Chapter 4: Take Two

Tima entered the towering building of her mark quietly having found a back entrance. She stepped into what looked like a service area there were many bins in the room filled to different levels with tablecloths, linen napkins and other such stuff from the lobby's restaurant. She noticed this only in passing dodging between the rolling bins and avoiding several workers on their dinner break. She paused briefly at the door opening it only a crack and scanning the hallway beyond her. She sighed seeing no one about or at least in the vicinity of the laundry room. She cracked the door sliding quickly through it and closing it quietly behind her.

As she stepped into the lobby she assumed an air of belonging, sauntering past several ritzy shops trying to gouge the infrequent customer. She paused several times along the way looking with vague interest over the baubles reflecting the lighting. She continued on heading in the general direction of the elevators. Tima smiled to herself as she stepped into a waiting car realizing the timing could not have been more perfect. She had arrived just after the evening rush of returning workers, and knew with this lot that no one would be stirring until about nine in the evening. That meant that the elevator car was hers alone, and that furthered her plans quite nicely. She had wanted to go all the way to the top but found that the penthouse was card-coded and therefore inaccessible with the tools that she had. So she would make up for that fact with her skills. She punched a button that would take her closest to her desired floor. There was a pang as she realized that it was the same on which she had so narrowly escaped before. That edged on her nerves until she reminded herself that she wasn't even going to see the carpet in the hall.

As the door closed and the car began to rise she made herself relax. She looked up scrutinizing the ceiling with emerald eyes picking the line that showed the access hatch. Stretching high she pulled it open it and lifted herself easily through it. Landing lightly on the roof of the car she replaced the panel and then looked up, watching the distance between her and the roof shrink quickly.

Tima gathered herself as she felt the change in the momentum of the car as it reached the designated floor. She heard the muted ding of the announcement and again turned her eyes up the elevator shaft. Taking little time she judged her jump and easily cleared the distance between her and the ledge above the car. She made several zigzagging leaps across the shaft until she ended up on a small ledge just above the protective doors to the penthouse floor.

Smiling to herself Tima chose a comfortable pose knowing that she was in for a wait. But she figured, hey it was Friday night, sooner or later her mark was going to get out of the place for the night.

She did not relish the idea of meeting the man again. She kept trying to tell herself that she could take him now that she had the measure of his ability. Yet a small part of her wondered, "Can I really?" She tried not to think about it as the minutes stretched into long hours.

Logan sat at his computer typing instructions for his latest investigation, wondering silently if he would ever gain on the avalanche of corruption he was up against. Oh well it did keep him busy.

He heard Bling step up behind him, even though a part of his mind had kept track of the man through the house all day, an ability that was as natural as breathing now. Bling said, "More to do?" Just to make conversation.

Logan took a deep breath and pushed himself away from the table looking at his watch. He had been here three hours now gathering information, "Yeah, still fighting the good fight," He replied looking up at Bling with a sly smile.

"Well, I'm done. I'm gonna go home," Bling said amiably.

Logan nodded, "Thanks Bling, See you Monday then."

Bling smiled again, "Don't stay on that too late. There are other things to do on a Friday."

Logan's smile broadened, "I won't."

With that Bling departed and Logan watched him go, wondering why he still came around. Logan had originally hired Bling as a personal trainer to help with his therapy while he was still paraplegic. That had taken on another facet when Logan had let him in on Eyes Only and Bling had gladly taken on the added duty of being Logan's bodyguard.

Now-a-days Logan needed neither a physical therapist nor a bodyguard and Bling knew it. He had seen Logan's progression from chair-bound to walking to what he had become now. In Logan's mind that was astonishing. Had he been in Bling's shoes, he would have vacated the moment those abilities had started to emerge. Logan could only guess that Bling was jaded by his dealing's with Max, and figured anything that happened around her was to be expected, no matter out of the ordinary or downright odd it seemed. He still came around doing things for Eyes-Only and other things around Logan's house, and while Logan appreciated it he wondered sometimes if he wasn't holding Bling back from something bigger and better.

Logan sighed and shrugged. Bling seemed content to stay, even when Logan offered to let him off the hook. Who was Logan to judge Bling's motives, and Logan was happy to have him around.

Logan pushed that thorny problem to the back of his mind and leaning forward, re-immersed himself in his work.

Tima was nearly asleep when things began to happen for her. She started awake as the car chimed under her perch. She was instantly alert watching and listening as the car opened. She distinctly heard a set of feet step from the apartment and into the elevator. She smiled slyly to herself, and as the elevator descended down the shaft she prepared herself for the nights work. She was confident that she would not be disturbed tonight.

