Page 69 of The Gentleman

“Doesn’t everyone?” Leo attached leads to the side of the keypad. “E-G99 series. Proprietary firmware, high-end, but the patch cycles to update are geriatric. Give me thirty seconds.”

The small screen flickered, data scrolling in faint green lines.

Kat crossed her arms. “So while I’m channeling my inner cat burglar out there, you’ve got a magic box that just opens doors?”

“Not magic.” Leo studied the screen, not looking up. “Just experience. I like to be prepared.”

A door slammed, distant but loud—followed by the soft beep of a keypad.

Kat froze mid-breath.

Silence.

Long enough to stretch tight across her skin.

Thirty seconds.

“Probably another access point,” Leo whispered.

“Let’s hurry before they decide to try out any other doors.”

The device let out a soft chirp.

“Got it.” He pulled the wire from the lock.

With a quiet beep, the keypad’s light changed from red to green and the lock released with a dull thunk.

Leo quickly repacked his gear, hid the bag out of sight, then pulled the door open. A breath of air slipped out—dry and antiseptic, cutting through the corridor’s musty weight.

The space beyond was dark.

He handed her a flashlight he’d retrieved from his bag of tricks, then switched on his own.

Kat flicked hers on and swept the beam into the gloom. Leo held out a hand, fingers open. She didn’t hesitate.

His warm hand clasped hers.

Together, they crossed into the dark.

31

The stairs were gritty underfoot.

Leo swept his flashlight beam downward, revealing bare concrete worn smooth by years of passage. He moved ahead of Kat, descending two more flights, his breath misting in the dense cold. Goosebumps prickled across his forearms—the sterile chill of deliberate refrigeration.

He paused on the final subterranean landing, his flashlight beam illuminating a single unmarked door. The metal handle was cool against his palm as he tested it.

Unlocked.

Good or bad?

He eased it open a fraction. Silent hinges. Professional-grade. The darkness beyond was absolute, swallowing his flashlight beam.

His fingers found the snap on his holster, the metallic click shattering the brittle silence. They weren’t here for heroics. Just data.Get proof, get out.

With a slow exhale, he stepped through.

Motion sensors triggered instantly—white lights cascading down the corridor, bouncing off surgical-clean walls.

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