Post by tripp on Mar 21, 2011 1:10:42 GMT -5
June 17, 2009
2:09 a.m.
Laser alarms? Who still used those? Her eyes rolled as she looked across the corridor to the object of her desire. Where she crouched she sensed the wires and conduits, tracing them from outside the papered walls and pitted paint. Randi grinned and placed her hand on the panel, feeling out the data signals and rerouting them as she'd done since was a child. For good measure and to buy herself a little more time, several floors were now affected with the unexpected blackout. "Better," she muttered to herself as the dust particles flickered then blacked out as well with the shutdown of the beams. The layout showed her no pressure plates and the cameras would never see her. The recording told itself to loop for the next two hours, showing no one where she was now walking to the double doors of the executive office to let herself in.
Tonight's hunt was going as well as could be expected. He already had a general 'area' where his mark was... just not an exact location. He was waiting on a message coming through on his cell with an exact address. He walked the streets slowly, annoyed he couldn't just shift and run. It would attract far too much attention and then he'd miss it... He never missed a target.
He almost missed the lights going out a few buildings down, looking up just as they went out. Maybe he'd have time to have a look... Who ever it was might be on some missing list somewhere, if not today then probably tomorrow after what ever they were pulling tonight. He was going that way anyway, afterall. Two finds in one night would make him very happy.
The nearly non-existent hum of distant computer energy told her where the back-up battery was and the charge remaining as if it spoke to her. She needed no lights to find her way to the glowing treasure on the desk. No passwords were usually needed, either, but there was always an exception - when she wanted someone to take that bait. Tonight her gloved fingers used more than just the conduits and cords, waiting for the machine to come to its mechanical consciousness long enough to enter the keystrokes and wait for the link to register. "So old fashioned," she bemoaned in an impatient whisper as she traced her leather-clad fingertip over the edge of the mahogany desk and listened at the doorway for the possibile arrival of any maintenance crew that cared after midnight.
The address - a simple string of numbers to anyone listening in - came over his earpiece quietly, followed by one single word that brought a smile to his face. "Active."
Chase studied the building closest to him, working out which way the numbers were telling him to go. It would be the blackout building... Of course. Getting inside these places was never too hard. The door opened easily and he stepped inside quickly, afraid someone might catch him outside and alert his target. That would not do. He hurried down the corridors as quietly as he could. He'd shift later, if he needed to. Most times, his prescence was enough to get them to come quietly.
"How do normal people manage this way?" She sighed, waiting for the accounts to start churning the funds into dust and bulk up the unseen account she'd been filtering and feeding for several weeks. It was nearly time to cash it out before it was found. "C'mon, you piece of..." She nearly wanted to kick it, but something got her attention through the circuits, the echo of an address, the address of the building she was standing in being transferred.
Her eyes went wide, wondering now if someone had found it, perhaps another cyber on the lookout for her cyphers. Randi canceled the connection and resorted to her means of doing business. She left the passwords, but blinked away the backdoors and the links as if she'd tipped over a vase and left the water spilling out to the floor. The funds continued to trickle away to nothing as if the executive himself had done it. That's all she needed it to do, but the payment for her trouble was now non-existent and she had to get out. Climbing down from six floors of straight glass was not an option - only the door she'd come in.
The hunt was almost as much fun as actually chasing down his prey, the feline in him loving his human side stalking prey as his animal would do in the wild. Another set of numbers echoed into his ear and he moved down the cofridor, counting the doors until he found the right one and opened it slowly with a smile.
"Knock Knock..." He chuckled softly, pushing the door fully open but blocking the doorway.
She stopped in the shadows and backed away, looking for a gun first, then bared hands that might have just as nice of a shock value as her own. Unfortunately, her primary skills weren't so effective on dull humans unless they were decked. He didn't seem the type to have that kind of equipment. She smiled to herself about his entrance, however, wondering what he did have in mind if he caught her. Her hands were out at her sides. "You startled me," she feigned, trying to appear innocent as she glanced at the space over his head - did she have enough room? "Late night in the office. I was just leaving," she said, making a point to step back around to shut off the computer.
"Sure." He smiled, trying not to make it too obvious he didn't believe her. "Just the power's playing up in the building Miss... Saw your terminal was still active and thought I'd come to escourt you out, make sure you didn't fall and do yourself some injury in the dark." The black trousers and shirt could pass for standard security uniform, as long as she didn't look too closely. "Especially seeing as the other guard doesn't go home for another twenty minutes." He kept it casual, his tone light... just like a guard coming on shift for the night.
