Page 10 of Elliot

“Yep. Not great coverage, but in and out at the keypad and in and out at the elevator.”

“Perfect. I’m not sure of the date yet. I’ll have to check, but Ms. Callahan’s car was vandalized. All four tires were slashed. She had it towed and sold.”

“I can find the date. It should be as simple as seeing who was authorized on the passkey from security. I can access their database.” Con made a hissing sound. “Dude, those simpletons don’t even have two-factor security on their system—not that that would stop anyone who’s had a minute’s worth of training. I’m in, and I’ll see what I can find.”

“Thanks.”

“Is that it?” Con asked. “You’re too easy.”

“For now, I need to handle logistics and set up a security system for her business and this apartment.”

“I can do that. It’s kind of my thing.” Con laughed. “I’ll get the best. From what I understand, Maya Callahan can afford it.”

“She doesn’t want camera surveillance at the office.”

“Why not?” Con’s shock echoed through the comment.

“She values her personnel’s privacy,” Elliot repeated the comment.

“More than she values her life?”

Elliot shrugged and said, “I’m trying to be accommodating.”

“Huh, well, okay, here’s the thing. You told me, right? If I forget and happen to install one or two very well-disguised cameras that don’t violate anyone’s privacy, would that be a bad thing?”

Elliot glanced at the kitchen door. “That would make me feel a lot better, but it isn’t what she wants.Imust defer to her on this.”

Con chuckled. “Then you follow your instructions. I’ll follow mine.”

“Thank you,” Elliot said, smiling. Con would do it no matter what Elliot told him. That was a given. The man was a bit rogue, but he was damn good at what he did. One of the absolute best. Not the best. Elliot had met the best several times while guarding Archangel. It wasn’t who anyone would expect, but the man had designed Guardian’s systems back in the early dayswhen he was still an adolescent. His brain worked on levels Elliot couldn’t comprehend.

“You’re welcome. I’ll handle the installation of security systems at her office and the apartment. You’ve got transportation taken care of?”

“I do.”

“Then let me get to work. I’ll have our contractors out the day after tomorrow to install. Can you handle one day with shit security?”

“I think I’ll manage.”

Con laughed. “Well, good on yah, then. Talk to you later.”

“Lima One is clear.” He hung up the phone and blinked as he realized he’d instinctively used his old call sign. It was definitely an old dog and new tricks type of thing.

He glanced at his watch and then called up a food delivery app on his phone. He hadn’t eaten anything except for the small lunch he’d had on the airplane, and after the workout that morning, his stomach thought his throat had been slit. He ordered, including something for Maya … damn it …Ms. Callahanin case she was hungry. He set the delivery time to be at roughly the same time as the Dom Ops personnel would arrive. Before that happened, though …

He returned to his room, opened his briefcase, and took out a sealed pair of latex gloves before retrieving the letter Jessica Hall had given him.

He carefully pulled the letter out of the bag and opened it. It looked as if newspaper and magazine letters had been cut out and pasted onto the paper. He narrowed his eyes. Both magazines and newspapers were scarce commodities in the current digital age, although some of the presses still survived. The message, however, lined up with the items delivered last night.

Die, you rat bitch

Direct and clear.He folded the letter and put it back in the bag. Not exactly a death threat, but the intent was clear, and the letter was received before the dead rat. If the same person had sent it, it was most definitely an escalation. Hopefully, there would be fingerprints or some genetic material not obscured by the handling of both objects. Dom Ops had access to the best private labs in the country, and Guardian didn’t have the backlog most of the public law enforcement agencies faced.

Elliot gathered both objects and carefully placed them on the nightstand in his room. He took off his jacket, removed his tie, and folded up the suit jacket, placing it in a paper bag. Whatever material Maya had slipped on was also on his jacket. He wanted it tested. He didn’t buy her declaration that it could have been spilled on the floor by accident. It almost seemed to be a silicone lubricant that had been wiped on the floor. The question was when and by whom.

Elliot unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt and rolled up his sleeves. Then he placed the gift box and the letter in separate paper bags and sealed both, placing his initials on the seal and overlapping them onto the bag, starting the chain of custody.

He unpacked his clothes and made sure his suit for the following day was ready to go before making his way to the front reception area. As he exited the elevator, he smiled. Ross Stapleton, the long-time branch chief of the New York office of Guardian Security, was leaning against the reception desk and talking to the men working.

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