Just in time. As she and Connor climbed out of the car, two more guards approached. They wore the same black uniform, with firearms on their belts. They looked businesslike and aggressive.
“Stop there,” one of them said. “What are you doing?”
Connor showed his badge, seemingly unperturbed by their threatening demeanor.
“We need to speak with Rowan Andrews,” he said. “We want to ask him some questions relating to recent crimes.”
“On whose authority?” the guard pressured.
“The FBI’s,” Connor said easily.
“You know you’re on private property? Do you have a warrant?” the guard pressured him.
“We don’t, but if you give us a reason to go and get one, it will end up being a far more extensive search,” Connor said pleasantly. “At the moment, questioning is all we’re here for.”
“It’s my job to ensure the security of this place. I’m not allowed to let unauthorized visitors in,” the guard insisted.
“This isn’t a social visit. It’s a crime investigation,” Connor replied.
“If you enter the premises without permission, you’ll be trespassing,” the other guard snapped.
Cami could sense these guards were overbearing, bullying types. Was this a delaying tactic to allow Rowan to sneak out of the house? she wondered suddenly. Was that why they had let them in and not stopped them at the top of the driveway where they would have blocked the exit? Were they going to see a sports car speeding up to the gate and getting out in the next minute or two? Cami could picture this scenario easily.
Time was of the essence, and they didn’t have time to mess around here.
“We need to talk to him,” Connor said.
“I can’t let you in,” the guard repeated. “Our company and our boss have nothing to do with any crime,” the guard said.
“There’s a clear link, or we wouldn’t be standing here,” Connor replied. A gust of rain sent them all edging further under the overhang.
“I’m not going to repeat myself, sir. You can’t come in. I’m just doing my job. Come back with a warrant,” the guard said.
Cami glanced down at her phone again.
Her hack had worked, but only partway, she saw. The program she’d written had been able to access the main operational password, but not get into the wifi at all. So, his devices weren’t accessible. Only the house.
Cami shuffled behind Connor so that she was out of sight of the guards. They weren’t looking at her in any case, clearly perceiving the tall, strong Connor to be in charge and the main threat. But she didn’t want them watching while she worked.
What would be possible?
Turning the lights on and off wouldn’t get her very far. Activating the toaster might be a waste of time if nobody was in the kitchen. Even if it was, it wouldn’t do much.
She had a smart home at her disposal, part of it anyway. What could she do? Activate the gate?
Nope, Cami decided. That wouldn’t do enough either.
Here was something on the list she could use, though. She had no idea what it would do or if it would have an effect at all. But perhaps it would help. At any rate, it would provide the biggest distraction.
Experimentally, she pressed the button to activate the alarm. A moment later, a sharp, loud siren began wailing out.
Everyone except her jumped at the noise, even Connor. The guards glanced at each other. Cami saw that they looked worried. The kind of worry that a guard might feel, she thought, if the boss was home and a loud, unexpected alarm started sounding.
She was sure that Rowan was inside and that was why they were stalling, but now, the alarm had created a crisis.
“Wait here,” the guard said firmly.
The two men rushed away, heading around to the back of the house where Cami guessed the control panel must be.