Status: CAUTION: AU AHEAD
The New York Halifax League
five.
“What took so long?” Brad asked as Taylor and Bianca arrived back to the penthouse. “Take a side trip?” He wiggled his eyebrows.
“Grow up, Marchand,” Taylor rolled his eyes. “Bianca stopped on the way back for food.”
Bianca dropped several bags of takeout onto the table. “Relax, okay? The video bugs are in place. All that’s left is for me to get in.”
Sidney peered into one of the bags. “Morris Truck?” He was surprised she’d made a stop at his favorite food truck.
“Yeah,” her voice was quiet. “Morris Truck.”
Gabe saw the flash of sadness in her eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it had come. She stole a piece of Patrick’s sandwich – earning a scowl from him – before retreating into her room to change.
“Are they all grilled cheese?” Jon poked through the bags. Carbs and cheese weren’t what he would call a square meal.
“Yep,” Sidney said unpeeling a sandwich. “But it’s not just cheese and bread. They’re all different.” He took a bite and smiled. His favorite.
Down the hall, Bianca began undressing. It was just about noon, so she had a good 60 minutes before she needed to be in position.
She liked Taylor, she decided. He was incredibly smart – more so than she’d thought – and had more field prowess than you’d think for a typical lab-dweller. They’d had the camera bugs wired and set in record time. She’d wear an earwig, but Bianca doubted she’d do much listening to what they had to say.
Changing into a dress, she readjusted her hair so that it would cover her ears. Glasses sliding up her nose and a blazer atop her arms, she smiled into the mirror, trying to convince herself that this would easy.
“Do you have my earpiece?” she asked Taylor, returning to the dining room. He dropped his sandwich to its wrappings before nodding profusely.
Taylor practically jumped to a large black suitcase filled with all sorts of tech gear. His fingers were jumbled together out of nerves all of a sudden. Every NHL team – all 30 of them – were made up entirely of men. He didn’t often work with women.
“It’s wireless,” he said quickly. “This is the newest model, so it’s practically invisible.” On his fingertips he held up a piece of opaque fiber glass. “It’s fragile, though. And it’s also only one of 3 in existence, so… be careful.”
“Careful,” Bianca said as she placed the piece into her ear. “Is my middle name.” Rifling through a bag for the last sandwich, she smiled. “I’m ready.”
“What’s your job?” Sidney crossed his arms.
“I get in, search his office for any details on impending plans, copy files, et cetera, et cetera,” Bianca rubbed her hands. “Bing, bang, boom. Piece of cake.”
“Like he said,” he reminded her. “Be careful.”
“Like they’d try anything with me,” she rolled her eyes.
“Let us know if you need to call in the muscle,” Brad flexed.
“Or the flame thrower,” Patrick wiggled his eyebrows.
“Or if you need some money to bribe your way through,” Michael smirked.
Unpeeling her sandwich, she smiled. “I’ve got my own ways of getting what I want, boys.” Heading to the door, Bianca called back. “Gabe, keep them in line.”
Stepping out of her taxi, the earpiece crackled to life.
“Base to Mother Hen, Base to Mother Hen,” Taylor’s voice rang in her ear. “Do you copy?”
Entering the tall building, she pushed her shoulders back. Bianca spoke into the pin on her lapel, “Mother Hen hates the name mother hen.”
She knew the boys would be watching carefully on whatever camera Taylor had bugged that morning, so she put on a little show, walking carefully to the receptionist’s desk.
Bianca knew Kelly well. As a little girl coming to the office, Kelly was perhaps the most glamorous woman Bianca had ever seen at that young age. Now, years and years later, she was still as beautiful.
“Oh, darling!” Kelly smiled brightly, and Bianca placed a hand over her lapel, hopefully muffling her words. “It’s so good to see you. Are you here to see your, Uncle?”
“Something like that,” Bianca said. “Can I go right up?”
“He might be in a conference,” Kelly said. “But you can always wait in his office.”
“Conference,” she nodded. “Right.”
As the elevator dinged, Taylor’s voice filled Bianca’s ear again. “His office should be the third door on the right. There’s no camera inside, so you’ll be on your own.”
