“Hey, that’s GCA technology,” Caitlin commented.
Tyler Carlsen couldn’t help grinning. “We’ve been ‘fixing’ lots of stuff at the HIA. Basically, we’ve just been taking them out at replacing them with the stuff the GCA’s been giving us.” He shrugged. “But we’re learning how to use it, and soon we’ll be able to make this kind of stuff ourselves.” He tapped the disk for emphasis, and it began to open and unfold over his arm until he was wearing a suit of body armor, complete with a black helmet and reflecting mask.
“Cool!” Jacob Johnson exclaimed. “You look like GI Joe.”
“Cool, yes, but inconvenient,” Erica criticized. She looked at Tyler through the mask of the helmet. “You don’t know how to get out of that do you?”
“Uhh…” Tyler began.
“I didn’t think so,” Erica said with a sigh.
“How are we planning on getting down from here?” Halee questioned.
“The door,” Caitlin said, pointing.
“How are we going to get him down?” Erica asked, pointing her thumb at Tyler.
“Oh,” was all Caitlin could say.
“Here, let me see…” Tyler mumbled. He started pushing buttons on his wrist, and suddenly a gun formed and bullets started shooting out of his hand. The agents screamed and ducked for cover as Tyler struggled with the keypad and finally got the gun to disappear.
“Don’t touch anything!” Erica yelled angrily, standing up from the cement.
Jake sighed. This was going to be a nauseating couple of weeks.
*************
“Hey, look, it’s not my fault I thought he spoke Japanese,” Xarissa argued. “I figured that since Laura knew—”
“Can we stop pretending that I’m not here?” Daniel asked, frustrated. He glanced up at the Tokyo Tower and sighed, then turned to Xarissa. “Why are we even here? You said we’re looking for Laura.”
“Well, that’s not entirely true,” Xarissa admitted. “Right now, I’m looking for the Tokyo Prince Hotel. It’s supposed to be northeast of the tower, but I can’t tell which way anything is.” She breathed out into the cold night air.
“You mean to tell me that no one here knows Japanese?” Chris asked agitatedly.
Hayden lifted his head from the GPS in his hand. “I can read and write some Japanese, but not much. And I definitely can’t speak it. But I think I know which way to go.”
“Oh, how resourceful,” Kate said cheerfully.
“Great. Let’s just hope you’re right,” Xarissa said grumpily. The hours of flight in the plane had only served to make her nerves even worse and make her even more anxious.
“Xarissa, what did you mean when you said we’re not looking for Laura?” Kate asked.
Xarissa, opened her mouth to speak, closed it, blinked, and opened her mouth again. “Uh…well, actually…” She put her hand to her head and looked up at the moon. She sighed and looked down at the pavement. “It’s more like a treasure hunt, actually.” She looked up at the group. Everyone just stared. Xarissa sighed again, then finished quickly, “I’m looking for a talisman that will lead us to a secret base.”
The group continued to stare silently until Hayden asked skeptically, but with patience, “What secret base?”
Xarissa looked at him, her expression blank. “The secret, now-abandoned base of the SIASS.”
**************
"I know that this is the millionth time that I've spoken, but what is the SIASS?" Daniel asked. He was getting really annoyed being the stupid one. He seriously needed a crash course in Agencies and My Sister's and her Friends' History.
"Be quiet. We'll answer your many questions when we're back on the plane," Xarissa shushed as she was looking at the Tokyo Prince Hotel through a pair of small black binoculars. "That's most definitely the Tokyo Prince Hotel. How much money do we have?"
"About 75000 Japanese Yen," Kate answered.
"That will be sufficient to book two rooms for a night."
"And extra for dinner and tourist attractions," Chris joked.
Kate simply rolled her eyes.
**************
Caitlin moved in circles around Tyler Carlsen, peering closely at the armor. “Is there a mental connection on this thing?”
Tyler shrugged. “I’ve already tried thinking about it coming off. I think the machinery works solely by touch.”
“Hmm,” Caitlin mumbled, thinking. She seemed to get an idea and pulled out her phone.
“What are you doing?” Jacob Johnson asked.
Caitlin dialed eleven numbers and put the phone to her ear. “I’m calling Sarah.” There was a pause. “Hi, Sarah. This is Caitlin.” Pause. “I’m in Miami right now, on a mission with Jake. Is Armaan there?” Pause. “Left where?” Long pause. “I need someone from the GCA.” Pause. “Really? Let me talk to him.” Long pause.
“What’s happening?” Jacob whispered.
“Hi, Conner,” Caitlin said. “I’m in Miami right now, on a mission. We seem to have a sort of dilemma.” Pause. “Well, one of the agents was messing around with one of the GCA disks—”
“I was not messing around!” Tyler exclaimed, his voice sounding mechanically muffled by the mask.
“…and something happened,” Caitlin continued. “He got stuck in some sort of metal suit.” Long pause. Caitlin looked at Tyler. “He doesn’t know how to get out, and last time he tried he almost shot some agents.”
Even with the mask, it was evident that Tyler felt uncomfortable and embarrassed.
“Yes, there’s a keypad,” Caitlin continued. “No, I don’t think anyone knows how to use it.” Pause. “Maybe, but it would be safer if you came.”
“We don’t have time,” Jake whispered.
Caitlin glanced at him, then said into the phone, “Actually, I think I can. Just tell me what to do.”
****************
It had only taken half an hour to get everything out of the plane and it only took five minutes for someone to find food. After an hour had passed, what was left of the DANE agency was sitting at a long table with what seemed to be a feast: boiled potatoes, some meatballs (all of the DANEs called them friks), brown gravy, and water. Kalyia and Imraan and the DANEs immediately started to stuff themselves once everyone were seated, but Laura sat, bowed her head and closed her eyes for a moment. She then slowly started to eat her food. Less than half of the original group was there, eating. Several people started crying for their loved ones that were lost during the escape. Laura apparently took notice of it, or she had planned on doing it, but she stood up and tapped her glass with her knife.
"If I could have everyone's attention please."
The table was silent. Laura raised her glass.
"To those who gave their lives, to those who saved our lives, and to those died with honor. Let us not remember their gruesome death, let us remember their lives, their tears, their laugh, their frowns, their smiles, and let us always remember that we would have done what they did for us for them. "
Everyone else raised their glasses and drank in remembrance of their friends and family.
The feast continued. When everyone was almost done, Laura once again stood.
"I know that we've just been through much, but there is much to be done. This base needs to be cleaned, unpacked, organized, and ready for work. I must warn you, the weapons in the boxes are deadly, and only deadly. The very least they do is severely maim. I will explain later, but you must all understand this: nothing, I repeat, absolutely nothing, can be crushed, dropped, or broken. If you break anything, your lives are forfeit. I am NOT joking or being sarcastic in any way, Kristoffer." Laura glared at a smiling young agent. His smile immediately dropped and his eyes widened.
"We begin our work tomorrow. " And with that, Laura left the table without any other word or hesitation of any kind.
*************