First Player/The Thrill Is In The Chase

Steel Canyon at night. It was always a sight to see but she wasn't interested in the twinkling lights of the skyscrapers. She was focused on something very important. Her goal for the night.

With every tool at her fingertips, she had no problem getting inside the Lower Copper Disctrict office building. The place she was looking for was very nondescript were it not for the sign located next to the door: Eckleberg & Associates.

To anyone who passed by, the building might have seemed like an ordinary law office. But for her, this office held the prize she had been searching for for a very long time. Eckleberg & Associates was just one of the many businesses that partook in one kind of item: Diamonds.

The building was quiet as she moved through the halls with cat-like reflexes. From her satchel she produced a small leather case which contained her lock picking tools. Inside the leather case were various pieces of metal that were curved and twisted. While there were more modern ways of lock picking, the old methods were the best in situations such as these.

The office had the most typical security systems installed. Alarms, security cameras, motion detectors - everything that a place dealing with a product such as diamonds would have. They would stop anyone else coming and trying to steal their inventory. But not her.

After a few seconds the locks clicked and the door opened. It revealed a small compartment where there was another door that housed a keypad instead of a knob. A customer would have to be "buzzed" in before opening the door. Otherwise, it seemed that you had to know the code.

She smiled as she put away her tools and then produced a more modern piece of equipment. It was an electronic "reader". It was able to go through millions of combinations and produce the right combination in seconds. She attached it to the keypad and waited for the right number to come up. In less than four seconds it came. She gently pressed each button and then saw the lights turn green. She gently pushed the door open and ventured inside the office.

This part was probably the easiest as she walked through the offices and went straight for what she wanted. The vault that contained the office's diamonds was located at the end of a long hall and the massive steel door indicated that not just anyone could enter. The vault door required a simple combination to open it. Apparently the place had skimped on that part of its security. But rather then putting a stethoscope to it and listening for the tumblers click into place, she already knew the combination and few simple twists of the black knob allowed her to pull back the heavy steel door and allowed to view her prize.

There it was, sitting inside its black velvet-lined box and even in the poor light they sparkled. Just like the towers standing outside the windows of the corner offices.

She wouldn't allow emotion to come when she did these things. Getting caught wasn't an option.

She wasn't sure if there was motion sensors or lasers criscrossing the floor. It was better to be safe than sorry. She turned towards the vault door and bent over, flipping a switch on her high tech boots. She planted a sole against the vault and with a loud clang, the boot magnetically attached to the steel door. She raised the other leg and before she knew it she was five feet in the air, horizontal with the floor as she walked into the vault - on the wall.

She made her way across the wall of safety deposit boxes until she was face to face with the box she had come for. She snatched the box and slipped it into her bag. Time to go back the way she came. Closing the vault door, then going through the office and closed both doors behind her. There was one last part of the plan. Getting out of the building. But that too was also planned.

She moved several feet down the hall until she was below a square hole in the ceiling. All it took was a simple gymnastics move and she got herself into the ventilation shaft. Carefully she slid the grate back into place and made sure it was secured. She then moved carefully through the ventilation retracing her steps back to once she came. It took her less than three minutes to get back to the roof where she came into contact with the cool night air and the sounds of police sirens and traffic. The image of the city was breathtaking and it felt good to take it in. After she relaxed for a second it was back to business. She moved carefully to the ledge of the building and looked out into the city. She took a breath, mumbled a few words and then jumped.

She fell several feet a second but she was also prepared for this. She pulled out a grappling hook, aimed, and fired. The hook went flying and clung onto a piece of a building nearby. The sudden change in direction caused her insides to turn. The feeling was always both exhilarating and a little frightening. There was nothing that could replace it. Not a drug, not a car, not all the money in the world could replace the feeling she experienced as she sailed though the air and disappeared into the night.

On Monday morning, David Eckleberg strolled into the office after returning from a business trip to London. Everything appeared normal as he greeted the receptionist. After going through the usual security measures, he went inside and put away some new merchandise. It was only when he glanced over at the pedestal that he discovered that he'd been robbed and no one even knew about it.

"So no one was here all weekend?" Miles questioned Eckleberg.

"No." he answered flatly, mopping his brow. David Eckleberg was a rather portly gentleman, sporting an unsightly combover and, at the moment, sweating profusely. The two were surveying the inside of the vault within Eckleberg & Associates. The legal firm placed Miles on retainer after his last security upgrade foiled two robberies. In truth, Miles was more curious to discover how someone bypassed his security system than actually helping Eckleberg recover his stolen diamonds. He had his suspicions Eckleberg  & Associates weren't exactly on the level and the way Eckleberg himself was sweating the theft at the moment, worried Miles.

"These were legitimately legal diamonds, weren't they?"

Eckleberg looked as if he'd been shot. "What are you implying?"

Miles nodded inwardly. On average, when put on the spot, someone guilty always answers a question with another question. Usually to buy time to prepare the best lie. And Eckleberg didnt have the greatest poker face to begin with. Miles just smiled and shook his head.

"Nothing, sir. Nothing."

It was then that Roger spoke up in Miles ear. "A localized electromagnetic pulse shortened out the surrounding security cameras, Miles."

The hovering robotic drone was currently surveying the outside of the building for clues and reporting to Miles through his wireless earbud. In the vault, he turned away from Eckleberg and pretended to inspect the wall. "Alright, stay cloaked and keep me posted if you finding anything." Miles whispered in a hushed tone.

