Chapter 6: Mission Impossible

When they arrived at the Burj Khalifa, Kat couldn't keep herself from staring around in wonder. The building certainly lived up to its name as the tallest building in the world- it was massive, towering high up into the sky – but more than that, it was beautiful. The glass windows glinted in the hot Arabian sun, making the building look like it was sparkling and Kat squinted as she tried to get a good look while keeping her sunglasses on her head.

Jane had slipped out to buy an entirely new outfit for Kat so that she wouldn't draw unwanted attention with either her ill-fitting jeans or her injured knees. This meant Kat was now wearing a long, patterned sundress, plus a pair of sunglasses to help beat the heat. She'd pushed them onto her head to try and get a better look at the Burj without the dark lenses blocking most of her view, but it also meant that she was trying not to be blinded by the sun reflecting off the building's shiny surface.

"Come on, Katelyn." Ethan called as the group walked into the hotel, and Kat looked over in surprise.

"Kat." She corrected as she hurried after him, picking up the hem of her dress to keep from tripping on it, and Ethan glanced at her.

"What?" He asked and she told him: "It's Kat."

"Like Kit-Kat?" Benji asked, and she sighed: "Like I haven't heard that one before."

"Oh, so it is!" Benji crowed, a wide smile appearing on his face and Kat made a face at him.

"Benji." Ethan called his friend's attention. "You need to check us in."

"Oh, right. Be right back, Kit-Kat." Benji waved, hurrying off before Kat could kick him.

"Why does it not surprise me that he's the one to use that name?" Kat sighed, and Ethan grinned at her.

"You don't like it?" Brandt asked curiously and she pointed out: "Who wants to be called a chocolate?"

"Maybe it means you're sweet." Jane teased and Kat pulled a face.

"Or that I'm crispy." Kat pointed out, making them all laugh. But what threw Kat was Brandt's smile as he grinned at her. It was the first genuine smile since this whole thing started, and it made him look years younger as his features took on a boyish quality the was charming to behold, and made her heart pick up just slightly.

"Okay, all done!" Benji called as he walked over with their suite room keys and Kat blinked. She shook her head, quickly focusing back on the situation at hand and not her disturbing reaction to Brandt's smile. That was a can of worms she definitely didn't want to open. Instead, she focused on wondering how Benji had managed to get them seats on a plane and a room at the Burj on such short notice. It was completely beyond her, but apparently no-one else thought twice about it.

The men and Kat headed over towards the elevator as Jane disappeared, heading off to the drycleaners. Ethan led the way into the suite, Kat closing the door behind them as Brandt and Ethan quickly removed their suit jackets while Benji hurriedly unpacked his computers. Brandt moved to start setting up the mask machine as Kat gingerly settled herself on the couch and out of their way.

"ETA on dry cleaning." Ethan called into his ear comm, and Kat jumped a little as she heard Jane reply in her ear: "I'm on my way out."

'That's going to take some getting used to.' Kat thought as she adjusted slowly to the ear comm. Brandt meanwhile had pulled out his phone, checking his watch as he set a timer and he informed them: "Okay, 34 minutes to door-knock."

He set his phone against Benji's computer as the techie started typing away, placing it so they could all see the timer on the screen as it started to count down. Brandt settled on the couch beside Kat, pulling out the rest of their equipment as Ethan finished with the mask set-up at the desk across the room, when Benji suddenly said: "Wow,.. ehm."

Kat glanced over, worried by the nervous stutter in the man's voice as Benji called: "Okay. This, this is a slight wrinkle... nothing, nothing to worry about." Kat raised a brow skeptically- that sounded reassuring. "We're just gonna have to go into server room, from the outside."

Her jaw dropped while Ethan looked up from the mask machines, his face filled with the same disbelief she was feeling.

"What?" Ethan demanded, and Benji explained, sounding put out: "Well, the firewalls in this building serve a military grade." Kat frowned. "I mean, this would be a synch if I could call Yusuf back at headquarters, but Yusuf doen't exist anymore, and neither do we."

Brandt had got up, moving to look over at Benji's computer as Benji continued anxiously: "I could hack it, but it would take too long."

"Then hardwire in." Ethan ordered, also coming over, and Benji replied: "And there's four layers of next-gen security between us and the server room."

"There's no way we can get into it from inside." He broke it to them and Kat frowned.

She slowly made her way over, peering around Brandt as the analyst pointed out, his hands deep in his pants pockets: "And if we can't get to the server, we don't control the elevators, we don't control security cameras. This operation is over even before it begins."

He glanced at Ethan as he turned, making his way back to his half-unpacked case, as Benji argued: "I'm telling you we can get to it from outside."

