Tank crouched beside her. “I’m turning on the external building cams so I can watch for the guard.”
She unearthed the rifle, confirmed for a second time that the barrel was clear. Seconds later, she’d set up the stump tripod. Lying prone, she stared through the lens, aimed the weapon east, waited until a car drove into view. She homed in on the driver, using the scope to get the woman’s head in the center. Then, she moved to the passenger. Next to the driver sat a teenage boy.
She had a clear shot, no problem at one hundred yards.
“Ped,” Tank said. “two hundred yards, west.”
In seconds, she repositioned herself and the equipment. While she could have looked real-time, the scope offered more accuracy. A lone person was walking down the sidewalk. In three seconds, she had him in the crosshairs.
“Got him,” she said.
After pointing the non-loaded rifle away from the pedestrian, she studied each building through the lens. They agreed this was the best location, so she repeated the drill with the second unloaded weapon. Tank was doing a solid job of being her spotter all while checking surveillance cams for anyone entering or exiting the building.
Thirty-five minutes into the drill, he said, “We got company.”
Showtime.
She removed the scope from the long gun, put everything back in their bags. He pulled out the acoustic guitars from the bags he’d brought, laid them on the rooftop.
Next, he closed all the windows on his laptop and activated the laptop camera.
“Here we go,” he said as she turned to face him.
She didn’t know how to play, but she could sing, so she started singing one of her favorite Gaga songs. And that’s when Theodore Santini gave her the biggest surprise yet. He started strumming along as the rooftop door opened.
The security guard looked around.
Tank offered a friendly wave. “How you doing?” And then, he went right back to strumming.
As the guard approached them, his hand rested on his holstered gun. Sydney offered a friendly smile, but continued singing.
When he got closer, they stopped.
“What are you doing up here?” asked the guard.
“Enjoying the sunset,” Tank replied.
“How’d you get in?” the guard asked.
“I work for Davis and Davis Law, on the second floor.” The lie rolled out of him with ease. “Wanted to do something special for my lady, so I brought her up here for the sunset. How’d you see us?”
The guard eyed Tank for several seconds. “I always check the rooftop when I start my shift. We had some problems with teens a few years back. Now, I gotta clear the area.”
“I get that,” Tank said. “We’re not teens.”
The guard regarded Sydney. “How you doin’, ma’am.”
“Fine, thanks. How are you?”
“Doing alright. Can’t complain.” The guard eyed their black bags and Teddy’s laptop.
Tension gripped Sydney’s guts.
Please don’t ask to see in the other two.
“No wine or cheese?” asked the man.
“Actually,” Tank said, “your timing is perfect.” He set down the guitar, and the guard pulled his gun from the holster.
