Chapter 1 #3
That wasn’t what troubled him, however, once they got inside and made it to the monitoring room, like something out of an 80s action movie, complete with ancient TV screens. What concerned him was that they hadn't come across anything to suggest the place had been broken into before.
“You sure they haven’t altered anything since the theft?” Luke asked as they stood staring at the screens.
“Positive. It was my main line of questioning before they hired us.”
“But there’s no sign of jack shit.”
“I can see that. Same story as several others, according to that briefing this morning. It’s as if they were hit by a ghost, or their security was shut off from the inside by one of their own.”
“You don’t think that’s what it was?”
“Wish it were that easy.” Isaac crossed his arms, brow furrowing at the monitors.
Larson didn’t even have personnel here. Security guards were only for after hours, and apparently, their little trial run didn’t count.
“There’s no indication of an inside job.
I’d blame it on their security system, but all the others hit like this used different companies. Whoever this thief is, they’re good.”
“Sounds like you.”
“They wish.” Isaac preened.
“You think about asking Willow G?”
“I did. You know she never gives up any clients.”
Willow G was the city’s most reputable information broker used by gangsters, thieves, and fences alike—and neutral enough to not have a grudge against Isaac. He’d known her for over a decade, and he still didn’t know what the G stood for.
“She swore that, whoever this is, they’re not using any fences. No one she knows anyway. She asked if it was me too.”
Cameras and alarms didn’t stop the truly savvy criminal but getting past even that minimal of security without leaving any breadcrumbs was a commendable feat. Isaac would have wanted to hire this person if his life had gone differently.
“Can’t make recommendations if we don’t know how the place got knocked over to begin with,” Luke grumbled.
“We can make recommendations about this pitiful arrangement.” Isaac gestured at the screens. “We’ll learn everything else we need soon enough.”
“How? By playing footsie with Wen?”
Isaac shot him a scathing look. “We’re through here. I’m sticking around to see how this plays out. I expect your report on my desk tomorrow morning.”
Luke grunted. He acted like brainless muscle, but he didn't miss attention to detail. That’s why he was so good in the field; no one expected the brute to be clever.
After he’d left, Isaac took the tracker out of his pocket to roll it between his fingers again.
“Hey, boss?”
“Yes, Riley?”
“Sounds like Wen is one building over, watching from the roof. Want me to patch you in?”
“Please do,” Isaac said, already turning for the exit to take the stairs.
There was a crackle over the two-way radio, a brief pause and a click, and then—
“—hours, man. It’s getting dark out, and instead of trying to earn us more clients, you’re obsessing over the one you lost this morning,” Kevin complained.
“I’m not obsessing,” Andrew said. “Ford knows as much as we do about this mystery thief, maybe more now. We have to get ahead of him, or we’ll be losing a lot more clients real soon.”
“And how much has your Batman routine delivered so far?”
Silence, which meant Andrew hadn’t gotten anything, exactly as Isaac had planned. He couldn’t learn much without breaking into Larson Manufacturing himself.
“Should I start checking the classifieds?” Kevin mocked. “You know, since we are dealing with Artifice. Here’s one: Annoyed man desperately seeking more sensible friend.”
“I’ll call it a night soon, okay?” Andrew said. “I just want to see what he does next.”
Isaac smirked, opening the door to the roof to meet the cool evening air. The hours had ticked by and it was indeed getting dark, but he stayed hidden for now, peering from the stairwell to see where Andrew was.
There—to his left. A good distance separated the buildings, but Andrew was visible standing in the corner of the opposite rooftop near a gothic statue of a gargoyle with its tongue lolling out.
“Can we get some real work done tomorrow?” Kevin said, though his voice was more humored than annoyed. He was young like Andrew, and as talented as Riley at handling tech.
Not enough to realize they were being eavesdropped on, however.
“Sorry, Kev. I’m not trying to obsess. I just couldn’t get Ford out of my head after this morning.”
Oh really?
“How did that go down anyway? I mean, you got a tracker on him, so you must have gotten close.”
Intimately.
“Uhh… mostly just in passing. Five minutes tops. Sleight of hand, you know.”
Sleight of Isaac’s hand first.
“Well, I hope you get something out of this,” Kevin said, “but don’t stay out too late. You’ll get back on top with Ford soon.”
It took all of Isaac’s self-control not to laugh. He certainly hoped that was true.
“Thanks,” Andrew said with the hint of a sneer only Isaac would notice. “Have a good night.”
There was another click as Kevin signed off, but Andrew didn’t immediately hang up. He had an earpiece in as well, and instead of reaching up to disconnect the radio, he placed a hand on the gargoyle’s head and looked out over the city.
“Not too shabby a view, eh, Bruce?”
Isaac pressed the voice button, causing a fresh crackle to sound over the line, as he stepped out of hiding.
“That you, Kev? I’m heading out. Honestly, I could use a nap. I am so ready to hit the nearest mattress.”
“That an invitation?”
Andrew gripped the edge of the roof in alarm, but he didn’t see Isaac, faced away from him. “Ford?! How did you—”
“It seems Mr. Sedgwick accidentally crossed our lines. And looks like we’re alone.”
Andrew glowered, not buying the ‘accidentally’ part one bit, but it wasn’t anything he could prove. “What do you want?” he demanded, relaxing against ‘Bruce’ after his initial startle. “Yeah, we’re alone. Kevin signed off for the night.”
“Not exactly what I meant.”
Isaac waited, watching and leaning against his own ledge until Andrew felt the weight of his eyes and finally turned. Isaac waved.
The buildings were three to four meters apart, enough for a narrow alley to exist below, though the drop was still significant, and jumping across would require nerves of steel.
Not that Andrew looked like he’d try that.
He stared in shock at how Isaac had snuck up on him, right in his line of sight if only he’d been looking in the right direction.
“Now I have to worry about you infringing on my favorite perches?” he said, his voice distant across the rooftops but clear over the radio.
Isaac pulled out the tracker and chucked it across the expanse.
Andrew caught it, and then scowled when he realized what it was. “Can’t blame me for trying.” He shrugged and shoved it into his pocket.
“Oh, I could, but all’s fair in corporate espionage, and that wouldn’t be nearly as fun as the punishment I promised you.
” Isaac made a point to drift his gaze slowly down the length of Andrew’s body, dressed as he’d been that morning in a pressed button down and slacks with a long navy trench coat that revealed a flash of red interior when he moved. “You do owe me one.”
Irritation crossed Andrew’s face, followed by curiosity, a glance around to be sure they were alone on their respective rooftops, and then a slow, creeping interest. “If I agreed with that… what would you want?”