Page 86 of Knight

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.Notautomated 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 assecurity 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.

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