December 3
Yekaterinburg
1750 local
CD and Webb had spent the day hiding in a back alley, but were now
ready to 'acquire transportation'. At Webb's suggestion, they had
found a nightclub run by the local mafiya. Sure enough, the parking
lot was filled with high-priced automobiles...and security.
"Well, what now, master thief?" CD asked sarcastically.
Clay smiled. "We use what's available to us," he replied.
Mercedes's face scrunched in confusion. "I don't follow."
"Exactly. You stay here, I'll go get us a car."
"But--"
"Relax. I'll handle it," he said, before darting off.
She sighed in frustration. Men. Act first, think later.
Cautiously, she moved into a spot where she could see, but still stay
hidden.
She watched and waited. Sure enough, a few minutes later, several
cars in the back of the lot let loose with a cacophony of noise as
their alarms were triggered. While the guards all rushed to the
commotion in the back, she saw Webb quickly scramble up and over the
fence at the front.
But as the alarms began to shut off, there was no sign of him, and
Mercedes began to worry. When only two of the alarms remained active,
she decided. Oh well...she was never any good at waiting, anyway.
A quick glance showed the guards still occupied in the back, so,
copying Webb, she clambered to the top of the fence and over, dropping
to the ground and quickly diving behind an SUV. She was in... now to
find Webb.
******
Clay had chosen a car easily; a large black Mercedes Benz sedan
sat near the front, but close to wall of the club, leaving it in
shadow. While he'd disarmed the alarm easily enough, hotwiring it was
turning into a problem. There was some sort of secondary anti-theft
device built into the wiring that he had to work around, and it was
taking too much time. At least he'd gotten the interior light off
before anyone noticed.
"Allow me," a voice whispered in his ear at the same time he felt
the warmth of her body behind him. A pair of slim-fingered white hands
reached in, moving past his own.
"Mercedes! What the…! I told you to stay put, dammit!"
"Yes, and you also said you could handle this. I can see you've
done a spectacular job so far," she hissed sarcastically.
"And you can do better?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. Now get your butt in the verdammte
passenger seat and watch for guards," she ordered, whispering.
Clay did as instructed, crawling down on to the floor of the
car. "Be careful. There's a secondary device--"
"--That locks the ignition if you try to hotwire it the regular
way. I know. Here," she said, passing him her bag, "hang on to this and
get ready to move. We won't have a lot of time once the engine fires
up."
He took the bag, saying, "But we need to switch places."
Mercedes's were now deftly pulling down wires from the dashboard
and unhooking and reconnecting them. "Why?"
"I'm driving. The car's got a manual transmission."
She looked at him, humor sparkling in her blue eyes and an odd
look on her face. "Relax. I can drive a stick."
Indecision warred on his face for a moment before he answered.
"Fine. But if we get caught, you're explaining this."
She simply nodded, her attention on the wires in front of her.
A moment later, she looked up at him. "Get ready," was all she said, as
she slid up into the driver's seat.
He nodded, and she pushed the clutch to the floor, then tapped two
wires together. The engine came to life with a rumbling hum.
Sitting up, she glanced around, but no one had noticed yet. They will
in a moment, she thought.
"Get in the seat and put the belt on," she ordered Webb, who
complied even as she secured her own seat belt. Another quick glance
around, then she turned back to Clay. "Here we go," she whispered
breathlessly, as an impish grin came over her face. "As the hurricane
told the palm tree, hang on to your nuts!"
With that, she flipped on the lights, revved the engine and
punched into first gear. The car jumped forward with a roar, sending
the guards into confusion. A quick jump to second, then double-
clutching up to third, she wove her way through the parked cars and
aimed for the gate.
The car barreled through, sending the gate flying. They were well
down the street and turning a corner before any of the guards even made
it to the front of the lot.
Inside the car, Mercedes relaxed a bit, having checked and found
no one following them. She turned to Webb. "Well, that went better
than expected. Where to?"
Webb could only stare at her.
***********************************************************************
December 5
Trans-Siberian Railway
Between Gor'kiy and Vyatka
2237 local
The old woman pushed the snack cart slowly down the corridor,
looking for an occupied cabin. There weren't many passengers on this
late trip, but those who were might want a bit of refreshment before
trying to sleep.
She moved to the next compartment and peeked in, smiling at what
she saw. Ah, to be young and in love, she thought, looking at the dark-
haired couple snuggled together.
The man, tall and black-haired, had stretched out, propping his
feet on the opposite seat. The auburn-haired woman next to him sat with
her legs over his, bent at the knee to dangle centimeters from the
floor. They were wrapped in a close embrace, arms around each others'
waists, her head tucked in the warm crook of his neck, as his rested
against hers.
The old woman sighed, then began pushing her cart further down
the aisle. Those two didn't need her or anything on her cart; from
what she could see, with her wise old eyes, all they needed was each
other.
