Good at what she does (Patreon)

 Police Chief Tin Whistle looked out through the heavily warded windows of the suite on 6th floor of the Blue Pearl Hotel in my Equestria dreamscape. This room and the building it was in had been chosen as the command center for tonight's operation for a few reasons.

   
  First, the room had an excellent view of the streets around Gallop Park and the main pathway through the park. This was where Blank Check and her forces were suppose to pass through tonight. 

  
  Second, the room was used for formal functions on a routine basis, and it was popular room for celebrities to stay in. As such the room was routinely kept warded for privacy reasons. This was a fact that the hotel publicized about in various literatures. Therefore a unicorn wouldn't immediately become suspicious of the additional warding the room now had cast on it for tonight's operation. 

  Third, It was possible to entering and leave the building without being noticed. Several service tunnels ran under the streets to warehouses/buildings owned by the Blue Pearl Hotel. These were primarily used for additional storage of food stocks, auxiliary kitchens to assist in catering large events, and additional laundry facilities. However tonight they were being used to stage additional police forces who would descend upon the park once the operation was over. 

  Fourth, and possibly the most important, the hotel had somehow not become ensnared by one of the numerous Associations that had become such a burden in Manehatten. Most of the larger hotels in the city had been to some degree under the influence of one the Associations. This lack of contact and contamination reduced the chances of moles working in the hotel divulging the Crown's plans for tonight.

   
  However in spite of this Tin Whistle was not a happy pony. True it appeared that all of her forces had gotten into position without being detected, and the second perimeter line had already been established. As an added precaution there were police ponies already patrolling the train stations, the docks, the airship field, and the river. Blank Check shouldn't be able to get past them. 

  
  What had the Police Chief unhappy was that the key pony in this operation wasn't present. The middle-aged mare scowled at wall clock and then at Captain Firewing.    "This damn operation is suppose to begin in 40 minutes captain. Where in Tartarus is Last Thing?!"

 
  The crimson pegasus stallion casually glanced at the clock and shrugged. "She's making finally preparations m'am. Trust me she'll be ready." 

  "I'm glad you have faith in her captain, but I want to get a final briefing before this begins! So she need to get here a–"

 
  "I've been here for the last 30 seconds." Last Thing spoke up. She was standing alongside the chief. 

   
   Firewing just smiled as every other pony in the room jumped. Tin Whistle spun and looked dumbfounded at the mare. Then she glanced over Shining Mane who was the unicorn in charge of security and wards. The unicorn shook her head in confusion. The room had been shielded against teleportation and invisibility. Last Thing seemed to be reading the unicorn's mind.

   
  "Shield wards are not continuous, uninterrupted fields. They cycle and I just had to watch the ward for a moment and then pass through it when cycled off. That's all."

 
  "But they cycle over 2000 times a second!" Exclaimed Shining Mane. 

  
  The strange mare stared at the mage."Yeah, so?"

   
  Done with that conversation she and looked back Tin Whistle. "I have finished placing the last equipment. I can go at anytime." Although the Scale Bearer was standing right alongside the chief her voice still sounded as if she was across the room. 

  
   The Mare-in-Waiting was wearing a harness of black leather that was festooned with pouches full of gear. Perched on her head was a signature pair of the goggles provided to all Mares-in-Waiting by the court.  

  
  The dark unicorn looked at the wall clock then she levitated an ornate, complicated, pocket watch-like device from one of the pockets on her harness. She stared at her device and then with her horn she adjusted the wall clock's hands. Satisfied she stowed her device.

   
  There was a unicorn stallion lying on divan nearby with his eyes closed and head bowed as if asleep. Only the soft glow from his horn hinted at the task he was performing. Suddenly he twitched and opened his eyes.

   
  "M'am! Second perimeter has spotted the suspects moving into the park ahead of schedule! Total number of suspects is 15!"

 
  Tin Whistle nodded her head. "Okay then, looks like its time for you...."

   
  The Mare-in-Waiting was already gone. The police chief looked at Silver Mane who'd been staring at her and Last Thing the whole time. The other shook her head and shivered a little. 

  An observer at one of the windows called out. "M'am I've located Last Thing! She crossing Way-faire Avenue and entering the park!" 

  Tin Whistle glanced at Firewing. The stallion shrugged. "She's good at what she does."

  The stallion on divan spoke up again. "M'am! We have reports of a second group of 10 suspects linking up with Blank Check main party. Number of suspects has grown from 15 to 25!"

 
  The chief looked at Firewing. "We'd planned on her confronting a maximum of 15 suspects. Should we give her the recall signal?"

 
  Firewing shook his head. "No. The operation will proceed as planned. If she feels the situation is unsatisfactory she'll withdraw herself, but she's faced worse odds."

 
  Tin Whistle stared incredulously at the stallion. Firewing shrugged again. "I said it a moment ago. She's good at what she does. Very, very good."

 
 To be continued.