Connecting

Chapter 29

A month passed and there were no suspicions or anything regarding some possible allies of the group, but Melissa suggested to keep their eyes out on any possible people that might be working quietly and the hideouts that they used. About Melissa and Chris, they are very good friends and are always together since they came back from their mission. Today, they are having a simple dinner with the Director and Melissa's good friend Chyler who came back from their hidden station in Washington.

Chris was the first one to arrive, Melissa said she will pick up Chyler from the airport and Chris should wait in the restaurant to wait for Director Harewood and settle everything.

After a few minutes, Chyler arrived and approached Chris. "Hey!"

"Oh, hey," Chris said with a smile, looking around and noticed that Chyler went in alone. "Where is Melissa?"

"Parking," Chyler replied and took a sit. "Are you guys dating?"

Chris was taken aback but immediately smiled. "No, we're just friends. Good friends."

"Hmmm," Chyler smiled and looked at him. "Melissa is like my sister. She's one of the most important persons in my life and I know when she's in love. She likes you and I feel like you do, too. Just a little reminder though, she is fragile. She is.. how do I say this? She is a precious gem that you wouldn't wanna lose. Even if she is an agent, she is brave, when it comes to love, she gives it all. She has gone through so much. So take care of her, show her and make her feel that she's loved, make her feel better, be good to her. Love her."

Chris smiled. "I will. I will take care of her, Miss Leigh. I wouldn't let what happened to her be done to her again."

"So," Chyler said with a small smile. "She told you her story, didn't she?" Chris nodded. "Then, she trusts you. Never lose that trust."

They stopped talking when Melissa arrived and approached them. She grabbed a seat besides Chyler and in front of Chris. She smiled at the both of them. After a few more minutes, Director Harewood came.

"Hey, guys," Director Harewood said, making Melissa looked at him because she never heard him say 'guys' instead of 'agents' and never saw him outside the department and without the uniform. "What?"

Melissa chuckled. "Nothing, sir. It's just that... I never saw you not wearing a uniform and like this."

"I am still a human, Melissa," David chuckled and took the seat beside Chris. "Anyway, let's just enjoy this night. Don't call me director outside, or even sir, David is fine. We're all friends here, aren't we?"

"Of course," Chris said with a smile. "Thank you for joining us tonight, David."

David nodded and smiled. They ordered their food. Once their food arrived, they ate while talking to each other. They had a great evening with one another, great friends. After their dinner, they all separated, Melissa and Chyler together because Melissa picked her up from the airport earlier.

David went back to the department because he needs to gave instructions to the evening shifts first but once he arrived, the agents approached him, hurriedly and with fear in their faces.

"What is it?" David asked them.

"We saw something, we thought we were just mistaken and it was just a case from the past but when we looked into it, we learned that it happened recently." One agent reported.

"What is this something? What happened?"

"Sir," another agent started. "It was the mission that we all thought Agent Benoist and Agent Wood had solved. It's been months since the boss was captured and now, finally in his place, in jail. We saw the same pattern and way of murder that they've been doing to their victims, we suspect that this is their ally. Also, the murder cases with this kind of pattern... we found more of them. The recent one was tonight."

David's face is unreadable but deep inside, he is scared. "Have you tracked them? Like can you track where this hacks came from?"

"None of us are able to, sir. Maybe Agent Benoist can?"

"No," David replied, he doesn't want to involve both Chris and Melissa this time, unless he needs to. "I will try to do it on my own. If I am not able to, and there is another case, call Benoist immediately." The agents nodded and followed his instructions.

After an hour, there was another case reported to them so they called Melissa.

Melissa arrived, wearing her uniform and bringing her own laptop. "What is going on? What are we looking for?"

David approached her. "I didn't want to involve you in this one because you and Wood faced enough danger when you solved this case, and now they are back. Different people but still... the same way of ending people's lives. You know more about this, so I guess you are the only one who could track where this hack is coming from. I couldn't do it myself."

"They're back?" Melissa repeated in disbelief. She started working, typing a lot of things on her laptop then decided to use a more advanced computer, her computer in her office. After several minutes of checking, looking, inputing codes, and other technical stuff, she came back and talked to David.

"They are using a more advanced technology than before," Melissa started. "A technology I am not familiar with. It's like they don't have an IP Address or something. I might be able to get what kind of computer they are using but that's just nonsense. It's no use."

"No, everything is useful, Melissa. Just get whatever you can get." David replied with a nod. Melissa came back to her computer and started working, hoping to get something that can be used to determine the whereabouts of their enemies. She decided to call Chris because with him by her side, she might be able to work faster.

Chris arrived immediately after Melissa called him. "Hey, what happened? Director Harewood told me about it. Tell me what I could do to help."

"Hey, yes," Melissa replied and glanced at him but immediately put her attention to her work. "Just be here with me. We're partners and I think I'll need your help."

"I told you, I'll always be here for you," Chris replied and sat on a chair, looking at Melissa's back. "I really hope we'll be able to get rid of all of them once and for all. But surely, with you on the team, we will."

Melissa smiled, still looking at her computer. Soon after, she stood up and went outside. Chris followed her.

"I was able to determine what kind of device they used," Melissa started, David is listening to her and Chris at her back. "Only for the latest case. They used some kind of a supercomputer. I couldn't find their IP Address, which is the key to find their location."

"That's good enough for now. Now, agents, check every supercomputers you could find around the area. It seems like they are here in Los Angeles so they are just around the corner. If a supercomputer couldn't be tracked using their IP, report it to me or Agent Benoist or Agent Wood. Get to work, evening until morning shifts. Agent Wood and Agent Benoist, you may go home and rest for a while. See you in a few hours."

Melissa thought it was just evening but turns out, it's already 4 am, which means she just have an hour or two of sleep. Chris decided to stay in the department and help in monitoring the case with the director and other agents who are in night shift until early morning shift.