Chapter 4:

As a general rule, it is nearly impossible to surprise a well seasoned operative like Mr. Solomon. As another general rule, nothing that is a general rule applies to me. I could have always just called Mr. Solomon since I have his number, but the chances that the Circle of Cavan could have tapped my line were high. Besides what would be the fun in that? After all they knew I was at the airport. I would have to go to him in person.

Finding Solomon's room at the Baxter's house was surprisingly easy. So much so that I was rather alarmed at the lack of security. I mean the Baxters are pretty high up when it comes to the British secret service. Their house should have been a little harder to break into.

I sat in a tree, bored by watching yet another bird get incinerated by the motion activated lasers. Of course, it happened so fast that no one else would have noticed unless they were watching the field of lasers extremely closely. Camera's watched from every angle of the house. A security guard paced back and forth in front of the gate, which I knew if you tried to climb – well let's just say it wouldn't be pretty.

At first I was going to sneak in via the laser field. I mean how fun would that have been. The obstacle course at Blackthorne had nothing on this one. This one made it look like it should have belonged at Gallahger. But then I thought better of it. How on earth was I going to explain to Cammie why my eyebrows were singed off? I stuck my head in the engine by mistake? Besides Solomon would have known. It was too obvious and too difficult.

Anyway, something much better caught my eye. Right to the left of the garden shed there was a little control box. A box that I was sure controlled more than the porch lights. But the only real obstacle (okay there was a guard that probably was more there for the show than the action) was those lasers.

You see, the thing with outdoor lasers is they were programmed to recognize the difference between living creatures and inanimate objects. People figured that much out after Ivanna Dahli (the inventor of the laser beam) installed the first one and the next day it rained. As you can guess the lasers went haywire and became a very useful self destruction mechanism. Ivanna sadly didn't live to modify her project. I don't actually understand the exact science of how the lasers distinguish people from rain – I leave that to Jonas to explain – but all I know is it has something to do with electrical currents.

The bell jingled as I walked in, toys were stacked high and low on all the shelves around me. The dolls stared right at me as I walked down the cramped and musty aisles. I walked to the back of the store where I found two small boys admiring toy airplanes.

"Hey, can I ask you two a question?" I started

"Okay, shoot mister." The little boy on the left said.

"My little brother really wants a remote control airplane for his birthday" I lied, "and I don't know which type is the best. I was wondering which one can fly through obstacle courses the best because Tommy, my brother, loves making courses for them to fly through. Once he tried to make his plane fly through the stair rails. That's how it broke."

"Oh! That's an easy one." The boy on the right said

"The Megatech MTF893 firefly." The boy on the left continued

"It can fly in any direction. Even backwards! And not only that, it can shoot up to eight mini missiles," finished the boy on the right. I wondered if he was one of those kids on those advertisements on T.V.

"Thanks."

Soon the distinct sound of the bell jingling went off again and I was off to the Baxters again. I surveyed the lasers and started the plane. I tested it out, making it go in loops and swerving left and right. I pushed the joystick forward making the plane lurch into the laser course. Then my thumb pushed it right, then left, then up, then down, then right again.

The control box on the outside of the shed was locked. To the right of box was a keypad to enter in a four digit password. If I were a Baxter what would I make my key code?

I first tried Bex's birthday. I didn't need to hack into the Gallagher database for this one. Grant already did that for me. It was March 24th. I shot the missiles from the plane at the digits 0324 and it didn't work. Shoot! (AN: I couldn't help it. Pun intended) I only had one more try. I tried the day the Baxters met. September 10th. I shot my last missiles at 0910 and prayed to the gods. It turns out that I was right. The door of the control box turned opened. I rammed the plane into the button and the lasers and all of the other security measures turned off. I walked straight in and picked up the plane. The nose was slightly bent. Oh well, it was only $9.95. I walked through the big blue doors leading into the Baxter's house.

Solomon's room still retained the neatness that was drilled into every Blackthorne Boy's head. There were no personal items lying around that could possibly have given away anything about his identity. The bed was neatly made and there was absolutely nothing out of place. I almost didn't want to breathe because I could have disturbed the orderliness of the dust.

I found Solomon's jacket hanging up in the closet. Into one of the pockets I slipped a note:

COC Spotted miða. Chameleon vilja borða með gírafa kvöld.

-Z

(translation for those of you who don't speak Icelandic: COC spotted target. Chameleon will eat at Giraffe tonight.)

Well, once I was in the house, I couldn't resist taking a peek elsewhere. Cammie's room was up to par of the typical Gallagher neatness. In other words, I couldn't believe the effectiveness provided by the numerous pairs of shoes that girl owned as an obstacle course. Or the fact she didn't bother cleaning up her hot pink bra off the radiator. I guess someone had to do the house cleaning, I thought as I slipped a hot pink souvenir in my pocket.

On my way out I turned the security back on and left the Baxter household as if nothing happened. Suddenly, the shadows beneath the trees seemed to be a little too dense, and I realized that I wasn't the only unwelcome visitor to the Baxter house.

Sorry I forgot the disclaimer…. Here it is: I do not own the Gallagher girls (although I wish I did). There I said it. How did you guys like the new chapter? R&R

AN: In case you didn't realize, Ivanna Dahli is not a real person. I have no clue who invented the first lasers.