Curtain Call (The Jewel Project #7)

49. Code Red

Breaking into the Agency buildings had always been embarrassingly easy, and now was no different. Jimmy had managed to get to the third floor and incapacitate their security system in twenty minutes. Then, he spent the next ten checking how their offices were faring. They'd been taped off, and no one had began renovation.

"Disappointing," Steve said from the end of the corridor.

Jimmy looked to him and grinned. "All good?"

"I don't think anyone is the wiser." Steve walked towards him and stopped in the doorway to their old shared office. "There aren't many people around at this hour anyway."

"What about the bosses?"

"I know for a fact that Harry is still here. Not sure about Hannigan and Keeves."

Jimmy clenched his fists at the mention of Hannigan's name, but tried to keep the easy smile on his face. No need to show murderous intent. Yet.

"What about the others?" Steve asked.

"Just making their way through the front door like normal people."

"Makes sense. Where are we meeting?"

"I think in meeting room two? I wasn't really paying attention. Too busy planning security meltdown."

Steve's easy grin slid off his face. "We're really doing this, aren't we?"

"Do you see an alternative? I mean, for you, sure. You could not get involved."

"I can't not get involved." He turned back to the room. "But I've been here so long, I'm thinking... Maybe sticking around a bit longer wouldn't hurt."

Jimmy opened his mouth to point out that it was dangerous, but closed it. After all, Steve had been spying on the Counters for years and they were still remarkably stupid about it. "I don't think that's a bad idea, actually." Another thought came to mind. "How long have you known?"

"What they're really doing? Not until you called doomsday and Corey distributed the content of that folder." Steve shuddered. "I knew they were dirty, sure, but I had no idea how bad it was."

"I guess none of us could have imagined that, even if we maybe all felt something was off."

Steve just nodded, his eyes moving back to the remains of his former office. "All this potential for good, wasted. I actually believed them when I signed up. It's easy to get lost in research and become unaware of what use your hard work is being put to."

"True." Especially when, except for him and Jerry, the other members of the research department never went out in the field.

Not that it mattered anymore. The dream, however twisted it had been, was over. Code red was finally going to happen, and they'd then be on the run.

"Do you have any idea what numbers we're talking about?"

Steve shook his head. "You were higher in rank than I ever was. And my snooping around didn't really serve much. The personnel files are the one thing they don't keep on their servers. Anyway, it's been mayhem around here. They really want your heads."

"Great."

But he had no time to dwell on that. He'd just have to be pleased with the fact that the Counters hadn't yet recovered from the damage they'd done. So the two of them headed up to the next floor and meeting room two.

The place was nearly full, which in itself should have been reason for joy, but it still made Jimmy antsy. He leaned against the wall, next to the door while Steve made his way inside the room and sat on one of the few free chairs. It was weird to be the only one there.