Liam stepped forward.

He grabbed a heavy steel laundry cart and shoved it against the door.

The cart slammed into the frame, pinning the officer’s arm against the broken glass.

A shout of pain came from the hallway.

“Step back!” a voice yelled. “Federal officer!”

“They said they were state police,” Liam muttered. “They are lying.”

“They are Ethan’s security team,” I said. “Vance gave them badges.”

The progress bar reached forty percent.

My phone on the metal table buzzed again.

The unknown number was calling back.

I swiped the screen and put it on speaker.

“Claire,” Ethan’s voice came through the line.

He sounded calm, almost pleasant.

“Ethan,” I said, keeping my eyes on the progress bar. Fifty percent.

“You should open the door for the officers, Claire,” Ethan said. “It will be much easier for everyone if you cooperate.”

“You think a fake warrant is going to stop me?” I asked.

“It’s not fake,” Ethan said. “The state attorney general signed it himself. You stole proprietary data, Claire.”

“I built that database, Ethan,” I said. “And I know exactly how to turn it off.”