Chapter Twenty—Utility Augmenter Gloves

John opened the back trunk and May got the Utility Augmenter Gloves out of the duffle mag and put them on.

“Come on,” John said as he got back in the car.

May got in after him and they took off at a steep trajectory.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked. “It’s going to be pretty dangerous.”

“If you slip…” Lexa said and trailed off.

The rest didn’t need to be said.

If I slip—that’s it.

“I got this,” May said with a nod. “Piece of cake.”

“All right,” John said, then he glanced forward and hit some buttons as he looked up at the map displayed over the windshield. “Not long now.”

“Don’t worry, Kyle,” May said. “I noticed your toys in the duffle. I’ll bring them along.” Kyle muttered something that was mostly indistinct, but she thought he said “shit.”

“So why aren’t you the one doing this, John?” he asked.

“I’m lighter than he is,” May said in way of explanation. “The UAGs can handle my weight a lot better than John’s.”

“Incidentally,” Kyle said. “How much do you weigh?”

She laughed. “I’m not telling you.”

“Kyle!” Lexa chided. “Don’t you know you never ask a woman her weight? Even John knows this.”

John said nothing as he glanced at May with a grin.

“Sorry,” Kyle said.

May thought he sounded sincere. He was being way too serious. I’m going to have to teach him to lighten up a bit. Then without saying the words aloud, she mimed with her lips, “Is he always like this?”

John nodded and she laughed.

“Hey!” Kyle said. “What’s that laughing about?”

“It’s nothing.”

“You’re making fun of me, aren’t you?”

“Of course not—what are you paranoid about something?”

“What? No!”

“Lighten up, Kyle,” she said. “We’re about to have a bunch of fun if Lord Strogaus is home.”

“’Lord’?” Kyle asked. “Do you always call these douches that?

“Yeah, why?”

He laughed. “I usually call them ‘overlords.’”

“Nice.”

“All right,” John cut in. “We’re there.”

Narrowing her eyes, May took off her shades, folded them and put them in her front pocket as the large neon Triple X sign came into view.

On the windshield the computer display outlined their telemetry data, making the Strogaus Industries building look like it was glowing with a bright-yellow wire frame.

“There she is,” May said as she glanced at floor two-hundred-and-ninety-six. It was outlined in green, the display blinking.

John hit the doors and they slid back.

With her heart racing, May activated her UAGs so they would catch the class. “Get me close.”

“You got it,” he said.

The car came up to the building and the rear thrusters fired in a roar, the car angling up against the glass.

“Man, oh man!” Kyle said. “That doesn’t look fun.”

“Let me concentrate.”

“Sorry.”

May leaned out of her door and put her Utility Augmenter Gloves to the glass. There was a magnetic sound as her hands gripped it with a sucking-like jerk. She pulled, then pulled hard enough to lift her own weight.

“I’m good!”

“Good luck!” Lexa said.

“Thanks,” May responded.

“Okay,” John said. “Taking her away.”

“Do it!”

He moved the car away from the Strogaus Industries building and May’s legs fell out over open air. A thrill and shiver went up her spine.

“Oh gods!” she said.

“Are you all right?!” Kyle asked.

“Yes,” May said. “It’s just—it’s a lot to take in.”

“Concentrate,” John said. “Take your time.”

Swallowing as she glanced down, the ground below her more than two-hundred floors was surreal. It wasn’t like when glanced down from inside the safety of the car.

She had done similar things in the past—most of those being sports-related activities—but it had been a while and she wasn’t completely ready for this.

“I’m right here if you need me,” John said.

“No!” May exclaimed. “I’m fine. “Go do your part.”

There was a pause. “All right.”

She disconnected one hand and activated the laser cuter. She then traced out a circle across the glass large enough for her to crawl through.

Once she had finished her work with the red laser—which only took a matter of seconds, May shunted her open hand onto the two-inch thick glass and it fell inward with a heavy thump.

Reactivating her right glove, she crawled up to the hole and then reached in with one hand, lowered herself and then climbed in, grunting as she went.

“Oh gods!” the woman at the reception said over the phone. “Security! Security, someone is cutting through the window in Mr. Strogaus’ office reception!”

“Are you sure?” Kyle’s voice said over their wristlet coms as he communicated with the receptionist. “You better make sure!”

The woman came out of the cubicle two steps and then back stepped. “Yes! Yes, I’m certain!”

Crawling fully inside, May breathed heavily, then stood onto her feet and glanced at the woman.

“All right,” Max said. “Wait there and I’ll go get help never.”

“What?!” the receptionist asked, her eyes bulging “You’re not security!”

“No…” Kyle drawled. “I’m not.”

The receptionist dropped the phone and looked up at May. She shrugged. “Hands up.”

The receptionist moved to the other phone.

Stupid.

Stalking to the front of the desk, May grabbed the tall receptionist by both ears and pulled. She screamed, slapping at May’s heavy UAGs to absolutely no effect.

May pulled harder and the receptionist screeched to the dismay of the other woman getting up to glance through the glass separators with alarmed curiosity.

Kyle started laughing hysterically. “Oh my gods! John—look!”

To keep her ears on, the blonde girl scrabbled atop her desk.

May pulled and she fell heavily onto the carpet. Before the receptionist could scramble to her feet, May punched her in the face and she went out cold.

“Stupid blonde.”

Kyle finally managed to contain himself. “Wow, May.”

“That was”—John chuckled—“unexpected.”

“Hey!” May screamed and put two holes through the glass. “Back in your chairs!”

The women scrambled to their desks. Half of them were probably making emergency calls, thinking they were being sneaky.

“All right,” John said. “Check the computer. Hopefully Strogaus is sitting in his office right now.”

With a grin, May went to the computer and started searching for Strogaus’ itinerary. There was his schedule on the screen. But what May saw wasn’t good.

“Shit!”