Iron Willed Warrior (Last Refuge Protectors #5)

28. Brynn

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Brynn

Fishing in Westwick’s pocket, I found the folding knife and keys. I unlocked the cuff on my ankle, then closed it on Westwick’s leg instead. If the asshole somehow woke up before I was ready, he wouldn’t be going anywhere.

Then, I waited for that armed guard to barge in, gun blazing. Nobody came. He hadn’t realized anything was up.

Move , I thought.

The gag that had been in my mouth was on the floor. I shoved it past Westwick’s lips, securing the gag with some duct tape that I found in a kitchen drawer. It really did seem like somebody lived here. The cabinets were full of all kinds of supplies, like dishes and non-perishable food.

A chest of drawers near the bathroom held clothing. Men’s clothing.

I also found my purse lying on the ground. My phone was missing, probably cracked into pieces and scattered in the desert. But River’s flash drive was still here. Somebody had found it inside the lining and probably taken a look at the drive. But they’d left it alone, likely believing it was just a tube of lipstick. Score one for the Protectors .

Unfortunately, I hadn’t found a phone in Westwick’s pockets, so I couldn’t upload the virus just yet.

I tied up Westwick’s wrists behind his back, flopping him facedown on the cot. I turned his head so that he would be able to breathe through his nose. I was merciful like that.

I had to get out of this room and figure out where exactly I was. Maybe I would find a computer or something. Means of communication, so I could send out a call to the Protectors for help.

But that meant dealing with the armed guard outside the room.

After going through the kitchen and finding only sad, dull knives, I decided to use the folding one I had taken from Westwick. I opened the blade, weighing it in my hand and getting ready.

Breathe in. Breathe out .

With quick, decisive moves, I yanked open the door, keeping the knife out of sight at my side. The Stillwater guard glanced at me, barely moving his head.

“It’s Garon,” I said. “I think he’s sick. Please help!”

The guard’s thick brows knit. He looked past me into the room. I brought the knife up and drove it into his jugular. He started to fall, and I eased his hand away from the trigger of his weapon.

It had taken three seconds, maybe four.

I took another breath.

The dead guard was heavy. I dragged him into the room and laid him on the floor beside the cot. After using a towel to wipe the blood the best I could, I went back inside and shut the door.

A check of the many pockets of the guard’s uniform revealed a keycard and radio, which I stuck into my purse with the knife. I pulled the strap of the rifle over his head and set the weapon aside .

I needed some new clothes. My sundress was ripped, drenched in sweat, and now spattered with the guard’s blood.

I put on a pair of sweats and a tee I found in the chest of drawers. Whoever normally lived in this room wasn’t a big guy, since the clothes were only a little baggy on me. Sadly, his sneakers were huge. Those weren’t going to work. I didn’t want to wear my wedge sandals either. Why couldn’t Brianna have worn flats?

No time to worry about that. I slung my purse over my arm, followed by the gun. Time to find out where exactly I was and how to get out.

Silently, I made my way down the cinderblock hallway, gun aimed ahead of me. The concrete floor was cool against my bare feet. A ventilation system whooshed, circulating air that smelled of dust and something metallic. There were no windows.

The solar plant . That was where they’d taken me, which made sense. This was a secure Stillwater facility. Westwick had mentioned a ride coming for us in the morning. Ryker was supposed to go check on it. He could be anywhere.

After a few yards, I passed a set of elevator doors. One button with an arrow pointing up. I considered pressing it, but what if this elevator took me straight to a bunch more Stillwater guards? I could handle one at a time, but no more than that, even with an automatic weapon in my hands.

My best hope was that they had no clue I’d gotten free.

I came to a corner. Carefully glanced around it. Sucked in a breath at what I saw.

It was a massive, open room, so large I couldn’t make out the far walls to the left and right. The place looked like one of those enormous storage archives the FBI maintained for old cases. Rows and rows going almost to the ceiling. Except instead of cabinets or shelves holding boxes, it was all electronics. Stacks and stacks of black plastic and metal and blinking lights. Wires.

