Caitlyn worked to calm her nerves as Josh pulled into the parking lot of the MedTECH Laboratories the next afternoon. They’d worked on a plan, with her drawing up schematics of the lab, names of employees who worked on the floor, and where security required access badges in order to gain entry. Josh had been insistent they didn’t just have a plan A but backup plans in case something went wrong.
“Second thoughts?” she asked as he turned off the engine.
“Second thoughts? I’m way beyond that. I think this is by far one of the riskiest things I’ve ever done. This is crazy, you know. Breaking in to your lab.”
“I’m not breaking in. I work there.”
“You know as well as I do that your boss wouldn’t approve of what you’re about to do. As much as we need to find those files, I’m more worried about your going in there by yourself and getting caught.”
“It’s the only way. Besides, they’d never let me bring a friend with me inside, let alone a police officer.”
“I could come with you as a techie.”
“With your snazzy sports jacket?” She looked at him and frowned. Even paired with a button-down shirt and jeans, he looked too overdressed for her workplace. And way too good-looking. She shoved back the random thought. “I don’t think so.”
“Caitlyn, I’m serious.”
“Trust me, I’m taking this very seriously.”
“Fine. You’ve got your earpiece in?”
“Everything’s ready. I’m good to go.”
He squeezed her hand. She hesitated, then pulled away from his touch. She shouldn’t feel anything toward him. Just because he’d agreed to work with her didn’t mean her heart had to respond. He wasn’t looking for love, and for that matter, she wasn’t either.
“Just promise me you’ll be careful,” he said. “Don’t take any risks, and if for any reason you feel that your life is in danger, get out. I’ll be here waiting.”
“I know, and I’ll be fine. Stop worrying.”
She slipped out of the car, knowing that nothing she said was going to stop him from worrying. And if she were honest, she was just as nervous about their plan. She might have access to the lab as a part of her job, but what she was about to do definitely broke the rules. And if the people who’d run her off the road—the people who’d killed Olivia and Helen—were inside that building and caught her . . . What would they do if they found out she was not only in the lab but planned to download files they didn’t want to get out?
Despite her concerns, her resolve hadn’t wavered, and in turn she’d appreciated his input. He’d insisted on being familiar with exit points as well as the level of security. The only way into the section of the building where she worked was via access-card systems using an embedded RFID microchip that worked like an electronic key. For those working in increased levels of security, those labs included biometric access, but they wouldn’t have to worry about that. Her other concern had been the security cameras. All lab entrances had security cameras and were monitored by security personnel.
They’d eaten an early dinner at a busy mom-and-pop restaurant famous for their hamburgers, where they’d managed a bit of small talk, and he’d convinced her to eat a few bites. On the drive over he’d said even less, making her wonder if he was apprehensive about her getting caught, or if he was mad at her for roping him in to all of this. Either way she couldn’t help but wonder if he already regretted the decision.
She headed up the brick sidewalk toward the front of the four-story building. No. Nothing was going to go wrong. All she had to do was walk into the lab, go to her desk and download the files, and get out of the building.
If her downloading the files triggered some security protocol, it wouldn’t take long for them to track down who was behind it. The lab she worked in didn’t deal with hazardous materials, so security was minimal. But even with that thought in mind, she was going to have to get in and out as fast as possible, while having as little contact with other employees as possible.
“Caitlyn.” Josh’s voice came through her wireless earpiece.
“This might take a bit of getting used to. I feel like I have a voice in my head.”
“Don’t you normally?”
“Funny. What do you want? I’m not even through the front doors yet.”
“Just testing out the system. Making sure it works.”
She let out a low laugh, wondering what people were going to think if they caught her talking to herself. “It works. Relax. I’ll be in and out before you know it.”
“I’m counting on it.”
She walked through the building’s glass doors that led to a large lobby. Whoever had designed the space had veered away from the typical sterile feel of a laboratory. Instead, brick walls, tile floors, and a handful of comfy chairs with turquoise accents framed the receptionist’s desk where Marjorie sat, directing calls and dealing with customer service.
