A sturdy maple with appropriately positioned branches had facilitated scaling the fence for Ty and Dave. They now huddled in the off-camera shadows on the west side of Ramos’ property as they studied the security camera display which captured the well illuminated area in front of the double-width garage door and the walk-through entrance beside it.
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Dave murmured.
“Nope,” Ty replied. “That’s why you’re here to cover me should anyone show up.”
He pulled on the Velcro strap which held the tightly rolled brownish bundle and unraveled the thin six by four foot nylon sheet. Grasping two corners, he pulled it over his head and stretched his arms out before him, creating something of a tent.
“Here goes nothing,” he muttered as he crouched low and stepped onto the paving stone lane, moving slowly toward the door.
“You’re not in camera range yet,” said Dave, keeping one eye on his mobile and the other on Ty.
“Are you sure?” asked Ty, taking a few more steps.
Dave peered more closely at the display and said, “Well, damn, you are, but you’re almost invisible.”
“I’m a regular MacGyver,” Ty whispered. “How am I doing for distance?”
“Another twenty feet or so,” Dave replied. “Shift a bit to your left.”
Another minute went by as Ty crouch-shuffled before finally reaching the garage door.
“Honey, I’m home,” he breathed, getting on his knees while letting the sheet completely drape over him.
“Still all clear,” said Dave, continuously scanning the area from the front to the back of the house.
“This won’t take long,” said Ty, removing one of the explosive devices from a pocket of his vest.
Removing a strip of waxed paper to expose an adhesive surface, he affixed the device on the garage door, bottom-centre then armed it. In addition to being ready for detonation upon receiving the proper signal, the device was also equipped with a mercury switch which would set it off if the door was opened. Grasping his sheet, he raised it just enough to see then returned to a crouch and moved to the walking entrance where he quickly installed a similar device.
“Done,” he announced.
“Keep on heading toward the back,” Dave advised. “You’ll be out of camera range five feet past the lighted area.”
Ty continued south, moving more quickly this time, until he was ten feet or so out of the spotlight’s range. Taking a moment, he rolled up the sheet and strapped it back in place then consulted the camera feed on his phone. Jogging a few steps across the stone lane, he reached the landscaped area which lined the fence and hurried back to where Dave waited, confident he was outside the cameras’ views.
“Garage is done,” he reported. “We’re moving to the front to slap a few of these babies in place then we’re out of here.”
“Stay safe, boys,” said Benny from his boat, anchored just out of sight along with Jonathan’s plane on Cliff Bay.
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