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“We’ll make a felon out of you yet,” Ford said.

ISAAC

MaybeAndrewwasn’tmerelya pretty face with detective skills. He could think on his feet; a skill Isaac had wondered if he lacked given how often he’d beaten Andrew in the past.

Having Andrew along tonight, however, was soothing in ways Isaac couldn’t explain, other than that he appreciated having someone else to watch his back—and his son’s.

There were extra cameras inside that Vallancourt had warned them about, and additional sections of the building that required keycards, but that had meant nothing to the original thief. Whoever they were, they’d known all the tricks too, the layout,the schedules. The only thing Isaac wasn’t sure how they’d managed was getting away without leaving fibers. Even he’d left something behind occasionally when he was a thief.

They were making good time, almost to the freight elevator, when he could have sworn he sensed something… off, an extra set of steps, an extra panted breath that didn’t belong,something, and he whirled around to look behind them.

“What is it?” Andrew glanced fretfully too, seeing the same empty space Isaac did.

“Nothing. But stay alert. Something’s not right.”

“You know I hate your bad feelings.” Luke gritted his teeth.

“It’s fine. Keep moving.”

They made it to the freight elevator without incident and began their ascent.

Almost immediately, Andrew started snickering.

“Something funny?” Luke barked.

“No…”

“Thinking of another video game, Andrew?” Isaac asked.

“Well—”

“MaybeFFVIIwith that raid on Shinra?” Luke said with a faint smirk.

“Or the ridiculously awkward elevator rides inMass Effect?” Isaac added.

“Wait, you two…”

They grinned. They’d been young criminals whenFinal Fantasy VIIandMetal GearSolidfirst came out, and hocking a PlayStation was easy money back then—and certainly didn’t mean they’d never kept one. Isaac’s gaming systems were just hidden in his entertainment center.

“Maybe I could showyoua thing or two,” Isaac said.

Despite Andrew’s cheeks darkening, he returned Isaac’s teasing stare without falter. “Isn’t it my turn to show you?”

Luke groaned, but him knowing everything did make it easier to keep up the banter. He wasn’t as against Andrew as he pretended either. If he was, he’d trip an alarm on purpose just to watch him squirm.

Isaac faltered to think of a comeback when they only had a few seconds to Dalton’s floor.

Three…

Two…

They flattened themselves to the sides of the elevator, and when the doors opened, they waited…listened. Isaac stuck his hand in front of the doors to keep them from closing, and only when he was certain no guards were detouring from their planned routes, did he peer out and lead them onto stage two.

From there, they’d each memorized a different path and guard schedule to better map out the routes to Dalton’s work area. The thief may have taken any of them, and could again if they returned, so they needed to know for sure which path was the most desirable.

Having to trust that his companions had their routes handled, while Luke went left and Andrew right, Isaac continued forward. That strange feeling he’d had on the ground floor was gone. He remained a constantly cataloguing force of nature as he moved along his path, picturing the schematics in his mind and counting out the seconds to when the guards would be in his way and when the coast was clear.

He had six more items of note to share with Vallancourt when he reached the rendezvous point, but he didn’t wait long before Andrew joined him.