Stolen (41 page)

He shrugged her off. “When are we doing this?”

“The staff leaves at five thirty; the guards change at six. We’ll wait until they get settled in.” She kissed his neck. “Of course, they have the best security system taxpayer money can buy.”

Sean knew exactly what kind of equipment they had. Full, random camera coverage so intruders couldn’t time a theft. Laser alarms on doorways to critical areas. Electronic shut-outs if an intruder was spotted—both manual from the guard station and automatic if the system detected an anomaly.

The biggest problem was hacking into the internal database to find out where the files were stored. They were on a dedicated computer system accessible only on-site—a standard setup for any RCK security protocol. While Skye had obtained the names of the files, they didn’t have any knowledge of how the filing system was organized or, when they found the location, how to access it. There were two armed guards—one at the entrance and one at the inside desk. Skye didn’t know how they rotated, if they walked or were stationary.

Once inside, Sean could use one of the access panels to trick the system into thinking it was still up when, in fact, it was down. But the catch was getting inside.

The FBI evidence locker wasn’t going to be easy, but Sean found a structural weakness in the building. Recently they’d placed a construction trailer only ten feet from the rear of the warehouse. The trailer blocked the cameras, giving Sean the time to crack the coded emergency exit. Once in, he should be able to do the rest without detection using both a jammer and his skills. LeGrand had top-notch equipment for this job.

“Relax, baby,” Skye said. “We have a couple hours.”

Sean faced Skye. “I want to see Lucy.”

Skye stepped closer. “That’s just not going to happen.”

“Then I’m not leaving.”

“You don’t have a choice.”

“Why do you care?”

LeGrand approached. “Yes, Skye, why do you care?”

“He needs to be focused.”

LeGrand assessed Sean. “You have a plan.”

“Yes.”

“And it will work?”

“Probably.”

“Probably isn’t good enough.”

“Let me rephrase: There’s no other way to breach this building unless you go in guns blazing and know exactly where your data is. I’m not going to set off any alarms, the guard won’t see me, but if there’s an unknown variable—like a third guard, or a staff member working late, or you gave me the wrong security system to memorize, then I may fail.”

“I appreciate your honesty.” He motioned to the goon named Eric. “Tie him up with his girlfriend. We have a few hours.”

As Sean was being led upstairs, he overheard LeGrand tell Skye, “The buyer is waiting at his ship. As soon as we get the book, we’ll leave. But we need to be at the dock by midnight.”

Buyer. Buyer—why use that word? LeGrand wouldn’t be selling the account information when it was worth millions.

The toxin. He couldn’t access his money here in the states; he needed the bio-toxin to buy passage on a private ship. That was the only explanation that made sense.

*   *   *

If Kurt LeGrand knew Lucy had overheard as much detail to his plan as she had, he would have killed her as soon as Skye left with Sean. Fortunately, his men were talkative even if LeGrand wasn’t.

“You seem like a nice girl,” LeGrand said, standing in front of her as he checked her restraints. “Sean Rogan is not worth your tears.”

She didn’t say anything.

LeGrand sighed, walked over to the desk, and finished packing up his computer. “Do you know what he did?” LeGrand said.

She didn’t respond.

“You want to be a cop, and you’re okay with dating a criminal.” He smiled. “You’re not my type, but I could like you. Situational ethics and all that.”

Don’t let him bait you.

“I would never have known it was Sean Rogan who stole my money ten years ago if it wasn’t for Skye.” He laughed. “A woman scorned if I ever saw one. She pretends to care about me, but I’m not a fool. I’m actually putting a lot of faith in Sean right now. I suspect, when he gets the account codes, that Skye will make him an offer to disappear with all my money. I was planning to go with him because I don’t trust her. Except I realized after seeing you and your boyfriend together that he really does love you. And I think he wants to kill Skye. That would actually help me out.

“Still, Evan will keep her in line. He’s been my rock, truly. Without his intel I’d never have known that Skye kept pictures of her and Sean under her bed. He’s the only one I trust to make sure I get my money. And if he has to kill them both—” LeGrand shrugged his shoulders and grinned.

An involuntary moan escaped Lucy’s chest. She bit it back and glared at LeGrand.

“I’m sorry. But Sean Rogan stole the last decade of my life. Do you know how hard it was for me to divert all that money from that old prick Robert Martin? He wasn’t stupid. But neither was I. And then Rogan comes in and gives it
back
? Is he insane? Then sends Martin a letter that he has proof, but doesn’t go to the police? For the longest time, I thought Rogan just took the money for himself. But when no one filed a lawsuit I realized he did exactly what he’d said.

“It took me years to rebuild from that loss. I didn’t know it was Rogan at the time—not until I met Skye. She sought me out. She came up with the plan. I knew my bosses were crooks, so it wasn’t too hard to create a third set of books, then turn whistle-blower.”

“Why didn’t you take the money and disappear then?”

He sighed dramatically. “Skye created the accounts and left the coded address book in her desk. The FBI raided the day before we’d been told, and we lost the book. Two fucking years.”

“Why Sean?”

“Because I’ve been following his career for a long time and I knew he was one of the few people who could break into a secure building like the FBI warehouse. Once I learned where the book was and what the FBI planned to do with the evidence, I intended to blackmail him. Skye had proof he stole the money from Martin Holdings, and I was going to create a money trail so it looked like he kept it. But when Colton convinced him to work on this ridiculous prove-my-dying-brother-was-murdered gig, I came up with a better plan. As I began to understand Sean, I didn’t think he would be easy to blackmail. Until I realized he’d fallen in love. Love makes men stupid.”

