Word Count: 3087
More planning for the upcoming debut of John and Rose's joint criminal career. Again, I promise we'll get to robbing banks one day. You will get them robbing the Agency next chapter though! And again, I'm sorry for the long periods of time between updates. This story is never far from my mind though.
Also I'm aware that my technobabble is not convincing and it's because I'm not a tech person. But the way I figure it, it's an AU and I'm creating this world so the tech abides by my rules or lack thereof.
Since John was already almost into the part of the Agency's system that housed the blueprints and related files, he found the security updates that had been made since Rose had stolen her blueprints. With that updates information, they started planning in earnest.
"I can get in through the ventilation shafts here," she said, pointing at the roof of the building. "As far as I can tell, they're guarded only by the system of lasers they have at each opening."
"Lasers." John looked at his companion like she was insane, and he was beginning to think she was. "Lasers sound like they would be a problem."
"For most people, yeah." She grinned at him wolfishly. "I'm not most people. I have a experience and a system so lasers are easy to beat," she paused and cocked her head to the side. "At least they are as long as I know what kind they are.
"Thanks to you," Rose spun around and planted a kiss on cheek, "I have that information."
John's focus zeroed in where her lips had just made contact, cataloging the lingering warmth and how her lips had felt on his skin.
Rose was on a roll through and oblivious to the impact of her gesture. "But that's where the Agency's problem lies. They're arrogant enough to think that no one can beat their systems so they don't hire warm bodies as guards. They rely on tech and tech by itself can be beaten by ingenuity and better tech. It's going to be a pleasure to prove them wrong."
She looked back at the plans. "I'm going to need to whip up a new harness for the initial vertical drop. I had to cut my last one on the Verne job when I snagged it going over their wall of thorns."
John found his voice again. "The Verne job was you? The police are still scratching their heads over that one. They can't figure out how that necklace was nicked from the expensive, state of the art security system." He paused for a moment, "It was guarded by lasers if I remember right."
"It was. Told you lasers weren't a problem."
Shaking his head, John went back to his computers. He was halfway through writing the program he was going to use to wipe the Agency's systems.
They worked in silence for fifteen minutes or so before Rose asked him if he needed a way into the building.
"I don't know if you can do what you need to do remotely or if you need physical access," she explained.
"I need in. I have to hardwire into their servers to search the whole thing and wipe it. Their computer security is good and would kick me out before I could do what I need wirelessly."
"Alright, I'll work on finding you a way in then."
"Can we not use the same way?" He asked, unsure why they would risk disturbing security in two separate places.
Rose called out the dimensions of the ventilation shafts in response. John cringed, there was no way in hell he would fit in that small of a space.
Rose laughed at his expression. "There's other ways in, especially if I go in first and disarm some of the security. Let me work for a bit and I can give you some options."
Leaving her to it, he went back to writing his code.
Rose was in her element, figuring out where and how to hit a target always energized her. It was a puzzle and one she was good at. School had never interested her much, all of those subjects that did nothing to help her put food on the table at home. She'd found her calling in figuring out people; what made them tick and why they did things.
The same thing applied to heists. People designed security a certain way and it always told a story. When she was done dissecting a security system, Rose could deliver a practical profile on what was important to the person or company and their general outlook on the world. She considered it part of her planning process.
John was equally engrossed in his work. It was going to be a masterpiece, this virus. An unsigned masterpiece by necessity, but he could live with that. It was going to wipe every single bit of data off of the Agency's servers, even the ones that were kept off site. All of their records and ongoing projects would be gone without a hope of recovering any of it.
He was finishing a tricky bit of code when Rose's voice pulled him out his reverie.
"...cameras remotely?"
He looked glanced at her expectant face. "What was that?"
Rose laughed. "You were really focused on whatever you're doing over there weren't you? I've been talking for a couple minutes."
He had the good grace to look sheepish. "Bit of a one track mind, me."
Rose's smile turned wicked, "That's good to know." She ran her eyes over him slowly, letting him know she was appreciating the view.
John could feel the tips of his ears turning pink. He blustered through asking her what her question had been, trying not to let on that he was affected by her flirting.
Just get through this job, he thought. Get through it and then you can see about doing something about your libido. Something that will not involve your blonde partner in crime.
"I was sayin' that I might've found a way in for you but I need to know if you can take out the cameras remotely or if I need to do it once I'm inside." Rose was fighting off a smirk. Flustered John was something she hadn't seen yet and she was vastly entertained by it.
