Page 47 of Sor

“In theory, yes. The microchips are an important part of the equipment. In fact, they’retheimportant piece of the equipment. Everything else someone could probably build around it. But getting to the microchips would be hard. You’d need time and tools.”

“You’d need a distraction,” said Nell, looking at the plans. “A distraction and a good hammer and wire cutters. As you said, all of this around it doesn’t have to be intact. He just has to be able to get the core out. Right?”

“Exactly,” whispered Luke. “Are you sure you don’t have an engineering background?” Nell smiled at him.

“Positive. But you’d be surprised what I learn from clients when helping to build websites, storefronts, and other things. Besides, computer software is just engineering.”

“Where was this?” frowned Cam. “We searched that room.”

Nell stood and walked toward the small space. She pushed the opening as far as it would go and stepped inside. The others shone the lights from their phones inside.

“There’s not much space here, and I remember seeing the film canisters sitting in plain view right here,” she said, pointing to one of the cross beams. “Anyone would have seen it. But I also remembered seeing the envelope. I thought it was something he put in here for safekeeping and didn’t think anything about it. But as I was standing there, I thought to myself, why wouldn’t he have mentioned the envelope when I told him about the film?

“So, I came back in here, and in all the chaos that day, it had fallen between the floorboards, standing straight up. It was slid behind the two-by-four, here.”

“DeWitt was definitely implicating him again,” said Luke.

“Well, now you know exactly what he’s looking for. What do you do to stop him?” asked Nell.

“That’s what we’ll figure out. Do you have everything?” She nodded at Luke and the others, grabbing the first bag as they grabbed the others.

“Hey, Nell,” said Cam as they reached the door.

“Yes?”

“Fucking great work back there,” he smiled. “Sor’s a lucky bastard.”

“Oh, no. I’m the lucky one. I get him and all these amazing big brothers in the deal. What girl wouldn’t want that?”

CHAPTER THIRTY

“You ever stationed out here, Sor?” asked Frank.

“Me? No. Air Force doesn’t really come around this area. It’s all you SEALs and Marines,” he smiled.

“Brother, I was Ranger all the way,” grinned Frank.

“That’s right,” he nodded. “My apologies.”

“What can I get you guys?” asked a young man waiting on them.

“Burgers all the way around, medium, loaded fries,” said Cowboy.

“Something to drink?”

“Just water for me,” said Frank. The others all nodded in agreement, and the young man walked away. Sor frowned, then looked around the room again.

“What’s wrong?” asked Ben.

“The waiters. They’re all military. This isn’t on-base.”

“Hey, sorry, did you want everything on the burgers? Onions, pickles, all of it?” asked their waiter.

“Yeah, that’s fine,” said Frank. “Hey, man. Not to pry, but are you active duty?”

“Yes, sir,” he nodded.

“They let you have another job?”