"Can we wrap this up?" Eckleberg asked loudly from behind Miles. "I've got a very high-profile appointment in ten minutes and I need to prepare."

Miles turned and blurted something out. "You should close the office for the next two days."

Eckleberg looked as if he'd been shot again. "Do you have any idea how much money we'll lose? Not to mention the number of potential clients that will turn to that scumbag Chris Jenkins instead!"

"I just had an idea..." He paused, tapping his head. Miles had actually thought up the idea five minutes after Eckleberg contacted him about the theft. But he didn't need to know that. "Put it out there that you're bringing in another shipment of diamonds."

Eckleberg arched a brow. His interest was perked. Miles knew he'd already hooked him. "You're saying I should leak false information."

It took a great deal of effort for Miles not to roll his eyes. "Yes, exactly."

"So that the thief will come back."

Miles nodded again.

"But the police told me I should let them handle it and carry on business as usual."

"Do you want to catch this guy or wait three weeks for the police to find a tiny lead that goes nowhere, while your diamonds are undersold by some arrogant thief?"

For a moment Miles thought he might have laid that on a little thick, but Eckleberg proved easier to manipulate than he thought.

"Good idea." he nodded in agreement, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Miles sat perched on an adjacent rooftop from Eckleberg & Associates. He'd been here for two hours. "My ass hurts."

"You could have brought a lawn chair." Roger replied drolly. Miles responded with only a sarcastic laugh. Roger was invisibly floating high above the building, scanning for any possible intruders. Clad in his crimefighting gear, Miles was staking out the office in case the thief returned. Eckleberg had indeed leaked that he had purchased an even bigger shipment of diamonds and was moving them from his vault the next morning. If the thief was to make their move, it would be tonight.

Though it was the dead of night, Miles' high-tech visor allowed him to see in absolute darkness.

"Tell you what though, I should've brought a snack or at least-"

"Movement near the southeast ventilation shaft." Roger interrupted. Miles turned a dial on his visor and zoomed in. He caught a flash of movement. A slim figure in the darkness was stealthily crawling across the rooftop.

Miles rose from his spot on the roof. He stepped onto his hoverboard, currently idling two feet off the ground to his right. His boots magnetically clamped onto the face of the board. "Maximum effort." Miles mumbled to himself as he shifted his weight and leaned forward. The nose of the floating board dived towards the roof of Eckleberg & Associates.

"You've been spotted Miles." Roger reported. Miles cursed under his breath as he tracked the thief. They leapt off the building into the adjacent alley and Miles followed suit, skimming over the surface and lip of the roof until he realized the thief was waiting for him.

"Oh hey. You're a chick." He acknowledged. Wearing a deep-purple colored skintight leather jumpsuit covered in different patches and pockets, she stood with her hands on her hips and sported a cheeky grin. Bright pink bangs nearly covered the oversized neon green goggles covering her face, leading Miles to wonder how she managed to see properly.

"Observant." She retorted sarcastically. She wound up, as if she were pitching a softball. Disc-shaped white light circled around her throwing hand as she pivoted and let fly the disc of energy. Miles ducked, barely dodging the attack as it crashed into the wall behind him. Brick and mortar sizzled and crumbled away. "Bye now." She saluted with a smirk and took off running, vaulting over a chain-link fence and down the alley.

Miles rose up into the air on his board, targeting reticles in his heads-up display tracking the thief. She wasn't running. She was being propelled across the ground. Miles zoomed in as he chased after her down the tight alleyway. "Rocket-powered roller skates! That's a new one." he yelled. 

"Glad you like!" she shouted back as her skates propelled her up the side of a wall and over a few overturned garbage cans. Miles leaned forward, pouring on the speed as he closed in on her. "So yeah, you should probably stop now!"

"Not a chance, boyscout!"

The wind whipped across his face as he narrowly dodged a metal ventilation pipe connecting two buildings. He snorted. Boyscout?

Speeding down the alleyway, the thief leapt high, twisting in midair, and pitched two more of those "energy discs" towards Miles. One sailed over his head as he ducked, but the other caught him in the chest, the momentum spinning him around and tossing him back and forth between the two buildings on either side of him. His heads-up display tinged red for a half-second before righting itself. His force field absorbed the blast though he still felt the impact.

Miles gritted his teeth as they both neared the end of the alley. The thief reared back, tossing another two discs of light at the chain link fence blocking the exit. They sliced through the fence as it fell away. She somersaulted through the air over traffic and landed on the other side of the street. Miles tensed up. He'd always wanted to try this. He crouched low before leaping up off his board, sending it through the hole in the fence. But the ankles of his boots clipped the metal bar at the top of the fence, throwing him forward.

"Agghh!" He shouted as he flipped through the air, tumbling into the street and skidding across the ground. Without a driver, his hoverboard crashed into a parked car.

"Ouch. You've gotta' stick the landing next time!" She mocked from the curb on the other side of the street before turning and skating away. Miles grunted as he picked himself up slowly. Roger flitted about above his head. He finally caught up. "Are you alright, Miles?" he questioned.

"Nothing's broken but my pride, Roger." he groaned in response. "Remind me to tell Eckleberg he can find his own diamonds tomorrow."

"Noted." Roger replied.

Then a man ran out of a dry cleaners across the street. "My car!" He screamed, rushing over to his dented automobile that Miles' hoverboard wrecked into.

Miles just sighed as the angry guy turned towards him. "This night sucks."