Before he could respond, I ended the call.

I took a deep breath, picking up my coat from the chair.

As I reached for my briefcase, the main lights in my office suite suddenly flickered and went completely dark.

The only light left came from the snow reflecting off the windows.

A soft electronic beep sounded from the reception desk outside my door.

The keypad to the main entrance had just been bypassed.

I reached into my bag and wrapped my fingers around the cold metal of my heavy pen.

The door clicked open, swinging slowly on its hinges.

A figure stepped into the dim light of the hallway.

“Claire?” Elena’s voice was sharp and low.

She carried a heavy black briefcase, her coat dusted with white flakes.

“The building manager let me in through the service elevator,” she said, shaking off her umbrella. “The power grid on this block is failing.”

I let out a breath I had been holding.

“Harrison knows,” I said.

“Good,” Elena said, stepping inside. “Let him worry.”

“We have the physical files?” I asked.