A Perfect Storm

Chapter Seventeen

After a couple of days I was able to get the bill paid. Peter was right, I just had to accept the help.

In December Peter and I were on a case, the CEO of this company was suspected of embezzling.

"Neal!" Peter called me up to his office, "How'd the meeting go?" He asked me as I sat down in front of him.

"Well she didn't seem to suspect a thing, but I'm gonna have to find a new way to get information"

"What did you do?"

"She didn't want a reporter around, kicked me out after I introduced myself. But I was able to see her code for the computer"

"We need more than that to get a warrant, Neal"

"You do. But what if I could figure out a way to get back in there and onto her computer without a warrant"

"Neal-" he sighed, "can you really do this?" I nodded, "Alright. I'm trusting you to get this done without breaking to many laws"

"Of course"

"Good"

On Monday morning I let Peter know I would be going back in to try and get the files off the computer, I had kept Jaxon home from school so after I informed Peter I went back to the house to pick him up. "Hey, Jax, we have a job to do" I stated as soon as I got home.

"This why you kept me home?" He asked from the table.

"Yup. Remember how I taught you to use a flash drive?" I questioned and he nodded, "alright" I grabbed his jacket off the rack and slid the flash drive along with a slip of paper into the small zip up pocket.

"What are we doing?"

"I need to get something off someone's computer for a case but I'm not welcome back on the floor of that office, I'll distract the the security on the main floor, you'll sneak up in the elevator to the top. Nobody will be there when we get there. I wrote the password to the computer on the paper I put in there, you need to get in there and download the hard drive onto the flash drive. Can you do that?"

"That sounds easy"

I smiled, "alright, we need to get going" I told him as I held his coat out to him, he grabbed it and we left the house and walked to the building.

-Jaxon's POV-

Once we stepped into the building my dad put his hand on my shoulder and gave me a reassuring smile. We had gone over the plan again before coming inside. "Ready?" He whispered and I nodded. He headed over to the security desk and started talking, since nobody was watching I quickly walked to the elevator I was told to use, I had been given a card I had to swipe to use it and it worked. In the elevator, on the way up, I looked at the card it had a name and picture on it, it said she was the secretary. The top floor wasn't much, there was a desk with another elevator to one side and a door to another. I slowly opened the door to make sure the office really was empty. As I stepped inside I saw that the office was bigger than I expected, there were windows all along the back wall making the office bright even though the lights over head were off. I knew I wasn't supposed to stand around too long so I headed to the computer, I took the paper and drive out of my pocket. I unfolded the paper and began typing in the password. Once I was done getting what I was supposed to I put the paper and drive back in my pocket and stepped out of the office just as the elevator on the opposite side of the desk dinged. I wasn't told this could happen, I didn't know what to do so I froze. "Yes, I understand but you said—-Okay" the secretary stepped out, arguing with someone on her phone. When she hung up she noticed me standing there, "oh, uhm, hello. Are you lost?"

I nodded, "We were visiting dad for lunch then I got bored and elevator buttons fun" I grinned, acting younger than 7.

She smiled and laughed a bit, "do you know which floor your dad works on?" She gently asked, not paying attention to me holding the edge of her desk as I walked towards her so I could drop the card down.

I scrunched up my face and made humming noises like I was thinking really hard, "no. I get the numbers mixed around in my head" I lied.

"Oh. So that's how you got here?" I nodded. "I'll take you down to the first floor and you can ask security okay?"

"Okay" By the time we got down the the first floor she was distracted by a phone call again so I slipped away, my dad was waiting right outside the elevators.

"I did it?" I grinned.

"Thanks bud" he smiled and ruffled my hair.

-Neal's POV-

The next day I presented the flash drive to Peter, "so how'd you find a way back in?"

I shrugged, "you know me, I always manage"

He nodded, "We'll still-"

"Need a warrant. I know the drill Peter" I cut him off.

"From this we should be able to get one"