I exhaled sharply, staring at the massive data and security centre that loomed ahead. The feeling of déjà vu was unmistakable, taking me back to our previous encounter with Jamie at this very spot. She looked equally on edge scanning our surroundings with her sharp eyes.
“Are you crazy, Jack? Is that really your plan?” she remarked with scepticism dripping from her voice. “Considering that half of the team is currently trying to find out how we meddled with the Gravity Gun test we’re already in deep trouble putting ourselves in some serious danger… and now you want to knock out a security guy?”, she didn’t seem to like my plan but she had a point, I wasn’t in as good of a shape as I used to be.
“We need a plan that has some sort of possibility of success, and yours has none”, she continued, “this is critical Jack, if we don’t find out what Rashmoor knows… we’re done.”
She was right. Knowing what your enemy knows about you is the first step to formulating a successful plan of survival.
How does she know all this?
“Look, I’ve done some recon around this base. This path only has two cameras,” Jamie pointed out methodically. “If we time it right, we can get inside without being noticed.”
I squinted in the dim light. “How do you know all this?”
Jamie smirked, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “I have my ways.”
Then she went on to detail the cameras’ inner workings, explaining how their infrared sensors tracked movement and how we could exploit their blind spots. I felt a mix of admiration and surprise; I had no idea Jamie was such an expert in surveillance.
As we moved stealthily towards the entrance, Jamie whispered some tips to avoid detection. “Walk in a zig-zag. It confuses the motion sensors,” she instructed. As we approached the main entrance, she confidently swiped her pass, and the door clicked open.
“Wait, how did your pass work here?” I whispered incredulously.
She flashed me a cheeky grin. “Like I said, I have my ways.”
We entered a dimly lit corridor, and I suddenly felt the weight of our actions. “Jamie,” I began, “breaking in here could change everything. If you have any doubts, now’s the time to leave.”
She hesitated, then took a deep breath. “Yes Jack, I’m freaking scared. But if my plan works, no one will ever know we were here.”
Confronting a massive steel gate
And as we approached the steel-reinforced door of the security centre, the gravity of our mission sank in. Getting in didn’t seem that easy. I knocked lightly, trying to play it cool, as the faint echo travelled down the dimly lit hallway.
A moment later, the door creaked open to reveal a guard in a meticulously pressed uniform and eyes narrowing suspiciously.
Jamie, quick on her feet, jumped into our rehearsed story. “This guy,” she jabbed a thumb in my direction, “swears he did 50 push-ups in the gym yesterday. Can you believe that? I think he’s just pulling my leg. Any chance you could show us the footage?”
The guard’s stern demeanour faltered, replaced with a brief, amused smile. “You’re kidding, right?” he said, his tone dripping with incredulity.
I jumped in, feigning exasperation. “She never believes me! Sir, I only need a minute to prove it.”
Jamie leaned in and using her charm she whispered conspiratorially to the guard glimpsing at his name tag. “Look at him,” she said, sizing me up with a playful smirk, “Does he look like he can do 50 push-ups to you? Help me win 50 bucks, Dean.”
The guard chuckled dropping his guard momentarily. “Alright, alright, come in,” he said, holding the door wider for us.
Finally, we made it into the security centre. When we walked into a vast room, I saw rows filled with computers and screens showing live security footage from every corner of the facility. I felt a rush of adrenaline as there were potential threats everywhere I looked – guards, techs, administrators, each capable of blowing our cover.
While the guard busied himself locating the footage from the gym, Jamie, ever the professional, stealthily manoeuvred around the room. She whispered into my ear, “Keep him distracted.” I nodded, buying her some time.
Following her instructions, I cleared my throat and I began reminiscing about my younger days, flexing my biceps and talking loudly about “glory days” in the Army where I was the arm wrestling champion.
Meanwhile, Jamie discretely identified the main computer terminal. Casually leaning against a nearby desk, she covertly inserted the USB device into an obscured side port and with a few subtle touches on her phone initiated the data transfer.
Minutes felt like hours and the room’s atmosphere grew tense. While Jamie worked her magic on the phone, the guard, now genuinely intrigued by our push-up saga, played the gym footage. On the screen, I saw myself in the gym, prepping for a set of push-ups. We all watched intently, counting each one.
And then, suddenly, a monitor in the corner displayed Rashmoor’s familiar figure approaching the security centre. My heart started racing, and cold sweat formed on my brow.
If he sees us here, it’s over!, I thought to myself.
Rashmoor appeared out of nowhere
The second guard tapped the first one on the shoulder, nodding towards the monitor. “Dane! Look! The boss is coming! Wrap it up now” he ordered.
Panic coursed through me, but Jamie remained calm. “Could you maybe send me that footage?” she asked sweetly trying to gain more time and remove the USB transmitter, her eyes locked onto the second guard’s. “It’s just too good not to share with our colleagues.” She reached out, as if to touch his computer, her fingers inches away from the still-inserted USB.
But the guard, seeing Rashmoor nearing, changed his attitude instantly and pulled her away and towards the door “You’ve had your fun. Time to leave”, he said with urgency and determination in his voice.
My gaze darted between Jamie, the USB, and the rapidly approaching Rashmoor. The seconds ticked by painfully slow. Every fibre of my being screamed to grab the device, but doing so would blow our cover completely.
The guard ushered us out, ensuring we made a hasty exit. The door clicked shut behind us, sealing our fate. The USB, with all its damning evidence, was left behind, a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.
