"What''s up?" Wyatt noticed Curtis tapping away on his keyboard, coding like his life depended on it. He couldn''t help but steal a nce at the surveince


    screens.


    The feeds from the main entrances and exits looked as uneventful as a calm afternoon. But Wyatt knew better-sometimes, the quietest scenes hid the loudest secrets.


    He tapped his earpiece, instructing his team to keep a hawk''s eye on the vault. After a couple of minutes, he turned to Curtis. "Curtis, should I go grab Ms. Mirabe to lend us a hand here?"


    Curtis, still deep in his coding zone, almost messed up a line when he heard Wyatt''s suggestion. It wasn''t a harsh jab, but it sure hit a nerve.


    Before dialing Mirabe, Wyatt figured he''d check in with James. James, phone in hand, casually nced toward the lounge entrance and said, "She''s headed to the restroom. Let the others keep watch for now; I''ll bring her over once she''s back."


    Wyatt gave a quick nod and hung up.


    Turning to Curtis again, Wyatt asked, "Ms. Mirabe won''t be here right away. How soon can you clear the interference?"


    "Two minutes, give or take," Curtis replied, eyes glued to his screen. After a brief pause, he added, "Same interference trick-I''m sure it''s our guy."


    Wyatt nodded, fully aware that whoever was messing with the Shepherd family had iting.


    "I''m heading upstairs to check things out," Wyatt decided, not wanting to leave any stone unturned. He swiftly exited the surveince room.


    Two minutes could change everything.


    He soon found himself upstairs, where silence reigned supreme. The stillness was almost eerie, broken only by his own cautious footsteps. Wyatt''s eyes swept the area before settling on the storage room door.


    1.n


    This door wasn''t your run-of-the-mill smart lock. It was an old-school mechanical lock, the kind that- required a keen mind and a steady hand to crack. Mess up, and it would lock tighter than a drum.  swnovel


    Unlocking it was a five-star puzzle. Smart locks might be a joke to tech wizards, but this kind of lock was a different beast altogether. Wyatt had practiced countless times just to get the hang of it. He inspected the lock, finding no signs of tampering, and decided against going in He pulled back, abandoning his initial n to take a peek inside.  swnovel


    Wyatt radioed Curtis with an update and, not wanting to spook anyone, made a quick exit.


    *


    Mirabe was back in the lounge before too long.


    James was wrapping up a call as she walked in. "You''re back," he said, putting his phone away.


    Mirabe nodded, then drifted over


    to the ss window, peering down at the auction floor where ancient relics were being sold for


    made her let out a soft


    eye-watering sums. Those numbers a


    testament to the gap between such wealth and everyday life.  swnovel


    James noticed and said, "Not into antiques, huh? Curtis could use a hand with something."


    "Sure thing," Mirabe agreed without missing a beat.


    It wasn''t long before they found themselves in the surveince room at the auction house.


    Wyatt, just back himself, greeted them as they entered.


    Mirabe acknowledged with a simple hum, her gaze already locked onto the


    array of surveince screens ahead.