Chapter Ten
"Four SecuriMunks dispatched,a warehouse we
owned,discovered and a possible source of new information
concerning The Archive slipping from our hands.Why are you
still *alive*,Duval?"the second Roaming Eye breated over
the office holo-com.
Duval's report was answered in what now seemed
to be a typical fashion.Acidic verbal abuse.
After the second one signed off for the night,Duval
left the office and was soon taking in the air over at one
of the nearby balconies of the palazzo.
Venice at night.No one but he would be
privy to his thoughts now.And his thoughts involved
Jeanette Miller.That beautifully bookish enemy whom he
longed to convert with a single kiss.He wished that she was
there with him on the balcony,sharing the quiet romance of
Venice at this hour.
Someone to talk plans with or simply to
listen to.Someone to confess his heart to only.His love to
give freely.They seemed such simple things,but they were
priceless to him and worthy of his time to fantasize about.
For a teenager,he was too busy living the life he
was groomed and expected to adhere to.To a cause that was
as old as it was trying at times.With The Roaming Eyes
watching his moves and being quick to capitalize on his
every misstep for some reason,he couldn't even endulge in
the luxury of mourning the loss of his mother and brothers.
But one day,he would.And he would do it
over The Roaming Eyes' broken corpses.He smiled at that.The
thought to do them in felt dark,sweet and rich,like a
molasses in the mind.It almost made him forget about
destroying Simon.Almost.
Duval went back into the building to turn in
for the night.He had to remember to thank Mr.Bells for his
timely rescue in the warehouse as well as find out who gave
the order to fire there.But that would be a mystery for the
next day.
"Is that Alex?"Libby asked Brittany as she
and her daughters watched The Chipmunks talk amongst
themselves from where they were on the other side of the
bridge.
"Alvin."
"Alvin,huh?Well,he must really care for you,Brittany,to be
that suspicious,sneaky and protective of you,"Libby said
approvingly.
"Yeah..."said Brittany with loving pride.He was acting like
a supreme jerk...*because he cared*."Well...snakes are
suppose to be good at sneaking around,aren't they?"she
chided unsuccessfully,trying to hide her feelings for his
brash nobility,
"Now,Brittany,be nice."Libby felt good saying that.It felt
maternal and new."I kind of like him.He's cute and bold as
brass.A real keeper."
"Well...maybe,"Brittany begrudgingly,yet goodnaturedly
conceded.Inside,she warmed to this.A ringing endorsement
like that from her mother was a powerful thing.It reflected
Brittany's ability to chose a good mate and although her
heart always pointed to Alvin,a parent's vote always
carried a great deal of weight.
Then she hugged her mother again,to savor the
contact,the link,the bond,too long severed.
"So,do you still want to help me get The Archive?"Libby
asked.
"More than ever.I mean,what kind of daughter would I be if
I said no?"
"A smarter one."
"Yeah,"said Eleanor with a smirk."But we *are* talking
about Brittany,here."
"Oh,Ellie,"Brittany called out sweetly to her before
answering her sister's jab with a healthy raspberry.
'Kids,'thought Libby."Eleanor,Brittany,no fighting."
"Okay,"said Eleanor."But Brittany's right.What kind of
daughters *would* we be if we couldn't help our mother?"
"Exactly,"Jeanette chimed in."Besides,with new developments
in our research,we could very well achieve our goal,Mom."
"Speaking of research,"Libby remembered,"Brittany,could you
bring me that mask you bought from the shop the other day?"
"Sure.Why?"
"Because,if my hunch is right,then we may finally have the
key to getting The Archive before I.T.O. does."
"You mean...*my* mask could be the one?"
"It could be.That's why I said what I said to Duval on that
tape.To distract him from putting two and two together and
coming up with you."
"Is it safe to come up,now?"called Alvin from
the other end of the bridge.
"Yeah,come on up,guys,"said Brittany."I think we've got
something."
"Like what?"
"Like maybe a way to beat those jerks once and for all.Do
you know about The Archive?"
