15
Toronto, Canada
Sarah mechanically adjusts the skirt of her suit after crossing her legs again. Pale, she tries to absorb the last piece of information delivered by the strange individual: her husband was assassinated!
Suddenly, Jeremy stands up, hitting the table, breaking the silence established by the visitor's insinuations of murder.
"Who are you?" he inquires coldly, glaring at his interlocutor. "Who do you think you are, entering people's homes with your shitty attitude to announce things like this?"
The man gestures calmly.
"Calm down, Mr. Baltac. I'm on your side, I'm trying to understand what's happening too."
"Is that why you bugged my phone?"
"What?" the stranger asks, surprised.
"Stop playing games... You want to use me as bait, is that it? I'm the last on the list, so you think by monitoring me, by hacking into my phone, you might be able to catch the culprit?"
The man suddenly stands up as well, his gaze becoming sharper. His cloak of certainty seems to have been shattered, and his attitude changes accordingly.
"Are you sure your phone is tapped?"
"Oh! Come on, don't act surprised now!"
"Mr. Baltac? Are you sure your phone is tapped?" he insists, excessively articulating each syllable.
Taken aback by the tone, Jay softens. "Yes..." Then, fearing to implicate the Doctor, he adds: "It's my job, I do security, and I have sensitive clients, it's normal for me to monitor my networks and my mobile from time to time. I noticed it a few days ago."
Immediately, the man becomes frenzied, ignoring his hosts.
He activates a communicator previously concealed by his overcoat's collar. Begins to shout precise orders. Pulls out his phone to send messages to unseen collaborators. Paces the living room, nervous. And finally heads to the door to step onto the porch where the rest of his instructions are lost.
Now alone, Jay and Sarah exchange puzzling looks. They try to understand the situation. Jay approaches the armchair, and Sarah stands up, uttering a single word that translates all her bewilderment.
"Why?"
It's the stranger, returning from the porch, who answers the question: "Because whoever is orchestrating all this thinks your husband's old team might stop him in his plans."
He closes the door behind him. "Sorry, I wasn't authorized to tell you more before now."
"And what changed in the last three minutes?" Jay asks sarcastically.
"Believe it or not, we have nothing to do with the wiretapping of your phone. The only explanation is that the person we're looking for is monitoring you. And if that's the case, it's the best chance we've had in weeks to spot him."
"Oh, so now you need me?" Jay continues in the same tone.
The other lowers his eyes.
"Yes... In exchange, I've been cleared to share with you what we know... But first, let me introduce myself: Major Dex Lewitt, intelligence service, NSA."
"Sit down, 'Major,'" Jay says, emphasizing the rank. "Sarah? I think you should sit down too. Sir has some explanations to give us."
Everyone resumes their initial position in the armchairs and sofa around the living room table.
YOU ARE READING
Unlimited Plan (*)
Mystery / ThrillerWhen Jeremy Baltac-former member of a hacker elite group turned cybersecurity engineer-learns about the disappearance of an old teammate, he has no idea it's the starting point of a real race against time. Members of his former group are being elimi...
