Stealing Silence(16)
At the three quarter point along the length of the limb where a thick side branch expanded the canopy, she pulled out her length of knotted rope and tied it around the secure join, looping it over the fat knuckle before lowering it to the roof below. She watched it disappear but could not see where it ended. If it did not reach the entire way, she would just have to drop the remaining distance. Avalon swung onto her belly then lowered her legs until she felt a knot beneath her slippered toes. She gripped the knot then lowered herself until she was gripping only the rope and moved quickly down its length.
The spotlight moved her direction and she gasped. She could not be spotted hanging from the rope. Avalon let the rope play through her hands and when she reached the final knot, she hung just for a second, then dropped the remaining two feet to the gravel roof. The spotlight swung her way and she dropped flat to the rooftop, praying that the camouflage would be enough to pass unseen. The light crossed by the corner, catching the rope but due to its thin consistency, it did not reflect in the brilliant beam as it passed. Avalon froze, squeezing her eyes shut to protect her night vision as the light flooded her location. She counted one, two, three, four...at the count of ten the light moved on and Avalon opened her eyes, lifting her head. Carefully she looked around at the rooftop, getting a sense of her surroundings.
“Good, Avalon. Pan around the roof again.” Mitch’s voice in her ear was a comfort, one she was surprised to appreciate. Slowly, she looked around the rooftop, noting the locations of the ductwork and the HVAC units, fixing in her mind the direction she needed to go. She stared in that direction. Mitch murmured, “Yes that is the right way. Keep low and use the ductwork for cover.”
Avalon got to her feet and ran to the closest set of ductwork, ducking low and running along its length. At this time of night, there was no reason for anyone to be on the roof but she did not want to assume this was the case. She came to the first junction and dropped to her knees, listening to the night. Slowly she scanned the area and when nothing moved, she ran across the opening to the next branch of ductwork, working her way to the stairwell doorway that she had spied from the pine.
The dome of the greenhouse glass rose in her vision, a greyed out reflection. Mirrors, the greenhouse tiles were mirror surfaces, reflecting the light back inside. That is why no light escapes despite being greenhouses! “Mitch, the greenhouse is a mirrored surface. The grey tiles are the mirror backing. That is why no light is visible right now.”
“Good work, Avalon, you are right. Makes sense, it’s a sealed facility. The grey blends in with the roof, from the sky unless you are a satellite and you are targeting the complex, it’s all one grey roof. Careful on the door. Check for door contacts first. Remember what I said.”
“Mitch, I have been breaking into places like this for years.” Avalon could not keep the amusement out of her tone.
“Yes, my dear, and I have been watching you all that time.”
“Uh...yeah. Well I won’t make a mistake this time.”
Avalon slunk up to the wall beside the door and froze in the shadows, watching for anything that moved. With lithe steps, she crouched in front of the door and swung her backpack to the ground beside her. She slipped her hand inside and felt around until she found the tin foil and wire, secured in a zip locked baggie. She pulled out what she needed, and set to work, folding the tinfoil repeatedly until she had built up multiple layers. She activated the pin light on the camera and shone it into the crack of the door frame, scanning for security contacts. At each one, she wedged a flattened wad of tinfoil in front of the frame contact, gluing it in place with a touch of contact cement. She worked quickly, worried that the spotlight would flood the rooftop once again. “OK, tinfoil is in place, you ready to do this?” she whispered.
“Do it,” said Mitch.
Avalon reached forward, slid a pry bar behind the door latch and pulled. The door sprung open and swung out onto the roof, revealing a dark staircase, illuminated by strips of emergency lighting. Avalon froze, muscles tensed to run, but no alarm sounded. Although the break in had been silent, she knew some alarms did not make a big noise. If she had tripped a silent alarm, she would not know it until she had more company than she wanted. She remained still, listening hard. Several moments passed, and then with a deep sigh of relief, she put the materials back in her pack and pulled out a flashlight. She moved cautiously into the metal stairwell, pulling the door closed behind her. Outfitted with a panic bar, the door opened easily from the inside. A large warning sign plastered the upper half. “CAUTION! ALARM MAY SOUND!” She chuckled as she read it. “Or not,” she muttered as she turned away. Mitch laughed softly in her ear. “Be careful now.”
Avalon crept down the metal ribbed staircase, silently treading down the squared spiral through four turns. At the landing, another door presented itself, the metal hatching embedded in the glass confirming it to be a safety glass. Avalon slid up beside the door and tested the knob. The door was not locked. On the other side was a long concrete block corridor, painted a faded yellow. Avalon craned her neck, looking both directions but the corridor appeared to be deserted. She examined the frame and could find no evidence of any security feature on the door.
“That is the access corridor for the fifth floor. It connects the two halves of the warehouse. You need to go to the right,” said Mitch. “At the end of the corridor will be another door. On the other side of it, there will be a hallway with a series of doors. The doors lead to different laboratories. Peet says that you are looking for a door that says “Lab E-Environmental Testing”. Beware, many of the scientists work long hours. There could still be someone in the lab even at this late hour.”