by Janie Crouch
Sawyer’s phone buzzed, catching his attention. It was Omega, with a secure code, letting Sawyer know they had received his update about the circumstances at Cyberdyne changing and his plan to remove the equipment needed to finish the countermeasure. An appropriate safe-house address would be delivered soon.
That was the great thing about working for an elite task force like Omega: the ends justifying the means was regular practice. Bending some rules when necessary, such as removing needed items from a company, even though said company had forbidden it, wasn’t even frowned upon in Omega. Omega always kept the big picture as the priority. And the big picture now was getting that countermeasure finished.
Sawyer was glad they would have the safe house ready soon—once he and Megan left Cyberdyne with the stolen equipment, there would be no coming back. They were pulling through the outer gate of Cyberdyne security now. Sawyer showed the guard both his temporary Cyberdyne badge and his law-enforcement credentials and the guard waved them through.
Sawyer relaxed just the slightest bit. The guard hadn’t asked to see Megan’s security badge, nor had he seemed to recognize who she was, so obviously the security team wasn’t on high alert yet. Which was good, because Megan didn’t have a badge to show him.
Sawyer parked the car in the closest spot to the front door, not difficult since the lot was nearly empty. He backed the car in so it faced forward out of the parking spot. It might save them precious seconds if they were leaving in a hurry. But Sawyer hoped it wouldn’t come down to that.
Sawyer turned to look at Megan. “All right, sweetheart, are you ready? Remember, we can’t take the flux capacitor and everything else you listed last night.” Megan’s eyes narrowed at the ’80s movie reference, but he didn’t stop to explain it to her. “Only the most essential items. And only what we can carry out in a backpack, very low-key.”
Megan nodded. “I know what I need. But I should warn you, if I get bored and want to build a DeLorean time-travel machine, that’s going to be difficult without a flux capacitor.”
Sawyer reached over and kissed her. He couldn’t help it. “Then by all means, grab the first flux capacitor you see.”
They got out of the car, the brisk winter air surrounding them, the sun having not even risen yet. “Okay, just try to act as natural and relaxed as possible. There should only be security guards around at this time. Just talk to those you normally would, and keep it as brief as possible.” Sawyer ushered her in the door. They needed to get a move on; it was already nearly 6:00 a.m.
Sawyer used his badge, which almost had the same clearance as hers anyway, to get them in the main Cyberdyne doors. The overnight guard working the front desk seemed a little surprised to see anyone coming through the door at this hour, but not suspicious. Sawyer saw the guard slide a magazine of dubious type to the side and under some papers.
Good, let the guard be more worried about getting caught looking through his dirty magazines while on the job than wondering why he and Megan were here at such an early hour. Or worse, wanting to see Megan’s badge.
“I’ve met a lot of the security team, but not you. I’m Agent Branson. Dr. Fuller and I are getting an early start on the day.”
The man swallowed hard. He knew he’d been caught doing something worth reprimand. “Uh, yes, sir.”
Before the man could flounder any more, Sawyer cut him off. “I understand you have a full security team briefing at 0700? I’ll be there for that.” The man nodded. “Until then, I trust that this front door is being watched more by security than it was when I entered?” The man nodded again, wide-eyed.
“Um, yes, sir. Sorry, sir.”
Sawyer just turned and led Megan down the hall.
“Wow, pretty impressive, Agent Branson,” Megan said once they were out of earshot. “I didn’t think you had that in you.”
Sawyer winked at her. “Well, sometimes boyishly charming is not the way you want to go. Now that guy will be worried that I’m going to bring up at the security meeting the reading of certain types of magazines at the front desk while on duty. He won’t be thinking about what we’re doing at all.”
“Who has a giant brain now?” Megan asked him.
Sawyer smiled and used his badge to let them into the R & D lab. “Okay, get what you need and let’s get out. Is there anything I can help you find?”
