"Sir," Jeff knocked on the door, "we have the connection."

"What are you talking about?" the tall man sitting behind the desk looked up, "connection? You don't mean ..."

"Yes, I do," Jeff grinned, "you've got to see this."

Leaving the office door open, he disappeared, walking briskly down the passageway toward his office. The closing of an office door and the calling of his name didn't slow him down. Having waited for this opportunity all these years ... finally, a chance of ending the charade this particular corporation was hiding behind was within grasp.

"Jeff, what is the hurry?" his boss asked, jogging into his office and closing the door, "what is it I have to see?"

Clicking the large screen, Jeff allowed the sound on one of three new bulletins to run before silencing it and switching to another and doing the same for the third.

"What about three random pieces of news?" his boss asked.

"The coffee shop shoot out," Jeff said, looking at his boss, "the building and the shop are owned by Syndication Corporation. The apartment building downtown with all the automated apartments ... Cherry Basset lived there, and it blew up. Owned by Syndication Corporation. The Bassett murder's from all those years ago ... had automation put in their home when it first came out. The company they used to have it installed is owned by Syndication Corporation ... Carl, everything is pointing to the same people we've been after for years."

"It's linking up," Carl smiled, "do we have any solid evidence to take down one of the most secure, most connected multi-national companies of this time?"

"Not yet," Jeff shook his head, "but we know that Cherry Basset and her parents are alive and well and controlled by Syndication Corporation. We did pick up chatter that Cherry has disappeared, but no one seems to know where she has gone."

"Cherry has disappeared?" Carl's eyebrows rose in surprise, "now that is interesting. Do you think she found out?"

"No idea," Jeff said, "we have found her parents, though ..." Jeff grinned, "yes, they are alive and well ... but I don't think they know their daughter is alive."

"How do you know?" Carl asked.

"If you knew your child was alive somewhere," Jeff said, "would you be sitting calmly in a mountain compound five years later?"

"No, I wouldn't," Carl said quietly, "I would be out there somewhere trying to find them."

"Exactly," Jeff said, "our asset is on track and will probably be heading in that direction."

"Probably?" Carl asked, looking at Jeff sceptically.

"Yes, I haven't heard back from her," Jeff said, "I'm waiting to hear what her play will be."

"Which asset is on this case?" Carl asked.

"Sam ... Samantha Headrow," Jeff said, "she is one of our ... Sir?" Jeff watched his boss abruptly turn away toward the window, "Is there a problem?"

"The asset, in this case, is Sandy and Simon Headrows daughter?" Carl asked, looking out the window of the city view.

"I don't know who her parents are," Jeff said, "she is competent and has been working on this case against Syndication for months."

"Were ... her parents were ..." Carl shook his head, turning toward Jeff. "The irony ... her parents tried to take out the Tenderhook brothers years ago, but they were murdered before they could do anything. Sam took the killer out before she was killed ... there was no doubt she was supposed to die that day as well ... I recruited her at the funeral."

"You know the family?" Jeff asked, frowning.

"I do," Carl nodded, "very well ... they were one of my best friends and a pair of beautiful people."

"Do you want me to change the asset?" Jeff asked.

"Hmmm," Carl hummed, "part of me wants to protect her and say yes .. but the part who knew her parents and saw the security tape after the murders wants to see what her play will be. She cannot do this on her own."

"She won't be," Jeff grinned, "I was contacted by my old partner, who has been working this case on the side for years... as have I. He gave me printed copies of the information Sam has been obtaining and requested coordinates. He told me he got the information from Sam and was happy to assure me he will work with her even if she doesn't want him as a partner."

"Is he reliable, and will he stay on her side?" Carl asked.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Yes, he will," Jeff nodded, "he is definitely one of the good guys."

"Fair enough," Carl nodded, "let's see what her play is, and we'll take it from there."

"If she decides to go after Syndication ... what do we do then?" Jeff asked, concern rippling over his expression.

"Then we give her every means to do so," Carl said, "these people have been hiding things from the public, and it's time that the world knew they are the innovative people everyone thought they were."

"Sounds like you know them," Jeff said, frowning.

"I know the man who started the company ... Andris Tenderhook," Carl shook his head. "The way he did business was compared to Al Capone and the Sicilian Mafia. The birthing of his now multi-national company is bathed in rivers of murder, cheating and blood."

"That bad, huh ..." Jeff sighed, "if half of what Sam has brought to the surface is true and to go by ..." he shuddered, "I don't think they should have gotten this far. How did they get this far?"

