He opened his photos and found the one for the fourth floor.He spread his finger and thumb across the screen to make it larger.He blinked, thinking he was seeing things, but the blueprint didn’t show the large space next to him, only two rooms as if they were no different than hotel rooms.
Barry wasn’t sure what that meant.He had seen the large blank wall between the last door and this room.There were two rooms between them but only one door.The prints showed otherwise.
Barry debated what to do.He needed to get a plant close to Miles, but if there was another room between them, it wouldn’t pick up a strong signal.He had come too far to leave now.
He stuffed his phone back into his pocket, grabbed his knife, and flipped one of the corners open to utilize the flathead screwdriver.He opened the door cover and set it down on the floor.
Next, Barry removed one of the listening devices from his pocket and put it in as far as he could reach into the duct.This one was bigger than the other one.It had a broader range to cast and pick up conversations.
Maybe he would get lucky and there was a bedroom or office space on the other side and he could pick up any conversations.
Barry wished he had the rest of his equipment to check the placement and see if it needed adjusting, but it would have to do; it would have been too risky to bring it all.
Between this plant and the one on the secretary Annabelle, he should be covered until he could get close to Banks himself and put a bug in his phone.
He could try and bug the hotel phone lines, but most likely, Banks wouldn’t use them for illegal business, only his personal phone.With all the power outages, it probably wouldn’t do him any good anyway.
Barry looked around the room, hopeful there was a stick or something he could use to push the device further into the duct, but there was nothing.
He put the cover back over the air duct and sealed it up.He sprayed around the room some more before leaving.“Spray can jammed up.I’ll be back later to finish,” Barry explained to the guards and headed down the hall toward the exit.
It was time to leave.Barry headed down to the vacant fourth floor and returned his equipment for the electrician outfit and then headed back to the main floor.
“I thought you were going to fix the electricity,” the guard accused as he started past him.
“The fuse burnt out, and I don’t have the right size.I have to head into town and get one, then I’ll be back.”
“Hurry, man, it’s hot as hell in here.”The guy pulled on the collar of his uniform.There was already a thick band of sweat around it.
“Will do.”Barry stepped outside, setting the toolbox back down, and removed the hat before crossing the lot and disappearing into the brush with no one stopping him.
Barry returned to his car and opened his laptop to check on the bugs he’d planted.They were showing active and transmitting.Barry pulled out his wireless ear bud and listened in on Annabelle.
She was talking to someone, but he couldn’t hear the other person speaking, so he couldn’t tell whom she was talking to.
He switched over to the one in the air duct, crossing his fingers that the bug was deep enough in the duct.He could hear a voice, but it was faint.As he’d suspected, there was probably another room between where Banks was and the bug that was interfering with him hearing.
He hadn’t accounted on the guards preventing him from getting into the room.He should have.
Barry needed another tactic to get into that room and place a closer bug.Nothing to be done about it now.Barry put the car in gear and headed back into town.He parked at his hotel, which was a far cry from the luxury of Banks’ building, but it suited his needs.
A bed and a hot shower.He didn’t really need much else.He had lived in tents, holes, and other shelters that would make most people cringe.He didn’t care.It was more than some people had, and he was always grateful to have something over his head to protect him from the elements and equipment to keep him warm.
Barry dropped off his gear and walked down the street.The locals might know something about Banks that could help him.Barry scanned until he found a small hut selling food.
Calling it a hut was generous.It had a back wall and a metal roof.The sides were open, and it had a counter with four bar stools in front of it.
There was a small cooler behind the counter with sodas and water.He was definitely parched after his adventure today.
“Hello, welcome,” the woman behind the counter greeted him.There was a younger man next to her that only glanced up at his approach but didn’t say anything.
“Hello,” Barry replied and took a seat on the rickety stool across from her.There was a small board on the back wall behind her with a handwritten chalk list of the menu items.
“What can I get you?”
“I’ll have the conch salad and a water please, ma’am.”He had never tried conch before, but he was curious about it, and he had a philosophy of trying everything once.He knew what it was, of course.But his travels had never brought him down to the Caribbean, so why not try it while he was here.
“Ma’am?”She teetered as if he had said something funny.The young man rolled his eyes.Barry didn’t know if it was at him or the woman.“Call me Elsie, this is my grandson Jalen,” she introduced.“And you’re in for a treat.I make the best conch on the island.”
