That ain't funny. [Not in the slightest. But it has to be a joke, right? Joel looks back to find Heine's red-eyed gaze fixed on him.]
Where did I-- [Oh hell no. Joel has to suck in a low, panicked breath to keep from shouting. Gotta keep his head.] Don't you bullshit me, thief.
[Heine must have stashed it somewhere-- maybe even moved it from its place in the safe while he wasn't looking. Fuck. He'd beat the answers out of him before wringing this guy's skinny neck.
Just then, the heat detector begins a steady, insistent beep under his hand, followed by shouting from down the hall. Time's up.]
"Thief"? [ Heine backs out of the safe, eyeing the laser grid he's going to have to cross again. He can trip the alarm now, it doesn't really matter. ] Like you're not here to do the same thing. Don't tell me you wouldn't have—
[ Goddammit. He lets out a heavy sigh, dodges most of the lasers on his way back, and comes to a stumbling stop next to Joel, shooting him an angry look. How can he stand there and accuse him like he's not the one who took the painting in the first place? Even as the noise down the hall approaches, Heine gets up close—probably too close, but he's pissed now. ]
Why would I take the painting and still let myself get dragged in here? I could've ditched you in the beginning and gotten you caught.
[Too close is right. Joel takes full advantage of the opportunity to grab a fistful of Heine's shirt and yank him up, slamming him into the wall.]
Hell if I know. Maybe you reckoned your chances would be better with someone to be your bait, huh?! [Beep beep beep. goes the heat detector and he's out of time. Instead of beating Heine to a pulp, he dumps him on the ground next to the heat monitor.]
You'd better get us the hell out of here, right now.
[ Heine snarls audibly when he's thrown against the wall, leg immediately lashing out to try and knee Joel in the stomach. ]
How would I—let go of me!
[ When Joel does, though, he lands on his ass before he manages to get to his feet again. Oof. ]
I'm getting myself out of here. [ If Joel follows, then he'd better not get in his way, and maybe afterward he can interrogate the man properly. Heine gets back into the guard's control room. He'd locked the system back up when leaving, but after the first time, it's a lot easier. As he's getting started, though, one guard bursts in through the door.
Dammit. Fortunately, it's a small entrance and only one person can come in at a time. Heine kicks him across the jaw hard. When the guard reels, Heine bodyslams him with his shoulder, trying to force him out of the doorway. ]
[When Heine bolts, Joel follows fast on his heels up to the control room. He doesn't interfere when he sees the hacker boot the system up again, just as the first of the guards arrive.
The guard Heine attacked falls back, but another two are coming right up behind him. With a muffled curse, Joel jumps into the fray, kicking the first guard down and punching the next into the wall. It doesn't take long to incapacitate all three, Joel pulling back with his fists up, shaking the sweat out of his eyes as he glances back to make sure Heine hadn't run off while he was occupied.]
[ With the muscle doing what he's been hired to do, Heine gets a knee up onto the swivel chair, holding himself tense and still in front of the screens as he gets to work. The secondary problem, he thinks, as he unlocks the system again and leaves himself a way out, is that he can't hack and walk at the same time. At least not with what he has right now. ]
I need my laptop.
[ Not even looking over to see if Joel is looking at him. ] It's in the holding room.
[Joel's not his fucking errand boy, especially in a situation like this. He runs a few steps out into the hallway to scope things out. No guards in sight, but he can hear the distant sound of running footsteps-- and the next couple men to burst in here would probably have their guns up and ready to shoot. It's no good. If he could stick with what he's good at, and punch himself out of this situation, he'd have done it a long time ago.
Shit. Joel grits his teeth before turning back to Heine.]
I find your laptop, then you'd better damn well get us both out. [This time, Joel doesn't bother waiting to hear Heine's response before he's off, running for the holding room.]
[ Heine glares over his shoulder, about to speak again—but Joel seems to have changed his mind. Good. ]
Right.
