by Sierra Riley
“He probably chose your neighbor to make it more believable.” Calder groaned. “He knows that we know there’s nothing we can do.”
“We’re both in danger unless we act now.”
“What are you thinking?”
“Aside from swatting him in return?” Justin grumbled.
“Yeah, we shouldn’t start a back and forth with that.” Calder agreed.
“I was thinking we bring him down like he did to me. I’m tired of letting him jerk me around. He’s not going to stop. I think we should go into Sybil Industries and find out where he’s keeping illegal information. With that in hand, we could end this once and for all.”
Calder considered this, watching Justin closely. “But how can we do that? You can’t go waltzing back in there.”
“No. Even though Pat invited me back, that might be suspicious since I turned them down.”
Justin’s eyes trailed to Calder, and Calder paused as Justin pointed directly at him. “Wait, what do you expect me to do?”
“They don’t know you,” Justin uttered, looking a little more alive now as the wheels turned in his head. “If I can get you in there...”
“That sounds like spy stuff.”
“Well, part of my job was to do similar things. I didn’t just sit at a computer all day,” Justin snorted. “Sometimes physical security needed to be tested, too, so I’d be sent around to different departments to test how easy it was to slip in.”
“You were like a spy.” Even as he said it, his heart raced. There was something exciting about potentially being asked to break into Justin’s old workplace. “But how will I get in?”
“I’ve seen the way you figured out security for places we’ve gone to. You can do the same here and I can fill in the blanks. Actually, I can give you most of the details upfront. We might need some inside help, though.”
Calder was fascinated as he watched Justin processing away. It was kind of hot to watch but now was definitely not the time. “But Wallace will recognize me.”
Justin nodded as he worked his jaw around. “Yeah, he will if you run into him... Maybe I should ask someone else to do it.”
“No, I’ll do it. I want this put to rest once and for all.” Calder was determined to see this through to the end. He’d just try his best to avoid being spotted by Wallace. No one else that worked there would be likely to recognize him.
Although if he did run into Wallace. Oh, the thought of giving the guy a bloody nose was nice. He definitely couldn’t, but it didn’t hurt to daydream.
“If you’re sure,” Justin murmured.
Calder’s eyes hardened with resolve. “Positive.”
Justin wet his lips and nodded. “All right, now we just have to sneak you inside, and I think I know just the person to contact,” Justin concluded as he reached for his phone.
31
Justin
“He did what?” Laura demanded over the phone.
“I can’t tell you too much but I really need your help, sis,” Justin urged. “Can you come over?”
“Absolutely, we’ll be there right away.”
“What are you planning?” Calder asked, although Justin brushed him off.
“You’ll see soon enough.”
It wasn’t long afterward that Laura and Sarah both joined them at Justin’s house.
“Sarah, I need your help,” was Justin’s greeting.
“My help?” Sarah exclaimed.
“I’m sure Laura has already filled you in on all the details.”
“What details you’ve told her, yeah.”
“You work part-time at Sybil’s as part of the cleaning crew. I need you to get Calder in, disguised as one of you.”
Everyone stared at Justin and he cleared his throat as he continued on. “Calder is going to go in and try to find a hard drive. A specific hard drive, mind you, not some random one.”
“Why?” Laura asked. “Can’t you just hack into it?”
“Like I explained to Calder earlier, I can’t because that hard drive is being kept separate from the main system. The guy who’s been stalking me, and the one that just sicced the police on us, is stealing and selling sensitive information. I know it. Now I need to nail this guy so that he’ll back off once and for all.”
What had scared Justin so much about the raid was the fact that Calder could have been hurt or killed, too. What if they had mistaken him for the gunman and taken him down? The thought of watching Calder on the ground dying before him was too much. Lifeless eyes and a pool of blood...
Wallace had dragged Calder into this mess, pushing Justin to his limit.
Justin was done being afraid. He was going to get rid of Wallace once and for all. Doing this was not without its risks, of course. If they got caught, that’d be it for everyone. Justin could certainly kiss his future in IT security goodbye.
And for once, he’d have to become the bad guy. He’d have to do the very things that he had spent his career defending companies against. This kind of decision was going to haunt him at night, certainly, but if they succeeded, Justin could move on with his life.
And Calder would be safe. As much as Calder tried to protect him, Justin had to protect Calder, too.
“Calder, are you up for that?” Justin asked as he levelly met his gaze.
“If this means that Wallace will finally back down, I’d just about do anything at this point,” Calder asserted. There was passion in his eyes.
32
Calder
Not long after the meeting with Laura and Sarah, everyone was on the move. Sarah had to call in and ask to switch shifts. Fortunately, she was able to find someone that didn’t mind having the evening off.
“This is insane,” Laura hissed. “Has this guy seen Calder? Would he recognize him? I can always go in there,” Laura suggested.
“No, some of the people there know you’re my sister but only Wallace knows that Calder’s with me.”
“With you?”
“Working with me, obviously,” Justin was quick to correct himself, although there was no missing the added color to his cheeks.