Guard? She hadn't seen one and why would there be one when the cameras did all their lazy work anyway? Too cocky, Randi, just play along with the cute guy. "Well aren't you sweet? I know. Isn't just the weirdest thing? It's not even stormy tonight. Huh. Well, I'll just get my things since I can't do anything else tonight." That much was true. She leaned on the desk, her wrist contacting the cords and sending the circuitry a little burst of random data. The lights flickered and strobed, hopefully with enough suddenness to distract him.
She amused him already - he hadn't had someone to play off, the way he was her... and he couldn't help but think that she was him as well. Someone had obviously come into the building before him, and she wasn't as flustered as he'd have expected her to be, had she not been expecting company.
He couldn't help looking up, "Best we be moving quickly, miss. I don't like the look of those lights."
Good idea, she smirked, launching over the desk heels first to kick him aside as he looked away. He was tougher than he looked or he wouldn't be so seemingly unguarded. He had something hidden as much as she did and her best option was to run before finding it out first hand.
~Sloppy... very sloppy, Chase.~ He couldn't help mentally chiding himself as she caught him almost completely off guard, knocking him out of her way.
"If I have to hunt you down, Waters, you'll be sorry..." He warned, a hint of a growl under his words. If she ran, he wouldn't be able to stop himself giving chase, more than likely shifting in the process.
"Name isn't Waters, pipsqueak," she spat as she darted out of the room and tried to get to the contact point to reset the laser alarms. Chances were very, very good he had nothing to do with the building and everything to do with the account she was pilfering from, possibly even the man's personal bodyguard and now he'd seen her face. That was unfortunate. She stopped at the end of the corridor, feeding the data back to the lasers that would sound well and loud the moment he hit them unless the man could fly. She frowned. What if he could? She had to consider her own means of transportation for the moment and skittered back to the duct she'd come through. The chair seemed frustratingly further away going back up than coming down onto it through the grate and she couldn't quite get the handhold she needed to pull herself up.
"You're not...?" He frowned, before taking a few strides after her, forcing himself to stop a moment. "You're not Waters? Didn't think you were old enough to be my guy.." He called down to her, pacing a little to try and shake off the urge to change and run down the coridor and slam into the chair. He didn't -want- to shift, not if she wasn't who he was after. She could be very useful.
Did he think she was going to stop and accept an apology for mistaken identity? Whatever he was smoking was awfully good - and almost worth the consideration if he would share it, but not enough to keep her from trying again to climb up. "They don't pay me enough for this," she sighed, missing as her glove got caught and she slipped back into the chair. The so-called guard was still in the room and she sank into the chair as if she meant to sit there casually draping her leg over the arm. Something wasn't right and all she could do was stare. He wasn't after her, or something else was and he was waiting for it. She propped up on the arm of the chair, trying to get her footing again to leap, or at least fight now that one glove was already off. "Some guard you are - I'm not a guy at all," she called back, almost sad that he hadn't seemed to notice that fact.
"Figure of speech love..." He shivered, shaking out his hand to try and dispel the excess energy that had started flowing anticipating his shift. "Couldn't pay me enough to guard this place." He shook his head, wanting to ask her what she'd been doing. "Did you turn the alarms off?" He frowned a little, watching her. "Cause you could always reset them downstairs and head out the front door... was my plan anyway.." He offered, trying to save her the hassle of climbing up.
"What?" Now she was truly confused. Was he trying to help her not get caught by the real guard now? "Whatever your game is, I'm not sure I'm playing it. What do you want with ... what's his name, Waterford?"
"Client of mine hired me to... 'find' him. Probably break his legs or something when he gets his hands on him... Thought this was my lucky night, with him being signed on up here. Perfect time to take him, so few witnesses, if any." He shrugged. "Don't ask me why, cause I don't know why they want him... they just do, and they're paying me good money to find and retrieve him. Your excuse?"
"Mousetraps. Set the traps, but usually I get the cheese. Looks like you're the mouse tonight," she said, not sure a direct answer was necessary and not sure why she was answering him at all. She'd already lost her money for the night and now she was intrigued by the mention of his. "They pay you good money to find mice, Pip?"
"It's Hunter, sweetheart, or Chase." He smirked. "And yes. They pay very well indeed for my services. What with my reputation for being able to get guys such as him..." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the empty desk. "Why, you gonna offer to help me find him, seeing as he's not here?" That would make things so much easier...
