"Everybody clear out. Now."
And ran off to the car as fast as she could. Rebecca followed her, and Jace reluctantly followed them at a slower pace. As soon as he got in the car, Laura sped off before he could even close the door.
"What was in there?" Rebecca asked nervously.
"I don't know, but it looked and smelled like a booby trap to me. Whoever your informer was, they must have been discovered. "
Jace was the angry one now.
"So you're saying that we have to travel all the way to Boston because of some feeling that you have?"
"No, I'm saying that you need to keep that rock in safe hands until someone comes to get it, which does not include the terrorists. And you also need to be more careful of how you spread information. Who knows, somebody might be listening in right now and might be flying off to Boston to find your next informer. "
"I wouldn't be angry, Jace," Rebecca said, "Laura gets these feelings every now and then, and when we follow her, lives are saved because of it. So what do we do now?"
Laura had driven out of the city by now and was changing the car to a plane.
"We go to Heritage."
Rebecca didn’t argue with her on that, but Jace was a bit confused. “Your former school? How will that help us?”
Rebecca gave Laura a warning glance, and Laura nodded. “I think there’s someone there that can help us.”
“Another agent?” Jace questioned.
“Yah,” Rebecca said simply. Laura looked at her, and she shrugged.
“I hate agents,” Jace grumbled, staring out the window.
Rebecca clenched her hands, thinking how wonderful it would be to punch him right then, but took a deep breath and kept her cool. “Why do you say that?”
Jace sighed. “You guys are always to secretive and confusing. Not to mention, mean.” He gave Rebecca a meaningful look, and she stared at him hard. He was the first one to look away.
“Stop your complaining. Someday you’ll come to appreciate the things us agents do for you,” Rebecca said steely.
“Well, I hope that day comes soon.”
“You know what?!” Rebecca balled her fists and tried to jump at him, but Laura had to hold her back. The plane started dipping to the right and Jace screamed. Laura quickly set the plane back straight, and Rebecca plopped back into her seat angrily.
“You hate agents? Well, that’s fine. I hate immature little boys who aren’t grateful to people for saving their lives and don’t know when to keep their mouths shut,” Rebecca spat out.
“Okay, both of you, stop. Shake hands, apologize, kiss up to each other—I don’t care. Just stop complaining and learn to work together, or I’ll dump you both off right here,” Laura said in a parental voice, keeping her eyes on the sky.
Rebecca and Jace glared back at each other for a minute, then turned silently to look out their separate windows.
They arrived at Heritage about 25 minutes later.
"Ok, what is going on?" Jace asked.
"Jace, I'm going to need the, uh, " Laura waved hers hands in a small circle.
"Why?" Jace asked, clenching his fists in his pocket.
"We need the object to be able to see why it's so wanted." Rebecca growled. Laura shot at her a mean look. "Please?" Rebecca finished. Jace tossed the rock at her, and she caught it quickly.
“Alright. Rebecca, you park the car somewhere else, and I'll go in there. Keep Jace away." Laura whispered the last part, grabbed the rock, opened the door and sprinted out to the school, already in her uniform and stuffing the black clothes into her bag. Rebecca climbed to the driver’s seat and drove around to the back. When Rebecca parked, Jace tried to open the door, but Rebecca had locked it.
" ReA--Rebecca, open the door right now."
Rebecca, turned around and smiled evily, and said,
"Why don't you make me?" Jace looked at her and started to flex his muscles. Rebecca didn't even stir.
"I don't want to hurt a girl." Jace said.
"Neither do I." Rebecca said in an honest voice. This was too much for Jace, and he punched Rebecca. Well, he tried to. Rebecca grabbed his fist and twisted it to a painful position. She then punched him in the stomach, snatched her handcuffs, and locked Jace in them. Rebecca then turned around and started listening to the music on the radio.
“You’re a jerk, you know that? Laura’s so much nicer than you.” Rebecca started to hum to the music, and Jace yanked hard on the handcuffs. “I said you’re a jerk!” he shouted. She just turned up the music. He glared at the back of her head and decided to keep quiet.
Meanwhile, Laura had gotten into the heart of the Agency, and was sitting in front of the Council Committee. “I have him with me right now,” she explained to Chief Administrator Taylor, head of the Agency. “I just need you to identify this.” She pulled out the rock and handed it to Head Agent Edmunds. Edmunds handed it to the Administrator. He looked at it for a minute before turning to look at the executive Lab Tech.
“Dr. Scott, can you do the research on this?” Administrator Taylor questioned.
Dr. Scott took the rock and straightened his glasses so he could see it better. “I would have to consult the Science Organization on this one.”
“Can the SO do it in a matter of minutes?” Laura asked impatiently.
Dr. Scott looked up at her. “Young lady, the identification of this rock could take days, to weeks, to months. You cannot expect to waltz in with something so curious and abnormal and expect us to be finished in the matter of minutes. These things take time.”
“I understand that,” Laura answered. “It’s just--”
“Agent Pang,” Administrator Taylor addressed.
“Yes, Chief?”
“Dr. Scott is correct. You must allow that the SO have a substantial amount of time to find the answer to your question,” Taylor declared. “I assume the young man by the name of Jace is expecting the rock to be handed back to him as soon as you arrive?”
“I should think so, sir.”
“Then you must explain to him that it is in a safe place. Do not tell him where or how, but you may tell him why. The cause is that certain officials have taken it into their own hands to find the identity of the strange rock and that he need not worry. Do you understand, Agent Pang?”
“I understand, Administrator Taylor.”
“Now, is there anything else you wish to ask the Council Committee?” he questioned.
“There is one other thing…”
“What is it?”
“I request that Agent Caitlin West assist us on our mission.”
"Request granted, Agent." Administrator Taylor replied. "Agent Edmunds, retrieve Agent C. West immediately." When she had left, Adm. Taylor looked at Laura and said, “I hope that you know what you're doing, Agent. Something tells me that this is a very important mission. Be careful." He paused as he looked past her towards the door. "Ah, Agent West!" Laura turned around.
"Adm. Taylor. Agent Pang. Dr. Scott," Caitlin responded.
"As you know, Agent Stapley and Agent Pang went to a certain public school to check out the random reports of a disappearing man in that area. While they were there, they happened upon a member of the group anti-terrorists, who was in danger. They helped him go to Flagstaff to contact one of the other members, but found the place empty and booby trapped. Apparently, the member had an odd rock on him that the terrorists have deemed vital to their mission. Your mission is to find these people and to stop them. Agent Pang will tell you more on the way to their vehicle."
"Understood, sir." Laura and Caitlin said simultaneously.
"Good. Dismissed." Then Adm. Taylor left.
"Agent Pang."
"Yes Dr. Scott?" Laura asked.
"This rock is most peculiar. I will work as fast as I can to find out what it is that makes this rock so valuable."
"Thank you."
********