“I’m good at sneaking around, so I’ll be able to get out of the way if Wallace comes through,” Calder insisted. “I know who to watch for, too, which gives me an advantage. Laura, you probably don’t know what he looks or sounds like, right?”
“No, but if there are any pictures or videos...”
“I’ve got this,” Calder asserted. “I’ll be able to get in and out with no problem.”
“Let’s go over the enter and escape routes again,” Justin insisted as he leaned over with his computer. There on the screen were blueprints of the building, which Calder was able to pull up. Working with Justin, they were able to pinpoint potential problem areas, such as lobby security.
As cleaning staff, Sarah had access to some, but not necessarily all, areas. Still, she had access to the area where Justin used to work and where Wallace presumably still did, and that was all they needed.
“As long as you stick with Sarah, you should be fine.”
Calder glanced down at himself in all black. It wasn’t the bodyguard suit he was used to but scrubs for cleaning. They had stopped by a store on the way just for that. There had been a bit of giggling from Laura and Sarah in the first when Calder stripped down and changed right there in the backseat with Justin.
Justin had made an incredible effort not to look at him, for obvious reasons.
And now they were on their way to Sybil Industries.
Although Justin had laid out the plan, he still looked uncertain about the entire thing. He kept looking at Calder, and Calder sensed that Justin’s main concern was him.
“I’ll be fine,” Calder promised as he gazed at Justin.
“You be safe, too,” Laura directed to Sarah as she pulled up outside the building.
“I will,” Sarah promised Laura in kind as they exchanged hugs and kisses. At that moment, Calder had the fleeting thought of doing the same with
Justin, but resisted.
“Okay, we don’t have much time to do this, so let’s go,” Justin murmured. Sarah climbed out and as Calder was doing the same, Justin reached out and grabbed his arm.
“Be careful,” Justin uttered, his eyes soft and concerned behind his glasses.
“We’ve got this,” Calder assured Justin. He was skilled at sounding confident even if he had his own doubts as well.
As Calder moved to step out of the car, Justin didn’t release his arm. Instead, he hauled him in for a brief but pointed kiss. Calder was surprised by this move, his eyes flickering to where Laura was still in the front seat. Calder was positive that she had seen what had happened in the rearview mirror since she was focused dead ahead of her.
Calder pulled back from Justin and gazed, searching his eyes. Sure, this was risky as hell and could land him in hot water but ensuring Justin’s safety meant more to Calder than anything else.
There was nothing he wouldn’t do for Justin.
Once Justin let him go, Calder slipped from the car to join Sarah.
“Just try to look natural,” Sarah murmured as she led Calder toward the building.
“I can do that. You can lose your job doing this, too.” Or worse.
“Justin’s my brother-in-law,” Sarah responded as she tied her hair back into a ponytail. “He and Laura don’t always see eye to eye but she loves him—I love him—and it seems like you must, too, but in a very different way.”
Calder glanced at her. “Is it that obvious?”
“You two have always been close, from everything I’ve heard, and I also saw that little good-luck moment in the backseat,” she added with a grin.
Calder cleared his throat. His first instinct was to shrug it off but now was not the time. It was time to own up to it. “I care about him a lot, yeah. I always have. It was stupid not to jump on it earlier. I was a coward.”
Sarah quietly listened as they walked, although Calder didn’t continue. They were too close to the entrance now and he didn’t want security cameras picking up the conversation. He had to keep his head in the game.
They walked into the lobby and Calder held his head high.
“Good morning, Glenn,” Sarah greeted the front-desk clerk with a smile. “Listen, this guy’s new and I’m training him today.”
“Oh, does he have his badge yet?”
“Not yet but that’s why we’re in here. We need to go and get it activated so he can start his shift.”
Glenn glanced between the two of them, then nodded. “All right, go on ahead to tech, then.”
“Will do,” Sarah smiled before heading off with Calder.
I have a feeling that’s exactly something Justin would’ve written down in his report as what not to do, Calder thought but didn’t dare comment on it. Instead, he kept pace with Sarah as the two headed into the elevator.
“We just have to go and pick up the cleaning supplies and then I’ll take you through the rounds, okay?” Sarah said with a smile. Of course, she had to keep everything cheerful and chatty as someone training a newbie. Calder figured she wasn’t going to lead him through the whole routine since that would put him more at risk of being spotted.
Calder was so focused on the mission that he wasn’t even bothered by the fact that he was in an elevator.
Sarah stopped a floor above and led them to a utility closet to pick a wheeling bin that was used to throw garbage into. It had cleaning supplies attached to it as well.
They had to get up to the fourth floor where Justin said the testers worked. Once they were there, things were going to be tricky. If Wallace was there, their cover would be blown immediately. If he wasn’t, they’d still have to watch out for the other testers. They all had experience with infiltrating and might be suspicious of Calder as a new face.
With the cleaning gear in hand, they headed up to the fourth floor. Calder’s heart pounded as they entered the workspace. It seemed like not only the penetration testers worked in this area but also other members of IT. Some people glanced over but no one really paid him and Sarah any mind. Calder reminded himself that it was natural for the human eye to be drawn to movement and that it was important not to become self-conscious.
