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CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

Knight

The morning sun filters through the windows while I check Eva's earpiece one final time, adjusting the receiver frequency and testing our connection. She already looks the part in clothes Magdalena brought yesterday—a business suit that could belong to any mid-level employee at Horizon Tech. Hardwick's access card sits on my desk, a clear reminder of what she had to do to get it.

"Run through the timing again." I test my own earpiece. "Every step."

"We’ll use Hardwick's card at the east entrance at exactly 8:47." She tugs at her jacket sleeve. "Security rotation leaves a three-minute window where the cameras focus on shift changes rather than the doors."

"Then?"

"Service elevator to the fourth floor. Access card at the first checkpoint. Twelve minutes to reach the server room before the next rotation."

I nod, satisfied she's memorized the route. "And if anything feels wrong?"

"I tell you immediately. No waiting to see if it resolves." She meets my eyes in the mirror. "I know."

The drive to Horizon Tech passes in tense silence. I park two blocks away, not willing to risk their security cameras picking up the car. Eva falls into step beside me as we approach the east entrance.

Hardwick’s access card works exactly as promised. The reader flashes green just as the cameras pivot away for the shift change. Eva's shoulders relax a little once we're through the first checkpoint.

"Service elevator ahead." I keep my voice low. "Watch for security."

We make it to the fourth floor without incident, but my pulse kicks up when I spot a group of employees gathered near the security gate. Eva touches my arm, drawing my attention to the way they're all facing away from us, engrossed in some kind of technical debate.

I swipe Hardwick's card at the reader. Green light. We're through before anyone notices.

The hallways seem endless as we make our way toward the server room. Each turn brings new potential threats. Employees who might question our presence, security guards doing random checks, cameras tracking our movement. Eva maintains our cover, nodding and smiling to passing staff while I handle the access points.

When we finally reach the server room doors, I hear voices inside. Not the empty space we'd hoped for. Eva tenses beside me, but her expression stays neutral as I swipe Hardwick's card one final time.

Two techs hover near terminal three, coffee cups balanced precariously close to their keyboards while they work. I duck behind a row of servers, pulling Eva with me before anyone spots us. The rack runs hot against my back, while she presses close enough that I can feel her pulse racing.

"Terminal seven is on the far side." I pitch my voice barely above a whisper. "But I need those techs distracted."

She nods, reaching up to fix her hair, then straightening her jacket. The transformation from nervous infiltrator to confident professional happens in seconds, but I can see the nerves in her eyes.

"Remember Hardwick's department codes if they ask."

She nods, takes a deep breath, and then walks over to terminal four, close enough to the techs to draw their attention but not so close it looks deliberate. Her heels click against the tile floor.

"Morning." Her voice carries just the right mix of friendly and professional. "Don't suppose either of you can help a new hire? Security said this was where I could access the training modules, but ..." She gives a helpless laugh.

While she keeps them occupied, I slip between the server racks, using the noise of cooling fans to mask my movement. Terminal seven sits exactly where Hardwick described, tucked into a corner where the screens won't be visible to casual observation.

Her credentials give me access to their core systems. I navigate through the system, following Victor's warnings until I find the virus deployment protocols. The code is beautiful—Victor's elegant style woven through their systems like digital poetry. Interspersed is the secondary coding, forcing changes that create exploitable weaknesses.

A window pops up. An automated security scan. Part of their normal protocols. My fingers freeze over the keys. One wrong move could trigger every alarm in the building.

My fingers fly across the keyboard as I isolate critical systems, dismantling the virus's hooks into their infrastructure. Victor's warnings led me to specific weaknesses, places where I can interrupt the deployment sequence. But the virus runs deep, its tendrils spread through multiple systems. Removing them requires precision I can't rush.

Something in the code catches my eye. A pattern that Victor didn’t highlight in his warning logs. My breath catches when I realize what I'm seeing. This isn't just damaging their systems. It’s gathering data. For what, I can’t tell yet.

The door opens. New voices join the conversation. My muscles lock, but Eva's laugh floats across the room—still calm, still natural. No warning signal. I force myself to focus on disabling the virus protocols. I already know I won't have time to completely wipe it, the virus is too complex to completely dismantle in one sitting, but I need to at least disrupt the framework and stop it from spreading.

