Page 25 of Peak’s Code

He plugged a compact cable into one side of the laptop. Maeve recognized it immediately. "You carry bypass hardware, too?"

"I told Captain I wasn't the club's hacker,” he said. “But he can be persuasive.”

She raised an eyebrow. "You neglected to mention you were prepared to be one if he needed you to be, though."

"I like to keep my options open," he said.

"I’m betting that you like gadgets, too,” she said.

"I love gadgets." Peak removed the keypad cover with practiced hands and Maeve watched quietly.

"You've done this before,” she said.

He kept working. "Break into electronic doors?" She nodded. "Thousands of times,” he joked.

She frowned. “So, your resume is much larger than just repairing motorcycles and possibly being the Grave Prowler’s hacker.”

He shrugged. "Occasionally, I secure facilities for government contracts.” Peak glanced at her.

"You signed NDAs too?" she asked.

"I've signed enough of those to wallpaper a house,” he said, causing her to giggle.

The keypad wiring looked clean—too clean. Peak frowned. "What’s wrong?” Maeve whispered.

"There aren’t any alarm wires,” he said.

She leaned closer. "That’s impossible."

"Exactly." He traced another bundle. “It has power, a lock, and an access pad, but that’s about it.”

Maeve's expression changed. "Oh,” she breathed.

"What are you thinking?" Peak asked.

"They aren't worried about someone opening the door." Peak looked at her. "They're worried about someone closing it."

His stomach tightened. "What does that mean?"

She swallowed. "It locks from the outside."

Peak slowly stood. "You think⁠—”

She nodded toward the heavy steel door. "Something is being kept behind that door." A chill crawled down his spine. His flashlight swept across the chamber again, and he found something he'd overlooked—fresh scrape marks across the concrete floor. They were wide and parallel, like something heavy had been rolled repeatedly over the floor. He followed the marks and saw that they ended at the steel door.

Peak whispered, "Container marks."

Maeve nodded. "They're moving cargo underground."

"Why do you think they are doing that?" he asked.

"So satellites don't see what they are doing,” she said.

Peak stared at her. "You've thought about this."

"I've chased them for eighteen months." She paused. "I stopped thinking like myself a long time ago."

"How do you think now?" he asked.