Zhen showed Charlie how to operate the camera feeds, then froze the images in the warehouse cameras. On Jordan’s mark, she, Davis, and Zhen headed for the office on the other side of the warehouse. Large pallets of stored steel sheets and racks of pipe were laid out in grid patterns on the stone tile floor, leaving aisles between the stacks wide enough to maneuver a forklift. Overhead, a crane system was attached to metal beams that spanned the ceiling.
“So far you’re in the clear,” Charlie said. His voice sounded loud in Jordan’s ear, and she reached up and turned down the sound. Taking the stairs from the warehouse floor to the second-floor office, she signaled to Davis and Zhen to hold up at the bottom. When Zhen used the laptop to unlock the door, she opened it, simultaneously turning on the radio jammer Charlie had given her. If it worked, the alarm system would pick up the electromagnetic frequency and block the central unit from sending out a distress signal. If it didn’t, they would soon have company.
After a few moments, she heard Charlie’s voice. “It looks like it’s working.”
Jordan shot him a thumbs-up, then entered and swept the office suite. It consisted of a main room with a secretary’s desk and a tall credenza; a second room, which was clearly Ping’s office; a bathroom; and a door that led into a large, empty conference room and the back way out.
Davis and Zhen sprinted up the steps to join her. The ambient light from the warehouse floor was enough to see by, so she left the lights off. While Davis secured the door, Zhen headed for Ping’s office.
In the largest room, Ping’s desk was at the far end opposite an outsized built-in wall unit. Both ornately carved and made out of Hong Suanzhi wood. A thick carpet covered the floor, and two tall-backed chairs faced the desk.
“I need to boot up his computer.” Zhen tapped a key or two, then pointed. “The safe is inside the cabinet.”
Jordan crossed to the built-in wall unit and opened the center double doors. Inside was a large safe with a digital keypad. “Do you have the magnet?”
“The big thing I remember was his warning not to get your fingers between the magnet and the safe.” Freeing the magnet from its wrapping, Davis gripped it gingerly around the edges, positioned it just above and to the left of the keypad, and let it thunk into place. “Now for the test.” Davis turned the handle.
Nothing.
“Try moving it,” Jordan said.
Davis forced the magnet half an inch to the right. Still nothing.
“We need a bigger magnet, don’t we?”
“It looks that way.”
They’d known it was a possibility. When Charlie had returned from the store, he’d brought back a ten-pound magnet—the largest he could find.
Jordan headed back toward Zhen. “How are you doing on the files?”
“It’s still frickin’ booting up.”
“Let it load and help me find the REE Manufacturing products list. Do they manufacture magnets?”
Zhen pulled up the list and skimmed his finger down the face of the laptop. The blue color of the screen cast his face in an eerie glow. “Yeah, they’re listed.”
“I need a product location.”
“Near the northwest corner of the warehouse.”
Jordan headed for the door. “Davis, you stay with Zhen. If he gets in, make sure the computer files are destroyed. Charlie, I’m going downstairs.”
“So far, you’re all clear.”
Jordan reached the warehouse floor in seconds and started walking the shelves along the outside walls toward the northwest corner. Most of the boxes were products intended for export and labeled in both Chinese and English.
“Jordan, you’ve got company,” Charlie said. “One armed guard coming from the back garage.”
Jordan didn’t respond for fear of attracting attention.
“Which way is he headed?” Davis asked, saving her from having to speak.
“Toward the office.”
Jordan was about to turn back when she spotted the pallet of magnets. Each were individually wrapped in cardboard boxes. Checking the sizes, she found one labeled “one hundred pounds.” Grabbing it off the shelf, she ducked between the pallets and moved quietly and quickly back toward the office. She rounded the corner near the stairs just as he opened the office door.
“Hey!” he shouted.
Bounding up the steps, Jordan pushed through the door. She found the scene inside contained. The guard lay sprawled on the floor, with Davis standing over him holding his gun.
“Charlie, are we good?” Jordan asked, shutting the door.
“So far.”
“Keep an eye out. They may not have heard him, but they’re eventually bound to miss him.” Jordan handed Davis the boxed magnet. “Look what I found.”
“Perfect.”
While he unwrapped the magnet, she pulled a zip tie from her pocket and trussed up the guard. Then she started opening drawers. “There has to be something here that we can use to gag this guy.”
