The Nexus

The Nexus by J. Kraft Mitchell

Book: The Nexus by J. Kraft Mitchell Read Free Book Online
Authors: J. Kraft Mitchell
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“We’ll find her, all right?”
    He didn’t answer, didn’t even acknowledge that she’d said anything.
    “Look,” she said, “so you made a mistake.”
    “A mistake.”  He laughed dryly.  “I let a prisoner escape.”
    “True—a prisoner you weren’t even supposed to be with at the time.”
    Corey stared at her.
    “Sorry, sorry!  Supposed to be helping.”
    “It’s not just a mistake, it’s a disaster.”  He stared at the monitors, seeing them without seeing them.  “People like us only get so many chances, Diz.  I was fortunate to be here—to get a second chance at my life.  And now...”  He blew a tired breath out between pursed lips.
    “Why’d you do it, anyway, Cor?  It’s not like you.  You're such a...”  Dizzie looked away.
    “Goody-goody?”  He managed something close to a smile for half a second.
    “I was going to say you’re such a by-the-book type of guy, but goody-goody works.  Why the change?  What exactly were you trying to do?”
    “Long story.”
    “We’ll be here a while, more than likely.”
    He sighed.  “What it comes down to is I wanted to show that I could take some initiative.  Apparently the director likes that.  I’ve always been such a stickler about the rules.  But that doesn’t always help.  I wanted to help another way this time.  I guess I got carried away.”
    “Well, you learned your lesson.”
    “Too late, though.”
    “We’ll catch her, Corey!”
    “And then I’ll be out of the department.  You heard the director.”
    “He was just upset, that’s all.  He’s not really going to let you resign.”
    “You don’t think so?”
    “No way.  You’re too good at what you do—too important to let go.  Believe me.”
    Corey felt a spark of reassurance.  “Thanks,” he whispered.
     
    IT was after five in the evening and nothing had happened.
    “Oh, great!” Dizzie exclaimed suddenly.
    “What?” Corey asked, startled.
    “I just realized something,” she said, pulling up the map of the crawlspace again.  “Look at this.”
    He looked where she was pointing.  “I don’t know what I’m looking at.”
    “This is part of the crawlspace, here.  And this is an elevator shaft right next to it.  This here is a ventilator between the two.  I’m guessing she won’t have trouble removing it.”
    “So you’re saying she can get into the elevator shaft.”
    “And ride on top of the elevator to any floor in the building.”
    Corey thumped his head on the wall behind his chair.  “So it’s over.  She could be anywhere.”
    She held her hand up.  “Wait, wait, let’s think about this.  If you were her, where would you go?”
    Corey tried to think.  It was difficult under the circumstances.  “Anyplace to get out of GoCom.”
    “How?”
    “To the lake, and swim back to the city.”
    Dizzie looked at him like he’d lost it.  “That’s the best you can come up with?”
    “The garage,” he said, leaning forward suddenly.
    “You think?”
    “Sure!  Think about it:  She’s not going to chance taking the bus or the ferry.  Her best chance is by car.”
    Most GoCom employees took the ferry or the skybus to work.  But a few dozen of the VIPs commuted across the lake via skycar and used the parking garage.
    “I like it,” said Dizzie.  She did some frantic tapping on the keyboard.  “Here are the garage cams.”  One of her monitors was filled with several security camera views of the parking garage.
    “Most of the cars are gone,” Corey observed.
    “That’s because most of the people important enough to have parking permits leave at five o’clock.  It’s like quarter after, now.”
    Corey scooted forward.  “Let’s get the footage from the time she escaped, then.”
    “She couldn’t have stolen a car.  All these models are too nice—too much security.”
    “I wouldn’t put it past her, Diz.  She’s good.”
    “Okay.  We’ll check.”  She went back a couple hours.
    “There’s

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