"Start from the beginning, what happened?" Lowel asked his head of security as he stood in front of his desk. Lowel rubbed his forehead in frustration as he gestured for him to have a seat.
"He was posing as an INTERPOL agent, the same credentials he's used at least a dozen times. Paris cold case inspector saw through it and arrested him," he said and Lowel laughed in irritation.
"This inspector…"
"Alain Beaumont, cold case inspector. His record is neat, not spotless but neat. Recently divorced, frequent flier for alcoholism counselling. He went to this man for advice to find a starting point for Aelita," he explained, opening a file he had some contacts foreward him.
"I find it hard to believe this man saw through his credentials," Lowel said, the head of security nodding.
"I did too, however inspector Beaumont has another file. He's a former INTERPOL agent himself, same department he tried to pass himself off as. He was probably the only person in the building who could have seen the mistake."
"What mistake is that?"
"His INTERPOL credentials says he an investigator for arms trafficking. That's how he signs for confiscated weapons. He could have confirmed the credentials…"
"An arms trafficking agent looking for a girl would probably sound more suspicious," Lowel said and leaned into his chair, "You have a plan?"
"It's only a matter of time before they find out who he really is. When they do they'll probably transport him to more secure location. Once I know that, we'll hit them in route," he said and Lowel nodded.
"Do what you have to do."
"Even if you were right, why did you take that chance of arresting an INTERPOL agent?" Chief Inspector St. Pierre asked Alain, them both standing in front of the two way mirror watching Donovan sitting with his hands cuffed on top of the table.
"His credentials says he's arms trafficking, he told me crimes against children. Also the little girl he was looking for, I dug into her as well. She's dead," Alain asked, handing him the faked file.
St. Pierre looked at the file and back at the Donovan, then at Alain. Wanting to say something but uncertain of where to start, St. Pierre closed the file and handed it back.
"When are you going in there?" St. Pierre finally asked.
"Soon as biometrics comes back. Until then I have nothing to leverage on him in an interrogation," Alain answered, St. Pierre nodding back.
"Ballsy call Alain," St. Pierre said, "Keep making them."
"Will do sir," Alain said, St. Pierre stepping out of the room as a female lab tech walked in with a few files, "What do you got?"
"He's a ghost. No prints, retinal, DNA like you said there wouldn't be. I didn't think people like that were real. People could be that far off the grid," the tech said, Alain taking the file and looked through the results.
"Look for dead people," Alain said, then handed the tech back the file, "If you can, cross reference with DRM, German intelligence, and INTERPOL. If anyone gives you grief I can make a few calls," Alain said and heard a knock on the door and saw Rose, "Get to it."
"On it inspector, ma'am," she said to Rose as she stepped by her.
"Do you know anything?" Alain asked Rose who nodded.
"I know who he is," Rose said leaned against the glass, "Not a name exactly, but we've been tracking him for awhile. Not sure if he works alone or for someone but he uses INTERPOL credentials to steal confiscated weapons. Why the sudden change of MO?"
"Want to take a crack at him?" Alain asked with a smile that Rose returned.
"Watch and learn," Rose said looking both ways, kissing him, then entering the interrogation room where Donovan raised his head and smiled.
"Good evening I'm…"
"Rose Glandale, INTERPOL agent who's been after me for awhile. I do my homework too," Donovan said with a grin. The fact he knew any of that alarmed her.
"All smart boys do," Rose said as she sat down across from him, "Embarrassed it took a cold case inspector to catch you while you were soliciting for little girls?"
"Embarrassed you're banging the cold case inspector?" Donovan asked, Rose at a lose of words, "Your apartment a few months ago. His office last week? That's a married man you little hussy."
"Recently divorced," Rose retorted.
"Gee I wonder why," Donovan said and flexed his wrists around the cuffs, "You guys use cuffs?"
"Sometimes," Rose said, changing tactics to play along.
"Sounds fun…"
"What is your name?"
"Donovan Houser."
"Your real name?" Rose asked, Donovan shrugging and leaning into the seat, "You don't know."
"How do you think this ends?" Donovan asked.
"You in jail."
"I've danced circles around INTERPOL for three years, in twelve countries and have stolen a cool hundred million in arms in that time. I knew your name, your job, your assignment. I know the door to your apartment sticks, it's fifteen steps from your bed to bath. I know your habits, your sexual exploits. I know you don't talk to your mother, you send your sister money and you never told that man behind the glass you miscarried his baby ten years ago. How do you think this ends?"
Rose eyes panned to the glass, then back to Donovan before she took a deep breath and slid away from the table. She stood up and walked to the door, exiting the room without further incident.
"I'm going to make a few calls, and have some people check my house for bugs," Rose said and stepped passed Alain who grabbed her arm.
"Was all of that true?"
"All of it," Rose said, looking him in the eyes, her gaze telling him now was not the time to talk about it.
"Make your call," Alain said as the lab tech returned, nearly colliding into Rose as she ran back in.
"Ma'am, sorry…his name is Hugo Weiz, former German special forces, assumed dead in 2003 in Afghanistan. His prints came back positive from INTERPOL as well, as part of a special investigation. He's an operative who has been working for some entity called Wrath for three years."
"What?" Rose asked and took the file from her hand. Rose read it quickly and looked at Alain, "Move him now. Get him on a truck and move him to a secure location."
"What's Wrath?" Alain asked.
"Not a conversation for this room. Either get him moving now, or walk into that room and put a bullet in him," Rose said and Alain looked at her before walking out to get a transport ready.
Antea Schaeffer stood in front of a group of a dozen men and women. Some of the men were in military uniforms with stars, generals from several countries. Behind Anthea was Lowel's lab where he had recently finished his latest project.
