For the third time at the red light I'm waiting at, I see the man in the car next to me picking his nose. When he looks at me— as if I haven't been watching him for ten seconds — he immediately pulls his hand out of his nose. I can understand that he wants to believe I didn't see it.
I park my car and go inside. Emily, as always, says "Good morning" with a smile. I smile back and realize that I like this greeting a little more with each passing day.
When I sit at my desk, I see the message from the technical team:
We couldn't turn on the phone, but some of the files inside were recovered.
Before forwarding it to Martin, I decide to look at it. At that moment George comes.
"Good morning, buddy."
I say good morning too. He comes closer.
"Is it about the explosion at the harbor?"
I say yes and move slightly to the side. He looks at the screen with me.
There are many photos and videos in the file, and also some messages recovered from WhatsApp. I check the messages but there is nothing except daily conversations. Anyway, these days no one talks about secret things on WhatsApp.
It becomes clear that the woman who appears in most of the photos in the file is the owner of the phone.
George says, "Buddy, the dates of these three videos are just before the explosion."
I open the first video. There is a motorcycle carrying the black bag that I also saw in the harbor camera footage. The shaking is very strong. It is obvious that the person recording the video is also on a motorcycle.
In the second video the camera moves a lot and is pointed at the ground. The person holding the camera is running on the wet ground, splashing water everywhere. No sound comes except breathing.
In the third video there is no image. I think it was recorded secretly because there are voices from a conversation. Since the voices come from very far away, they cannot be understood. Only at one point, a man raises his voice and says, "Don't be late!"
I close the file, send it to Martin, and stand up and go to his office. I knock on the door.
"Come in."
When I enter, this time he is using his old perfume, so I feel relieved.
"Is there any development?" he says.
I tell him that they opened the phone and that I sent him the files inside. He opens them and we examine them together again.
"Send three of the woman's photos to the biometric analysis unit and find out her name and address immediately. Send the videos to Quantico as well, maybe they can analyze the voices."
"Yes sir," I say and leave the room.
After sending the files, I go outside and take a cigarette. The wind is blowing very strongly. Even though I fail to light it the first two times, I manage to light it on the third.
Someone I don't know comes next to me.
"Can I use your lighter?" he says.
"Sure," I say and give it to him.
"Thank you. Which department are you from?" he says.
"I'm in the analysis department. You?" I say.
"I work with the technical team. I solve technical problems in the field and open doors that need to be opened. What's your name?" he says.
"Walker," I say. "Ethan Walker."
"I knew your face looked familiar," he says.
"Do we know each other?" I say.
"We trained together in our early years. I thought you were still in the field," he says.
"Adam Murphy," I say. "I remember. I used to be in the field. After I lost my wife, I decided to stay inside for a while, but I never went back out again."
"My condolences. How did it happen?" he says.
"Traffic accident," I say.
"I'm very sorry, buddy. I hope you managed to recover," he says.
"I'm better," I say. My cigarette ends and I make it clear that I will go back inside.
"I'm glad we ran into each other. One day we should sit down and remember the old days," he says and gives me his number. "Call when you're free. And thanks for the lighter."
"I will call. No problem," I say and go inside.
George asks, "Any development?"
"Not yet," I say.
I open an old file on the computer. A warehouse raid from five years ago. I look at the photos. Men lying on the ground, bullet marks on the wall, and me standing in the right corner. I'm holding the radio to my ear with my left hand, a gun in my right hand, and I'm wearing a bulletproof vest. There is no expression on my face.
After looking at the photo for a while, I close the file.
In the afternoon Martin calls me to his office again.
"I want you to listen to this sound," he says.
The sounds in the video have been cleaned, but still most of it cannot be understood.
"…the plan didn't change…"
Then I hear another sentence.
"…when Helix is ready…"
Martin looks at me.
"What is Helix?" he says.
"I remember it from somewhere, but I don't know. It could be a code name. Or… or a company name."
I leave the room and go to my desk. I ask George if he knows the name Helix.
"I've heard it for the first time," he says.
I start researching on my computer.
"I found it!" I say excitedly.
George turns to me.
"It's the company that is said to make the autonomes in the news."