Action

Carlton Scythe was a master of breaking and entering, a master of electronics, and a master of disappearing without a trace. Now he was in the makeshift Ivory Tower, inside an air vent.

Aware of the heat sensors lining the walls, he slid down the wide duct on a sleek Korium cart. The cart was the only object he could touch. Then, an anomaly not shown on his memorized layout, the vent started to narrow. There was a problem. He ought to have stopped the infiltration right there, but he persisted because he was promised money. He had no intention of letting any obstacle stop him. He stopped the metal sliding cart.

He had a mental floor plan that showed a conference room on the right and one of the president's bedrooms on the left. He pulled out a knife and started unscrewing the panel on that side of the vent, reasoning that the bedroom was less likely to be watched. If the room wasn't occupied, he would be apprehended. He was lucky.

Aware of possible motion detectors, he lowered himself into the room slowly and purposefully. His feet were six inches off the ground, even when his arms were outstretched. He would be apprehended if there were motion detectors. However, he was motivated by the promise of the money.

He carefully made his way back into the vent and fastened a rope to a metal object that stuck out. He simply couldn't afford to get caught, and time was on his side. He carefully lowered himself the last six inches to the ground. He crossed the room to the door, being careful not to go too fast. Making sure no one was outside, he listened with his ear against the wood. Voices floated through the air.

"I believe that I will get some sleep. Honey, get back to me this afternoon. It was the wife of the president! She was entering. Carlton ran back to the vent and clambered onto his cart, disregarding caution. He had just put the panel back in place after hauling in the rope when the door opened. He hadn't had time to put the screws back in.

Carlton carefully put the screws back in, one by one, trying to make no sound, knowing that if he let go, the panel would fall. All that could be heard was the slight metallic groan of the screws repositioning themselves. Then, as the intruder struggled to hide his presence, one squealed in protest. Carlton stopped and listened carefully to the room outside the vent. He needed to stay out of sight long enough to finish his mission.

He turned slowly to work on the other panel when he received no response. He would have to risk the conference room if the bedroom was unreachable. If he was apprehended... No, he would not be apprehended.

Knowing that the president's wife might hear any noise he made in the bedroom, he proceeded to unscrew the panel on the opposite side with equal caution. Slowly, painfully, he took off the panel. Then it slipped.

It hit the conference room wall, but his hand just managed to catch it in time. He had committed the cardinal sin of infiltration—making noise. He'd be shocked if he didn't get caught. But luck held, somehow. The First Lady didn't hear it because she was asleep. The conference room was empty, as was the area around it. So far, he had made it through the worst.

Being aware that there were motion detectors in the conference room, he crept in quietly. He replaced the panel carefully, making sure nothing seemed wrong. He crossed the room with the patience that only a select few possess. When he got to the doorway, he touched the door lightly. He could sense the subtle buzz of electronics thanks to years of experience. The difficult part was about to begin.

He took a screwdriver from his belt to start. He slowly and painstakingly took off the plate next to the door. It took excruciating patience to get the plate off because of the motion detectors, but Carlton had to hold it with one hand to keep it from falling or making noise. He produced a pair of tiny wire clippers with his free hand. He carefully separated the wires from each other. He then quickly sliced through the taupe wire. He then proceeded to cut the purple wire out of the system as well. There was only one wire left, but he couldn't identify it.

He carefully examined the wire box before deciding on the black wire. He cut it because it made the most sense. He waited for alarms, but there was none. He turned back to the box and felt the door, which was no longer buzzing with electricity. He replaced the cover carefully, making sure that when it closed, none of the wires came into contact. He replaced the screws carefully. Then he looked at the door again.

In order to avoid raising suspicions, he had to act naturally while being cautious because the motion detectors would detect any movement in the hallway. When there was nobody in the hallway, Carlton cautiously opened the door and slipped out, softly shutting it behind him. He made sure nothing was visible by straightening the clean suit that was hiding his tools as soon as it clicked shut. Then he walked down the corridor as though he was supposed to be there. And he did.

