Chapter 3
Everyone on the Threat Matrix team had begun to file back into the conference room. It was nine o'clock at night so they were all beginning to get a little groggy despite what had taken place. Frankie sat at the head of the table and passed the received note over to Colonel Atkins. He quickly read the note out loud so everyone in the room would know its contents.
"And you said it was your cousin that sent you this note?" Colonel Atkins let the note fall from his fingers and back onto the table.
"No. Mr. Miles, the apartment manager, said it was my cousin - but I know it wasn't. He supposedly had I.D. with him, but it had to be fake." Frankie glanced around the table, letting her brown eyes wander from person to person as she spoke.
Tim Serrano leaned on his elbows, assessing the situation. "Well, he had to have access to a lot of resources to be able to create a fake I.D. And from Mr. Miles' description, it doesn't sound like he was very poor."
"That leaves my cousin out." Frankie glanced at John, awaiting his opinion.
At that same minute Alora Stari reentered the conference room. She wore a serious expression as she tossed a small piece of paper onto the table near John. She pulled out the only empty chair next to him and sat down.
John Kilmer picked up the paper that had just landed. He unfolded it and read it aloud to the group.
"Alora Stari,
Because of your interference with our affairs, Mr. Matt Rollins' life has been terminated. We warn you to learn from your mistakes and not allow such carelessness to happen again. Next time, the results will me much more costly than Mr. Rollin's life.
With Warning,
X
P.S. We'll be watching."
John glanced up from the note to Colonel Atkins. "How did anyone know we had Alora involved in this case?"
"Well, like they said, they're watching." Anne "Lark" added her first comment to the conversation as she brushed her brown hair behind one ear.
John swiveled in his chair so that he was facing Alora. "Where was this note given to you?"
"I found it on my desk in my hotel room. I went downstairs to the main desk and asked how someone had gotten into my room. The hotel manager said a man came in claiming he was my brother and needed to get into my room. The manager kept insisting that he couldn't let him in, but he showed the manager a gift and let him inspect it. He said he just wanted to leave the gift in my room so the manager walked him up to my room and waited outside while he placed it somewhere. Then the hotel manager said he just left as quickly as he had come…said he had I.D. on him so he wasn't too suspicious." Alora reached into a large bag that she had brought with her and pulled out a small teddy bear. She handed it to John, "My gift." When John looked up at her she spoke again. "Don't worry, there's no bomb in it…I ran a check on it."
John handed the bear over to Colonel Atkins, "And you're sure it wasn't really your brother that left you the bear and the note."
Alora let out a sigh, "I don't think my brother would have given Frankie and I a note like that even if it was possible." She laughed mirthlessly and shot a sheepish grin toward John, apologizing for allowing her tone to get so harsh. John returned her smile before glancing toward Frankie who seemed as if she were about to speak.
"Why isn't is possible?" Frankie asked Alora through narrowed eyes.
"Because Frankie Ellroy," She purposely left the Kilmer off of "Ellroy-Kilmer" in her serious comment, "my brother has been dead now for just under a year." A glint of anger could be detected in Alora's gaze, and it was apparently being directed toward Frankie.
John Kilmer rolled his eyes at Frankie for bringing up such an unnecessary question.
Colonel Roger Atkins cleared his throat loudly to bring the topic of conversation back to the matter at hand. "We'll look into this situation further tomorrow. I want you all to go and get a good night's sleep…you're going to need it." He turned his attention to John, "John, you have a large apartment, don't you?"
John nodded, "Yes, Sir."
"I want Frankie and Alora to stay there with you until we get this mess sorted out. They'll need some extra protection." Colonel Atkins folded both notes and tucked them neatly into the pocket of his navy blue suit coat.
Both female's stood to protest, but Alora was able to speak first. "Sir, I think I can protect myself quite well."
Colonel Atkins shook his head. "Not if there's more than one person involved in writing these." He patted his pocket, referring to the notes that had been given to them. "I want you staying somewhere that these people don't know."
Frankie pushed herself away from the table and let out a frustrated sigh. "I'll be waiting for you outside, John."
"Same here." Alora picked her leather jacket up off of her chair and quickly pulled it on before she walked out the door.
