John Appleton was enjoying himself for the first time in months, his involvement with Nigel’s unjustified incarceration made him uneasy. He had come to Ellen’s family to make amends, and she welcomed him. He’d never had a family of his own, and it was nice being a part of Ellen’s family, even if it was just for a short while. It was nice to enjoy a home-cooked meal for a change. He sat at the dinner table watching Nigel play with his little brother Ralphie.
The doorbell rang. Ellen went to answer it.
“Can I help you with something?” Ellen said, greeting the visitor.
“I’m here to see Nigel.” It was a young woman in her late twenties.
“Who are you?”
“My name is Natasha, Nigel’s recruiter at Collective Systems.”
“Right. Come in, it’s cold outside.”
“Can my companions come in as well?”
Ellen paused.
Milo and Cassidy stepped up to the door.
“Hello, Mrs. Watson,” Milo said.
“Milo! Cassidy! You are both welcome. Please, come on in.”
Nigel noticed his friends and tried to speak, but only a gurgling sound emitted. He ran over to give them both a hug.
Nigel wrote on his notepad, The doctor said that my throat needs to rest for a few weeks, but I should be able to speak normally again.
He noticed a worried look on Milo’s face.
“We heard about the second attack and wanted to help in any way possible,” Milo said.
“Cassidy also works for Collective Systems,” Natasha said.
“When I found out you were in the hospital again, I wanted to help,” Cassidy said.
Nigel wrote in his notepad and then presented it to Milo. Help with what?
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Ellen gave Natasha a curious look. “How do you know Milo and Cassidy?” she asked.
“Cassidy is a full member of Collective Systems. She has been with us for more than a year. She is an excellent organizer and has an aptitude for pattern recognition,” Natasha said.
I’m responsible for Nigel’s condition, I should leave, John thought.
“I think I’d better be going now,” John said.
“Agent Appleton, you should stay. What I’m about to share involves you, too,” Natasha said.
John gave Natasha a hard look but didn’t move.
“I’m going to make coffee and tea,” Ellen said.
“Are you coming back to our game, Nige?” Ralphie asked.
“Nigel has to work, honey. Play a game on your phone or go to your room for a while,” Ellen said.
Ralphie left the room without another word.
“He looked bummed,” Cassidy said.
“Ralphie took the attacks on Nigel hard. He hasn’t left Nigel alone since they released him from the hospital,” Ellen said.
Ellen placed cookies, coffee, hot water, tea bags, and mugs on the table.
“There have been more attacks,” Natasha said.
John froze as he reached for a mug. Ellen reached for her phone.
“It hasn’t made the mainstream press. You won’t find anything there.”
“How do you know?” Ellen asked.
“Collective Systems not only monitors critical infrastructure, but we also keep a watchful eye on organized hacker groups,” Natasha said.
“We would have heard about any attacks on infrastructure such as power grids, so you must be referring to the hacker groups,” John said.
“That is correct, Agent Appleton.”
“It’s John. I’m no longer an agent of the FBI.”
“We believe that the attack on the Milford Police station involved Black Iris. That group always acts with a purpose,” Natasha said.
“That makes little sense. Why would Black Iris attack the police?” John said.
“Based on what we know so far, Nigel was the target of the attack. Nigel’s work at Collective Systems may have put him in danger,” Natasha said.
The room was silent for a long time.
“Have any of these suspicions been confirmed?” John asked.
“These attacks have originated from blocks of IP addresses that belong to Black Iris. And . . . we believe that Gregor is involved, somehow. Gregor’s betrayal hurt more than just Nigel,” Natasha said.
No one said anything for a long moment.
Nigel wrote in his notepad and then handed the note to his mother.
“Has anyone performed any kind of network forensics or investigative work?” Ellen said.
“Not yet—that’s where you come in, Nigel,” Natasha replied, looking at him.
“Surely you have other people who can do this. Nigel is still recovering,” Ellen said.
Natasha frowned, deep in thought.
“As much as I hate to admit it, our network is less than realizable at the moment. I’ve been cut off from much of Collective Systems. I’m resorting to calling on people I can trust, which is a short list.”
Nigel wrote another note and handed it to Natasha this time: I’m in!
“Thank you, Nigel. I know your help will be invaluable.”
“I will offer any help,” John said.
“Same here!” Milo said.
“I’m ready,” Cassidy said.
“Very good. It’s late and we’re all tired. We will regroup tomorrow,” Natasha said.