These were servers. It was some kind of data center.

In my direct line of sight, a glass door revealed a man at a desk with multiple computer screens. He typed away at a keyboard. Then rolled his chair to grab something, and I ducked back to hide.

If there were computers, I had to assume there would be some way to reach the outside world. I hadn’t seen Ryker or any other guards yet. The guy sitting at the desk had looked more like an IT expert than a mercenary.

The man in the office swiveled away, turning his back to the glass door. I dashed forward. Hid between the rows of servers. Then made the same move again.

Once I’d made my way across, I snuck a better look at the door to the office. There was a keycard reader. Nothing else. No fancy biometrics like what Cole and I had seen on the exterior door, but that made sense. I was already inside.

I dug into my purse for the guard’s keycard. When the man at the desk turned away again, I hurried forward.

He looked over as I entered. He saw my gun, and his hands shot up. “Holy shit, don’t kill me!”

“Get on the other side of the room.” I gestured with the rifle. “ Now .”

He jumped up, his chair wheeling off to the side. He walked backward until he reached the wall. With a quick glance behind me, I shut the office door, still aiming the gun.

“Where is Donovan Ryker?” I asked.

“I…I don’t know,” he stammered. “Who are you?”

I snapped my fingers at him. “Focus. Are there cameras? Can you find out where Ryker is?”

“Uh, maybe. On the computer.”

“If you raise any alarms or warn anyone I’m here, you’re dead. ”

“Yeah,” he muttered, “that’s only my fiftieth death threat this week. You’d think it would’ve lost its effect.”

“Has it?”

The guy swallowed. “Not really. No.” He had shaggy brown hair, wire-rimmed glasses. Taller than me, but his build was slight. His skin had the pale look of someone who didn’t get outside much.

He went back to the computer. Keeping one hand raised, he used the other to make a few quick taps on a keyboard. A window opened on the screen. It showed live feeds from several cameras. I recognized one of the views. This was the entrance to Building B of the solar plant, where Cole and I had been spying just last night. The building above me right now, I assumed.

But this time, nobody stood guard outside. No sign of Ryker either. A different camera feed showed the gatehouse. Two guards were inside, looking bored.

“Ryker was here,” I said. “If he’s still on the property, where could he have gone?”

“Could be upstairs. There’s a break room and a bathroom. Or maybe the front office, but it’s closed up since it’s after hours. Aside from that, I don’t know. Seriously, I stay away from Ryker. That guy is scary. Not that you aren’t scary. Anybody holding a gun on me is pretty dang scary.” Then he squinted at me. “Wait, are you wearing my clothes?”

I ignored that question for now. “How many other guards are on duty?”

He counted off on his fingers. “The two at the gate. One who drives the perimeter fence. And Emerson. Should be outside guarding the entrance to this building, but I don’t see him there. Don’t know where he is. Couple hours until the shift change, and they’re not supposed to leave their post unless they’re relieved. So…”

Emerson was probably the guard I’d killed. That left three others, plus Ryker. And what about Manning and O’Hanlon? Damn, that was a lot standing in my way.

I was going to need more ammo.

The skinny guy studied me. “Who are you? For real, if it’s Ryker you’re after, I’m the wrong person to ask. I try to have as little to do with that guy as possible.”

Whatever this man’s story, he didn’t seem like an immediate danger to me. That didn’t mean I could underestimate him. Entirely possible he was on board with the evil Stillwater philosophy. But if I wanted answers from him, I had to get him to relax a little. He looked ready to jump out of his skin.

“To answer your original question, I am wearing your clothes. I’m pretty sure I just escaped from your room. Ryker and his boss kidnapped me. I’m guessing you didn’t have anything to do with that?”

“Me? No! Jeez, no. I’m just an IT guy.”

“What’s your name?”

“Josiah.”

