This is my first story. I write an adventure where John Reese is a more free spirit in front events an OC is going to live. He thinks to be in control as always, but he will be under influence. In some sort I wanted another John, doing his work conscientiously as usual but bringing to life again quite unexpectedly.
Chapter 1
New York 2013 July.
As usual, John stopped to the coffee shop to buy the Sencha green tea for Harold and two black coffees, one for Shaw and one for him. This morning the air was fresh as it had rained in the night but this didn't bother him, the sun was soon rising and dissipating the tiny cold atmosphere. He arrived at the library and climbed upstairs where Harold stood with his arsenal of computers and wires.
"Good morning Harold." John said posing the teacup on Harold desk.
"Good morning. You're in a good mood, Mr. Reese."
"I am. I woke up this morning and felt, took me a while to put my finger on it, but I felt happy. Must be this job. Hey Shaw, good morning here your coffee."
"Morning, thanks." Shaw grumbled.
"Are you okay Shaw? "Asked John.
"Not your business." She answered with an angry look, grabbing her cup and turning back in the corner where she stood first. She was dealing with a difficult case that struggled her mind as Harold recalled her some rules she might comply with, but she was reluctant to.
"Any number this morning Harold?" John asked.
"Yes, it's just arrived now. The Machine told that it's a French citizen. This is a first for us."
The image of the number exited from the printer and Harold pinned it on the glass board, saying:
"A French lady named Elisabeth Adrian."
John watched the image and couldn't help him to think that she looked very pretty and attractive. Long brown hair with auburn sheen, well-designed eyebrows, soft hazel-green doe eyes, pretty little nose, fleshy lips and bright smile. All in appearance told that she seemed soft and intelligent.
In a flash, he remembered a report he read about French women in a people magazine that said they were the best lovers in the world. Caressing his chin he smirked and lightly shook his head. It was neither the time nor the place about a fantasy he never thought before this morning.
Harold looked at John, reading his pensive face and said:
"For the moment all we know about her is that She. Is. Pretty., her name, her nationality and that her flight is about to land at JFK airport soon. We don't know if she's the victim or the perpetrator, but we will soon be aware".
"So we have to be at the airport as soon as she arrives and to follow her everywhere she goes. She must have rented a flat or a room in a hotel or someone can take her on her arrival, perhaps, she has some family living here." John said.
"John, the flight landed at 9:00 am you must immediately go to the airport, in the meantime, I will try to gather information on our number in the French databases. I will keep you informed as soon as I get it. Take the keys of the SUV and keep the focus on the mission." He insisted on an emphatic tone.
John drank his barely warm coffee and forwarded outside the library. In the inside parking, he motioned toward the black SUV, entered in the driver seat and started the car. He sped up outside and melted into the traffic toward the JFK airport.
John tapped his earpiece as Finch dialed him.
"Yeah Harold, I've just arrived at the airport, have you some news about our number?"
"Yes, Mr. Reese I got some background on our number, the least I can say is that it's eloquent and varied:
She is thirty-three years old. Born in Nice the Azur Coast famous sunny city in the South of France, well-known for its "Promenade des Anglais" Avenue. Unique child of Samuel Adrian, military, deceased in 2003 in Afghanistan, and Marie Adrian born Riviere, teacher, tragically taken off in a car accident in 2012 where Ms. Adrian was severely injured.
In 2004, she is graduated as five degrees High School French Letters Teacher. In the meanwhile, she obtained a doctorate in Information Technology and Network Communications. In 2005 January she enlisted in the French army in the town of PAU and followed a hard training in the IRIS formation which supported French Special Forces Operations in war conflicts. Why she enlisted is a question, she had huge opportunities with her graduate diploma.
In 2007 January she joined in Afghanistan a SIC section to install and arm tactical command post, that means that she deployed the network master station and the tactical data-link on the ground. She acted as a radio transmitter operative during ground operations with Special Forces groups both French, English and Americans.
In 2009 December she quit after five years of national services.
Then until 2012, she worked at Sophia Antipolis Technology Center as an Expert Network IT Engineer. When her mother died she sold the family home and went to Paris where she taught French Letters in Paris-Sorbonne University. As you see, she is an intelligence gifted being and a restless mind. I would never have expected to find such rich pieces of life at first sight."
"This is stunning, a lady being a soldier among the Special Forces in a terrorist land! She has more than a string to her bow. We don't know why she came to New York, holidays, business, perhaps she has some family here." John was surprised by the precise background Harold discovered.
"With the names of her mother and father, I am going to find if she's linked to people here. Please, Mr. Reese, keep me inform when you get her to the airport."
