Leopard, p.11
Leopard, page 11
“I would not have taken you for a neo soul kind of guy. You are a little too uptight.” The accusatory tone of her voice came through loud and clear.
“My musical taste is a mixture of genres that may surprise you.”
“I doubt there is anything you can do to surprise me,” she retorted.
Chapter 17
That hit wrong, Calvin thought, but continued driving. They were just passing Fredericksburg. It was the midway point between DC and Richmond, which meant they had a little under an hour before reaching their destination. After a few minutes, he thought the conversation needed to change.
“Tell me about the building. Is it a standalone or is it connected to other buildings?”
“It’s a standalone,” she answered.
Her voice was flat. Gone was the freestyle conversation of moments ago. “Look, I didn’t mean to sound harsh. My friends and I have learned the hard way that any little thing we do impacts our parents right now. That is the reason we don’t share anything about our personal lives on social media or with strangers.”
“You just shared with me.”
He glanced at her. “You do realize you are in the same predicament as I am. You are connected to the second most powerful person in the world.”
“Yes, but we don’t care,” she stated. “Phoenix doesn’t care what people have to say about her. She is and always will be…herself.”
“To some extent anyone in the political realm has to keep a certain portion of their lives from the public. Look at what we are doing right now. Why do you think the VP came to my boss, rather than going to the lead detective in your parents' case? Why do you think she did not call in the FBI to investigate this situation? She and her campaign understand how this situation could play out. First, they would accuse her of prioritizing a family situation over the thousands of other cases that people are just as upset about as you. Next, they would insert themselves in the investigation. There are a lot of investigative reporters who would just love to follow you around as we track down your parents' killer. How do you think that would turn out? Do you think they would keep the information you find under-wraps. No, they would be on every major news channel they can find exploiting your pain. That would be mild compared to what the opposition would do. Everything you do, say or discover about your parents, good or bad, would be used against the VP in the election. I say all of that to get you to see that even the VP has to, from time to time, not reveal certain information to the public.”
“You know, you’re a downer,” Leslie said with the hint of a smile. “You are just too serious for your own good. How old are you?”
Calvin frowned. “I’m twenty-three.”
“Well, you sound like you’re fifty. There are times when a person just has to let go. Enjoy life, because if you don’t when that day comes to answer to your maker, he’s going to look at you and say, you just wasted a good life.”
Calvin was right outside of Ruther Glen, Virginia when he took the exit to route 301 leading into Hanover. “What in the hell does that have to do with keeping your life private?”
“I don’t know. All I know is for most of this trip you've been too serious for me. My life is serious enough ensuring the equipment I design is safe for space travel. I have to create paths for our satellites to operate and be positioned properly to ensure the power grids function the way they are supposed to so your damn navigation or GPS system works as it should. If that’s not enough of taking life serious for you, I’m dealing with two parents who I believe were murdered. Forgive me if when I’m in the presence of a man who looks as good as you do, I think more about shaking my ass on a dance floor, rather than critically thinking about every aspect of my life.” She exhaled in frustration. “Now, make a left turn at the light, drive down to the stop sign and park. The office will be on the right-side of the street.”
“You work on satellites?” Calvin asked as he made the left turn.
She stared at him with an ‘are you kidding me right now’ look. “Yes, I am an aerospace engineer. I design instruments, satellites, and equipment used for space travel.”
“Damn, you’re a brainiac.” He parked the car. “I didn’t think that brainiacs looked like you. Where are your pointy glasses, and why isn’t your hair up in a tight bun? Aren't you supposed to be a member of the tight ass society?”
“Are you trying to insult me?”
The look on her face was priceless to him. Calvin reached over to move one of her curls from her face. It was blocking her eyes, and he was enjoying the fire that was coming out of them.
She reached up adjusting the curl even more. “Why did you do that?”
“Because it was blocking your eyes. I kind of like looking at them when you’re ticked.”
He could see the play of emotions across her face. She wanted to smile, but she was fighting it.
“You know, I don’t like you very much right now. Let’s just go into the office so you can get started on your part of this investigation.”
She removed her seatbelt, then opened the passenger door. Calvin checked for traffic, which there was none, then stepped out of the car to help her.
Leslie stood, just as he reached her.
“Here, lean on me,” Calvin suggested as he took a moment to survey the area.
The building was a two-story structure on a corner lot. It had a large frosted front window and a single door entry to the left. On the right was an alleyway between it and the next building, large enough for two vehicles to drive through. Across the two-lane street there was a small grocery store, and a florist shop, which appeared to be on the side of a strip mall. This was small town USA with a main street of so-called 'mom and pop' shops. The Carringtons had chosen an isolated building, with a front and back entrance. Nothing was connected, and there was enough space between it and the next building to ensure nothing done inside could be detected.
Calvin was searching for camera systems when Leslie called out to him.
“Calvin, it looks like someone is in the office.”
Calvin turned to the window at the front. It did appear there was movement inside. “Give me your keys.”
