “Jill,” he began kindly so as not to upset her, “as much as I love you, this is not the time for you to be out. Could you please trade places?”
“Oh, sorry, love, it’s just that I’ve never seen how the rich live. And by the looks of this place so far, those entertainment videos don’t truly do the rich any justice if their homes look even half as good as this place is, even in the dark.”
“Tell you what—if this pans out, I’ll build a place for the three of us. Now, if you don’t mind, please let your other half out.”
“Hmm, of course, love,” Jill’s softer side intoned with some regret, then stood on tiptoes to lean into Randolph so she could passionately kiss and hug him.
“Jill, please, this is neither the place nor the time,” he scolded quietly.
“As you say, love,” she answered, then her eyes changed and the other Jill was out. “You’re lucky that’s all she did. I got an image she was trying to come up with a way to pull you back into the bathroom we passed.”
“What for?” Randolph asked mildly, much relieved.
“I’m afraid both of us are feeling horny right now,” Jill explained without embarrassment.
Randolph turned with raised eyebrows to her admission.
She shrugged. “I can’t help how we feel. My only thoughts on the matter is it’s this tropical setting. Perhaps he has the air scented with some stimulants.”
“I don’t smell anything,” Randolph remarked, irritated. How could anyone get turned on while deep in enemy territory? But then there are those who like the thrill of doing it in public places where the risk of getting caught heightens the sexual experience.
When Jill gave no other comment, Randolph took her words at face value, as they were far too deep in Mr. Hilden’s home, to argue the matter out. With a quick check into Jill’s eyes one last time, Randolph signaled her to proceed up the remainder of the stairs.
Silently he replaced his desire to throttle Jill for allowing her softer side out. If the truth were to be told, I’d rather rob a business any day over the simplest home break-ins. For two reasons really; one, there really ought to be a place a man can relax without having to worry about fighting off the wolf after working a full day at his job; and two, businesses don’t have little surprises like yappy dogs or animals—like the cat that just shot by us heading down stairs!
“John, are you all right?” Jill whispered, touching his shoulder with concern as he looked skyward holding a hand to his pounding heart.
Randolph patted her hand, nodding, then caught the name she’d called him by and hissed, “What are you doing out? I need your stronger self out right now.”
“It’s all right love, she’s having a hard time with something and told me she needs time to think about it, but don’t worry, if she’s needed I’ll tell her.”
“Uh-huh. Jill, this is not a time to keep switching about. I need to know who I’m with and if truth be told, I really need your stronger personality out right now,” Randolph explained, starting to lose his patients.
“That’s what I thought as well. But she assures me this is the best for the three of us.”
“No offense, but how is having an inexperience person guarding my back an advantage?” He argued softly, trying not to let his agitation spill out to upset her.
“She didn’t say.” She shrugged.
Her response held no signs indicating she knew how really dangerous this was.
Catching another look in her eyes that made him wish he could risk backing them out of the home, Randolph decided to try once more. “Jill, please, would you ignore her wish and change places?”
“Anything for you, love,” Jill whispered, putting her arms around him, squeezing.
Randolph awaited the transition; she hugged him tighter as if not wishing to let go. Then she pulled away, allowing her hands to slide down his arms before looking up into his eyes with adoring passion.
“Well?”
“I’m sorry, love, she won’t do it.” Jill smiled up on him, allowing her fingers to linger on his palms before she put her hands behind her as if trying to control them. “She said, and I quote, ‘Stuff it, sweetie, this is best for all concerned.’” Longing filled her eyes as she shrugged and smiled.
Grinding his teeth, not believing they were having this hushed conversation deep in the lion’s den, Randolph rubbed his face and hissed. “All right. Fine, just please keep alert.”
Jill nodded she would. So Randolph reluctantly moved them deeper into the ants’ nest, because in truth, if they left now, he would never get in this deep again.
By now the systems outside had backed up and reset, meaning it would be too risky to leave anyway, especially dragging along an inexperienced child, which is how Jill’s softer side would react to the alarms and armed guards. With a gesture she was to stay put at the top of the stairs, Randolph slipped quietly along the wall, checking out three doors in succession along the right end of the hallway. Once near the first door, he pulled out an ordinary stethoscope and placed it on the door; hearing nothing, he silently opened it to reveal a spare bedroom. Next came a bathroom at the end of the hall, then loud snoring from the next door. With Mr. Hilden located, Randolph moved to the other side of the stairway, finding the study.
Randolph reapplied the spectrum goggles, dialed through the selections and found nothing. Good. Randolph smiled. That’s how it should be. Signaling Jill to come over quietly, he checked the door once more out of anxiety and felt her arms go around his middle before she snuggled up to his back.
“Jill, what are you doing?”
“Hmm? Oh, sorry, darling,” she said giving another squeeze before letting go. “It’s just that I love you so very much.”