Chapter 109: The Hard Drive

From the looks of it, this kidnapping was likely impulsive. Otherwise, they wouldn't have neglected to prepare a getaway vehicle.

“Aimee wasn’t in great health at the time,” Melody explained. “She either worked in bed or sat by the window. I remember the nurse mentioning that a few times; when she came in, she saw Aimee just staring out the window. Aimee was a very easygoing patient. The nurse in charge of Room 316 got along well with her.”

Melody already knew everything about Aimee’s hospitalization before entering Room 316. She sat by the window. Many people visited Aimee, and there was even a wheelchair in the room. If she'd liked sunlight or wanted to relax, she could have easily asked someone to wheel her outside for fresh air. Instead, she chose to sit by the window.

Chase fixed his eyes on the two potted plants on the windowsill. This type of hospital room usually didn't have anything complicated. The two plants had only been brought in a month ago, supposedly to purify the air. The entire room was pure white; a touch of green could at least ease a patient’s anxiety.

Chase walked over and picked up one of the pots. Ryan, one of Waylon’s men, said, “I already checked it. Nothing underneath.” The pots were small, about the size of a man’s palm, and very light. If there was nothing underneath, there had to be something inside.

Chase crouched down and flipped the pot over. Loose soil scattered across the floor. The roots were tangled, but there wasn’t much dirt overall. Nothing.

Ignoring the mess, Chase reached for the other pot and turned it over.

Clink. Clink.

This time, something hit the marble floor. The crisp sound instantly drew everyone’s attention. It was a small, silver hard drive, covered in dust, with bits of plant roots still clinging to it.

Waylon breathed a sigh of relief. They’d finally found it. The next second, he smacked Ryan on the back of the head. “What the hell do you people even do? You just—"

Ryan rubbed the back of his head and muttered, “I even shook it around a bit. I was sure there was nothing in there!” These kinds of hard drives have weight; shaking them would produce a sound.

Chase stood up, holding the drive. Melody immediately had someone clean up the mess and plugged in a newly brought air purifier.

“Aimee was really careful,” she said. “She placed the drive right in the roots of the plant. It was wrapped up tight. No way anyone would find it without dumping it out.”

It seemed Aimee had expected something like this to happen. She had hidden the drive while in the hospital, knowing the police would find nothing at her house and eventually come here. She was a smart girl.

“Taking it back with you?” Chase asked, handing the drive to Waylon.

Waylon checked the time. It had been more than thirty-five hours since Aimee was kidnapped. They couldn’t waste another second.

“No. Upstairs. We’ll check it in your office. Make a copy afterward. Tell Aimee’s parents to contact the kidnappers. Say the drive has been found, confirm the meeting spot, and start the plan.”

“Yes, sir.”

The group rushed out. Waylon and Chase took the quieter elevator upstairs.

“What do you think’s on it?” Waylon asked.

Chase watched the numbers rise. “What’s the point in guessing? We’ve got it. Let’s just check.”

He quickly texted Wendy: “We found the drive.”

Seeing the text, Waylon added, “Tell Fiona to get ready. If what’s in there is really important, Aimee probably set a password. We’ll need Fiona to crack it.”

Chase texted Wendy: “We’ll probably need Fiona.”

Wendy texted back: “Fiona and I are heading to the hospital now. Wait for us.”

Chase replied: “Got it. Be careful on the way.”

The drive was plugged into the computer. Waylon wasn’t exactly a tech expert, but he could at least find a file. At the bottom of several folders, he finally found a heavily encrypted file. He clicked it. The screen went black, and several blank fields appeared.

Waylon and Chase exchanged a glance. They were right. It needed a password. This wasn’t just encryption; it meant Aimee knew her tech.

“Aimee worked with foreign media at her level. She probably had access to a lot of classified information,” Chase said. “I bet she had some serious contacts, too.”

“Didn’t think we’d be the ones to uncover this.”

Wendy and Fiona took a private elevator up, arriving quickly and smoothly without seeing anyone. They pushed open the office door. The two men immediately gave Fiona the seat.

Fiona sat down without a word and started typing. The password screen was quickly overtaken by a programming window. The room fell silent except for the sound of Fiona’s fingers flying across the keyboard.

“Not bad,” she said. “Aimee really was a pro. The virus she planted is pretty advanced. I’ve barely seen this level of code in the country. She must’ve brought this drive from overseas.”