“No, I know what I need and where to find it, but it will take a while. Some of it has to be separated from the main system and programmed to be available for use elsewhere. That means I’ll need to...” Megan was already walking toward what she needed as she spoke, her voice trailing off.
Sawyer kept an eye on the door as Megan moved frantically around the lab. Every once in a while he could hear her talking, but knew she wasn’t speaking to him. She was having arguments with herself, so he left her alone.
Sawyer logged in to the security system so he could see who was coming into the building. A few early birds, mostly sales or office managers had logged in, but no one from R & D yet, thankfully.
“How’s it going?” Sawyer called out.
“I’m almost done. Five minutes. I just need to bypass this system.” Sawyer could hear her fingers clicking on the keyboard.
Five minutes was okay. That should give them enough time to get out before Ted Cory got there for the seven-o’clock meeting. If he saw Megan here, after Sawyer told him she wouldn’t be in until midday, they were sunk.
But then the screen flashed an ID badge Sawyer was definitely not expecting.
Megan’s. Damn.
Whoever had stolen Megan’s badge yesterday was back. Even worse, this meant as soon as Cory arrived, he would be alerted that Megan was in the building.
Sawyer watched the screen as Megan’s assistant, Jon Bushman, and Trish Wilborne also logged in through the front door at the same time. They were obviously coming in together. Megan’s theory of Trish being the mole was looking more conceivable.
Things were going to hell quickly.
“Megan, time to go,” Sawyer called out. “Right now. We’ve got all sorts of problems.”
Megan rushed over to the desk with the backpack full of the items she needed. “Okay, I’ve got it all. What’s going on?”
“Well, you just logged through the main door.”
“The person who stole my ID badge?”
“Yep.” Sawyer cursed under his breath when he saw the next entry in the front door. Ted Cory, head of Cyberdyne security.
“All right, we’ve got to get out of here. Everybody and their brother has decided to show up early.”
“Who?”
“Both Jon Bushman and Trish Wilborne showed up together, not long after your badge was swiped through the door.”
“Trish Wilborne? I really think she’s the mole, Sawyer. It makes more sense than anybody else.”
“I’m beginning to agree with you. But we’ve got another problem now, too. Ted Cory just logged in. Damn it, we’ve got to get out of here.”
Megan handed Sawyer the bag full of equipment. “Here, you take the stuff and go. Get it out of the building. That’s the most important thing. I’ll say my hellos, act like everything is normal and get out as soon as I can.”
Sawyer didn’t like the thought of splitting up, but didn’t see any way around it. Jon and Trish were going to be here any moment. And Ted Cory would check the log first thing and find out Megan was in the building. Once he did that, neither she nor Sawyer would be able to leave with any items.
But Sawyer was afraid Cory might not let Megan leave at all.
“Okay, we’ll split up. I’m going directly to the car. You get out of here as soon as you can behind me. Don’t let Ted Cory corner you. You won’t have a bag, so that’s not quite so suspicious, but he can demand that you return Ghost Shell and the countermeasure, and if you don’t he could have you arrested.”
Megan nodded.
“Don’t let anybody get you alone. We don’t know who we can trust, so we can’t trust anyone
,” Sawyer continued. Megan nodded again. Sawyer could hear Jonathan and Trish talking as they entered in the door to the R & D lab.
Sawyer bent down and kissed Megan hard, briefly. “I’m going to stay out of sight until I can get past those two. Hurry,” he told her and strode out one of the side doors, so no one could see him. He didn’t like this at all, but he didn’t see any other choice.
* * *
MEGAN WATCHED SAWYER disappear around the corner just as Jon and Trish walked in. Megan clutched her hands in front of her. What was she going to say to them?
Just act normal.
That probably included not jumping on Trish and punching the other woman until she admitted she was the traitor. And it was barely six o’clock in the morning. What were they doing here so early?
And why were they here together at this hour? The pair hadn’t noticed Megan yet and she watched as Trish brushed up against Jonathan and he smiled down at her.
