"Love of God, woman, what do you eat?!" Panting just a bit, Sam hunched over, his hands on his knees as he stared out into the darkness, watching for any movement, for the blip of a security camera. The oversized duffle bag strapped across his back was now carrying much more than a few spy toys. For a skinny woman, she sure was heavy. He was damned certain it must be all muscle. Five and a half feet and one hundred and thirty pounds of dead weight. He could have cheerfully strangled her.

Knocking her out had been the easy part. A quick prick on her upper arm, a minute for her to strain against the ropes and curse at him, and then she'd been out for the count. It hadn't even been that hard to drag her off the table, and it had taken him less than twenty minutes to empty the duffle bag and figure out how to stuff her inside of it. She had some cramped quarters at the moment, of course, but he figured it didn't matter much seeing as she wasn't awake to complain. What he hadn't been able to stuff back in the bag with her, he'd zipped into its pockets, stuffed toys and gadgets in his jacket and pants, making sure he left nothing of his behind. If they ever managed to find the secret room, Sam sure as hell wasn't going to leave any clues behind for them to follow.

Pressed up against the side of the school, Sam stared at the looming front gates at the other end of the long driveway, drew a slim metal object out of his pocket. Though it resembled a miniature MP3 player, its purpose was much more practical. With the push of a button, the device shot out a thin red laser, scanning the area between him and the gate for security measures. As it detected the various cameras and defensive technology, a red light blink once, twice, three times, before changing to a quick green. A thirty second timer began a countdown.

Thirty seconds. That was how long the little gadget had managed to jam the security. He took off at a dead run, cursing with every breath at the weight on his back. She was going on a diet, first thing. Nothing but bread and water. No, bread had too many carbs. Just water then. Nothing but water for her from this point on. Waiting for the moment that a guard would come along and stop him, Sam didn't allow his feet to slow, barely glancing down at the tiny gadget as the time ticked down. With the locks disengaged on the front gate, he swung through them with four seconds to spare. Even as he shut the gate again, ducked around the corner, he heard the faint hum of a security system rebooting, the faint beeping that signaled the security had been tampered with. Had to hurry now, he thought. Had to hurry before the troops woke up.

Relying on mental maps, he navigated the maze of streets, avoiding well lit streets. Ten minutes after he'd made it out of the gate, he slowed down to a brisk walk, catching his breath as he rolled his shoulders beneath the duffle bag straps. She had it easy, he thought bitterly. Got a free ride out of the deal and everything. Scowling, annoyed, he swung into an alley, walked over to a pile of rotting cardboard boxes and mangled tarps. Tossing and kicking them all to the side, he offered a grin to the sleek silver motorcycle that he'd hidden when he'd first made it into town. In the dim light, he could just make out the security clamps he'd attached to it that had fastened the bike securely to the brick wall, just in case. Taking a key ring out of his pocket, he pushed a button on the key, grinned as the security clamps detached from the wall, slid back into the bike and disappeared behind shining chrome.

"Oh, baby, I've missed you." Caressing the seat, Sam swung a leg over, settled down on the seat, rolled his shoulders in relief as the majority of Esmeralda's weight settled behind him. He was pretty sure she was right side up. A pity she wouldn't be awake to appreciate the smooth ride a well-maintained motorcycle could provide. Starting it up, he listened appreciatively to the quiet purr of the engine. Unlike other bikes, this one was designed to be all but silent. It came in handy in his line of work. As the lights popped on, he drove out of the alley, briefly considered his travel plans before he was moving quickly, quietly through the streets. Within half an hour, he was on the highway and speeding south. He wondered how the little gypsy would like South Carolina.