I inserted the key into the brass cylinder.

It turned with a stiff, grinding click.

I pushed the door open.

The blast of freezing air hit my face.

The server room was dark, lit only by the blinking green and blue lights of the tower racks.

The sound was a steady, roaring hum of cooling fans.

I stepped inside and pulled the door shut until it clicked.

I was in.

I pulled out my laptop.

It was a small, unbranded gray machine.

I sat on the cold floor, my back against the metal casing of Rack Three.

The floor tiles were grated, letting the freezing air rise from the subfloor.

My fingers were already growing numb.

I plugged the black flash drive containing the decrypted forensic files into my laptop.

Then, I took the blue ethernet patch cable from my bag.

I looked up at Rack Four.

The port I needed was high up, near the top of the seven-foot metal frame.

I dragged a heavy plastic step stool from the corner of the room.

The rubber feet scraped against the metal floor tiles.