Just how I like it, Bianca thought.
She passed the third door on her right.
“Where are you going?” this time it was Sidney’s voice that hissed in her ear. “What the hell’s going on Bianca?”
She rolled her eyes and paused outside of a conference room door. Through the glass wall, she saw the Commissioner speaking to a room of officials. Ignoring Sidney’s almost panicked voice in her ear; Bianca craned her neck to hear.
“As a last resort of course,” she only caught the tail end of his sentence. A man in the front raised his hand. “Yes, Mr. Chiarelli?”
“They’ll be kept out of all of the facilities?”
“They won’t be working in any form in any of the 30 cities, that’s for certain.”
“As of?”
“The NHL Lockout will go into effect at 12:00 tonight,” He said. “And it will come to an end…”
A man Bianca knew to be Ray Shero leaned forward. “Come to an end…when?”
The Commissioner smiled. “When the job is done.”
Bianca darted away from the door. She yanked her lapel up to her mouth.
“Lockout starts at midnight,” Bianca said. “I’m checking His office now.”
She didn’t wait for Sidney’s reply.
The boys were still talking rapid fire in her ear as she began inspecting His office. He was a neat-freak, she knew, so the job should be easy. But of course, when did anything ever go according to plan?
All she needed was a flash drive that would keep the boys happy for ages. The last time she had seen it, it had been placed in a box on a bookshelf opposite the door, but it was now nowhere to be seen.
“What’s taking so long?” Sidney hissed.
Bianca rolled her eyes. Typical Sid. Constantly, the noise continued in her ear. There was some loud shuffling – a scuffle? – on their end and soon it was only Taylor’s voice.
“He’s in the hallway, Bianca! Coming your way!”
Under his desk sat the box. On her hands and knees she pressed three digits into the keypad and snatched out the flash drive. Dumping it into her purse, she yanked the earpiece out and didn’t care whether pulling her pin off left a hole in her jacket or not. Just as He walked through the door, she crushed the two items in her palm behind her back.
“Bianca,” the Commissioner was startled as He entered his office. “What are you doing here?”
“Just picking something up,” she smiled. “Uncle.”
“Grow up, Marchand,” Taylor rolled his eyes. “Bianca stopped on the way back for food.”
Bianca dropped several bags of takeout onto the table. “Relax, okay? The video bugs are in place. All that’s left is for me to get in.”
Sidney peered into one of the bags. “Morris Truck?” He was surprised she’d made a stop at his favorite food truck.
“Yeah,” her voice was quiet. “Morris Truck.”
Gabe saw the flash of sadness in her eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it had come. She stole a piece of Patrick’s sandwich – earning a scowl from him – before retreating into her room to change.
“Are they all grilled cheese?” Jon poked through the bags. Carbs and cheese weren’t what he would call a square meal.
“Yep,” Sidney said unpeeling a sandwich. “But it’s not just cheese and bread. They’re all different.” He took a bite and smiled. His favorite.
Down the hall, Bianca began undressing. It was just about noon, so she had a good 60 minutes before she needed to be in position.
She liked Taylor, she decided. He was incredibly smart – more so than she’d thought – and had more field prowess than you’d think for a typical lab-dweller. They’d had the camera bugs wired and set in record time. She’d wear an earwig, but Bianca doubted she’d do much listening to what they had to say.
Changing into a dress, she readjusted her hair so that it would cover her ears. Glasses sliding up her nose and a blazer atop her arms, she smiled into the mirror, trying to convince herself that this would easy.
“Do you have my earpiece?” she asked Taylor, returning to the dining room. He dropped his sandwich to its wrappings before nodding profusely.
Taylor practically jumped to a large black suitcase filled with all sorts of tech gear. His fingers were jumbled together out of nerves all of a sudden. Every NHL team – all 30 of them – were made up entirely of men. He didn’t often work with women.
“It’s wireless,” he said quickly. “This is the newest model, so it’s practically invisible.” On his fingertips he held up a piece of opaque fiber glass. “It’s fragile, though. And it’s also only one of 3 in existence, so… be careful.”
