As head of security for the Breitmeyer Group, I led the security team into the building, my eyes scanning the groups of people stood watching us apprehensively. Rupert and Topper were just ahead of me approaching the reception desk, their lawyers holding copies of the relevant papers in case anyone tried to stop them. This was the final step, taking the building and ensuring all the staff knew of the new ownership.
Yesterday Per had seen her parents and everything had been signed over, her parents leaving under a cloud but they had gone. Now on the first day of the new regime, It was chaos. Staff stood around the foyer in an air of panic, the power was out, it seemed nothing was working, not even the back up generators.
Finding the building security manager, who identified himself as Craig, I explained who we were and showed him the paperwork to back our words. He looked a little relieved that someone was taking charge. He explained that all the systems were down, doors were auto locked, no one could access the building beyond the foyer.
"Send everyone home" Rupert instructed the staff at reception "We will let them know when things change". "And find out who or what we need to get the power back up" he added.
"Its her parents, has to be, but why, what are they hiding?" Topper grumped looking around.
"Is the building empty?" I asked Craig and he shook his head.
"I don't know, I only came on duty this morning at seven, as soon as we ran the morning security protocols, everything shut down, we have yesterdays lists of those in and out of the building, it was printed off by the overnight team at midnight but we don't know any movements since then. it should be empty, the cleaning crew is usually gone by ten but we don't know for sure.
"Start checking against the list, call everyone, one by one, until we know for sure" I instruct, waving him off and walking over to join Nate, my tech wiz, who was hovering just off the side of our main group, using the reception desk as a base for his laptop, his fingers flying over the keys.
"Anything?" I ask him.
"Someone has overridden the system, it's a mess, it's going to take a while to sort through it. It almost like a planned attack, definitely deliberate" he groans, clicking away "It would be better if I could patch into their mainframe but we can't get access, apparently its in the basement"
"Okay we will work towards getting into that area, is there a fire safe override we could use?"
"Not that I can find, whoever designed this system is a genius, I reckon if you set fire to the building it would allow some access but only in the case of a real fire"
"How sure are you?" I ask looking around at the people waiting for instruction.
"Not sure enough" he grumbles back and I slap him on the back.
"Keep at it and let me know if anything changes" I tell him before joining Rupert and Topper.
"What do we do now?" Rupert asked looking around before his gaze narrowing back on the watching staff, his concern visible.
"Go home, I will call you if anything changes" I say repeating Ruperts's words back at them. "I will stay here and see what we can do"
Seeing them off with one of my team escorting them, I head to the security office to find Craig. "lets get everyone out and lock down the building accesses, we need to manage where we can" I direct looking over the plans he had spread across his desk.
"This is the lower levels, there are stair access but the doors are all electronically locked, some of the labs down there have additional security including clean air zones and other stuff" he explains as I look.
"Who uses those?" I half query to myself, wondering what it would be like to be shut down there for any length of time. I know industrial espionage is a problem but this seems like overkill.
"Those labs were off limits to everyone but Mr and Mrs Brook-Bennett and their lab person" one of the other guards mentioned hearing my words.
"What lab person?"
"Umm, hang on and I will check?" he looked flustered as my question and I watched him search through the daily lists. "Umm, that's odd, never noticed that before" he mutters, bringing the pages towards me.
"She signed in yesterday morning but no record of her signing out" his finger pointed to a line on the page. "I've seen her but I didn't know it doesn't book her name on the system" he adds as I look.
'EP - LAB ANON 62560 arrived 07.30 departed 88.88' I read.
"I've looked at previous days and it never lists her name, just that and her arrival and departure time" he adds nervously.
"We must have record of who she is? Does this show she didn't check out yesterday?"
"Yes sir, she was not recorded as leaving before the midnight list run. it is possible she left afterwards but we don't have that information" Craig tells me, waving off the other guy.
"Her name is Emily, she's been here about two years, a prodigy, but has always exclusively worked directly with the Brooke-Bennetts"
"Emily who, I want a copy of her records?" I tell him, my gut tightening, something was wrong with this employee, was she the reason the system was down, if so why and where was she?
"Sir, sorry sir but we don't have any access at the moment, its all..." he tails off,
"Electronic!" I grunt out frustrated.
He nods.
"Find out who she is and if she is still in the building" turning to get the attention of the other man "You..."
"David sir"
"I want to know her name, then get Nate to check into her, he's out at reception" I watch him rush to do my bidding before turning to Craig.
"We need to get access to the mainframe, show me on the plans and lets find out how we can get there manually" I instruct.
"Yes sir"
It feels like hours later before we have any progress, David has tracked down the girls details, Emily Pierson and all the evidence was pointing to her still being in the building. Nate has dispatched a member of the team to check out her address just in case.
The maintenance team had just joined us with heavy equipment, and we had called in both fire and lift access teams. Rupert having given the go ahead to break what we needed to to get in. When one of the crew had mentioned off hand that the lower labs had air filtration systems and if anyone was stuck down there they would be running out of air soon, our efforts doubled.
We went in through the elevators, using pneumatic tools to force the doors open at reception level, then abseiling down the shaft once they had opened the lower doors where the main frame and lab was.
Nate focussing on getting access to the mainframe to try to bring everything back on line, The mainframe had been secured behind a glass wall, flashing lights showing the system still had some life and it hadn't taken much to break the glass and he was in, but the lab, no windows, only solid walls each side of a metal door.
"Open it, don't care how, just get it open" I told the team and watched as they finally managed to get a break, the sound of air hissing out and a faint alarm sounding from within.
"Air alarm" someone muttered as I heard Nate shout out.
"Jamison! I've got it, but it will take a while and I need to do a reset and we will be back to normal"
"Do it" I shout back, before looking back at the lab door, my gut telling me we didn't have time to waste but...
"How long Nate?" I shouted
"An hour tops" came the reply. Too long.
"Open it" I instructed and they went back to work, taking the door frame and half the wall out to gain access to the first glassed in section.
YOU ARE READING
Behove
Short StoryJensen Jamison, head of security for the Breitmeyer Group, led his team into the building, Rupert and Topper were ahead of him. This had been the final step, taking the building and ensuing all the staff knew of the new ownership. Yesterday Per h...
