THE GHOST IN THE MACHINE

Chapter 6: The Ghost in the Machine

The big leather chair at the head of the Sterling boardroom did not feel like a seat to Avery. It felt like a chair that could hurt her. Avery sat still, her eyes fixed on the caller ID on the monitor.

Alistair Sterling.

The name of her father was on the screen in white letters. Silas stood next to her his hand on her shoulder. His fingers got tighter as he thought about what was happening.

"It's a trick " Silas said quietly. "Julian must have set up a number to scare you before they took him away."

Avery reached out. Pressed the 'Accept' button. The speakers in the room made a noise like someone breathing.

"Avery?"

The voice was weak and rough like it had not been used in a time.. Avery knew the voice. It was the voice that used to read her bedtime stories about stars.

"Dad?" Avery said, her voice shaking.

"The vault and the biometric bypass worked because you are my daughter, " the voice said, getting stronger. ". Silas is right about one thing. You are in a room with people who might hurt you. Julian was a small part of the problem. The person who really caused the Sterling company to fall is still in that room."

Avery looked at the people in the room, the quiet men in gray suits who did not care about Julian's arrest. Silas stepped away from her looking at the door.

"Alistair if this is you tell me where you are " Silas said. "I will send Marcus to get you."

"I am where I have always been, Silas. Waiting for the right person to stand up " Alistair said. "Avery checked the bottom of the ledger, the one. There is a computer chip in the leather cover. It has the codes to control the technology that Silas is using for Thorne Industries. It belongs to us."

The line went dead.

Avery did not wait. She took the ledger and felt the spine. There was a hard square hidden under the cover. She looked at Silas, her heart beating fast. "He is alive. He has been watching us this time."

"If he has the codes he can shut down my company with one command " Silas said, his face white. "Thorne Industries would not just belong to you Avery. It would be dead."

Before she could say anything the lights in the room went out. The big windows that usually showed a view of Manhattan were blocked by metal shutters. They were in darkness.

"Silas?" Avery reached out in the dark, her hands finding his suit.

"I did not do this " Silas whispered, his voice close to her ear. "The building's computer system just stopped working."

A red light started to glow from the center of the table. It was a countdown timer.

05:00... 04:59... 04:58...

"What happens when it hits zero?" Avery asked, her breath catching.

"The server room in the basement has a system that uses gas to put out fires, " Silas said, his voice tight with fear. "If the computer thinks there is a problem it will fill the whole building with gas. We won't be able to breathe, Avery."

Avery looked at the ledger in her hand at the glowing red numbers. Her father had sent her the keys to her company. It seemed like a trap that could kill them all.

"He did not know I would be here, " Silas said, understanding the truth. "He told you to get the codes. He did not tell you to stay."

"I am not leaving you " Avery said, her decision made. "You saved Leo. I do not care what my father thinks of your name."

She slammed the ledger onto the table. "Silas, the computer chip. If it has the codes can we use it to stop the lockdown?"

"Maybe " Silas said, taking her hand. ". We need a computer that is not connected to the main system. My penthouse has a satellite connection. If we can get there before the gas fills the vents we can stop the timer."

As they ran for the door Avery's phone buzzed one time. A final text from the number:

Choose carefully Avery. Your. Your company. You can't save both.

The elevator started to move, filling the air with a smell. Avery looked at Silas in the red light, the man she was supposed to hate and the man she was starting to love. Her fathers ghost was making her choose and as the timer hit 03:00 she realized that being a Sterling might be more dangerous, than being a Thorne.