The Loudest Silence

Mason

A sigh of relief escaped my lips as I took a step into the warm room. The temperature this morning had dropped significantly from yesterday, and the walk from the dorm buildings across campus seemed especially lengthy today. The smell of coffee instantly greeted my nose as I walked further into the dimly lit coffee shop. Sounds of running coffee machines and light chatter surrounded the room as I made my way towards the back corner of the room where a table remained unoccupied. 

Dropping my coat onto the back of the seat, I headed towards the front counter and ordered two  cups of coffee. The cheerful barista quickly made the drinks and handed them over before returning to the register to help the next costumer. Settling down into my seat, I leaned against the back of the chair and diverted my attention out the window. It was barely seven in the morning on a Sunday morning which meant that the roads were vacant aside from the occasional stragglers. Dark clouds took refuge in the sky and it didn't seem like the sun would be coming out anytime soon for the remainder of the day.

I could hear the bell attached to the front door of the shop ring as I looked up to see Tyler headed my way. His hair appeared messy like he had just rolled out of bed, which knowing Tyler, I wouldn't put it past him to do that. Pulling the seat in front of me out, he sat down and pulled his cup of coffee his way before finally speaking. 

"Is there a reason why seven in the morning is your ideal time to meet up?" He asked with an irritated expression before taking a long sip of his coffee. I let out a small chuckle before pulling out a sticky note with a license plate messily written on it. 

"I'm sorry, I have to be back at the bureau later today, but I just needed you to do me a favor. One of the back up agents posted on campus for this case saw Roman Carter and Isabella Wright leaving in this car. He couldn't tail them in time, but I need you to run me these plates. Find me anything you can on it." I said, pushing the note in his direction. Tyler remained silent as he slipped the note into his pocket before letting out a small sigh. I could see a crease forming between his brows as he stared at me without saying a word. If there was one thing I knew about Tyler, it was that he rarely went silent. It was considered a blessing when he actually did shut up, but for some reason I could tell there was something weighing on his mind. 

"Ty?" I asked, using his old high school nickname.

I watched as he a ran a hand through his head before finally looking up at me, "Has boss contacted you at all this past week?" He asked with an unknown look in his eyes as I furrowed my brows. 

Sitting up in my seat, I responded, "No? Was there something he needed to talk to me about?" I asked as Tyler avoided my gaze and glanced out the window. I could tell he was silently battling with himself before finally turning back to me. 

"He found something about the men associated with Rick Wright." He hesitantly said as I cocked my head to the side. I didn't quite understand what he was trying to get at but before I could open my mouth to ask, he continued, "A couple of agents and police departments had provided us with some of Wright's men's names, and boss asked me to look into some of them. A lot of them were randoms that had committed minor crimes prior to being recruited, but there were two in particular that stood out." He explained before pulling a piece of paper out of the pocket of his coat and sliding it across the table towards me.

Opening up the folded paper, I took in a deep breath and braced myself for what was written inside. Two names stared back at me as I felt my blood run cold. All outside chatter faded away as my eyes remained locked on the small letters typed on the page.