Leslie reached inside her purse and pulled out the single key on a key ring. “You’re not going to be able to get inside without the code to the door.”
“I will, you get back into the car. Do not get out until I return. Understood?”
“But I need to see who is in my building,” she protested.
“You will only slow me down. Get back into the car, now.”
“Excuse you.”
Calvin heard her but was more concerned about someone being inside a locked building. He ran down the alley towards the back of the building.
When he reached the end of the alley, he stopped and peeked around the corner. A car was parked in the lot near the back entrance. He pulled his phone out then took a picture of the license plate. Then he pulled his weapon and proceeded through what he thought was the back entrance to the building. Staying close to the outside wall, he surveyed the area. There were woods fifty feet away and no other buildings nor houses. Moving forward, he reached the back entrance to find it open. He slowly tested the steps leading to the porch. No sound. He quickly walked up the two steps then eased over to the door. He peeked inside. Damn, all he could see was a wall. Stepping inside he placed his back against the wall, then slowly peeked into the open office area. There were two desks in the center of the floor with computer monitors back-to-back. He could not see who was inside. He eased around the wall then immediately pointed his weapon at the person who had a gun pointed at him.
“This can go one of two ways. You can tell me who in the hell you are, or I can blow your fucking brains out. Which will it be?” Calvin held his ground, adrenaline racing through his veins. He knew not to underestimate anyone pointing a weapon at him, no matter how shocked he was at the opponent.
“What make you think I can’t blow your brains out first?”
“Let’s evaluate our situation. You’re carrying a 38 Special, I’m carrying an automatic Glock. The most damage you can do is make me bleed. I, on the other hand, will kill you.”
“Okay, you win,” the woman said as she put her weapon back into the bag that was on her shoulder.
“Let me guess.” Calvin holstered his weapon. “You must be Tia?”
She smiled brightly at him. “Yes, I am. And you must be Calvin. Where is Leslie?”
“I'm right here.”
Calvin swung around to see Leslie limping towards the steps. “I told you to stay in the car.”
“Yes, I didn’t listen,” Leslie said as she closed the door behind her. “Did you really think someone would drive a red sports car to break into a building?”
“Come inside and get off of that leg.” Tia rushed by him to reach Leslie. “Girl, who gave you those god ugly shoes?”
“They were in Phoenix’s closet.”
“Phoenix would never wear anything like that.” Tia frowned.
“No, but she made me wear them.”
Calvin watched, disgruntled, as the two women walked by him as if he did not exist.
“Sit down and tell me how you are feeling?”
“I’m fine, Tia, really. What are you doing here?”
“I came to check on you,” Tia replied. “It took you long enough to get here?”
“Calvin Johnson," he said, offering her his hand. "How did you get inside the building?”
Tia extended her hand. “I did not introduce myself. I’m Tia Costen and I have a key.”
“And the code to the door,” Leslie expounded.
“Which I think is a joke,” Tia advised. “I don’t think that little security system is enough for this building. She keeps telling me this is a small town, however, just like I drove here from Richmond, so can the bad guys…you know what I mean.”
Calvin was totally pissed as he looked around the office. He was working with Leslie, the brainiac, and Tia--Foxy Brown with a gun. “Do either of you understand how much danger you are in?”
“We are inside a building no one knows anything about.” Leslie exhaled. “Why are you so serious all the time?”
“She knows about it,” Calvin countered. “Do you realize I could have killed her a moment ago?”
“Listen.” Tia walked over to him. “I do realize this is dangerous. While she is playing with her computer programs, I’m dealing with the criminal element every day. You should know, I include the government in that description.”
Calvin could not argue that point with her. “Point taken.”
“Good.” She gave him the stink-eye. “I need you to understand that I love her like a sister and I don’t want to see anything happen to her. If that means I have to put myself between her and danger, then I will.”
Calvin knew how to read people. Tia was a blend of sophistication and street grit. He had no doubt she knew how and would use the weapon she was carrying. But there was something about her he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
“What do you do?”
“Technically, I’m an attorney. However, my energy goes towards protecting my community from the people you work for.”
That’s it. She reminded him of JC. “You're a community activist.”
“What of it?”
Calvin held his hands up in surrender. “Hey, I respect the game.”
“You don’t appear to be a government groomed ass like most of the people I run into,” she acknowledged. “You’re a good guy. You wouldn’t have shot me until you knew who I was and why I was here.”
She had no idea what he was capable of doing. “You’re right,” he said, “I don’t think this building is secure and your friend is not taking this as seriously as she should. That is why I am here.”
Tia smiled, then looked over her shoulder at Leslie. “I think you are in good hands.” She turned back to Calvin. “My apology for pulling my weapon on you. I was under the impression that you were a geek. Well, the geeks I know don’t look like you. On that note, I’m simply going to ask that you please take care of her. She’s a very special person in my life and the lives of others.”
The sincerity of the woman’s plea touched him. “I promise, nothing will happen to her as long as I am around.”
Tia tilted her head. “I believe you. And with that, I’m out.”
