He stepped up to the lock and inserted the key, then turned the knob and slowly pushed the door open.
She felt a little trepidation, but nothing jumped out at them, and the floor did not fall away. Instead, they walked into a closet-sized library with towering bookshelves and a large mahogany desk positioned in the center. The desk's surface appeared to be made of dark glass or polished black stone, completely smooth and reflective, with no visible controls or markings. It looked elegant but also mysteriously high-tech.
"What now?" she asked. "I was hoping that first part was it."
"There must be a secret door somewhere." He examined the shelves, then reached for a book titledMedieval History.
When the book left the shelf, the desk's surface came alive. A grid of twenty-five squares appeared on what she now realized was an interactive display, and one square in the upper left corner glowed green. When she took out a different book, a blue light appeared in the center of the grid.
"It's a logic puzzle," Matt said. "Each book corresponds to a specific square. We need to figure out what pattern we're supposed to create."
"There are a lot of books. Do you think we have to pull them all out?"
"I doubt it." He grabbed another book, and a light flickered, then went off. "Or maybe we do," he said, setting the book back in its place.
"This could take forever," she groaned, impatient to get out of this room and find Arjun Patel.
"Then we better keep going," he said pragmatically, lifting another book off the shelf that lit up a green square and also a digital readout that flickered to life:ILLUMINATE THE PATH: 7 SQUARES REQUIRED. "Looks like we just need four more."
The idea of being done spurred her on, and they worked together, pulling out books. While some books lit up the grid, they didn't create a path, so they had to keep going.
As Matt reached across her for a book with a gold spine, his hand brushed her arm, and she found herself noticing the subtle scent of his cologne, the breadth of his shoulders. Her pulse sped up again, but it wasn't anxiety raising the temperature; it was the FBI agent, whose very attractive qualities she hadn't really noticed until now.
She moved away from him, and he gave her an odd look. "Are you okay?"
"Just feeling hot. There's not a lot of air in here."
"You'll feel better once the door opens."
"If it opens," she said a little desperately.
"Try the red leather book," he suggested. "It's right behind you on the sixth shelf. The colors of the spines could be important."
She grabbed the volume in question, and he was right—a gold square lit up on the grid. The lighted squares were actually one step delayed, so a gold book lit up a white square, and a red book lit up a gold one. She looked at the books they had already picked out and put on the desk and realized the last clue. "We need blue," she said.
Matt was already ahead of her, grabbing a blue book to light up a yellow square and complete the path.
The entire grid flashed green, and they heard a mechanical click as a section of the bookshelf swung inward, revealing the door to the next room. She was so excited to leave the chamber, she collided with Matt and stumbled.
He put his arm around her waist to steady her. "Okay?" he asked.
She was definitely not okay, but she couldn't begin to tell him she'd suddenly become very aware of him as a man and not an FBI agent who could charge her with obstructing justice. "I have to get out of here," she said.
"After you." He waved her through the door.
As she stepped into the room, she let out a breath. Facing them was a hostess stand leading into what looked like a bar.
The woman, who had pink hair and tattooed arms, gave them a smile. "Congratulations. Welcome to Cipher." She waved her hand toward the spacious room behind her.
Inside, the club was much more elegant than the drab exterior had implied, with exposed brick walls, comfortable seating areas, and the soft glow of multiple computer screens. People sat in small groups, some playing elaborate board games, others hunched over laptops or engaged in what appeared to be virtual reality experiences. A bar along one wall served drinks in beakers and test tubes, giving the whole place the atmosphere of a mad scientist's social club.
"Table for two?" the hostess asked. "Or are you joining friends?"
"Actually, we're looking for AJ Patel," Haley said. "Is he here?"
The woman's expression shifted, becoming more guarded. "Who's asking?"
She knew Matt was about to flash his badge, so she put a quick hand on his arm, not wanting to scare anyone off. "Tell him it's Haley Kenton, Landon Kenton's sister. It's very important I speak with him."