"Welcome to today's presentation," Anthea said to a room of benefactors and investors, "I'll start today with a question, what country has the largest standing military?"
"China," one man responded.
"Correct. They have a million soldiers, tanks, planes, strikers, and yet all of that means nothing. What is the secret to the United State's military dominance? It's not bombs, planes, or missiles, it's logistical reach. The Unites States military can move a division sized element to anywhere on the planet in mere weeks. It can project its power anywhere at any time. A million man army that can't move is useless.
"Moving men and equipment as far and as fast as possible means everything. We have permanently ended that," Anthea said and pressed a button on a remote. Two cylindrical objects appeared, one opening with steam pouring out, "May I borrow your hat?"
A general handed Anthea his hat which she placed in the scanner. It closed and a moment later it was virtualized.
"What we just did was digitize the hat, molecule by molecule. It is now data. It was essentially uploaded into cyberspace," The second scanner turned on and began to hum, "Now we're materializing it, returning it back into physical matter."
The second scanner opened, Anthea leaning into the steam and pulling his hat from the bottom. She handed it back to him, the general taking it and applauding.
"Impressive," He said, the room applauding.
"It's parlor tricks," one man said, Anthea smiling and turning to him, "Nothing but slight of hand."
Anthea walked over to him and handed him a small notebook.
"Write yourself a note," she said and he laughed and wrote himself a message. Anthea folded the paper, placed it into her pocket and stepped into the scanner herself. She was virtualized a moment later and the room was quiet.
A moment later the man's phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and when he pressed answer her face appeared on his screen. She pulled the letter from her pocket and showed him it.
"I'm in your phone now. Let's go scrolling shall we. I don't think your wife will like this internet search history. Or the pictures, "Anthea said and another phone rang, "You have a lovely family, " another rang, "Your calendar is busy, you need a boyfriend."
The second scanner opened and Anthea stepped out, slightly exhausted from the process but still on her own, "Your phones were encrypted. That's adorable. You can transport anything or anyone through cyberspace with our technology. Point A," Anthea sand, gesturing to the first scanner, "to Point B."
"This is still the preliminary stage of the project, in a few months, we plan to test it from one corner of the globe to the next," Anthea said and handed the man back his note.
While Aelita was walking down the hall to Jeremie's room the door to Williams opened. A moment later Laura stepped out, and paused when she saw Aelita. Smiling to her with a small wave Laura walked down the hallway the opposite way as William stepped out of his room a second later. When he shut his door and locked it, he turned to see Aelita next to him.
"That's why she's been leaving Jeremie alone," Aelita said with a grin that William returned.
"I originally only planned on talking to her, it kind of escalated from there. We're not dating, we're still figuring it out," William said, pocketing his key and tucking his hands into his pockets.
"You did that?"
"I just redirected her focus. I convinced her Jeremie is a lost cause," William said and Aelita hugged him, "You're welcome."
"You jumped on a grenade for me," Aelita said with a laugh.
"I wouldn't say grenade, she's cute, not exactly a wildebeest," William said, laughing as well.
"You're still my new best friend."
"I thought Yumi was your best friend."
"I can have two," Aelita said, letting him go and walking toward Jeremie's room.
"Speaking of Yumi, her and Ulrich, are they…"
"Everyday, like jack rabbits," Aelita said as she opened his door and saw him still busy at work, exactly where she left him, "hey."
"Hey," Jeremie said back, very distracted by his work.
"Take break," Aelita said, walking over and kissing his cheek, "I want to tell you something."
"Still a lot to do," Jeremie said, completely unaware of her context.
"It will still be here when you get back," Aelita said and kissed his neck, making him flinch.
"I need to get this done," Jeremie snapped. Aelita stepped away, half in tears and half in anger.
"Fine," Aelita said as she left him room. William saw her leave in that state and sighed before walking to Jeremie's room himself.
William stepped in fast, grabbed Jeremie's chair and yanked him away from the screen.
"What are you…"Jeremie started.
"Take a break," William said and walked in between him and the computer.
"I need to…"
"Not asking, go," William said and Jeremie looked at him until he had to admit he needed to get away. Jeremie sighed and nodded before leaving his room.
Aelita sat on her bed, trying not to scream as she breathed in fast and angry. When she had calmed herself and the anger was gone, all she felt was the sadness and started to cry. Once she started it was hard to stop, as she tried to breath with her face in her palms.
Suddenly her door knocked and she looked at it.
"What?" Aelita tried to say in a voice that didn't sound like she was crying.
"It's me," Jeremie said, Aelita wiped her face and answered, "I needed a break, mind if I spend it with you?"
"Not at all," Aelita said with a relieved laugh and let him him. She closed the door behind her and smiled.
"Aelita I need to say I'm sorry…"
"No I'm sorry. I get it, you're working to end this, and I should be more appreciative of that."
"I am trying to end this. Since day one all I've cared about was ending it. In doing so, I can't however neglect why I'm doing it," Jeremie said, wrapped her in a hug, "You're why. If I push you out and lose you, then it negates everything I worked for. We worked for."
Aelita started in cry in his shoulder, almost out of pure joy.
"You're more important," Jeremie said with a smile that Aelita returned. Aelita kissed him and turned their bodies and made him sit on the bed. She leaned over, locked her door and gripped the bottom of her shirt to pull it off. When it reached her navel Jeremie grabbed her hands.
"I want to," Aelita said, Jeremie standing up and kissing her.
"I do too. More than I've been letting on. I just want to be the one to undress you," Jeremie said with a grin.
"That was probably the hottest thing you've ever said," Aelita said, her lifting her hands above her head so Jeremie could easily slide off her shirt.