Sticky Situation

by Amelia

"There is no time like the present," Vin stated.

"Yes, let us go investigate the building while we are in these vermin infested rags, so that we may remove ourselves from them sooner rather than later," Ezra agreed.

The two agents had been out on the streets dressed in old clothing, right at dusk, hoping to find out any information or rumors on the arms dealer that was their new case. Having turned up nothing as of yet, but being close to the address of the old warehouse that Carlson Williams owned and which JD had found through property records, they figured they would at least give it a look-see.

Walking the few blocks and cutting down a back alley, they came up on the building.

Going down the side, they looked for a door or window since the front was locked.

"No! No that portal of entrance as you call it, isn't..can't be the only way to enter this building. There must be some other way," Ezra stated.

"I told you this might happen, that it might be locked up and we'd have to look for other ways." Vin shrugged.

"Other ways, as you put it, means possibly the roof access. Or break a window. But never did the notion of having to imitate a rodent or serpent ever enter into the possibility of another way."

"There ain't no windows low enough to reach. There's no way to get to the roof outside the building. It's the only way," Vin said, looking at the pull down flap.

"Surly there must be another...." Ezra began to protest, stopping when he saw Vin's heading shaking no.

"Look Ez, you ain't got to do it, I will."

Ezra straightened his shoulders. "We are a team, Mr. Tanner, and I do not abandon my team mate. If not me, who will watch your back while you're in there?" Ezra replied.

"OK then, I'll go first." Vin smiled.

Pulling the heavy metal handle of the old night delivery chute, the men saw it was about the size of an air conditioning duct.

Vin stepped up on some old crates, pulled himself into the opening head first, and disappeared from sight instantly into the blackness.

A few seconds had passed when Ezra called out, "Mr. Tanner.. Vin are you alright?"

"Yeah, Ezra, I'm OK. The chute stays angled down to the right before the end then it levels out. It's kind of slippery, so use your hands and feet to slow ya down as you go," Vin's voice floated up through the opening.

Ezra copied Vin, climbing up on the crates and pulling himself as well into the chute head first, disappearing as his friend did earlier into the darkness..

The silence was broken by a sloshing sound and a yelp of surprise.

"Ezra, I told ya to use your hands and feet to slow your slide down," Vin expressed, going over to where his friend had landed after shooting out of the bottom like a bullet and landing a few feet away in some kind of bin.

"Vin, just what kind of warehouse did Mr. Dunne say this use to be?"

"Think he said it use to be some kind of sticker factory. Those stickers little kids like. Why?"

Ezra felt the smack of the hand that that was reaching into the bin to help him out of it. He grabbed hold and allowed himself to be pulled out. "Because I feel as if a thousand thumb prints are attached to my person."

Vin pulled out a pen flashlight from his back pocket. Clicking it on, he shined it towards Ezra. He couldn't believe what he saw. Moving the light first down to his feet then up to his head, Vin fought back the snicker that was trying to bubble out at the sight of the multitude of colored symbols, from cartoon characters like Bart Simpson and Mickey Mouse, to ballerinas to flowers, vegetables, butterflies and fairies.

"Good grief," Ezra exclaimed, having seen some of it from the light.

Vin quickly swung the light away and around the area trying his best not to laugh. The light showed some crates, and he stepped over and lifted the lid of one. "Ezra, take a look." He shined the light on rows of automatic rifles. "Better call Chris. Let him know we got the right place and man."

"Let's not and say that we did," Ezra answered.

"What? We got to let Chris and the others know." Vin frowned

"Yes, we do. We can say, though, that the cell wouldn't work and we had to wait till we were within my home to make the call - which you can make as I peel this horrendous tragedy off my person in a hot shower," Ezra told him.

"Don't know, Ezra. That might take too long, seeing as every kid we pass is going to want to touch and tug on ya," Vin laughed finally loosing the battle.

End