Chapter 734
Chapter 734:
“To steal?” Victoria asked, clutching her pearls.
“To screw Celeste Cain,” Lucian corrected.
He walked over to the machine, ignoring Skye’s weapon. “She set me up. The police think I’m the mastermind behind the recent attacks, but I was just the patsy. Now I’m a loose end p>
He ran his hand over the machine.
“This baby?” Lucian tapped the metal casing. “It’s the intake manifold for a chemical synthesizer. You can’t make the poison in a box, but you can smuggle the parts to build the lab somewhere else. Specifically, the ‘Blue Velvet’ neurotoxin she used on your secretary p>
“How do you know that?” Skye asked, keeping her distance.
“Because I helped smuggle the parts,” Lucian admitted shamelessly. “But she changed the access codes. I need to get into the onboard computer to download the production logs. That’s my get-out-of-jail-free card. I give the logs to the Feds, they give me immunity, and Celeste goes to prison p>
“Why should I trust you?” Skye asked.
“You shouldn’t,” Lucian said. “But you can’t hack this. It has a biometric lock and a self-destruct sequence. I know the bypass p>
Skye looked at the machine, then at Lucian.
The enemy of my enemy.
“Fine,” Skye said. “Unlock it. But if you try anything, I’ll break your knees with this crowbar p>
“Kinky,” Lucian smirked.
He pulled a laptop from his bag and plugged it into the machine.
Suddenly, the overhead lights snapped off. The warehouse plunged into total darkness.
The heavy mechanical sound of the loading bay doors grinding shut echoed through the space.
“We’re locked in!” Victoria shrieked. “We’re going to die in a box p>
𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲.𝗰𝗼𝗺
“Quiet!” Lucian hissed. The glow of his laptop screen illuminated his face. “Someone triggered the perimeter alarm. Silent lockdown p>
“Celeste,” Skye whispered. “She knows we’re here p>
“Then we have about five minutes before her private security arrives to sanitize the building,” Lucian said, his fingers flying across the keyboard. “With us inside p>
“Can you open the doors?” Skye asked.
“I’m busy hacking the chemical weapon,” Lucian snapped. “You open the doors p>
Skye looked around. The control panel was on the other side of the warehouse, near the office.
“Victoria,” Skye said. “Hold the flashlight for him. Don’t let him leave p>
“Me?” Victoria gasped. “I’m not an assistant p>
“Do it, or we die!” Skye shouted.
Victoria huffed, but she grabbed the flashlight and aimed it at the machine. “Hurry up, criminal p>
Skye ran toward the office. She navigated the dark maze of crates by memory and reached the control panel.