Frankie followed soon after, and from the window on the conference room door, the group could see Alora step onto the elevator and Frankie take the stairs…even though there was plenty of room in the elevator for her.
Holly Brodeen couldn't help allowing a smile to form on her face at the humor of the situation. Jelani placed his hand over his mouth to cover his own grin, but he tried to keep a serious demeanor by focusing his eyes on the table. Lark patted his shoulder with a slight smile of her own, "It's ok, Jelani." At this statement, Jelani and Tim both lost control of themselves and allowed a laugh to slip through their serious expressions.
John Kilmer turned to Colonel Atkins with raised eyebrows of shock. "How could you do this to me?"
Lark and Jelani stood from the chairs and began gathering their things in preparation to leave. Lark was the first to go and she whispered into John's ear as she passed him, "Sleep tight." She grinned to herself, obviously very humored by the whole idea.
Jelani had overheard Lark's statement and whispered his own statement into John's ear, "Don't let Frankie and Alora bite."
Tim and Mo fell into step next to Jelani, all three chuckling to themselves.
John shook his head and glanced to Colonel Atkins, the only other person in the room besides himself. "Why'd you really do this, Colonel?"
Atkins let out a big breath of air as he stood from his chair and rested one hand on John's shoulder. "There's strength in numbers, my friend." He turned back to look at John as he walked toward the door. "Besides, I think it will be good for them personally to spend a little time together…keep an eye on them, I don't need to lose two agents."
"Yeah, but I'll try not to step in too far, I might get hit with something." John shook his head with a laugh and walked out of the room. When he reached the parking lot he spotted both girls in the backseat of his car. Apparently they hadn't been able to decide who got to sit in the front seat. John chuckled to himself before sliding into the driver's seat and started the car. "Well, ladies, are you ready?"
"Yeah, whatever." Alora folded her arms after roughly buckling her seatbelt.
"Let's just go." Frankie turned herself so that she was looking out the window completely.
John gave a large mental sigh and pulled out into the road, joining in the flow traffic. He had a feeling that this would be a long night.
Everyone on the Threat Matrix team had begun to file back into the conference room. It was nine o'clock at night so they were all beginning to get a little groggy despite what had taken place. Frankie sat at the head of the table and passed the received note over to Colonel Atkins. He quickly read the note out loud so everyone in the room would know its contents.
"And you said it was your cousin that sent you this note?" Colonel Atkins let the note fall from his fingers and back onto the table.
"No. Mr. Miles, the apartment manager, said it was my cousin - but I know it wasn't. He supposedly had I.D. with him, but it had to be fake." Frankie glanced around the table, letting her brown eyes wander from person to person as she spoke.
Tim Serrano leaned on his elbows, assessing the situation. "Well, he had to have access to a lot of resources to be able to create a fake I.D. And from Mr. Miles' description, it doesn't sound like he was very poor."
"That leaves my cousin out." Frankie glanced at John, awaiting his opinion.
At that same minute Alora Stari reentered the conference room. She wore a serious expression as she tossed a small piece of paper onto the table near John. She pulled out the only empty chair next to him and sat down.
John Kilmer picked up the paper that had just landed. He unfolded it and read it aloud to the group.
"Alora Stari,
Because of your interference with our affairs, Mr. Matt Rollins' life has been terminated. We warn you to learn from your mistakes and not allow such carelessness to happen again. Next time, the results will me much more costly than Mr. Rollin's life.
With Warning,
X
P.S. We'll be watching."
John glanced up from the note to Colonel Atkins. "How did anyone know we had Alora involved in this case?"
"Well, like they said, they're watching." Anne "Lark" added her first comment to the conversation as she brushed her brown hair behind one ear.
John swiveled in his chair so that he was facing Alora. "Where was this note given to you?"
