Chapter 11
Mr. Gold painstakingly pored over dozens of pages of handwritten surveillance summaries, jotting down the most important details to organize for himself. Some of the pages were quite legible and easy to follow, such as those written by Mary Margaret. Others…not so much.
"August, next time just jot down your observations in the form of a list. This reads more like a trashy detective's novel!"
"Just being thorough," he replied, scratching at his scruffy stubble. "I can retype that for you if you'd like."
"No, thank you, I can manage."
He set down his pen and rubbed his eyes tiredly. For this to succeed he would have to work out the timing of every con perfectly. The entire heist could be ruined by one unaccounted for guard!
"I believe it's time for our next task," he said, addressing the entire team. "Security. They have an eye and an ear on everything so we want an eye and an ear on them. Emma? How does it look?"
Emma was lounged on a rickety fold out chair, leaning back on its two rear legs. Her feet were casually propped up on the lunch table with her computer over her lap. "Well, it's not the least accessible system I've ever seen, but it's pretty close. I don't suppose they have a Closed Circuit Feed I could tap into?"
Gold shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not."
She took a long swig of soda. "Then it's definitely a Black Bag job. How many people have access to their system mainframe?"
"Besides Regina?" asked David while scarfing down some Chinese food before his next shift at the casino. "Only one. Sidney Glass, Head of Security, or as us hourly paid employees refer to him as, The Mirror. If he's not glued to the monitors, he's hiding behind the mirrored walls spying. He likes to watch. It's kind of creepy."
"What do we know about him?" asked Gold as he reached for the inside man's much larger collection of notes. "Does he have any obvious weaknesses?"
"He's super paranoid and a heavy drinker," answered David easily. "Spends most of his spare time at a strip club somewhere downtown. I heard it's a high end place called the Enchanted Forest."
"Hey, I know that joint!"
Ten sets of raised eyebrows looked up at Leroy.
"What are you all looking at?" he demanded, looking thoroughly uncomfortable. "What I do on my own time is none of your business! If I wanna go to a strip club then I damn well can!"
"What's a strip club?" asked Henry, suddenly appearing behind them, surprising everyone. Sometimes that child was just too quiet.
"It's…uh…you see, Henry…sometimes, um…" sputtered Emma, looking around helplessly.
"Hey, kid!" called Neal, digging into his backpack. "I picked us up a few more comic books when I was out. Why don't you come listen to some music on my phone over here and read them while we finish up our boring meeting, okay?"
"Cool! Thanks a lot Neal!" Henry ran over and eagerly took the new books and stuck the headphones into his ears.
Emma smiled hesitantly in their direction. "Yeah, thanks Neal."
Gold cleared his throat loudly. "Now that innocent ears are protected, go ahead Leroy. What can you tell us about it?"
Leroy's rough exterior softened and his features took on a far off, dreamy look. "The Enchanted Forest is a magical place! I've kind of started seeing one of the girls there after her shifts. It's sort of against the rules but she doesn't care. We're in love! Her name's Astrid but on stage she goes by Nova, 'cause when her clothes come off, a Super Nova goes off in your…"
"Eww!" cried everybody at once.
"God, I wish I was Henry right now," moaned Emma, covering her ears.
"Thank you, Leroy. That's quite enough. Give her a call. Find out if she knows Glass, which girl is his favorite and when she works next."
~8~8~8~
The following evening, the team was busily prepping for the task ahead. Their goal was to distract Sidney Glass long enough for someone to borrow his Level 1 Pass Card and bring it to the Casino. Emma could then use it to gain access to the surveillance mainframe and hack into their system.
Time was of the essence. They had to return the card to Glass before he noticed or it could raise suspicions.
While the men were busy arguing over who got to go to the Enchanted Forest, Gold was at the motel helping a nervous Emma prepare for her role.
"Seriously? A tie?" Emma groaned at the thin, black garment Gold held in his hand.
"I didn't make the dress code, dearie," he replied dryly. "Protocol states that all on-duty security personnel must wear ties, even the women."
"It just seems rather sexist! Do you have any idea how many major criminals I've taken down being a Bounty Hunter? And not once did I wear a tie."
He sighed resignedly. "You have no idea how to knot one, do you?"
"Not a clue!" she said, her cheeks pinking slightly. "Do you mind?"
Gold smirked as he tucked the tie underneath the collar of her white blouse and began to knot it. "You never had to tie one for any of your boyfriends, Miss Swan?"
"I don't think I've ever had a boyfriend who even owned a tie, to be honest." She fidgeted awkwardly as he finished the half-windsor knot. "How about you? Did any of your girlfriends fix your ties for you?"