Disable this trigger. Reroute that sequence. Remove the hooks binding virus to infrastructure. Each step has to be perfect. One wrong command could trigger early deployment instead of preventing it.

A new window pops up. Not automated this time. Someone is actively scanning the system, searching for unauthorized access.

We’re out of time.

Eva is still talking to the techs, maintaining our cover, but we have seconds at most before?—

The first alarm shatters the quiet. Eva jumps, her calm facade cracking as red warning lights start flashing. The techs scramble to their terminals while automated announcements echo through the building's speakers.

"Security breach detected. Initiating lockdown protocols."

"Move!" I break cover and reach out to grab her arm as she stands frozen, watching the techs as they all rapidly type at their terminals. "Now. Before they look around."

She stumbles after me as I drag her toward the maintenance door, fumbling Hardwick's card through the reader just as security protocols engage. The heavy metal door clicks shut behind us, leaving us in the harsh glare of emergency lighting.

"What do we—" Her voice shakes. "Where are we going?"

"Down." I check my phone, accessing building schematics. "Stay close."

We hit the utility stairs at a run, Eva's heels threatening to betray us with every step. “Take the shoes off before you break an ankle.”

Voices echo up from below. Security teams starting their sweep. My fingers fly across my phone screen, redirecting cameras, trying to buy us time.

"Knight." Eva clutches my arm as footsteps thunder below us. "They're getting closer."

I guide her into an alcove, pressing her against the wall as flashlight beams play across the stairs. Her whole body trembles, breath coming in sharp gasps that she tries to muffle against my shoulder.

"Shh." I access their communications network, tracking team movements while booted feet pass our position. "Wait."

The instant they're past, I pull her toward a maintenance hatch. "Through here. Quick."

"What?" She stares at the narrow opening. "I can't?—"

"You can." I boost her up, ignoring her startled gasp. "Crawl forward. Don't stop." The second she’s inside, I pull off her shoes.

“Knight!”

“Too noisy. I told you to take them off.”

The vent is a tight fit, barely enough room to move. Her soft gasp echoes around the confined space when the hatch clangs shut behind us, but she moves forward.

"Keep moving." I check building schematics on my phone. "Left at the next junction."

Below us, the building is in chaos. Alarms blare, security teams converge on false emergencies I’ve triggered, and the sprinkler systems add to the confusion … just because it’s fucking funny. I set off the smoke detectors for added emphasis, sending their systems into a frenzy as it warns about multiple small fires and shuts down the elevators.

"This way." I guide Eva toward a maintenance ladder. "Easy. I've got you."

Her foot slips as she descends the ladder, her legs shaking too badly to find the rungs. I catch her, steadying her until she finds her footing.

"I can't—" She presses her face against my chest once we’re on the ground. "Knight, I can't do this again."

"Yes, you can." I cup her face, forcing her to meet my eyes. The fear in them is sharp, but there’s also determination. "Stay with me. Almost there."

Security doors begin sealing around us as emergency protocols engage floor by floor. I redirect power from critical systems, trying to buy us more time, but the building is going into complete lockdown.

We run through service hallways, Eva stumbling barefoot. Another security door starts lowering ahead of us. She freezes at the sight, but I shove her forward, pushing her through the narrowing gap before diving after her.

The door slams shut inches away from my feet, hitting the floor with a sound that makes Eva jump. Her arms go around me as I pull her up, and then she’s in my arms, her lips crashing against mine.

It’s desperate, wild, a mix of adrenaline and fear that matches the pounding of my heart. For a moment I let it consume me, dragging her closer, my hands tangling in her hair. The alarms and flashing lights fade as her body presses against mine, every barrier between us collapsing in the chaos.

When we break apart, tears streak her face. "I thought … when the alarms …"

"I know." My thumb brushes a tear from her cheek. "But we need to move. Police response time in this district is under four minutes."

I guide her through the parking structure, keeping to maintenance paths until we reach street level. She's barely holding it together by the time we blend into the crowd of evacuating employees.

Sirens approach from three directions. I keep us moving, steering her through side streets and alleys, putting distance between us and Horizon Tech. The flash drive in my pocket feels like a bomb ready to go off, but I won’t know for sure until I’m back at my computers.

"Almost there." I squeeze her hand as she stumbles, the adrenaline crash hitting hard. "Just a few more blocks."