Chapter Twenty: Part Two
The demeanour of the three men who entered made it abundantly clear that they were not regular cleaners. Rick gave them a fast briefing and the three started moving after a rapid murmured discussion between themselves. One started carefully disassembling the doorjamb after laying down a drop sheet. The second placed a few tiny boxes in the apartment, pointing towards the doors and windows. Seeing the questioning looks, Rick said to the girls, ‘Directional movement sensors, not cameras.’
The third man set down drop sheets outside their door and started scrubbing at the graffiti. He also emplaced two motion sensors and a camera covering their door and hallway; as well as setting a pressure mat under a carpet in front of the elevator doors and positioning another motion-sensing camera to cover the fire stairs. He came back in briefly to say that Silvio had used common paint and the graffiti was lifting easily from the utilitarian surfaces of the hallway. The girls watched in fascination as he used hand signals to have a second conversation with Rick, pointing to the devices he’d setup outside the apartment.
Rick said to them quietly, ‘We know that in here is likely to be clear, but there may be listening devices out there. It’s highly unlikely, but if we think of it, we have to assume that he has too.’ The girls nodded, comprehending at that moment just how capable Rick and the others were likely to be in dealing with Silvio.
The second man was already downstairs, ostensibly to tackle the external graffiti whilst subtly distributing other devices in the surrounding gardens and alleyway.
Remembering that Giselle and Suzette would soon be on their way for the morning briefing, Kate sent them a text message telling them to stay home and that they would call them both shortly. A few minutes later, the man who had been scrubbing the hall came in waving a buzzing device all around the apartment before giving Rick a thumbs up sign and heading back out. He said to them, ‘No listening devices or transmitters other than ours.’ A simple thumbs-up symbol came by message on each of the amigas’ phones a few minutes later. Rick explained, ‘That means your phones are clear. It was not a strong likelihood, but it would be silly for us not to check.’
Carrie stayed with Rick at the table as he made some calls, the first to JC, and then to the senator’s security detail about tomorrow’s event. When Dee and Kate came back to the table after doing their morning briefing by phone, Carrie asked, ‘How did they take it?’
‘Badly, until they found out Rick, JC and Dom were on it. Now it is a big adventure, complete with heroes and a bad guy. I think Giselle has her sights on JC too, she mentions him a lot.’ They chuckled, needing the release.
The man who had been working on their door walked to the table and said, ‘All done.’ He set his laptop computer down and handed each of the four of them a key on a chain, pointing to their initials inscribed on each of the key fobs.
‘Both door-locks are now decoys. The fobs are really your keys. When you put a key in either of the door locks, the system will interrogate this transponder and allow the key to turn the lock. The door will open a half second after that. Twist the surfaces between your fingers like this to align these check marks, and the fob is turned off. Please get into the habit of keeping them off unless you need to open the door. If stolen, a turned-off fob will not open the door, but will send for a security response that is less than thirty seconds from the door downstairs. If you trigger it by accident, just turn it on and open the door. There is a camera covering the hall so we will see you are ok and cancel the response. If you are under duress, turn the key in the lock twice or more during that half second delay, just like you are nervous, and leave the rest to us.’ He paused to make sure they understood his last instruction before continuing.
‘Twist the fob on and off three times in ten seconds or less and it is a panic alarm. If you are in doubt, let us figure out it’s a false alarm. Even if it’s just a cat tipping a bottle over or you just thought you heard something; your job is to call us every time, okay? In the worst-case scenario, try to keep the fob with you if trouble happens. We can remotely activate an internal beacon and follow it, on or off, for a minimum of four days. May I ask each of you to turn your fobs on and off please?’ The girls and Rick did as he asked, repeating the procedure to practice triggering the panic alarm. He closed his laptop, nodding to Rick.
‘Thanks, Sean. Smooth as always.’
‘A pleasure, sir. Ladies, I trust you will have an uneventful time. There will always be friends nearby, you can count on it.’ Rick saw him out before closing the door and reading a text message. ‘Ladies, it looks like our friends are finished and the graffiti has been dealt with. Kate, you need to stay here this week. After Wednesday I will stay here too if that’s okay with everyone?’ Dee and Carrie were nodding, loving the idea.
‘Thank you, Rick. For everything,’ Kate said.
He kissed her forehead in response. ‘I will head off. No matter what, Schivello will not get near you guys. Dom and Nat will be there for dinner and Harold will shadow you in. Can you text him the time he should be here and not leave until he is at your door? There is a camera out there, and we can override the door and keep it locked if need be.’ He took Kate in his arms and they kissed. ‘I love you,’ he said when they broke apart.
‘Awwww,’ Dee said, ‘what about us?’
‘You know I love all of you.’
After a fast round of laughing and teasing, he was gone. Carrie said, ‘Katie-J, I really like that man.’
‘Yeah, I kind of have a thing for him myself.’ Kate sighed. ‘Shower time. We have a gig to do.’ Kate bounced down the hall, her bravado a little fragile, but the girls let it slide. They felt much the same way.
When she heard the distant sound of Kate’s shower running, Carrie asked Dee, ‘Did you look at Rick when he was on his phone in the hall?’
‘You mean how he got all dark every time he said The Prick’s name? Hell yes, I saw that. I thought it was a trick of the lights or something. You saw it too?’
‘So did Deidre.’
After a thoughtful pause, Carrie added, ‘I think The Prick’s in deep crap if he comes back.’ Both nodded, satisfied with that thought. Carrie got up to clear the table and said, ‘You have first shower, babe. I’ll be right in.’ Dee kissed her in thanks, appreciating her love yet again.
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