pulling financial data down. She’s in another file. Fuck, she’s pulling research. Noelle’s research. She’s downloading everything they have on the helium project.”
He wanted to tell MaeBe to screenshot what she could, to capture the espionage in progress. They had to figure out who this was. If she erased the files…
Noelle was in the building. If she erased the files, Noelle would know immediately. Noelle would contact someone.
“I’ve got what we need. Tell our Russian friends I’ll let them look at the real data and they can decide if Layne’s insane offer is worth it. Hold on.”
“Hutch, she’s moving your way. I think she heard something.” MaeBe’s calm declaration sent a pulse of adrenaline through him. “And she’s got a Glock 9. She’ll be coming from your left. Quick but quiet.”
The ground beneath him was carpeted, and that would help enormously. He moved across the aisle toward the other side of the room, the one he’d come from. This was a game of cat and mouse, and he was worried he was about to be the mouse.
“Is someone here?” a feminine voice asked. “Sorry, I didn’t know I wasn’t alone. I’m new.”
Sure she was. It was a good try, but he wasn’t going to buy it. No one would if they’d heard her talking. She was trying to figure out where he was. Any sound at all would help.
Hutch moved, flattening out against the side of the machine at the end of the aisle.
“She’s behind you, but she’s stopped halfway down the aisle. I’ll let you know if you need to move. For now, stay completely still. She obviously doesn’t have backup watching,” MaeBe pointed out.
If she did have her own MaeBe, the lady with the gun would know exactly where he was. She didn’t seem to.
“I’m fine,” the woman said, her voice quieter now. “Just out of practice and a bit paranoid. I’m on my way out, and I’ve already put the plan in motion. I’ll meet Sidirov at the time and place we agreed to. No. No one will be able to tell I was ever here. Including Jessica Layne. She’ll have to delete this chick’s lifework herself if our client decides to make a deal. I’m going to create some chaos on my way out. I have plans in place. Despite my previous issues, I’m still a pro. And yes, I intend to tie up loose ends soon.”
He stayed perfectly still, barely breathing.
“You’re clear, but you should know that she introduced a program to the system,” MaeBe began. “I’m not sure what it is but…fuck. She took out the CCTV, and I would bet anything it’s going to erase the last ten minutes. That’s going to set off an alarm. You need to get back to the lab. Now. I can’t see anything, Hutch. She was walking to the elevator, but I don’t know if she got on or not.”
She could be standing right outside, waiting for him. And he had no weapon to defend himself with.
How long before they would notice he’d been gone too long and Noelle might come looking for him? Kyle would either forbid it or come with her. Either way, she would know something was wrong.
He had to tell Noelle, but he couldn’t do it here. She had to know what was happening with her research. And he had to protect her. There was one thing he could do to help her before they needed to get somewhere safe and stay there until he could work through this problem.
As quickly as he could, he found the files where Noelle’s lab work was stored and copied it to his drive. He took a quick look around.
Madison Wallace’s research was there, too. At least the files were. Every single one of them empty.
Had Jessica Layne sold Madison’s research, too? Who had she met with before Madison’s “accident”? He had a million questions, but his first responsibility was to protect Noelle at all costs.
“I’m coming out. If anything happens to me, call Kyle and have him get Noelle out of the building. Then call Big Tag. I want Noelle under twenty-four seven guard,” he said. “And you tell him that I don’t care what deal we made. She should know what’s going on.”
“You’re going to tell her about the feds?”
MaeBe had been debriefed and was one of the only other people beside senior staff who knew about the deal they’d made.
“As soon as we’re out of this building and I can be assured no one