“Josiah, I want to know about those servers. Why they’re here.” I kept my voice even, soothing, though it was hard to stay calm when every moment that I was stuck here meant another moment for a guard to investigate. I couldn’t leave without learning more about Stillwater’s activities here.

He swallowed, keeping his gaze on the gun. I pointed it at the floor instead of directly at him, and that seemed to reassure him. “The panels provide the energy to run the servers. And the routers, the ventilation, everything.”

“This place is owned by Stillwater,” I said in that same smooth tone. Not a question.

“Yeah. Who are you again?”

I could feel the seconds ticking by. Time I didn’t have to waste. Yet I couldn’t leave without knowing more .

“I’m Brianna. Ryker kidnapped me because I know about Stillwater, and that’s a problem for him.” That wasn’t accurate, but it was close enough for my purposes. “You have to make a choice. Are you going to help me, or are you going to side with Ryker and his Stillwater bosses? You have two seconds.”

I raised the gun again.

“I’ll help you! I mean, I’ll try. I just work here, you know? I didn’t even know what I was signing up for.”

How many times had I heard that excuse? “What exactly do you do here for Stillwater?”

“Keep it all running. See, Stillwater used to rely on servers overseas.” He tripped over his words as he tried to answer as quickly as possible.

“I know Stillwater uses the dark web.”

“Yeah, simplistically speaking, but?—”

“I don’t have time for an advanced degree in this,” I interrupted. “Give me the fast version.”

“They wanted to create their own anonymous marketplace for Stillwater members to buy and sell whatever they wanted. Here, Stillwater can host on servers that only they control. No third parties, no interference from foreign governments.”

Buying and selling. That, I could understand. An exclusive online marketplace for Stillwater members to sell drugs, weapons, stolen information, even human beings. And they’d placed it here in the desert, powered by and hidden beneath a seemingly innocent solar energy plant.

I’d heard of other dark web marketplaces. Governments were constantly chasing after them, trying to shut them down. Stillwater was keeping itself several steps ahead. And doing it here in the good old US of A instead of overseas.

Hiding in plain sight .

“But this many servers? There must be hundreds at least.” Even with my small amount of knowledge, it seemed like overkill.

“Mr. Westwick has big plans, I guess. He doesn’t share all of them with me.”

But I could come up with theories myself, based on what Westwick had said to me about spying on powerful men. Maybe these servers had something to do with that. Building an empire in the shadows. “And you’re their computer expert. Helping them get this all set up. You must be proud.” I couldn’t keep the disdain from my tone and expression.

“I swear I didn’t know! They hired me to be discreet. Made me sign an NDA and all that. Which isn’t so strange in this industry, because a lot of companies want to keep their IT setup secure. By the time I figured out what they were really up to, what the hell Stillwater even was, it was too late for me to get out. It was supposed to be a five-week gig, housing provided. I haven’t left this place for three months . They monitor all my communications. I’m just trying to keep my head down until they let me go.”

“Assuming they ever plan to let you leave.”

He went even paler. “Shit, don’t say that.”

But some part of him had to know it was true. He knew far too many of Stillwater’s secrets.

I dipped my fingers into my purse, pulling out the flash drive. I held it up.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“Something that’ll undo the damage you’ve helped cause.”

“They’ll kill me.”

“Or I will. Your choice.” I tossed him the drive, and he caught it.

“What do I do?”

I told him how to open it. Josiah inserted the adapter into a port on the side of his computer. The screens flickered momentarily, then came back to life.

I kept a close eye on Josiah to make sure he didn’t touch anything else. Since River had written the virus on that drive, I assumed it would quickly worm its way into Stillwater’s systems.

And talk about hitting the jackpot. This wasn’t just Westwick’s phone or laptop. This was mainline access to all of Stillwater’s servers. Its soft underbelly.

Josiah stood up, brushing off his hands. His color had returned. “What now? Because I’d really like to live through today. And if Ryker finds you here, that’s not gonna happen.”