She watched as he pulled up the specs on the cameras installed in the Agency's building. He studied them for a moment before his lips quirked in a sardonic grin.
"Oh, I can take these out remotely. Can do better than that, I'll get into that system tonight and record the empty hallways and replace the live feed with the recorded one." The flustered look from earlier was gone, replaced by derision, "I know this system intimately."
"Run across them a lot or something?" Rose questioned. "I've never seen them before and I've seen a lot of security cameras."
"I designed them." He said bluntly, turning away from her and back to his computer.
Rose could tell that he didn't want to talk about it. The way he threw himself back into his work was like a big flashing keep out sign. Unfortunately for him, she was not going to let the subject just drop.
"Didn't know you designed security cams," she commented.
"Lot of things you don't know about me."
Rose rolled her eyes. He really liked maintaining that whole mystery man image. Maybe a good flirt would get him talking again. She wandered over to his desk and perched on the edge again.
"Anything else I don't know about you that you'd like to share with the class," she purred.
John didn't even look up. "I told you I'm not just tech support, Rose. Don't know why you're so surprised that I do other things."
"And I'm curious as to what those other things are," Rose answered, exasperated. "Can't blame a girl for wondering."
The last bit was muttered under her breath but it didn't keep John from hearing it. He spun around to face her. "Sharing would imply that I trusted you an' we already established that I don't." He waited a beat before continuing, "But if it'll get me a bit of hush so I can get back to work..."
Rose nodded, trying not to show that the comment about not trusting her had stung. She needed to remember that John was not her friend. He was just an ally, a tool for this job.
He leaned back in his chair and crossed leather-coated arms over his chest. "I've degrees in computer engineering and physics and a doctorate in computer science. So yes, I design and build systems. The cameras the Agency has are ones I did up about three years ago."
Rose stored the information about his degrees to ponder over later. She hadn't taken him for the academic sort, especially not formal academics.
"So how did the Agency end up with your security when no one else did, Doctor?"
John's jaw clenched, causing a muscle in his cheek to twitch. He turned suddenly stormy eyes back to his computer screen. Rose was starting to think he was just going to ignore her question when his voice, filled with venom, shattered the uncomfortable silence. "How does the Agency get anything? They stole them."
Rose could tell there was more to that story, much more but she also knew she'd pushed him as far as she could for the moment. She hopped off his desk, straightened her blouse and went back to her own work.
It was an hour before anyone spoke again.
John rolled his neck and arched his back, stretching out the kinks that had developed while he'd been hunkered over his keyboard. Turning thirty was hell, he decided. He didn't used to get quite so sore in so short of a time.
He glanced over to where Rose sat bent over a notebook and scribbling something. He wanted to be mad at her for prying into his life earlier but couldn't actually muster up any anger. Pulling himself to his feet, he wandered over to her work table.
"What're you doing?" John murmured next to her ear, leaning over her shoulder.
Rose squeaked and jerked her head up, narrowly missing hitting John's chin.
"Blimey, could you make some noise or somthin' so you don't scare the life outta me?"
John was entertained by the way her accent got stronger when she was startled. "I'm a thief, Rose. Making noise is not exactly in the job description."
"Ugh, you're right." She dropped her head back down, rubbing her eyes. She had taken off her glasses at some point and they were lying on the table. "I was just caught up in this so I didn't see ya get up."
"Everything starting to blur together?" He asked. All the letters and numbers on his screen had started to do so as well.
"Yeah. God, I would kill for a cigarette right about now." She leaned back and stretched, arms above her head.
John was too busy watching the way her shirt strained over her chest to keep words from coming out of his mouth. "You smoke?"
Damn, he was trying to discourage small talk and personal stories, not initiate them.
She shot him a wry smile. "Not for years, but still get the craving sometimes when I've been working on a problem as intricate as this." She waved a hand at the paper and notebooks that were spread out on top of the blueprints now.
It looked like absolute chaos to John but he assumed she had it in some sort of order. "Want to explain it all to me? Give your eyes a break and fill me in."
Rose showed him the ventilation shaft she was going to go through and where it would let out in the building.
"I'm going to finish making my new harness tonight for the vertical drop. There's a camera right next to where I want to drop into the hallway so that's where your ability to override your own cameras comes in. I'll need to have them taken care of before I go in."
"I can do that."
"I know," she said, flashing him a sweet smile.
"There's a maintenance entrance on the east side of the building that doesn't seem to have as much security, at least on the outside door. And what security there is should be easy enough for you to bypass without a problem.
