The Gryphon Heist by Hannibal James R

Author:Hannibal, James R. [Hannibal, James R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: thriller, Mystery, Adventure, Suspense;Christian fiction;Adventure fiction;FIC042060;FIC030000, Suspense, Adult, Contemporary
ISBN: 9781493419432
Amazon: B07PZYH3F8
Goodreads: 44585751
Publisher: Revell
Published: 2019-09-03T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter

forty

THE SHARD

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

TYLER TOOK ON A LIMP as they walked out to meet the man, who introduced himself as Bert, and passed him a thick envelope.

Bert tucked it into his coveralls and bid them follow him up an escalator to an open garden on the northwest corner of the structure. The escalator had been shut down for the night. “Six hundred thousand square foot o’ glass,” Bert said as they climbed the steps, taking it slow in deference to Tyler’s fake limp. “Includin’ the main panels and the open nooks at each corner—them nooks is the ’ard part. And who do ya think cleans ’em all, eh?”

“You?” Talia gave him her best, brainless Oh my! face.

“Correct, miss. Me and my boys.” They came to a steel service door. Bert opened it with a simple key. With Tyler’s skills—and hers—Talia wasn’t quite sure why they needed the window washer. At least he was courteous. He opened the door for her. “After you, miss.”

“Bert is the chief window cleaner and bottle washer here at the Shard,” Tyler interjected. They entered a small locker room filled with gear and overalls. “Right, Bert?”

“That’s the size of it, gov. Twelve of us in all. We do the insies, outsies, squeegin’, an’ repairs.” He laid a hand on the door at the opposite end of the locker room. “But we don’t do floors, yeah?” Bert laughed. “That’s a window washer joke, it is. You know. ’Cause most ’ousemaids don’t do—”

“We get it.” Tyler pointed at the door. “Is that the way to the box?”

“Yeah. Sure, gov. Follow ol’ Bert.” As Tyler limped past, the window washer gave him a nudge and a wink, whispering a little too loud. “Lucky man, gov. That un’s a beaut, she is.”

Talia did her best not to wonder what he meant by it.

Beyond the second door was a glass chamber with a window washer’s basket inside, cables running up into darkness. The chamber doors were reinforced with steel ribs and protected by numeric keypads.

Bert swiped a card and entered his code, and the door popped open. He bowed and motioned Talia through. “Your chariot awaits, miss. Green arrow for up. Red for down. Don’t touch anythin’ else. And don’t get any fingerprints on my glass, yeah?” He helped Tyler up into the carbon fiber basket second, catching him as Tyler stumbled. “Easy does it, gov.”

Talia caught another wink as Bert closed the glass door. She waited until the basket had risen two floors before asking Tyler about it. “Okay, what was up with all the nudging and winking?”

“Bert thinks I’m about to propose.”

She closed her eyes. “Of course he does.” After a long pause she added, “When we get back to the chateau, you and I are going to sit down and brainstorm some new cover stories that don’t involve marriage or engagements.”

The night air grew colder as the basket rose past the third floor in one of the open nooks running all the way to the top. Bert had placed them in the northwestern corner, which had the best view of London proper.

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