“Careful,” Bianca said as she placed the piece into her ear. “Is my middle name.” Rifling through a bag for the last sandwich, she smiled. “I’m ready.”
“What’s your job?” Sidney crossed his arms.
“I get in, search his office for any details on impending plans, copy files, et cetera, et cetera,” Bianca rubbed her hands. “Bing, bang, boom. Piece of cake.”
“Like he said,” he reminded her. “Be careful.”
“Like they’d try anything with me,” she rolled her eyes.
“Let us know if you need to call in the muscle,” Brad flexed.
“Or the flame thrower,” Patrick wiggled his eyebrows.
“Or if you need some money to bribe your way through,” Michael smirked.
Unpeeling her sandwich, she smiled. “I’ve got my own ways of getting what I want, boys.” Heading to the door, Bianca called back. “Gabe, keep them in line.”
*~*~*~*~*~*
Stepping out of her taxi, the earpiece crackled to life.
“Base to Mother Hen, Base to Mother Hen,” Taylor’s voice rang in her ear. “Do you copy?”
Entering the tall building, she pushed her shoulders back. Bianca spoke into the pin on her lapel, “Mother Hen hates the name mother hen.”
She knew the boys would be watching carefully on whatever camera Taylor had bugged that morning, so she put on a little show, walking carefully to the receptionist’s desk.
Bianca knew Kelly well. As a little girl coming to the office, Kelly was perhaps the most glamorous woman Bianca had ever seen at that young age. Now, years and years later, she was still as beautiful.
“Oh, darling!” Kelly smiled brightly, and Bianca placed a hand over her lapel, hopefully muffling her words. “It’s so good to see you. Are you here to see your, Uncle?”
“Something like that,” Bianca said. “Can I go right up?”
“He might be in a conference,” Kelly said. “But you can always wait in his office.”
“Conference,” she nodded. “Right.”
As the elevator dinged, Taylor’s voice filled Bianca’s ear again. “His office should be the third door on the right. There’s no camera inside, so you’ll be on your own.”
Just how I like it, Bianca thought.
She passed the third door on her right.
“Where are you going?” this time it was Sidney’s voice that hissed in her ear. “What the hell’s going on Bianca?”
She rolled her eyes and paused outside of a conference room door. Through the glass wall, she saw the Commissioner speaking to a room of officials. Ignoring Sidney’s almost panicked voice in her ear; Bianca craned her neck to hear.
“As a last resort of course,” she only caught the tail end of his sentence. A man in the front raised his hand. “Yes, Mr. Chiarelli?”
“They’ll be kept out of all of the facilities?”
“They won’t be working in any form in any of the 30 cities, that’s for certain.”
“As of?”
“The NHL Lockout will go into effect at 12:00 tonight,” He said. “And it will come to an end…”
A man Bianca knew to be Ray Shero leaned forward. “Come to an end…when?”
The Commissioner smiled. “When the job is done.”
Bianca darted away from the door. She yanked her lapel up to her mouth.
“Lockout starts at midnight,” Bianca said. “I’m checking His office now.”
She didn’t wait for Sidney’s reply.
The boys were still talking rapid fire in her ear as she began inspecting His office. He was a neat-freak, she knew, so the job should be easy. But of course, when did anything ever go according to plan?
All she needed was a flash drive that would keep the boys happy for ages. The last time she had seen it, it had been placed in a box on a bookshelf opposite the door, but it was now nowhere to be seen.
“What’s taking so long?” Sidney hissed.
Bianca rolled her eyes. Typical Sid. Constantly, the noise continued in her ear. There was some loud shuffling – a scuffle? – on their end and soon it was only Taylor’s voice.
“He’s in the hallway, Bianca! Coming your way!”
Under his desk sat the box. On her hands and knees she pressed three digits into the keypad and snatched out the flash drive. Dumping it into her purse, she yanked the earpiece out and didn’t care whether pulling her pin off left a hole in her jacket or not. Just as He walked through the door, she crushed the two items in her palm behind her back.
“Bianca,” the Commissioner was startled as He entered his office. “What are you doing here?”
“Just picking something up,” she smiled. “Uncle.”