His nimble fingers faltered on the knot as a sharp pain pierced his heart. He swallowed hard. "There was one, once."
"What happened to her?" she asked quietly.
"I lost her. There's nothing more to tell really. That's the thing about love, Miss Swan. Love is like a delicate flame. One wrong move and it can be snuffed out." He straightened the finished tie and adjusted it properly around her neck. "I hear that my son has been spending a lot of time with Miss Blanchard lately."
Emma shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "Wow. You really know how to take the focus off yourself, don't you?"
"And you are quite good at deflecting," he replied. "Don't let your pride get in the way of your feelings, Emma. Because when that moment finally comes that you realize what it is you truly want, it may be too late."
"We have a problem!" said David, marching into the room. Leroy and Archie quickly followed behind him.
"Astrid just called," explained Leroy. "Glass's favorite girl just took a bad fall off one of the poles. She's on her way to get her ankle x-raid. She can't work tonight."
"Sidney is very particular about the type of woman he spends his time with," added David. "Apparently he has a thing for Regina, of all people! He won't stick around unless there's a girl there that reminds him of her."
"I guess this means I can take this tie off then," said Emma, looking relieved.
"Wait just a moment," ordered Gold, running a hand over his face. "We may still be able to make this work."
"How?" asked Archie. "I can't think of another place where we would have this opportunity. If he's not at the club then he's at the Casino, and we can't touch him there."
"And there ain't any other girls at the club that fit Regina's description," added Leroy.
"No," said Gold, smirking. "No, the Enchanted Forest may not have any…but we do."
~8~8~8~
"I can't do this!" cried Mary Margaret, pacing back and forth in front of the full length mirror. She couldn't bear to look at her reflection. The white feather costume she wore barely covered the essentials, while the three inch stiletto heels wobbled precariously underneath her.
"I think you look wonderful!" said Astrid, wearing what looked to be a giant pink jellybean dress. "Mr. Glass is going to love you!"
"As long as he doesn't love too much of her," said David dangerously from the door. "I don't like this plan at all."
"She'll do fine. She won't have to strip or dance, just sit on his lap and smile."
"Smiling I can do," said Mary Margaret to herself.
"He'll identify her instantly!" insisted David. "She has one of the most recognizable faces in the country! Why can't Ruby do this instead?"
"Because Ruby is busy tailing Regina for the next couple of days," said Mr. Gold as he limped into the room. "Besides, she doesn't quite fit the bill. Miss Blanchard, on the other hand, shares several distinguishable similarities with her step-mother. She's even wearing the same shade of lipstick."
"Plus I have this white mask to hide her face," added Astrid. "He'll never know it's her."
Gold walked the length of the room to stand next to Mary Margaret. He kept his hands firmly on the top of his cane and his gaze met only her eyes, for which she was very grateful. "I know this makes you uncomfortable, dearie, and I'm sorry about dragging you into this. But it's the only way."
She nodded her understanding but didn't reply. Her nerves were too great to speak at the moment.
"As you know, the men were all eager to volunteer to come here," continued Gold. "I've assigned Archie to make the lift while David will watch over you to ensure your safety. The others will not be around, much to their dismay."
"Thank you, Mr. Gold," she whispered. She hated the thought of Leroy, Jefferson and August leering at her. Even having her new friend Neal around would make her uncomfortable. The fact that David would be nearby brought her some comfort.
"Will you be joining us this evening, Mr. Gold?" asked Astrid, smiling politely.
He cleared his throat loudly and…was that a blush? "No, dearie. I don't think so. There is only one woman that has my interest and she is not to be found here."
~8~8~8~
The club was dimly lit and reeked of sweat and desperation. Mary Margaret readjusted her mask hoping it would cover her face a bit more fully. She could only imagine what the tabloids would say if she were recognized; The Fairest of the All Bares All, most likely.
She plastered her famous smile on her face and did her best to saunter towards Astrid who spoke with a middle-aged dark skinned man in a gray suit. She silently prayed that she wouldn't trip over her own feet on the way, or worse, have her behind slapped by some drunkard.
"Mr. Glass, this is Candy," crooned Astrid, now Nova, into his ear.
Sidney frowned into his whiskey. "Where's Karma?" he demanded.
"Karma's having a bit of bad luck today," said Mary Margaret in her most sultry voice. "She thought you might like to spend some time with me instead."
He looked at her appraisingly. Leered, more like it. His gaze lingered on the swell of her breasts and the dark red lipstick she knew had always been her step-mother's favorite.
