Amanda readied to leave the room

Once it was done, she would go find Claire and then call in for extraction. As the work progressed, she looked around other applications on the computer. There was one marked ‘security cameras’. She clicked it, and over fifty small video screens popped up on the large wall unit. She scanned through some of them. One showed Kellner in what must be that antechamber that Melville once guarded. Another showed the gallery room, the garage, the kitchen, different bedrooms, and the maid’s quarters! Had Kellner or his security seen her and Claire changing into their gear? She looked back to Kellner and he was now on his own, admiring something on his cell phone, but she couldn’t see exactly what it was. He turned a bit, an she zoomed in the camera. He was watching security camera video of his private suite…and Claire.

Amanda felt a lump in her throat as the jump drive finished downloading the information. Should she try and help Claire, or should she call for extraction and get this data to headquarters? She punched up the security camera for the private suite and maximized it to full screen. Claire was searching in Kellner’s bedroom, and Amanda could see three of Kellner’s security enter the room from a door out of Claire’s field of vision. She hadn’t seen them come in, and seemed unaware of their presence. “Claire,” Amanda shouted at the screen in vain, and just like that, Kellner’s men made their move. Amanda’s heart raced as she watched one of the men grab Claire from behind. Startled, Claire thrust her arms apart instinctively to break the hold. She turned to face the three, and gave one a solid punch to the face, and kicked another in the gut. She was putting up a solid fight. She pushed pass them and made her way to the door but then stopped. At the door waiting for her was Kellner. He began to speak, and Amanda turned on the camera microphone. “You know Claire,” Kellner said, “I became suspicious when I realized you weren’t much of a maid, but I wondered if perhaps you were a lazy millennial, and decided to keep you around so that I could admire your form. Now, you must be working with someone. Where is your partner?” Claire remained silent.

Kellner spoke to one of his guards, “Please go and retrieve Mr. Melville. I last saw him with that hot piece of ass in the red dress. He is probably fucking her brains out. Tell him that play time is over and I require his services immediately.” The remaining two guards each held one of Claire’s arms. Kellner circled her like a vulture, sipped his drink, and asked again about who she was working with. Claire stayed unresponsive. “You know, girl, I can make like very difficult for you. Tell me where your partner is?” Still no response from Claire. “Your loyalty is commendable, Claire, but unnecessary. If your partner had any dedication to the mission, she would have been long gone by now. You are alone, Claire. Why not give me the information I want?”

The guard returned informed Kellner of Melville’s condition, and Kellner began to chuckle deviously. Claire finally spoke up, “How do you know that my partner is a her?” Kellner glanced up at the room’s security camera, and spoke, “Because, Claire, I’ve been waiting for her.” Amanda watched Kellner’s eyes stare at her through the camera. “Shit,” She said audibly to no one, and risked tapping into her earpiece communicator…but to no avail. There wasn’t even static, there was just nothing. There must be a scattering signal set up around the room.

She grabbed the jump drive, and with that, the room went dark. She tapped her night vision glasses in time to see four of Kellner’s guards enter the room from concealed doors. They centered on her and be to stalk inward. She was fully aware that they all had special glasses as well. One took a swing at her, and Amanda ducked and through a hard punch to his abdomen, and the guard keeled over. Another guard grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him, only to get a palm punch to the face, his nose bloodied. A hard kick landed on Amanda’s back, but her armour absorbed most of the ****. She turned to face the kicker, and lost track of the fourth guard long enough for him to pry the glasses from her head. ‘Oh no”, she thought, ‘I can’t see a thing!’ She took a defensive stance but couldn’t keep up with where the blows were coming from. The armour was protective, but wouldn’t be able to withstand this constant barrage forever. Arms wrapped around her waist, and strong grips around her wrists. Then she saw light…the electric charge of a stun gun. She watched it float towards her and one of the guards giving a sinister laugh as his free hand found a weak spot in the armour, just on the side of her waist. “No, please, I…,” was all she could get out before she went ****.