Lowering herself onto the small ledge of the Penthouse, Tima pried open the protective doors and slipped through into the foyer. The entryway was astounding to her, she had never seen such a display of wealth in her short life. If the Foyer looked like this she could only imagine the treasures that awaited her inside the penthouse. The walls were completely done in lacquered hardwood and the tan carpet was plush under her feet. She shook herself loose of the hypnotizing grandeur of the entryway, and made herself step over to the door. She touched her ear to the wall listening intently for the subsonic noise that would indicate an active alarm system. She smiled again, hearing only silence, "You would think someone with a place like this would protect it better while they're gone!" she mused.

Crouching down, Tima pulled out her very expensive lock-picking device and inserted it into the knob. With a satisfying click the door unlocked and she straightened pushing the door inward and stepping quietly inside. Her eyes widened as she took in the understated but definitely expensive decor the owner had chosen. It was obvious that it had been a studio at one point all of the walls appeared to be postproduction additions.

Everywhere she looked there were priceless artifacts, statues and paintings. It was a Burglar's paradise in here! She continued to move through the place examining the decorations, putting the small expensive ones into her fanny-pack.

Logan had become absorbed in his work again, and his attention only shifted slightly when he heard the door the open again. He figured Bling had returned to pick up something that he had forgotten. He resumed typing his query, when his internal radar told him that it wasn't Bling. A shot of adrenaline surged through him and his eyes slowly moved up. He pushed up out of his chair ensuring that it made no noise and shut down his system. Logan cautiously moved out of his study heading toward the front door.

He looked down the hall before moving, looking for and not finding the intruder his radar said was inside his place. Arriving at the door he found it ajar and peering out toward the elevator he found the protective doors open and no car in the shaft. His mouth thinned as he pieced together what was going on. The face of the girl flashed into his mind again and his expression became grimmer.

"She must have been waiting nearby for me to leave," He thought, "Boy will she be surprised."

He was confused for a moment, "Why would she wait for you to leave?" that analytical part of his brain said, "If it is the Manticore she would want you here not away."

Perhaps he was mistaken about the signature of his intruder, perhaps it was one of the burglars that was roaming the area. That would be a better scenario than the one that he was currently mulling over.

Logan quickly closed the door and set the perimeter alarm just on the offhand chance he couldn't handle it on his own. His ears pricked up at the sound of quiet noises coming from the other side of his house. He gravitated that direction, cautious not to alert the intruder of his presence.

Logan's heart leapt with anxiety when he found the girl from the Elevator rumaging through his drawers and socking away some of his smaller priceless artifacts.

"Now if this isn't Deja Vu I don't know what is," Logan thought with amusement. Out loud he said, "See anything that you like?" Watching with satisfaction as she near jumped out of her skin.

She was braced against the dresser she had been rooting through nearly pinching her fingers. She looked at him with an expression a bit like a cornered animal. She recovered from her shock quickly and Logan watched, as her fear became determination. She assumed a position that told him she was ready to fight.

Tima glanced about her looking for another exit, only there wasn't one. The only exit was a window and that would not suffice unless she knew how to fly. Her only avenue of escape was through him. What was he doing home? She had heard him leave, she knew she had, and yet here he stood cornering her in. There was a smug look on his face, evidentially happy with her evident consternation. There was an underlying emotion there that she could not quite pin down. Tima didn't feel like sticking around to analyze it either.

She rushed him, realizing too late how quickly his attitude shifted from amused curiosity to battle readiness. Tima feinted back as she neared him, throwing his timing off, and when she lashed out with a backhand she connected squarely with his cheek. A thrill of victory flashed through her adding to her strength. That vanished as she watching his head whipped to the side, only to have him return the gaze to her face. He was angry now as he said quietly, "Are we going to have to do this again?" He lashed out using both palms to push her back. She was unprepared for the act and the force by which she hit the dresser behind.

Undaunted and now fearful Tima rushed back in trying to get him in a position where she could slide past and escape, but he was ready for her and he was good. He matched her blow for blow and slowly she began to realize that he was only fighting defensively, only keeping her at bay and trying to tire her out. She smiled as she realized it and attacked with renewed fury, beating at his defenses and breaking them down. She was starting to come out on top as she began to connect more that she was blocked.

She was therefore totally surprised when she on her next punch he captured her fist and before she could even blink had twisted it around behind her slamming her into the wall. She tried to back him up but she couldn't budge him. He pulled her away from the wall dragging her by her twisted arm into another larger room. He pushed her hard toward the couch and she spun back around to face him. He was wiping blood off his cheek, glaring at her. He was breathing hard and she could see the shaking that was now prominent in his frame. She could see he was out of practice, but there was no doubt that he was good.

"Sit Down!" he said gruffly, "You owe me some answers."