To Her Grace, Prince Alessandra of the Domain of Sacramento:

What follows are a summary record of events and information concerning the Echelon threat:

During a seven month period between January and July, Lina Moretti organized a task force to address information provided by Rebecca Simmons. The information concerns a privately held company, Echelon, buying substantial real estate in the Rosemont Mather area through offshore accounts and shell companies, primarily Merchants National Bank. This follows a pattern practiced by Echelon in several major cities across the US. A large construction site is erected with privacy barriers enforced by a private security firm. Local street gangs are paid off to serve as street patrols surrounding the area. Laws are rewritten to allow Echelon to dig the site using reinforced concrete while local law enforcement look the other way at the shady practices. Even trade unions are compensated so that no one takes issue and everything is done legally.

Large amounts of money change hands. Merchants National Bank is at the center of financial transactions with extremely high security and special encryption methods to redirect untraceable double-blind accounts. Accounts reveal Arnoud Giessen, a notorious kingpin in the business world with connections at city hall with a reputation for cutthroat business tactics, as a central figure in these transactions.

Several figures at Echelon are investigated as leads. Alejandro de Antonia, a lawyer for Echelon, is acquired as a resource through Your Grace's criminal connections. A facilities manager, Jeff Cummings, is found dead at a strip club after ingesting a toxic agent. Business developer, Erika Alten, is investigated through an escort ring.

Based on Ms. Simmon's findings, the toxin is a chemical cocktail, one part nerve agent, one part pesticide. Research leads back to a team at UC Davis headed by Dr. Yuya Johnson specializing in chemical weapon countermeasures, funded by Echelon. It is determined that Echelon took the chemical formula from Dr. Johnson and refined it for a more caustic blend that is harmful to Kindred.

During a search of Erika Alten's apartment, Lina Moretti, Mable Wood, and myself discover a dead woman in the bedroom. The apartment is a trap for Moretti, with camera surveillance and remote activated barriers that seal us inside. A phone rings and confirms that Moretti is being set-up for the woman's death. A short time later armored men burst in and attack with shotguns. These are confirmed professional hitmen employed by Echelon.

Echelon has many resources with ties to nearly all spheres of influence. It is not clear what their motives are beyond purchasing property for underground development, the development of chemical weapons, and the failed acquisition of experimental weapons. But what these all share in common is a growing means of rooting out and dispatching Kindred. Our current leads are Arnoud Giessen at the center of the financial world, Merchants National Bank which is nigh impenetrable to external intrusion, and what Alejandro de Antonia has to offer regarding her clients. Echelon's private security firm is headed by Shura Zhenya who met directly with gang leaders when employing them. Using a criminal connection, we could make Shura Zhenya our next lead.

Again, this is a summary report. Contact me if you require additional details. I will submit a separate report concerning my follow-up investigation of the events at Erika Alten's apartment.

Respectfully,

Reeve Mitnick