Zoe is back, but she is different. Have her relationships with the team changed forever ? Making your own plans.

"Well, they're not old enough for a mind transfer yet, so they are actually least at risk," said Frank. "It's probably the older ones who are most at risk," he suggested.

"Alright then," agreed Zoe. "Let's get on with it," she said.

Tom watched them both deep in discussion and huffed to himself. It looked like he was on his own with this one !"

The next day was a school day. Tom spent every spare minute outside lessons going through the information that the others had collected. He spent all of lunch break in the base. Aneisha brought him some food from the canteen to keep him going. "Have you seen Frank or Zoe today ?" she asked him.

"No, not a sign of them," said Tom.

"Do you think we'll get to see Dan today ?" she asked.

"I'll organise something," Tom promised her. "I want to talk to him as well," he said. "Hopefully, if I manage to get through all this data, we can have a debrief together," he suggested.

"Shouldn't we do that with Frank ?" asked Aneisha cautiously.

"Well, if he turns up, we will," said Tom with a determined glint in his eye.

At the end of the school day, the three agents met up in the base. "Still no Frank," said Keri, looking round for their handler. "What shall we do ?" she asked.

Tom picked up his laptop and some other bits and pieces. "Let's go to the hospital and talk to Dan. I've got some results and I want to discuss them with you three. I've arranged a car to take us," he said.

"Do you have authorisation for that ?" asked Keri in wonder.

"Not exactly," said Tom evasively.

"Tom, what did you do exactly ?" asked Aneisha, looking worried.

"I used Frank's authorisation," said Tom. "I'm sure he would have used it if he'd been here," he said pointedly.

"I'm with him," said Keri, pointing to Tom with her thumb. Aneisha grinned.

They arrived at the MI9 medical unit half an hour later and asked to see Dan. Nobody seemed surprised to see them this time and they were shown straight through. Dan was sitting in his bed looking bored. He cheered up when he saw the others.

"I thought you would be up by now," said Tom in surprise.

"So did I," said Dan in frustration. "I got up this morning and fell over, so they won't let me get up again. I can't even go to the toilet !" he moaned.

"How's your head ?" asked Aneisha.

Dan sighed. "Still hurts," he admitted finally.

"Knee ?" asked Keri.

Dan shrugged. "Swelling's going down," he said. "Have you found anything out yet ?" he asked.

"Oh yes we have," said Tom looking very pleased with himself. "The data-meister has worked his magic once again," he said, putting his laptop down on Dan's bed so that he could see the screen. The others crowded round the bed so that they could also see.

Tom got ready to show off. "The documents you found were about the development and testing of a chemical formula which renders people susceptible to suggestion," he said.

"It makes people do whatever they're told ?" asked Keri, raising her eyebrows.

"Er, yes. I said that didn't I ?" asked Tom. He had been thrown by the interruption. "Right, where was I ? Oh yeah. Part of this formula doesn't actually have a chemical signature because it has been derived from a sub-tropical species of Bella Donna," he explained.

"Tom ?" asked Aneisha in desperation.

"Erm, well they get some of it from a plant usually called Deadly Nightshade," said Tom.

"Did you say 'Deadly' ?" asked Dan, frowning.

"Yep. Obviously it depends on how much," said Tom. "That's probably why they've been doing so many tests. Kind of important to get the quantities right," he said. "Otherwise the subjects are not so much susceptible as dead."

"And those plants we saw in the courtyard ?" asked Dan.

"They were probably the Bella Donna," said Tom in agreement.

"Do MI9 need to destroy them all then ?" asked Keri.

"No need," said Tom. "It looks like KORPS did it for us. They set the whole complex on fire and the whole building has been levelled. The plants in the courtyard were incinerated," he explained.

"So there's no problem then," said Keri cheerily. "Job done !"

"By KORPS ?" asked Aneisha in disbelief.

"Why would KORPS do that ?" asked Dan suspiciously. "They must have a reason. They would want a formula like that. Maybe they didn't want anyone else getting hold of it, or being able to develop an antidote," he suggested. "I don't think this is over yet."

"I think you're right," agreed Tom.

"What does Frank think ?" asked Dan.

The other three looked at one another. "Wish we knew," said Aneisha finally. Dan looked at them all questioningly.

"He's just disappeared off the face of the earth, and so has Zoe," said Tom. "I had to do everything on my own. I even had to book our taxi ride to get here," he complained.

"What are they doing ?" asked Dan.

"I think they're looking for more of Zoe's clones," said Keri. She noticed a faint hurt look flit across Dan's face, but he didn't say anything.

"I guess we're on our own then," Dan said quietly. "We need to find out if KORPS have that formula. They could cause havoc with it. For a change !" he added ironically. "We need to get after them," he said.

"Er, Dan, aren't you forgetting something ?" asked Tom.

"What ?" asked Dan.

Tom pointed at Dan's leg. "Well, there's that for a start. Then there's the fact that you can't even get out of bed at the moment. You need to get better first mate, then you can start helping," said Tom. "Come on," he said to the others. "We'd better let Dan get some rest. We need to get started," he said. He and Aneisha got up and walked away from Dan's bed.

Keri glanced at Dan and saw the hurt expression on his face. "It's alright Dan. I'm sure you'll be out by tomorrow. We need you too !" said Keri quietly. She reached over the side of the bed and gave Dan a hug. He pulled her close for a second or two and she felt his cheek against hers. Finally he let her go.

"Thanks," he whispered, looking down at the bed sheets.

"Any time," said Keri gently. She smiled at him and followed the others out of the room. The door closed behind her and then suddenly burst open again, her head appearing in mid-air. "In any case, we need someone to stop Tom's ego exploding !" she cackled before disappearing again. Dan laughed out loud.