No Second Chance by Angus McLean

Author:Angus McLean [McLean, Angus]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-01-31T16:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Five

He knew that Ingoe would know something had gone wrong, but now was not the time for long explanations.

The electric door picker he carried was shaped like a small drill but with picks instead of bits. It was almost silent and made short work of the lock on the access door. He secured it behind him and pulled on his night vision goggles. The interior of the dark stairwell lit up in luminescent green.

The door at the bottom opened outwards and the service corridor beyond was empty. Archer moved down it quickly, his boots silent on the scarred lino floor. Part way down was the last access door he would use and he paused there, listening intently before gently turning the handle.

The door opened inwards and he took his time, checking the foyer on the other side was empty. The lighting removed the need for the NVGs, so he stashed them away again. Security at the Pinnacle Apartments was very high at ground level with cameras, a guard, and access control ensuring the occupants were protected from unwanted visitors and the general riff-raff.

However the measures in place at that level lulled them into a false sense of security, the thought of anyone being able to drop in from above so remote as to be absurd. That flaw in the system was Archer’s advantage. Access control limited the visitors to the penthouse floor, and the level of privacy expected up here meant there were no cameras.

He wasn’t concerned about any standalone cameras that Sweetman may have installed in the penthouse suite either; the thin balaclava and gloves he wore would make it impossible to identify him even if he was seen.

He closed the door behind him, crossed the thick pile carpet to the penthouse door, and set to work. The door lock was a more robust affair than the one on the roof, but the lock pick Archer carried was one of the best available, and within a minute he was in.

He let Ingoe know and got a quiet “Roger” back.

The penthouse apartment was in almost darkness, just a couple of sidelights casting a pale yellow glow over the plush interior. Archer secured the door and paused, looking and listening. There should be nobody home but he didn’t want to leave it to chance and get a nasty surprise.

After sweeping the rooms for a physical check to confirm he was alone, he began to methodically search the apartment.

It was decorated with a mix of mid-market and chain-hotel furnishings. Archer didn’t see anything about the place that screamed “wow factor”, and if anything it was all a bit sad. It was like an adult living in a faceless hotel room but thinking he’d made it. Sure, the views would be killer, but it didn’t seem like Sweetman would be taking much advantage of them. Archer suspected his days were filled with screen time, sleeping and going out to meet his loser associates.

Archer wondered for a moment what people would think if they were to search his flat in London.

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