The NSA Locksmith

There are times the excitement is missed and the boredom is relieved by a good glass of wine.
Good soldiers become addicted to adrenaline as a result the only way to get a good fix of adrenaline is to fight, argue or get in trouble the body doesn't care how you get the fix, just get it
The wine dulls the senses which is better than bar fights or throwing things at the wall or the Mrs.
So writing it is...
As a former ghost for the agency. The challenge was there that's why some never leave, others are forced out.
As on the spot agent/locksmith attached to the team that was assigned to a few "get in, bug, looksy around" quick and daring exploits...
Here's some of what the team did. We were assigned a target, go in take pictures, place a few mics. (today the mics/bugs are obsolete) The target had a fortress for a house. We just could not take his keys, and picking the locks open on the door was out of the question.
The team was given only 7 days.
The pouncing place was across the park from them but didn't afford a direct view, laser gave us voice of what was said and we could see whenever they'd leave... We just needed to take a few pictures of things that were out of view.
So we moved to a rooftop on another residence, that family conveniently won a trip with everything paid for.
So we took picture of his keys, Schlage M series and Medeco. The keys to their office were easy, the keys were copied using a straight picture to scale.

The small key machine we had fit in the brief case that was always handy, so we made those keys on the kitchen table. The Medeco blank keyblade we got elsewhere. That took the better part of a day, another day to get get the angles right.
These people were security nuts and paranoid. The neighbors nosy and in cahoots with the target.
We did the flat tire, car will not start and the old fender bender on both target and accomplice to get the inside time we needed.
Another time using a key code cutter, we made a key to a suspects apartment key while the suspect laid his keys on the restaurant table. We were in the small van, made the key, handed it to the co agent she went in planted a few things to get him in trouble and get out of the way.
Yet on another occasion we needed to copy a card key. We had a very good bump and frisk feme. She liked to use those portable Credit card readers thing.
Yes, an expert locksmith will not need to pick open a lock, because he/she will also have to manipulate it to the LOCKED position... That takes too much time.
Yes, the ability for a person to be able to decode, That is to read the cuts or make a copy of your keys from just looking at them or from a picture is very valuable skill set that is very rare. Every now and then we get together and share the exploids.
Imagine some of us can obtain a copy of your common keys just by looking at them...