Chapter 3 - The Ghost in the Machine“Paul?” Marcus choked out, staring over my shoulder at the signature block. “No way. Paul handled procurement, not regional distribution freight. He didn't have clearance to sign off on inventory routing.”
“Not officially,” I said, pulling up my company directory profile on the flickering monitor. “Unless he had an accomplice on the inside who was feeding him the security clearance codes.”
Before Marcus could answer, the floor-to-ceiling glass doors at the end of the aisle clicked open.
Claire Bennett walked past our row. She wasn't looking at us, but as she passed cubicle 4B, her pace slowed for a fraction of a second. She didn't turn her head, yet her voice carried clearly across the partition.
“Keep digging, Mr. Carter. But make sure you don't dig your own grave.”
She continued toward the executive elevators, leaving a chill in her wake.
Marcus swallowed hard. “She knew. She gave you that file knowing Paul was tied to it, didn’t she? She’s testing you to see if you’re smart enough to connect the dots—or loyal enough not to blow the whistle on whoever is still helping Paul from inside the building.”
“Still helping?” I asked, turning sharply. “You think Paul had a partner?”
“Paul was an idiot who couldn't balance a checkbook without a calculator,” Marcus said bitterly, tapping his coffee mug on the partition. “Somebody higher up engineered those phantom shipments. Somebody with executive clearance. And if you expose them, you’re stepping right into a crossfire.”
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out to find an anonymous text message from an unknown number:
Drop the Apex file. Or your mother’s medical bills won't be the only thing you can't afford to pay tomorrow.
I froze. My blood ran ice cold.
May you like
How did anyone here know about my mother’s medical debt? I hadn't told a single soul at Ashton Ridge Solutions.
I looked across the vast open-plan office. Dozens of analysts typed away at their desks, smiling, drinking coffee, whispering in huddles. One of them was watching me right now. And they knew everything about my life.
