“This is the only way to get the source code.”

I watched his face.

He looked older, the lines around his eyes deeper under the harsh blue light of the terminal.

He was risking everything on Claire’s old code.

If Vanessa realized what he was doing before the upload completed, Julian would ignite the lance.

The air in the room was already feeling thin and metallic.

*73% completed.*

Suddenly, the red warning light on the vault door began to spin.

A loud, electronic klaxon sounded from the hallway outside.

“What is that?” Vanessa screamed over the intercom.

“Nathan, what did you do?”

“The house security system is rebooting,” Nathan said, his voice cold.

“It’s the automated protocol for an external transfer.”

“Keep the line open or it will abort.”

The door behind us gave a loud, metallic screech.

A bright white light flared through the narrow gap at the bottom of the frame.

The thermal lance had been lit.

The smell of burning steel and chemical fuel began to seep into the room.

The girls started to cry, their small voices muffled against my coat.