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I knew the polymer they were made of wouldn't break, but there were probably some divots in the concrete and gravel below.
"We'll find another way out of here," she said.
Excellent. I'd planned to rappel, but it would be interesting to see how they planned to leave.
Once in Pratt’s office, I picked up the bugs I'd planted and then grabbed the cloning device from underneath his laptop.
It was lit green. All his files had been copied.
Gabe gave me a sharp nod as he and Tabatha stood watch at the door.
"That's what I would have done too."
I chuckled. "I'm so glad you approve."
The three of us went out the door and down the hall.
We reached the supply closet just in time as we saw the lights of the guards headed our way. I knew they wouldn't walk into the office unless they saw something disturbing, so we had some time.
Tabatha frowned. "How are we getting down to the vault?"
I grinned and pointed up.
Thanks to the schematic maps I had, I knew the vent that was in Pratt's office led along this hallway. It was far less risky for us to climb up here than in his office.
Turning a bucket over, I stood on it and removed the grate.
I was up and through in seconds. It was a tight fucking fit, but we’d make it work.
I didn't wait for Gabe or Tabatha. They were professionals, and they knew what to do. Working our way through the vents was grueling work. Some turns were hard to make, and it took a total of twenty minutes. But finally, we made it to the vent chute that led to the vault.
Bracing with my feet and my palms was rough work, but I finally managed to reach into my tool belt and pull out the cooling canister. I opened the grate and then dropped it down.
The dry ice quickly started to spread, cooling the room rapidly. The thermometer I'd pointed at the room finally read the temperature I needed, and then I let myself drop down to the ground.
Less than thirty seconds later, Tabatha was behind me, and then Gabe followed her. Tabatha gave me a nod of what I thought was appreciation, and she and Gabe took up their posts again at our likely egress.
The way the vault was designed, obviously, it should be locked from the outside.
No one ever assumed anyone would need to walk out of the vault. That would likely change. I went to the box that I needed and began drilling. My watch buzzed, telling me we had exactly fifteen minutes to get the hell out of there before the temperature of the room became an issue.
It took me five minutes to get the box open. And then after that, it was easy. I reached in and pulled out the Ledger. The final Ledger.
And to be a wanker, I took all the cash and the passports, too. And then I put the box back. You could tell it had been opened, but not at first glance. I wanted him to have hope when he came back for it. My watch buzzed. "That's our cue. We have to move."
I stood on the table and groaned as I glowered at the vent. "This is going to hurt."
Pulling myself back up was more of a chore. But this was the plan. It had always been the plan.
It took us only fifteen minutes to make it back up to Pratt's floor before the next round of guards were coming. And then we had to use a decoder to get back into his office.
Two minutes to go. I could almost hear the guards with their flashlights walking the other way again.
"Come on, come on, come on, let's go. Fucking hell."
When the decoder flashed green, I muttered a curse and then all three of us went through the door, closing it quietly behind us. We hooked a knot around the heavy oak desk, and Tabatha went first, rappelling down the side of the building.
She shook the rope, and Gabe stared at me and said, "You next."
