"You keep cooking these wonderful breakfasts and I'll put on ten pounds," said Claire Fachan as she and her husband sat at their kitchen table. "You have anything special today?"
"With all that has happened in the past week, I doubt this will be a quiet day. Gillert is driving everyone crazy. He perched his butt in my office practically the entire day yesterday. I kept telling him to relax. Considering what happened to him and then his wife, it feels like someone made a pact with the devil."
Claire placed her hand on his when the phone rang. Ian was up in a flash in case it was Gillert calling. He insisted that work was not brought home, but times like this were the exception. Claire watched as his face turned pale after he said hello. She knew the look.
Ian closed the call, grabbed his wife and yelled. "We have to get out quickly." They were barely onto the lawn when they heard the explosion. Claire turned and screamed as she saw their house go up in flames.
*****
"Remind me to say no next time. I thought I would take a short nap and slept through the night," she told Akerheart in the lunchroom. From his looks, Akerheart did the same.
Coffee in hand, she walked to her office hoping to pick up the Taylor investigation. Aaron met her in the hall with a folder in his hand. "Sorry about this. Conference room B in ten," he said as he continued walking.
"No use starting anything now," she said to her desk. "Might as well get in there and see what happened this time."
Conference room B had become a state of the art technology center. Aaron had installed computers, large screen monitors, a sophisticated sound system, and satellite feed. With the help of MI5's technology guru, Aaron was able to create links to all the government feeds and channels. The room was nearly equivalent to the high tech mobile van that MI5 used.
Natalie sat with her coffee wondering why Aaron had called the meeting. Her thoughts were interrupted by the laughter of Akerheart and Robins as they entered. Each had coffee and a pastry from the lunchroom. "I'd kill to enjoy one of those every morning, but just thinking those thoughts puts inches on my hips."
"With all the running around you do," said Robins as he enjoyed a morsel, "you'd burn it off, so indulge yourself."
Before she could reply, Aaron walked in with his coffee in one hand, his laptop in the other and a folder under his arm. "The Taylor situation just took another turn. Early this morning, Ian and Claire Fachan received a phone call telling them to get out of their house or they would die a horrible death. As soon as they stepped out their front door, a bomb exploded engulfing their home in flames."
Aaron worked the keyboard on the conference room system to bring up the street cam from the Fachan neighborhood. Fire and emergency vehicles were still at the scene. The fire was out, but the house looked to be badly burned.
"What time did this happen?" asked Natalie
He looked from one to the next and said, "Quarter past seven."
"What? That's the same time Taylor's car exploded on Friday," said Natalie. "And before you ask, I've got nothing more than I told you yesterday."
"It's also the same time Darcey was picked up. This is no coincidence. The local authorities have officially asked us for help. They want us to provide round the clock protection for the Taylor family and now Ian and Claire Fachan. I think we need to expand that to the other members of the Taylor board."
"We don't have enough people for that," said Robins. "You calling in additional help?"
"I was hoping you could arrange that. You and Akerheart will supervise teams for each family. Fachan and his wife will be staying at a hotel for now. I'll contact Shaun's tech guru, again, and see if he can help me with the Taylor security cams."
Everyone was taking notes as they watched the video footage in front of them. "I wonder when the bomb got planted?" he questioned as he continued working the footage back.
"I called Hank earlier. He asked me to stop all other projects and concentrate on Taylor exclusively. Andrews has been contracted to protect them, but he doesn't want to go in blindly," said Aaron as he watched the video footage. "Natalie we need to get Taylor to open up. If he won't then we have to force the issue. Lives may depend on it."
Akerheart could tell that Aaron was stressing out just by the sound of his voice. "We can do this Aaron. Just relax and do what you do best and let us do what we do best," he said as he looked at the nervous coworker in front of him.
Akerheart had used similar words when Aaron was thrust into the Tameron kidnapping. Aaron, a shy young man, had a level of intelligence far beyond most. He was clearly a genius. His past efforts had shown that he was also a street-smart person who put himself out there for the safety of those who Andrews protects. He showed his muster when put to the test for Ethan Tameron and Akerheart knew Aaron would do it again this time.
Everyone stood and walked from the conference room. Akerheart and Robins discussed the plans for coverage as they left. Natalie gathered her notes and stopped by the door. Aaron continued looking at the video footage on the screen.
"Let me know when you want to go back to Taylor. I'll be in my office trying to find their skeleton." He nodded as she left the room.
Aaron continued fingering the keys. He brought up the street cams from the time of the call hoping to see the same person from the Taylor car bombing. The street was quiet. No one walking. A few cars passed the Fachan home. Suddenly Aaron sat up, "Look at that car," he said to the empty room. "I think it might be the same one we saw driving away from the Taylor house."
He rewound the video and slowed the motion. A car drove along the street, stopped for barely a minute in front of the Fachan house, and then sped away. The house erupted into flames before the car turned off the street.
Aaron picked up the phone, hit the page button and said, "Natalie, Akerheart, and Robins, please report to conference room B stat." The page sounded throughout the Andrews Facility.
They came running back into the room. "What do you have Aaron?" asked Robins.
He started the footage again and showed them the car as it drove along the street in front of the Fachan home. "I think it’s the same car that we saw in front of Taylor's home. I can't be sure but it is the same color and model," said Aaron as he replayed the footage again. "Watch it now," he said as he put the video into slow motion. The house exploded shortly after the car slowed in front of the home.
"Can you zoom in on the tags?" asked Akerheart as he watched the video repeat.
Aaron did his best but there was a vehicle following too closely to see the tag. "I wonder how they got the bomb into Ian's home," questioned Aaron as he replayed the video. "Look at this." He stood and moved to the monitor. "Right here it seems as if he is pointing something at the house. I wonder if it is a remote that triggered the bomb."
Akerheart looked at the monitor. "If you are correct Aaron, they planted the bomb before Fachan got home yesterday. But why call first? Why warn the victim that his house is about to go up in flames?"
"A warning," said Aaron. "Remember, I thought the same thing about the Taylor car bomb. He is clearly warning his victims. He doesn't want them harmed; he wants them to see his power over their lives."
"You think this is an inside person?" asked Natalie.
"At this point I wouldn't rule that out. I'll get this video to the authorities. Natalie, call Shaun and get his people to help you gain full access into the Taylor background. Akerheart, you and Robins get your people in place. We need answers. Find out why someone is targeting the Taylor board," said Aaron as he stood. Just shy of the door, he turned and said, "I'm going to do a full hack into the Taylor security system. I want to record everything that happens in that building. I want to know who enters and leaves. Hopefully Shaun's guy can help me find out what goes on in the labs. Don't tell that Tanni guy what we are attempting to do. He may be involved."
"You do realize what you are asking us to do, don't you?" asked Akerheart.
"Yes I do," he said as he left the room.