“I’ll tell you when we get back,” he said. “Except we did find a computer.”
“You have the bug?” she said.
“I do.” Quinn unconsciously touched his free hand to the strap of his backpack. Inside the front pocket was a wireless computer tap that would allow Orlando to attempt to access any computer within its range. The only problem was, because it had to act as both a bug and a transmitter back to a distant home base, it was bigger than the average tap.
“Then set it up and let’s see if I get a signal.”
Quinn handed the phone to Nate, then pulled out the bug. Its shape was similar to that of a saltine cracker, about an inch and a half square. It was all black, and like the signal scrambler he’d used in the hallway upstairs, there was self-stick adhesive on the back side.
The beauty of the bug was that Orlando could power it up and down remotely, so unless someone was doing a sweep while she was using it, there was a good chance it would go undetected. That was as long as he found a good place to hide it.
“Hold this,” he said to Nate, holding out the bug.
Quinn used the screwdriver to pull one of the drawers open again, then did exactly what he’d told Nate not to do. He grabbed the sides of the drawer with his gloved hands, and pulled the drawer completely out. He set it carefully on the floor.
“Bug,” he said, holding out his hand to his apprentice.
Nate placed the black wafer in Quinn’s hand.
Before peeling the protective coated paper off the adhesive tape, Quinn did a visual measurement of the drawer, then looked under the desk to gauge whether the drawer fit snugly against the back of the desk when it was closed, or left a gap.
There was no question. Definitely a gap, at least several inches. More than enough room for what he needed.
He removed the protective paper and attached the computer tap to the outside back of the drawer. The only way anyone would ever see it was if they pulled the drawer out and looked.
Once he’d replaced the drawer, he took the phone back from Nate. “Try it now,” he said to Orlando.
There was a pause. “I’ve got a signal from the tap,” she said.
“What about the computer?”
“Trying to access now,” she said. Quinn could hear her breathing faintly on the other end. “There. Yes, got it. Log-in screen.”
“See if you can log in before we get back,” he said.
“Is this a race? Because if it is, I guarantee you I’ll be in before you’ve even gotten out of the building.”
“Wait,” he said. “What about the screen?”
“What about it?”
“The top was closed on the laptop when we came in, and it was asleep.”
“That’s fine,” she said. “Close it. I can still wake it up. As soon as I log in, depending on how much is on the machine, I’ll only need ten minutes or so to download everything.”
Quinn shut the computer. “It’s closed,” he said. “We’ll see you in a bit.”
He hung up and put the phone in his pocket.
“Everything the way we found it?” he asked Nate.
“I didn’t touch anything. You’re the only one who was moving stuff around.”
“Fine, then let’s—”
Quinn’s phone began vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out. It was the same number Lok had called him from earlier.
“What’s up?” Quinn asked.
“Whatever you’re doing in there, you may want to get out now,” Lok said.
Quinn looked at his watch. There was still over ten minutes left in the hour that had been promised him. “What’s going on?”
“Someone pulled a few strings. The power will be back on in less than five minutes.”
“Dammit,” Quinn said to himself.
“That’s not all,” Lok said. “My boss also put someone outside the Quayside Villas to keep an eye on things.”
Quinn’s eyes narrowed. He hadn’t asked Ne Win to do that.
“A car just pulled up in front,” Lok went on. “Two people. One got out to talk to the security guards. A Caucasian. The other’s still in the car. Another guy. Younger.”
“Great,” Quinn said, mainly to himself. “All right. Thanks.” He hung up and looked at Nate. “Time to go.”
They raced up the staircase, replaced the false floor in the closet, then sped through apartment 05-21 to the front door.
Quinn pulled the door open and rushed gun-first into the corridor, the night vision binoculars held to his