"She'll do," he murmured, tapping his free hand on his lap, inviting her to take a seat. "Nova, sweetheart, could you bring me another drink?"
"I'll let your waitress know right away," said Astrid. "I'm needed on stage." She gave Mary Margaret's shoulder a quick reassuring squeeze before disappearing.
"That's an interesting perfume you're wearing," Glass said, nuzzling her neck.
She saw David get up from his stool across the room. He looked like he was wanted to cut the security man's head off! She raised a hand warningly in his direction. She could handle this!
"It's called Apple Blossom," she murmured in his ear. She may not be a professional con artist but she could pull the wool over this man's eyes. She grew up idolizing her step-mother and learned a few tricks along the way. "I find there's something very…sensuous…about forbidden fruit, don't you?"
She snuck her tiny hand in between the buttons of his silk shirt and caressed his chest. He shivered at her touch and never noticed Archie's nimble fingers as they dipped inside his jacket pocket.
He nodded to David and made his way toward the exit where he could then rush the Pass Card to Emma. Hopefully hacking into the casino's state of the art surveillance system wouldn't take too long!
She snuggled into Glass's lap and made herself comfortable. For the next hour her only task was to keep him from leaving. When she was done she would treat herself to a scalding hot bath and a bottle or two of wine!
Until then, she would just have to put up his presence and watch Leroy's girlfriend as she tore off all her clothes while hanging upside down on a stripper pole.
~8~8~8~
Emma carefully pinned her altered ID card to her chest. August had removed Killian Jones's information and picture and expertly replaced it with her own. Her new identity and credentials should easily fool other security personnel as long as they didn't look too closely. She readjusted her ear piece and microphone and tapped it discreetly. "Gold, can you read me?"
"Yes, dearie, loud and clear," came the quick reply. His Scottish brogue seemed even thicker over the spyware. "Are you ready?"
"Ready as ever, I guess. Cue the distraction."
"Good luck, Emma!" said Henry in her ear.
She took a deep, calming breath and tried to relax her muscles. This was the most dangerous part of her task. If she was caught, she was done for. Everything she had heard about this Regina woman was that she was as vindictive as she was ruthless.
At least Henry would be taken care of if something were to happen to her. He was safe at the motel sitting with his biological father and grandfather and didn't even know it. Gold would take care of him. He didn't seem the type to abandon family.
"Hatter. Grumpy," she heard Neal say in her earpiece. "It's time to party."
Emma stood in a recessed alcove, giving her the perfect view of her target while remaining as inconspicuous as possible. She saw Jefferson, dressed in one of his most elaborate suits, frilly cravat and top hat included, cross the busy casino floor carrying a dozen 'Happy Birthday' helium filled balloons. They strained against the long cords but he held them tightly wrapped around his fist.
He disappeared from view but she easily followed his path by way of the balloons. Right on cue, he stopped in the middle of the room. Raised voices reached her ears despite the constant noise from the slot machine and gamblers.
"Hey! Watch where you're going, sister!"
"Who're you calling 'sister', shorty?"
"You, sister, are wearing more eyeliner than a Showgirl! And I should know! I'm dating one!"
Jefferson shoved Leroy with all his might, but the short man was solidly built. He didn't budge. When the push was reciprocated, however, Jefferson was thrown back and his precarious grip on the balloons was gone. They sailed straight up the high ceiling to land directly around the round black camera.
For the next minute or so, security was blind in that small corner of the casino.
She waited with bated breath as the black suited man guarding the cage door pressed his finger to his ear. He looked up at the ceiling and spoke into his microphone. Nodding to himself, he left his post and made his way over to the unlikely pair now screaming obscenities at one another.
Her window of opportunity was open. She walked swiftly by her co-conspirators and headed to the door.
"Gentlemen, I need you to remove your balloons immediately," she heard the gruff man say to Jefferson.
"Ha!" cried Leroy, appearing extremely intoxicated. Perhaps he was. "You're a balloon man!"
"I don't have time for this," said Jefferson. "I'm late for a very important date!"
Emma removed Glass's Level 1 Pass Card and carefully swiped it against the security pad. The red light blinked to green and the unmistakable hiss of hydraulic locks being unhinged was heard.
She was in.
The hallway was brilliantly lit and painted shockingly bright white with black trees dispersed throughout. It was like walking through some bizarre forest. It looked like it was meant to be whimsical but instead gave her the creeps.
Yup. This was probably going to give her nightmares for years to come.
She covertly looked down at her hand where she had hurriedly drawn a map of the labyrinth secured area. The cameras in this section were fully functional and she had to be careful. Any odd behavior could raise suspicions.
