I put on my mask and entered the building. The crowd in the lobby made it easy to blend in. No one noticed the nervous five-foot seven black-haired ponytail woman working her way to the middle of the room. Taking a deep breath, I located my target--Senior Vice President Tony Kirkwall.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," I knocked into him, dropping my decoy set of papers.

"It's okay," he said, "it tends to get very crowded in here during the day. Let me get that for you."

As he leaned down to gather the papers, I pulled the pistol out of my purse. Burying it in his side, I looked him in the eye.

"No one will hear it go off," I said sternly, "and I'll be gone before anyone realizes you're wounded." Nodding that he understood, I continued. "I need to get into this building, and you've got the access I require. So, we are going to go up to the desk where you are going to get me a visitor's pass, and then you'll escort me to the elevator and then to your office."

"They are going to want to know who you are and why I'm bringing you here?" the man's nostrils flared.

"You don't think I've done my research," I chuckled. "You have a known habit of bringing women here to show off. I'm just another notch on your belt as far as they know." I looped my right arm around his left, "now move!"

With my left hand gripping my gun under my right arm, I hid the gun between us.

"Morning, Tony," a large, uniformed man addressed Kirkwall.

"Good day, Paul; how's it going?"

"So far, so good," The guard grabbed a clipboard placing it in front of Kirkwall. "Here to sign in, your lady friend."

"Indeed, I am," Kirkwall cleared his throat. "She's always wanted to see how the system works."

"Don't they all!" Paul said.

"She said she'd go as far as putting a gun to my side and making me take her up."

Tightening my grip, I dug the barrel into his side and laughed. "I just wanted him to know how serious I was," I batted my eyes at the security guard.

"Well, I hope you're not disappointed," Paul winked at Kirkwall, handing him my visitor's pass.

Letting out a sigh, Kirkwall nodded at the man, and we continued onto the elevators. Staying close to his side, I looked around like a wide-eyed girl, impressed and fascinated by the technology that surrounded me.

Stepping off onto the 53rd floor, we walked down a long beige hallway to the last office on the left. Entering, I released my grip and closed the door.

"Now what?" Kirkwall snapped,

"Now," I turned the blinds down while Kirkwall poured himself a drink at his office bar, "I move on to phase two."

"What's phase two?" he took a sip of whiskey.

"You're on a need-to-know basis, and you don't need to know."

Flipping the pistol in my hand, I drove the butt of the gun into the back of his skull. His body wobbled then dropped. The cordial whiskey glass thudded off the soft gray carpet.

"Well, that's a waste of good hooch," I stepped over him, grabbing a glass and pouring one for myself shooting it back. "Thanks," "I needed that. Time to get to work."