Astrid teaser 2. Surveillance of Major Pell

A light came on in the bedroom, a few seconds later, the light came on in the bathroom. Five-thirty a.m. the same time as yesterday and the day before. Astrid started a stopwatch and raised her field glasses. Four minutes and thirty-seven seconds later the window started to steam up; six seconds earlier than yesterday and five seconds later than the day before that, she guessed that he had been having a shave before a shower. She kept the stopwatch running. Twelve minutes after the light came on, the window opened, thirty seconds after that, the bathroom light went out. Five minutes and fifteen seconds later, the bedroom light went out and the bathroom light came back on, a minute later it went out. Then, at precisely six o’clock, the front door opened, and major Pell left the house and got into his car.
It was Thursday, she would watch him tomorrow and implement the next part of her plan when he leaves to visit his family. She put down the field glasses and settled down into her hide in the ditch. She opened a packet of food rations, took out an energy bar then settled down and continued the waiting game. The compressed cereal bar was packed with carbs, vitamins and minerals; all the nutrition her body would need, though the flavour was deliberately bland. This was to ensure than they were only eaten when they were needed and not as a quick snack.
To occupy her time, she thought through all the strategies that she could use. Gradually they coalesced into one. For three days now she had been living in a ditch with a cover over her, and a slit just big enough for her field glasses to see through. She was cold, tired, and wanted some hot food. But these creature comforts would have to wait for another night. After he leaves to visit his family tomorrow night, she would break in and work out the next part of the plan.

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