Turning left then taking the next right, she found herself in a deserted hallway that seemed to hum all around her. She must be close. Verifying the room number once more from her hand, she checked it against the small engraved plaques attached to every door.
There it was. Holding her breath for luck, she swiped the Pass Card once more and waited.
It too turned green. She was in.
"I made it," she wheezed into the communicator. "It'll take me a few minutes to find the right wires then we should be good to go."
"Excellent, my dear," said Mr. Gold. "We'll let you know as soon as we have a visual."
Emma quickly searched through the dozens of terminals until she found the correct one. Digging into her pocket, she withdrew a small electronic device and got to work.
~8~8~8~
Seated comfortably in his motel room, Gold waited impatiently for Emma to pull off the impossible.
"Don't worry, Mr. Gold," said Henry, looking up from another comic book. "If anyone can pull this off, it's Emma. She's the best at everything!"
"If there's one thing I've learned about your mom, it's never to underestimate her."
Gold studied Henry's features closely, marveling at how much the young lad resembled his own son at that age, and wondered once again how Neal failed to see it! Hopefully Emma would soon come clean and acknowledge the boy's parentage.
He wondered what it would be like to hear Henry call him Grandpa.
"You know, Mr. Gold, I've been thinking," said Henry thoughtfully. "I was really good at helping Archie the other night. And I want to do it again. I want a part to play in the mission."
He smiled indulgently at the ten year old and ruffled his hair affectionately. Yes, there was absolutely no doubt that this child was related to him. "We shall see, Henry. You must know that this is very dangerous. Everything in life comes with a price. It would be a shame if you should have to pay it at such a young age."
"I'm ten! If I get caught, I say I snuck in on a dare! What are they going to do to me, really?"
"What if they took you away from Emma?"
"How would they know who I am? Again…I'm ten! You could get Neal to come in with a fake ID and say he's my father! Just think about it. I could be so useful and there's no risk! I'm tired of just reading about heroes. I want to be one."
"Papa, the screens are up!" called Neal across the room. Six computer screens burst into life as whatever technical magic Emma had conjured began to work. Gold sat down next to his son and quickly assessed the situation.
"We are good to go, Emma," Neal said into the microphone. "Now get out of there."
"With pleasure!" she replied.
They watched silently as she expertly navigated the maze of corridors and exited through the same door from which she entered. The guard paid her no mind. His job was to keep people from going in, not checking who comes out.
"Contact Archie and tell him to meet up with her at the rendezvous point. I'm sure Miss Blanchard is eager to get that card back."
~8~8~8~
Mary Margaret was ready to kill someone!
Not only did she have to endure the incessant petting from Sidney Glass as he became more and more inebriated, but she also had to put up with other men propositioning her every few minutes!
The fact that she had been curled up on another man's lap for the last hour did not seem to deter most of the drunks. She would kindly decline, saying she was quite comfortable right where she was and that seemed to satisfy Sidney.
David, on the other hand, was looking more and more harried every moment.
"I know you're new here and all," slurred Glass, his fourth whiskey tipping precariously from his hand, "but I have a standing arrangement with Karma…off the books, so to speak." His other hand wandered upward until he cupped her heavily padded breast. "I have a room at the inn next door."
Uh oh! she thought. Where the Hell is Archie and that damn card?
"I'm sorry, honey," she said out loud as she slowly removed the offending hand, "but I'm not a full service kind of girl. Maybe Nova could recommend someone for you."
His eyes darkened dangerously. Perhaps he was drunker than she had previously thought. "I don't want another girl. I want you, Regina!"
"My name is Candy, remember?" She looked around desperately but David was nowhere to be seen. She was on her own. "How about I get you some coffee, Mr. Glass?"
He grabbed the back of her head and pushed her towards his face. The heady scent of alcohol wafted over her, making her gag. "How about you do your job?"
A pair of strong arms suddenly grasped her around the waist and picked her up off the man's lap. David, his features now covered by a baseball cap and pair of sunglasses, wasted no time in punching Sidney in the face. Mr. Glass fell to the ground hard, too drunk to catch himself. Archie bent down to check on the unconscious man and slipped the Pass Card into an empty pocket.
David quickly removed his jacket, wrapped it around Mary Margaret's scantily clad body and scooped her up into his arms. "Are you all right?" he asked as they raced out of the Enchanted Forest.
"Yes, I'm fine," she replied, thankful to be out of the suffocating club and into his comforting arms. "Thank you. That was very charming of you."
"It seemed like the honorable thing to do."
A/N – So next chapter we will get our first glimpse of Belle!