In and out.
I can do this.
The large building comes into view. It’s dark out, but I can make out the cream colored brick and the large sign that’s back-lit on the front of the building. Pearce & Co. The name sounds familiar to me, but I can’t place it. I know I’ve heard it before…
“Park up front, close to the building.” Gio instructs the driver.
“Can everyone hear me?” Charlie asks, testing out the ear devices. We all nod in agreement.
“Okay,” Gio addresses the group. “We need to be quick. Annie, if you get stuck, just talk to us, okay?”
I nod sheepishly.
I can do this.
We depart the Escalade and Frank leads me to the side of the building where there's an emergency ladder that leads to the roof. He looks over his shoulder, keeping watch of our surroundings.
I feel like I should be crawling or sneaking, but the guys walk normally. Maybe I’ve watched too many spy movies. I feel grateful for the leather jacket at le
ast, it makes me look and feel tougher than I actually am.
I imagine myself as a badass. A woman who takes no shit and gets what she wants. That’s who completes this job, not me. I’m completely detached.
Frank helps me remove the cover to the vent, showing me the obstacle I’ve been training for. He gives me a small smile, his attempt at being nice. He’s trying, but I don’t imagine he understands social skills very well. I return the smile anyway. I’m not about to slight the man who enjoys beating people up for sport.
He takes his spot at the corner of the building so he has a good view and hovers a finger over the stopwatch. “Whenever you’re ready.” He tells me. Though I know he means, go now because there's no time for me to sit here and pump myself up.
This is it.
Now or never.
“Let’s go.” I reply with the most confidence I can muster and crawl into the vent.
It takes effort to keep myself from sliding straight down, but I practice the way Charlie taught me. Using my boots to control my speed and lowering myself down. The vent is just like the one I practiced in, except maybe a little more stable. I always felt like Charlie’s replica was about to break or tip over. This feels solid.
I keep going. “Almost there.” I say to the guys. I get to the angle, and take a deep inhale and release all the air. I reach forward and shimmy myself through. Just like we practiced. I feel relieved, that’s the hardest part.
I keep crawling. I should pass two openings and then the third will be my exit. When I get to the third one I look though it and can see what looks to be a lobby. I pull the tiny screwdriver from my pocket that Gio had given me and get to work unscrewing the cover. It pops off and falls straight down.
“Shit,” I grumbled.
“Don’t worry about it.” I hear Gio say in my ear.
I inhale deeply and lower my legs through the hole. Hanging from the ceiling, my legs are still several feet away from the ground. This part was never practiced. Charlie would just say “And then you jump.” And I would pretend to jump and we would high five and start over. It’s not so much of a jump now as it is a fall. I take another deep breath and let myself drop.
My feet hit the ground, one of them landing on the discarded vent cover causing my ankle to bend and pain to shoot up my calf. An arrangement of swear words escapes my lips.
“Annie?” I hear Gio in my ears. “What happened.”
The pain is bad, radiating up my leg. I try to push myself up but putting weight on my ankle is agonizing. “Um,” I whimper, “I think I broke my ankle.”
“Annie,” Gio says calmly. “I need you to get to the door, okay? Open the door and we can get you out.”
Logically I know I have to open the door, but it hurts and I don’t want to.
“Yeah,” I mutter, “Okay.”
I push myself up the best I can and drag my ankle along as I limp to the door. “Code?” I ask.