2:09 a.m.
Laser alarms? Who still used those? Her eyes rolled as she looked across the corridor to the object of her desire. Where she crouched she sensed the wires and conduits, tracing them from outside the papered walls and pitted paint. Randi grinned and placed her hand on the panel, feeling out the data signals and rerouting them as she'd done since was a child. For good measure and to buy herself a little more time, several floors were now affected with the unexpected blackout. "Better," she muttered to herself as the dust particles flickered then blacked out as well with the shutdown of the beams. The layout showed her no pressure plates and the cameras would never see her. The recording told itself to loop for the next two hours, showing no one where she was now walking to the double doors of the executive office to let herself in.
Tonight's hunt was going as well as could be expected. He already had a general 'area' where his mark was... just not an exact location. He was waiting on a message coming through on his cell with an exact address. He walked the streets slowly, annoyed he couldn't just shift and run. It would attract far too much attention and then he'd miss it... He never missed a target.
He almost missed the lights going out a few buildings down, looking up just as they went out. Maybe he'd have time to have a look... Who ever it was might be on some missing list somewhere, if not today then probably tomorrow after what ever they were pulling tonight. He was going that way anyway, afterall. Two finds in one night would make him very happy.
The nearly non-existent hum of distant computer energy told her where the back-up battery was and the charge remaining as if it spoke to her. She needed no lights to find her way to the glowing treasure on the desk. No passwords were usually needed, either, but there was always an exception - when she wanted someone to take that bait. Tonight her gloved fingers used more than just the conduits and cords, waiting for the machine to come to its mechanical consciousness long enough to enter the keystrokes and wait for the link to register. "So old fashioned," she bemoaned in an impatient whisper as she traced her leather-clad fingertip over the edge of the mahogany desk and listened at the doorway for the possibile arrival of any maintenance crew that cared after midnight.
The address - a simple string of numbers to anyone listening in - came over his earpiece quietly, followed by one single word that brought a smile to his face. "Active."
Chase studied the building closest to him, working out which way the numbers were telling him to go. It would be the blackout building... Of course. Getting inside these places was never too hard. The door opened easily and he stepped inside quickly, afraid someone might catch him outside and alert his target. That would not do. He hurried down the corridors as quietly as he could. He'd shift later, if he needed to. Most times, his prescence was enough to get them to come quietly.
"How do normal people manage this way?" She sighed, waiting for the accounts to start churning the funds into dust and bulk up the unseen account she'd been filtering and feeding for several weeks. It was nearly time to cash it out before it was found. "C'mon, you piece of..." She nearly wanted to kick it, but something got her attention through the circuits, the echo of an address, the address of the building she was standing in being transferred.
Her eyes went wide, wondering now if someone had found it, perhaps another cyber on the lookout for her cyphers. Randi canceled the connection and resorted to her means of doing business. She left the passwords, but blinked away the backdoors and the links as if she'd tipped over a vase and left the water spilling out to the floor. The funds continued to trickle away to nothing as if the executive himself had done it. That's all she needed it to do, but the payment for her trouble was now non-existent and she had to get out. Climbing down from six floors of straight glass was not an option - only the door she'd come in.
The hunt was almost as much fun as actually chasing down his prey, the feline in him loving his human side stalking prey as his animal would do in the wild. Another set of numbers echoed into his ear and he moved down the cofridor, counting the doors until he found the right one and opened it slowly with a smile.
"Knock Knock..." He chuckled softly, pushing the door fully open but blocking the doorway.
She stopped in the shadows and backed away, looking for a gun first, then bared hands that might have just as nice of a shock value as her own. Unfortunately, her primary skills weren't so effective on dull humans unless they were decked. He didn't seem the type to have that kind of equipment. She smiled to herself about his entrance, however, wondering what he did have in mind if he caught her. Her hands were out at her sides. "You startled me," she feigned, trying to appear innocent as she glanced at the space over his head - did she have enough room? "Late night in the office. I was just leaving," she said, making a point to step back around to shut off the computer.
"Sure." He smiled, trying not to make it too obvious he didn't believe her. "Just the power's playing up in the building Miss... Saw your terminal was still active and thought I'd come to escourt you out, make sure you didn't fall and do yourself some injury in the dark." The black trousers and shirt could pass for standard security uniform, as long as she didn't look too closely. "Especially seeing as the other guard doesn't go home for another twenty minutes." He kept it casual, his tone light... just like a guard coming on shift for the night.