[ He still hasn't decided if he's going to help Joel or not, but he's not sure if he has a choice either. Heine keeps working, trying to fix the system in a way that it'll respond to the transmitters in his laptop and his other tech and block out anyone else. When Joel comes back, Heine is still typing, but he quickly turns and reaches for the laptop, walking toward the door at the same time. With a mobile workstation, they can start on their escape. ]
[Joel has to disarm and take down no fewer than five men on the way to the holding room and back, laptop tucked under his arm. So if his frown when he hands the damn computer over to Heine is a little darker and more murderous than before, well... it's understandable. Still, he follows behind him as they head out the door. The damn office is a maze and if Heine knows the best way to slip past the security, then Joel had better stay close.]
Which way next? [And what did you do with the damn painting?? he wants to ask but refrains. Fighting can come later, after they've both gotten out.]
[ Heine isn't distracted enough to miss Joel's angry aura, but it's also not the priority right now. Heine types out another protocol with one hand as he walks. ]
Down here. We'll go out through a service entrance.
[ They're all guarded, but this one has fewer cameras on it and therefore fewer things to take care of. Heine just manages to avoid walking into a corner as he makes an abrupt turn and finds the door to a hidden stairwell. ]
[Joel trots down the stairwell behind Heine, their footsteps echoing loudly down the hallway. He remembers this part of the building from when they had looked over the blueprints-- a hidden janitorial stairwell next to a row of executive offices. And the offices... he ain't the thieving type, but making use of every opportunity is a big part of the extraction process. Joel glances over the blank walls of the dimly lit stairwells, his mind is shuffling through their options. The fact that he doesn't trust Heine's actions at all only add to his sense of unease.]
You sure it won't be guarded?
[Maybe if he had to, he could slip out into the executive's rooms and see about borrowing one of those crisply tailored suits their assistants laid out for them each day, a rack of which he'd spied hanging behind one of the mahogany doors. Wipe the blood off, see about "borrowing" an ear piece, radio, and equipment belt from one of the unconscious guards a floor up, and he might be able to pass for a guard in the dark long enough to slip out under their noses. Of course, it helps that nearly every man who'd seen his face tonight is currently down for the count. That's a one man plan, though, and implementing it would mean that Heine is shit out of luck.
Joel can't say he'd be broken up about it. Or that he'd even give a fuck, really. Should he split off? He stares at Heine's back as they walk, considering the possibility.]
[ Is he sure? Well, the short answer is no. Heine doesn't answer for the moment, shutting down all camera recordings of this incident and a wipe of the system memory. ]
It's the easiest way out.
[ Heine has to look away from his computer screen to make sure he won't trip over the stairs as he trots down. ]
I can boost a car, and the garage is nearer to that exit.
[Not a... terrible plan; it'd do for now. Joel takes all that doubt and distrust, the whisper of paranoia in the back of his mind, balls it all up and stuffs it away somewhere. Right now, only the getting the hell out of here part matters. He'd find his answers afterward, whether it's working Heine over until he coughed them up, or...?
On the bottom floor, the door to the garage is locked. Figures.]
Out of the way. [That's all the warning Heine gets before Joel kicks the door, one-two-three sharp blows followed by a hard shove that pops it right open.]
[ Heine gets out of the way in a hurry as Joel goes for the door. So unnecessary, he thinks, but at least they're through—if catching the attention of the guard on the other side of the door. Holding his laptop close to his chest, Heine starts running for a suitable looking Hummer-type vehicle, ignoring the guard who's coming toward them.
[And Joel... does, teeth clenched with irritation. Pushes the guard into the next vehicle over and slams him against the window.]
A Hummer? Are you kiddin' me?
[Big honking car like that is gonna draw cop cars like flies to honey. But he's not the hacker, and he's not nimble fingered enough to hotwire a car in the... what, twenty seconds they've got before detection. Joel runs after Heine with a grunt. At least a big car could mow over anyone who tried to stop 'em.]
