| Page 7 |
| �She keeps coffee brewing in the kitchen. The shrink serum�s in a cupboard there, too.� Everyone knew that Alicia had been thinking about this from the moment she got the information.
�Good,� Kylee whispered, �we dose her. She needs that coffee to make up for deficiencies in her screwed up sleep. She�ll eventually have some tonight.� Kara trembled and a hand warily made its way into the air. �How do we get there? How about getting out of here? What if she catches us?� Kylee took point on this one. �There are no exits the way we�re going. Her sentries aren�t providing as much coverage that way. As for the other two, we deal with them the best that we can.� �That glue plug should pop out,� Alicia offered. �Pounding the rest of the way should be easy, Kylee and I are nearly experts in martial arts. Now go back to bed and wait for her to end her next patrol. We�ll have thirty minutes after she goes back to her room. Her absolute favorite toys will be keeping her busy in there.� The trio got into position with mere seconds to spare. Katie had come through quieter this time around. The noise of her footsteps picked up after her initial surprise and her rounds ended on schedule. Alicia, Kara, and Kylee met near the plug twenty seconds later. �We all need to grasp where the glue protrudes,� Alicia ordered. �It�s cheap and I know it doesn�t adhere to glass worth a damn.� �Less talk, more pull,� Kylee reminded her. A minute of straining led to the glob of cyanoacrylate sliding free. No sound came from its release and they were as cautious when setting it aside. Kylee and Alicia stood side by side for the next part. Their movements were synchronized; a tap on the plastic with outstretched fingertips followed by a sharp punch to the same spot. Kara winced at the thwacks and had to contain an overflowing of glee when the thin membrane of plastic cracked and broke apart. They cast the nervous glances of inexperienced burglars, afraid they�d woken the neighbors. Kylee stopped. �Time?� �Two and half," answered Alicia without hesitation. Two minutes and thirty seconds had elapsed since Katie's patrol had ended. �Let's move. Don't forget the plug, we don't need you-know-who spotting it.� They did their best to drag it after them. It fit back close enough that only someone their size would see the difference. Each tank sat on a stand and theirs was closest to the living room. Beyond that lay the kitchen. Each conspirator had to swing from the lip of the stand to the leg. From there, it was a fire pole ride to the floor and twenty yard sprint to the couch. Each one made it undetected and rested amongst the dust bunnies. �Seven, so far,� announced Alicia. �How do we get to the cupboards?� Kara threw at them. �I've kept things in both houses. I've been in both enough to form a variety of plans.� Above them was the underside of the couch. The outlines of the springs could be seen and some poked through the fabric. Alicia reached inside one such hole and extracted various items. Several coffee stirrers, another tiny pair of scissors, a spool's worth of thread, and two thumb tacks found their way to the floor. �There are good handholds on the drawers once you reach the second set.� As she spoke, she tied some thread to one tack and cut some excess. �We just need one person to get that high, affix this, and lower the thread. Eight and a half.� �I've got to learn to do that,� Kara muttered to herself. �I'll do it. I used to do track and field, pole-vaulting was my specialty.� Alicia helped her get ahold of the apparatus and passed a stirrer. �The handles are flat and are solid to the drawer, no gaps to fall through. Kylee would do this, but I think Katie's many bruisings haven't fully healed, or the other treatment.� The agent nodded in acknowledgment as Kara readied herself. They carried the rest of the equipment for the dash to the kitchen. Kylee and Alicia hung back from the drawers while Kara did her thing. The teeny brunette dashed over the linoleum, her bare feet padding along. The vault went flawlessly and she quickly secured the line. �Twelve.� Kylee lingered back. �It's the damndest thing, Alicia, but I could swear we were being followed.� �Good or bad?� �How could it be good? Too late now, though, to turn back.� She clapped her partner on the back. �Do or die time.� They made it to the rope and struggled to get the equipment up with them. After an effort that would make a Greek hero proud, everything and everyone got onto the counter. The coffee machine loomed to the left and their first target was in front and above. �Eighteen.� After that simple reminder, Alicia went to work with her the rest of her team. The extra stirrers were forced together into a long pole. Together, they maneuvered it to the cupboard and propped it up. Kara volunteered to go again, awkwardly gripping the last tack. A careful shimmy up the device got her into position to jam the tack in next to the cupboard door. Alicia was quick behind her with the thread. She did her best to stay on the pole and force the door while Kara worked from her position on the tack. The door gave way and held open for them to slip inside. A small vial awaited them and Alicia tied it up. �Twenty-five.� The container was lowered into Kylee's waiting arms. She struggled with it and set it beside the coffee maker. The others slid down and moved the contraption into its next position. �Planning something?� a high-pitched voice rang out. |
 |