The Persona Protocol - By Andy McDermott Page 0,145

what happens after he gives you the disk? And I don’t mean about finding the truth. I mean, what happens to you, personally.’

Adam squared his shoulders. ‘I’ll take whatever’s due to me – whether for this, or for anything I did before. That’s a promise, Tony. But I’ve got to know, one way or another. I’m not asking you to help me openly – but I need to know if you’re going to try to stop me.’

Tony looked back down at Adam’s chest. ‘I’d feel a lot better if I knew you weren’t going to pull a gun on anyone at STS. Even Kiddrick.’

Adam was still for a moment, then took out the gun. His thumb moved to the magazine release, about to press the button . . . then he lifted it, extending his arm to the other man. ‘Here.’

‘How do you know I won’t take you in?’

‘Because I trust you to do the right thing.’

Tony hesitated, then took the gun. The muzzle pointed at Adam . . .

Then it disappeared into Tony’s jacket. ‘Okay,’ he said, voice somewhere between encouragement and resignation. ‘Do what you have to. Just remember what you promised.’

‘I will,’ Adam replied. He picked up the bag. ‘Thanks.’

‘I hope that what you find out is worth it,’ Tony said.

Adam didn’t reply.

39

Catch the Wave

Adam checked his watch as he exited the armoury and headed quickly through the building. Talking to Tony had cost him time. Bianca would be at the stairwell by now – and the longer she waited there, the more chance there was of her attracting unwanted attention.

His destination was just ahead. He took a breath to prepare himself – then burst into Kiddrick’s office.

Kiddrick jumped in shock at the unexpected intrusion. ‘What – what the hell do you think you’re doing? You can’t just—’

Adam dropped the bag as he marched around the desk. He grabbed the scientist and yanked him to his feet, slamming him against the wall. The framed diplomas rattled, one dropping from its hook and falling to the floor with a crack of glass. ‘Open the safe,’ he growled.

‘Are you mad?’ Kiddrick spluttered. ‘I’m not going to—’

Adam hurled him bodily over the desk. The computer and phones crashed down around him, scattered papers whirling like snowflakes. Before Kiddrick could recover, Adam rounded the desk and dragged him across the office.

‘Open it!’ he barked, swinging the framed photograph aside with such force that one of the hinges broke. He pushed Kiddrick’s face hard against the cold steel door.

The older man tried to break free, but Adam was too strong. ‘Help!’ Kiddrick shrieked. ‘Somebody help me!’

Adam was unfazed. ‘It’s a secure office,’ he reminded him. ‘Soundproofed.’ He shoved Kiddrick across the safe door until the combination dial was pressed hard into his cheek. ‘If it’s not open in ten seconds, I’m gonna smash your teeth out on that dial.’

‘You’re out of your fucking mind!’ Kiddrick croaked. ‘You won’t get away with this!’

‘And you won’t be eating solid food. Open the safe!’ He forced Kiddrick’s head harder against the metal with each word. ‘Five! Four! Three!’

‘Wait, wait!’ screeched the scientist. One hand clawed desperately at the dial. ‘I’ll open it!’

‘If you set off an alarm—’

‘I won’t, I won’t!’ He fumbled with the dial, squinting to read the figures etched into its surface. ‘Seventeen left, fifty right, and, uh . . .’ A gasp of fear as Adam pressed harder. ‘Thirty-eight left! That’s it, that’s the combination!’

Adam pushed him away, sending him stumbling to the carpet, and opened the safe. If an alarm had been tripped, it was a silent one. He looked inside. Folders bearing the TOP SECRET: SCI classification, a small stack of optical disks and flash drives . . .

And at the back, a plastic box like an extra-thick DVD case. He pulled it out. The label on the spine read GRAY, A. He opened it. One of the blocky memory modules was inside.

He snapped the case shut and picked up the bag, dropping the disk inside. Kiddrick recoiled as Adam walked towards him and reached down, but it was only to pick up the fallen phone. He yanked out the cable and threw the handset against the wall. It broke apart, plastic pieces scattering. ‘Don’t move,’ he ordered as he went to the door, knowing that he would not be obeyed.

He left the room, moving briskly down the corridor. He had ten seconds, fifteen at most, before Kiddrick summoned the courage to get up and scream for help. There was