Caitlyn waved at her, then headed straight toward the elevators, avoiding any chance of a conversation. This was no social visit. The fewer people who saw her and spoke to her, the better.
The elevator beeped and a second later the doors swooshed open. Caitlyn stepped inside and pushed the button for the third floor.
“I’m in the elevator.”
Another employee hurried into the elevator right before the doors closed, but he had his eyes glued to his phone, not even acknowledging she was there. Maybe staying invisible was going to be easier than she thought.
On the third floor she headed down the narrow hallway toward the restricted access area. She stopped in front of the lab door and slid her card across the keypad. Nothing.
She swiped her card a second time, but once again, the light stayed red.
Caitlyn tried to ignore the wave of panic and let out a sharp huff of air. What if they’d shut down her access to the building? What if they somehow knew she was here? She tried to shove down the panic, but it only multiplied.
“What’s going on, Caitlyn?” Josh asked.
“My card won’t work.”
“Has that ever happened before?”
She hesitated at her answer. “No.”
“You need to leave. If they’re on to you—”
“We don’t know any of that. Not yet. Just give me a minute.”
“Something wrong, Caitlyn?”
She jumped at the sound of her name. One of the security guards was heading down the hall toward her.
“Bruce . . . hey . . . I don’t know. My card’s not working.”
She swiped it a third time. This couldn’t be happening.
“I’ve never had issues before, but I can’t open the door.” She tried to keep her tone even, but her laugh sounded higher-pitched than normal. Bruce didn’t seem to notice.
“Believe me, you’re not the first. I’ve been bugging management to upgrade the system.”
“That must be the problem.” Caitlyn shrugged.
She was okay. Security would have been given a heads-up if they’d deactivated her card.
He stopped in front of her. “I heard you were out sick.”
“I was, but I’m much better.” She wiped her sweaty hands on her pants. “Just coming in for a little while today. You know how it is. I’m gone a day, and already the work is piling up.”
“I can imagine,” Bruce said.
“Caitlyn.” Josh’s voice came through her earpiece again. “Forget the file. You need to get out of there. If they’ve deactivated your pass, then they’re looking for you.”
She ignored Josh’s warning and smiled at Bruce instead. “I’ll try one more time, but you don’t mind using your pass key to get me in if it doesn’t work, do you? I can have IT fix mine later, but I really need to check on a few things.”
“Sure. No problem.”
“Caitlyn.” Josh’s warning voice came through again.
“Thanks. I really appreciate it.”
She swiped again. The pad turned green and she was in.
She rested her hand against the open door. “Guess it was just a glitch after all. Thanks anyway.”
“See you around.”
She worked to steady her breathing as she walked down the narrow hallway toward her desk, praying she didn’t run into anyone. All she needed to do was get in, make a copy of the files, and get out. She could do this.
Bruce would definitely remember she’d been here, but there was no way to avoid it. She glanced at Helen’s station. Her things had already been taken out, reminding her once again what was at stake. She’d been right about the time of day. The lab was fairly empty. The few employees there were working on different stages of research, depending on their specific job assignment. The lab itself felt much more sterile than the welcoming lobby. And unlike most office jobs, there were no private spaces.
She logged in with her username and password, then pushed enter.
Bingo.
“I’m in.”
“Good girl. Don’t stay a second longer than needed.”
“Trust me, I won’t.”
She could feel her heart pounding in her throat as she typed in the search parameters like they’d gone over and waited for the results. Nothing. Maybe they had erased everything. She typed in another search, trying not to panic. If anyone found out what she was doing, not only would she be fired, she’d probably be arrested, but it was a little late to think about that now. Like the last time she’d searched, she wasn’t finding what she needed.
“I’m not finding anything related to Starlighter,” she said, trying to keep the frustration out of her voice.
“Go ahead and try the recovery program,” Josh said.