Davis whipped out the roll of electrical tape.
“You are a regular MacGyver.”
“I’ll take it. As I recall, he was good with the ladies.”
She laughed, then rolled the guard over and wrapped a couple of pieces of tape over his mouth.
“That should hold him for a while. Let’s just hope no one comes looking for him.” Jordan straightened up. “How’s it going, Zhen?”
“I’m done.”
“You’re sure they’re erased.”
“The best way is to overwrite them. Turns out Ping’s computer is full of porn. Nasty stuff. I used them to overwrite the Quinn Industry’s files and then deleted them for good measure.”
“How’re we doing on the safe?” Jordan stepped up behind Davis.
“We’re about to find out.”
This time the bolt action clicked, and the handle turned. Jordan reached in, pulled out the solid state drive, and walked it over to Zhen.
“Check it.”
He plugged it into the computer and pulled up the schematics.
“You have two guards headed your way.”
“Hook into the Internet and send them to Lory, then wipe the drive clean. Hurry.”
“You better get moving.”
It took Zhen a matter of seconds. He handed her back the SSD, and she handed it to Davis. “Put it back in the safe and lock it up. Get rid of the magnets. Zhen, turn off the computer, then help me drag the guard into the conference room. We need to buy ourselves some time by making it look like no one’s been in here.”
Jordan and Zhen each tucked an arm under the guard’s armpits and pulled him forward. The guard’s head lolled to the side, and he moaned.
“What are we going to do?” Zhen said. “He’s coming around.”
“You need to pick up your pace,” Charlie said. “They’re at the bottom of the stairs.”
Davis handed Jordan the guard’s rifle, pushed Zhen out of the way, and dragged the guard into the conference room. Jordan shut the door about the time she heard the approaching guards at the top of the stairs. Zhen stepped forward and together, he and Davis lifted the guard off his feet and sprinted for the exit on the far side of the room.
“Get out. Now,” Charlie said.
Davis and Zhen pushed through onto the stairs just as the two guards entered Ping’s office, Jordan tight on their heels. Closing the outer door, she didn’t let it click shut all the way. Raising a closed fist, she signaled Davis and Zhen to get down and hold at the top of the stairs. If they’d done the cleanup correctly, the guards would never know anyone had been inside Ping’s office.
Charlie’s voice cracked over the comm. “Good call, Jordan. On my mark, go back inside. Zhen and Davis, be ready to move.”
Jordan kept one hand on the door and one on the assault rifle she’d taken off the tied-up guard. She breathed lightly and waited for the signal. If they reentered too soon, they risked being spotted. If they reentered too late, they’d be seen on the stairs.
“Okay. Get ready,” Charlie said. “Go!”
Jordan pushed open the door. Zhen and Davis dove through on her heels. The guard between them bucked and kicked, his foot catching the door and banging it sharply in place. The two guards on the stairs pulled up short.
Throwing herself across the guard’s legs, she and Davis pinned him to the floor while Zhen poked his head up to look.
“Wait,” he whispered.
Jordan prepared to fire the bullpup rifle, then she heard boots on the stairs.
“Okay, you’re clear for now. It’s time to move.”
Jordan rolled free of the writhing guard. “Want to hand me another zip tie?”
Davis did the honors. “What do you want to do with him?”
Jordan scanned the room and spotted another door. “Let’s put him in there. They’ll be back looking for him. Let’s not make him easy to find.”
Once the guard was secured in the closet, Jordan held up at the conference room door.
“We still need to take care of the gun. Zhen is coming back across the warehouse to you, Charlie.”
“I want to stick with you.”
“That wasn’t the plan,” she said. “We stick with the plan.”
“But I know the gun. What if you need my help?”
“I do. I need you up there with Charlie to do a job only you can do.”
“Yeah, what’s that?”
“When I tell you to, I need you to set off the fire alarms in the production plant. Our best chance of making this work is to draw off some of their manpower. Can you do it?”
Zhen glared at her, and then finally he nodded. “How big a fire do you want?”
Jordan grinned. “Charlie, Zhen’s coming your way. Davis and I are heading for the garage. On your go.”
“You’re all clear.”
Jordan opened the door, and they made their way down to the warehouse floor. Zhen made speed toward the main office, while Jordan and Davis moved in the opposite direction.
“Davis, are you ready for this?”
“It’s the most fun I’ve had all week.”