"We?" Ethan repeated, and Benji glanced at him as Kat peered at his computer.

Benji caught Ethan's gaze and he quickly excused: "I'm, I'm on the computer."

He pointed at his laptop lamely, and Ethan glanced at Brandt.

"I'm just uh..." Brandt said quickly as he realized what was happening, "the helper."

He gestured at Benji, smiling briefly in relief as he thought of the excuse. Ethan's expression was thoughtful, his eyes flitting about as he weighed all of his options and he moved to the window as he asked: "What floor is it on?"

"130." Benji and Kat replied at the same time.

When all three men stared at her, Kat went a little red, muttering: "Sorry."

"How'd you know that?" Benji asked in surprise, and Kat pointed at the computer screen.

"I can read." She deadpanned, while Ethan returned to their problem as he asked Benji: "Vent ducts?"

"Pressure sensitive." Benji replied grimly as he dug in his bag for something while Brandt muttered: "Not enough time."

Ethan lapsed back into thought before suggesting: "Elevator shaft."

"Infrared sensors." Benji replied, shaking his head as he shut the idea down Brandt repeated: "Not enough time."

Kat gave Brandt a pointed look that told him he wasn't helping, while Ethan turned back to the windows, staring out blankly as he murmured to himself: "How am I supposed to do this?"

Benji threw something at Ethan, and they all blinked as a glove attached itself to the window by Ethan's head. Ethan stared at it while Kat's mouth dropped open and Brandt raised a brow, all of them suddenly understanding exactly what Benji had been suggesting.

"I did say we can get in from outside." He pointed out, and Kat suddenly felt very, very ill as she recalled the 119 floors they'd come up in the elevator.

*******

"Damn it!" Benji muttered as his laser cutter hit a metal pane and sparked slightly. Kat watched from a safe distance away, having retuned to stand by the couch, as Benji finished up cutting the edges of the window pane and Brandt clamped a suction onto the glass after rolling up his shirt sleeves. Kat would've sighed at the creases that he was making in his shirt, but she was too nervous as the two men heaved the glass out, pulling it free of its metal pane and moving it out of the way.

"Oh, that's high." Benji groaned as he glanced down out the now gaping hole, grimacing slightly as he helped Brandt carry the glass away. Kat tried not to look out the empty space or hear the wind whistling faintly outside as she focused on helping Ethan, who had changed into a black shirt, cargo pants and firm-soled boots. She finished securing his belt for him while he adjusted a pair of goggles over his eyes and Benji came over to help Ethan switch on the gloves.

"Okay," Benji instructed as Brandt took over his laptop, "now remember, it's a rolling off motion, that disengages the bond."

He mimed the action with his hands to demonstrate, and Ethan nodded. Benji continued, explaining: "When the emitter is blue," he pointed to the lights on the back of the gloves, "that's full adhesion. Easy way to remember: 'blue is glue'."

"And when it's red?" Ethan asked, and Benji deadpanned: "Dead."

Ethan turned to give him an incredulous look while Kat took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. She moved to join Brandt as Benji ignored Ethan's look uncomfortably, quickly adding: "Uh, here's your cutter, okay? And your server interface. Both going back here."

He tucked both items into the pouch tied to Ethan's waist, muttering: "One, two."

"Okay Ethan," Brandt called as Ethan finished gearing up, "the hotel's server is 11 stories up and 7 units over."

He pointed it out, his brows furrowed as he glanced at Ethan, checking: "Okay?"

Ethan nodded, and Brandt picked up the walkie-talkie, calling: "Comm check."

"Yeah." Ethan muttered as he touched his ear comm. "Copy."

He took a deep breath, Kat watching worriedly as Ethan stared down at his gloved hands almost as though he himself couldn't believe what he was about to attempt to do.

"So..." Benji began, starting off in an attempt to be supportive but trailing off as his face filled with concern.

Ethan looked like he was trying to work up the nerve to actually do his impossible mission, when Brandt piped up anxiously: "And it's 26 minutes to door knock."

Kat smacked his arm, making him glance at her while Ethan nodded numbly before heading for the window.

"Be careful." Kat called, her brows knitting worriedly while Benji bit his lip as Ethan stood at the edge of the hole. Kat almost turned away as Ethan took a nervous step out of the window, slowly turning his body and placing one gloved hand on the window beside him. He tested it, making sure it could support him as he slowly inched his way out to stand pressed against the window, both hands now on the window and the gloves basically the only thing keeping him from falling down.

