Based on Jennifer Lynn Weston's Abducted story

A Mission is Undertaken

"This'd be it then." Jack whispered to James and Mare.

"So it would seem." James responded, not at all happy that Mare had insisted on accompanying them on this part of the mission rather than wait for them back at the motel. He had been more than glad to have her come along on the mission as moral support, and she had been extremely helpful during the few weeks they had been here doing preparatory research on their 'subject'. But he hadn't foreseen, although he probably should have given the temperament of the woman in question, she would insist on coming with them when they did the actual breaking in to the building and removing the documents they were charged with acquiring. Not that on the surface it seemed to have the capabilities of turning into a life threatening situation, although James knew there was always that possibility with any mission, and there was the very real possibility they could be caught and arrested and lodged in the local jail. Something James didn't especially want to experience let alone worry about Mare going through if it did come to that. He was brought rather rudely back from his thoughts by Mare smacking him on the arm and whispering, "Back to the present if you please James." Then following Jack's lead and rising up a little to creep from the bushes they were hiding in she grasped James' arm and pulled him along behind her to the side of the building they were about to break into.

Jack quickly flattened himself against the side of the building motioning Mare and James to do the same. James rolled his eyes and uttered a soft yet sarcastic 'Oh please' as Jack started to exaggeratedly inch his way along the wall, garnering another smack on the arm from Mare, although this one was accompanied by a little smile.

"He is intolerable at times." James whispered to Mare as he made a face at Jack's antics.

Mare's smile widened a bit as she whispered back, "As are you."

"Indeed!" James huffed in return although there was a smile quirking at the corners of his mouth.

"Oye there! Are the two of you coming or are you going to stand there and make moony faces at each other while old Jack does what needs to be done?" Jack stage whispered at them from the corner of the building.

James leaned over and gave Mare a peck on the cheek, "I suppose we had better humor him, otherwise we take the chance of him pouting at us for the next week."

Mare giggled a bit as she gave James a return peck on the cheek then Jack a thumbs up sign as she and James, hand in hand, stealthily moved over to join him.

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Dwane Fogle sat on the park bench tossing handfuls of birdseed to the pigeons, every once and a while scooting his glasses back up his nose with his finger. The wisp of a smile on his face was one he reserved for this special time, it would never appear while in his cramped lab at the chemical company he worked for or when he was home in his small apartment. Those times were spent working on calculations and formulas or going over calculations and formulas. The only time he felt happy and content was the hour or so each day he made a point of coming and feeding the birds. Dwane never went out with friends because he had none. Ever since he was young people had judged him 'strange' and kept their distance. Momma said it was because he was 'too smart' for them, but when he looked in the mirror all he saw was strange too. That's one reason the park and the birds became so important in his life, they didn't see strange, they didn't judge him, they just ate his birdseed and cooed welcomingly to him.

"Fair little park ya've got here. Mind if I sit down?" Jack said as he walked up to the bench.

Dwane briefly looked up, pushed his glasses up his nose, then looked back at the birds at his feet, "It's a public bench." although his tone stated he felt otherwise.

"I'm partial to sparrows myself." Jack said as he sat down and tried to start up a conversation and got only a slight grunt in return. "I'm Jack." Jack said holding his hand out to shake the other man's. Dwane gave a quick sideways glance at Jack's hand but made no move to take it. Jack made a slight face; apparently this wasn't going to be as easy as he'd assured James and Mare it was going to be, taking into consideration his sparkling personality and all. But undeterred Jack continued to try and draw the man into conversation, and the man continued to refuse to be drawn in. Jack finally had to admit defeat, although his mind….and ego refused to use that particular word, they chose to see it as a mere setback to be overcome at a later time. "Well good day to ya then mate. Perhaps I'll see ya around again." Jack said and swayed off to where James and Mare were sitting together across the park.

"Well?" James asked as Jack approached.

"Bugger! Bloody git's as stuffy and stick up the arse as you……" as James' mouth began to thin into that "haughty Commodore-ly look" Jack quickly added with much fluttering of hands and wiggling of fingers, "…used to be….hundreds of years ago you understand………not that you'd be still retainin any of that now as it were….." he faded out as Mare began to chuckle, "I told you it wouldn't work."

James huffed a bit before interjecting, "We need to find some way of befriending him, we have to find out where he keeps those documents."

"Seems ta me it would be much easier for Murphy to snap his fingers and find out the hiding place for us." Jack said poutily.

"Mr. Murphy is not a magician as you well know and is unable to do that as you were informed when we accepted this mission, ergo it is up to us to find and remove said documents from Mr. Fogle's possession before he realizes just what those documents are capable of producing, or worse, they fall into the wrong hands." James snipped.

"He's leaving." Mare said, "I say we call it quits for tonight and go get some supper. We can come back tomorrow, and perhaps I will have better luck with him."

"Absolutely not!" James protested loudly.

Mare turned and looked at him, almost allowed herself to shout in return, then took a deep breath, smiled and patted him on the arm and said quietly, "We will talk about this back at the motel James." Before he could reply she headed for their car.

To Be Continued

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