Lynell takes a private elevator to the second floor of the conference building, to the back entrance for personnel. Two women younger than Lynell walk past her without looking up. One wears an assortment of clothing with random cutouts and silk material that clings to her every curve, the other a baggy jumper cinched at her waist. The badges around their necks say, Digital Press, which is code for social media influencers or bloggers. Lynell thinks she recognizes the first as a girl she follows who explains news stories and political updates while doing makeup tutorials.
A month ago, she would’ve been excited to meet the girl. Today, though, Lynell wishes the girls would walk faster so she can work without being seen.
Once alone, Lynell rushes to the employee hallway door. Anyone can access the hallway from outside the convention center but can’t leave it to enter the building without a key, because the doors automatically lock on one side when shut. Since they’re unlocked from inside the building, Lynell is able to open the door without issue.
She secures a large clasp on the top of the door to keep it from closing. Then, in case someone takes the clasp off, she stuffs a napkin into the strike plate hole and tapes over it. Next, she tapes the deadbolt into the door to keep the automatic lock from kicking in. Daniel is doing the same on the other side of the building so rebels will have multiple ways inside without being seen.
As she returns to the third floor, she grabs her phone, checking for missed messages from Harlow or Ramsey. The plan can continue even if Harlow fails to get the CCC, but it will be much more difficult to convince Lincoln to share it with anyone after today.
If Ramsey fails, though, Lynell and Daniel will stop the plan in motion. They’ll shut down the rebel’s attempts to hijack the convention and allow the convention to continue as planned. They will not risk Anna.
Seeing an empty phone screen, Lynell blows out a breath, fear numbing the edges of her senses.
“Done?”
Lynell looks up at the sound of Daniel’s voice and repockets her phone. “Yeah. Should we head to the surveillance room?”
He pats the chest pocket of his shirt. “Got the drive ready to go.”
They walk together past several meeting rooms and lecture halls to a door tucked away in the back corner. Ramsey told her yesterday the door would be locked, so she doesn’t try turning the knob. Instead, she knocks twice then steps back, waiting. A wiry man with thin lips and tan skin opens the door.
“Yes?”
Lynell puts on her best bitch face and pushes past him into the room. She ignores his shouts of protest and says, “I’m sure you recognize me,” in a lofty tone.
A second man, this one twice the size as the first and so pale he might never have seen the sun, is sitting inside the security room, He spins in his chair, his back now to the wall of screens displaying every inch of the conference center.
“What is—” his words crumble to an end. He jumps up and starts to bend forward like he’s going to bow then thinks better of it and straightens. “Mrs. Elysian.”
“Oh,” the skinny man gasps.
“What are you—how can we help?”
Lynell eyes both men with distaste. “I came to check on the convention’s security,” she says.
The room is so small that it takes merely four steps for her to be on the other side. Both men turn to watch her, their backs now to the door, while Daniel steps silently into the room, a USB drive in hand.
“What are your names?” Lynell asks.
They stutter out their names, still unsettled at the unscheduled appearance of Lynell Elysian.
Raising her voice to mask any sound Daniel makes, she says, “Good. And I hope you’ve both been trained well?”
They nod.
“It seems the cameras and videos are all working. Everything is recording and sent to cloud storage, right?”
They nod.
“And the speeches later tonight?”
“The cameras send their feed to us here and the computers project the video footage to the rest of the nation.”
Lynell nods, relieved that Ramsey gave her correct information. Behind the men, Daniel raises two thumbs and slips from the room, unseen by anyone but her.
“Thank you. Everything seems in order. Keep up the good work.”
She leaves while they stutter, “Thanks,” in unison.
She and Daniel return to their personal green room behind the auditorium stage where Hayes is waiting, veins peaking from his neck and muscles tense.
“I’m going with you next time,” Hayes says. “I don’t care what you’re planning.”
Lynell smirks. “You’re starting to remind me of Ramsey.”
“I take that as a compliment.” A modicum of tension leaves his body, but he stays at full attention, veins still popping under his skin.
“You’ll be happy to know I don’t have to leave this room again for the next couple of hours.” Lynell crosses the space to sit in front of the vanity. She flips a switch, turning on the lights lining the mirror. Each cut, bruise, under-eye shadow, clogged pore, and pimple is illuminated, ready for scrutiny. “Are we sure I can’t get a body double to go on for me tonight?” she mumbles.
Daniel steps up behind her, grabbing the back of the chair. “One, you’re stunning, always. And two,” he lowers his voice to a whisper she only hears because his mouth is inches from her ear, “you won’t be on camera.”
“If Ramsey . . .”
“He’ll get her,” Daniel says. He kisses the top of her head and meets her eyes in the mirror.
Still, Lynell can’t help but think that he should have already gotten her. He left at the same time as they did this morning. They never had a real chance of saving Anna in enough time to find a way to stop the vote, but the success of the entire plan hinges on Ramsey saving her before the announcement this evening.
“I’m going to try to do something about this monstrosity anyway.” She gestures to her face.
“Don’t call my wife’s face a monstrosity. I get very protective.”
She smiles at his reflection then turns enough so they can kiss. Before they pull apart, she whispers, “We have to make sure Sawyer gets in okay.”
“She’ll text us. But if it makes you feel better, I can go to the check-in desk to verify your list of guests was added.”
“Take Jeremy with you,” Lynell says, referring to the guard stationed directly outside the green room. Jeremy was once friends with Zach and aided in their escapes from Eric’s house, earning him more trust than most of the other guards.
“Yes, ma’am.”
As Daniel leaves, Lynell clicks on her phone and opens the messaging app, staring at Ramsey, Harlow, and Sawyer’s names as if willing them to text her. Then, before she can drive herself insane, she turns back to the mirror, wondering what sort of magic she’ll need to perform to be presentable in a few hours. She wishes she had the skills of the influencer she saw earlier.
Phase one, done, she thinks, dabbing concealer under her eyes.
Now it’s up to Ramsey to complete phase two.