Chapter 9 - The Wrong Betrayal.
Nolan ordered every executive camera disconnected from the network and replaced by local recording only.
For the first time all night, whoever was watching them would have to guess what happened next.
That advantage lasted eleven minutes.
Theo disappeared.
His phone was found on a stairwell landing beside an emergency exit, and the portable scanner containing copies of their recovered evidence was gone with him.
Nolan's face hardened instantly.
'I knew he was too quiet.'
Adrian did not answer.
Mara looked at the abandoned phone and remembered every moment Theo had been the first to explain how the cloned systems worked.
'Or he knew too much.'
Conrad folded his arms.
'Either way, he took the evidence.'
Mara checked the phone herself.
The screen displayed a half-written text to Nolan.
CHECK NORTHLINE'S ORIGINAL OWNER BEFORE—
The message ended there.
Nolan pulled up the corporate registration for Northline Security Services.
The company had changed owners four times in twelve years.
Its original founder was a man named Samuel Cross.
Everyone turned slowly toward Evelyn Cross, Vale Holdings' general counsel.
Evelyn had left the tower forty minutes earlier after being told the board inquiry was suspended.
Adrian called her.
No answer.
Conrad cursed softly.
'Her father owned Northline.'
Helena shook her head.
'Samuel Cross died before Evelyn joined Vale.'
Mara searched the archived Harbor Seven documents again.
Samuel Cross's name appeared on seven security invoices approved during the years Rachel Mercer had raised concerns.
'Evelyn had access to legal records, security contracts, sealed investigations, and executive authorizations,' Mara said.
Nolan looked increasingly angry with himself.
'She also reviewed Northline's background package before I approved the contract.'
Adrian called building security and ordered Evelyn's access suspended.
The system returned an error.
Her credentials had already been deleted.
Mara's phone rang from an unknown number.
Adrian reached for it, but she answered first.
'Hello?'
Theo's voice came through in a whisper.
'Don't trust the Northline search.'
Mara stood.
'Where are you?'
'Loading dock three.'
Nolan was already moving toward the door.
Theo stopped Mara with the next sentence.
'I left because someone copied my scanner while I was connected to the mirror server.'
'Who?'
'I don't know, but the copy was sent to a workstation registered to Evelyn's legal assistant.'
Conrad looked vindicated for half a second.
Theo continued.
'Except that workstation was removed from service six months ago.'
Mara closed her eyes.
Another false trail.
'Why did you take the scanner?'
'Because I wanted them to think I panicked.'
'Did it work?'
There was a faint sound of a truck reversing on Theo's end.
'Someone followed me downstairs.'
The call dropped.
Adrian, Nolan, and Mara reached loading dock three two minutes later.
Theo was there, unharmed, standing beside a stack of delivery crates with the scanner tucked under his arm.
'Who followed you?' Nolan asked.
Theo pointed toward a parked maintenance van.
The driver's seat was empty.
Inside the van, they found a gray maintenance jacket, a baseball cap, and six copied executive badges.
One badge belonged to Evelyn.
One belonged to Conrad.
One belonged to Nolan.
One belonged to Helena.
One belonged to Adrian.
The sixth badge belonged to Mara.
Theo turned over the badge case and revealed a handwritten inventory number.
Mara recognized the numbering system instantly.
'Records B.'
Nolan stared at her.
'Those cases haven't been used in years.'
'Exactly,' Mara said.
'Which means whoever assembled this didn't just know our current systems.'
May you like
She looked at Adrian.
'They know the old building better than all of us.'
