As Jack entered the building through the same door as Dan had done, at first he wasn't sure where to go. This was a five floor high building in the middle of New York, surrounded by some of the most crowded streets he knew.
He wore a baseball cap and sunglasses, kept his head low and went slowly up the stairs as he saw three black clothed men coming downstairs.
Hurriedly he opened the door at the next upstairs landing and slid out of the stairwell, into the second floor main hallway. The men hadn't seen him since they weren't awaiting him. They passed his position and went further downstairs.
Jack always kept peeking through the gap he had let the door open. As they passed by, he saw how one of them wiped his fingers clean – from blood.
Hurriedly Jack took out his cell phone.
„Hello", Chloe answered.
„It's me. Have you got a satellite image on the building we're in?"
„Wait a moment. Let me go to my desk."
„Hurry up, Chloe. I think it's already too late for Meyer. Three men are leaving the building right now. Can you see them?"
It took her a moment to bring up the satellite image. „Yeah. Who are they?"
„I don't know yet. They weren't the ones from the place where I picked up Dan before. They were ordered by someone else. I think they just got to him before I could."
„What's the status of Dan?"
He dared to get out into the stairwell to have a look where the men have gone. „I don't know for sure. I'm still looking for him, but I think it's too late. It seems they have been waiting for him, I would have had no chance to stop this."
Chloe swore into the receiver. „Damnit. He was our only lead."
„Have you found something on Walsh?"
„Wait a second." Chloe opened his file. „He's a known crime suspect, was released three years ago from prison. Out last information on him is… wait… he just boarded a flight to La Guardia. He's coming to New York."
Jack listened carefully while he went further upstairs, searching for the right place to find Dan Walters. „I already thought that. Listen, Chloe. You have to tell me what this all is about. I need to know all of it."
„What do you intend?", she asked, but she could almost guess what was on his mind.
Jack had found a bloody handprint on the door at the fifth floor. „Hold on Chloe, I found him.", he murmured.
Carefully he draw his weapon – with the silencer on it – out of his bag and opened the door. It lead to a large, technical storage room.
Jack let the door swing open.
There was nobody inside apart from Dan Meyer, lying in pool of blood.
Jack entered the room, his weapon drawn. He went around but there was nobody left. „Chloe, I found Walters." He knelt down and felt the mans pulse. „It's too late.", he murmured.
„Damnit.", Chloe murmured. „Get out of there and try not to leave any tracks."
Jack stood up again, quickly. He left the room, closed the door again without leaving any fingerprints and started to rush downstairs. „How did they find out about his cover?", he asked her. „There has to be someone on the inside."
„I'm working on it.", she replied. „Now tell me what you're up to with Walsh."
„I'm going to the airport.", he answered.
„And then?"
„Damnit Chloe, fill me in on the details. I need to know what's going on around here. I'll see what I can do when I get to Walsh. Maybe I can follow him to that meeting."
Chloe just wanted to reply, as she saw Lynn, her new assistant data analyst, waiting in front of her office door. „I have to hang up, I'll call you back.", she murmured into the private cell phone, before she gestured Lynn to come in.
"This is the file you wanted. I printed it once, there are no copies on our servers.", Lynn said.
"Thanks.", Chloe answered. "Anything else?"
"As a matter of fact, yes." Lynn approached Chloes desk. "Mr. Wellington is starting to ask around, about what you're doing up here. You missed one of the briefings."
Chloe looked at her wristwatch. Damnit, she had really forgotten about it. Well, there was nothing she could do about it now. "Thanks. I'll be there next time.", Chloe answered.
Finally, Lynn left the room.
She took the paper file and started to read it through, when she stared.
Dan Meyer had gone undercover a long time ago, but the FBI never had access to his files, apart from his two contact persons – Larry Moss and Renee Walker.
Chloe already knew that he would not like to hear this, so she hid the file and rushed out of her office, to call him from some lonely place in the basement.