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PROLOGUE
Mila
I’d done this a million times, but my heart was still pounding like a drum in my chest. I leaned forward, peeking in through the window to make sure no one was waiting for me inside with a gun ready to blow my brains out. I mean, it wasn’t like I wasn’t prepared. I’d only staked out the joint for the past three days, waiting and watching every single person that went in and came out the front door, back door, you name it. Right now, I was reasonably certain that there was no one there other than the permanent housing staff, but they’d gone to bed hours ago or at least they’d turned off all the lights and were putting on a good show of it.
Thunder cracked overhead and I jumped involuntarily, looking up when lightning lit up the sky. For the briefest of seconds, the entire world was as bright as if it were the middle of the day.
I shook my head. I didn’t know why I was so jumpy tonight. I hadn’t seen anyone here in hours. The sun had gone down what felt like forever ago and the long driveway hadn’t had any activity since about six o’clock. I didn’t expect there to be any, not at three in the morning.
Quit stalling, Mila. Get going already.
With a deep breath, I reached for the window and pushed it open. The hinges squeaked just the slightest bit and I stilled. I waited several moments, but no one came running. Thunder rumbled on the horizon and a harsh breeze cut through the night, causing a shiver to race down my spine. Not wanting to waste any more time than I already had, I climbed through the open window into the house.
I didn’t know why I always got nervous before a job. It wasn’t like I didn’t spend every waking hour prepping for it before even stepping onto a property.
I’d spent a long time studying the blueprints of this house, memorizing the sizes and layout of all the rooms. I knew where the electrical lines ran, the AC ducts, the plumbing, everything. I’d memorized the square dimensions of the closets, blind corners where I could hide in case someone was making rounds while I happened to be inside. I knew that the house had at least ten guest rooms, but none of them were being used. The onsite wait staff was housed on the lower level and not in the main part of the house.
I was good at what I did. I didn’t like to toot my own horn, but some people called me the best in the business, so who was I to argue with them.
I knelt down, pressing my fingertips into the plush gray carpet beneath my fingers. I’d entered the big house through one of the guest rooms just like I’d planned. The bed was hadn’t been slept in, but that was expected. I needed to get upstairs to the office. That was where I would find what I’d been sent here for.
I slinked along through the room and down the hall. Once I entered the foyer, I crouched down and listened. It never paid to be hasty in situations like this. I glanced up, searching the place for cameras, and finding none. I started when a soft meow echoed in the hall, and I kept low and backed up a few steps. A small black cat came down the stairs toward me.
I reached my hand out, facing my palm up and the creature mewled again. She brushed up against my fingers, purring softly before she ran off. I glanced up the stairs. When I was convinced that no one was around, I decided to chance it and make my way up to the second floor. I turned right and snuck down the hall to the office. The door was locked, but I made quick work of it with a lock pick.
It took me less than thirty seconds to break in.
It was a joke, really. With the kind of things that I knew were stored in this place, the owner really should have considered getting a better security system. I mean, it probably wouldn’t keep someone like me out in the end, but it would have at least made it a tiny bit harder for me.
I didn’t waste any time closing the door behind me. I took a deep breath, listening to the overwhelming silence for a few moments to calm myself. When I was ready, I started looking around the room. Based on the blueprints, I mostly knew what to expect, but actually standing inside the room was something that couldn’t be replicated no matter how much preparation I did beforehand.
There was a massive cherry wood desk at the center, the kind of desk that a big time CEO would sit at as he decided the fate of his company or whether or not to fire an employee for some narrow-minded indiscretion. I sat down in the chair for a moment, imagining myself in such a position. With a sigh, I shook my head. That wasn’t an option for a girl like me. I had a very particular set of skills and those didn’t necessarily pertain to the life of a career woman.
I slid my fingers along the molded edge of the desk and glanced to the right. There was an enormous bookcase built into the full length of the wall. To anyone else, it would just look like a wall of books, encyclopedias, and all manner of reference books, but I knew that it was much more. I walked over to it, placing my hand against the wood. I slid my fingers beneath the shelf, searching for the mechanism I knew would be there.
Some rich people liked to be nostalgic, using a special book to trigger the door, but from the look of things, I didn’t take these owners to be the type. The mansion was nice, sure, but it had the feel of a place that was decorated by an interior designer and not the homeowners themselves. It was lacking a personal touch and the same could be said for the office.
Some people had buttons. Others a key code for the computer. I hadn’t been able to find any indication of what sort of trigger mechanism would open the saferoom, other than what my gut told me.
This place seemed like it was owned by people that would want an easy way in.
And I was right.
When my fingers brushed against the small hidden switch, I grinned with victory. I flipped it, holding my breath as the entire shelving unit swung forward.
I’d found the vault.
It had been easy, really. Maybe one day I’d write a memoir, telling all my secrets so that people could protect themselves from highly skilled thieves like me. But then again, maybe not.
Upon first glance, I knew I’d hit the jackpot. It was so much better than I’d imagined it would be.
There had been whispers of a giant cache on the dark web for ages. I’d kept a file of notes that I saved whenever I saw it mentioned, and over the years I’d gathered enough intel to pinpoint the location. My client was particularly interested in some of the supposed contents, so I’d taken the contract on a premium. My earnings from this job alone would set me up for a long time to come, enough to take a substantial vacation until I felt ready to sign on for another.
My skills had long been sought after by the rich and famous and I’d spent all my life honing them so that I was the best. I was small, flexible enough to get into really tight spaces, and smart. My overwhelmingly high success rate spoke for itself.
The silence felt overbearing, but it always did.
I stepped inside and I ran my fingers over the metal shelving, looking on in awe at the jewelry, old coins, antiques, priceless paintings, and stacks of money. The whole place was organized impeccably. Everything was identified and labeled as if it was a museum or something.
