Page 27 of Constant Risk
“She’s right. This is our only chance.” He shone his flashlight also. “Probably the Xeon, with the CoreMC, right? It’s the most powerful.”
“Jeremy, Tanner,” Penelope yelled. “Just grab them all, and we’ll sort it out later. That fire is getting higher.”
Tanner started grabbing the nearest computer. Penelope was right—they just needed to get the computers out. But it jerked a few inches before it wouldn’t move anymore. Frowning, he put that one down and tried a different one, with the same result.
He let out a curse. “They’re chained. We can’t take them with us.”
“Everybody out. Now!” Penelope yelled.
“We’ve got time to tryone,” Jeremy said. “Bree is right. This is our only chance to save this woman’s life.”
“That one,” Bree said, pointing to the one in the lower corner.
“Are you crazy?” Jeremy yelled. “That thing barely looks more powerful than an Atari 2600.”
Bree was already opening it. “The Holy Grail is never the jewel-studded goblet. It’s the most plain.”
The smoke was getting thicker in the room. They had maybe a minute left before they wouldn’t be able to breathe.
“This is it!” Bree was already typing, bypassing the manual operating system.
“Freckles, we are running out of time.”
She didn’t stop typing. “I just need to see the code. I can memorize it. Two minutes.”
Tanner looked around the room at the growing fire. “You’ve got half that.”
He turned to the others. “Penelope, get Jeremy out of here. There’s nothing more you two can do. I’ll get Bree out.”
“This is not worth you two dying,” the other woman responded. “We’ll find another way.”
“Get your men out. I’ll get Bree out. I’m not going to let anything happen to her.”
Bree wasn’t saying anything. Her eyes were riveted to the screen as line after line of computer code built in front of her. He didn’t try to interrupt. He’d only seen this one other time, when she’d been building the system she needed in order to take down Michael Jeter and the Organization.
She considered it a flaw, the fact that her brain was so much like a computer, able to process data but not so great with emotions. Right now, that computer-type brain was going to save a life.
He stayed at her back, watching the fire, giving her as much time as they could possibly spare to get as much info as she could. It wasn’t until the door was about to collapse in on itself that he finally turned and grabbed her. “Time’s up. I gave you as long as possible.”
She didn’t argue, didn’t say anything. Just slipped her hand in his and let him lead her out the door.
But once outside of the closet they weren’t any safer. They both pulled their jackets over their noses and mouths to try to block the smoke, not that that did much good.
Finding the front door was going to be a bitch. Tanner started leading her as best he could.
“Dempsey! Bree!” Whitaker yelled out from across the room. “Call out!”
“Here!” Tanner returned.
A second later a blast from a fire extinguisher shot in their direction. Whitaker was making a path for them.
They both ran, passing Whitaker, who then turned and followed them out the door.
Tanner could hear the sound of sirens getting closer over his own labored breathing as he and Bree stumbled toward the car.
“Is she okay?” Whitaker got out between harsh breaths of his own.
“Computer,” Tanner said. “She needs her computer.”
