Ruse

Chapter 04

I wait a few minutes to ensure she's gone for good. I can't risk her coming back in. I place the metal box I forgot I was holding onto the table in the middle of the room. I reach my hand into my back pocket and retrieve my black leather gloves. I slip my fingers into the tight material. I hate having to wear the gloves the way they stretch around my rings is extremely uncomfortable. That's not the thing I should be focused on right now though.

Now that I'm ready to start I grab the box slipping the key in. As I turn the key I hear the quiet 'click' of the box unlocking. I pull the key out and lift the lid of the box. " What the fuck is this" I murmur.

"Hey pretty boy, we don't have much time. So uhh how do I say this? Oh yeah. Hurry the fuck up." Niall communicates through the earpiece.

"You know Niall if you say one more thing I will rip this earpiece out." I say quickly trying to end the conversation so I can get back to work.

"HA.Yeah good luck with that Harry. But I would like to know do you like the little present I left you?" he asks.

I look back down in the box thinking out loud "Why the fuck would I need to pick the lock?"

"There's not just a lockpick in there. Don't forget about the sand. You know for weight triggered booby traps, just like in Indiana jones." Niall states like it's obvious.

"And why did it have to be in a box, I easily could've carried this in my pocket" I say starting to get frustrated by Niall.

"Because it's no fun that way Har-" suddenly another voice chimes in cutting off Niall.

"Listen boys you need to stop. Harry needs to get the item, and leave ASAP. And Niall don't you have some dumb knife to polish or something?" Liam. He likes to act all responsible. I'll keep it short, he isn't. He is right though. I need to get going.

I reach into the metal safe box retrieving the lock pick and the bag of sand, while rolling my eyes. This was really unnecessary.

I scan the walls looking for the right number. The item I need to retrieve is in box 3,436. I'm really hoping I don't have to climb.

My eyes stop at a box on the far left of the wall. Great. Just my luck. It's three down from the ceiling.

I speak to the rest of the boys "We have a slight problem, I'm going to have to climb."

"You didn't bring a ladder?" Niall asks as if that's so unbelievable.

"No Niall I did not bring a fucking ladder to a bank." I hiss through my teeth.

"That's your own problem then, I would have brought a ladder" Niall says and you can hear the smug look on his face.

"Well you know what Niall, why don't I leave and you can come back tomorrow with your ladder and finish this. Hows that sound huh?" I say my jaw now clenched.

"Nah i'm good." is all Niall says. He's so full of it.

"Well do any of you have any bright ideas because I'm very close to walking out of this god damn building." My stress level is rising exponentially. And if Niall is going to be a chatty prick then he'd better have some actual ideas on how the hell I'm going to get to that box.

"Niall might not have an idea but I do" Zayn chimes in.

"Alright shoot, I'm willing to do anything at this point."

"Listen mate, you might not like it. But Niall gave you that lock pick, and if you used it to unlock enough boxes you could use them as foot holds to scale the wall"