Chapter 7 – Corner and snatch

It was extremely quiet in the data vault and relatively dark too.
- “Is there a light switch here?” Rick asked.
- “Even if there is I don’t think it would be wise to switch it on. We don’t want the robber to know we’re here.” I said.
- “He probably knows that we’re here anyway.” Jack said.
- “Maybe you’re right.” I agreed, “But still we better use our night vision equipment.”
- “All right.” Jack and Rick agreed.
We switched on our night vision within the crufacle and continued alone the corridor. There were entranceways into various large rooms full of electronic files. We just had to keep our eyes peeled in case we see something suspicious.
After about 5 minutes of creeping through the dark we couldn’t find anything. We stopped to catch our breath for a bit.
- “This is no use.” Jack said.
At this moment the robber jumped from behind us and hit me and Jack on the head. Both of us fell down. The robber then began running away. Rick chased after him. The robber then opened fire on him. He was using V submachine gun. Rick had no choice but to take cover. Jack and I quickly got up and ran in the direction the robber went.
- “I’m pinned down!” Rick shouted.
Here Jack and I joined the firefight and therefore robber stopped shooting and continued escaping as he knew that he was outnumbered.
- “Damn it! He was expecting us.” I got angry.
We chased him through the corridor, but suddenly Jack stopped.
- “Jack, come on there’s no time!” I shouted to him.
- “One second.” Jack said and pressed on a few buttons on the wall.
At this moment the way to the stairs got blocked with an energy shield.
- “Excellent thinking Jack.” I said and three of us continued running towards the robber.
However he was not fooled so easily. He quickly jumped upwards and grabbed onto the ceiling. I aimed at his legs and opened fire, but he managed to climb into a vent before my shotgun fire reached him.
- “Damn it, we are not as acrobatic as him. We won’t be able to climb into that vent. Jack disable the energy shield.” I ordered.
- “Of course.” Jack said and ran back to disable the shield.
- “Well?” I asked.
- “It’s not working!” Jack said.
- “This is NOT happening!” I got frustrated.
- “I think there’s another staircase.” Rick said.
- “Where?”
- “I think I saw it that way.” Rick pointed in a different direction.
- “All right team, let’s go. I don’t think he’s gone far.”
Three of us ran towards another staircase and ascended via it. I decided to contact our boss.
- “Sir, we lost the robber, but he’s still in the building. Can you detect him?”
5 seconds later an answer came from my boss:
- “He is virtually where you are right now.”
- “What?!” Jack and Rick couldn’t believe it.
I then looked down and there the robber burst out of the vent. He bashed me on the face with his gun and then ran towards the nearest door. Rick and Jack opened fire, but he slipped away again.
- “Go go go!” I shouted and three of us ran after the parasite.
I could see him literally in front of us. I shot without aiming much and got him right in the back. He collapsed onto the ground.
- “Jim, you got him.” Jack was delighted.
I still couldn’t believe that I did.
- “This must be a miracle.”
We approached his body.
- “Now let’s see what he’s stolen.” I said.
At this second I noticed a shockwave grenade lying beside him and it was activated.
- “Oh shit!” I screamed.
- “What?” Jack and Rick asked me.
- “Grenade!” I shouted and all three of us dived for cover.
The explosion was loud because we were so close to it. We then got up and looked back, but the robber’s body was gone.
- “Where did he go?” Jack got surprised.
- “Maybe the explosion ripped him to pieces.” Rick said.
- “I don’t think so.” I said without hesitation, “First of all there is no blood except for the one that came out from me shooting at him and secondly shockwave grenade is not that strong to disintegrate the body.”
- “So he disappeared then?” Jack got surprised.
- “I cannot believe it. We almost had him there.” I got frustrated again.
- “Boss will not be happy.” Rick said.
- “Yeah well I’d like to see our boss try to catch him.” I said with anger.
- “What shall we do?” Jack said.
- “We don’t know which way he went.” I said, “I doubt we will catch him today. Let’s just go back to our Spyflier.”
Three of us slowly walked back to our Spyflier. I was not happy at all. This is the first time ever I failed two missions in a row. In fact I am not used to failure. I usually think things out carefully and therefore my plans tend to work all the time. This guy must be extremely clever. I wonder whom he is working for.