Herald the Night

Chapter Fifteen

Lily had been to the headquarters where Abriella worked before, but never in an official capacity. Walking through the front doors as anything other than a girlfriend stealing a chance to grab lunch with her love carried with it a weighty sense of duty and obligation. The thrill was heady. She was no FBI agent, but she couldn”t help picturing herself as one while filing through the doors and security clearance amid the suited men and women who worked there.

Despite the excitement, her nerves got the best of her as she moved through the building toward the floor her girlfriend worked on. She was accustomed to meeting powerful, influential people, but that never lessened her social anxiety. She ran through the customary, practiced script she’d perfected over the years as the elevator conveyed her to her destination. Then she cycled through the talking points she had meticulously organized. Anything to keep her focused and engaged was a good thing, especially as she stepped out onto the floor and cast a swift glance over the desks and agents seated at them.

“Mi amor, there you are.” A familiar, subtly accented voice called Lily’s attention to the right hand side of the large space. It was always a treat when Lily had the opportunity to see Abriella in her element.

“Bell,” Lily giggled and flushed as Abriella swept in and planted a firm kiss to her cheek. “I hope I”m not too early?”

“Ay, you are perfectly on time. I told you to come now so that you were not rushed. We meet in half an hour.” Abriella winked with a cheeky grin. Lily was notorious for being late. It shouldn”t have surprised her at all that Bella told her a time well ahead of their actual meeting time.

“I”m not taking you away from anything, am I?” Lily glanced back toward the collection of desks and felt the curl of anxiety rise up her spine as she caught the gaze of numerous agents stealing furtive glances.

“No, it is fine. You remember every one?” Abriella tilted her head toward the agents she was responsible for.

“Oh… yes.” No. The answer was emphatically no. She wouldn”t say that out loud, though. The potential embarrassment over admitting she didn”t remember a single name from their brief introductions over the last few months was something she hoped to avoid. She waved, albeit awkwardly, and made sure her mask was firmly in place.

“Hey, Dr Ward.”

“Howdy, Doc.”

“Morning, Dr Lil.”

The greetings continued to ripple around the room as Abriella clasped Lily’s elbow and directed her to the left. She was glad for the direction and followed without a second thought. Her smile was far more genuine as they stopped in front of a closed door with a crudely drawn “Do Not Disturb” sign taped to the surface. The artistic rendering of Taz, the Tasmanian Devil from Looney Tunes, had her stifling another giggle. Despite the words on the paper, Abriella lifted a fist and hammered at the door.

Muttering erupted from the other side before the door flung open. “What part of ‘Do not—’ Oh, shit!”

Lily, momentarily confused, dropped her gaze lower to find Taz himself staring up at her with a grin from his rolling computer chair. “Hello, Taz.”

“Get the fuck in here, Lil! Never thought I”d see you at my job.” Taz dug his heels into the floor and pushed himself back toward the desk in one fluid motion, turning midway to catch himself on the edge. Her and Bella followed behind, carefully shutting the door behind them.

“I figured this would make you less cranky, pendejo.” Abriella plucked a stool from a shadowy corner and plopped it beside Taz. The ease of their rapport gave Lily the impression this invasion of his space was a common occurrence.

“If you always came with Lily, I might hate you less.” Taz went back to typing on one of his many keyboards, talking all the while. “What brings you here, Lil?”

Lily carefully settled on the stool and neatened her paperwork atop her lap. “I get to meet with the new Director and a few individuals from the CDC.”

“Ew, that sounds heinous.” Taz flicked a glance toward her with his nose crinkled. “Feds and fucking suits. No thanks.”

“Taz… you are a Fed.” Abriella cuffed him on the back of the head with a snicker. “Stop being grumpy. I already fed and watered you. Do I need to put you down for a nap?”

“Pssh. I”m a ray of fucking sunshine. Piss off.”

They chatted back and forth for a while as Lily watched Taz work. It was always a marvel to see him do what he did best. The conversation never lulled or faltered, even as his fingers flew over multiple keyboards while numerous screens blinked, changed, filled with text, and displayed pictures. She had no clue what he was working on, but it seemed like it was at least three different things simultaneously.

Abriella deftly directed the conversation to a natural end before tapping the watch on her wrist. Thank goodness she had been paying attention to the time. If left to her own devices, Lily’s time blindness would have made her late to the meeting she arrived half an hour early to. Taz pouted and spun his chair toward her as she slid from the stool.

