Silk Stockings Part One
I really hated the first assignment that she gave me. I’m a good actor and all, but some limits are not to be tested. I was instructed to follow all the orders she handed out save murdering someone. To build her faith in my abilities. Well no murders tonight, but I do have to break into the WestPoint power unit and steal all the records from the year 2000 to present. I’m well trained, that’s not the issue, the thing that really gets me, is that the people that trained me are now on my shit-list. At least that’s the role I have to play.
I drive up a dirt road leading to the woods that surround the power unit. Its very dark here, and I do not want to use much light. I keep my parking lights on so I can see just enough to navigate the road. I pull over and shut the engine off. I quietly review the plans of the unit, and take one more look at my exit strategy. Getting in she told me would be the easier part of the job, but leaving, that’s the catch. If I am caught, they’ll stick me in their private holding cells, most likely torture me until I don’t tell them what they want to hear, because the truth is too stupid. Well, I have to give it a go.
I cover my head with a black hat, and cover my face with a mask. Taking the bag with all my gear from the back seat I head out into the darkness of the woods. As a kid I spent much time roaming in the woods up in Vermont and got quite proficient at nightly wanders. I was not afraid. I was alert to all the sounds around me. I knew the ins and outs of their security system, not all that hard to break through, some motion detectors, but since the deer set them off all the time, they had been shut off long ago. They still loomed and looked to be in working order, with green and red lights flashing through the quiet wood.
I came to the fence surrounding the perimeter around 12;15. After throwing my bag over, I climbed the fence with no problems. There was a grass field I had to cross which was one of the most dangerous parts, the lights were on, and anyone watching would be able to see me crossing. I was trained on how to walk unnoticed by TV monitor watchers. Not too fast for that attracts the eye. Sort of irregular movements, as if I were a zombie, wobbling a bit, I slowly made my way to the back entrance. No alarms sounded, it appeared I had made it without being noticed. I opened my bag and took out my electronic lock pick. Slipped it into the keyhole, then pressed the open button. There were a few clicks and buzzing sounds, then the door opened. I took my bag and stepped inside. The lights were off in this sector, luckily for this spot was monitored pretty heavily. I crept along the wall leading to the right. It was eerie here, the power station made strange humming sounds, yet all was still, sterile like a laboratory. At the end of the hall I used the lock pick on the door leading left into the inner storage modules.
Inside there were boxes and coils of wire from wall to wall. The plan was to enter into the air shaft through here, and drop down into document storage unit A without having to go through or near the guard quarters. The vent was level with the floor, and with a small drill I unscrewed all the screws. The headlamp I used emitted a dull red light, with this I could see my way through the shaft. I took out the plunger like vent climbers and silently made my way into the third floor sector shaft. Crawling along as quiet as a mouse I finally reached the vent I was looking. This vent entered in from the ceiling which made my task harder, but I set up the necessary equipment and using a mirrored extendable drill I unscrewed the screws on the opposite side of the hinge. No creaks as I let the door slowly swing down.
After lowering myself into the room I looked around for the assigned file cabinet. It took me a few minutes to find, and then using my trusty lock pick I opened the door. The records filled up to whole drawers which I had not taken into consideration. They barely fit into my bag even after I had emptied some important gear. After pondering for a few moments I decided the only thing I could do was leave the gear behind. I put it all into the two now empty drawers and jammed the locks.
Now the hard part. Escaping with this damn heavy bag. How could I slip unnoticed threw the open yard with this big bag around my shoulder. I tied the bag to the end of my rope and then climbed back up into the shaft. After pulling up the heavy bag I screwed the door shut and unhitched my gear. It was a challenge to move silently for I had to drag the bag, plus holding in one hand the climbing gear I would need to get to the lower floor. I went as slow as I could, and finally made it to the vertical shaft. My second problem presented itself at this junction. There was no room to get the bag around me in order to lower it before me. I ended up having to set up the gear and hold the bag above my head while lowering myself down the rope. This was a very difficult thing to do, and just when I thought I had made it to the bottom my hand slipped. I fell a good seven feet and the heavy bag nearly crushed me. Taking a moment to catch my breath, I knew I had to move fast. Surely the guards had heard the crash and would be coming to investigate. I scrambled through the shaft leaving my rope behind.
I entered the storage room and left the vent unscrewed. At this point the thing I feared most happened. I heard footsteps and muffled voices. Although no alarm had gone off, the guards had certainly been alerted to something unusual. There were a total of three guards that controlled the security of the power unit; I had to think how they would handle this situation. There were plenty of airshafts, could they know which one the crash had come from? Then a stroke of luck came my way. I heard them unlock the door on the floor above me. I could hear muffled voices, two of them had come to check out the noise. Apparently one of them was watching the monitors. I could see the lights had been turned on in all sectors from the crack under the door. What was I gonna do? I knew they would come down to this room next. I had to make my move. I opened the door slowly and looked around to see where the cameras were positioned. To my surprise I did not see any cameras or motion detectors. I slipped out of the room after strapping the bag onto my back. I moved fast towards the back entrance. My plan had gone all wrong. I had a slim chance of getting out now, but I had to try. As I opened the back door the alarm sounded. “Shit.” I made a break for it, knowing they would know where the alarm was triggered, I could not use my disguised movement technique. Spotlights blasted on as I ran for the fence. As I began to scramble up the fence I heard the door behind me crash open. It was very hard to climb the fence with all these files on my back, and I almost just dropped the bag.
“Stop or we’ll shoot” I heard one of the guards yell. But I could not stop. As I reached the top of the fence I heard a series of loud bangs, then I was blasted off the top of the fence. I hit the ground thinking I was dead for sure. I did a quick body check and felt no gunshot wounds, without a second thought I bolted into the woods. Then I remembered my training manual; no live rounds in or around the power unit, rubber bullets must be enforced. The files had saved my life, breaking the stunning force of the rubber bullets which would have surely knocked me unconscious. I reached my truck, flung the bag into the back and in one motion started the car and hit the gas. At this point I flipped on the lights, it was my only hope for a fast escape. I ripped over the dirt road and screeched onto the pavement. No one had taken chase and I sped away into the night, my heart thumping in my throat. All the way back I had a keen eye on my rearview mirror, but no one had followed me. I had completed the assignment.