Four in Shadows

Chapter 5

It was pitch black on the streets of the west district. The only light in the city it seemed was the mansion ahead of them through the gates. They stood at the edge and checked their equipment one last time. Eliza felt the rush she got every time she did a job. She could feel it buzz from her accomplices too. It was a simple plan. Once they entered, Marina and Oliver hunted down the Lord who was most likely in his study. Landry and Eliza took the Lady. All they had to do was use a silencer and put a bullet in their heads. They needed to know it was a purposeful killing to prove the point of the Vittoros gang. But there could be no trademark or anything to suggest who killed them. With their plan solidified, the team crossed over the first gate. That part was easy. The rotating cameras were predictable and there were no guards until you got to the front door. Eventually they had to split up.
"Be careful." Eliza whispered to her brother giving him a quick hug before she split off catching up to Landry.
"-crawl through the vents into control room, override the system and then run like hell" she quirked her lips "simple."
Landry's eyebrows knit together and he rubbed his temple. "Great. I can't believe I got stuck with you." She frowned.
"It's your own fault." Eliza started unscrewing the bolts in the vent "At least you're not the one who was shot at. And don't think you can pull something like that. I will put a bullet through your thick skull if I think in the slightest-"
"Yes I understand that."  He cut off her rant prying off the cover.
"So you're saying you wouldn't do it again if given the chance?"
He only smiled maliciously and changed the subject. "Climb in here before I ditch this whole thing." She squinted knowing that he wouldn't have taken the job if he didn't have something big riding on this. "Right..." she entered the vent going over the blue print in her mind. Three main ducts with five side ones running off that they would come in contact with. She needed to turn right on the fifth one and hopefully it would easily access the floor. She prayed it would all turn out right. The metal shifted under her weight. Landry climbed in behind her and the metal bent in causing a shudder to run down the shaft. "Shh!" She hissed.
He scowled. "I'm trying my best just keep moving." They had only gone a few feet in the cramped hole when they heard a soft roar building in the distance. "Oh great" she heard him breath behind her.
"At least it's air conditioning and not heat" she said optimistically. He scoffed audibly and she kicked back her foot which he grabbed and yanked causing her to land on her stomach.
"Keep moving!" He called from behind her. Her insides broiled even as the cool air hit her. Only one mission and then she'd never have to think about him again. It was the only comforting thought as they shuffled on hands and knees through the chilled  ductwork. One run off, two, then three in complete silence. "We've almost made it." She announced in a whisper. He only grunted back. When they reached the fifth turnoff she stopped abruptly almost missing it.
"Woah!" Eliza shushed him again and crawled through the even smaller opening. "Ugh." He moaned as they squeezed through. A light appeared ahead and the brighter it got the more suffocating the vent felt. Despite the cool, sweat dripped from Eliza's forehead.
"We've made it!" She breathed
"Finally, what do you see?" She peered through the cracks. Screens and dials blinked up at her but there was no one. Their plan had worked. So far. Then she saw the ground.
"It's all clear." She swallowed, "there's quite a drop though." He sighed.
"Ok, can we make it?"
"Yes."
"Then I'll go first because I can reach the ground better, then we can escape back through the vents" She hesitated. She couldn't stand to be in here any longer but it would be safer to travel to the garden through the vents. "That is if you remember the layout cause I sure don't."
"I do." She breathed heavily. "I'll stay here unless you need me then." It was tight soo she shrunk against the metal for him to get by.
"But try to find a ladder so I don't have to hoist you back up." He smirked and tried pushing past her.
"Just plaster yourself against the metal!" She said agitated when he came over top of her. "I'll plaster you against the metal." He muttered under his breath
"What!"
"I'm trying!" She scooted down uncomfortably as they switched places. Eliza swiped her hand down to push herself out from under him but hit his supporting hand.
"Ow!" He toppled over her.
"Ugh." She groaned
"Sorry-" quickly he crawled over and elbowed the vent opening so he could pry it off from the other side. She was surprised he was physically able to say sorry to her. She was glad as he jumped down rolling when he hit the ground. She watched him scurry from one computer to another, unlocking the main code Oliver discovered. The screens went black as the cameras powered down. He flicked the main switch and the lights were out in the whole house. Now, they run. But he hesitated and seemed to whisper into his wrist-
Just then a faint light appeared at the doorway. Voices echoed down the hall. There was no time for him to back into the vent.
"Get down here!" He hissed. She couldn't see a thing and the footsteps grew louder. Cold air beat against her back prodding her to take the leap into darkness. "I need you to help me disarm them without firing a shot Eliza." Her breath hitched in her throat. She would have to drop head first onto the ground that she couldn't see. "For God's sake Eliza!" She dropped. There was a full second of gliding through air before she hit the ground. She tried rolling to ease the impact but her legs still screamed in pain. Landry gripped her arm and she scrambled to her feet. He pulled her in and whispered a plan roughly into her ear. Two guards had barely made it through the door when they were accosted on either side. Eliza felt a bit of pain remembering what it was like to be pistol whipped. She tried to swallow that feeling and crashed the gun on the unsuspecting guards head.
"We've got to go." Landry grabbed her arm again pulling her down the hall. She jerked her arm back and ran with him. I hope he remembers where he's going.

"This is not the way to the garden!" Agitation edged her voice.
"New plan." Her stomach twisted. New plan was not good.
"What are you talking about?" Landry turned suddenly down another dark hall. "What the hell landry!" He was going too fast she could barely keep up. Not knowing what to do, she just kept running after him.
They made it to the end of the hall and the moonlight from a window shone on the door.
"The study?" Eliza whispered trying to control her panting. Landry put his finger to his lips and they listened through the door.
"My little darling it's been so long." Said a man's voice through the door.