Kat chewed her lip, wincing as Benji gasped, flinching slightly as Ethan removed a hand and slapped it higher up the glass. Kat was gnawing on her lip so much she drew blood as she watched Ethan start to climb up the side of the Burj, using the gloves to hold him while he placed his feet on the metal edges around the window to help him climb up.

Brandt pulled Kat's lip free, giving her a pointed look as she glanced at him in surprise, before moving with the laptop to the couch facing the open window while Benji moved to check the progress of their masks.

"Twenty-five minutes to door knock." Brandt called and Kat moved to sit beside him to watch the computer. At least it somewhat calmed her down to see the schematics and various bits of code running across the screen.

Brandt glanced at her, when something outside caught his eye. He turned to stare before he asked quietly, his brows furrowing: "What the hell is that?"

Kat glanced up worriedly as she wondered what was wrong. She caught sight of movement outside the window and looked out to see what Brandt had meant.

"Yeah, what the hell is that?" Ethan asked, probably having looked back at Brandt's words. Kat and Brandt both stood, moving to stand by the open window, their eyes on the sand swirling up into an enormous cloud in the distance, outside the city but heading closer.

"It's a sandstorm." Benji murmured as he joined the other two, before he called reassuringly to Ethan through the mic hidden in his tie: "It's a long way off, Ethan. It shouldn't be a problem."

'We hope.' Kat thought with a sinking feeling in her stomach as she watched the sand swirl up in ominous clouds in the distance.

"Twenty-four minutes to doorknock." Brandt added as he glanced down at his phone timer, and Kat closed her eyes. She glanced back as the door to their suite opened and Jane walked in, carrying the yellow hotel attendant uniform that she'd stolen from the hotel drycleaners. Jane frowned, glancing around.

"Where's Ethan?" She asked in confusion, and Kat simply turned to look back out the open window area while Brandt and Benji pointed at where Kat was looking.

Jane's eyes widened and she said in disbelief: "You've got to be kidding me."

"I think Ethan wishes." Kat admitted, and Jane exhaled sharply. The older woman set the uniform on the back of a nearby armchair before she joined Kat by the window as Benji returned to his computers and Brandt glanced back down at his phone.

"Twenty-three minutes to doorknock." He informed them, and Kat told him: "I don't think Ethan's going to appreciate the reminder."

He glanced at her, when Ethan's voice called over the comms: "I'm at server level."

They all tensed, waiting anxiously for Ethan's signal. Kat flinched as there was a sharp gasp over the comms before a series of pained grunts. Benji tensed while Brandt leaned against the back of the armchair Kat had curled up on. Kat's hands were biting into the side of the chair, her heart pounding, while Jane's hands curled into anxious fists as she paced beside the younger woman.

"Twenty-two minutes to doorknock." Brandt said, probably in an attempt to keep himself calm.

Kat hit his arm again, her brows knitted in anxiety and Brandt glanced at her while Ethan groaned over the comms: "The countdown is not helping."

Jane glared at Brandt while Kat gave him a 'I-told-you-so' look, and he straightened, placing his hands on his hips defensively as he muttered: "I'm just saying."

Jane's lips were pursed as she returned to pacing the room while Kat tried to unclench her hands from the sofa. Only to jump and latch onto Brandt's arm as there was a loud crash over the comms, the clear sound of glass shattering to pieces. Benji absolutely started while Brandt took a deep, calming breath and Jane's fists were curled so tightly it looked like her veins were going to pop.

There was a heavy beat of silence before Ethan called in: "I'm in."

Jane's head whipped around to Benji while Kat finally let go of Brandt's arm and Benji called back to Ethan encouragingly: "That's great, Ethan. You're halfway home."

Benji leant his head on his fists as he placed his elbows on his jittery legs, waiting anxiously. Kat, Jane, and Brandt all remained where they were, holding their breaths anxiously before letting it go as Ethan called: "Located server."

Kat moved to peer over Benji's shoulder, watching as the red bars all switched to green.

"Please tell me we're online." Ethan almost begged, and Benji confirmed as the computer beeped: "All right, we're live."

He began to type as he confirmed: "Okay, I now have control of the elevators and the security cameras."

"Time to redecorate." Jane ordered as she tossed one of their stamp gadgets at Benji.

He caught it as Jane pulled out the other one, and Benji ordered Brandt: "Okay. You drive, and look out for Wistrom and Moreau."

Brandt nodded, moving to watch the cameras beside Kat as Jane and Benji ran out of the room, moving swiftly down the corridors and replacing at the numbers on the room doors from 119 to 118. Kat joined Brandt, watching with him as they stared for any signs of their targets in the elevators.

Kat's eyes widened as she saw blonde hair step into one of the elevators and she touched Brandt's arm just as he saw it too.

