CHAPTER 2

LATE NIGHT IN PARKING LOT OF HOTEL

Claudia, Myka, and Pete are all taking their bags from the car, and they look exhausted from the trip.

Claudia, wearing her headphones, glared at Pete "Twenty hours on the road, and you wouldn't let either one of us drive, you have absolutely no right to be cranky from being tired."

"Claudia, I think at this point we can let it go, we did make it here" Myka added

Pete just shrugged and said "I knew I could make it, besides you were too busy listening to your headphones, and Myka never drives."

Myka looked as though she was about to say something, but decided she was too tired to argue. She looked down at her room key and said "I'm in 154, where are you guys at?"

Pete taking the cue to leave it alone, looked at his own key "Looks I got the one right next to you, 155"

Claudia didn't hear any of this, she was happily singing along with her headphones and walking behind Myka.

"CLAUDIA" Pete yelled, snapping her out of her revery.

"Whoa, I gotcha, girls over here, guys over there." Claudia responded.

Pete chuckled slightly and looked at Myka, who had her mouth open in astonishment for a moment before adding "Claudia, did you not get a room?"

"You really think that Arty would give me any expense money. I figured you and I could bunk together. Let's go I am so ready for some slumber." Claudia grinned almost as if saying that she had planned this whole thing.

"Well, ladies, good night, I'll meet you for breakfast in the lobby, bright and early, we have to talk to the local cops and I want to get there right after they have some coffee." Pete opened the door to his room and stepped in.

Myka looked at Claudia, opened the door and said "Alright, but you are sleeping on the couch."

Claudia, stepped in and tossed her bag onto the chair inside with loud "FLOP". She quickly turned and cranked the air conditioner up as high as it would go.

Myka, watching the whole thing, sighed "I'm going to take a shower and get ready for bed, why don't you get us a wake-up call." She didn't wait for a response before heading into the bathroom with her bag in hand.

Claudia walked around the room for a moment, and started talking to herself. "I'd have thought that a government agent would spring for a MUCH nicer room." She grabbed the remote and turned on the t.v. then jumped onto the bed and got comfortable.

Myka came out of the bathroom still drying her hair with a towel and stopped cold when she saw Claudia, fast asleep sprawled out on the bed. She tried waking her, but even shaking was only met with mild murmurs. The agent looked around and her eyes fell on the couch. She took two steps towards it, then changed her mind and went to the door that intersects her room with Pete's. She opened her side and knocked.

Pete opened the door wearing a terry cloth robe and asked "What is it, I was almost asleep?"

"Let me see your couch, I want to see if looks more comfortable than ours?" Myka responded

Pete gave Myka an agitated look and replied "Myka, it's a hotel, they are all the same and all uncomfortable, besides, it's only a night or two, Claudia will be fine."

"It's not for Claudia, she stole the bed while I was in the shower and I can't wake her up." Myka pushed her way past Pete and saw that his couch was indeed the same as theirs. "Well I guess I'll just have to take your bed then."

Pete closed the door and replied "Oh no, I am not going to sleep on a couch, not when I am not the one who didn't think to rent a room."

Inside Jack Carter's car

Henry was driving and had the scanner from Fargo mounted on the dashboard. The scanner emitted a loud beep that woke Jack out of his sleep.

Jack, startled from the noise "Ahhh, what happened?"

"Fargo's signal scanner has detected an unknown signal, I was going to find us a room for the night, but I think that we should probably follow the scanner, there is no telling if we will get another hit anytime soon." Henry pulled over to the side of the road "You feel like driving now, we just made it into Houston and I could use a break."

Jack and Henry got out and stretched as they both walked around the vehicle and switched places. Sitting down in the driver's seat, Jack rubbed his neck and said "I knew this wasn't going to be a vacation, but that was one hell of a drive. Thanks for doing that last four hours."

"Sure, I haven't taken a road trip in years myself, I had a good time. Now it's time to get down to business though." Henry picked up the scanner and pressed a few buttons before continuing "looks like we need to exit in about 2 miles." Henry began pushing more buttons on the scanner "You know this thing is pretty accurate for what Fargo calls 'old' tech."

Jack glanced at Henry with a look of trepidation "I don't trust it Henry, either this scanner or the generator we are looking to recover is going to cause problems for me on this trip. Eureka technology and Jack Carter don't seem to mix well."

Henry just laughed at this and pointed to the exit coming up on the freeway. "Looks like the signal is coming from that hotel over there" Henry pointed at a hotel on the roadside.

Jack exited the freeway and drove into the parking lot, following Henry's directions he parked right outside room number 154.

Henry checked a read out on the scanner and said "Looks like this is the place, there are massive amounts of radio waves being funneled into that room right there but something isn't right." Henry furrowed his brow as he look again at the scanner.

Jack sighing in resignation said, "See this is where it starts, you're going to tell me that the amount of radio waves or the frequency or something is enough to melt our brains, this is how it always happens in Eureka."

Henry looked quizzically at Jack and replied "No, it's nothing like that. If this were the generator that we are looking for, the radio waves should enter this room and go no farther, but I am showing them leaving the room as well. They are acting exactly like you would expect radio waves to work, except for the fact that there are too many here to be a normal radio."

Jack thought about that for moment and said "I thought we were always surrounded by radio waves, that they are everywhere?"

Henry knew Jack was looking for an explanation "Technically you're right, radio waves are a type of radiation, the frequency determines the distance they can travel and to a degree, what they can penetrate through, be it this car, that room or even the atmosphere. What's strange is that the frequency's being funneled into and out of this hotel room are of all different powers, but they all fall into the frequency range reserved for FM radio."

