![]() | ![]() |
"Don't tell me you're getting cold feet," Gator muttered as he crouched next to Monty in the alley behind Alliance HQ.
"Half my job here is voice of reason, am I right?" Monty lifted his chin toward the building. "It's broad daylight, there's people on the street, and maybe we don't want to call attention to ourselves so much today."
Gator swiveled his head to aim a hard stare at the tech. "You're the one who said you need the cables to link up. How else are we supposed to get 'em?" He would've sent Flick or Tyrone, but Monty was the one who knew what he was looking for. "We've got a lot of good will going for us because of yesterday morning. Besides, these people don't know you. Aside from yesterday, when you were playing hero with the rest of us, they haven't seen you around. Rowe's note didn't say when they'd get back, right? So we've got maybe a couple of hours to crack this thing before you have to give the laptop back."
Monty dodged his eye. "He'd probably give it to me again tomorrow, if I just say I need more time. Or I can work on Jessica to get me access."
Gator snorted. "We both know what you want access to."
Out in front of the building, Smitty's melodious voice said, "Why, hello, there! Sofia, isn't it?"
"Si, señor. And you are?"
"Oh, right. I didn't introduce myself. Have you ever heard of Nigel Rowe? The Rowe Foundation?" There was a pause, then he said, "But I'm sure you've heard about the mission Santa Isabel."
"Las perlas! Si, of course."
"Nigel's the guy who made that happen. Maybe you heard he was part of the rescues yesterday? I was—"
"This was you! Pardone, señor, I did not think of this. Come in, come, how do I help you?" Keys jangled, and the door opened, followed promptly by the tapping of the alarm's keypad.
The voices faded, then sounds could be heard within the building. Gator could imagine the conversation, how eager Smitty was to find out what they could do to help the conservation efforts, to make sure the organization had weathered the literal storm, and blah, blah, blah.
Gator and Monty raced for the front, and Gator hesitated, looking around. "Clear."
Monty moved past him and ducked inside. From Smitty's earlier re-con, they knew the front of the building held an education center, with a conference room to one side and a small lab to the other. Three offices at the back, with a kitchen and bathroom completed the layout. Gator stationed himself out front, "reading" the signs posted in the window about this and that boring whale baloney. Saw Monty slide right, into the lab. Light at the back showed where Smitty and the director were chatting. Reflections showed a few vehicles driving by. He didn't like to be so exposed, didn't like how much interaction they'd already had with this town—though he was kinda regretting that he'd nixed picking up the offered pastries. Good will, and good eats—good combo! Flick tried to convince him they'd be more conspicuous if they didn't get the treats—
Smitty and Sofia moved back toward the entrance, and Gator moved on. He propped his hands on his hips, letting Smitty know to stall. Smitty conceived a sudden desire to learn about the models occupying the far left of the educational display.
A shadow moved by the lab door, and Gator opened the front entrance. "Oh, hi! Did you find out what you wanted?"
Monty slipped out of the lab into the main space, pausing.
The woman started a bit at Gator's entrance, but his wave and smile toward Smitty sent her attention back to her newly-minted whale-lover. "Yeah. There's really not so many whales around this time of year, isn't that right? But maybe the one we saw is a young female named, what was it? Leila?"
"Luna," Sofia supplied.
"Oh, great. That's so cool that they have names and everything. Given how many whales there are, seems like it'd be hard to tell them apart."
While her attention remained on Smitty, Monty worked his way close to Gator, then squatted down, checking out a pamphlet.
"Cool, but we should be going." Gator held open the door, and Monty straightened up, walking out as if he'd been standing there silently the whole time. "Come on, man!" Gator beckoned toward Smitty, who finally hustled over. "He didn't want to leave town without making sure you and the alliance were all right."
Sofia, her hands pressed together, nodded and smiled. Nervous? Had they given her reason to be? Be a damn shame if her suspicion had to be confirmed.
"Adios!" Smitty told the woman.
Her brow furrowed, her glance shifting among them, but it was the momentary confusion of someone who's missed something. He hoped. If she'd caught on to the distraction, to Monty's unexpected presence inside, they might have another problem to deal with, and this one might be harder to clean up.
With another hearty wave, Gator ushered the three of them out. He tucked his hands into his pockets and they strolled away beneath the shadow of the sculpted whale. If she suspected anything, would she check out her own place first, trying to figure out what the men had really been up to? He listened for the tell-tale lock of the door behind them.
Nothing. After another block, he said, "You got the cables?"
"Got 'em." Monty kept walking. "I'll get the sensor hooked up. While I download the sensor details, I should be able to rig the laptop at the same time. Make us a nice little zombie."
"Braaaaaaains," Smitty rumbled.
Gator let go of the small pistol in his pocket and relaxed. Everything was gonna be just fine.