Read Easy and Hard Ways Out for Free Online

after anyone, no matter how late they worked. As ’ magnificent Cadillac crouched in its space; a light could be seen in A ’s office. Murphy parked in his spot near the side of the building, and he and Rocco got out of the car and walked around to the front. Murphy used his key and they entered, not worrying about the tricky security alarm system which A always turned off when he arrived, using the secret four-step process. In the lobby, Murphy walked over to the circuit-breaker box and flipped up the switches to turn on the lights. Rocco used his key to open the inner door. They proceeded in this manner through the corridors, heading in the direction of the Maintenance area, opening circuit breakers and unlocking doors as they went. While Murphy continued on, Rocco detoured to the Accounting men’s room, and entered to turn on the lights and blower motors. Inside, however, he found the lights already on and the motors humming steadily. He was puzzled. Had he left them on all weekend? Impossible. He’d made special note the last time, a special mental mark. Open breakers in Accounting men’s room . How could he have forgotten? Unless A turned them on for some reason. But A had his own private bath adjoining his office. But maybe he’d stopped in on the way up. Even A had certain urgent calls that wouldn’t wait. That must be it, thought Rocco. That must be it.
    Johnson, the front-door guard, was the next to arrive at the building; he immediately took up his post behind the tiny table that he called his desk. A few early birds from Manufacturing drove up, and then some cafeteria staff members who were supposed to prepare breakfast for those who wished to eat in the company lunchroom. José, from Shipping and Receiving, arrived. Van Lamm from Purchasing. Wild Man Plotsky, a draftsman. More people from Manufacturing, machinists from the Model Shop, technicians from Test Maintenance, Production Control, Quality Control, Customer Service. Secretaries arrived; Barbara, senior supervisor, Carol at the switchboard, Mavis in Accounting. Security Chief Brine showed up and checked in with Johnson at his post.
    â€œAnything suspicious, George?” he asked. “Anyone forget their badge?”
    â€œNo suh,” said Johnson. “Ah been checkin’ ever’ one of ’em.”
    Brine scanned the parking lot, now almost a third full. Four hundred cars, he thought, each carrying one or more potential threats to the safety of the United States of America. And it was his responsibility to stop them, “them” being the assorted spies, provocateurs, saboteurs, and people who forgot their badges.
    â€œJust keep your eyes open, George,” he said. “Don’t relax for a second. Remember, no briefcases in or out without inspection. And no exceptions, got that? None.”
    â€œNone,” repeated Johnson.
    Brine walked inside and Johnson slumped back in his chair and relaxed.
    Even pedaling slowly, Wizer arrived fifteen minutes before he was due. He hitched his bicycle to a water pipe, removed his Haiku book and apple from his pack, and trudged inside, showing his badge to the guard. Wizer looked at the picture, taken ten years ago, the plastic protecting it grown murky yellow and cracked. It was a picture of someone younger, much younger, and yet, even then, something had faded around the eyes, some look of youth had disappeared forever behind the plastic.
    â€œYou could use a new one,” said Johnson. “Mistuh Brine likes the employees ta have clear snapshots.”
    â€œAh’ll take this one to ma grave,” said Wizer. “Maybe it’ll get me into heaven.”
    â€œNot if Mistuh Brine has anythin’ ta say about it,” said Johnson.
    â€œAh believe that’s out of his jurisdiction,” said Wizer, grinning. “At least, as of last week it was.”
    He went inside.
    Brundage, of Advanced Devices, arrived. Pat Reilly, Electronics