Jack gave Henry a look seemed to say 'Oh, yeah that explains everything.'

Henry saw the look he received and knew he should continue "You see the generator absorbs radio waves of all types, anything powerful enough to come into range of it, those waves are effectively non existant after that, so this is strange because whatever is in there seems to be only using FM radio waves, and it is sending them back out when it is done with them."

Jack finally seemed to understand and replied "So you're telling me that whatever is in there while interesting is not our generator."

Henry replied "I don't see how it could be."

Jack opened the door to the car and said "Good then we can get a room and some sleep, we'll start the search first thing in the morning." He started walking towards the lobby of the hotel.

Henry took a long worried look at the door to room number 154 before leaving the car to follow Jack into the lobby.

Morning

Claudia woke up and discovered that she was all alone in the room, stretching she noticed that her headphones were still on her head, but the battery was dead. She also saw that the combining door for the two rooms was open on her side. She rushed through her morning routine and threw on some clean clothes before trying the door to see if it was unlocked. The door swung open and she stepped in "Rise and shine guys, let's go get some breakfast…" Claudia's mouth hung open as she saw Pete and Myka, fast asleep in the same bed. Myka's arm wrapped tightly around Pete.

Pete opened his eyes just enough to see Claudia standing in the doorway, he didn't seem to notice Myka laying in bed with him. "Hey Claudia, give me a minute and I'll meet you guys there." Pete rolled over slightly and stared at Myka for a few seconds before a devilish grin took over his entire face. Gently shaking Myka, he whispered, "Babe, babe wake up. We don't want Claudia to know what happened last night."

Myka slowly opened her eyes, and it wasn't long at all before she realized who she lying next to and apparently embracing. She quickly took her arm off of Pete and smacked him upside the head. "Why didn't you sleep on the couch like we agreed!"

"Aw come on Sugarplum, after last night you wanted me to sleep on the couch! I'm hurt, honestly hurt." Pete could barely contain his laughter.

Myka saw Claudia standing in the doorway with her mouth still agape and exclaimed "it's not what it looks like, you were taking up the whole bed, and I couldn't wake you, so I came in here to see if his couch was more comfortable than ours."

Claudia, finally getting her composure back, just smiled and said "Hey, what you guys do in your free time is none of my business, I'm just glad you didn't keep me awake with your love noises."

Myka got out of bed and stomped towards her room. "I am going to get you for this one Latimer"

"Claudia, be a dear and toss me those pants on the floor over there." Pete pointed to a pair of jeans tossed lazily on the ground by the door.

"I'm not touching your clothes, I'm pretty sure that's illegal in Texas." Claudia quipped, then turned around and went into the other room with Myka.

Hotel Lobby

Claudia was filling a plate with mounds of food and looked at Pete "I do love a continental breakfast, scones, muffins and all the coffee you can drink."

"Don't forget that we have a case to take care of. We can't be waiting all day for you outside of the bathroom." Pete said.

Myka walked in just as Claudia and Pete were sitting at a table, she walked over to join them and glared at Pete. "I think someone owes me an apology for this morning. That was uncalled for!"

Pete grinned again and responded "Okay your right, Myka I am sorry, won't you please join us for breakfast?"

Myka smiled and said "There was that so hard?" She turned and headed towards the buffet table.

Pete looked at Claudia and in a loud whisper said "The ladies always need a big breakfast after spending the night with me!"

Myka turned and scowled at Pete "I can still hear you!"

"Don't worry Myka, I got this one" Claudia called out before turning to Pete "That's offensive as both Myka's friend and as a lady" She punched Pete in arm with more power than Pete would have expected since it almost made him fall out of his chair.

Jack and Henry stepped into the lobby, both looking they had not a very good nights rest. Henry was putting the scanner in his pocket and looking around. Once Jack entered, his eyes immediately came across Claudia sitting at the table with Pete. He waved to her and said "Claudia! What are doing in Houston?"

Claudia turned to see who was addressing her and smiled when she saw that it was the Sheriff from Eureka. "Sheriff Carter! I could ask the same about you and Henry there. Come have a seat with us, let me buy you breakfast."

Jack smiled and walked in her direction saying "You know the breakfast is free right, included with the room."

Claudia did not seem fazed by his proclamation "Doesn't mean I can't be nice and offer, it's the thought that counts anyway. Now I'm here on assignment from the Ware…Ouch!" Claudia had just been kicked by Pete. "Relax man, they have clearance, this is Sheriff Jack Carter from Eureka, the one who I told you about, saving me and Fargo from the mine."

Jack stuck out his hand for Pete and smiled "I'm surprised you remembered, you guys seemed too busy with each other's mouths to notice that I was even there." Claudia blushed at being reminding of Fargo.

Pete stood up and shook his hand just as Mika approached the table adding "Pete Latimer, Secret Service. This is my partner Myka Bering. In answer to your question, we are here on assignment, which I assume you know the implications of, if you have been briefed on our employment."

Jack extending his hand to Myka this time added "Pleasure" pointing to Henry "This is my friend and Eureka's Mayor, Henry Deacon. Yes I know about your assignments, we are here for one ourselves, maybe we can help each other out."

"I don't see how it could hurt, grab some coffee and have seat, we have a few minutes before we meet with the local police." Pete motioned to a chair and sat down.

The five began telling each other all about their prospective cases, why they were lead to Houston and what they were looking for.

To be continued…

This concluded chapter 2, more will be coming, but I am going to take about week break from writing, I don't want to rush it, I have the outline finished, and am just fleshing out most of the details. I am having a blast writing this and I hope that you all enjoy reading it!