The Insider

Chapter 10

Lawrence quickly grabbed his bag as he followed Karen's urgent orders. He's not stupid. He knows what will happen next after the Board decides on their action against him.

He checked his computer screen to shut down the program that he's running. They can't have access to this, he thought. Still thinking about protecting Phoebe. It was his project, how could they believe that he will sell it out?

With a million thoughts popping in his head all at once, he was slightly shocked to hear the ding of the inter-office messenger signaling an incoming message. It's content flashed in the ticker tape on top of his screen.

URGENT! DATA BREACH DETECTED!

Upon running regular network diagnostics, data breach was detected to have occurred on Wednesday, January 31 at around 00:15 HRS at Workstation No. 394 located at the Engineering Wing.

Workstation User: Miranda Findlay

Recommended Action: Disciplinary Action with possible dismissal/suspension

Lawrence mind was reeling, he cannot believe what he was reading. Why would she do that? He asked himself.

"Fuck it!" He said loudly, closing his laptop and sticking it inside his bag rather forcefully.

He crossed the distance of his table to the door with five giant steps and opened the door to see Miranda crouched down under her table again.

"Miranda, come with me, quick!" He said, looking ready to run and buzzing with adrenaline.

Miranda looked up from what she's doing and frowned at him. "Where are we going, Sir?" She asked.

"I'll explain later," he said. "Come on, follow me quickly," Lawrence demanded as he already begins to walk to the service stairs near their personal comfort room.

"Wait! Let me change my shoes first," Miranda said, reaching for her high heels.

Lawrence looked down at her feet from behind her table and saw her wearing an ugly pair of brown moccasins. "We don't have time for that," he said, looking at her eyes, "those will do."

* * *

Once the door to the service stairs was closed, Lawrence quickly began running. He moved downwards, holding on to the railings to ensure that he doesn't slip and stumble his way to death.

Not knowing what to do, Miranda copied him and also run downwards, following him.

When they reached the 10th floor, as indicated by the giant red mark on the top of the wall at the bottom side of the stairs, Lawrence turned a sharp right and entered the Cafeteria Wing. Miranda followed suit, breathing heavily as she did.

The Cafeteria was empty, the lunch crowd having left it a few hours before. Lawrence stopped a while to wait for Miranda who was very thankful that she didn't change into her heels.

"Please tell me why we're running, Sir," she said, trying to catch her breath when she reached him.

"I'll explain later," he said. "Do you have your phone with you?" he asked.

"Yes, it's here," Miranda said, digging her phone from her blazer pocket and offering it to him.

"No, keep it." Lawrence said, looking around but seeing no other person in the abandoned mess hall. "Just save this number," he said, dictating eleven digits to her.

She quickly typed it in and saved after confirming if the number was correct.

"Right." Lawrence said as he quickly browsed the menu icons of his phone.

Miranda noticed that he clicked the command to reformat the phone back to its factory setting. After around thirty seconds, the phone was finished on its task and Lawrence then proceeded to take out the SIM card off of it.

He placed the tiny thing inside his pocket and then walked to the garbage chute and chucked his phone inside.

Miranda heard the familiar sound of metal being broken to tiny little pieces as the phone hit the built in garbage grinder below.

"Let's go," Lawrence said as he calmly walk to the elevators outside the Cafeteria's swinging doors.

* * *

Lawrence was thankful that the elevator doors opened immediately when he pressed the down button. He stepped in quickly, grabbing Miranda by her hand. He then pressed the button to the basement as well as the close button, urging the doors to close as fast as it could.

Within about a minute, the elevator dinged to signal their arrival at the basement floor.

"That was amazing," Miranda remarked. "Nobody else got in. It's like a miracle."

"I know, right," Lawrence responded thanking the gods that they had to runaway during the dead office hours when nobody fancies a trip to other office floors.

Surveying the grounds, Lawrence turned his head left and right as he tried to recall where he parked his car. Turning desperate when his mind failed him, he then clicked his car keys and a familiar beep greeted him.

"There it is," he said, hitting the ground running again.

Miranda jogged behind him, grateful for all the treadmill runs that she did at the gym and still wondering what could have happened to set these events in motion.

After reaching Lawrence's car, the two of them got in within a matter of seconds. Lawrence swallowed hard a let out a loud breath as he checked the rear view mirror. He then quickly inserted his key and started the engine. Shifting the gear to reverse, he backed the car out of its parking lot and once it was on the driveway out, he hit the gas pedal to the ground and they were outside the bright streets in no time.

Miranda noticed the blaring sirens of oncoming police cars but she really couldn't care less as to their purpose, her mind being focused only on the reason why she suddenly had to run away with her boss.

Lawrence on the other hand was worried shitless, although he tried to maintain his calm and focus on the road ahead. He turned the car to join the traffic away from the city, once again thanking the gods, this time for the roads being free from the usual rush hour traffic that jams it.