Serpent

Nobody Likes a Monologue

Layla and Hugo quietly snuck past two security cameras to jump in the back porch of the Habich mansion. Layla covered her friend as he pick locked the door and snuck in. She followed him in silently.

Are you sure the twins shut off all alarms? She asked using sign language. Hugo nodded.

They gave the signal he replied. Layla shrugged and made her I certainly hope so face. He shook his head. Don't worry Hugo mouthed.

"Why do we have to wait until tomorrow morning?" A voice said around the corner. Layla and Hugo ducked behind some crates that most likely held ammunition. "If we have everything ready now, why don't we just go instead of letting it sit down there?" Layla saw two shadows round the corner.

"Because Hackett insists that these guys that fly the choppers are the only ones to be trusted." A second voice said. The first man who spoke laughed.

"Is this because of those Cains? That war was fought long ago. You know, uncle Norman was the same way. Locking up everything and boycotting those Mexican idiots just because he was afraid of them attacking us."

"Well, he had a right to be careful. One of them did shoot him in the head."

"True. But Hackett is a power hungry fool. Why trust the family to him rather than one of us-"

"Abel, quiet. You're just jealous."

"Den Mund halten, der Trottel." The two shadows faded away, along with the voices. After the coast was clear, Layla and Hugo sat up.

"'Mexican idiots?'" Hugo growled. "They're the idiots."

"Shut up, Hugo." Layla hissed. He mumbled something else under his breath but quieted. Layla slowly turned the corner. This way she mouthed. Hugo nodded and was just a step behind her as they crept down the hallway, keeping close to the wall on their right. Layla knew the way down to the bottom floor was to the left, so she crossed the center and hugged the left corner, gun in hand. She heard two sets of footsteps coming their way, and made a signal to Hugo that said two guys, quiet takedown by making two fingers and a fist in front of her throat. He nodded and prepared himself.

The two guys went to turn the corner and Hugo and Layla pinned them down, ready to knock them out. But Layla stopped when they put their arms up.

"Whoa, whoa! Parada, amigos!" Cisco whispered. Layla rolled her eyes and got off of him while Hugo got off of Ciro. "Watch who you're tackling, will ya?"

"Sorry," Hugo stood up, offering a hand to CIro, who glared at his brother and got up on his own.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be downstairs?" Ciro asked Layla.

"We're taking the long route. We saw some guys-"

"Oh, we took care of them." Cisco and Ciro said at the same time. Layla nodded after a moment.

"Okay. Good job. We'll be on our way, then." She and Hugo turned the corner and headed through a large, heavy door downstairs. The basement was scattered with open and closed crates of guns, explosives, and ammunition.

"They must've emptied the vault to fit that thirty percent." Hugo whispered.

"Good find, detective." Layla replied.

"Cállate." Hugo hissed. She smiled sweetly back at him. The vault was more locked than they thought. They spent a moment looking it over, then got to work pushing aside some crates aside. Most of them weren't so heavy, and didn't take much effort to move in front of the back door, barricading it so that if anyone did hear them they wouldn't be able to get in. Hugo took the explosives from his duffel bag and set it in front of the vault door, then gave one to Layla to set at the far wall where the trucks would come in. When she returned, Hugo took out the detonator and held it out between them.