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Back 3 a.m.
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  67. 3:46 a.m.

It doesn’t work.

I’m gonna have to break in. Though if the place is what I think it is — a CIA black op marauding as an investment firm — I doubt there is a security system. At least one that reports to the police. The last thing these spooks want is for the police to come inside, start poking around, and discover there is no ink in the printers. That being said, I assume some sort of security protocols are in place. If there is a break-in, a few people will be alerted; one of which, I hope, is my mother.

It takes me thirty seconds to find a worthy projectile.

I’m about to smash it against the glass when I stop. There might not be a security system that alerts the police to a break-in, but there is still the chance someone will overhear the breaking glass and call the cops. There is a law firm two businesses down which still has its lights on.

I run to the street, spot a relatively nice car, and I rock it back and forth.

The car alarm blares.

I sprint back to the side of the OPIC building and smash the brick against the closest window.

Even I have a hard time hearing the explosion of glass over the wail of the shrieking alarm — an alarm I know is unlikely to attract much attention. Even being awake one hour a night, I know the sound of a car alarm has become somewhat relegated to the white noise of the city.

I chip away at what is left of the window, then gingerly pull myself up and into the building.

I slip the small flashlight from my back pocket and flick it on. I look in desk drawers and a couple filing cabinets. Both are full of stuff and look as if they are used daily. There are four small offices, and I poke my head into each one and give a rudimentary search. Everything appears to be above board. There is actually ink in the printers.

There is a set of stairs, leading only upward, and I climb them, only to find a near replica of the ground floor.

“Damn.”

Maybe I got this all wrong.

Maybe this was actually an investment firm.

Which means I probably tripped a security system and the police were on their way.