"I found it on my desk in my hotel room. I went downstairs to the main desk and asked how someone had gotten into my room. The hotel manager said a man came in claiming he was my brother and needed to get into my room. The manager kept insisting that he couldn't let him in, but he showed the manager a gift and let him inspect it. He said he just wanted to leave the gift in my room so the manager walked him up to my room and waited outside while he placed it somewhere. Then the hotel manager said he just left as quickly as he had come…said he had I.D. on him so he wasn't too suspicious." Alora reached into a large bag that she had brought with her and pulled out a small teddy bear. She handed it to John, "My gift." When John looked up at her she spoke again. "Don't worry, there's no bomb in it…I ran a check on it."
John handed the bear over to Colonel Atkins, "And you're sure it wasn't really your brother that left you the bear and the note."
Alora let out a sigh, "I don't think my brother would have given Frankie and I a note like that even if it was possible." She laughed mirthlessly and shot a sheepish grin toward John, apologizing for allowing her tone to get so harsh. John returned her smile before glancing toward Frankie who seemed as if she were about to speak.
"Why isn't is possible?" Frankie asked Alora through narrowed eyes.
"Because Frankie Ellroy," She purposely left the Kilmer off of "Ellroy-Kilmer" in her serious comment, "my brother has been dead now for just under a year." A glint of anger could be detected in Alora's gaze, and it was apparently being directed toward Frankie.
John Kilmer rolled his eyes at Frankie for bringing up such an unnecessary question.
Colonel Roger Atkins cleared his throat loudly to bring the topic of conversation back to the matter at hand. "We'll look into this situation further tomorrow. I want you all to go and get a good night's sleep…you're going to need it." He turned his attention to John, "John, you have a large apartment, don't you?"
John nodded, "Yes, Sir."
"I want Frankie and Alora to stay there with you until we get this mess sorted out. They'll need some extra protection." Colonel Atkins folded both notes and tucked them neatly into the pocket of his navy blue suit coat.
Both female's stood to protest, but Alora was able to speak first. "Sir, I think I can protect myself quite well."
Colonel Atkins shook his head. "Not if there's more than one person involved in writing these." He patted his pocket, referring to the notes that had been given to them. "I want you staying somewhere that these people don't know."
Frankie pushed herself away from the table and let out a frustrated sigh. "I'll be waiting for you outside, John."
"Same here." Alora picked her leather jacket up off of her chair and quickly pulled it on before she walked out the door.
Frankie followed soon after, and from the window on the conference room door, the group could see Alora step onto the elevator and Frankie take the stairs…even though there was plenty of room in the elevator for her.
Holly Brodeen couldn't help allowing a smile to form on her face at the humor of the situation. Jelani placed his hand over his mouth to cover his own grin, but he tried to keep a serious demeanor by focusing his eyes on the table. Lark patted his shoulder with a slight smile of her own, "It's ok, Jelani." At this statement, Jelani and Tim both lost control of themselves and allowed a laugh to slip through their serious expressions.
John Kilmer turned to Colonel Atkins with raised eyebrows of shock. "How could you do this to me?"
Lark and Jelani stood from the chairs and began gathering their things in preparation to leave. Lark was the first to go and she whispered into John's ear as she passed him, "Sleep tight." She grinned to herself, obviously very humored by the whole idea.
Jelani had overheard Lark's statement and whispered his own statement into John's ear, "Don't let Frankie and Alora bite."
Tim and Mo fell into step next to Jelani, all three chuckling to themselves.
John shook his head and glanced to Colonel Atkins, the only other person in the room besides himself. "Why'd you really do this, Colonel?"
Atkins let out a big breath of air as he stood from his chair and rested one hand on John's shoulder. "There's strength in numbers, my friend." He turned back to look at John as he walked toward the door. "Besides, I think it will be good for them personally to spend a little time together…keep an eye on them, I don't need to lose two agents."
"Yeah, but I'll try not to step in too far, I might get hit with something." John shook his head with a laugh and walked out of the room. When he reached the parking lot he spotted both girls in the backseat of his car. Apparently they hadn't been able to decide who got to sit in the front seat. John chuckled to himself before sliding into the driver's seat and started the car. "Well, ladies, are you ready?"
"Yeah, whatever." Alora folded her arms after roughly buckling her seatbelt.
"Let's just go." Frankie turned herself so that she was looking out the window completely.
John gave a large mental sigh and pulled out into the road, joining in the flow traffic. He had a feeling that this would be a long night.