How long had this been going on? Had Trish seduced Jonathan? Was she trying to get close to him to get information? Or maybe access to something he had that she didn’t? It would make sense. Jonathan looked completely enamored with Trish.
How had Megan never noticed this before? Jonathan was always so tense and uptight around the office. Megan had never actually thought about his personal life outside Cyberdyne.
But evidently he had one. And evidently Trish was part of it. For how long Megan didn’t know.
Megan was supposed to act normal around them. But what was normal? Normal for not suspecting one of them was a lying traitor was different than the normal reaction for the boss finding out two underlings were sleeping together.
Both of which were a different normal from having to get the hell out of there as quickly as possible to avoid arrest.
“Oh my gosh, Megan!” Trish finally noticed her. Trish and Jonathan all but leaped apart. “What are you doing here so early?”
Megan had to hand it to Trish, she didn’t look panicked at seeing Megan here at Cyberdyne, just embarrassed at being caught in an illicit situation. “Maybe I should be asking you guys the same thing,” she told them, one eyebrow raised.
Trish and Jonathan looked at each other briefly, then back at Megan.
“Actually,” Jonathan spoke up, not quite meeting Megan’s eyes, “we thought we would get here early and get our work out of the way, then try to talk you into letting us help with the countermeasure when you got in. But you’re already here.”
Megan wanted to stay and ask more questions—see if she could get any information out of Trish in particular—but knew she needed to get going. Once Ted Cory knew she was in the building, getting out would be much more difficult.
Plus, it wouldn’t take Trish or Jonathan long to figure out items were missing if they got back in the lab and started looking around.
“Actually, I’ve been here all night.” Megan ran a hand over her face in mock exhaustion, hoping they wouldn’t notice she was in different clothes. She decided not to bring up the obvious relationship between Trish and Jonathan. She didn’t have time, and compared to everything else that was going on, it really didn’t matter. “I’m about to go get some breakfast at the cafeteria and head outside for a few minutes to get some air.”
Megan began walking to the door, but realized she didn’t have her badge. The badge was needed to get in or out of the R & D lab.
“Hey, Jon, do you mind scanning the door for me? I left my badge in my office. I just want to grab something to eat super quick.” Megan spoke to Jonathan, but looked right at Trish, searching for any changes in her expression that might give the other woman away. But there was nothing. As a matter of fact, Trish was just staring at Jonathan, looking gooey.
But the question seemed to catch Jonathan off guard. “Um, what? Well, sure, that’s no problem, I guess.” He walked over, scanned his badge and opened the door.
“Okay, thanks. I’ll see you guys in a few minutes.”
“Should we get started on anything?” Trish called out to Megan just as she was turning away. “I know you said you didn’t want anybody else working on the countermeasure, but Jon and I were talking about it and we really think we could help.”
Yeah, Megan just bet Trish thought she could help. Jonathan shot an irritated look at Trish, then smiled sheepishly at Megan. “Whatever, boss. Just wanted you to know we were ready to help if you need it.”
Megan glanced down the hallway; the way she needed to go was all clear. But when she looked the other way, a door was opening. Ted Cory stepped out into Megan’s line of sight.
She needed to leave. Right now.
“Thanks, Jon. We’ll talk about it when I get back from breakfast, okay? I’m famished.”
Jon was about to respond, but Megan turned and began walking down the hallway.
“Megan, how are you going to get back in the lab without your badge?” Jon walked out after her.
Megan turned, but kept taking steps in the direction of the exit. “I’ll just have security let me in. No problem.” She could see Ted Cory making his way toward them. He would see her any second.
“Well, just hang on, I’ll run and get the badge for you, so you can have it.”
Megan did her best to keep Jonathan between her and the director of security so he wouldn’t be able to see her, but that wouldn’t work for long. She stopped her backward walk so she could get rid of Jonathan. She didn’t want him trying to come with her all the way to the cafeteria, where he thought she was going.
