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The BioCere Inc. lab in Atlanta is a much different set up than the Raleigh lab. The first and most obvious difference being that it’s a huge, state-of-the-art building with a big sign outside that says “BioCere Inc. Research Laboratories.” From the outside, and to the public, this is a legitimate and esteemed business.
This building is also much, much larger. Over 150,000 square feet larger, with three stories of offices, multiple labs and testing facilities, conference rooms, and more. Plus a basement. It’s huge and she could be anywhere.
The only good news is that we know she is here. After being tracked by Tony, Tova’s agents took over and were able to provide surveillance, capturing proof of a person being held captive. That, paired with the “anonymous tip” received by a private citizen that illegal activity is being conducted on the premises, allowed Agent Tova to get the warrants necessary to conduct an emergency raid. He had to go through a trusted federal judge and, because BioCere has a lot of government officials and powerful people in their pockets, put his job on the line to get this warrant.
After taking him off speakerphone, Tony let me know this lab has much better security features in place than the Raleigh lab, including a dummy security surveillance system. The FBI warrant allows them to access any surveillance footage that is transmitted through the web or wirelessly to a server, but that won’t give us access to everything we need to see. He’s working on getting into the internal security cameras, which will show us footage for the labs and rooms they wouldn’t want found.
Not to mention that Ronald Johnson seems to have learned from my father’s mistakes and bumped up his security after the Raleigh lab was taken down. Hopefully, they haven’t had enough time to hide all the evidence of their illegal testing and activities, because it’ll be more than Tova’s job on the line if this raid proves fruitless.
It’s after normal business hours, so there are fewer people in the building, but there are still quite a lot of cars in the parking lot. Because of the size of the building and the number of people still on site, Tova has called in eight SWAT teams of ten to twelve officers each, on top of FBI agents specializing in Investigative and Operations Support, and Critical Incident Response Groups, plus a slew of other state and federal personnel.
My biggest worry is that with this many people and moving pieces, someone might tip off Johnson and the other BioCere powers-that-be. But the fact that this entire raid has been put together so fast should help minimize any damage they can do. Plus, we have Tony doing what he can behind the scenes to prevent information from disappearing.
I’ve been talking, off and on, to Derrick Tova about the potential to take my father down for over two years. If there’s one person I trust to be methodical and painstakingly deliberate in every move to make sure this mission is successful, it’s him. There are times during the last couple of years that he could have taken any tiny bit of information against my father and ran with it, but he understood the importance of having a thorough and organized case, otherwise Adley would have gotten away with everything.
“Confirm your positions,” Tova says into his earpiece.
Tova, Lukas, a surveillance specialist named Officer Rainey, and I are in a black van roughly 150 yards away from the building, surrounded by computer screens. The surveillance footage shows us all the main hallways, the reception area, conference rooms, office area, and even a cafeteria, but few lab areas. That alone tells me that Tony was right, and they’re going to have a backup internal security system for the labs and areas conducting nefarious activities.
The back and side door to the van are open. Luis, Jackson, and Micah are outside with two other agents, watching SWAT approach through binoculars.
Tova gives the first order. “Go, team one.”
Team one is actually two different groups. Their job is to surround each of the exits. When the second group is sent in, team one secures the exits to ensure the safe exit of employees and potential civilians, all of whom will be loaded onto buses, which are approaching now.
As the buses, and the tactical officers in charge of each bus, are in place, Tova sends in team two.
“And now things get interesting,” Tony says to me through my Bluetooth earpiece. “I’ve breached the internal servers. Let Tova know most of the scary stuff is on the basement level.”
“Derrick, with no cameras available in the basement, seems like we should start there if we’re looking for hostages and illegal activity?” I give the agent a meaningful look, gesturing discreetly to my earpiece.
The look he gives me back is wary, but he drops his chin in a sharp nod, understanding my meaning. I can’t tell him too much, because it could jeopardize the legalities of the mission. At the same time, this is helpful information for the safety and wellbeing of his entire team and any hostages. And Six.
He gives the call to ready team three, instructing them to focus on the basement level.
“Team three, a reminder that we do not have eyes on the basement. I repeat, we do not have eyes on the basement. Stay on your guard, masks and night vision at the ready. And…go, team three.”
The only way into the basement is via one of three elevators or two stairwells. The team splits up to take all five so they can enter from all sides at once.
“Has anyone gotten eyes on the hostage?” The question is directed at Tova and officer Rainey, but it’s meant for Tony.
“Not yet,” he says. “But I’m looking.”
As team three infiltrates the basement, teams one and two are clearing out the building. The employees are walking out with their hands held high in the air, each of them getting frisked before they are loaded onto the buses.
“How will we know if any of them are important or higher-ups in the company?” Lukas asks as we watch them file out.
“Each of the tactical teams has a list with photos of the corporate and scientific leads, so if they find them, they’ll be pulled for questioning. Other than that, each of these employees is going to be booked and questioned. Some employees, like call center or cafeteria employees, will be sent home. But the lab workers and scientists will all be held and potentially interrogated based on what we find here today,” Tova explains.
“Makes sense. I just don’t want Johnson or anyone responsible to slip through the cracks.”
“Neither do we, don’t worry. They’re going to answer for their crimes.”
“Found her,” Tony says through my earpiece, and I perk up probably too obviously. “She’s on the basement level, in a small room on the northwest end. She’s alone currently, and might be unconscious.”
Without giving myself away, I do my best to let Tova know where to send back-up. “These schematics make it seem like there are a lot of offices or storage rooms in the northwest end of the basement. What do you think they could be keeping in there?”
I despise this. I’m sure I look like an idiot who’s trying to poke their nose in where they don’t belong to these other agents, but Agent Tova catches my drift and works it into the orders.