I made a split-second decision. “You’re coming with me. You wanted to leave. Well, here’s your chance.”

He nodded. “Yeah. Maybe we shouldn’t take the elevator, though. If we run into Ryker on our way out? I’d prefer to avoid that.”

“How else can we get out?”

“There’s a fire exit through a back stairwell.”

I nodded, a possible new plan taking shape in my head. “Can you shut down the front-door access to the building above us? And the elevator too?”

“That’ll set off big-time alarms at the gatehouse.”

“You’re the computer guy. Can you bypass the alarms?”

“No. I don’t have that kind of security access down here. Only the guards do.” Josiah cringed. “But if we open the fire exit door, it’s going to notify the gatehouse too. Either way, they’ll realize something is up. They’ll come running.”

“You’re the computer expert, I’m the gun expert. Leave that part to me.”

Once we were back on the surface, I would set up an ambush for Ryker and the remaining guards. Take them out, then find a vehicle to get us the heck out of here. It was not my most detailed plan, but at least I had the head of Stillwater to use as a hostage.

“No offense, but you don’t look like a gun expert.”

I smirked, holding the gun against my chest and petting the top of it affectionately. “Don’t let appearances fool you.”

“Uh, right. Good point.” He took a step back. “Are we going now? Can I grab some of my stuff?”

“Sure. I left someone back in your room. Garon Westwick.”

His eyes bugged. “ The Garon Westwick? The guy who freaking owns Stillwater?”

“At the moment, he’s my hostage. I need you to help me carry him.”

Josiah grabbed a wheeled cart from the corner of his office, removing some equipment. “Will this work? We can put him on top of it. And my suitcase.”

“Works for me.” I gestured with the gun. “Lead the way.”

An alarm siren blared, and red emergency lights flashed on the wall. Josiah and I both jumped. I glanced through the glass door, but there was no sign of any guards.

“What is that?” I demanded. Had Josiah done something? Or was it the virus? Did Stillwater’s system know it was under attack?

Josiah ran to his computer. “It was triggered manually at the gatehouse. Not from here.”

“Check the camera.”

He tapped at the keyboard. “I can’t. The one at the gatehouse isn’t working.”

“Shit,” I muttered. I had no idea what was going on. If it was good for us or bad. I just had to grab Westwick and get out of here. Maybe this alarm could work to our advantage if it distracted the guards.

Of course, our fire alarm diversion hadn’t worked so well at the resort, had it ?

Don’t think about that , I told myself. Don’t think about Cole. Just get this done .

We ran down the hall. Josiah went first, wheeling the cart, and I followed at the rear. We passed the elevator. Made it to Josiah’s room. He waved his keycard and pushed open the door. Then he stopped in the doorway.

“What the ever-loving?—”

Maybe I should’ve warned him about the dead guard. “Just grab your belongings, Josiah. We don’t have much time.”

Westwick was conscious and writhing on the cot, as if that could help him get free. The man grunted around his gag and glared murder at me. I used the keys to unlock the cuff at his ankle.

Josiah hadn’t moved. I pushed his shoulder. “Get your stuff. We’re in this now. Okay? No going back.”

“Okay.” Josiah threw some belongings into a small suitcase. Meanwhile, I kept the gun on Westwick as I checked the ties at his wrists and ankles.

Josiah loaded his suitcase on the bottom of the cart. We hefted Westwick onto the top, and we weren’t delicate about it. He grunted his protests.

“Dude’s heavy,” Josiah complained. “We’ll have to carry him when we get to the fire exit stairwell. That’s going to suck.”

“We can manage it. One thing at a time.” I opened the door, checking the hallway. The alarm continued to wail, red lights flashing. I gestured for Josiah to push the cart. “Go ahead. I’ll be right behind you.”

Then I noticed the digital numbers above the elevator doors had changed. The elevator car was moving.

Somebody was coming down.