TBC....
Yekaterinburg
1750 local
CD and Webb had spent the day hiding in a back alley, but were now
ready to 'acquire transportation'. At Webb's suggestion, they had
found a nightclub run by the local mafiya. Sure enough, the parking
lot was filled with high-priced automobiles...and security.
"Well, what now, master thief?" CD asked sarcastically.
Clay smiled. "We use what's available to us," he replied.
Mercedes's face scrunched in confusion. "I don't follow."
"Exactly. You stay here, I'll go get us a car."
"But--"
"Relax. I'll handle it," he said, before darting off.
She sighed in frustration. Men. Act first, think later.
Cautiously, she moved into a spot where she could see, but still stay
hidden.
She watched and waited. Sure enough, a few minutes later, several
cars in the back of the lot let loose with a cacophony of noise as
their alarms were triggered. While the guards all rushed to the
commotion in the back, she saw Webb quickly scramble up and over the
fence at the front.
But as the alarms began to shut off, there was no sign of him, and
Mercedes began to worry. When only two of the alarms remained active,
she decided. Oh well...she was never any good at waiting, anyway.
A quick glance showed the guards still occupied in the back, so,
copying Webb, she clambered to the top of the fence and over, dropping
to the ground and quickly diving behind an SUV. She was in... now to
find Webb.
******
Clay had chosen a car easily; a large black Mercedes Benz sedan
sat near the front, but close to wall of the club, leaving it in
shadow. While he'd disarmed the alarm easily enough, hotwiring it was
turning into a problem. There was some sort of secondary anti-theft
device built into the wiring that he had to work around, and it was
taking too much time. At least he'd gotten the interior light off
before anyone noticed.
"Allow me," a voice whispered in his ear at the same time he felt
the warmth of her body behind him. A pair of slim-fingered white hands
reached in, moving past his own.
"Mercedes! What the…! I told you to stay put, dammit!"
"Yes, and you also said you could handle this. I can see you've
done a spectacular job so far," she hissed sarcastically.
"And you can do better?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. Now get your butt in the verdammte
passenger seat and watch for guards," she ordered, whispering.
Clay did as instructed, crawling down on to the floor of the
car. "Be careful. There's a secondary device--"
"--That locks the ignition if you try to hotwire it the regular
way. I know. Here," she said, passing him her bag, "hang on to this and
get ready to move. We won't have a lot of time once the engine fires
up."
He took the bag, saying, "But we need to switch places."
Mercedes's were now deftly pulling down wires from the dashboard
and unhooking and reconnecting them. "Why?"
"I'm driving. The car's got a manual transmission."
She looked at him, humor sparkling in her blue eyes and an odd
look on her face. "Relax. I can drive a stick."
Indecision warred on his face for a moment before he answered.
"Fine. But if we get caught, you're explaining this."
She simply nodded, her attention on the wires in front of her.
A moment later, she looked up at him. "Get ready," was all she said, as
she slid up into the driver's seat.
He nodded, and she pushed the clutch to the floor, then tapped two
wires together. The engine came to life with a rumbling hum.
Sitting up, she glanced around, but no one had noticed yet. They will
in a moment, she thought.
"Get in the seat and put the belt on," she ordered Webb, who
complied even as she secured her own seat belt. Another quick glance
around, then she turned back to Clay. "Here we go," she whispered
breathlessly, as an impish grin came over her face. "As the hurricane
told the palm tree, hang on to your nuts!"
With that, she flipped on the lights, revved the engine and
punched into first gear. The car jumped forward with a roar, sending
the guards into confusion. A quick jump to second, then double-
clutching up to third, she wove her way through the parked cars and
aimed for the gate.
The car barreled through, sending the gate flying. They were well
down the street and turning a corner before any of the guards even made
it to the front of the lot.
Inside the car, Mercedes relaxed a bit, having checked and found
no one following them. She turned to Webb. "Well, that went better
than expected. Where to?"
Webb could only stare at her.
***********************************************************************
December 5
Trans-Siberian Railway
Between Gor'kiy and Vyatka
2237 local
The old woman pushed the snack cart slowly down the corridor,
looking for an occupied cabin. There weren't many passengers on this
late trip, but those who were might want a bit of refreshment before
trying to sleep.
She moved to the next compartment and peeked in, smiling at what
she saw. Ah, to be young and in love, she thought, looking at the dark-
haired couple snuggled together.
The man, tall and black-haired, had stretched out, propping his
feet on the opposite seat. The auburn-haired woman next to him sat with
her legs over his, bent at the knee to dangle centimeters from the
floor. They were wrapped in a close embrace, arms around each others'
waists, her head tucked in the warm crook of his neck, as his rested
against hers.
The old woman sighed, then began pushing her cart further down
the aisle. Those two didn't need her or anything on her cart; from
what she could see, with her wise old eyes, all they needed was each
other.
TBC....