[ Good job Joel. Heine puts the laptop on the hood of the car. He picked this car because it looked like it had an electronic security system—which it does. He manages to get in within seven seconds, and getting the engine started is just a matter of running a protocol then.
But the door lock is mechanical, which is one of the stupidest things Heine has ever heard. It's been about fifteen seconds, and now he needs something to get the lock open. Heine fumbles through his pockets for something suitable, trying to give Joel a look that conveys how much he shouldn't try to force the door. ]
[TOO LATE. Though Joel doesn't bother with the door, just takes the butt of the gun he'd grabbed off the guard and smashes the window in. There's a loud crack of splintering glass, and then he's reaching through the jagged shards to unlock the door from the inside and open it upt. The car alarm starts to blare. BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP. BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP.]
Shut that off.
[The guards will be here any minute now, and they couldn't miss this racket. Joel sweeps the shattered glass off the seat and..... ayup, there he goes climbing into the driver's side.]
[ Heine visibly restrains himself from growling. He shuts the alarm off as he books it to the other side of the car to get in from the passenger side. He would've liked to drive, but there's no time to argue now.
[Joel puts the car in reverse and pulls out of the parking spot, scraping the corner of the car parked beside them in his rush and then bumping against the back wall-- but there's no time to lose. He hits the gas with a screech of rubber and then they're speeding through the garage-- just in time to see another caravan of guards arrive in an oversized jeep. They blow past the guards, break through the lowered entry bar with a splintering sound, and then it's city streets-- thankfully clear this time of day.]
Oh, I know where to go alright.
[There's an abandoned warehouse by the docks that Joel... makes use of sometimes. For hard conversations about money and goods. He and Heine are about due for a conversation like that.]
[ The handling of the car sends Heine jolting forward in his seat, almost hitting the dashboard. He grits his teeth and says nothing, though, just bracing a knee against it so he can bring his laptop up and type while Joel drives, clearing any digital traces of their involvement. As he does, a pattern starts to emerge. Something's wrong here... ]
You do? [ He looks quickly at Joel, then back at the screen. God, he feels like he's going to get motion sick. ] Where?
[Joel puts his shoulder into a sharp turn 'round a bend, ignoring the chorus of honks -- and Heine's question. He makes another turn, speeds through a run-down neighborhood, and then directs the car into a narrow alleyway. He knows the side streets around this neighborhood, knows how to get them over to the warehouse district without being seen on the main streets with all their cameras.]
Someplace we can hide. [He finally answers after a long silence. The docks are coming up, and maybe he could just pull into park and..... knock Heine out, in one easy motion.]
[ Heine grunts in acknowledgement to the suggestion of hiding, focusing back on the code. He can almost see the pattern. Almost. It's like there was someone else— ]
Fuck.
[ He hisses, fingers stabbing at keys until he finds a trace. It's hidden, but not well enough. Going back, he finds packets dropped from already-wiped video footage. He can't recover it, but it's clear that someone else was there and they're trying to hide. He follows the signature. ]
This asshole. [ Almost a mumble to himself, before he raises his voice. ] Gladstone used us as a cover.
[While Heine is tapping away, Joel parks the car behind the warehouse, hidden from sight by a chain link fence grown over with ivy. This would do for now, while he took care of business. The thief looks intent on his computer, and Joel has to strain to hear what he says. Something about Gladstone? Using them...? Yeah, that's a likely story.]
Sure he did. [With that, he lashes out, trying to catch Heine while he was still distracted and could be easily put into a headlock.]
[ Heine is concentrating on the screen, but he was alone on the streets for long enough that he reacts, one hand snapping up, aimed at Joel's throat as he scrambles for the inside handle of the door. His laptop slips to one side of his seat. ]
Hey—!
