The ambience of the masses continued to spite under the fleeting brilliance of daylight. Raising hand-drawn paper boards and cutout, while their voices never ceased to weep.
Around this point in time. Leonard and Seeka have succeeded in blending into the mob of workers, keeping a quarter of a distance by the road.
Although this rally is an issue to be handled by the officers. The dock area is not within the Church of the Evernight's jurisdiction, thus presenting as officers would tip them off to scrutiny. Making use of the commission as an excuse isn't a good idea either.
So instead meddling. They waited on the sidewalk for minutes until Seeka suddenly creased her eyebrow and said, "The company is surprisingly calm and quiet."
Leonard flexed his wrist while gazing at the mob of protesters. He replied, "Yeah, seems like there's no people in there huh?"
Seeka didn't add any more words as she simply crossed her arms again and waited.
Several minutes later. The seed hadn't returned for a report yet.
Leonard, who can barely wait, began to pace as he suddenly suggested, "We should scout the vicinity."
Seeka didn't seem to dislike the idea as she nodded. Idling for a chance simply doesn't work with her.
So upon seeing Leonard cross the road, she followed closely behind as she kept an eye over the Carter Works building and the rallying people.
Most of them are wearing sleeveless tops accentuating their pressured-driven tones and structures. Seeka examined them carefully.
First to realize whom among them might become a suspect, and secondly, she wanted to make a vivid description for her latest work.
It took less than fifteen seconds to arrive at the alleyway behind the building. To which of them quickly covered their nostril of the pungent scent.
"Planning to enter?" Seeka's voice was a bit shrieky.
Leonard wanted to ascertain if whether it is safe to enter first and to confirm whether the jewelries are still there before taking action.
Which is why he sent the seed and sought Selina's help. It would breach the intended safe route if they were to enter without the signal.
"No, I'm still cautious about the people outside." Leonard withdrew both of his hands into his pocket.
Now, leaving the alleyway from the other corner. Seeka have mapped out the building's structure mentally in her mind. However, not from within.
The windows are built right at the second floor while the ground floor's windows are mainly present to where it faces the road..
Entering it is indeed too risky and could potentially lead to their exposure. Nevertheless, if they talked about efficiency. Seeka had noticed a stack of barrels, a neighboring house's protrusion and a way to reach a window to the second floor.
She also heard a few clicks above the multifaceted rooftops, however she figured maybe it was just cats.
The window on the second floor had one that is slightly damaged, two closed shut and one that had a small lining, allowing for a glimpse between two flailing cloths that looked like curtains peeking out.
At this moment. Leonard, who had been casually gazing around, suddenly stopped midway among the crowds. Seeka halted as well.
It took her a brief moment to reckon her colleague's behavior. Afterwards she felt a shivering realization.
The series of clams above, a window damaged and a flailing ends of a curtains from a window.
Someone had just entered Carter Works Company!
...
The eerie corridors are almost devoid of light. From the seed's viewpoint, the walls looked giants and towering giants that encapsulates the sky.
The humid air felt eerie, muffling with the worker's voices of revolt from the outside. Clearly, this building is empty, no matter how loud they protest, it's futile.
Knowing that Leonard is waiting outside, the seed hurriedly searched for a window in the hallway.
And when it did, during this point in time, a slow, fragile slip sounded. Then, another body heat appeared from another room.
Selina sensed it and felt a clutch in her nerves as she pilot the seed. She realized someone had just entered the building!
What is the person doing? What are they after?
Since the seed was small and easily mistaken among cluttered dusts. It rolled back, stopping randomly near the office.
Perhaps this break-in is also after the safe!
Soon, a series of clinks echoed from a room three doors away. This made Selina reckon what's inside the safe.
Of course, jewelries are valued, however, it is just a convenient among files that could expose the company. Even though it is not her business to dwell, it could really help with knowing the true cause for smuggling vagrants in warehouses.
Because it's highly doubted that it's charity work.
Creak!
The sound of quietly opened door was undeniable. Slipping out was a cloaked figure. They had about 5'5 length in height, other than that it is impossible to detail their face from where the seed rests.
It had to move closer!
The seed flicked itself and began rolling. On the other hand, the cloaked person continued to stride.
At this moment in time. Selina sensed another aura coming from behind a room. It was like a bonfire in the night that couldn't be mistaken.
Another? Are they accomplices?
The seed halted, the cloaked man turned sideways to inspect the hallway before resuming.
The addition of new auras are two people. One had a refined squarish body while the other slim and feminine.
Leonard and Seeka?
...
Leonard used the crates and propelled himself to get a hold of a balcony.
When he made it, he reached his hand to aid Seeka before overcoming the iron pipes, crimps and protrusions.
Then after just one more reflexive backflip to get to the roof. Leonard lifted Seeka as he gripped tightly on the faceted plates. They were now on top of a building.
"A forty-feet vantage point could really make someone dizzy huh?" Leonard commented while smiling.
Seeka slowly got to adjust with the roof's slope. However, she remained silent.
Some moment later, she said, "Let's be quick. We can't let that person escape."
What if they know Carter?
Information about this administrator had now gained value through the claims of people.
"Alright." Leonard nodded, grinning. Thankfully the house they got on top of is conveniently close to one of the windows. This was where that person entered.
I wonder if Selina is tracking them...
...
The seed spun until it met with a dusty spot.
During all this plain-sight conceal game. The cloaked person seemed to be in a state of paranoia.
They kept on glancing sideways and checking each corners. Then breathing heavily as if their minds is playing with them.
