Operations Center 2, CIA Headquarters
Langley, Virginia
“C
hris.”
Leroux jolted awake to find Tong leaning over him at his workstation. “Wh-what?”
“You fell asleep.”
He straightened himself out. “Sorry about that, I haven’t been getting much sleep lately.”
Tong smiled at him sympathetically. “No need to apologize, we all know how you’ve been burning the candle at both ends with Sherrie’s recovery. If you want, I can take over. You go back to her.”
He shook the cobwebs from his head, wishing his old Red Bull habit was still out of control. “No, I’ll be fine. But once this is over, I’m back on leave and turning off my phone.”
Laughter rippled through the room.
“So, was I snoring, or did you find something?”
Child spoke up. “I
did, but there’s no way the low guy on the totem pole wakes the chief.”
Leroux chuckled. “What did you find?”
“I found some emails arguing with someone about them not funding their usual protest fee. There’s only an initial. It’s between Hugo Peeters and this guy O. He’s making a request for the customary protest fee for them to attend an animal rights rally in Berlin, and the reply was ‘not this time. O.’ Then he’s asking why not? O says, ‘Because you’re not effective. I’m no longer going to be funding your group.’ Then Peeters asks, ‘But what are we supposed to do? Without your help, we can’t accomplish our mutual goals.’ O says, ‘I don’t think you’re actually contributing to our mutual goals. My money is better spent elsewhere. Please do not contact me again.’ So that’s the end of that conversation. Then,
two weeks ago, another email is sent to this O guy, saying ‘It’s critical we speak about this abomination at the Guggenheim, and their plans to recreate this atrocity.’”
Leroux smiled. “Now that’s something. What then?”
“O replies back. ‘Agreed, give me a number to call you at.’ Peeters gives him a number and then there are no more emails. I guess everything else was done by phone.”
“What’s the number?”
Child grinned. “It’s the number for his parents’ house that he lives in the basement of.”
Tong gave him a look. “Don’t judge. You still live with your folks.”
Child shook his head. “Yes, but there’s a difference. He moved back in, I never left.”
Leroux ended the jousting. “Okay, pull the phone records so we can see who called him around that time.”
Tong tapped at her keyboard then gestured to the display as the phone records appeared, highlighting one of them. “Here’s a call that came in a few minutes after that email was sent. It looks like it’s never called before.”
Leroux smiled at their first real clue. “That must be him. Trace it. And run it through Echelon.”
“I’m on it.”
Leroux checked his messages and was surprised to see Tommy hadn’t replied to his last one. He decided the guy deserved a personal call and dialed his number.
“Hello?”
“Hi, is this Mai?”
“Yes.”
“Hi Mai, my name is Chris. Can I speak to Tommy?”
“He’s sleeping. Can I take a message?”
“Actually, he’s been doing some work for me. I just wanted to let him know—”
“Oh, you’re that
Chris! Just a second!” Muffled scratches and a short conversation ended with a sleepy Tommy at the other end of the line.
“Hello?”
“Hi Tommy, it’s Chris.”
“Oh, hello, umm, what can I do for you?”
The kid sounded exhausted. “Nothing. I just wanted to let you know that thanks to your help, we were able to find footage that proves they’re innocent.”
“That’s great news! Thanks for letting me know. Can you handle this from here?”
Leroux chuckled. “I think we can.”
“Good. I’ll be asleep until Tuesday.”