"Okay, Harold." John cut the call.
While speaking with Finch, John arrived at the airport and found the arrival/departure board. The flight from Paris had just landed, so he steered toward the place where luggage was supposed to be collected by their owners.
He was waiting for twenty minutes when he saw her coming with a cabin suitcase and her phone in her hand. The French lady was more than pretty. He judged she was 5,6 feet tall. She was dressed in something that suited her to perfection. Very elegant in a fluid dark blue pantsuit with a white blouse, a dark blue jacket and blue and white ballerina shoes. She stood before the carousel to collect her luggage, moving her head to see the first new sight of New York inside the airport. John walked toward her, discretely melting with other people. When he reached to stay near behind her he cloned her phone and moved backward away to keep him anonym in the crowd. She frowned and looked at her phone at it unexpectedly lighted up and turned to scrutinize back herself.
'Hum, careful reflex' John though, smiling and nodding. He tapped his earpiece to dial Finch.
"Harold, I got her and cloned her phone. Have you some more information?"
"She had an aunt Jeanne Riviere here in New York, her mother's sister, she died last month. She was the founding CEO and owner of the Riviere Company which is a distributor of luxury products with research and development section. She had divorced after ten years of marriage, she had no children."
"Yeah, but we get no clue about her to stay here. The only thread is that her parents are dead, her aunt owned a Company in New York and just died. Please have you the address of the Company building and the Riviere's home?
"I forward them on your phone. We have to wait for a clue to hope a lead on the mobile of her travel. John, be careful, we don't know yet why she is here, so this can be a simple case or a complicated one, she is a skilled and intelligent person. We can't avoid the case she might be eventually the perpetrator."
Elisabeth collected her luggage she recognized by the blue-white-red ribbon she tied on the handle and walked towards the exit of the airport when her phone rang. She immediately answered the call and smiled hearing a friendly voice.
"Lisa c'est Paul, etes-vous bien arrivee a New York? Comment s'est passe votre vol?"
(Lisa it's Paul, do you now arrive in New-York? How was your flight?)
"Paul, comme je suis heureuse de vous entendre . Je viens juste d'arriver et tout est pout le mieux. Merci."
(Paul, I'm glad to hear from you. I just arrived and all is okay. Thanks.)
"J'ai reserve une chambre pour vous a l'hotel Mondrian 444 Park Avenue au coeur de Manhattan, prenez un taxi, installez -vous et prenez votre temps, reposez-vous et rappelez-moi demain matin. Nous ferons le point sur votre rendez-vous. "
(I booked you a room at Mondrian Hotel 444 Park Avenue, in Manhattan Center, take a cab, install and take the time, rest and call me back tomorrow morning. We will review your appointment.)
"Paul, je vous remercie de votre aide, vraiment vous etes adorable. Je vous rappelle demain. Bye Paul."
(Paul, I thank you for your help, you are really sweet. I will call you back tomorrow. Bye Paul.)
"Bye Lisa."
John tapped his earpiece to dial Finch. He and Harold understood the French language.
"You heard the conversation, Harold."
"Yes, I did Mr. Reese. She has a business purpose in coming here. The guy seemed to support and guide her. The words he used were deprived of tender feelings so, I supposed there is no relationship between them but rather he may be an adviser, a lawyer, something like that. He was guiding and methodical in his words. We will know more tomorrow when she will call him back. "
"Harold, book me a room near hers in that hotel. She seems wary and I don't like that. When I cloned her phone she scanned around her as she suspected she was spied. In plus, she will probably meet people at her appointment so someone knows she has arrived."
"Mr. Reese, she worked with the Special Forces in a menacing environment, she is used to being wary. I suppose you enjoy cat and mouse game, however, don't be had. You must keep you unseen unless extreme circumstances don't let you the choice. Mr. Warren your room is booked, number 110, our number's is 111."
"Thanks, Harold, I have to go." John hanged up.
He strode to the parking to retrieve the SUV and when he came outside the parking he saw her climbing in a cab. He followed the cab to the Mondrian Hotel, parked the SUV a block further and stepped to the entrance of the hotel. She was already entering the elevator, so he motioned to the desk to ask for his booked room.
His key card in hands, he looked at the floor number where the elevator stopped, the tenth. His room is on the tenth floor too. Harold was an ace in computer hacking, John smirked as his ingenious boss made most of the things possible with ease and accuracy.
Lisa entered her room and soon she showered and fell on her bed to rest. When she woke up it was 3:00 pm. She unpacked her things and decided to visit some famous places in the city.
