"Okay." Numbuh 362 said. Got it." She turned off the monitor.
"What's the news?" Numbuh 86 asked.
"Cree broke into KND Prison but Numbuh 187's still there."
"Why?"
Numbuh 362 smiled. "He's keeping his promise."
Six days later.
"Hey." Numbuh 5 said.
John awoke and sat up. When he saw it was Numbuh 5 he slid off the bed and walked over to the cell door. "What do you want?"
"It's time."
"Time?" John asked. "Time for what?"
"Did you forget, or what?" Numbuh 5 asked.
"Well, I didn't really get to have a calendar in here." John said with a smile.
Numbuh 5 smiled. "You're back on the team."
John's smile faded when he understood what she meant. "I'm... free?" he asked.
"Yeah." Numbuh 5 said. "You lasted the whole week and now you can come back on the team."
John sighed with relief.
"Numbuh 187." Numbuh 362 said. "You have kept your end of the deal and I shall keep mine. You are to return to Sector V."
She held out her hand and John shook it. "Thank you." he said with a smile. He let go of her hand and turned around. He was about to leave when he remembered something. He turned back around. "Numbuh 362?"
"Yeah?" she asked.
"There's something I want to ask you."
"What?"
"Could you do me a huge favor?"
Back at the tree house, John sat on a couch in the main room, not saying a word. It was getting late so the team was headed off to bed.
"You goin' to bed?" Numbuh 5 asked. "You have your own room now."
"No." John said. "I have my own room?"
"Yeah."
"Nah." John said. "I think I'll go for a walk."
"A walk?" Numbuh 5 asked.
"Yeah." John said, standing up. He reached down and grabbed a backpack that was lying next to him on the floor. "I won't be late."
He walked past Numbuh 5 and headed outside.
"Where's he going?" Numbuh 1 asked.
Numbuh 5 turned around. "He said he was going for a walk."
"Follow him."
"Follow him? But it's getting late."
"You can go to bed when you get back." Numbuh 1 said. "I still don't trust him."
John walked down the sidewalk, unaware he was being followed. Numbuh 5 stayed close behind him, hiding behind corners, trees, and those U.S. Mail drop-off boxes. Numbuh 5 saw him turn into a space in between two houses. She crept up to the corner and flattened herself against the wall. All she could do was listen without giving away her position.
John watched as Cree stepped out of the shadows.
"Hey." Cree said.
"Hey." John said back.
"How you doin'?" Cree asked
"Fine." John said. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure." Cree said. "Anything."
John set the backpack down and opened it. Cree looked inside and then at John. "Are you serious?"
"Yes. Actually."
"Forget it. I like being a teenager."
"But wouldn't you rather us be together?"
"Well, yeah, but..."
"This is the only way we can be. I already spoke to Numbuh 362. She said that if you go through with it and spend two weeks in KND Prison, you can return to your old team; Sector V. With me."
She looked down at the backpack. "John, I-" She looked up and sighed. "I'll do it."