𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 (on hold)

| 𝟐𝟏 |

Matthias was right to want to get me in during the shift change over. It was absolute chaos. As I rushed in, they didn't ask for an ID or anything. I was just another worker in this huge place.

My uniform was a perfect fake— I couldn't tell the difference between mine and the lady's next to me. I had also been right to put my hair up.

There were two sets of double doors, and the men on either side gestured for us to hurry up. I glanced at the other women around me and noticed that all of their heads were down. I did the same, although a very bad feeling twisted in my stomach.

I made it through the second set of double doors, and the women began to disperse through multiple doors. I slowed down my pace, unable to tell which door I should be going through.

They each looked the same, and I didn't want anyone to stop me if I went through the wrong one. I took deep breaths so I wouldn't panic, and was relieved when nobody looked my way.

"Second door from the left."

I was expecting Matthias, but it was Xavier's voice that came through the earpiece. I walked towards the correct door, and Xavier kept talking,

"Matthias is busy, so this is my job today. I've got a nicer voice that him anyways."

I had a feeling that, if Matthias was listening, he would disagree. I passed through the door and found myself in a room. There were cleaning trolleys stacked against one wall, and the other wall was covered in timetables and room numbers, each with a tick or a cross against them. Most of the numbers had ticks.

"I know what you're thinking. 'But Xavier, do you even know what you're doing?' Guess what, sweetheart? I designed this mission."

It didn't surprise me hugely. Matthias didn't seem like he was very confident with this mission, so it made sense that he didn't make it up. Although some things were the same— like me having to steal— the rest of the mission felt different.

I turned to the timetable, pretending to read it as I waited for my cue.

"Eyes on Hart right now. He'll head out to the restaurant in a few minutes if he sticks to the same routine as the rest of the week."

We were relying on him doing the exact same thing as he had done for the past week. Xavier and Matthias had been watching him, and they were relatively confident that we would be okay.

I hope that we were right, else this mission would go very badly. In that situation, I should be able to play off being a cleaner, but I didn't want it to get to that.

"He appears to be packing up his things. Give it a minute and you should be okay to go up."

I glanced around and found that most of the women who had been in the room had taken trolleys and left, so I risked staring at the floor and muttering,
"Do you have eyes on the computer?"

"Nice to hear your voice, beautiful. And yes, he's left it on the side table. It's visible the minute you enter the room."

"What key number?"

There was silence for a few seconds, and then Xavier's voice appeared in my ear again,
"Five seven two. That's level five, too."

I turned to the wall on my left, scanning it for the correct key. I found it on the fifth row up, and slid it out of its holder. I only had one pocket on my dress, so I put it in there.

There were very few trolleys left, so I took one and began wheeling it towards the lift at the far side of the room. I hoped that Francis left soon, as I couldn't afford to stall for much longer.