AIM [FIRST DRAFT]

Chapter 13: A New Face - Infiltration

Aimee was awestruck by the scenery. She stuck her head out the window as Gavin lowered the helicopter. He parked about six meters from the entrance doors, just to be safe.

"This is it, enemy headquarters," he said.

He glanced at Stefan worriedly; Aimee would find out what Stefan was trying so hard to hide sooner or later. He switched the engine off, unlocked the doors and stepped out to hold Aimee and Stefan's door open.

"It's beautiful!" beamed Aimee. "Why'd they have to be our enemies?" she climbed out of her seat.

Aimee strode forward, ahead of the two gentlemen. Stefan grabbed his crutches and carefully climbed out of the chopper. When Gavin was sure that they were out of Aimee's ear, he asked:

"Do you plan on telling her before or after she meets her mother?"

"I-I don't know," Stefan looked to the floor. "She'll hate me whether I break the news to her or not."

"She'll hate you more if she has to hear it from somebody else," Gavin shut the helicopter door behind him.

"Are you two coming or not?!" Aimee called near the door of the skyscraper.

"We'll be right there!" Gavin replied. He walked onward, Stefan sighing and shadowing him. "I'll go in first and decoy, just hurry up," he directed his words and his focus to Stefan.

Aimee and Stefan nodded concurrently.

Gavin opened the doors and an alarm sounded straightaway. Aimee gasped fearfully, but Stefan reassured her.

"He'll be fine," - his hand on her shoulder - "being a decoy is his other specialty."

As long as he doesn't get beaten up, he thought. Four dozen bodyguards rushed down four flights of stairs.

"Game time," Gavin mumbled. Two of the guards grabbed him by the arms; two others grabbed him by his legs. "Gentlemen, gentlemen, watch the suit."

He sounded drunker than a full house biker bar. The guards murmured in French to one another.

"Oh, you don't understand. Listen, I'm just looking for the restroom," he translated in French.

Stefan and Aimee watched this from behind one of the four pillars at the entrance doors. These pillars held up a platform that shaded them, the platform held up a sign.

"He speaks French?" Aimee was amazed.

"He speaks French," Stefan nodded.

Gavin winked at Aimee as a signal to go. His eyes pointed in which direction before he was carried up the stairs by the guards.

"So we have to go in and take the elevator to the top floor, and then..." Aimee paused. "Stefan, what are you doing?"

She stared as he hung onto the platform with his feet on the pillar as though he were climbing Mt. Everest. His crutches stood on the grass and against the brick wall. The paintjob was so polished that you would not realise the bricks unless you were standing right next to the wall.

"This way is stealthier," he replied. "I do it all the time."

"Stefan, are you crazy, suicidal or both?! You can't just climb a wall; you're supposed to be in crutches!"

Aimee was turning red in the face, and it was not shyness, she stomped over to his crutches and picked them up. "Get down!" she yelled smacking his butt with his own crutches.

"Okay, okay!" Stefan pulled one of his crutches from her right hand.

"Ouch!" - Her sore arm - "My arm, remember?"

"Sorry," you could see in his face that he really felt bad, no matter how annoying her tone was. He climbed down and Aimee gave him the second crutch.

"It's okay, let's just go in," she smiled lightly as he positioned his crutches under his arms.

Once he was set, he gave her a look that hatched butterflies in her stomach; puppy eyes and a half smile.