Altair looked at the video which by now was already playing in real time and not speeding up. The screen was now split in five, showing the tall, plain and easily forgettable building from four sides and above.
"I'm not really one for small talk, how about we just go in, borrow the register and look for a Denton Black and where he stays."
"Well," David started. "We thought of that, but the 'register' of that place is also the cashier and receptionist. A nearly senior-aged lady with a good memory and also a 'super=recognizer', who doesn't forget a face and makes disguises useless."
"I see…" Altair muttered in realization. "So we can't move in as delivery people and we can't borrow the register."
"Correct. And with time constraints, we can't go for a long-term infiltration by renting a place ourselves and slowly getting to know everyone. Besides, we don't know how long Denton Black has been staying there and how much longer he'll be lodging. For that same reason we can't just wait and see when he comes out."
David then told Altair the details of a few things they had tried before and after listening carefully, Altair asked.
"What do you expect of me?"
"Simple, since there are no cameras in the building. First, connect this earpiece to the phone Ronald gave you yesterday. You will move in through the front door, and without going through the reception, you go directly towards the rooms as if you live there. Don't even look in the reception's direction."
Altair took a brand-less plain box with an earpiece drawing from the table and started opening it.
David continued. "Once inside, you give us the ok if the place is clear and James and I will Sling to the be on watch at each floors entrance and exit."
*tu-dut~*
While listening Altair connected the earpiece.
"I'll stay at the first floor's entrance and James at the stairs. While we watch, you will move to each door and place the endoscope on the peepholes to take pictures of the room's interiors. Like I mentioned earlier, the peepholes are not covered from the inside."
The images showing the video of the building shifted and something else appeared on the screen.
"SAMANTHA used what she could get from the lobby to make this. Just like in this animation, you will enter through this door. The place with the flashing red circle is the receptionist's desk and the red hue is her range of sight from her desk. Just stay in the blue or at worst the white region and don't turn in the lady's direction while moving in this direction and you'll be good."
"Is there a need for all this precaution?" Altair asked.
James explained. "This all depends on Denton Black, we don't know much about the man himself other than what he shows the public during his shows, and that could be a façade. We don't know how he will react to being ordered to stop the exposure and if a fight breaks out, it's better that no one remembers us there. Think of this as a way to avoid a memory wipe, no pressure."
Right, because of their earlier antics, he almost forgot how extreme these people could be. If they cut off Denton Black's arm like they did his, it would be difficult to predict what would happen then.
"Is there anything you don't understand about the plan?" David asked.
"No, I got it." Altair replied. "Walk in through the front door, don't look at the receptionist and move to the rooms area. Watch if no one's around and let you know, then you sling and while you keep watch for me, I take pictures of each room."
James shrugged, "Yeah, that well resumed."
"Will Ronald come along with us?" Altair asked.
"No," David replied. "He will watch the video and make sure Denton Black doesn't leave while we're inside.
Altair relaxed knowing that. Ronald was definitely the most extreme of the bunch and he might snap like it was the case with him. Looking at Denton Black's smug smile in the picture, it didn't seem like the two could get along.
"When are we going?" Altair asked.
"Now would be good." David started. "It's the middle of the day there and most of the building should be nearly empty with the tenants at work and school. You should Sling here." He pointed at the image of an empty alley.
Altair stood up and looked at the image for about a second before vanishing from the room, the next moment he could be seen appearing at the location of the alley on the screen.
.
He put on the earpiece he received earlier and remembering the road from before, he made his way towards the building.
\"Oh, you didn't even need directions."\ James teased from the other end.
\"Shut up James, don't disturb him."\ David started
…
The sound was suddenly cut for some time while Altair walked to the building before returning. He had slowed down his pace while waiting for the sound to return.
\"Proceed as planned Mr. Rohan."\ Altair picked up his pace when he heard Ronald all the while wondering what happened on the other side.
Once in the building, he followed the path SAMANTHA had shown and soon got to the first room floor. He walked to the stairs and back before giving his ok.
David and James appeared nearby and took their positions. Following that, Altair moved to the first door and took the endoscope from under his suit to start taking pictures.
He placed the endoscope on the peephole and immediately the image of the room, slightly distorted appeared in his phone screen.
*click*.
He captured it and moved on to the next door. He repeated the same procedure and kept going from one room to the next.
David and James moved from one floor to the next with him, taking their positions each time and ensuring that he took images undisturbed.
On the last floor of the building, the fourth floor, David, who was standing at the staircase heard someone's footsteps coming up.
/"Someone's coming up."/ He said through the comms.
Altair momentarily froze in his motion, one hand, with the endoscope, moving towards the peephole and the other holding down the phone screen up and on.