"We've told him,Theodore and Eleanor about it on the way
from the hotel,"Simon said as they gathered around the
females.He regarded Libby."Thanks to you,ma'am,Jeanette and
I have a head start on deducing the priest's notes."
With an easy smile,she turned to him."Figuring
out clues like that is all part of the job,Simon.And
please,call me Libby.Besides,it's the least I can do since
you look after my Jeanette in that alley after we crashed
that party in the palazzo."
"Party,ma'am?"Then it hit him."That was you wearing that
costume at the party?"
"Party?What party?"Alvin and Brittany asked in unison.
"Yes,that was me.I was looking for information,same as you
two.I stole the display case with the priest's notes,but
how did you manage to research the same info without
stealing it?"
Jeanette,in a rare moment,looked completely self-
satisfied.A look the others caught."Well...I simply jotted
the notes down on cocktail napkins and hid them until we
escaped."
Libby turned to Jeanette,admiringly."That's my
daughter."
"Thanks,Mom."
"You're welcome.And if I ever catch you in a place like
that again,you'll be more grounded than a lightning rod,got
it?"she said pleasantly.
"Yes,Mom,"Jeanette sulked.
"Actually,ma'am,"Simon defended."It was my idea to go
there,not Jeanette's.I'm sorry."
Alvin couldn't believe what he heard from his
brother."Simon...taking a chance?Doing something...risky?"
"It was a *calculated* risk,Alvin."
"But a *risk*,nonetheless,"Libby reprimanded."It was too
dangerous.If I wasn't there to-"She caught her anxiety
before it rose any higher.She could tell that Jeanette and
he were an item and that he had her well-being foremost in
his mind,but anything could happen.And "Anything" didn't
care one iota about good intentions.
Still,she didn't want to mar her reunion with ill
feelings."Just think about the consequences more,Simon,"she
resumed more understandingly."After all,you wouldn't want
me to think that you were too reckless to see my
daughter,would you?"
"No,ma'am,I mean,Miss Libby,uh,I mean,uh...Libby!"he
stuttered worryingly.
Seeing Simon so flustered and imagining him as such
a rebel,gave Alvin and Brittany a reason to chuckle.
"Simon?Too reckless?"Alvin tittered.
"Not in this lifetime,"giggled Brittany.
Libby glanced at the two sternly."That means
you,too.Brittany,I'm very grateful that you saved my life
and Alvin,I want to thank you for chasing that thug
away,but I don't want you two doing that again,do you
understand me?That's way too dangerous."
Sufficiently cowed by the strength of maternal
scolding,the two meekly muttered,"Yes,Mom/ma'am."
"Good,"Libby replied with a satisfied smile."Now let's put
our heads together and think of something."
Theodore posed a sudden question."Hey,guys,what
time is it?"
Simon looked at his watch."It's-Oh,no!We've got to
get back to the hotel before Dave and Miss Miller wake up!"
"Who are they?"asked Libby.
"Our foster parents,"Theodore answered.
"I'd like to see them,if that's alright."
"No problem.When this is over,we'll invite you over to see
them,"Alvin said as he led them off the bridge and back to
the campi."Hopefully,this'll all be over before it's time
for us to leave."
"Leave?Why?"
"We're on tour.We're scheduled to play Madrid in a couple
of weeks."
"On tour?"Libby pressed."What are you?Musicians?"
Alvin turned to her with pride,announcing,"We're The
Chipmunks."
"And we're The Chipettes,Mom,"Brittany beamed.
Libby took a moment to
recollect the names.The bands,these days!Although what came
from it didn't impress her too terribly,she felt the need
to be civil to them."Oh...Well,that's nice,kids,"she
praised condescendingly.
Dejected,Alvin mused aloud,"Gotta talk to Dave
and Sy about our demographics."
"You,too,huh?"Brittany muttered to him.
The Grand Canal still meandered along its way
after the group left and went to their respective places
for the night.Ripples flowed across the black surface and
then suddenly were distorted and disrupted by something
entering the water slowly from the almost unseeable space
directly up under the bridge.
Wearing a wet suit and sneer,the scruffy spy slid
through the quiet waters.He would have a lot to report.