Page 131 of The List

Before starting his climb, he casually glanced around to see if anyone was paying him the slightest attention.

HANK WATCHED THE GUARD AND SILENTLY CONGRATULATED HIMSELFon the hasty evacuation. His main objective was simply to get out of the building unnoticed, the appearance of the uniformed man suddenly adding a complication.

He studied the guard’s face.

The same man who’d been stationed at the contract negotiations all last week and one of the guards who’d come into the cafeteria earlier. That was way too many coincidences. Probably one of De Florio’s associates.

The guard climbed the metal stairs toward the Boar’s Nest.

Hank glanced at his watch.

10:19A.M.

He knew what was happening one floor below, in what was referred to as the basement. Tony Wright, one of his electrician helpers, had surely started his approach to the lowermost rollers of paper machine number three. Twenty-two and a troublemaker, Wright was eternally grateful to Hank, who both got him his job and made sure the company kept him on the payroll. Thirty minutes ago he’d told Wright to toss a screwdriver into the felt rollers at precisely 10:20.

Paper breaks were common, with a set procedure that engulfed everyone associated with the machine until the broken sheet could be fed back across the rollers and production restored. Breaks happened mostly when small debris or parts of machinery fell into the run. But they could be induced. A screwdriver would not only tear the paper but also destroy the felt on which the pressed pulp rode. The resulting damage would take time to repair.

Hank checked his watch.

10:20.

He hoped Wright was punctual. No one else would be in the basement. It was the hottest place in the building, notoriously avoided unless absolutely necessary. Scalding steam misted. Machinery screamed.

Then he heard it.

The unmistakable sound of a tear reverberating throughout the building.

An alarm sounded.

Amber lights twirled.

Workers raced to their assigned stations, the idea being to get the machine back online as quickly as possible.

Distraction accomplished.

Hank glanced at the guard standing at the top of the stairs. He’d locked the Boar’s Nest, so the man was gazing inside through a side window. He took advantage of that opportunity and darted for the door.

It took only a few seconds for him to cross the open area at the north end of the building and step outside.

VICTORJACKS TURNED TO SEE WHAT HAD SPURRED ALL THE COMMOTION.

Workers scurried everywhere.

Then, across the building, he caught a glimpse of Hank Reed.

Slipping out a door.

HANK CASUALLY STROLLED ACROSS THE HOT SAND AND GRAVEL OFthe open yard that surrounded the massive brick building. The midmorning sun burned bright, made even more brilliant by a sharp reflection off the white chalky ground. He yanked sunglasses from his shirt pocket and shoved them on, which helped with the glare. Fifty yards away he passed the lime kiln, its metal grotesquely encrusted with thick layers of white paste. A hundred yards from paper machine number three he glanced back and saw the security guard bolt out the door and head toward him.

That wasn’t good.

Change of plan.

He picked up his pace and nearly jogged toward the door that led into paper machine number two. Though he’d gained a slight lead, extra time would be needed at the barge dock. He shot through the door, jerked off his sunglasses, and headed straight for the storeroom, one of the few secure places within the plant. Though several alarmed doors led out, only one provided access in. In years past the entrance had been secured by a simple lock,a shift supervisor the only person with a key and charged with the responsibility of admitting people and accounting exactly for what was taken out. Now the door was electronically controlled, activated from within a small glass cubicle where access could be videorecorded. The extraordinary measures were necessary since the room contained millions of dollars in parts, equipment, and tools, everything needed by the mill at a moment’s notice from the smallest screw to the largest electrical generator.

A tempting target for employee theft.

A concrete hall separated the building’s outer wall from the freestanding metal walls, dividing the massive space into usable sections. He hustled down the corridor, trying not to attract attention. He glanced back just as the guard entered the building. He still had a fifty-yard lead but noticed the guard picking up his pace. He turned off the hall into the anteroom for the storeroom. He could now be seen through the glass cubicle. But since the man on duty knew him well, all he had to do was point to the door and the electronic bolt instantly released. He entered, never losing a step in his stride, and the spring-loaded door closed and locked behind him.