The Sacred Vault_ A Novel - Andy McDermott [72]
‘Is everything set?’ he whispered.
‘Rad’s still working on the cameras.’
‘How much longer will he need?’
Karima passed Rad her headset. ‘Eddie? I need another few minutes to Photoshop the last couple of cameras - but I also need to record the footage of you that I’m going to use to make a loop. Two minutes should be plenty.’
‘Anything special I should do?’
‘Move around a little so it’s obvious they’re not watching a freeze-frame, but make sure you’re in exactly the same position at the start and the end. You remember that movie Speed?’
‘Yeah, great film. I thought the sequel was a bit pants, though. What about it?’
‘The bad guy blew up the bus because the loop didn’t match exactly.’
‘I thought it blew up ’cause it crashed into a plane.’
‘Either way, it blew up! So you’ve got to get it right. Keep an eye on your watch, and be back in the same position when the two minutes are up. Ready?’
‘Yep.’
‘Okay, three, two, one . . . start.’
Eddie took up a neutral pose, pretending to peruse the documents. The two minutes that followed seemed to crawl by. A maddening itch started in the small of his back, but he resisted the urge to scratch it, knowing that any distinctive movements might be remembered when the footage was replayed on a continuous loop on the security monitors.
The second hand on his watch ticked round, passing the minute mark once . . . twice. ‘Okay, got it,’ Karima reported.
Eddie relaxed. ‘Great,’ he said, scratching his back.
‘Don’t move too much, though - you need to be in the same position when Rad starts the loop.’
‘How long will that be?’
‘Just give him a minute . . .’
It took more than the promised minute, but not by much. Aboard the boat, Rad had been working furiously on the second laptop, taking the hijacked digital video footage recorded on the hard drive and using his arsenal of professional video editing software to create a ‘mask’ that would erase the timecode from the corner of each frame. This way, the correct time could be superimposed over the two-minute loop when the recording was sent to the monitors at the security station.
‘Okay, I’m ready,’ he finally said. He switched to another program, the feeds from several of the security cameras arranged in a grid. The archives were empty, nothing moving except the constantly changing timecodes. Because the images were stationary, a single still frame with the original timecode masked out would serve to cover what Eddie was about to do. ‘Get back into position and I’ll give you a countdown. Karima will talk you though.’
On the camera covering the reading area, Eddie moved back into his neutral position. ‘He’s ready,’ said Karima.
‘What’re the guards doing?’ Matt asked, peering at the other video feeds.
‘They’re both at the security station,’ said Rad. ‘Okay, Eddie. Three, two, one . . . now.’
He hit a key. The images flickered as the live footage from the security cameras was replaced by Rad’s recordings. ‘Timecodes are okay,’ he said, anxiously checking each screen.
Karima was more concerned with the guards. If they had noticed the brief glitch . . .
They hadn’t. Both men remained seated, one still playing with his DS. ‘Eddie, it’s working. Go!’
Eddie opened the briefcase. Inside was the case containing the rapid prototyper. He took it out and used a strap to fasten the container of liquid - the prototyper’s silicone-based medium - to its handle, then put the briefcase back under the desk and quietly carried both case and bottle into the stacks.
He retraced his route to the sabotaged locker and tried the door. It rattled, the bolt catching the edge of the lock plate. ‘Shit,’ he whispered, pulling harder. If he couldn’t get in—
The cardboard wedge shifted, the bolt squeaking free. He froze. The locker was open, but if the guards had heard the sound . . . ‘Karima! The guards - are they moving?’
‘No,’ came the reply. He released a relieved breath, then turned his attention to the locker’s contents. Another box