The Day Before Read Online Free Page B

in.”
    Sam frowned at the beige walls and black flooring of the rear hallway. Electric hookups for security bots hung in small alcoves every three meters waiting for their sentries to return. There were cameras, smoke detectors, sprinklers—­everything a high-­security building needed to handle a small war. “Did the lab lose power at any time Sunday night?”
    â€œNot a flicker,” Altin said, as they walked slowly down the hall. “The cameras are out, the computers are down, but the electricity is still running to everything. It doesn’t look like a power surge.”
    â€œI see the stations for the robotic-­security patrols. Did you confiscate the bots, or were they stolen?” The black market for security tech was growing, but there could only be a few buyers in the area.
    â€œWe took ’em. I sent half to the district tech lab, one to the local PD techgeeks, and the rest to the bureau tech lab in Atlanta.”
    â€œToo bad,” she said. “Stolen security bots would make life interesting.”
    Sam studied the scene, trying to glean some sense from what she was seeing. Every door down the hall hung off its hinges. Black security glass littered the floor on both sides of the windows. “Does this look like an explosion to you, or is that just me?”
    â€œNo residue from a blast although the impact fractures on the wall support the theory. Dr. Vergeet assured me there is nothing in these labs that could cause an explosion. They don’t even have a flammables locker.”
    Sam shook her head. “What about residue from your missing security guards? Did you get anything there?”
    â€œNot a single hair. There are no signs of physical violence, and both cars are gone. We have an APB out for them, but anyone with half an ounce of sense stripped those cars down and left them in Atlanta, with the keys in the ignition. They’re gone and sold for parts by now.”
    She moved down her checklist. Security, fried electronics, and the actual target . . . “You said this part of the lab belonged to Dr. Emir? Where is he?” Maybe the intended victim would have some insight into the whys and wherefores of the crime.
    â€œRight this way although you may regret asking,” Altin warned. “He’s the one who demanded the bureau be called in. If Dr. Vergeet had her way, the cleaning crew would already be fixing this up.” Altin led her into a small workspace in front of a bank of broken windows. The windows looked over a curved black lecture hall with stadium-­style seating focused around a teaching space at the bottom of the dell. A spotlight illuminated a single heavy table and a small box perched on top.
    A thin man with a white beard and thick glasses fussed around the box, looking like Santa Claus after he discovered dieting and exercise. He blinked at Detective Altin with a scowl. “Yes, Detective? Have you found another way to ask the same question? What are we on, the third or fourth round?”
    Altin went poker-­faced. “Dr. Emir, this is Agent Samantha Rose of CBI. She’s here to take your complaint.”
    Santa gave her a dismayed look. “You are the best the bureau has to offer?”
    â€œYes, sir.” Sam squared her shoulders and tried to look smart.
    â€œAre you familiar with the work of Echeverria, Klinkhammer, and Thorne?” Emir asked, lifting his chin so he could glare down his nose at her.
    â€œNo.”
    â€œAh.” Emir pushed his spectacles up. “I see. I suppose it is too much to hope you read up on the work of our namesakes before traipsing out here to do your dancing-­bear act?”
    Altin covered his mouth to hide a smile. Sam grimaced and turned to the doctor. “The bureau’s understanding was that you wanted a trained agent on-­site as soon as possible, not that you wanted to hire a new intern. Rather than insulting my intelligence, why