She glanced at the clock on the wall, her pulse racing. It was 5:16, and she was already four minutes in. She needed to get this done and get out of here. She connected the flash drive to the side of the computer and waited for the program to pop up.
Ten seconds later she found it. A folder titled Starlighter. She clicked through prompts to start the recovery process, making sure the files were downloaded onto the external flash drive.
Seven minutes remaining.
She glanced around the lab. So far no one in the room seemed interested in what she was doing, but even that didn’t help the knot in her stomach. She drummed her fingers against the desk, willing the files to hurry.
Two and a half minutes . . .
Hurry . . . hurry . . . hurry . . .
How had she gotten to this point? Stealing files from her employer? She pushed back the thoughts. There were times when breaking the rules was the right thing to do. Like when you had to find out the truth. Right?
“How much time?” Josh asked.
“Two minutes.”
She knew he wouldn’t relax until she was back out in the car with him. And neither would she.
“Caitlyn . . . hey . . . I hadn’t expected to see you here.” Patricia Cox was walking toward her. “I heard you were in a car accident.”
Clearly, news spread fast.
“Yeah. I was, but I’m fine. Just a bit shaken up.”
“That’s so scary.”
“It was.” She forced a smile. “But thankfully, I just got a few bumps and bruises. I’m just supposed to take it easy the next day or two.”
Patricia leaned against the side of the desk. “It’s crazy out there, isn’t it? Had some insane driver almost run me off the road a couple weeks ago. Don’t think he even knew I was there. Never looked. Makes you think about how fragile life is. How it can be over in an instant. Like Helen.”
“I know.” Caitlyn shifted so her friend couldn’t see the computer screen. “It’s going to take me a long time to get over her death.”
The files finished downloading. Caitlyn grabbed the drive, shoved it into her pocket, and stood up. “I’m not staying. Just stopped by to get an update on one of my projects.”
“Glad you’re okay.”
She walked out of the lab into the hallway, trying to look as if she had every right to be there.
Three men in suits stepped out of the elevator at the other end of the hallway.
Caitlyn made a quick one-eighty and started down the opposite direction.
“I might have trouble,” she whispered.
“What do you see?”
“Three suits coming down the hallway. Not sure who they are, but they’re heading in the direction of the lab.”
Her heart rate picked up. It could be nothing. HR dressed more like executives, but what were they doing here at the end of the workday when most people had already left? Unless they knew she was here and were looking for her . . .
“Did they see you?” Josh asked.
She turned another corner and picked up her pace. “I don’t know. And I’m not hanging around to find out.”
“You need to get out of there. Now.”
“There’s a stairwell at the end of this hallway. I’m going to take it.”
“As long as you can get out of there without getting caught, you should be fine. They shouldn’t be able to trace the download to you.”
“Then what do they want?”
She pulled open the heavy fire door and started down the stairs, her heart beating too fast.
Someone opened the stairwell door two flights above her.
“I don’t think they’re with HR. They’re following me.”
“You need some kind of distraction.”
Her mind raced for an answer.
The fire alarm.
Things were quickly spiraling out of control, but what option did she have? She pushed through the heavy metal door to the second floor, rushed down the hallway, broke the glass, and pulled the alarm.
“What’s going on?” Josh asked.
“I just found a way out of here.”
She ran to the other end of the hallway where there was a second stairwell. People weren’t supposed to use the elevators during a fire, but a couple of employees stood waiting for the next one heading down. She had no idea if management or security knew who had been searching the computers, but she certainly didn’t want to find out. She needed to get out of the building and off the property, and the sooner the better.
Her chest was heaving by the time she got to the ground floor. The lobby was already filled with a dozen people trying to figure out if this was a real emergency or a false alarm. In another few minutes police and firemen would be here.
“I need everyone to file out of the building.” Someone had taken charge and was treating this like a real threat. Maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea after all. She went through her options. There was a side door she could go through.
“Go around to the west side and meet me there,” she said.
She couldn’t worry about security cameras. She had to focus on getting out of the building with the flash drive without getting caught.