“Boo. Gimme some love, sugar.” He tapped his cheek. Lily eagerly dipped down to press a kiss to the stubbled curve of his face.

“Ay! Why do you never let me do this?” Abriella nudged Taz’ shoulder with a scoff.

“Because I hate you, remember?” Taz winked and grinned at Bell before angling his face the other way. Lily couldn”t stifle her laughter as Bell squealed and pounced, smothering Taz’ face in kisses as she pinned his arms to his sides. He swore up a storm and squirmed. He also laughed and smiled broader as a result.

Before they even had the door closed, the rattle of his fingertips dancing over the keyboard once more filled the air. Lily found herself wondering how much more he could do without also carrying on a conversation at the same time. It was no surprise the FBI had been so eager to pull him on board. Her idle musings kept her anxiety at the fringes as she kept pace with Abriella’s quick stride drawing her higher and deeper into the building.

The change in scenery and atmosphere was a big indicator in the shift of hierarchy. The floor they navigated through had far fewer agents, but each of them were carrying three times as many files and folders. There were also considerably less smiles and a lot more urgency. She shuddered to think of what these people were so somberly carrying in their arms. After all, this was DC and the domestic terrorists she and her friends were trying to stop were only one issue out of many that plagued the country. She held her own stack of papers a little tighter to her chest.

The room set aside for their meeting was bland and monochromatic and imposing. Grey, steel, black, and beige colors were made even more intense by the hard lines of the furniture. The distinct lack of windows paired with the harsh overhead lighting made it more of an interrogation room than a meeting space. Abriella and Lily slid into chairs at the far side of the table and nodded to the few agents scattered in the remaining seats. Lily knew none of them. Abriella likewise seemed closed off and quiet. Evidently, she didn”t know these agents either.

Before her mind could spiral, the remaining attendees all strode in and took the last empty chairs around the table. There were eight people total. Lily didn”t bother trying to commit the names to memory. She was terrible with faces and names. She wasn”t here to make friends, anyway. They were all gathered to share information between agencies with one purpose in mind. The only person who stood out from the rest was the new Director of the FBI.

Marissa Robins carried a hard edge that perfectly matched the aesthetic of the room. Her short black bob was all angles and sharpness. Her steely eyes were penetrating and intimidating. The hard line of her mouth accentuated the tailoring of her slate grey suit. She was the personification of modern architecture. Lily made a mental note to share the observation with Bell later. She always found humor in Lily’s comparisons between two unlikely objects.

“Good morning. Let”s get straight to it.” Marissa folded her hands over the top of her folder. “In our efforts to investigate the recent string of illegal laboratories and attempted biological weapons attacks, we’re granted this opportunity to work hand in hand with the CDC. With their records and our investigative teams, we should make more headway.

“Doctors Ward, Anderson, and Pelham will be helping. Their combined perspective as medical professionals with psychology backgrounds will help our team with profiling, behavior patterns, and the medical side of things. I expect you to treat them as one of our own for the duration of the investigation.” Marissa skimmed the faces with her icy, stone faced expression. “Questions?”

A murmuring of no traveled around the table. The director gave a clipped nod and turned the room over to one of the men Lily vaguely recognized from the CDC. He was either Pelham or Anderson. She wasn”t willing to bet on fifty-fifty odds.

“Thank you for having us, ladies and gentleman. To borrow the Director”s words, let”s get to it.” The older doctor began spreading papers over the table, handing a stack to the agent on his left. It got smaller as it made the circuit of the table. Lily took her copy and passed the remainder on before skimming its contents. It was a detailed list of the various pathogens found at each of the labs, including their risks and general facts about how they spread and potential dangers of weaponization. Lily recognized the layman’s translation for what it was.

“If you turn to the third page,” the man continued with a hand gesture. “You’ll find our initial parameters for a broader search. Using the information from the lab bust here, and extrapolating the numbers and educational backgrounds of those that were apprehended, it”s our belief that we could be looking for at least seventy-five to one hundred more suspects.”

The doctor cleared his throat, pressing a fist to his chest before recovering enough to speak again. “I”d posit that the number is higher, though. The lab found in a warehouse on Long Island was twice the size of the one found here in DC. Additionally, the materials and equipment seized in the Los Angeles suburb indicate nearly twice the personnel as what was estimated here.”