Lucy watched LeGrand closely. The way he talked, the way he specifically talked about Sean. He hated Sean. He had an admiration for his skill, but he hated that Sean was a better thief than him, and he held Sean personally responsible for his own failures.

“I don’t take pleasure in having you killed, Ms. Kincaid. Tommy is quite upset that you shot him.”

“I wish the bullet had hit his heart,” Lucy said. “Oh, he doesn’t have one.”

“I’m glad you’ve kept your spirits up.” LeGrand’s phone rang and he answered, “Hello, darling.” He winked at Lucy. “Very good. I’ll see you at the slip.”

He hung up, picked up his briefcase, and walked to the door. “Your boyfriend made it inside. As soon as we have the book, you’ll be dead. I told them you should suffer a bit. Sorry about that. But I want to gut Sean, and this is the best way.” He winked. “Good-bye, Lucy.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Breaking into the FBI evidence warehouse worked as well as Sean had planned. He supposed he wasn’t surprised, considering he did this for a living. But that didn’t make the pressure any less intense. Sean was sweating by the time he made it to the main computer room. This was a place most people who worked in the building didn’t even know about, but it was the hub of the property, and, ironically, like the private offices, there were no internal cameras. The door was coded, but it was easy to crack with the RCK admin code.

Skye had wired Sean, which was another distraction for him; otherwise Sean could have found a phone and called Noah. Except there was no doubt in Sean’s mind that LeGrand would kill Lucy if Sean didn’t return with the book.

First, Sean had to find where the evidence files from Avery & Block were stored. The facility was huge—over one hundred thousand square feet. He logged into the main database and it took him a good five minutes to figure out how the FBI catalogued their evidence. Once he understood the structure he searched for the files. He found the aisle number and shelves, then turned to the security console and opened up the programmer’s back door. This enabled RCK to monitor the system when they first installed it, but it was never used except for on-site upgrades. Now Sean reprogrammed the system to avoid rotating the cameras in the sector Sean needed to access. The guard shouldn’t see any difference in the feeds because it was still randomized, just not in the section of the building Sean would be.

His head pounded by the time he was done. He held his breath as he executed the command, waiting for alarms of a system meltdown, a warning, an intruder alert, anything to show that he’d failed.

Silence.

Either it worked or it didn’t, but no one had been alerted to his system changes.

He’d memorized the route he needed to take, but he checked his watch to verify that he was on schedule. He’d told Skye it would take him an hour; she gave him thirty minutes once he entered the facility. He’d used twelve of them reprogramming.

There was no Internet access in the computer room, but because it was an RCK system he could send a message through the hardwired system to the RCK administrator. He had to alert Noah about the sale of the toxin and to tell him where Lucy was being held captive. Though he didn’t have an exact address, he had a street and description. Skye hadn’t blindfolded him when they left.

Jaye—it’s Sean. Please get this message to Noah Armstrong immediately. A bastard named Kurt LeGrand is holding Lucy hostage and forcing me to steal a file inside the FBI evidence warehouse in Brooklyn. He also has a bio-toxin he stole from PBM that he plans to sell to someone to buy passage on a ship that’s leaving at midnight—don’t know which port. LeGrand is NOT planning on using the bio-toxin. Lucy is being held in a small two-story warehouse on Kent south of Flushing. It’s near a church. I don’t have the address, but there’s a partial No Parking sign on the roll-up door that has the P missing. She’s being guarded by at least three men, maybe more.

Duke’s dead. They locked him in an old barn and burned it. Don’t tell Nora yet—I’ll tell her. If I make it.

There’s no way to reach me. Save Lucy.

He hoped Jaye got the message and sent it to Noah. He hoped they went to save Lucy instead of coming here. A lot of wishing.

Sean left the computer room and listened for trouble. He walked as quickly as he dared, relying on the blueprints he’d copied, his analysis of the storage system, and the reprogramming of the cameras. He wasn’t trying to hide his tracks—but that hadn’t been their request. As soon as someone ran a diagnostic on the system, they’d see the breach. But that wouldn’t happen tonight.

The filing system organized evidence by the date the original investigation was opened. There were some adjustments based on the size of the files or if special storage was needed, but this warehouse housed evidence for all federal cases except capital cases or weapons storage.

Luck would have it that Sean found the section immediately. The problem was that while he knew what he was looking for, there were thirty-six boxes of information and data. The labels were not very descriptive. He pulled out the log of information that Skye had given him. He needed an address book. The address book was coded with the bank accounts and passwords to access the money they stole. It should be in the files seized from Block’s personal assistant.

The evidence log was in the first box. He scoured it for information. That’s why he didn’t hear the footsteps.

“Sean.”

He jumped, reached for a gun that wasn’t there, and whirled around.
Noah?
He put a finger to his lips.

In Sean’s ear, Skye said, “What was that?”

“I was swearing to myself,” he whispered, staring at Noah. “I need more time.”

Noah nodded, understanding the danger, and didn’t say anything.

Skye said, “You don’t have more time. Where are you?”

“With the files. There are thirty-six boxes here and the log is a mess.”

“Keep me posted. You’re running out of time.”

Noah handed him a pen. Sean turned the evidence log over and wrote:

Skye Jansen is listening. Open mic. They have Lucy. Duke is dead.

Noah read it and wrote:

We found Duke. He’s okay. Colton is in serious but stable condition after surgery.

Relief flooded through Sean. Both Duke and Colton were alive. But they were running out of time for Lucy. Frantically, he wrote:

I need an address book that Skye wrote by hand. She’ll know if it’s fake. And if I don’t bring it in