Chapter 21
First step was to get to the upper floors, unfortunately we couldn't do that with Andrew Bailiwick staring at us -more like staring at Harriet- all the time.
"He won't stop looking at us," I said in frustration
"Yeah I know," Harriet replied
"And if you must know we cannot carry out the mission with him watching your fine ass the whole time," I said which earned me a razor sharp look from her. "Just saying"
"Well what do you suggest I do. Go up to him and start flirting?" she said it in a mocking tone that said she was only kidding but that didn't mean we couldn't actually do that.
"Well actually," I said squinting my eyes and a smile playing on my lips.
"No"
"Oh yes," I said as I moved away from her she was about to follow
"Harriet. Stay. Put," I said in my earpiece and turned my back to her walking casually through the crowd like I belonged stopping occasionally to the waiter to take up a glass of champagne. I sneaked a glance towards Andrew and just as I thought he made the move for Harriet. I looked at the fire escape door and then at the elevators. I decided it was best to go for the elevators. With that in mind I moved towards them and pressed the arrow pointing up.
It only took a few seconds for the gold electroplated doors to slide apart and I stepped into the elevator pushing the button for the 10th floor as a starter.
"Alright Harriet you keep the charming prince busy while everyone else gets into position," I positioned my SIG to the side of my hip for a quick draw. Call it intuition or a gut feeling or even a spider sense but I had a feeling that it was necessary.
"Alright Aubrey which floor am I heading?" I asked
"That would be the 98th floor at the far end of a room," Aubrey replied.
"Thanks," I said and hit the door for the 30th floor which was the max altitude that my current lift would take me. It would make sense for the engineers to make 30 floor intervals where the end of each lift held up another lift that would continue another 30 floors and so on because to have an elevator going all the way from the bottom to the top would be physically impossible.
I heard the elevator ding and reach a halt before the doors slide open. I was taken to a wide corridor which had a similar golden glow like that one I left in the ground floor only that there were doors to different rooms that were adjacent to each other on the opposite side of each wall, five on one side and five on the other. At the end of the corridor were another set of three elevators. I quickly made my way to them and was heading for the 60th floor.
The elevator door opened after a couple of minutes and I ran across another corridor with a similar design to the elevator. This one was different though. It lead all the way to the 102nd floor which if I recall was the last floor.
Without wasting time I beeped the button for the 98th floor and with that the elevator went up. My blood was boiling with anticipation. As soon as the elevator doors opened I stepped out at the end of the corridor was a room door that was golden brown with a shiny tag at the top of it saying 'Deluxe suite' and an electric lock that would only be opened by a key card.
Whoever owned that roomed must be filthy rich.
"Where am I going buddy?" I asked Aubrey
"Should be at the far end of the room," he replied and I guessed it was through the deluxe suite.
"Well that's a let down"
"How come?"
"It's behind a door that has an electric lock," I replied as I walked along the corridor passing by some potted plants that gave the place an appealing appearance. I took note of a fire escape door a few feet away from the elevator. It was at the right side of the wall. I looked at it warily and made sure it was closed before I moved past it.
When I was a few yards away I heard the hinges creak behind me. I turned my head to the side and saw the fire escape door open a few inches before the barrel of a Micro Uzi was pointed in my direction.
Shit, I thought before dropping to my knees just as a cascade of bullets hailed past were my head previously was and struck the adjacent wall.
My right hand was already drawing for my SIG while at the same time I was running in a crouched position. I couldn't turn to aim and fire at the gunman I mean I would but not before he could get the drop on me so I just held my gun pointing backwards and squeezed the trigger. My SIG barked as I squeezed the trigger sending quick bursts that went wide, not that I was aiming for him, no I just needed him to duck reflexively. Using the opportunity I hid behind one of the plants my back leaned against the clay pots. Wasn't much cover there so I had to move and I had to move fast. The barrage of bullets that were shredding the poor plant apart just gave an even bigger need to move.
Move or die Harper! My brain screamed at me.
I fired a couple of rounds at the now fully open door where I saw a figure duck for cover. I ran across the corridor. Bullets taking out chunks of the golden tiles of the floor.
Miraculously I made it behind another potted plant unscaved by the bullets. I looked at the door to the deluxe suite that was now a few yards away. The shots had momentarily stopped which meant the gunman was out of ammunition and was currently reloading. I took that as an opportunity to aim at the electronic lock and place a round through it, damaging the electronic system. I stood up straight and ran for the door. I heard bullets coming after me and I wasn't sure if any of them would hit me because my main focus was placed on the door. Almost launching myself off the ground, I rammed shoulder into the door with all my strength as well as my weight hoping that I wouldn't rebound and be left exposed at the mercy of a blood thirsty gunman.
The door swung open and hit the wall behind it while I landed belly flat on the floor. My chest was hurting but I didn't dwell on it as I rolled to the side, bullets ripping through the space I just vacated and was now behind the solid cover provided by wall. My shoulder hurt like hell and I felt a soaring hit along the left side of my ribs. I quickly reached and traced my fingers along that side only to find that it was just the jacket that was torn and not my skin. Seems a stray bullet had barely missed me but I could still fell the heat from it's passage.
I raked the slide of my gun and checked my magazine. I only had three rounds left, luckily I had the sense so bring a spare magazine with me. I slipped the magazine back into the butt of my gun and raked the slide again ready for action.
I took in the appearance of the fancy suite with golden tiles on the floor. The room was dark but I was able to make out the slight appearance of the plasma tv hanging on the wall and the shadows of the sofas that were angled towards it, there was a small corridor that led into another room that was most likely the bedroom where the owner of this room.
"Aubrey. You're sure the case is in this room right?" I asked through my earpiece
"Yes," Aubrey replied
"Can you get me some information pertaining to the deluxe suite particularly the owner?" I asked with the idea that if I could tell who was in this room then I could guess the most likely places he/she might hide some valuable goods, including the briefcase.
"Yeah sure just give me a few moments," he said
"No worries," I raised my SIG. "A few moments is all I need"
I leaned out the door cautiously and fired my weapon through the corridor and at the fire escape. I received a response as bullets hailed my way as well taking out a few chunks from the door frame a few inches from my head. I cursed and quickly too cover before ejecting my empty magazine and feeding a fresh one to my gun.