Alex heaved a sigh. “You are not mistaken. I can see all the security cameras. Just give me a second to record a loop of all the hallways empty and replace the live feed with that until you are out of there.”
“Perfect,” Ava said, her heart rate ramping up a little.
A beeping noise sounded, and Kyle pulled his phone from his pocket, swiping at the screen. “Feeling some pressure, Ava?”
“I’m excited,” she answered.
“Your vitals say stressed, but we’ll go with excited.” He shoved his phone back into his pocket.
“Okay,” Alex said, his eyebrows raising. “You’re clear. Justlet me know when you get to that side door so I can cycle the alarm off and unlock it.”
“Will do, babe. See you soon.”
Ava rolled the van’s door open before Alex rolled his chair closer, grabbing her hand and pulling her into a lip lock. “Be careful, Ava.”
“Always,” she said with a smile. “I love you.
“I love you, too,” he answered.
Ava slid out of the van to the pavement, zipping her hoodie a little higher against the cool night air. Leaves on the tree above the discreet spot where they’d parked the van rustling in the breeze.
She studied the large, well-lit building across the street from them. A lone guard sat at a desk inside the lobby, staring down at something in his lap, most likely his phone.
Sebastian and Kyle joined her seconds later, eyeing their target.
“We ready?” she asked.
“Yep,” Sebastian answered. “Let’s go.”
In their dark clothing, they avoided any bright areas, slinking across the street in the shadows and skirting the corner of the building. They crept down the sidewalk toward an employee-only entrance.
Ava pressed her earpiece further into her ear. “Alex, we’re at the door.”
“Copy that. I’m unlocking it in three…”
She grabbed hold of the handle, waiting for his word to pull it open.
“Two…one…unlocked.”
Ava grabbed hold of the door and flung it open, slipping inside quickly and hurrying forward so Sebastian and Kyle could also enter.
“Did we make it?” she asked, remembering that they had only fifteen seconds to slip inside and close the door beforean alarm sounded to let security know the door had been opened.
“Yep,” Alex answered. “Twelve seconds. Impressive, Sparky.”
She glanced up at one of the cameras in the hall and grinned. “Thanks, Ace. Nice to know I’ve still got it.”
“Well,” Kyle added, “we’vestill got it. We were also part of the quick there.”
Ava offered him an amused grin as they headed down the hall.
“Stairwell coming up on your left.”
“And this is on the eighth floor, right?” Ava asked as she swung it open, and they stepped inside.
Sebastian eased the door closed with a soft click as he nodded. “Yep, eighth.”
Ava stared up the many flights of stairs to the top floor. “They couldn’t have put it in the basement?”