“Call me later,” Leslie called over her shoulder.
“Oh, I will,” Tia said as she walked past him to the back entrance.
He turned just as Tia was mouthing something to Leslie. He watched her stand straight and smile. “Be careful,” she said then walked out of the door.
Calvin turned back to Leslie. “So, that is Tia.”
“Yes, that is Tia, but you have only had a taste.”
“Does anyone else have keys to this building? A boyfriend? A cousin? A long-lost brother? Anyone else?”
“No, just Tia,” Leslie exhaled. “Are you upset that she has a key? I had to give a copy to someone in case something happened to me. I was being cautious. Besides, she doesn’t like for me to be in this building alone, so sometimes she works from here while I’m going through the files on the computer.”
“I have to agree with her on that,” Calvin said as he watched the red Corvette drive away.
Chapter 18
For a long moment all Calvin could do was stare at the woman who was surely trying to test his patience.
“Is there a part of English that you do not understand?”
“I’m a highly intelligent woman. I understand the English vernacular quite well. However, I am a curious person. I was a curious child. When someone tells me not to do something, it only increases said curiosity. Therefore, when you told me to stay in the car, naturally I wanted to see what was going on inside the building. However, I am certain you cannot comprehend my reasoning because you always follow the rules.”
He took a step closer to her and spoke softly. “Yes, I do try to follow the rules. Here's why. Following rules, from time to time, usually saves my life. Since you are a curious type, allow me to break that down a little further for you. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, would you agree?”
“Newton’s third law.” She nodded. “Of course I agree.”
“You can’t make a move without it affecting another. If you move to the right, it will cause a reaction to the left or push back. Would you agree?”
“Yes,” Leslie sighed.
“Every action has a reaction. If you ignore the rules of simple physics the ship will burn. If you ignore the rules here, we don’t walk out of this situation alive.”
“I think you are being a bit dramatic.”
“If your parents were here, would they think the same?” The expression on her face made him want to pull the words back. But he couldn’t. She may not fully understand how dangerous this situation was, but he did. He knew that the people involved in this situation had not hesitated to kill her parents. He also knew that that man in the alley had not hesitated in his attempt to take her life. He also knew if Vance and Ackerson were involved, at some point they would discover her involvement, and would not hesitate to kill them both. She needed to understand the dangers involved. He exhaled, releasing the tension. “I don’t mean to be a downer, as you called me, and no, I’m not always serious. But until I have a better understanding of what’s happening here, I’m going to err on the side of caution to ensure nothing happens to that pretty little face of yours.”
“You think my face is pretty?”
“Yes, I do.”
“You took the wind out of me with that.” She exhaled. “Okay. Where do you want to start?”
Calvin stood, then scanned around the room. It was as she had told him. There were two desks facing each other, a large picture window at the front, a door to the right of the kitchen, and a black bag sitting against the wall.
“Is that the bag with the camera equipment you mentioned?”
Looking over her shoulder, she nodded. “Yes. I had planned to go through it but was distracted by the code I found in my mom’s computer.”
“There may be some family pictures, or something connected to the case. We will go through it together.”
He walked over to the staircase near the front entrance. There was one that led upstairs and another that led downstairs.
“I think I'm going to start in the basement,” he said then began walking in that direction. “In the meantime, would you pull up what you were working on, on your mother's computer and I will take a look at that when I come back. Prop your leg up and do not let anyone in.”
“I’ll put the alarm on,” she advised. “Oh, the light switch on the wall is to the basement. There are no windows down there, so it’s always dark.”
Calvin turned on the switch then walked down into the basement. He was stunned at the sight. Leslie had not exaggerated. There were ten rows of five, four-drawer, heavy duty, metal file cabinets set up like sentinels on a firing line. Before doing anything, Calvin pulled out his tablet and placed a call.
“Lock into my tablet. Scan the area for explosives.” Calvin walked down each row, recording the cabinets, while Phire scanned each.
“All clear,” she replied when he reached the last row.
Calvin pulled open one of the drawers on the last file cabinet. After reading a few of the documents, he stopped. “Each of these file cabinets has paperwork inside that will need to be examined. I’m pretty sure these are documents from DiscoveryU.”
“Is there something in every drawer?”
“There appears to be.” Calvin checked a few more cabinets. “Phire, with as little fanfare as possible, I need a security system on this building today. My gut is telling me this building needs to be locked down,” he said while walking through the rows of cabinets. He read a few more documents and knew this was why the Carringtons were killed. “You and Adam need to make an appearance, like now.”
After disconnecting the call, Calvin pulled open one of the file cabinets. Inside were folders of paper. He took one of the folders out to examine the documents. The documents were from the DiscoveryU genetics department. He placed that folder back inside the cabinet, then walked down another row. Following the same steps, he found documents on space exploration. By the time he had visited each row, he knew there was an array of information covering medical, policing, education, and artificial intelligence in addition to other topics. He believed the file cabinets were the documents downloaded from the secure server from DiscoveryU.
