"I really hope we won't need these," Adriana said as Bruce handed both her and Jack the tranquilizer needles to store into compartments on belts they were wearing,
"With any luck," Bruce told them both. "We won't need to use the tranquilizer guns or the handheld needles. We'll come and go without being seen."
"Hopefully," Adriana said.
"The case," Bruce said and opened a small, silver colored suitcase. "The sample."
"Can't believe this tiny thing is a freezer," Adriana said and looked down and the cool white smoke coming out. She could barely see the tube inside the case.
"Not to be left open for longer than ten seconds at a time," Bruce reminded the Joker who had been quiet as they prepared to leave.
The Joker nodded once and Bruce closed the case.
"Remember," Bruce said. "Our timing needs to be impeccable. We'll meet at the rendezvous point at 3:40. We will wait no longer than 120 seconds, two minutes, no matter what. Rounds are made every fifteen minutes. We cannot risk getting caught...even if all of us aren't there we can't take any chances. We will have to leave."
"We've been over this a million times Bruce," Adriana said.
She and Bruce would be staying together to infiltrate the security technology within the building. They would unlock doors to allow the Joker to get in to swap his DNA sample with the alternative one Bruce had provided. One more step to erasing who the Joker had been.
Bruce and Adriana's task was quicker and simpler. Bruce was making it clear that they would only wait two minutes at the designated meetup point, and if the Joker didn't make it on time, they would have to leave him. It was risky.
"I just want to make sure we are all clear," Bruce said.
"Crystal," the Joker said.
"Right then," Bruce said. "Let's go."
.
.
.
"Here," Bruce said as he, Adriana and the Joker walked in the wooded area.
Adriana could see the lights from the building in the distance. The building they needed to break into.
The Joker had a heavy bag on his shoulder. It was full of tools needed to cut through metal.
"How gross is this going to be?" Adriana asked as Bruce uncovered the manhole.
"Fortunately there hasn't been any rain in a few days," Bruce said. "Shouldn't be too bad."
The three of them were quiet as they scaled tunnels until they were under the building. Bruce and the Joker were able to open access to the ventilation system in the building after they emerged through a grate in the basement. They crawled through many quiet, dark and tight passages. But after some time, she could hear voices. There were people in the building twenty-four hours a day.
"Security cameras are down," Bruce said quietly after seeing the remote deactivation was a success. "We'll have 8 minutes total."
"Got it," the Joker said, who was in the front.
Adriana was crawling behind him, and Bruce was behind her.
"We're here," Bruce said. "Should be the next vent."
The Joker carefully opened the vent and looked down into the room full of filing cabinets. He placed a hand on either side of the opening and disappeared through it. He moved quickly and fearlessly.
