Flint sat in his small apartment, doing his best not to appear impatient and worried. Duke's team had formed a small circle around him except for Snake Eyes, who stood silently to the side, his arms crossed over his chest, his head tilted slightly.
"Now, let me get this straight," Scarlett leaned forward, brows drawn together in deep thought, "There are two unmarked floors in the building and you think that is where they will be keeping Lady Jaye?"
Flint nodded affirmatively, "Yes. In fact I'm sure of it. After reporting to Hawk last night, I went back to Heidaina and took the elevator up to the 37th floor," he paused and lowered his voice, "There were Crimson Guards on duty."
"You what!?," Duke bellowed angrily, "Don't you know you could have been caught?"
Flint shrugged, "I was wearing my Janitor's uniform. I just pretended to have lost my way."
"And they just let you get away with it?" Scarlett asked in disbelief.
"Apparently it must be pretty common because they acted like it wasn't that big of a deal. They were more annoyed than anything. They just told me to get back in the elevator and go back down."
"So, that's where you think they will be keeping Jaye?," Duke eyed him sharply.
Flint returned his gaze without blinking. "No." he said slowly, "Before my discovery of the 37th floor, I tried to access the 38th but the elevator shaft door was locked. It required some kind of key code. My guess is that she will be there."
"What makes you so sure, Flint?," Ace challenged. He was not yet convinced. "I mean, it is a pretty big building. She could be anywhere."
Flint smiled. "I know. I'm aware of that myself. But," his face grew serious, "I am convinced there are several reasons why the Twins would have her there. One is that security on that floor is tighter than anywhere else in the building. Lady Jaye can be a clever prisoner. She has already escaped from the Twin's clutches multiple times. Knowing that, they would likely have her highly guarded and placed in a secure area. And two, if you really think about it, being in proximity to the roof makes it strategically easier for a quick get away. The Twins are elusive and extremely private. I don't see them using the main exits for their comings and goings. The roof would serve better as their own personal entrance as well as a way to slip away unnoticed. Taking that all into account, the top floor seems to be our most likely target."
"That does make sense," Scarlett agreed slowly, tapping her lips with a finger, "The Twins have certainly slipped through our fingers more times than I'd care to admit. I'm with you, Flint, on this one. Wherever they are roosting, they are likely to have Jaye nearby…and it looks like that is going to be the top floor."
"So, now what?" Duke turned to Flint, "Have you worked out a plan?"
"Yes," he smiled darkly as he flipped open his laptop and swiped the touchpad. What looked like blueprints filled the screen.
Their eyes widened in surprise. They all knew Flint was not a tech guy.
"Jaye hacked into these yesterday," he said by means of explanation, "Heidana building plans."
Murmurs of approval filled the small room.
"Good work, Jaye," Scarlett muttered under her breath in admiration.
"So, how do we use these to our advantage?" Duke said, getting right to the point as usual.
Flint pointed to the screen. "We divide up into two teams. One team will access the building from the roof. According to the schematics, there should be an access door here. It will lead down to the stairwell next to the central elevator," He pointed to the screen and tapped his finger on the location.
The second team will enter through the basement," he continued. "From there, my Janitor's ID card will allow access to the elevator and a short ride up to the top. On the 37th floor, we can bypass the elevator and use the stairwell up to the 38th."
"I like it," Gung Ho's face widened into a grin, "We'll hit 'em from above and hit 'em from below. By the time those snakes catch wind of us, they won't stand a chance."
"Sounds like a solid plan." Duke agreed. "Just one more thing. Scarlett, do you think in the middle of the fray you could slip away and get access to their main computer. We still need to find out more about their chemical experiments and what they are doing here."
They all turned to the computer screen. Scarlett traced her finger from the stairwell on the 38th floor to the computer room, memorizing the route.
"Shouldn't be a problem," she grinned cheekily.
"Alright, Ace, Scarlett, you're with me. We will enter from the roof." He then turned to Flint, "Gung Ho and Snake eyes will be with you. We'll give you 10 minutes from the moment you enter the building, then we breach the roof. We all meet up on the 38th. The mission is to find Lady Jaye and rescue her." He shifted his gaze, "Scarlett, get access to that computer. Snakes will have your back."
Snake eyes and Scarlett turned to each other and nodded.
Suddenly, the small device in Flint's pocket was activated.
"Jaye's tracker," he cried excitedly, pulling it out. His eyes eagerly following the small blinking light. The GPS modified device was already pinpointing her position. He waited until it had locked in on her, and then his face grew grim.
"Looks like we just received our confirmation, guys." he sighed, "Top floor it is."
Scarlett gave him a quick hug before grabbing her crossbow. "We'll get her out," she promised.
"Thanks," he whispered. "Hang on, Jaye. We are coming," he clutched the device tightly against his heart.
"Ace, grab those Jet packs. We have a job to do," Duke took the lead. "Flint, follow that tracker. Find Lady Jaye."
"Yo Joe!" They lifted their voices together before hurrying out the door.