Page 44 of The Bodyguard
Priority: Medium
Sender: Unknown
Route: Masked IP
Delivered: Hand drop, 1900 hrs
Target: Langdon
He opened the file and froze.
Cerberus had scanned it through a biometric check. The envelope had been delivered to the front desk of their off-grid facility in River North—a place known only to a handful of Cerberus contractors and high-clearance allies.
The message inside was short. Handwritten. Black ink. Expensive stationery.
You’re protecting the wrong woman. Cerberus can’t stop what’s coming.
If you stay, you’ll burn with her.
You think this is about her career.
It isn’t.
We’ll take her when we’re ready.
And when we do, you won’t even see it coming.
There was no signature. No direct threat. Just implication and arrogance—and confidence in access Mitch hadn’t accounted for.
He scanned the letter again, then pulled a latex glove from the drawer and sealed it in an evidence bag. He needed to get Cerberus to do an in-depth analysis. Someone had obtained access to that drop box, which meant the breach wasn’t just political anymore. It was personal.
Andi stepped out of her room then, towel around her shoulders, eyes clear but tired.
“You okay?” she asked. He didn’t answer. She frowned. “Mitch?”
He held up the envelope. “This one’s for me.”
She blinked. “What?”
“They delivered it to one of our secure facilities. By hand.”
She came closer, reading the first few lines through the plastic. Her color drained. “Jesus.”
He didn’t let her look away.
“They’re not just watching you anymore. They’re baiting me.”
Andi wrapped her arms around herself. “What does that mean?”
Mitch set the envelope on the counter. “It means we escalate. Total lockdown. No unvetted staff. No unscheduled appearances. And you don’t leave this loft without my word. Not even to get the damn mail.”
Her voice cracked. “You think it’s someone close to me.”
“I think this letter means we’re running out of time fast to figure it out.”
He stepped in, wrapped one hand around the back of her neck, and tilted her face up to his.
“You asked me what happens now,” he said. “This is what happens now—we play offense.”