“That would be great, Jon. Thanks so much.”
Jonathan nodded and turned back toward the R & D lab. As soon as his back was to her, Megan began walking briskly down the hall. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Ted Cory talking to Jonathan. Evidently he asked Jonathan where Megan was, because Jon was pointing right at her. Ted turned and began moving in her direction.
Megan walked as fast as she could without outright running. She didn’t want anyone to put the building on lockdown because of suspicious behavior on her part. Then she’d never get out. Megan wasn’t far from the main doors.
She didn’t know why Ted Cory wasn’t calling after her. Maybe Jonathan had told him she was going to the cafeteria and he planned to follow her there to talk to her.
Megan made it to the main foyer. If she turned to the left she would only have a little bit to go to get to the main doors, but knew she wouldn’t have enough time to make it to them if Cory radioed for the locks to be set. So instead she turned to the right as if she was going to the cafeteria.
Halfway down that much shorter hall she looked over her shoulder. It looked as if Ted Cory wasn’t following her anymore, or if he was he had paused for a moment. Megan ducked inside the women’s bathroom.
Megan waited, ear pressed against the door, hoping to hear the security chief pass her. She prayed he would think she had gone the few more yards to the cafeteria. Although all he really had to do was stay at the security desk near the front door. She wouldn’t be able to get past him.
After just a few moments she could hear someone talking as they went down the hallway. It was definitely Ted Cory, sounding as though he was talking to another one of the guards.
“I want you to keep an eye on her while we have the all-hands meeting. She is not to leave this building under any circumstances until I have a chance to interrogate her.”
Megan didn’t like the sound of the word interrogate.
Their voices became softer as they passed by the restroom door and continued toward the cafeteria. As silently as she could, Megan opened the door and began walking back toward the main door, praying Cory hadn’t said anything to whoever was working the front desk.
She forced herself not to look back as she quickly covered the ground to the main door. She smiled at the security guard at the desk—he smiled back, so evidently Cory hadn’t talked to him about her yet—and continued casually toward the door.
“Going outside?” the guard asked.
“Ye
ah, just need some fresh air.” Megan smiled again, but kept walking.
Damn. Megan realized she didn’t have her badge. She couldn’t get through the door at this hour without it and definitely didn’t want to ask the security guard to help.
Megan pretended to crouch down and tie her shoe while she got out her phone and sent a text to Sawyer to meet her at the door. She knew the car wasn’t very far; he could be here in just a few moments if she could just stall.
Megan tied the other shoe while she was down there and pretended to dust something off her foot. There, that should be enough time for Sawyer to be at the door once she crossed the lobby. Megan stood, ready to move.
She was startled by a hand grasping her shoulder and spinning her around. Ted Cory stood glaring at her.
“I got a message earlier that you would be here this morning earlier than I had been told. Going somewhere, Dr. Fuller?”
Chapter Fourteen
Megan kept her expression neutral and her posture relaxed as she faced the director of security, hardly listening to what he was saying. She thought fast.
“Hi, Mr. Cory. Just thought I’d step outside for a few moments to get a little fresh air. It’s been a long couple of days—I’ve put in a bunch of hours. I’m feeling pretty stiff.”
As if to demonstrate, Megan reached her arms over her head and linked her hands, stretching her back and torso. She glanced over and saw Sawyer walking up to the glass Cyberdyne doors. Megan shifted to the side so Mr. Cory would be less likely to see Sawyer’s approach.
She was going to have to make a run for it. Megan hoped Sawyer would be ready. Once she began running, he would only have a few short moments to get the door open before a member of security remotely overrode the locks. The chances of Megan getting out were slim. At best.
“You don’t have any items belonging to Cyberdyne on your person, do you, Dr. Fuller? You may or may not have heard, but due to recent security issues we are initiating a mandatory lockdown policy. No items are to be taken from the building.”