➵ Chapter 1 (Part One: Lia)

                                    

                                          
The watch on my wrist began its countdown.
Five minutes to find what I was looking for and get out undetected. After that, security would perform its sweep of the grounds.
Simple enough.
Cameras had already been disabled, seeing as that particular hall was under construction. The beam of light from the flashlight I held illuminated the eerie room as I swept it around. There were bookshelves lining the room, all of them tightly packed with hardcovers; a grotesque tapestry hung behind it, depicting a bloody scene of war.
As I scurried around the room, my gaze fell on what I'd come for.
Perfect.
I hurried over, the gloves over my hands brushing the keys of the laptop as I typed in the password. There wasn't much thought put into it. One would think people wouldn't use something as obvious as their birthday, but they'd be wrong. Even the senator was naïve enough to do so.
It was no wonder things were constantly getting leaked. 
This was child's play. The itchiness from the blonde wig that my own chestnut hair was tucked into was more concerning than the minor possibility of getting caught. Jamming in a little flash drive, I transferred all the information on the laptop onto it. A small window popped up, displaying a bar that was steadily turning green.
I dropped a white card onto the keyboard. It bore the print of red lipstick. There was no need to worry about DNA getting pulled off of it, not since it was just a copy of the original card. The effect would still be the same. It was my signature. I left it wherever I did any sort of heist.
Three minutes left on the clock.
The files were still transferring.
I glanced behind me at the large window. There were no curtains, no blinds. The room may have been dark, but if somebody caught the slightest sign of movement in the office...
The laptop let out a small beep! alerting me the files had transferred.
I pulled out the drive, tucking it into my boot. Before I could slip out the door, it swung open and a figure dressed in black stepped in.
I had accounted for everything but this. A second thief.
Evidently, I had some new competition.
He looked just as dumbfounded as me. For a single moment, we both stood frozen, staring at each other with wide eyes. He hadn't expected me, nor had I expected him. It was rare for this sort of situation to arise - in fact, I had never actually heard of something like this happening. It was simply unheard of. Maybe it was for a good reason. Maybe one of the thieves always killed the other, leaving nobody to pass on the story.
The one time I don't bring my bow, I need it.
My initial reaction may have been somewhat delayed, but it was still quicker than his. I leaped over the table, flipping in midair, and landing on him with my full weight. There was a crash as a vase made contact with the hardwood floors.
He hit the floor with a thud, hooking both his arms around my legs and yanking hard.
I toppled down onto the ground beside him.
The second thief rolled onto me, clasping both of his gloved hands around my throat and squeezing hard. His dark eyes bored into my own, unblinking. Panic shot through me - a choke hold was nearly impossible to get out of, especially in such a weak position.
Next time, be sure to lock the damn door.
I raked my nails across his face in a useless effort to escape. His skin was shielded by the ski mask he wore. Everything around me was starting to fade, my consciousness about to disappear. My hands scrambled around, grasping a piece of the broken vase and plunging it into his side. He cried out, slackening his grip enough for me to get some air. Adrenaline kicked in, endowing me with enough strength to shove him off.