"Shit," Stone announced when they reached the fire door, "it's alarmed." That's exactly what I was afraid of, she thought. "Any chance they're bluffing?" "Don't think so." He pointed. "That little red diode says it's hot." God, she thought we've got to get out of here. "Maybe we could just make a dash for it?" He looked at her and shook his head. "Like you're in shape to dash? No, what's called for is stealth." He was pulling out his wallet. "The thing about these card readers, some of them, like those that get you into bank ATMs, sometimes will open for other cards. I've got four kinds of plastic. Might as well give them a try." "Well, just hurry." She leaned against the wall. "I'm starting to get weak." He slipped his Visa through and nothing happened. He immediately tried MasterCard. Again nothing. "Maybe I should try my all-purpose bankcard." He slipped a Chase plastic through, but once more nothing happened. "This isn't working, Stone." She sighed, feeling her legs weaken as she clasped the wall. "I think we're going to have to chance the elevator." "Don't give up yet." He took out his American Express, kissed it and swiped it through. "One last shot." The red diode blinked off. "Never leave home without it," she whispered. "We will now proceed very, very quietly." He carefully pushed open the door, inches at a time. The stair had metal steps and was lit by a single fluorescent bulb. As he helped her up, Ally was wondering if there was any way to extract her mother too. She couldn't imagine how she could do it and besides, Nina might well refuse to go. No, just get out and make Stone understand that no way was Winston Bartlett going to let him go free to tell the story of Kristen. He clearly wasn't thinking with all cylinders. Stone Aimes was about to disappear, just like Kristen had. The entry to the laboratory level was also alarmed, but American Express once again saved the day. When they pushed open the door, however, the lights were on in the office at the far end of the hallway. Where's that door that Grant was going to use to get me out? she wondered. Then she saw a door marked EXIT next to Van de Vliet's office. Shit, it's all the way at the opposite end of the hall. "Stone, we have to get to that door before anybody sees us. I don't know if it's alarmed or not, but that's the ball game." She reached for his hand. "If we can get there and get out, please come with me. We can make it to the highway. You can't stay here." "Let's get you out. Then we'll talk." "I'll drag you if I have to." As they moved quietly along the wall, they could hear an argument under way. She recognized the voices as Ellen 'Hara's and Karl Van de Vliet's. "I won't allow my staff to be part of this," Ellen was declaring. "I've seen Kristen. Any form of the Beta is dangerous. If you do anything involving that procedure again, you'll put everybody here at risk."