He snagged her elbow as she went to move past him. “If it looks like we’re going to get trapped…”
He’d drag her out of there. He didn’t say it. Didn’t have to. It was written on his face. The fine lines by his eyes and mouth she swore had gotten deeper since venturing inside. She was pushing the boundaries of what he considered a viable risk.
She didn’t answer, just nodded then headed for another bin—a few things she’d stashed in there—just in case. She inputted a code, grabbed two micro-GPS locators, a taser, and a small localized EMP device, then bolted for the door—checking the hallway.
He touched her arm. “Anyway to override the lock? If someone comes in and sees our friend trussed up…”
“I’ll need about twenty seconds.”
He nodded, standing watch as she accessed the main menu, putting the room into lockdown. A quick test, then they were walking, again. Heading for another elevator at the end of the corridor. Thirty seconds before they were inside, doors closing, the unit jerking upward. Another ten and they were ready to react, sighing when the doors opened to nothing but an empty hallway.
She took off, quickly moving down the corridor, taking two lefts then a right, pausing outside McCormick’s office. Took her twenty seconds to get inside, close the door behind them. His computer was off to their right, isolated on a smooth black desk. She didn’t talk, just sat down and switched it on.
Another scan of her files and she had the code, was digging through his files. What McCormick lacked in computing skills, he excelled in strategy. She knew he’d hide the information in other files. Highly encrypted. Not that it mattered. She just needed to copy them. She could worry about deciphering them, later.
Two minutes and she’d found the folder. Hidden with the personnel files. She took everything, copying it over to a thumb drive Kameron had given her. Count on the other woman toalways carry a few around. Hell, Ellis had, too. But those clothes were long gone.
“Two minutes left, El. We need to move.”
“Ten more seconds.” She stood, hand hovering over the drive. “Done. I just hope it’s enough.”
“It’ll have to be, for now. Let’s go.”
She shut everything down, following him to the door—pausing to listen. Voices. Out in the hallway. Loud enough she caught a few words. Recognized the tone. She mouthed the name, McCormick, searching for somewhere to hide. Brett grabbed her, shoved her behind him as they hid behind the door. He had a Ka-bar in his right hand. M9 in his left. She knew he’d trained to shoot with both—was equally skilled with either hand.
She held her breath, pressing hard against the wall. The hollow echo of the security system sounded through the wall. The whirl of the retinal scan, the soft click of the door unlocking—opening slightly like it had for them. Cool air swirled around their feet, a disgruntled huff preceding the door swinging forcefully inward.
“I want that bitch found.” McCormick paused, one foot inside, the rest of him hidden. “Don’t give me excuses. You let her escape. Clean up your fucking mess.”
Half his body slid past the edge of the door. Halting as he listened to the other side of the conversation. Breath heavy.
“Sir.” A guard. Just outside. Which meant another target they’d have to deal with.
McCormick turned, disappeared from sight.
“There’s an issue downstairs. With one of the storage room doors.”
“Coming… And Wilcox. Don’t call, again, until you have something worth saying.” McCormick slammed shut the door, hollow footsteps fading down the hallway.
Ellis breathed out a shaky sigh, looking up at Brett. He had his ear pressed to the door, fingers around the handle. He held up his other hand, signaling her to hold for a second. Then, he was slivering it open, checking the hallways.
He waved his hand forward, and they were out. Racing down the corridor. Weapons out. They had one minute, maybe less. And not enough to get clear before the cameras were back. Not that it mattered. Once McCormick realized the storage room had been hacked, he’d put the entire place on lockdown, not just that room.
The elevator opened quickly. Just a curl of air and they were inside, heading for the main floor. A ping, then the doors slid apart, two armed guards standing beyond the threshold. They looked up—started lifting their rifles.
Brett was out. Kicking one guy’s knee as he grabbed the other’s weapon—used it to force him back. An elbow to the head knocked the soldier sideways. Kept him off-balance. Gave Brett the opening to hike him over his hip. Slam him into the floor.
His buddy stumbled sideways, grabbing at his knee as he tried to pivot toward the other men. But Ellis was already moving. Side of her hand to the man’s throat had him gasping, reeling backwards. A strike to his eyes snapped his head back, had him tilting toward the wall. A swipe of her foot and he was down. The taser she’d grabbed at his throat. Sending a few thousand volts of electricity through his body. It shook against the assault then stilled. She turned to toss it to Brett, but his opponent was already out. Bloodied face dripping onto the floor.
Brett straightened, grabbed her hand and took off running, again. The internal clock in her head told her they were out of time. That the cameras were back on. Probably panning that damn hallway, right now. Broadcasting the two men sprawled out on the floor.
As if on cue, a shrill siren broke the silence, dimming the lights. Casting the hallway into muted shadows. It didn’t slow them. Stop them from taking the next right, then left. Footsteps pounded the floor a few corridors over, shouts rising above the alarm.
They hit the rear door at a full sprint, using it to slow them down. Brett tried the handle. Damn thing didn’t even budge.
“Shit, do we need a code to get out?”
“Damn building is in lockdown. All the doors are magnetically sealed.”
