The Dark Edge Chronicles - Hardwire

Chapter 26: Within Striking Distance

"We seem to be passing all the tests being put in our path," Mordecai noted in a low voice, pitched for Dee's ears alone as they strode away from the checkpoint leading into the evidence storage area. "Is that according to this plan you and your associates have in place?"

Dee nodded.

"Let's just hope the plan holds to get us the hell out of this building, hey?" she husked in reply as they reached the end of the squat hallway leading away from the checkpoint.

Here there was a relatively small area, with the wall in front of them also of the grating and armor glass like the wall separating the storage area from the rest of the building. This wall, however, was pierced in two places: a door which led into the warehouse-like space beyond the wall, and a service window behind which sat a pair of constables at a desk, one working away at a computer sitting in front of her.

"Can I help you?" the other asked in an efficient tone, the look of an administrator on his face despite wearing a uniform. It didn't take long for Dee to label him and his bookish looking colleague both pencil pushers. Pencil pushers that they, unfortunately, had to go through to retrieve the items that she was hoping to find.

"Yes, actually," she replied, stepped to the window with a smile pasted on her face. She pulled a folded piece of paper from a utility pouch on her uniform pants, unfolded it and handed it over to him.

"I'm here to pick up the personal effects of the special witness that we put on the Ottawa plane this morning."

The constable nodded as he scanned over the form that Dee had handed him, an authorized release document.

"Right. We received notification of the transfer yesterday." He smiled thinly. "We've boxed up everything already. If you just give me a second, I'll get it for you."

"No problem." Dee continued to smile as the man stood and, form in hand, walked back into the shelf upon shelf of tightly packed evidence and materials in storage behind him.

True to his word, the man swiftly returned a few seconds later, a large box in his hands.

"If you want to come around to the door, I'll hand it to you," the clerk indicated and Mordecai immediately stepped forward.

"I'll get it," he rumbled with a nod to Dee. "You sign the release so we can get the hell out of here and out of these damn vests."

Dee grinned as the big man smoothly worked himself into their charade. Whoever he was, he was good: intelligent and quick to pick up on the nuances of a situation. If she didn't know better, she could swear he was some sort of law enforcement agent or undercover operative working for a well-organized and efficient organization.

"Right," she replied, playing her part by stepping up to the window while pulling a pen from a breast pocket.

By the time the big man had the box in his hands, relatively light considering its size, Dee had scrawled her signature on the indicated line and the clerks were already entering the information into their database.

"All set?" she asked as she turned away from the window. At Mordecai's nod and half smile, she turned and led the way back to the checkpoint.

This time, of course, there was no stoppage as the door swung open as soon as the constable manning the metal detector saw them. With a nod of thanks and farewell to the florid-faced officer, they stepped through the door and were away.

"Now where?" Mordecai asked in a low voice. "Or dare I ask?"

"Now, as you said, we get out of these special ops uniforms and into some street clothes," Dee indicated with a nod without looking at him. "Keep the box. It's been signed for so you don't have to explain it to anyone."