Felix makes work of pouring us both a finger’s worth, then we are sitting across from each other. Taking a sip, I allow the liquid to calm my nerves. Then I make a grand show of opening my bag and pulling out the file he gave me. As I’m about to open my mouth, a man I have never seen before walks into the room.
“Mr. Bernard, I need to speak with you for a moment,” the man says.
“I’ll be right back,” Felix says as he stands and follows the man out of the room.
I give them ten seconds before I’m standing as well and creeping through the door, heart racing. The security system is off, but that just makes me more nervous. I need to be more careful.
“Jax,” I whisper. “Are you there? Can you hear me?”
“I’m here,” he responds, and I’m thankful because I don’t have much time. I need to find his home office before Felix notices I’ve walked off.
“Where do I go?”
“According to the blueprints of the building, you need to go past the kitchen.”
I do as he says, quickly checking the kitchen. Once I see that the coast is clear, I make my way down the hall, all the while listening for Felix. He’s likely still trying to figure out the glitch.
Making my way down the dark hallway, I feel my heart racing. My fingers are sticky with sweat. I check each room I pass until I find what I’m looking for. It’s the office.
“Found it.”
“Okay, look for the computer.”
I can’t believe I’m doing this. My fists are gripped tightly as I look around the room. It’s dark and empty. I have to find it, but when I don’t, I let out a groan.
“Keep looking,” Jaxson says through the earpiece. “We have sixty seconds before the cameras are live again, and in that time you have to disconnect the alarm.”
I walk past the desk, and that’s when I see it.
“Found the computer, but I can’t do this.” I groan.
“Well, now that you’re there, you don’t have a choice. We have thirty seconds. I’ll talk you through it.”
Jaxson’s voice is calm and playful. I know he’s trying to keep me calm, but it doesn’t help. Reaching out with trembling hands, I look at the monitor.
“This is super simple, Skye. You just need to download the data, and then bring the system down.”
“Wow. Seriously. And how am I going to do that?”
You are way over your pay grade here. This is James Bond shit. If I make it out of here unscathed, it will be a modern miracle.
“Well, that’s the easy part.” His voice is playful, and I swear if Jaxson Price was here right now, he would be beaming at me with a shit-eating grin, and I . . . well, I would smack it off his face.
“Really? You don’t say. You’re not the one standing in his office—”
“Just insert the zip drive I gave you.”
“Oh, that’s it?” I say sarcastically.
“Yep.” Easy for him to tell me what to do while safely far away. I’m the one standing in front of the computer with the zip drive clutched in my hand, waiting for someone to catch me.
I have never done something like this before, but I’ve also never been this desperate. It’s worth the risk. I take a deep breath before inserting the flash drive into the computer. Nothing happens at first, and I feel it mocking me with the silence.
I want to scream at Jax and ask him what’s happening. But I don’t. I can’t risk being heard. I’ve already spoken too much. As if he can hear me, he speaks. “Files are downloaded. It’s uploading the virus. The whole system will be down in less than ten seconds.”
“And the cameras?” My heart batters against my breastbone, threatening to explode.
“You have fifteen seconds to get out of that room.”
Great. Just great. Fifteen seconds. By the time I remember how to get back to where I came from, fifteen seconds will have already passed.
Stop. Put your big girl panties on and get the fuck out of here. I drop the drive back in my pocket and turn around.
Peeking my head out the door, I look left and then right. Thankfully, the hall is clear.
But who knows for how long?
Slowly, I make my way back into the long corridor that brought me here and try to retrace my steps to the living room.
My heart thunders in my chest.
It’s only a few more feet until I’m free.
You can do this.
One foot in front of the other.
“Look what we have here,” I hear from behind me. There’s no need to turn around, I know Felix has caught me.
I won’t let him scare me, though. Straightening my spine, I turn around, head held high.
He’s too close, and when he steps in, I try to sidestep, but it’s the wrong move because now I’m backed against a wall. Cornered.