Chapter 22

22

Cody pushed open the restroom door and scanned the dated tile interior. Fenn and Kate stood by the sinks, a duffel bag at their feet. The air in the actual restroom itself was almost breathable. Kudos to Fenn and Kate for seeding the awful scent in the hallways, near the air ducts, where it would do the most good.

"Cutting it close, aren't you?" Fenn drawled, his usual smirk in place.

Bridger brushed past Cody, already shrugging off his suit jacket. "Any issues?"

Kate shook her head, unzipping the duffel. "Coast is clear. We've got about ten minutes before the next security sweep."

Paige fidgeted with her skirt, her eyes darting to the door. "Is that enough time?"

"It'll have to be," Bridger replied, his voice muffled as he pulled the guard's shirt over his head.

Cody leaned against a stall, trying to project an air of nonchalance. "So, what goodies did you pack for us?"

Kate held up three mission duffels packed with active comlinks and plastic tranq guns.

Bridger, now fully dressed in the Smithsonian uniform, took his satchel, stuffing the suit inside. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that. Fenn, Kate, clean this up and rendezvous back at the safe house. If we're not back in two hours, you know what to do."

Fenn's expression sobered. "Be careful down there."

As Bridger nodded, Cody's heart raced as he followed Bridger and Paige into the rough-hewn tunnel beneath the Smithsonian Castle. The dank, musty smell assaulted his nostrils, a stark contrast to the polished marble and gleaming fixtures of the restroom they'd just left behind. His eyes struggled to adjust to the dim light, the stone walls seeming to close in around them as Fenn and Kate put the fake wall back in place.

Ahead, he could make out the bright white light of the newer section. Paige stumbled, her pencil skirt hampering her movement. Without thinking, Cody reached out to steady her.

"Need a hand?" he asked, acutely aware of the warmth of her skin beneath his palm.

Paige shot him a look that was equal parts gratitude and suspicion. "I'm fine."

Cody loosened his tie, pulling it off with a swift motion. "That skirt's not exactly tunnel crawling attire."

Bridger turned back to them. "Make it quick. We need to keep moving."

He lifted Paige down into the tunnel, trying to ignore the scent of her perfume mingling with the musty air. As they continued forward, the rough stone gave way to smooth white walls and modern, recessed lighting. The secret addition looked more like a hospital hallway than an underground tunnel.

"Talk about a design upgrade," Bridger quipped, his eyes darting around for any sign of surveillance.

They approached the first door, marked by a sleek keypad. The LED next to the pad glowed red.

Bridger turned to Cody, his expression grim. "You're up, hotshot. Let's see if your fancy algorithm works."

Cody pulled out his phone, fingers flying over the screen as he pulled up the necessary app. He could feel Paige's eyes boring into him as he worked.

He punched in the code, holding his breath as the keypad beeped once, twice ... The lock disengaged with a soft click.

Bridger's eyes narrowed. "We're in. But this better not come back to bite us, Cody."

As they slipped through the door, Cody couldn't shake the feeling that he was leading them into a trap. But there was no turning back now. The mission, and maybe something more, depended on him.

His pulse quickened as they approached the second door. The sleek handprint scanner gleamed under the harsh fluorescent lights, its surface unmarred by fingerprints. He flexed his fingers, steeling himself for what came next.

He pressed his palm against the cool surface of the scanner. A soft blue light pulsed beneath his skin, and the lock disengaged with a satisfying click.

Paige's sharp intake of breath cut through the silence. "How in the world do you have that kind of access?"

Bridger's eyes narrowed, his voice low and dangerous. "Something you forgot to mention, Lassiter?"

Cody shrugged, feigning nonchalance despite the knot in his stomach. "I have insiders to protect. The less you know, the better."

The fact that the insider was him ... well, that was a complication for another day.

Cody approached the DNA lock, its intricate mechanisms a testament to Paige's father's genius. He motioned her forward.

The lock has a sensor that analyzes DNA from epithelial cells in exhaled breath.

Paige had to breathe directly into the sensor. Atticus had been a genius. The method ensured the person opening the lock was both present … and alive.

"Alright, Penderson. Time to put that DNA of yours to work."

She pulled her hair back from her face and leaned close, exhaling onto the sensor. The lights ringing the sensor pad blinked blue, signaling that her sample had been accepted.

Cody entered his private code, the keys cool beneath his fingertips. Nothing happened.

Paige frowned. "Shouldn't it open now?"

The crackle of their comms interrupted her. Tai's voice came through, urgent and low. "We've got a problem. Some guy is heading into the main tunnel entrance from the director's office."

Cody's blood ran cold. "The bookcase entrance? That intersects with our tunnel."

Paige's eyes widened. "How long do we have?"

"Minutes, if we're lucky," Tai replied.

Cody turned back to the lock, his fingers flying over the keypad. "Come on, come on," he muttered.

As the footsteps echoed in the distance, growing louder with each passing second, Cody realized that his carefully constructed house of cards was about to come crashing down around him.

The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife as his fingers hovered over the keypad. His pulse thrummed in his ears, each beat a countdown to potential disaster. The distant echo of footsteps grew louder, each one a thunderclap that sent a jolt of adrenaline through his system. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he fought the urge to wipe it away, afraid any sudden movement might betray their position.

Bridger's hand tightened on the detonator, his voice a low growl that sent a chill down Cody's spine. "Say the word, and I'll light this place up like the Fourth of July."

Cody's mind raced through contingencies, each one more desperate than the last. He'd led them here, and if this went south ...

Paige's eyes darted between Cody and the tunnel, her brow furrowed in concentration. Cody found himself holding his breath, mesmerized by the intensity of her focus. Suddenly, her face lit up. "Wait! I remember something my father used to say ... ‘Three steps forward, two steps back, that's the dance of progress.'"

She turned to Cody, her eyes bright with a mixture of excitement and fear that mirrored his own inner turmoil. "Try 3-2, Cody!"

His fingers flew across the keypad, punching in the sequence. For a heart-stopping moment, nothing happened.

His stomach dropped, his mind already scrambling for a Plan C. Then, with a soft hiss that sounded like salvation, the door slid open.

Relief washed over him, but the reprieve was short-lived. "Tai," Cody barked into his comm, his voice harsher than he intended, betraying his stress. "How close is our uninvited guest?"

"Almost to the second door," came the tense reply, each word a nail in their collective coffin.

Cody's mind raced, piecing together a plan even as he spoke. "Bridger, intercept him. Tell him Maplestone called you down to the lab, but everything's squared away now."

Bridger nodded, his expression grim, eyes boring into Cody with an intensity that made him want to look away. "On it. Don't make me regret trusting you, Lassiter. We'll rendezvous back at the van."

As Bridger's footsteps faded down the hallway, Cody held the lab door open for Paige. The cool metal against his palm grounded him, a reminder of the very real, very physical dangers they faced.

"I got this," he murmured, his voice low and intense, willing her to believe in him despite the growing mountain of lies between them. "Follow along."

The flickering fluorescent lights cast shadows that accentuated the conflict in her eyes—suspicion warring with grudging admiration. A familiar tightness gripped his chest. She wouldn't like what was coming, but what was new?

As they slipped into the lab, the sudden drop in temperature raised goosebumps on his skin. The antiseptic smell of the sterile environment filled his nostrils, reminding him of countless hours spent in similar facilities. But this time was different. This time, everything was on the line.

Paige's proximity was both comforting and distracting. Her breath was warm on his neck as she leaned in close, sending a shiver down his spine that had nothing to do with the lab's chill.

Time to show his hand.