He was confident as he moved through the building because of the hours he had spent studying floor plans and blueprints. He knew where he was going and how to get there. He went by a number of people in the hallway, but they didn't ask him any questions because they were used to seeing strangers in the midst of the commotion. Confident that no security had yet been put in, he went straight to the room he needed to enter and opened the door. He turned the knob, but nothing happened.

He hurried to work in the room that seemed to contain a maze of wires and a giant fuse box. Most people couldn't understand how someone could handle such chaos, but Carlton was in his element. He pulled a tiny gadget out of his coat pocket and started installing it. It blended in flawlessly with the current electronics and connected to every line simultaneously. He wouldn't have suspected that someone else had tampered with the system if he hadn't simply placed it.

The hardest part was that Carlton now had to make his getaway. Determined to get out the same way he had come in, he went back to the hallway that led to the conference room. As he met more strangers, he acknowledged their presence with courteous smiles. He noticed a technician working on the door of the conference room as he got closer. It was apparently not working properly. If nothing else, these people were efficient. They could no longer use the doors, as doing so would guarantee capture.

As he walked past the technician, Carlton thought about the simplest way out. He decided to use the attic and leave through the roof. He started on the ascent to the summit. He had no other choice.

He went up and up, each floor riskier than the one before it. At last, he arrived at the fourth and last floor. It was just a matter of getting out of the building and into the attic.

On his first pass, he had to avoid the attic entrance because it would have been suspicious to a passerby. The next time he tried, he closed the door and slipped safely inside. All he needed to do now was make it to the attic and get out.

He carefully ascended the stairs, taking care not to make any mistakes that would reveal his presence. He came to another doorway at the top. Uncertain of how closely the attic was watched, he moved slowly through it. Then he went to a shaft for ventilation. He made a makeshift cart out of boards from the attic and slid down the shaft toward the grate that led outside—to freedom. The infrared beam was invisible to him. He did hear the alarm, though.

Running for the door, he gave up all secrecy. In a move he had never used before, Carlton kicked the grate off. Or maybe they were just better than him, or he was becoming reckless. No, it must have been negligence.

Then he realized he was four stories up after jumping from the shaft onto the roof. He glanced quickly for a way down, first moving toward the tree-lined side. He doubled back halfway there when he realized they would expect him to go that way. While traveling, he picked up the grate he had kicked out and threw it away from his actual route, toward the trees.

Then he started climbing down the gutter system at a rapid pace. If it hadn't given way, he would have been successful. It was a deafening sound, metal bolts tearing from their anchors. Additionally, he slowed down when he fell two stories, even with a roll to break the landing.

Carlton ended up with a dislocated shoulder and cuts to his face and arms, but no other injuries. If the guns hadn't convinced him to remain motionless, he would have run.

"Did you truly believe you could use the roof to enter the Ivory Tower?" The entire story was obviously unknown to the interrogator. Carlton simply had to maintain it that way.

"I believed the impact had destroyed the Ivory Tower." Never respond to their inquiries; instead, verbally assault them.

"You understand what I mean. Did you truly believe you could sneak into this structure? It has the best security systems available. Pay attention to this idiot. He has no idea how to compromise security systems.

"Is my watch visible?"

"When you could use our clock, why do you want to see yours?"

"Because my timepiece is more precise."

"All right, but you can't touch it." The detective looked over at the guards. "Bring his personal items in."

"I'm grateful."

Returning to the original query, how did you intend to enter the building by evading our security system? And how did you plan to get away later?

"Well, the last part wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

The only person who would do that is an amateur. Oh, your watch is here. You can just look.

"I'm grateful. I think I'll now address one of your inquiries. How was I going to enter the building? Carlton looked back at the investigator after glancing down at his watch. "Five, four."

"What are you counting to, exactly?"

"...one, action."