Jewel nodded in response and followed as Kalliopi started rummaging through the clothes on the floor to assure herself that everything was still there.
* * *
Stan stepped outside the condo and got into his car so he’d be sure no one was listening in.He dialed Richard, who picked up on the first ring.
“We’ve got a problem.Harriet’s old place has been ransacked.You know, the place where Kalliopi is staying.”
“Is she hurt?”
“No.Luckily, she wasn’t here when the place was broken into.Not sure when that might have been, though.”
“I’d assume sometime after she left it this morning,” Richard prompted.
“No.”Stan shook his head.He hadn’t exactly wanted to advertise his dating life, but it was now information important to the case.“She’s spent the last few nights at my place.”
He thought about playing it off as insisting she stay with him for protection, worrying about her ever since Ash told them about Zagan, but why worry about keeping things secret?They had bigger things to worry about.“We all know it’s gotta be Zagan or someone working for Zagan.They took some printouts she had with info on the cadets, so it’s unclear if they’re after her or targeting the cadets next.I’m uncertain whether he stole information from her laptop, though.Can we get tech on that to be certain?”
“Of course.Is there anything else missing?”
“I’m not sure yet.She’s going through her clothes to see if they took anything for trackers.Let’s get a few FUCs over to the dorms to watch over the cadets for now.Cancel all their campus activities for the time being.I don’t want anyone abducted on our watch.”
“Done.”Stan heard the keyboard clacking, indicating Richard was firing off instructions to others as they spoke.“Now, do you want someone else to collect the Milos team from the airport so you and Kalliopi can focus on the condo inspection?”
“Yeah, I’d guess Kalliopi probably doesn’t want to leave the cadets for too long.”
Stan hung up the phone with Richard just as Jewel and Kalliopi were stepping out of the condo.Kalliopi had bags with her, clearly clearing out of the place.
“Everything I packed is clean of devices,” Kalliopi said after Stan helped her load her bags into the trunk and the three of them were back inside the car.“I had my transmission detector, which I used on the bags and everything I put inside.It’s not strong enough to sweep the whole place, but it can at least double-check that I’m not packing something I shouldn’t into the car with us.”
“Good thinking,” Stan replied.He took a look in the rearview mirror at Jewel.It was a little odd to have her with him at a crime scene, but she seemed to be holding it together well as she sat back and observed.It was a sign of a good cadet.“Did you find anything missing?”
“A sweater,” Kalliopi confirmed.“I left my laptop in there for the techs to fully look at, but I did manage to take a little look at it.There was one file downloaded today, with the cadets’ personal info.”
“We should put a firewall up on campus computers and the cadets’ cells,” Jewel piped up from the backseat.“Then we can track anyone who tries to access them.”
“Good idea.Go ahead and fire off an email to Richard with the suggestion.”Stan used Jewel’s distracted moment to take Kalliopi’s hand.“It’s going to be okay.Richard is filled in, and they’re mobilizing the team.The cadets’ security will be increased, and a team will be here momentarily to do a deep investigation.”
* * *
The tech squad found three listening devices.One was in the kitchen, another in the main bedroom, and they placed the last one over the webcam of Kalliopi’s laptop to listen to keystrokes for passwords.
“I’m glad we found the one on the computer before I started typing anything.Of course, Zagan is unaware that he’d need my fingerprint to get into many of the programs.Wait—” Kalliopi’s eyes widened.“He may have lifted that off the laptop!”
“Don’t worry, ma’am.I’ve encrypted login codes for the time being, and once we get back to WANC, I’ll place a COC for retina scans for your passwords instead of the regular thumbprint.The scans are impossible for a novice to hack,” said Jet, one of the senior tech squad agents.
“That’s comforting.But if you need anything from MILF, let me know and I’ll get one of my soldiers on the phone.”
Jet’s eyes lit up.“Your tech support is legendary!I will ask if I need anything.”
“Okay, Jet.Sounds good,” Kalliopi said before turning her gaze to Stan.“Since they don’t need me here anymore, I’d like to get back to campus and check on the cadets.”Jewel had already gone back with some of the agents who’d helped sweep the place.She had classes but had also promised to check on the cadets and report back to them.Even so, Kalliopi wanted to see them in person.She might have only met them recently, but as the only Milos adult accompanying them, she felt a duty to them.
“Let’s head out now.”
“Perfect.”
Once she was back in Stan’s car, she texted Echo, a stork-bat corporal MILF and now a cadet.
Round up all the cadets for a headcount in both dorms ASAP.