"Moreau is at the elevator ahead of schedule." He called to the team sharply.

There was a second's pause before Benji ordered: "Go."

Ethan called at the same time: "We can't open this door, can we?"

"The door? No." Brandt confirmed as Kat knit her fingers anxiously. She almost opened her mouth but shut it again. There wasn't enough time anyway. Although, she wondered why Ethan wanted to try the door- couldn't he climb back the way he'd gone up?

"Ethan, you gotta get down here now." Brandt called, both he and Kat getting anxious.

When there was no reply, Brandt called, his voice steadily getting more and more concerned: "Ethan! Ethan! Is there a problem?"

"Ethan?" Kat tried, before she glanced at the elevator Moreau was riding in.

She was steadily climbing closer, and Kat asked Brandt anxiously: "Can't we slow her down?"

"We can't afford for her to get suspicious now too." Brandt replied tightly and Kat bit her lip.

"She's getting too close." Kat pointed out and Brant replied tersely: "I know."

The door to their suite opened before Brandt could answer and Jane dashed back inside as Brandt glanced over.

"We're not gonna make it." Brandt told her, but Jane replied sharply: "We have to make it."

She started to remove her suit jacket when she paused.

"Where is Ethan?" She asked, and Kat and Brandt sighed, shaking their heads. Brandt strode over to the windows anxiously, before he paused, his jaw dropping slightly as he stared up. The two women frowned at his reaction, both going over to join him as they peered out the window, Kat being careful to stay far away from the open edge.

She peered around Brandt to see Ethan hanging by a rope of some kind, approximately two floors and several rooms across from theirs. He ran across a little, coming closer sideways but slightly higher up as whatever he was using as a rope kept him from coming any closer to their suite.

"Your line's not long enough!" Brandt hollered above the wind, and Ethan shouted back sarcastically: "No, shit!"

He tugged on his rope hopefully, but there was nothing more he could do to get closer to them. Kat reached out to clutch Brandt's arm, suddenly needing the extra support as she stared with bated breath as they saw Ethan pause, thinking.

"Ethan?" Kat called as he suddenly ran sideways, away from them and around the side of the building, disappearing from their view.

"What's he doing?" Jane wondered, and Brandt replied bluntly: "From what I've seen? Probably something stupid."

It was as the words left his mouth that Ethan came back into view. Kat's eyes widened as she saw him flying towards them, having kicked off the side of the Burj to swing back towards them in a wide arc.

"He's not-" Kat gasped while Brandt ordered her and Jane, holding out the arm Kat was holding to draw them away from the window: "Back!"

They backed away from the window, giving Ethan plenty of space to jump through. Kat's breath caught as Ethan let go of his rope, going flying through the air without any suspension, heading right towards them. Kat's fingers were biting into Brandt's arm anxiously, but she let go in shock as Ethan hit his head on the top of the window, having been too high in his landing.

"Ethan!" Kat screamed as he bounced off the window, falling backwards. It turned out it was a good thing she'd let go of Brandt's arm as the man jumped, lunging for Ethan and grabbing his leg before Ethan could fall over a hundred floors to his death. Jane leapt forward, grabbing Brandt's leg with one hand as he, in turn, was pulled out the window with Ethan, and grabbing the edge of the rug under the coffee table with her other, using it to stop the weight of the men pulling her down after them.

It all happened so quickly that Kat barely had time to blink, but she moved in the next second, jumping and grabbing Brandt's other leg with one hand while latching her other hand to the bottom of the couch. The dual effort of the two women brought Brandt halfway back up into the room, so that his stomach was at least partially back inside as he balanced at the window edge. Kat's arms burnt, her knuckles going white with the effort of holding onto Brandt's leg and the underside of the couch, but she didn't care as she watched with terrified eyes, waiting for some sign of movement while praying for both men's safety.

She finally managed to let out the breath she had unconsciously been holding as Ethan appeared, pulling himself up and rolling inside. The second his legs were safely in the room, Brandt hauled himself back inside as well, the two women finally letting go of his legs as he crawled back safely away from the window. Kat collapsed against the couch, breathing hard as the adrenaline slowly left her body and left her completely drained. Apparently, the other three agreed with her sentiment as they all lay for a moment, trying to catch their breaths back.

Kat didn't even have the energy to start in surprise when the door to their room was wrenched open, and Benji hurried back inside.

"Whew!" He gasped as he leaned against the closed door, wiping his brow before he walked into the room, carrying his two gadgets. "That was not easy, but I, I did it."

He beamed at them, and Kat joined the others in just staring at Benji. He blinked at them all lying on the ground, exhausted, before asking: "What did I miss?"