"It opens into a closet that they store some of the stuff for window washing and outdoor maintenance. The inside door that leads into the building has all of the security that the other doors do and as you know, the door security at the Agency is top notch. We'd need a couple more days than we have to crack it properly."
Rose paused so John could confirm her assessment of the door security.
He glanced at the model numbers of the system that Rose had written down and nodded.
"So how're you planning on having me get in that door then?" He asked.
She grinned, that bit of fire he'd seen earlier reigniting in her eyes. "It's much easier to open a door from the inside. So once I'm in, I'll just open the door for you."
A chuckle escaped John, "That's fantastic."
"Isn't it just. Anyone with an Agency passcard should be able to open this door since there's no sensitive material behind it or anything. So I figured I'd drop by tomorrow as people are leaving for the day and pick me up a passcard."
Rose paused and twisted around in her seat to look John in the face. "I didn't ask you but I was hoping to get this job done as soon as possible, before they really have time to sell Jack's plans or anythin'. So I'll be ready by tomorrow night, would that work for you?"
He did some quick calculations in his head, "Yeah, everything should be ready to go by then."
"Brilliant!" She exclaimed.
John was still recovering from the brightness of her smile as she began to lay out the rest of her plan.
She highlighted the quickest route to the servers for him and indicates the path she would be taking to get to the vault. She would clean that out and rendezvous with John in the executive office so they could tag team the extra security measures there.
As she talked, she explained why she'd set things up the way she had and the pieces of paper scattered around the table started to form a pattern. They each had pertinent details regarding a certain aspect of their mission and John found he was impressed by the way she was able to work with the small details and big picture at the same time.
He asked a few questions during her explanation and offered one or two suggestions but her plan was solid. Before this moment he hadn't been entirely sure they could pull this off. The Agency was a tough nut to crack but apparently Jack had been right in his assessment of Rose Tyler. She was one hell of a thief.
Unaware of John's approval, Rose bit the edge of her thumb, waiting for his opinion of the plan as a whole. There were a few security tangles that she needed him to unravel on the technical end and she hoped he had enough time for them.
"So...whatcha think?" She finally questioned as he continued to just stare at her papers.
"I think it'll work," he pronounced. I have to put the final touches on the virus I'll be inserting into their system and then I'll worm my way into the cameras to record tonight's activity. The few extra bits of security on the upper levels shouldn't be a problem since you have all the models and systems laid out for me. I'll make sure to bring the equipment I need to take care of them."
He straightened from where he had been leaning on Rose's work table. "I like your exit plan of leaving everything as we found it so they don't know how we managed to clean them out. Very nice. Neat. We do need a rendezvous point away from the building to meet at afterwards though."
Rose pulled a map of the area out from under some other papers. At his surprised look, she told him that she was prepared for everything.
"There," he said pointing to a corner two blocks north and one block west of the building. "There's an old police box on that corner. We can meet there and figure out what we came away with and how we're gonna get it to Jack without implicating ourselves."
"Alright, sounds good to me."
"Fantastic."
"You use that word a lot, you know," Rose commented as she began to gather all of her papers.
John was already settling back into his desk chair. "Got a problem with that?"
"No, s'just an observation." She finished rolling up her blueprints and stuck the tube in her bag. "I'm planning on starting at 1 am, will the cameras be out by then?"
"They can be," he said evenly, aware that she was subtly trying to take control of this entire project. She'd find out once they were actually working that he wasn't willing to give over control that easily.
"Alright, I'll see you then!"
John had turned back to his computers, pointedly not watching her walk out of the room like he would've liked to.
He never heard her coming.
Rose spun his chair around to face her one more time and kissed his cheek again, lingering and near the corner of his mouth this time. When she pulled back it was with a smug smirk firmly in place.
"Don't work too long; you're going to need stamina tomorrow night." She tossed him a wink and then strolled out of the room, hips switching and a grin on her face as she was certain she held the power now.
The anticipation of the heist was running through her veins, making her giddier than alcohol could ever accomplish. Tomorrow night would be the biggest night of her life and if she happened to be factoring John into her after-heist plans, no one had to know but her.
When the door closed behind her, John stared at it, rubbing his forehead with one hand. He'd decided earlier that Rose Tyler was one hell of thief. He felt like he could've gone without the reminder that she was one hell of a woman as well.
Forcing himself to ignore the ghost of her kiss and the images her innuendo had conjured up, he got back to work. The excitement of beating the Agency at their own game and successfully pulling this off was better than caffeine which was good since he wasn't sleeping anytime soon. John smirked; wouldn't Rose love to know just how fantastic his stamina really was.