"I could take a few guesses knowing the brothers at the helm, but guessing would not be proof. We're going to find out," Carl said, "we're going to take them apart piece by piece and let the world know who they really are."

"How long have you been going after them?" Jeff asked, waiting as Carl walked to the window again, staring blindly in front of him.

"Nearly two decades," Carl said. "They appeared on our radar when it was brought to our attention they were using automation of homes and businesses to spy on people and blackmail them. Things that happen in a home are private and should never be used for someone's financial gain."

"Who was he blackmailing?" Jeff asked, remaining in place as he waited. Sensing there was more to the story than he or anyone knew.

"Many people from all walks of life and various social and business areas. I have long suspected that is how they grew so fast. If someone works, for instance, in a government position which can benefit the brothers in a venture, dirt is gathered and used to acquire their goal. But they have ruined many families ... good, hard-working families who didn't disserve what was brought to their doorsteps."

"Do you know any of the families he destroyed?" Jeff asked, "it could go a long way in the evidence department."

"I know families destroyed by the heartless cruelty of the Tenderhooks," Carl said, "particularly a family very ... by the book ..." Carl sighed. "One of their younger members was manipulated into doing something ... not by the book. It was caught on camera by a mysterious source and used to manipulate another family member into doing something which destroyed the family."

"Sounds like something the Syndication would do," Jeff nodded, "you knew this family ... that isn't a question ... you knew this family, Carl."

"I did," Carl nodded, looking over his shoulder at Jeff. "I was the younger member who was manipulated, and I know who manipulated me ... Andris Tenderhook, " Carl cleared his throat. "My parents couldn't recover from the mishap, my sisters lost careers over something so stupid and my brother ..." Carl swallowed hard. "When my brother confronted the person responsible ... they denied it. After laying a charge against the Tenderhooks and pushing for prosecution, Chris was murdered two days later. The security tape that caught the murderer mysteriously disappeared, and they continued with their lives as though nothing happened."

"Carl, I'm so sorry," Jeff whispered, "did you see who pulled the trigger?"

"I did," Carl nodded, "but they won't be doing it again."

"Like Sam, you killed them," Jeff said, "when you saw Sam do the same, you knew she needed protection."

"Unlike Sam, I had a family who would not let anything happen to me. Sam had no one. I needed to protect her ... hide her until she was ready," Carl said, shrugging at Jeff's worried gaze, "I wasn't sure what she would be ready for ... I wanted to give her a chance to be whatever she could be."

"I'm glad you said that and not "what she was meant to be" that would not be true," Jeff nodded, turning to his computer and checking an email notification. "It's Sam," Jeff said, sinking into the chair and opening the email. "Ah ... Carl."

"What? Does she have news," Carl asked, ambling toward the desk.

"She does ... Sam and Stan .. that's my friend," Jeff said, looking at Carl, "they are putting the A plus protocols into place and will be going dark."

"Where is she going?" Carl asked, frowning.

"Apparently, they are heading toward the coordinates given to them," Jeff said, "from there, they will go wherever the evidence leads."

"What does that mean?" Carl asked.

Jeff looked at Carl, grinning, "That's Stan saying follow the mayhem and body count to find them."

Carl rubbed his hands over his face before looking at Jeff, "Another loose cannon. Okay, perhaps this is what we need to get this done and get them through alive. Confirm their protocols and advise them to check in with each change of station. Tell Sam to use those protocols in hand with the Omega output we discussed."

"Omega output? What is that?" Jeff asked.

"Do you have the security clearance for it ... I believe you do. I'll fill you in later," Carl said, looking at Jeff sideways, "send the information through before she disconnects and goes dark."

"I'm sending the information now," Jeff typed quickly.

An almost immediate ding brought their attention to the screen. Jeff looked at Carl, nodding, "It's a go."

"Come to my office. I have several things you need to know and put in place," Carl said, "first of all is the Omega output."

"Shouldn't I be putting search parameters in place first?" Jeff asked.

"They will be put in place," Carl smiled, "the beauty of having protocols is that there are trained staff who will implement them. You need to do something different and let those trained to put these things into place do their jobs."

"Lead the way," Jeff said, nodding, "we have two assets to keep safe and alive."

"By the time they're finished, it may be more," Carl said, opening the office door, "this day may not be as bad as we thought it would turn out."

"Let's get them through this before we get too positive about the outcome," Jeff said, patting Carl on the shoulder.

"You have a point," Carl said as they entered his office and typed in a code before closing the door. The whirring sounds fluttered together before silence followed, "let's get to work."