Some Things Are Timeless
 

Harper narrowed her eyes a bit before she switched her binoculars to night vision, scanning the building again. Switching yet again to infared, she smirked faintly when she saw a distinctive heat signature in the center of the room, guarded by a few people on that floor and several more throughout the building. Of course, she didn't expect much else of the Palazzo Vecchio.

Good thing tourists never looked up on top of buildings or she'd be so screwed.

Pressing a finger to the communicator in her ear, she said quietly, "I've got a lock on the Piece of Eden.

"Hold your position for now," Desmond said from where he was sitting at a café, keeping an eye on things at the street level. His communicator was disguised as an iPhone earbud set. "Let's wait a bit for the civvies to clear out."

And some days he still wished he was a civilian, but he figured he was pretty much stuck with this job now.

"We could clear them out," Shea offered from her own position on an adjacent building, keeping an eye on Harper. "Be enough of a distraction to get in and out." She knew not to, of course, it would be more trouble than it was worth, but it was fun to imagine.

Desmond snorted. "Only if you want to deal with the police afterwards," he said. "Last time I had riot batons waved at me, I was this close to just decking the guy, and I don't really have a particular affinity for jail cells of any kind."

Harper snorted at them both but settled in to wait for a little bit, spending the time planning her entrance and watching the movement of the guards.

"Not that you couldn't jimmy your way out of them as soon as their backs were turned," Shea pointed out, settling into her lookout spot as well.

"It's the principle of the thing," Desmond replied with a grin, ordering another coffee with a lazily raised hand. "Besides, as I recall, last time you were in a jail cell you complained for days, Shea."

"It was a terrible cell," Shea retorted primly. "And the lock was in bad condition, the tumblers barely moved."

Desmond just snickered at her quietly before his gaze sharpened. "Shea, you've got Templars heading up towards your position, stay low."

"Got it," Shea replied softly, settling lower into a dip between two peaks of the roof. She swept the area briefly with her eyes before watching Harper again. "Harp, you've got a pair of Templars coming up the lower levels, I see them in the windows. Be careful." The words were quiet and rushed as she listened for the Templars getting close to her own spot.

"Thanks." Harper slid a little so she was out of sight of the lower windows. She figured they'd have to wait for a little while longer; the square was clearing, but not quickly enough. Another half hour, she guessed, and it would be mostly empty, which was about as good as it was going to get.

Shea waited quietly as she heard the footsteps on the roof around her. She stayed still and silent, waiting for the Templars to retreat again.

It didn't take much longer for the Templars to go back inside and downstairs, about ten minutes. By then, Desmond had had to move to a quieter, darker spot; the tourists were finally clearing out.

"Ten more minutes," he murmured to the girls.

"Alright," Shea said, moving back into position when the Templars left. "Still got eyes on Harper, I'll move in closer once she's in."

Desmond nodded. "Take your time," he reminded Harper.

"Don't worry, I'm not moving yet." Harper was still watching the guards, waiting for the right moment.

Ten minutes just crawled by. Finally, everything was as empty as it was going to get.

"Call it," Shea murmured into her comm.

"As soon as you have a good space, go for it," Desmond told Harper.

"Got it." Harper had to wait a minute for the guards to change place before she slid over to the other side of the roof, and then ran along to get over to the top of the Palazzo Vecchio, making her way inside as quietly as possible.

"Shea, feel free to go in if you feel she needs backup."

"I'm moving closer to keep an eye on her," Shea said, moving across to the other building.

Desmond nodded and kept tabs on both of them until a Templar came into the main room from a side room, saw Harper, and hit the panic button. Then he swore and sprinted up to go help out.

Harper growled curses as she put the Templar out of their misery, making a dash for the Piece of Eden, gloves securely in place and the carrying bag ready. She wasn't about to try touching it with her bare hands, not until they knew what it did.

Shea also swore when she heard the alarms going off, and Templars started to appear.

"We need to get out of here," she said to Desmond. "Are there any relatively clear ways out?"

"Upper windows are open," Harper replied. "If you can get up to this level we can go." She managed to snag the Piece of Eden and got it in the bag, holding off the few Templars on her level. Most of them were on the ground floor.

Fortunately Templars weren't known for being intelligent.

Desmond nodded and took the stairs, tossing one Templar over when he got in the way.

"On it," Shea said, making her way towards Harper as well. They needed to meet back up so they could get away.

Desmond got up there first, and he and Harper headed to a window. Desmond killed the last Templar on the floor while Harper hoisted herself out the window and up, out of the sight, and Desmond waved Shea on through.

Shea flipped herself neatly over the windowsill and out, climbing up after Harper. She glanced back just once to make sure Desmond was following.

Desmond was out as soon as the girls were out, climbing after them and then leading the way away from the Palazzo Vecchio and over to their temporary safehouse, dropping in through the roof and holding out his hands to help the girls down. Not that they needed it, but he always offered.

Shea dropped through the roof as well, getting out of the way so Harper could follow.

"That was a little close," she commented once she was sure they were safe.

"Only a little." Harper dropped in last, keeping hold of the bag. "And we got what we needed."

"What is it this time?" Desmond moved over to see if he could get a look.

"It looks kind of like an hourglass on a chain." Harper moved the bag to show it to them, still careful not to touch it.