Cate clapped her gloved hands together. “Then we’d better get cracking.”
Marta returned to work on the samples brought in from Vasquez’s compound. She still wondered how Teuling had access to the compound and the database. She supposed that when you were a billionaire, you could buy anything you wanted.
It was Marta’s mission to sabotage Teuling’s project so it would never be deployed in unsuspecting communities that only wanted fresh, clean, uncontaminated water.
While she worked feverishly against an impossible deadline, she couldn’t help but think about Crusher and their brief time together. Had he moved on to his next mission? Or would he feel responsible for her kidnapping and try to find her?
One thing was certain—she couldn’t wait to be saved. Vasquez would infect the world’s representatives at the Summit in three days unless someone stopped him. If he couldn’t be stopped, she had to have the antiviral ready before anyone left the Summit. That meant she had to recreate the antiviral and escape Helvetic in time to reach Vienna, preferably before the Summit began, but definitely before anyone left.
Crusher and Phantom took the first shift early that morning, staking out the Helvetic facility. They arrived before the morning shift and stayed until it ended, counting the number of cars, people, and service vehicles entering and exiting the fenced compound. Large delivery trucks came and went, some identified as office-supply trucks, others bearing medical or chemical-supplier logos on their exteriors. One smaller, older truck approached the gate with a single driver.
Crusher had to home in on the logo with the binoculars he’d brought. Thomas Reinigungsdienst.
He pulled out his cell phone and quickly translated, “Thomas Cleaning Service.” He sent the name to Swede and asked him to find out who in that organization had been tasked to provide cleaning services to the facility.
Less than thirty minutes later, Swede responded with the single name.
Swede: Reuben Thomas is the owner and the sole employee. His janitorial service was failing, and he had accumulated significant debt from gambling and past-due bills until a month ago. Helvetic BioSolutions contracted with him to provide daily cleaning. Suddenly, his debt disappeared, and a significant sum appeared in his bank account.
Crusher: Sounds suspicious, like he’s being paid to do a job and keep a secret.
Swede: The money deposited into his account came from one of the LLCs deep in the corporate jungle of names associated with Teuling’s non-profit.
Crusher’s gaze followed Thomas’s vehicle through the gate, where the guard barely glanced at the man, and to a parking space near a side entrance. Thomas got out of the vehicle, wearing gray overalls and a baseball cap bearing his logo. He approached the side door and held an ID card to a scanner. He then entered the building.
Crusher forwarded the information Swede had provided to Phantom and continued his surveillance of the facility, his thoughts on the woman inside: was she okay, and were they treating her well?
He needed a way to get past the gate guard and into the secure building.
Individual delivery trucks might not arrive every day. A man contracted to provide a daily cleaning service would be there every day. Crusher filed that information away.
At the end of the workday, the employees left, and a new shift of guards replaced the previous shift.
Fearghas and Catya arrived to replace Crusher and Phantom just as Thomas, the janitor, left the building.
Crusher texted Phantom to meet him at the rental car Hammer had provided ASAP.
Phantom arrived from the other side of the facility, breathing hard. “What’s up?”
Crusher was behind the wheel, his binoculars trained on the truck passing through the gate at that moment. “See that truck coming through the gate?”
Phantom nodded.
“I want to have a conversation with the driver.” Crusher waited for Thomas to pass by, then pulled out of the side street where they’d parked the car and followed the truck at a reasonable distance so Thomas wouldn’t suspect he was being followed.
The man drove to an area with small homes and businesses, then parked in front of a building bearing his faded logo. He got out of his truck and headed for the door, then seemed to change his mind and walked down the street to a restaurant and bar.
Crusher parked the rental car close to the restaurant.
“What’s the plan?” Phantom asked as he met Crusher at the front of the vehicle.
“To size the man up,” Crusher said as he marched toward the restaurant. “He might be our way in the facility.”
Crusher led the way into the restaurant, his gaze sweeping the room for Thomas in his gray coverall. He spotted him taking a seat at the bar.
“There. At the bar,” Crusher said softly to Phantom.
“I see him.”
