The emergency announcement sounded throughout Central Division at 9:26 a.m.
A sharp electronic tone echoed through the corridors, followed by a recorded message.
"Attention all personnel. This facility is now under restricted-access protocol. All employees are instructed to remain at their assigned locations. External doors are secured. Further instructions will be provided by command."
The message repeated twice.
Inside Conference Room B, Agent Bennett stood near the window, speaking into her phone.
"Confirm the perimeter."
A voice answered.
"North entrance secured. South entrance secured. Parking garage access restricted. Two federal response units are approaching the building."
"Do not allow anyone to remove equipment, documents, or personal storage devices without authorization."
"Copy that."
She ended the call.
Commander Collins was speaking to dispatch.
"Nobody enters the evidence archive until the federal team arrives. I want two officers at every access point."
Sergeant Hayes nodded and left the room.
Only Mercer remained.
He had stopped pretending to be amused.
His arms were crossed, but his eyes kept moving toward the door.
Bennett noticed.
"Something bothering you, Officer?"
"No."
"Then why do you keep looking at the hallway?"
"Because you're turning this place into a circus."
"That's an interesting way to describe a missing evidence drive."
Mercer took a step forward.
"Listen, Agent Bennett. I've been working this division for fifteen years. I know every corridor, every procedure, and every person in this building. You walk in here for one morning and suddenly everyone treats me like a criminal."
Bennett held his gaze.
"Nobody has called you a criminal."
"You don't have to."
"Then perhaps you should stop behaving like someone afraid of an investigation."
Collins looked down at his phone.
A new message had arrived.
He read it once.
Then again.
His expression changed.
"Agent Bennett."
She turned.
"What is it?"
Collins showed her the screen.
The message came from an unknown number.
STOP THE INVESTIGATION. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHO YOU ARE PROTECTING.
Bennett examined it carefully.
"When did you receive this?"
"Just now."
"Have you received anything similar?"
Collins hesitated.
"Two messages last week."
Mercer suddenly laughed.
"Probably somebody trying to scare you. Happens all the time."
Bennett turned toward him.
"Interesting."
"What?"
"You're very comfortable dismissing a threat that arrived seconds after we discovered a missing security drive."
Mercer shrugged.
"Criminals send messages. That's not exactly a new development."
Bennett photographed the message.
"Commander, I need your phone preserved as evidence. Do not delete anything."
Collins nodded.
Then he looked at Mercer.
"Officer, surrender your phone."
Mercer's eyebrows rose.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
"On what grounds?"
"Possible connection to the compromised security system."
"That's not reasonable."
"Neither is throwing a federal agent's identification card across a room."
Mercer's face turned red.
"Are we really still talking about that?"
Bennett stepped between them.
"The card is not the issue anymore. The conduct surrounding this investigation is."
She approached the conference room door.
"Commander, I want to inspect the security control center."
Collins nodded.
"I'll accompany you."
Mercer immediately followed.
"I'm coming too."
Bennett turned.
"Why?"
"Because I know the building."
"Then you can provide directions to the commander."
Mercer stared at her.
"I have every right to be present."
"Your right to be present is not greater than the need to protect evidence."
Collins opened the door.
"Officer Mercer, remain here."
For a moment, Mercer looked as though he might refuse.
Then he stepped backward.
"Fine."
Bennett and Collins walked into the hallway.
As they passed the reception desk, Olivia Grant hurried toward them holding a thin folder.
"Agent Bennett?"
Bennett stopped.
"What is it?"
Olivia looked over her shoulder.
"I found something in the paper access register."
"Show me."
The clerk opened the folder.
Three entries had been highlighted.
Each showed an after-hours access to the evidence archive.
Each entry carried the same authorization code.
And each one had been approved under Commander Collins's credentials.
Collins stared at the page.
"That's impossible."
Olivia's voice trembled.
"Sir, I checked the original signatures. They don't match your handwriting."
Bennett examined the entries.
"Who submitted these?"
Olivia pointed toward the bottom of the page.
The name was written clearly.
Daniel Mercer.
The commander slowly raised his eyes.
Behind them, somewhere inside Conference Room B, a chair scraped against the floor.
Then came the sound of a door opening.
Bennett turned.
"Where is Mercer?"
Neither Collins nor Olivia answered.
They looked back toward the conference room.
It was empty.