“Dios mio,” Abriella exhaled, lowering her copy of the paperwork to the table. “These parameters… can I give them to my technical analyst? Are we operating with this profile for potential suspects?”

“Affirmative, Garcia. With little else to work with and trusting the expertise of our guests, this is the operational profile until we have more information to work with.” Marissa fielded a few more questions from the other agents, none of which Lily paid attention to. The vibrating of her phone in the breast pocket of her blazer distracted her from the room just enough to throw off her focus. She glimpsed at the screen and recognized an incoming call from a DC area code.

No sooner had she returned the phone to her pocket than it began to buzz again. She dipped her fingers into the pocket to silence it. It rang a third time, this time garnering the attention of everyone around her. The heat crept up her face as she became even more flustered.

“You can answer that if you need to, Doctor Ward. I appreciate that your duties are spread right now.” Marissa’s face broke into a small smile. The first Lily had seen on her otherwise passive expression.

“Thank you. I”m sorry.” Lily scrambled from her seat as the phone began vibration yet again. She stepped into the corner and answered the call, pulling it to her ear and keeping her voice low to avoid disturbing the others in the room.

“Hello, Dr Ward speaking.”

Heavy breathing filled the air on the other end of the call. Slow, deep, deliberately heavy breathing. The effect was so intensely uncomfortable, her body instantly broke out in goosebumps.

“Hello?” she echoed again.

“Eeny. Meeny. Miny. Moe.”

Lily barely had time to register the words before a loud exploding sound blared through the phone so loud, everyone in the room turned toward her. It startled a scream from her lips as the phone tumbled from her hand to clatter across the floor. Impulsively, she backed away from the device with a palm pressed to her racing heart. Abriella was on her feet in a flash, rushing toward her as she backed into the wall.

The rest of the agents climbed to their feet as well, slowly approaching them as Lily struggled to keep from hyperventilating. Everyone froze in place as the phone buzzed three times on the floor. She could see the new text alert from where she stood.

“Lily. Mi sol. Breathe.” Abriella gathered Lily’s face in her hands. “Look at me. What was it?”

“I… it… a man. H-he said… then an explosion?” Lily stammered around her racing breaths.

“Dr?” One of the other agents extended his hand to return her phone.

She gathered with shaky fingers and gasped again as the screen revealed the text. It was the same number that had called her. She unlocked it and opened the message as the agents gathered closer. The video taunted her to press play, even as fear curdled in her gut. She held the phone out for everyone to see and pushed the button.

The footage was shaky and chaotic before it focused. At first, the subject matter confused her until her rapidly swirling brain registered what she was looking at. Three ceramic pots were lined up in a row on a sidewalk or street or parking lot of some sort. She recognized them all. Theo’s lumpy creation was on the left. Taz’ sat neat and tidy in the middle. Lastly, her tiny pinch pot rounded out the trio. The barrel of a gun flashed from off-screen, reflecting the sunlight streaming down from above. It bobbed in time to the voice she recognized from the call.

“Eeny. Meeny. Miny. Moe.”

Theo. Taz. Lily. Theo.

Even knowing what happened next, she flinched and stifled a whimper as the man pulled the trigger of the firearm. The audio on her phone crackled and buzzed as the sound of the shot pushed the speakers to their limits. On the screen, she watched the tiny pot Theo had made shatter into a cloud of dust and pottery shards. The screen went blank as the video ended. Lily’s vision went nearly as black.

“Lil, mi amor… what does it mean?” Abriella grabbed her shoulders and gave a little shake. “Lily, talk to me!”

“Th-Theo. The… the…” She stumbled over her words and began shaking her hands as the stress levels and fear peaked. “Those were ours f-from the pottery c-class. He sh-shot Theo’s.”

“Garcia, take her downstairs. Bring the phone to the technical analyst. Is this related to what you and Agent Gendry brought me the other day?” Marissa cut through the agents and shook Abriella’s shoulder to get her attention. “I need your head in the game, Agent.”

“Si. Yes. It is related.” Abriella split her attention between Lily and Marissa as her features grew distraught. “The texts were from an unknown number. This one isn”t.”

“Then you know where to start. Go. We’ll finish here and read you in later.”

Lily continued to shake her hands, desperately seeking to expel the overwhelming thoughts and spiraling anxieties. If it weren”t for the comforting weight of Abriella’s arm over her shoulders, she didn”t think she would have been able to handle walking. All she could do was cycle through the words of a children’s nursery rhyme and the echoes of a gunshot.