Chapter 16
The public area of the mansion was bustling with activity when Michaela arrived there in search of Jason.
Bonnie, lost in thought, eyes glued to a clip board she carried, nearly ran into Michaela.
"Oops! Hey, Michaela. Sorry about that. Having a problem with a piece of code..." she trailed off, preparing to move around Michaela to continue on her way.
"What's going on, Aunt Bonnie?" Michaela asked before Bonnie could lose herself in her work again.
"Foreign dignitaries are coming in for a meeting tomorrow. F.L.A.G. is providing the meeting venue, so everyone is busy setting up."
"Ah! Got it!"
Michaela turned and headed off in search of Casey, instead. She knew to leave Jason be when he was overseeing preparations like this.
* * *
By noon the next day, all the dignitaries had arrived. Each was accompanied by five security guards.
Only one guard per dignitary was allowed into the conference room. The others chose to either wait outside the meeting room, or out by the armored limos the dignitaries had arrived in.
No one noticed when two of the guards slipped away from the group.
They each took separate routes toward the residential section of the mansion.
* * *
The library was Tilly's favorite spot in the mansion, so it was no surprise that she was once again ensconced in a chair with a book.
Tilly looked up, startled when the library door opened.
She was surprised, but not overly alarmed, when she saw that her visitor wasn't Jason, Bonnie, Michaela, or Casey. She knew there was an important diplomatic meeting taking place in the public section of the mansion.
"Hi! Can I help you?" she asked brightly.
When he closed the door and locked it, Tilly's smile disappeared.
"I have a message for you from Mr. Drakon," he said, as he rapidly closed the distance between them.
Tilly drew breath to scream, only to have the air forced from her lungs when Drakon's man punched her in the stomach. She doubled over and fell to the floor, trying unsuccessfully to draw breath back into her lungs.