CHASE

Chapter 40

     Sneaky, Eva slid across the bed. João was completely asleep. She dressed, hastily, noiselessly, and rummaged through the pockets of his pants. Quickly, she located the card and tucked it away carefully so they wouldn't see she had it.

     "Hmm. What are you doing?"  João's voice was heavily slurred.

     "I'm going to my room. I don't want to risk making people suspect that we're walking together. Sleep well."

     "Hmm."  He turned to the side and continued to sleep.

     She dodged down the hall to the computer room. She made sure she hadn't caught the attention of the rare individuals she'd crossed paths with. Finally, she was faced with what she had worked so hard for. She swiped the magnetic card through the electronic lock and advanced. She knew she was taking a risk by entering this room. However, she came to confirm what she had heard about rarely frequenting this compartment at night. She had never been so grateful they didn't install surveillance cameras. They didn't do it for confidentiality reasons. They recorded in writing certain members who invested here and participated because they did not want to be recognized. As if maintaining a double life. They were thus, secretly, covered up by this organization. She noted that she could search for paper documents or access what she was looking for on monitors. She opted for computers because she intended to speed up the procedure. She pulled out a chair and sat up straight. To unlock the screen, she used the number on the card. Which resolved the situation. Wasting no time, she pressed the keys that formed her full name. She got no results. She persisted until a simple sign came to her after carrying out the same search. She read the content that told her that the file would not process the data and would not be transmitted without the required code. She sighed in impatience. The card had nothing else that could help her. However, she wouldn't stop here. She would bet on her computer skills. Once, on purpose, she got involved with a guy who thought he was a nerd. A person very focused on technological issues, especially computers. Which made him not very sociable, and those skills captivated Eva's attention. She would often meet him in the library and seduce him. She did it so that he would teach her how to forge her own identification documents. And so, she learned to be a hacker. Well, dazzled by her, he offered her a lot of tips. Then with practice, this time, she decoded the computer. As soon as she deciphered it, the name emerged. She hesitated a few seconds before clicking the mouse. Her eyes glistened, flooded with tears. There was a death certificate with her own name inscribed on it. The date revealed the day she was admitted there. The certificate was undoubtedly false and there was confirmation that it had been delivered to the parents. They never abandoned her. They thought her dead. This was also the reason that had motivated them to move far away. She shook with rage and took a few breaths to calm herself. Indeed, she was beginning to trust Orsmund. A strange realization prompted her to write Mergh's name. And she came to find out that they rescued the bodies for analysis and then cremated them without the worry of notifying family members. In shock she shook her head. She couldn't falter. She glanced at the clock that told her the few hours she had before dawn. Therefore, she accessed the security conduit and worked hard to disable the system. Eva assured herself of what she was going to do and hurried down to the basement.

     "Eva?"  Orsmund didn't bother using his own voice as he watched the girl's expression after listening to her heart pounding uncontrollably.

     "We have a few minutes!"  Agitated, she investigated the space looking for something.

     "What happened?"  He focused on her.

     "I told you I'd get you out of here!"  She fixed the ponytail that had fallen forward.  "And it will be today!"  She found the panel to enter the code to release him.  "I'll enter the number and as I don't have the key with me to silence the alarm you will have a fraction of a minute to get out of there. Before the system restarts."