The Broker

22. With Great Power

December 8th, 2019

Roanoke, Virginia

Bouman Residence

Kaden was humming in her ear and it was irritating. Amaraya raised her elbow and jammed it backwards into his side as hard as she could. He groaned and his humming abruptly stopped. "What was that for?" Kaden hissed, and Amaraya smiled. She answered without turning around.

"For being annoying." She whispered back, and he punched her in the shoulder. Amaraya twisted her head to the side, and gave Kaden a not-so-appropriate gesture.

"Quit fighting, you two." Zach scolded over the speakers, and adjusted the static. "Get your thermal imager out." Kaden spun around and took out a device from the bag, about the size of his forearm. Amaraya helped him adjust it so it was facing Bouman's house. "Let's see if Bouman is a midnight owl."

"Let's hope not." Amaraya muttered, and Kaden turned the thermal imaging camera on. She scooted closer to him to see the small screen better. Amaraya could feel Kaden's soft breath on her cheek, the rise and fall of his chest. She cleared her throat. "Looks like two rooms. Zach, could you pull up the house layout?"

There was silence over the comms before Zach answered. "Okay. You know, we really need a tech person for this." Amaraya waited. "Two rooms upstairs, one bathroom. Two floors. Kitchen is accessed through the back door. Uh...dining room will be to your right when you enter. Stairs are forward and to your left." Amaraya looked at Kaden, and then back to the house. She pulled her beanie tighter over her head.

"It looks like he's sleeping." Kaden clarified, not looking up from the device or paying any attention to her. Amaraya was grateful for that. Their closeness somehow made her feel...uncomfortable. She couldn't figure out why. "But he could be awake and just lying in bed. We'll have to be quiet." Amaraya let out a breath, her mind unclear.

"I can't believe my life has come to the point where I break into people's houses just to get to their phones." She pinched the bridge of her nose, and Kaden gave her a sympathetic look.

"Welcome to the life." He nudged her in the side, and it didn't make Amaraya feel any better. Kaden put the thermal imager away, and took out his flashlight. "Okay. Ready?" She let out a final breath, and nodded. "Let's go."

Amaraya went ahead, the lock pick set pressing into the palm of her hand. Kaden had volunteered to pick the lock, but she said she would do it. After all, she did know how to pick a lock pretty well. And since Kaden would be the one to copy the phone's data, Amaraya felt like she needed to do something as well. Or else she wouldn't feel very useful in their current situation. "Zach, are you ready?" She checked, and Zach confirmed.

"As long as you attach the dampener on the security lock, I'll be able to disarm it." Amaraya nodded, and turned back to meet Kaden's eyes. "Good luck."

His eyes glinted in the moonlight. "We don't need it." He just replied, and gave her a nod. She leaned down, and worked on the lock. The door was open in less than a minute. Kaden half ran, half slid to the security pin pad, just as the door swung open, and just as it's light turned red, he attached the dampener on. The light turned green again. Amaraya let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Kaden motioned towards the stairs, and she started towards them.

Thank the heavens that these stairs were newly built, since there was absolutely no creak in them. Amaraya and Kaden went up the second floor in silence. "I assume his phone is in his bedroom?" She whispered, and Kaden shrugged. She gave him a glare. Kaden took out her data copier in response. He handed it to her, and took out another device. Amaraya wasn't sure what this one was for.