“Yes, and at least one nephew, but I don’t know her name or where she lives,” Bec explained.
“Are they close?” Cal asked.
“I know he talks to his nephew on the phone whenever his sister calls for backup. He doesn’t talk much about his family, so I can’t say more than that.”
“I’ll have Mina look into it. I want to keep his family out of it until we get a ransom request, if possible.”
“And if Ace does reach out with a ransom request?Then what do I do?” Bec asked, holding Cal’s gaze. She had no idea how to navigate her world now but hated depending on someone else to answer her questions.
“Iris will call Secure Watch immediately, and we can make a plan from there. Trying to do that now is a lesson in futility. Instead of wasting time, we’ll be proactive by securing the building while you work on getting the most important aspects of the lab back online. Declan and Zac will patrol the building. If you need anything, radio them using this,” he said, holding up a black walkie-talkie. “Unless there’s a fire, do not try to leave the building without notifying them. We don’t need any unintended casualties.”
“We’ll be too busy to leave the lab,” Iris said, eyeing her equipment. Bec could tell she was aching to set it up. “Give it to me straight, Cal.” She turned to her boss. “Are we safe here?”
“As safe as any of us can be right now, Iris,” he assured her, his hand on her shoulder. “Declan and Zac have your back with security, and we know you’ll get all the important aspects of the lab up and running again quickly.”
“I’m glad you have confidence in me.”
“We do, or you wouldn’t be here,” he said, his brow raised. “I also know you’ll stop at nothing to protect the entire nation from this virus. Your job is to help Bec do just that and keep Mina updated on each step as you go. If you need help, she’s available anytime, so don’t hesitate to call her.”
“Are you really returning to Secure Inc.?” Declan asked.
“Yes, but not for long,” Cal said. “I’ll load up equipment and a few more guys, then return to Sinlis Park, the town closest to here. I’ll set up a temporary home base there until we have a ransom or a resolution. You two will need to sleep,” he said, motioning at Declan and Zac, “but I also want two people patrolling the building at all times. At night, there will be three. We’ll run eighteen on and six off, so make good use of those six off. Understood?” Both men nodded, so Cal continued. “I’d like more men to cover the property, but I can’t bring an army until we know what the kidnappers want.”
“If the kidnappers are watching, won’t they notice the security guys anyway?” Bec asked, leaning on the table. Her head hurt, and while she could hear better now, the ringing in her ears made it hard for her to concentrate on the situation.
“There’s no way around that,” Cal said with a shrug. “I’m shocked you didn’t always have security on the building.”
“We did,” she said, “just not in human form. The biometrics we use to run this lab is our security. There’s no way in or out of the building without me or Dr. Hoerman.”
“Wait, you mean none at all?” Declan asked, glancing at his boss.
“None,” she said again. “We have to scan our thumb or retina to open any door in the building. You could only enter the loading dock door because the security system went down when the systems went offline.”
“That was the only way for the kidnapper to get into the building then,” Cal said, turning to her. “First, he had to make sure the systems went offline if he stood any chance of breaching the facility.”
Bec’s heart paused for a beat at the thought. “You’re right. I didn’t even think about how they got in here. Without the biometrics, we’re sitting ducks.”
“We’ve got you,” Zac said without hesitation. “Our first order is to lock down all but one exit until Iris gets the biometrics up and running again. We’ll keep a close eye on that exit, but in case of a fire, head to the loading bay if you can’t reach the side door. We’ll extract you from there.”
“Got it,” Iris said with a nod. “Time is slipping away from us. I should get to work.”
“Agreed, and I need to get back to Secure Inc.,” Cal said. “I’ll turn it around as quickly as possible, but I expect to be gone at least six hours. Bec, is there somewhere in the area where I can rent four-wheelers or UTVs?”
“There are several places in Sinlis Park. We’re between hunting seasons, so they should be easy to come by.”
“I’ll get Mina on that so the guys can get back and forth from here to town without taking the two we have.” Cal reached into his pocket and pulled out a small button. “This is a panic button.” He pushed it toward her. “We all wear one. Put it somewhere that’s easy to activate but won’t be accidentally pressed. It’s waterproof, so wear it at all times. If you ever get in a situation where you need immediate assistance, press it. It’s a GPS locator, so it’s silent but tells us where you are.”
“Got it,” she said, swiping the button off the table and tucking it in her pocket.
“Are there sleeping accommodations here in the facility?” Cal asked, addressing her again.
“Not many,” she said with a shake of her head. “I havea small apartment where Iris can rest, but there isn’t room for multiple people.”
“What about the storage room off the loading dock?” Declan asked. “It’s nearly empty, so there’s room for several cots, which is all we’ll need if we’re running shifts.”
“That would work,” Bec agreed. “There’s a bathroom and a decontamination shower just outside of that room as well. “There’s a small break room with a microwave and fridge on that floor. There isn’t much to cook with, though.”
Cal chuckled. “We’re all used to MREs when in the field. Food is the least of our worries.” He pointed at Declan and Zac. “Head out and get those exits secured. We can’t risk the kidnappers returning when we aren’t prepared. Once I know who will be coming in to help you cover, I’ll radio in. We’ll bring the needed supplies for bedding down along with extra food.”
