CHAPTER 11
Frank Hardy frowned. This case was turning out bigger than he had expected if the CIA decided to butt in. How could a small thing such as being suspended from school, turned so big? He sighed. Why couldn't life be simpler for him?
Jackson marched to O'Connor. "Now, just wait a minute –"
"You wait a minute," O'Connor snapped to the agent.
The agent reddened, a stark contrast against his blond hair. He clamped his mouth shut. Frank had to suppress his grin when he watched Jackson's reaction. He had a feeling he wasn't used being ordered by a woman.
"May I ask who gave the authority to give this case to you, Agent O'Connor?" Karlinger asked levelly.
"We have a source that told us he could be a possible link to help us in counterintelligence. It's our jurisdiction now," she pointed to Frank. He could only listened in shocked silence. What kind of source does she have?
Karlinger looked stunned. "There must be a mistake."
"Looks can be deceiving, Agent…"
"Karlinger," he supplied.
"Agent Karlinger, I would suggest you and your partner leave the room, and leave the matters to me," she told them tersely.
"I can't do that without seeing a letter of authority from you," Karlinger replied firmly.
Frank sighed wearily. This was going to be a long day. He was starting to get bored with this jurisdiction thing. Why couldn't they work together? Wouldn't that solve the case quicker?
O'Connor pulled out a piece of paper and showed it to the two agents. While Karlinger and Jackson read the letter, Frank turned to the CIA agent.
"Would you mind telling me what's this all about? What makes you think I can help you?" Frank asked her.
"You don't have to know everything," she snapped.
Frank was almost reaching his patience limit. She was worse than Agent Jackson. He noticed the two FBI agents were listening. And from the curious look on their faces, Frank had a feeling they, too, wanted to know the information that she had found.
"Is this about that stupid chip?" Frank couldn't help retorting.
O'Connor narrowed her eyes at him. There was a look of faint recognition on her face when he mentioned the word 'chip'. Why was everyone so obsessed with this chip?
"What do you know about this chip?" she asked him curtly.
"Why don't you tell me? I have a right to know what's going on here," Frank answered with the same tone as hers.
"So, you really don't know anything about this chip?" Karlinger suddenly asked with a curious look.
"No."
O'Connor whipped her head to look at Karlinger.
"If you don't mind, this is my investigation now," she snapped.
"Who cares about this darned jurisdiction!" Karlinger tossed the letter to her. "Maybe the kid really doesn't know anything. But I think he has a right to know what's going on if you're going to pressure him with something he couldn't have known."
"I won't allow it," O'Connor declared firmly.
"We believe this chip was made by EDevices. A request from their client, who's also involved in underworld activities," Karlinger told Frank, ignoring O'Connor's hostile glare.
"What's so special about it?" Frank asked.
"We don't know much…just bits and pieces. This chip can gather any information on a computer and secretly transmits it directly to a particular receiver – that is, to the person who had planted it on that computer," he went on. "The user of the computer wouldn't even notice someone's reading their data – even if it's protected by firewall."
"But if there's no cable connection, how could it be transmitting information? We're talking about a chip here," Frank said.
"We don't know how's it done for now, but we've learned it's possible to be transmitting information even if you're not connected through the usual network cable connection," Karlinger told him.
"Agent Karlinger," O'Connor warned.
"So, you see why we have to find it before it falls into the wrong hands," the FBI agent said, still ignoring O'Connor's warning.
"I think that's enough," she tried again. Her voice hardened.
"But what's this got to do with me, or Elizabeth Bishop?" Frank continued asking.
"Mr. Hardy, I'm doing the questioning here," she warned him.
"Ms. Bishop was one of the people who was involved in the project to make the chip. Her boss caught her red-handed trying to steal the chip from his office. Then she was fired, and never seen again until recently," Karlinger answered. "And as for you, the lead came from the phone tip last night."
"All right, you two, get out of here," O'Connor ordered the two FBI agents, and started pulling out her gun and trained it on them.
However, Karlinger looked slightly amused by her stunt. "What would your superior say when he finds out about your uncooperative manner?" he smirked.
"Uncooperative manner?" she echoed. Her eyes flashed angrily at him. "I'll show you who's been uncooperative here."
The door burst open again. And this time Frank couldn't help feeling relieved when he saw his father entered the room with Chief Collig at his side.
"I think that's enough for now," Mr. Hardy told O'Connor firmly. "I'm taking my son back. Besides, we have an emergency here."
"Mr. Hardy, sit down!" O'Connor ordered.
"Me?" Mr. Hardy asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I mean, you," she pointed at Frank.
"Enough everyone. This is my station," Chief Collig thundered. "I'm letting Frank out."
"Chief Collig, I haven't started with the interrogation," O'Connor protested.
"I think you already have," Mr. Hardy put in simply. He pulled out the tape from the recorder on the table and handed it to her. "Listen to this, and you're done." Then he turned to his son. "Let's go, Frank."
The Hardys and Chief Collig walked out of the room leaving the indignant-looking O'Connor.
"Where are we going?" Frank asked curiously.
"We've just got a 911 phone call from the Cohen's house. There's been a fire," his father told him tensely. "It was arson."
What on earth is going on? Frank wondered.
As they passed an observation room, Frank caught sight of someone familiar standing inside, talking to a police officer. No, that couldn't be him. But he knew his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. If he was right, he just saw Gray Man in that room.