Guard? She hadn't seen one and why would there be one when the cameras did all their lazy work anyway? Too cocky, Randi, just play along with the cute guy. "Well aren't you sweet? I know. Isn't just the weirdest thing? It's not even stormy tonight. Huh. Well, I'll just get my things since I can't do anything else tonight." That much was true. She leaned on the desk, her wrist contacting the cords and sending the circuitry a little burst of random data. The lights flickered and strobed, hopefully with enough suddenness to distract him.
She amused him already - he hadn't had someone to play off, the way he was her... and he couldn't help but think that she was him as well. Someone had obviously come into the building before him, and she wasn't as flustered as he'd have expected her to be, had she not been expecting company.
He couldn't help looking up, "Best we be moving quickly, miss. I don't like the look of those lights."
Good idea, she smirked, launching over the desk heels first to kick him aside as he looked away. He was tougher than he looked or he wouldn't be so seemingly unguarded. He had something hidden as much as she did and her best option was to run before finding it out first hand.
~Sloppy... very sloppy, Chase.~ He couldn't help mentally chiding himself as she caught him almost completely off guard, knocking him out of her way.
"If I have to hunt you down, Waters, you'll be sorry..." He warned, a hint of a growl under his words. If she ran, he wouldn't be able to stop himself giving chase, more than likely shifting in the process.
"Name isn't Waters, pipsqueak," she spat as she darted out of the room and tried to get to the contact point to reset the laser alarms. Chances were very, very good he had nothing to do with the building and everything to do with the account she was pilfering from, possibly even the man's personal bodyguard and now he'd seen her face. That was unfortunate. She stopped at the end of the corridor, feeding the data back to the lasers that would sound well and loud the moment he hit them unless the man could fly. She frowned. What if he could? She had to consider her own means of transportation for the moment and skittered back to the duct she'd come through. The chair seemed frustratingly further away going back up than coming down onto it through the grate and she couldn't quite get the handhold she needed to pull herself up.
"You're not...?" He frowned, before taking a few strides after her, forcing himself to stop a moment. "You're not Waters? Didn't think you were old enough to be my guy.." He called down to her, pacing a little to try and shake off the urge to change and run down the coridor and slam into the chair. He didn't -want- to shift, not if she wasn't who he was after. She could be very useful.
Did he think she was going to stop and accept an apology for mistaken identity? Whatever he was smoking was awfully good - and almost worth the consideration if he would share it, but not enough to keep her from trying again to climb up. "They don't pay me enough for this," she sighed, missing as her glove got caught and she slipped back into the chair. The so-called guard was still in the room and she sank into the chair as if she meant to sit there casually draping her leg over the arm. Something wasn't right and all she could do was stare. He wasn't after her, or something else was and he was waiting for it. She propped up on the arm of the chair, trying to get her footing again to leap, or at least fight now that one glove was already off. "Some guard you are - I'm not a guy at all," she called back, almost sad that he hadn't seemed to notice that fact.
"Figure of speech love..." He shivered, shaking out his hand to try and dispel the excess energy that had started flowing anticipating his shift. "Couldn't pay me enough to guard this place." He shook his head, wanting to ask her what she'd been doing. "Did you turn the alarms off?" He frowned a little, watching her. "Cause you could always reset them downstairs and head out the front door... was my plan anyway.." He offered, trying to save her the hassle of climbing up.
"What?" Now she was truly confused. Was he trying to help her not get caught by the real guard now? "Whatever your game is, I'm not sure I'm playing it. What do you want with ... what's his name, Waterford?"
"Client of mine hired me to... 'find' him. Probably break his legs or something when he gets his hands on him... Thought this was my lucky night, with him being signed on up here. Perfect time to take him, so few witnesses, if any." He shrugged. "Don't ask me why, cause I don't know why they want him... they just do, and they're paying me good money to find and retrieve him. Your excuse?"
"Mousetraps. Set the traps, but usually I get the cheese. Looks like you're the mouse tonight," she said, not sure a direct answer was necessary and not sure why she was answering him at all. She'd already lost her money for the night and now she was intrigued by the mention of his. "They pay you good money to find mice, Pip?"
"It's Hunter, sweetheart, or Chase." He smirked. "And yes. They pay very well indeed for my services. What with my reputation for being able to get guys such as him..." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the empty desk. "Why, you gonna offer to help me find him, seeing as he's not here?" That would make things so much easier...