This is because the seed, although tiny, produces small frictions that in a quiet environment becomes soundly.
Yes! That's right! Be feared! Selina giggled inside the dreamworld.
She had completely dismissed the two other auras because apparently, those two trespassers are undeniably Leonard and Seeka.
Two members of the Nighthawks that are unusually, strangely skilled in locksmithing.
A simple, fragile seed can't deal in a confrontation. Unless if Selina were to prepare a heavily directed assault just like what she did in the case of Art.
Otherwise, she's just a spectator, a very vulnerable seed that can be crushed with a hammer.
She had to buy time for her two colleagues to enter the scene!
Click! Clack!
After two taps, the seed retracted its long vine from the across the hallway.
Hearing this, the cloaked person jolted and again erratically inspected his surrounding.
"Pesky rodents... pesky beetles... pesky flies..." out of nowhere, he suddenly started mumbling from frustration.
So that's what he sounds like? Selina noted the man's voice.
She avoided getting near him entirely. This is why it's just now did she realized that it was a man underneath the cloak.
Then just a few more attempts at messing with the man. A soft and slow sound echoed from across the corridor.
The cloaked man stiffened and he looked toward the noise coming from the door that he entered earlier. Stopping him from trying the keys on his hand to open the office.
Creak!
A young man with emerald dark eyes and a poetic flair walked out. Behind him was a woman with silver-white hair and deep jet eyes, already drawn her revolver.
At that moment. Leonard's intuition made him preemptively backed off. A dagger flew right pass him.
"There you are." he smiled as he turned his head and saw a man behind his cloak.
He was around the age of twenty. With broad forehead, ebony eyes and cosmeticized face that made him appeal to criticism.
Is he... an androgynous?
Seeing the presence of two individuals, targeting him. The man abandoned his purpose and quickly withdrew the keys back to his pocket before pivoting.
Then suddenly, his image blended into the shadows. However, he was flickering due to his motion. The glint from his ebony eyes grew darker and listless and he easily dodged the furnishings in the dark.
A beyonder!
He's trying to escape! Selina felt alarmed and she quickly propelled the seed.
While this is happening. Leonard dashed right away and prepared his revolver.
Bang! Bang!
Seeka let out two shots of bullets, specifically aiming on the man's limbs. However, the man was acutely agile and succeeded in evading them each.
Leonard is having difficulty closing his gap with him, and the window is almost in reach!
Appearing as if the situation didn't favor them. He quickly resorted to spelling a lullaby for the man.
The target staggered after the fourth recital line. He loosened but he remained unwavered for a few moments before finally tripping on a wire.
He collapsed.
"Huh?" Leonard was surprised to see a vine right below the man's feet.
It quickly retracted back and the seed rolled to next to his shoes for cover.
"Great. We can determine him and about this company..." Seeka walked over. Oblivious of the seed.
Leonard smiled casually and secretly lowered his hand behind his side facing away from Seeka and let the seed jumped to it.
After sensing that it returned to his coat's pocket. He replied in satisfaction. "Seems it's safe to enter after all.
"So? Should we interrogate him first?"
Seeka thought briefly before saying, "Let's secure what we came here first."
"Alright." Leonard smiled as he walked toward the window. Unfurled and removed its curtains before turning back.
After tying the man's mouth, limbs and head, connecting the two curtains to a single point behind him. He stood up said, "There, let's return for him later."
"Alright." Seeka glanced at the man for the last time before following closely.
The two reached for the office door. It was logical to say that it's where the valuable things are store, evident by how the cloaked man tried to enter.
Using the keys fetched from the person's pocket. Leonard had only tried one key before succeeding to unlock it.
Seeka swept a gaze in the interior. Then after seeing him enter did she entered as well.
Leonard deliberately took the lead in going in. That's due to him needing the seed again to direct them where the important things are.
Although this can be done at some point. Currently, time is of the essence. It would help a lot of they did not need to give the room a clean-up.
When he saw where the seed's vine is pointing. He took the idea and told Seeka, "I feel like there's something behind those bookshelves."
"Really?" Seeka was a bit taken aback by how quick he was.
Leonard nodded firmly. "Yes, perhaps it'll save us time if we look more open-mindedly."
Seeka was a bit skeptical, however since he was her colleague for years now, she simply abide with his idea.
Both of them jointly turned the bookshelf away, and what they saw was a silver square space that had a rotary locket. It was a safe.
Leonard grinned. "Alright, I'll take it from here. Seeka, please avoid producing any sounds while I work on it."
Seeka was quietly observing him as he took off his black gloves. So it did not bother her least bit.
He pressed his ears against the cold metal. Leonard allocated his senses into knowing the vibrations.
Rotary locks have multiple wheels stacked on a central shaft. Each of them has a notch cut on its edges called gates. The lock only opens when all these gates are perfectly aligned in a row and when the fence drops into them.
To decode it, one has to exploit Contact Points. This achieved by mapping the lever's angled "nose"(which the fence is attached to), reading clicks, isolating gates, and graphing.
Leonard had an intensive knowledge about locks. This allows them to enter a suspected criminal's houses undetected.
Dialing sequence happened. Tick, tick, tick, tick, clack!
Then, for another one minute, the middle sound occurred in a reverse counter-clockwise. Tick, tick, clack!
Just as Leonard resumes. A faint, distinct sound of a mechanical lever after he twisted the dial back vibrated to his ear.
Clack-thud!
The safe opened ajar.