[ Struggling with holding off the arm going around his neck, Heine scrunches himself up and kicks out across the stickshift. ]
[He gets his head out of the way just enough to take a blow to the jaw instead, but Heine already has one arm inside the chokehold-- enough to avoid getting throttled unconscious. Joel abruptly changes tactics, trying to slam Heine against the dashboard instead when the other man kicks him. The movement knocks him against the steering wheel, and the horn sounds. BAAAAAAAAAAAAAP.
Joel instinctively freezes-- shit, this area's supposed to be abandoned, they can't draw too much attention-- but that's bad idea in the middle of a tussle...]
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Where did I-- [Oh hell no. Joel has to suck in a low, panicked breath to keep from shouting. Gotta keep his head.] Don't you bullshit me, thief.
[Heine must have stashed it somewhere-- maybe even moved it from its place in the safe while he wasn't looking. Fuck. He'd beat the answers out of him before wringing this guy's skinny neck.
Just then, the heat detector begins a steady, insistent beep under his hand, followed by shouting from down the hall. Time's up.]
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[ Goddammit. He lets out a heavy sigh, dodges most of the lasers on his way back, and comes to a stumbling stop next to Joel, shooting him an angry look. How can he stand there and accuse him like he's not the one who took the painting in the first place? Even as the noise down the hall approaches, Heine gets up close—probably too close, but he's pissed now. ]
Why would I take the painting and still let myself get dragged in here? I could've ditched you in the beginning and gotten you caught.
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Hell if I know. Maybe you reckoned your chances would be better with someone to be your bait, huh?! [Beep beep beep. goes the heat detector and he's out of time. Instead of beating Heine to a pulp, he dumps him on the ground next to the heat monitor.]
You'd better get us the hell out of here, right now.
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How would I—let go of me!
[ When Joel does, though, he lands on his ass before he manages to get to his feet again. Oof. ]
I'm getting myself out of here. [ If Joel follows, then he'd better not get in his way, and maybe afterward he can interrogate the man properly. Heine gets back into the guard's control room. He'd locked the system back up when leaving, but after the first time, it's a lot easier. As he's getting started, though, one guard bursts in through the door.
Dammit. Fortunately, it's a small entrance and only one person can come in at a time. Heine kicks him across the jaw hard. When the guard reels, Heine bodyslams him with his shoulder, trying to force him out of the doorway. ]
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The guard Heine attacked falls back, but another two are coming right up behind him. With a muffled curse, Joel jumps into the fray, kicking the first guard down and punching the next into the wall. It doesn't take long to incapacitate all three, Joel pulling back with his fists up, shaking the sweat out of his eyes as he glances back to make sure Heine hadn't run off while he was occupied.]
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I need my laptop.
[ Not even looking over to see if Joel is looking at him. ] It's in the holding room.
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[Joel's not his fucking errand boy, especially in a situation like this. He runs a few steps out into the hallway to scope things out. No guards in sight, but he can hear the distant sound of running footsteps-- and the next couple men to burst in here would probably have their guns up and ready to shoot. It's no good. If he could stick with what he's good at, and punch himself out of this situation, he'd have done it a long time ago.
Shit. Joel grits his teeth before turning back to Heine.]
I find your laptop, then you'd better damn well get us both out. [This time, Joel doesn't bother waiting to hear Heine's response before he's off, running for the holding room.]
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Right.
[ He still hasn't decided if he's going to help Joel or not, but he's not sure if he has a choice either. Heine keeps working, trying to fix the system in a way that it'll respond to the transmitters in his laptop and his other tech and block out anyone else. When Joel comes back, Heine is still typing, but he quickly turns and reaches for the laptop, walking toward the door at the same time. With a mobile workstation, they can start on their escape. ]
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Which way next? [And what did you do with the damn painting?? he wants to ask but refrains. Fighting can come later, after they've both gotten out.]
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Down here. We'll go out through a service entrance.