“Go on and get the garbage,” Sarah insisted with a smile. “I’ll start over on this end.”
Calder nodded and moved through the cubicles. Justin had mentioned that Wallace’s cubicle was the furthest in the back. It should have been easily recognizable because of various pieces of poetry taped around on the cubicle’s walls.
As Calder collected garbage, he scanned the room. There was no sign of Wallace and he was getting closer to the back.
Calder slipped into Wallace’s cubicle and moved to the desk to get the trash. The plan was that if he found the hard drive, he would put it in the trash and take it out like normal. No one would be suspicious of a cleaner with a trash bag.
It seemed insane to think that this guy would keep such a sensitive piece of equipment at work. Then again, if Wallace was a paranoid type, it was possible he’d want to keep the hard drive close.
Calder glanced around and then moved to the desk. He pulled open the drawer as quickly but quietly as possible. He brushed aside some papers and pens, but didn’t see anything that looked like an external hard drive.
Where was the damn thing? Maybe it really wasn’t being kept at the workplace.
Then Calder had an idea. He very lightly tapped the bottom of the drawer. It was hollow—there was a secret compartment. He grabbed the pens and papers, putting them aside, then lifted the bottom of the drawer. Sure enough, there was a sleek black box.
Calder grabbed the device and carefully placed it into a fresh garbage bag. He wrapped it up and put into the waste basket. He removed the bag lining from the wastebasket and tied it at the top, replacing it with a fresh bag.
He straightened up and moved to leave the cubicle. He had to get out of there before people became suspicious. If they weren’t suspicious of him, they’d become suspicious of Sarah hanging out at the elevator soon enough.
Then Wallace came into view.
Calder ducked back into the cubicle, clutching the garbage bag closely to himself. How the hell was he going to get out of this situation now? Part of him hated having to hide from Wallace when all he really wanted to do was brawl with him in the aisle for all to see. He was scum. Surely other people at the company knew this?
Calder was all about defusing dangerous situations but it was hard to keep his emotions in check right now. All of the fear and trouble Wallace was causing Justin fueled the urge to let his fists do the talking for once.
With his only choice being to walk by Wallace to get to the elevator, he foolishly decided to risk it all.
Calder emerged from the cubicle and walked down the aisle. He was walking straight at Wallace, but Wallace didn’t seem to recognize him. Maybe he didn’t make a habit of taking note of the cleaning crew. That’d be his mistake.
It was only when they were mere feet apart that Wallace finally looked up. Recognition and surprise dawned on his face. “You—”
“You’re done,” Calder hissed under his breath, the tone low and threatening. There was so much more he wanted to say and do to Wallace but he had to resist. He couldn’t linger any longer since things were sure to get out of control very soon.
He shouldered roughly by Wallace and made a beeline for the elevator. Sarah was already inside waiting for him, looking both anxious and relieved at the same time. Her eyes flickered between Calder and Wallace.
When he turned around to face Wallace, he lifted the garbage bag slightly, his expression deathly. Wallace looked confused for a moment but then went pale as he turned on his heels and hurried away.
That moment of panic, visible through the elevator doors sliding closed, was magnificent.
33
Justin
Justin was a nervous wreck as he sat in the car with Laura. He had been keeping a steady eye on their surroundings
. He was envisioning security coming out at any time to check the car. They didn’t look too suspicious but if anything was going on inside, everything would change.
Justin tapped his foot anxiously against the car floor, staring hard at the building. “Come on, Calder, come on...”
“Don’t forget that Sarah’s in there,” Laura grunted, still poised and ready to be the getaway vehicle driver at any second.
“No, of course,” Justin retorted, wiping his sweaty brow.
“You really love him, don’t you?” Laura uttered. “And he must really love you, too, to go through this for you.”
Justin’s eyes widened as he stared at the back of his sister’s head. “I—”
But before he could finish what he was about to say, Calder and Sarah emerged from the front of the building and headed straight for the car.
“They’re okay!” Justin exclaimed, his heart soaring. As soon as they climbed back into the car, with Calder in the back, Laura pulled out of the lot and took off. “What happened? Is everything all right?”
Calder grinned and held up the garbage bag, his dark eyes dancing. “I got it.”
Justin crushed Calder in a hug, relieved that Calder was safe and sound. His imagination had been running wild about all of the things that could have gone wrong. Justin had even been worried about security taking Calder down, which only prompted flashbacks to the raid.
And when Calder responded to the hug by kissing Justin, he was over the moon. Justin had been initiating the kisses but now Calder was doing it on his own.
But now was not the time to get lost in a sappy moment. There was still work to do. “Right. Laura, drop us off at the nearest café.”
“What are you going to do?”
“We’re going to settle things with Wallace once and for all.”
It had taken some convincing but Laura did drop them off, leaving with Sarah. Justin promised that he’d text her right after they were done with meeting Wallace—if he dared to show up.
