Clinging to the edge of the roof, fingers slowly slipping over the thick metal edge, gasping and choking on frozen air as I tried to scramble up the side. My dark black boots scraped against the window, slipping helplessly against the frosty building side. My numb fingers were barely able to hold on, but it was either hold on or fall 70 stories to my death. I looked down, against my own warnings, and felt a rush of nausea as I stared down into rushing traffic on the road below. This rush of nausea gave me enough strength to jump and establish a better hold on the edge. I dragged myself up, flinging my sore legs over the edge.
I lay there, breathing slowly and looking up at the dim stars and the bright helicopter lights. Crap, helicopter search lights. I was a wanted criminal, what was I doing lying exposed on an open rooftop? I brought myself up to sit on my knees, looking around the rooftop for a way inside the building. I saw an open ventilation pipe, and dashed for it as fast as my feet could carry me.  I dived in just as a stray helicopter beam slid over the skyscraper tops in my direction.
I landed in the metal tunnels with a faint bang, and I winced at the extra noise. It was 2 AM in the morning, but there was a big chance that there would be a late night security guard or some janitor watching the building’s surveillance. I would need to get rid of that first thing, as being caught would not be an option on this mission. I dropped down quietly to the cold metal floor, and crawled forward towards an exit panel. I had to move fast, on a winter’s night like this, the metal could be cold enough to freeze my skin to it. I had gloves in my jacket pockets somewhere, but there wasn’t time yet.
I knew they would turn on the heat at 5 AM, to prepare for the businessmen who showed up at 7 AM. I needed to get out before 5 AM, as a hot building meant security guards would be much more willing to come and check out any movements on the camera. When the building was as cold as it was, they could much more easily wave it off as nothing. I found my exit, and used one of my tools to jimmy it loose. I pulled it in, and set it behind me. I looked around the room I was in, and checked the corners for cameras. A flash of red light alerted me to the corner by the door, where a small security camera dutifully looked back and forth in a mechanical pattern.
I timed my leap, waiting for it to look at a different part of the room before dropping down into a crouch. I watched it for any sign of alarm, and saw no alerts and heard no sirens. I crawled behind a file cabinet, watching the cameras pattern in my peripheral vision. I moved from shelter to shelter, dreading any signals to say I had been caught. I reached the last large potted plant and saw my last goal. The door was right there, a few steps away. I was nearing the danger zone, right under the camera's nose. I had to time this perfectly, and pray that the door was unlocked to this top floor office. Back, forth, back, forth, back, and go. I ran forward, muffled steps slamming into the luxurious carpet as I hit the door running, turning the handle as I pushed into the door.
I fell through, immediately into the eyes of every camera in the hallway. Shrieks radiated from them all, as they locked on me with red lights flashing twice as quickly. I had no choice but to run for the stairs, rushing past multiple screaming cameras following my movements. I turned a corner, and slammed into a security guard. I felt my back hit the floor, as he stumbled back into his fellow guard waiting behind him. Before I could recover from my stunned state, my wrists were trapped in huge hands and slapped into handcuffs. I was dragged to my feet and shoved towards the stairs by a large ugly man with pizza breath.
After 35 flights of stairs, we reached the floor with the security room. I was left in the corner with Ugly 1 keeping an eye on me as Ugly 2 used the phone to call the cops on me. I looked down at my steel-clasped wrists, locating the lock with my eyes. I looked at my coat pockets, trying to remember which one held which as my panic grew. This mission was of utmost importance, and failure would come with consequences. My boss had spoken of the prizes with excitement, and spoken of the consequences with a threatening tone. I shivered in fear, glaring at the guard standing beside me.
I weighed my options in my mind, none of them coming up with good endings. I sighed, knowing that trying wouldn’t hurt me any more than sitting here. Both security guards seemed relaxed, not expecting much from my slim frame and fearful look. I would take advantage of that. I inched towards the door, watching either for signs of noticing. When I was only a foot or two from the door, one of them looked at me and noticed how far I had moved. Before he could yell, I bolted, rushing through the door as they both jumped to attention behind me. I ran for the stairs again, needing to make my way to the 5th floor. I checked my watch, clocking the time at 4 AM. I only had an hour left. And now the cops were involved. Crap.
I took the stairs 3 at a time, using my long legs to my advantage. The chubby short security guards stumbled down the stairs behind me, quickly falling behind. 30 flights of stairs later, I was at my goal. I had lost my ugly friends at floor 20, as they were not used to running up and down stairs in skyscrapers. I ran up the hall, knowing my destination was the end of the hall. I looked out a window as I passed, muttering complaints as I noticed the police cars sitting outside. I had to get this done before they found me, and I would not get the chance to use the door for my escape. With the guards watching, the roof was also no longer an option.
I reached the hall’s end, and was greeted by the huge double doorway before me. I picked the lock quickly, after discovering that the door was locked and would not yield. It took me far too long, and I wasted precious seconds waiting for the click of release. I slammed my way into the room when the door unlocked, and I ran to the large mahogany desk. I went behind, shoving the velvet-coated chair out of the way as I rooted through the drawers. The top drawer, I discovered, had a secret panel in the bottom. I heard commotion from the hallway, and I realised I had left the door open. I lifted the panel, and grabbed the field from inside.
I looked up and was met with the sight of 5 officers and my two security guard friends. I quickly saw how they had found me, as two large hounds greeted me with growls and snarls. I turned and saw my only option was the huge window, and the 5 floor drop on the other side. I ran to the window, climbing up the cabinet in front of it. I saw the tree below, the skyscraper had a little natural garden below beside the first floor. An idea popped into my head as I kicked out the window with the thick bottoms of my boots. Once enough glass was cleared for me to get through, I leaped through. A hound bit down on the air where I had been. I heard yells from behind me as I flew towards the ground.
I grabbed the rope from my belt, forming a quick, tight lasso loop. I swung it towards the tree, catching onto a thick middle branch. I tightened my grip on it, swinging around to wrap the rope around the tree as I went. The ground flew up at me, but the tree caught me at the last minute as I snapped back against it. I hung from the rope, slipping down to the ground below. I ran up the sidewalk, away from the police cars. My ride would be waiting in an alley a block or two away, a  sign would be there for me to find it.
5 minutes later, I was leaning back in the shotgun seat of a black-windowed car. My driver was silent, and the only sound in the car was my heavy breathing. It was a long drive, especially with early-morning traffic. The HQ was right outside the city, hidden in a clean and well-run warehouse that the boss owned. It spat out thousands of plastic products everyday, making too much money for the city to ever get away with accusations. I was relieved to be able to walk in and hand over the files. My boss was happy, and the pay was good. I did not care what would happen to the information, or where it would go, I only cared that I had been successful.