Page 23 of A Man of Prestige

Chapter12

Ella

When I arrive backat the Pentagon, I’m surprised to see Michelle is not working. Instead, she’s talking to one of our security guards.

“What’s going on?” I ask as I look from her to the guard.

I can see she’s been crying.

“I was just taking a walk on my break, and someone started following me. I didn’t think anything of it, but then as I turned onto a lesser populated part of the path, he sped up. I only saw it because I had on those sunglasses you bought me for my birthday that stick out farther and act like a rearview mirror. I started running. He started running. I bolted through the brush and made it back onto the main path. I completely lucked out when a group of officers going for a jog passed by. I joined them and managed to get back up here without him seeing me.”

She takes a deep breath.

“What did he look like, Michelle?” I ask.

“I really couldn’t tell. He had on a baseball cap and sunglasses. Maybe six feet, medium build, light skin. I think his hair was brown. I honestly really couldn’t tell much.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re alright. I wouldn’t go jogging or walking alone. There have been so many abductions lately,” I point out, and she nods.

“I know. I just figured…it was the middle of the day, and I wasn’t on some obscure part of the path.”

“I know. You shouldn’t have to worry about such things. Are you filing a report?” I ask as I turn to the guard.

“Yes, Commander. I’m taking her statement now,” the young man says.

“Very good. Michelle, why don’t you take off the rest of the day. Go home and rest.”

Her eyes widen.

I hold up a hand. “I just mean for the afternoon. You can come back in the morning. OK. I need you focused, and I completely understand how hard it is to focus after something like that happens.”

“Right. Thanks,” she mumbles, her cheeks flushing.

I want to hug her. I know how that would look, so I refrain. I head back into my office with the supplies that I had to gather. I nod to another lab tech, a guy named Andy, as I head into my office.

I sit down, trying to process what just happened to Michelle and what just happened between Aiden and me. What a fucking day.

An idea dawns on me. I’ve been adding files to the admiral’s drive. I wonder if the short time period that he gave me access to his secured server has expired.

I log in and pretend to add an updated version of the report I had done to his drive. And it lets me. Once I am in, I look around at the other folders. I don’t dare to open any of them, not from this computer.

Another idea hits me. I should check to see if his computer can download my report.

I walk to his office and find his secretary heading out the door. Marcia and I go way back.

“Hey,” she says as she gathers some papers. “What brings you to these parts?”

“Oh, is the admiral here?”

“No, he’s in a meeting.”

“Oh.” I pretend to be disappointed.

“Why?” she asks as she stands with several folders in her arms.

“Oh, I sent him a report, but I’m not sure his computer will show the graphics properly. I was going to have him check it before a meeting.”

She opens his office door. “Go ahead. I was just on his computer to add something a second ago, so it’s unlocked.”

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