Getting into the Phoenix building had been straightforward, thanks in equal parts to good advance intelligence and to quick thinking: Arrange for the heating system to break down. Intercept the engineer before he got to the building and take his place. Steal, copy and return an ID badge from a random employee. Plant your infiltration program into the first computer terminal you find, disguised as an e-mail to a low level employee. Wait for them to open it and spread the program. Use your new found access to match your photograph to the name on the ID. ‘Fix’ the heating, commit the layout of the building to memory, then leave.

Getting back in the next day had been more about confidence: Stroll in early as though you have every right to be there. Flash your doctored ID at the desk clerk, allow the security camera to take your photo, smile and carry on inside. Take what you need, playing the part of a harassed junior tech on an errand so people don’t notice you. Disappear into the ventilation system and wait.

Now all that remained was to e-mail a progress report to your superiors, then escape with the items you’d been sent to collect.

7716BB3 slid down a chute, checking his speed with gloved hands, and arrived at a grille. The server room below was dark, a handful of lights glowing on the computer s the only source of light. He let himself down out of the vent, landing on the top of a filing cabinet. He jumped down, booted up a computer and logged in. He opened up the e-mail, sent his message and erased all traces of his presence before closing the computer down again.

7716BB3 watched the computer shut down, then climbed back onto the filing cabinet. He was reaching for the vent when he heard a noise. Quiet footsteps approached along the corridor outside. He pulled himself up into the vent as fast as possible, but slipped on the edge of the hole. The squeal of his shoe on the metal pipe echoed through the server room and he scowled, setting the grille in place and cursing his own clumsiness.

Outside, the footsteps came to an abrupt halt and 7716BB3 heard a sharp intake of breath.

Willis stilled as he heard the sound, his heartbeat suddenly loud in his head. For a hysterical moment he thought he heard the sound of the Alien from the film chittering in the air vents, and looked up. No vent pipes ran along the corridor ceiling and he took a breath, willing himself to calm down. He reached a shaking hand around the server room door and flicked on the light switch. The room, bathed in fluorescent light, looked just as it did in the daytime.

“That’s it – no more late night cinema for me!” Willis shook his head at his own fear and crossed to the disk box, taking out a handful. “And no more late night working either, this place gives me the creeps!” He crossed to the door, giving the large vent pipes in the ceiling a suspicious look. His hand froze on the light switch as he watched the panel above the cabinets bow gently, then rise up again with a quiet creak.

Leaving the light on, he fled along the corridor, raced down the stairs and came to a skidding halt at the security guard’s station in the lobby. He spun, looking for the guard.

“Randy?” Willis squashed the thought that perhaps the Alien had eaten Randy already and went behind the desk. Picking up the phone with a shaking hand, he dialled a number from memory, knuckles white on the receiver as he listened to the burr of the phone ringing. There was a click as the other person picked up and Willis heaved a sigh of relief.

“Mac? Yeah, it’s me.” A pause. “Yeah, I know it’s late but I’m still at work. Mac – I think there’s someone in the building with me!”

MacGyver rolled off his couch, the phone clamped between his ear and his shoulder, and hunted in the dark for his sneakers.

“Calm down, Willis, OK?” He located one sneaker and dumped it on the seat beside him, burrowing further under the couch for the other. “It’s probably just a rat or something. Can you call Randy? He should have his radio on.” His fingers found a lace and he pulled his other sneaker out. He scrubbed a hand across his face and listened to Willis, who was starting to sound hysterical. “OK, well, he’s probably doing a sweep of the top floor. You know how the magnets they’ve got up there mess with everything.” He listened again, stretching the cricks out of his back and resolving not to fall asleep on the couch any more. “You want me to come get you?” He glanced at his watch and sighed. “OK, I’m on my way.”

MacGyver pulled up outside the Phoenix building main entrance, stifling a yawn. He walked up to the main doors, seeing nothing amiss, and let himself into the lobby.
“Willis?” He listened carefully, then crossed to the security station. The camera feeds displayed behind the desk showed Willis and Randy walking along a corridor. MacGyver could see Willis talking and waving his hands. The grainy image showed them walk under the camera and disappear off screen. MacGyver rubbed his eyes and combed back his hair with his fingers, reflecting that this really wasn’t where he wanted to be at one in the morning. He sat down to wait for Willis and Randy to get back, watching the security footage through half closed eyes.

The sound of footsteps and voices jolted him awake some minutes later. MacGyver stood up, trying to look as though he’d been awake all the time, and walked over to meet them by the stairs.

“Find anything?” MacGyver asked.

“No.” Willis looked both relieved and frustrated. “Not a sign. But I know what I saw, Mac, I didn’t imagine it.” Behind him, Randy shrugged.

“Nothing, Mr. MacGyver.” Randy shook his head. “We’ve been everywhere in the building and back to the server room twice. There’s no-one here.” He slid into his seat behind the desk. “I’ll look at all the footage again, but truly, I’m not expecting to find anything.”

“OK, Randy. Thanks.” MacGyver nodded, ignoring Willis’s frustrated glare. “Even if it’s nothing, I’d rather you weren’t on your own the rest of the night,”

“Way ahead of you.” Randy held up the phone receiver. “I called Jerry before we did the sweep and he should be here any time now.”

“Thanks, Randy.”MacGyver nodded and turned to Willis. “Come on, I’ll drop you at home. We’ll do a full check in the morning, OK?”

“OK.” Willis cast a last, doubtful glance at the stairwell, then followed MacGyver out.