At his side, Ellory was silent and drawn. He parked the van in the shadows far away from the parking lamps and looked at Ellory.
“Stick close.”
He tapped the comms device in his ear to turn it on and slipped out of the van.
Ellory did the same. In seconds, they were swallowed by the night. He felt her body heat against his side, aware of how well she mirrored his movements as they approached a side door.
Into his ear came Sinner’s voice as he guided him in. “Camera over the door is cut. You’re incognito, brother.”
He let one hand hover over the weapon tucked along his spine as he opened the door. Since it was after business hours, the place was empty.
“Cleaning personnel on the third floor. Steer clear,” Sinner told him.
“Copy,” he murmured and felt a jolt go through Ellory as she realized he was talking to his team.
“Tap your comms in your ear to turn it on,” he said under his breath.
She reached up and brushed her fingertip over the device.
They found the office easily. When he pulled out a small tool and picked the lock, Ellory’s breath came in fast stutters.
He glanced at her profile. Beautiful even in the darkness. He turned the handle but paused before pushing the door inward.
“Ready?” he asked her.
She gave him a single nod.
Then they were in.
A quick sweep of the space revealed filing cabinets, a desk and a computer system. A basic setup for any office, but strange for how it seemed staged.
“I’ll take the filing cabinets. You get the computer,” he instructed.
In their ears came Dante’s voice as he provided Ellory instructions for entering the system. While she set to work, Ash swiftly picked the lock on the first filing cabinet. The drawers were empty.
Definitely for show.
He opened the next and found the same.
Suddenly, he felt a change in Ellory. Her back stiffened, and she went completely still.
“Did you find something?” He kept his voice pitched low in case the cleaning personnel was closer than they thought.
“Yes.” He heard her swallow. “Bills of sale. He’s liquidating properties. Four have been sold so far.”
“Keep digging.”
She swiped through the data so fast he wondered how she could be processing it all. But if Opal’s claim was correct about Ellory having a photographic memory, all she needed was a single glance.
“This is all encrypted,” she said after he’d gone through the third filing cabinet, filled with empty folders, and the desk too.
“Let me show the team.” He lined up his body so his camera transmitted it back to base.
A lowdingsounded from the hallway outside.
Ellory whipped toward him, eyes wide and frantic.
“The elevator,” he breathed out, moving to the door.
