“I’ll remember that. Thank you.”
“My pleasure, Jena.”
Matt and Sean had their badges clipped to their belts. She attached hers to the collar of her shirt.
Sean took his badge and swiped it on the reader by the glass door that led into the main building.
There was a buzzing sound and Matt opened the door for her. “Welcome to TBK.”
She stepped in, realizing this was the first time she’d been inside the headquarters of any corporation, though she’d been in several of the top conglomerates in the world electronically, including this one. What a difference to be present in the flesh.
She was impressed by the open space and elegance of this first area. The walls were several shades of white and looked more like paper than drywall. The way they twisted into one another looked more like a piece of art than something to divide one room from another. The workstations were immaculate, with the latest electronics available.
From this vantage point, TBK looked quite flush with money. When she’d investigated them as a possible target for her Robin Hood activities, all she found was how generous they were to their employees, to their community, and to charitable organizations. The profit margins were still impressive, but TBK was one of the few good corporations left in the world.
Matt and Sean led her to a bank of elevators, which also had a card reader.
“Let me try my badge,” she said. “See if Sergeant Terrence set me up correctly.”
“Knock yourself out, baby,” Matt said. “He liked you. He might’ve made an exception and actually given you top-floor access.”
She smiled, swiping her card in the reader.
The elevator keypad lit up. “What floor are we headed to?”
“Eight,” Sean told her. “Not the top floor, but just under it.”
She punched the button and the door opened. From a hidden speaker an electronic voice said, “Hello, Miss Taylor. Eighth floor.”
She walked into the elevator and noticed the cameras. “The security here is very impressive.” She knew topnotch safety systems, and TBK had the best. She was a hacker. Had been for several years. It felt odd being granted such access to the place.
“The projects being worked on are extremely sensitive. Some are for the government and some are for private corporations. Clearance and background checks are Dylan’s responsibility. He’s the head of all of TBK’s security around the world, but here in Destiny, the level is at its highest.”
“What’s the keypad for?” she asked.
“That’s for the executive level,” Matt told her. “The people with access to that floor have to swipe their cards and enter a code to get to the fortress.”
Sean put his arm around her. “There was a shooting up there before we were brought in several months ago. Security has gotten tighter.”
“Eighth floor,” the voice told them as the door opened.
“A shooting? Here?”
“Yep. Someone who was working with Lunceford,” Matt stated.
Her gut tightened into a knot. The more she learned about Kip, the more she wanted to bring him down. Him and Mitrofanov.
They walked off the elevator and standing in front of them was Dylan, a woman, and another man.
“Welcome to TBK, Jena,” Dylan said. “This is my brother Cameron and our wife, Erica.”
To Jena’s surprise, Erica hugged her. “It’s about time they brought in a ringer to get those viruses out of our system. I know you can do it.”
“She should,” Dylan said. “She’s the one who put them into the system.”
“Dylan!” Erica looked at her husband, shaking her head like a parent whose child had just said something impolite. “Jena, ignore him. He already told me what happened. You’re innocent.”
“Robin Hood? Hardly.” Dylan shrugged. “Though in the TBK case, she was tricked into doing what she did. I ran a thorough background check on you, Miss Taylor. I will be keeping an eye on you.”