[ They're all guarded, but this one has fewer cameras on it and therefore fewer things to take care of. Heine just manages to avoid walking into a corner as he makes an abrupt turn and finds the door to a hidden stairwell. ]
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You sure it won't be guarded?
[Maybe if he had to, he could slip out into the executive's rooms and see about borrowing one of those crisply tailored suits their assistants laid out for them each day, a rack of which he'd spied hanging behind one of the mahogany doors. Wipe the blood off, see about "borrowing" an ear piece, radio, and equipment belt from one of the unconscious guards a floor up, and he might be able to pass for a guard in the dark long enough to slip out under their noses. Of course, it helps that nearly every man who'd seen his face tonight is currently down for the count. That's a one man plan, though, and implementing it would mean that Heine is shit out of luck.
Joel can't say he'd be broken up about it. Or that he'd even give a fuck, really. Should he split off? He stares at Heine's back as they walk, considering the possibility.]
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It's the easiest way out.
[ Heine has to look away from his computer screen to make sure he won't trip over the stairs as he trots down. ]
I can boost a car, and the garage is nearer to that exit.
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On the bottom floor, the door to the garage is locked. Figures.]
Out of the way. [That's all the warning Heine gets before Joel kicks the door, one-two-three sharp blows followed by a hard shove that pops it right open.]
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He basically expects Joel to deal with that. ]
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A Hummer? Are you kiddin' me?
[Big honking car like that is gonna draw cop cars like flies to honey. But he's not the hacker, and he's not nimble fingered enough to hotwire a car in the... what, twenty seconds they've got before detection. Joel runs after Heine with a grunt. At least a big car could mow over anyone who tried to stop 'em.]
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But the door lock is mechanical, which is one of the stupidest things Heine has ever heard. It's been about fifteen seconds, and now he needs something to get the lock open. Heine fumbles through his pockets for something suitable, trying to give Joel a look that conveys how much he shouldn't try to force the door. ]
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Shut that off.
[The guards will be here any minute now, and they couldn't miss this racket. Joel sweeps the shattered glass off the seat and..... ayup, there he goes climbing into the driver's side.]
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[ Heine visibly restrains himself from growling. He shuts the alarm off as he books it to the other side of the car to get in from the passenger side. He would've liked to drive, but there's no time to argue now.
Once in the seat, he glares at Joel properly. ]
You don't even know where to go.
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Oh, I know where to go alright.
[There's an abandoned warehouse by the docks that Joel... makes use of sometimes. For hard conversations about money and goods. He and Heine are about due for a conversation like that.]
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You do? [ He looks quickly at Joel, then back at the screen. God, he feels like he's going to get motion sick. ] Where?
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Someplace we can hide. [He finally answers after a long silence. The docks are coming up, and maybe he could just pull into park and..... knock Heine out, in one easy motion.]
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Fuck.
[ He hisses, fingers stabbing at keys until he finds a trace. It's hidden, but not well enough. Going back, he finds packets dropped from already-wiped video footage. He can't recover it, but it's clear that someone else was there and they're trying to hide. He follows the signature. ]
This asshole. [ Almost a mumble to himself, before he raises his voice. ] Gladstone used us as a cover.
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Sure he did. [With that, he lashes out, trying to catch Heine while he was still distracted and could be easily put into a headlock.]
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Hey—!
[ Struggling with holding off the arm going around his neck, Heine scrunches himself up and kicks out across the stickshift. ]
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[He gets his head out of the way just enough to take a blow to the jaw instead, but Heine already has one arm inside the chokehold-- enough to avoid getting throttled unconscious. Joel abruptly changes tactics, trying to slam Heine against the dashboard instead when the other man kicks him. The movement knocks him against the steering wheel, and the horn sounds. BAAAAAAAAAAAAAP.
Joel instinctively freezes-- shit, this area's supposed to be abandoned, they can't draw too much attention-- but that's bad idea in the middle of a tussle...]
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