THE PLAN: Alpha House Part 3

12:02 A.M.

Brayo and Sifa sprinted into the kitchen, sweat dripping from their faces as they skidded to a stop. The air was annoyingly thick with the scent of roasted meats and fresh bread but they tried their best to ignore it. A group of staff hovered around the entrance to the Kitchen door, one of them was holding a mop coming from the auction hall.

The two quickly glanced around scanning for any signs of approaching guards, then Brayo felt someone tapping him on the shoulder. His instincts kicked in, he turned and swung a punch aiming for the attacker’s throat. But the man was faster.

Dressed in a sharp white suit, he effortlessly evaded the blow, catching Brayo’s arm mid-swing.

Brayo squinted, ready to retaliate until he recognized the man. It was Kali. Brayo smiled upon seeing him.

“Damn, you move fast,” he muttered, shaking off the tension.

"And you’re slow. Here," Kali smirked, tossing them fresh staff uniforms. The fabric smelled of detergent, crisp and clean—completely different from their sweat-drenched disguises. “Cutting it kinda close huh?”

Brayo yanked his shirt off, slipping into the clean uniform with practiced efficiency. Sifa followed suit. Within seconds they blended in with the rest of the kitchen staff.

“The service exit is behind the freezer,” Kali nodded toward the back of the kitchen. “Ali's outside. Go now.”

Brayo tapped Kali’s shoulder to thank him. They then slipped past a row of chefs, pushing open the door into the dim-lit alley beyond.

Kali turned around and spotted a guard approaching. Without hesitation, he buttoned his suit, throwing on his most convincing voice. “Excuse me,” he gestured toward the auction hall. “I think I saw some intruders heading that way.”

The guard immediately turned on his heels, moving toward the hall.

Kali smirked. “Zuri, you just might pull this off.”

Zuri pulled out her phone at looked at the time.

12:04. One minute left.

She reached into her bag and pulled out two small earbuds—one green, one white. She pressed them into her ears, each connecting to a different channel. Musa and JC saw her signal and took out one earbud each from their pockets and pressed to their ears. These earbuds were made specifically to connect to each other.

The green earbud synced instantly, a low hum confirming her connection to Ali outside the estate, their voices a low hum in her ear as Ali continued his manual override of the security system.

The white earbud connected her to JC and Musa inside the auction hall. The signal was crisp, linking her directly to her team as they maneuvered through the chaotic ballroom.

She tapped the side of the white earbud. “Testing… JC, Musa?”

Both of them subtly nodded in confirmation.

She tapped the side of the green one next.

"Ali, status?"

Ali’s voice came through, tense but controlled. "We're out back. Brayo and Sifa just got out, but they…."

“They don’t have the necklace,” Zuri finished for him, her eyes locked onto the shimmering Kulindwa Necklace, still on display. “The plan is still on?”

“Yeah,” Ali confirmed. “Be ready…”

Zuri inhaled sharply, then tapped the white earbud.

"JC, Musa, it’s time."

Musa shifted slightly, his body tensing. JC, ever calm, gave her a knowing smirk before slipping his hands into his pockets.

“…Now!” Ali’s voice rang out.

12:05 A.M.

The lights cut out.

A collective gasp swept through the auction hall. Darkness swallowed the room, save for the dim golden glow of the emergency lighting. The necklace glinted in the dim glow.

Zuri watched the exact moment the emergency lighting kicked in—dim golden bulbs casting eerie shadows along the walls. The auctioneer’s mic went dead, his voice cutting off mid-sentence. Then there was a flash of movement and the necklace was gone. One of the guards lit up a torch towards the podium, revealing Musa sprinting with the Kulindwa necklace in his hands. Zuri and JC were right behind him. Shouts erupted from the security detail. Boots thundered against the floor as guards gave chase.

Musa bolted forward, weaving through the crowd, knocking over a table. They made their way toward the hallway as a waiter stepped into their path. Musa shoved him aside without breaking stride. Zuri leaped over the waiter, nearly falling down.

When they turned a corner a guard lunged in front of them, drawing his gun. Musa kicked it off his hands, the gun falling down with aloud sound drawing attention. Zuri  quickly picked it up. As she does this she catches a glimpse of movement at the corner of her eye but she ignores it.  JC right behind took a silver tray on top of a table and connected straight into the guard’s face.

CLANG!

The guard let out a muffled grunt as the impact sent him staggering backward, giving them the opening they needed.

“There!” Zuri pointed ahead. A sliver of light peeked through an open doorway at the back of the freezer. The service exit. They raced toward it.

12:07 A.M.

The cool night air hit them as they burst outside. For a split second, Zuri thought they were free. Then she heard a voice speak.

“Going somewhere?”

In front of them was Anita, with a wide smile. A pistol in her hand, her finger resting on the trigger. And just like that the plan had changed.