"I have a weird feeling about this place," said Natalie as she and Aaron walked into the lobby of Taylor Pharmacon. "I'm getting really bad vibes."
Aaron had learned to respect Natalie's feelings. She was a profiler for most of her professional life and that carried over into her position at Andrews Security. "Are we in any danger right now?"
Before Natalie could answer that question, they were greeted by a smiling woman at the courtesy desk. Aaron told her they had an appointment with Tanni Basari. Her smile never waned as she placed a call announcing Aaron and Natalie to the person on the phone. With that painted on smile, she asked them to have a seat. "Mr. Basari will be down shortly."
Natalie continued to scan the lobby as she and Aaron waited for Tanni. "Everyone here seems too happy. Her smile is as phony as they come," she said looking at the woman at the courtesy desk. "Something's not right."
Tanni was a dark complected, smallish man, carrying too much weight on his short legs. He had the look of a man who ate too much rich food and sat at a desk for too long. His smile was different from the others around him. His was suspicious. It was obvious that he didn't trust his visitors and didn't want them in his domain. Taking Natalie's hand, he made a slight bow and said, "Good morning." Tanni shook Aaron's hand with a soft feminine grip that made Aaron wonder.
Aaron and Natalie were given a basic tour of the facilities ending in the security complex on the fifth floor. There, several people were positioned in front of monitors that showed many of the locations in their tour. Tanni made a sweeping motion with his stubby hand, as they stood at the rear of the room, as if to say 'we have it all under control.'
Aaron asked about security protocols, access to restricted locations, computer security, and similar questions, to which Tanni had obviously prepared, rehearsed answers. Aaron was not happy, yet could not get Tanni to open up.
"Well that was a waste of time," said Natalie as they left the building. "What are they hiding? And why?"
"Forced smiles or not, I don't like Tanni," said Aaron. "And I would have enjoyed a more in-depth discussion about security protocols. Every time I brought it up, he avoided it or changed the subject without an answer."
After walking several feet from the building, Aaron and Natalie met up with Akerheart and Robins who were given a tour of the loading dock, mailroom, and mechanical rooms. Akerheart was not pleased with the reception he and Robins received. "You would have thought we were the enemy trying to pick their brains. Every time we asked a question, we were stonewalled. Why would they try to prevent us from helping them?"
Aaron's mobile rang so everyone stopped talking to allow him to answer the call.
"That was Hank. He was called out of town on something having to do with his elderly mother. Apparently she fell at the senior home and is in hospital. He asked that I work as the focal point for this case," said Aaron nervously looking at his coworkers. "I've never done this before and I'm not sure what to do," he said in a quiet shy voice.
Akerheart put his hand on Aaron's shoulder and squeezed hard. When Aaron said "Ouch," and pushed his had away, Akerheart said, "That's what you do. You take charge and make sure everything is going the way it should."
Aaron looked at him as if he were crazy. "I think there is a bit more to it than that."
Natalie and Robins laughed at the antics in front of them. "Don't worry so much. Just use that genius brain of yours and help us find out what is going on here," said Natalie pointing to the building behind them. "And if you mess it up, we'll put you back on track."
Aaron never felt so unsure of himself in his life. He had done some very dangerous things when trying to find Ethan, but he always had Hank there to guide him. Now he was on his own and wasn't sure what to do.
Seeing the fear and uncertainty on Aaron's face, Natalie jumped in and said, "They are hiding something and Tanni is definitely part of the deception."
"From the reception we received or should I say we didn't receive, I think they are covering up something and don't want us in their world at all," said Robins. "They only showed us around because we insisted they do. This guy can be quite intimidating," he said looking at Akerheart.
"I want you to dig into this Natalie. Find out what that company is hiding and why," said Aaron as the group continued to walk to the company van.
"I'm going to try to break into their system. If I can, then others can too. I won't be malicious; I'll just try to infiltrate their firewall."
Turning to Akerheart, he said, "Meet up with the local authorities. They are supposedly researching the bombing. Find out what they know."
"Not a problem Aaron." Akerheart smiled at him, nodded and continued to walk to the van.
Natalie hit a wall at every turn. Everything on record about Taylor Pharmacon was based on company-released information. Few, if any of her searches, had revealed negative or scandalous facts. Taking a break from the frustrating process, she walked to Aaron's lab. "What are you up to?"
"I've been researching the CCTV feeds. That car can't simply disappear into thin air," he said as he continued his work.
Natalie looked at the workbench in the middle of the lab, noticing several half-completed client systems. "Are these all for new clients?"
"Yeah, we've had so many requests for high level security since we broke the kidnapping ring that I can't keep up with it all." Aaron sighed as he stood and walked to the workbench. "This one is for some diplomat who fears for his three young kids. He told Hank that money was no issue when it came to his family." Moving to another system he said, "This one is for the CEO of Gentech, that new mobile phone startup. Apparently they are battling the big guys and are afraid of repercussions." He looked at Natalie and said, "We need more help in here especially if Hank wants me to work with the investigations."
"Any luck breaking into Taylor?" she asked standing at the bench. Natalie knew enough about computers to do her job. She could hack into simple sites, if necessary, but not the way Aaron could. He made it into a game, a game he seemed to relish.
"Yeah, I did. Their system has a relatively secure firewall, but not so secure that a good hacker couldn't defeat. I was able to scan emails, look at security cameras, and even monitor conversations that emanated from several microphones." He leaned back in his chair and looked at the woman standing near his desk. Natalie was good looking. Her years at the agency helped keep her mind sharp. Her dedication to exercise kept her body fit. He wondered why she was still single.
"Did you listen in to any conversations?"
"No, I looked around, found their security holes and left. Now that I got in, I want to create a strategy to explore without leaving a trail for Tanni or anyone else to find."
When Aaron's mobile signaled a text, Natalie said she was leaving and would see him in the morning. The text on Aaron's mobile was from Barry confirming their meet-up that evening.
Aaron looked at the video footage of the bombing again. He didn't know what he was looking for, but he knew he missed something. Remembering the method Declan used, he put the video into slow motion and allowed his mind to wander as the video progressed. Nothing jumped out at him even after watching it several times.
He cleaned up the lab, closed and locked the door and set the card key alarm. As he walked past the dispatcher, he wished her a good night and left the building. Walking to the tube stop, he sent a text to Barry. On my way home now. See you in ten.