Here's to Christmas - Skulduggery Pleasant FanFic

Chapter 13: A Shock to the System

Warning: This chapter contains some strong language used in frustrating circumstances.

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Valkyrie met Skulduggery, Dexter and Saracen in the security room, where there were several black and white, silent security cameras showing various rooms in the sanctuary; now, though, they showed only Lewin's office and the corridors surrounding it.

"Are we ready?" Valkyrie asked. Saracen nodded and handed her a tiny, transparent earpiece.

"You'll be able to hear us through this," he said. She put it in and it fitted comfortably. "The moment we tell you to get out of there, you get out. If we're caught, we're screwed."

"Here's the hardrive," Skulduggery handed her a little black and red memory stick. "It's completely empty. It will appear in Computer as Removable Disk K. Just double click and save whatever you find."

"Her computer is passcode protected," Dexter said, handing her a piece of paper, "but thankfully, after some very careful, spying, skulking and general sneakiness I've managed to obtain it. The exact letters and digits are written on there, capitals, spaces, numbers, everything. Don't change a thing."

"Got it. When's she due in her conference?"

"About six minutes." Skulduggery said. "Here's a copy of the key to her office. She'll no doubt lock it behind her."

"Wouldn't you?"

"I frequently do."

Valkyrie lifted her top and slipped the key, the hardrive and the passcode into the component belt she'd found. She breathed deeply.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah. It's just...I owe this to Natalie. I can't mess it up."

She bit her lip and looked at the baffled faces of the other Dead Men. Oops.

"Oh."

"Natalie? Your waitress friend? Why do you owe her this?" Dexter asked. She sighed.

"What haven't you told us, Val?"

She pursed her lips and looked at the floor. "For a few days, I kept finding her in the staff bathroom throwing up. There was always this horrible, sickly smell hanging around. Then one day I walked in and the smell was there and the cubicle door was unlocked and Natalie was sort of leaning against it, half dead, passed out, high as a kite."

Saracen tilted his head sympathetically. "Oh, God, Val."

"I made her resign and I hated it but it was the right thing to do. I mean, it was the right thing to do, wasn't it?"

"Yes." Dexter confirmed. "Of course it was. She left with dignity and a good reference and once she's better she'll be able to get a good job. You did the right thing."

"That's why you came back," Skulduggery tipped his hat up. "You were angry. that's why Reise let you back in on the spot."

"I scared her. I kind of feel bad about that."

"Don't." Saracen squeezed her hand and she smiled. "She was getting them from Lucas Flint, wasn't she? She's your inside source."

She reached into the side pocket of the component belt and pulled out the silver wrappers she never let out of her sight. 

"And these are my evidence. They wouldn't flush away when I tried."

She was sure they would have kept talking about it, had Lewin not at that point emerged from her office and locked the door behind her.