Chapter 12: The Server Room
The narrow hallway of the dispatch office echoed with the dull, mechanical whir of primary cooling fans. Tom moved with the practiced ease of a veteran lawman, keeping his shoulders low and his weapon indexed against his chest. I stayed a half-step behind him, my hand hovering near my holster, every muscle coiled for a sudden confrontation.
"Where are they, Toby?" Tom asked in a sharp, quiet whisper, keeping his eyes on the frosted glass door at the end of the corridor.
"They're in the main data bay," the kid replied, his voice trembling as he trailed us by a few feet. "Two guys in gray suits. They didn't show badges, but they carried federal-issue IDs and keys that override the master lock. They said they were conducting a routine infrastructure inspection for the state."
"Corporate heavies," I muttered, recognizing the profile instantly from my years in the syndicate. They weren't auditors; they were clean-up crew members tasked with wiping hard drives and silencing anyone who asked too many questions.
Tom reached the frosted glass door, tested the handle, and found it locked. He looked back at me, raising his eyebrows in a silent question. I nodded, stepping up beside him. On three, Tom slammed the heel of his heavy boot against the lock mechanism. The reinforced wood splintered inward with a loud crack, shattering the silence of the facility.
We burst into the server room, weapons drawn. Standing by the central rack was a tall, sharp-featured man in a tailored charcoal suit, a USB drive clutched in his right hand. Beside him, a younger man dropped a heavy canvas duffel bag filled with shredded magnetic tape.
"Federal property. Step back," the tall man said, his voice entirely devoid of panic, which made him infinitely more dangerous.
May you like
"Drop the drive," Tom barked, leveling his service pistol directly at the man's chest. "You're trespassing in a municipal facility, and I'm placing you both under arrest for tampering with county evidence."
The man in the suit smiled coldly, his eyes flicking toward me with a sudden, chilling flash of recognition. "Daniel. Elena said you'd crawl out of the woodwork eventually. But you're too late. The primary back-up in Denver already has our ledger mirrored. Killing us won't stop the auction."