She dressed in casual clothes, a red tee-shirt, blue jeans, and sneakers and went out of her room. Down in the lobby, she asked the receptionist how she could go by visiting some places in NYC. He showed her the New York City Pass document and told her that hop-on, hop-off buses were dedicated to the visits each half hour and took clients in front of the hotel in few minutes. The Pass was valuable nine days for visiting Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Statue of the Liberty and Ellis Island, Memorial Museum of September 11th, Air & Space Museum, Circle Line Cruises. She bought the City Pass and went out to wait for the bus.
When John heard she went out of her room, he followed her into the corridor. He also bought the city Pass and waited inside for the bus. The bus arrived, she climbed into it and sat on the front. He climbed by the back door and sat in the bottom. The bus stopped at the Rockefeller Center. She entered the building and took the elevator, John hurried after her in the same lift turning his back to her. The lift stopped at the seventieth floor, John went out the first and walked to an opposite corner where he had sight on her. After one hour of seeing, looking in the field glasses and taking photos she decided to get down to the floor 0 where she bought a coffee and a gourmet sandwich. John was also hungry so he did the same. She walked in the large hallway eating and drinking, then discarded the paper and plastic glass in a waste-basket. She admired the shops and decided to enter a woman clothes one.
John entered the large shop and watched her through the stands of dresses. She chose a black one and tried it in a dressing room. The seller assistant nodded when she got out the dressing room: the dress was tightened around her curves and reached under her knees, a leather belt with a knot, no front cleavage, no sleeves, but when she turned back the dress was closed by a button in the back of the neck and opened till her tiny waist like a cutter would have made an incision in the fabric. He roamed his gaze on her slim figure and judged that she had a good taste in choosing this dress.
Lisa bought a pair of black stiletto three inches high to go with the dress, paid and got out the shop with a pleased smile. She entered the "House of Chocolate" shop and came out with a bag full of chocolate boxes.
John tapped his earpiece as Finch dialed him.
"Yeah Harold."
"I'm just finishing putting a bug and camera in her room. I looked into her computer, I found messages from her lawyer telling her to be ready for a trip to New York and that he will explain her face to face why. She had some nice photos of her in her military uniform in the desert and some others in a cocktail dress, some images of her parents and friends. Nothing interesting about their things. You will find a computer in your room to vision the images in hers. I will too, but we must respect her privacy as usual. I brought a bag of change clothes and toilet set for you and put it in your room. Where are you now, Mr. Reese?"
"On the floor 0 of the Rockefeller Center. She visited the Rock Observation Deck then drank a coffee and ate a sandwich then she made shopping in the shops, and I hoped we are ending the visits for today." John sighed.
"You said 'we' ?"
"Yes, I discretely visited and waited for her, everywhere she was, Finch. What do you think? I know how to do my job. I didn't let her out of my sight." John answered with a bit of irritation.
"Call me when you turned back at your hotel. Good end afternoon Mr. Reese." Finch disconnected the call.
Lisa was now climbing into the bus, John too. The bus melted into the traffic toward the Empire State Building. John ran his hand through his hair, it was 7:00 pm and the visits ended at 02:00 am. He was going to admire NYC in the daylight, at sundown and by night, he was sure.
And hop, the elevator till the top of the building, merging him into the crowd of visitors. She enjoyed to look out on New York City from 1,050 feet above the bustling streets below.
As he predicted, she stayed on the top until the sunset where colors covered the city in yellow, orange and red. Then she stood still when lights began to sparkle in the skyscrapers making them look alike giant Christmas trees in the night. Finally, at 11:30 pm, she decided she had enough for today and turned her way down the floor 0. They took the bus, her in front, him in the bottom. When she entered the hotel she greeted the clerk with a content smile. While he strode the hotel lobby John dialed Finch.
"Harold, I hope I don't wake you. I'm back at the hotel. I didn't see anything wrong today."
"I was waiting for your call. Please, you turn on the computer, to watch and listen to the camera records, activate the application 'Secret Spy', the password is the same as your computer login with a slash at the end. You don't have to stay in front all the night, the application is parameterized to message and bleep your phone and mine if unusual movements or noises are captured. You can sleep, almost in one ear, I know you. Goodnight Mr. Reese."
"Thanks, Harold, goodnight."
In her room, she could order a light cold dinner despite the late hour. She quickly showered and wore her night clothes. Already in his room, John turned on the computer and ran the application to watch and listen to the camera records. He saw her in her short pajamas then she ate her dinner. He had himself ordered a cold dinner. Then it was time to rest, John was tired and he drifted into sleep watching her doing the same.
Thanks for reading, reviews are greatly appreciated.
