1343 Words, this chapter

Chapter Eleven: Follow the Anomaly

Jess was at the ADD, trading flirty looks with the handsome security captain seated not far from her.

"No, I don't think I will," said Lester, speaking into his phone as he crossed Ops. "Oh, you doubt my commitment to the Outreach program, do you? Yes, I have been rather lax, only supplying my best people, secret data files, and complex technology."

He covered his phone, as he said to Jess, "Do I look like Father Christmas? What made you think there was a snowball chance in hell that I'd OK bloody top of the line cell phones to people not in my employ! You're fired!"

Jess giggled.

"Again?" asked Becker. "How many does that make?"

Jess held up both hands and flashed her fingers to indicate a double digit number. Becker laughed.

"The bloody gall of some people!" cried Lester. "First they shove this nonsense on me, and now they want me to lead a class!"

"You? What could you teach them?"

"Miss Parker, you're already on bloody thin ice. It won't take much for me to shove you in."

Becker laughed. "Someone's in trouble."

"Those medical kits weren't cheap either, Captain! Why do you people insist on giving gifts to students? Just bloody stand in front of them and talk!"

"Is that what teaching is?" asked Becker.

"Yes, Captain."

"Then you'll be superb," said Jess.

Lester stared at her. "I would be, wouldn't I?"

"You could deliver your message in person."

"What message, Jess?" asked Lester.

"That the ARC owns everything, even the air you breathe while you are in Outreach sessions," said Becker.

Jess giggled.

"Oh, that message. Yes, I do need to make sure no guttersnipes try to profit from of our secrets. Very well, perhaps I'll reconsider instructing a class," said Lester.

Jess and Becker were still laughing as the anomaly alert went off.

"Oh. Perfect!" cried Becker, running to Jess' side.

"These readings are…funky."

"Funky?'

"They're really strong, but then they aren't, and in a few seconds they are again. Funky," said Jess.

"Where?'

"West End," she said. "At a pub."

"Right," said Becker. "Matt, do you copy?"

"We're on our way to the cars," said Matt in his comm. "Meet you there."

They drove toward the pub.

"Hold everything!" cried Jess, over comms.

"What's wrong?" asked Becker.

"We almost crashed, that's what's wrong," said Matt. "Jess, you yelled in my ear!"

"Sorry. The funk factor just doubled. The anomaly isn't at the pub."

"It faded?" asked Connor.

"No. The readings are still strong, they've just jumped locations."

"Excuse me?" asked Connor

"I'm not kidding. The readings just stopped at the pub, and popped up down the street, at the exact same moment."

"Maybe they're two different anomalies."

"With the exact same readings? Not only that," said Jess. "The one down the street has the same weird behavior: strong in strength, weak, strong. It's really weird."

"Heading to the new location, Jess."

"I copy. Weird."

In about ten minutes, they arrived.

"Guess what?" asked Jess. "It's not there."

"You're joking."

"Nope. It disappeared from the ADD, and popped up further down the road."

"What in the hell?" asked Matt.

"Plus, I've got a visual conformation of the strange readings. ARC Outreach just contacted me. The owners from the pub followed the anomaly to the second location, a theater. They are now at the third location."

"How did they track it?" asked Connor.

Jess giggled. "They have portable ADD devices, given to them by Matt. The pub owners are Ray and Nancy Burr."

"From class?" asked Connor.

"Yep. The ids match," said Jess.

"OK, Jess. We're heading to the new, new address," said Matt.

"Third time's the charm."

"Let's hope."

They traveled down the road. "I see the anomaly," said Abby.

"There stand the Burrs," said Emily. "It is indeed them."

The couple greeted the team enthusiastically. "It's been playing 'follow the leader with us," said Ray, smiling.

"Has anything come through?" asked Becker.

"At any of the locations?" clarified Abby.

The Burrs shook their heads. "Not that we're aware. We had view of it the whole time it was in our pub. Nothing there," said Ray.

"We followed the red lines on the ADD to the theater. We figure we only missed a few seconds of visual contact," said Nancy. "We could see the anomaly within half a block from our place."

"Then it vanished right before our eyes," said Ray. "We ran again, following it right to here. Good thing it's outside a restaurant. I'm a might peckish after that chase."

They all laughed.

"I talked to the restaurant owner," said Nancy. "He saw it form, and he said nothing came through. He's sure of it."

Matt smiled. "Good work. You saved us some time. We'd have to search this location, and your pub. We'll just conduct a search around the theater to be sure."

"Glad to help. If you don't need us…" he said, trailing off, and gesturing to the restaurant.

"Go get something to eat," said Matt, chuckling.

"Nice to see you all," said Nancy, following her husband.

Connor closed the anomaly. "Jess, I want you to keep monitoring this closely."

"Yeah, it may not be done playing," she said.

"I'll post two guards in case," said Becker. "Do I have your Ok to give them portable ADDs?"

Matt nodded. "I think we lost the Burrs, so yeah, we need replacement chasers."

Becker chuckled and nodded.

"Jess, you copy all that?"

"Yes, Matt, and there have been no reports of creature activity."

"Good, but we're heading to the theatre to make sure."

"Understood. I hope it stays quiet."

"So do we," said Matt.

About half an hour later, the ARC teams returned. "Well that was interesting," said Jess.

"I don't know what was going on," said Connor. "I'll have to study the readings and see."

Matt shrugged. "Maybe it was just a weird anomaly, you know, like some people are just weird."

"Why did you smile at me when you said that?" asked Connor. Matt laughed.

Connor leaned up against a wall, looking over the portable ADD.

"You'll figure it out," said Abby. "If there's anything to figure out."

He nodded. Abby scooted closer. She rubbed her foot and leg against his.

Emily smiled. "I am glad we have nothing to do," she said.

Matt collapsed into a chair. "Not me. I like don't like sitting around with nothing to do.

Emily smirked and sat on his lap. "Perhaps you could…find something to occupy your time with."

Becker walked over to Jess at the ADD. "I don't like wild goose chases," grumbled Becker. "Especially when the instigator is some brainless yellow light."

Jess giggled. 'I'll take it. Everyone returned unharmed." She then got up and tippy toed to his lips. After a sweet, slow kiss she said, "especially you."

He smiled, and said, "Well, when you put it like that…" and he bent down to kiss her again.

"There are entirely too many couples in this room," said Lester. He walked by Matt and Emily first. They were still sharing one chair. "That's a workplace accident waiting to happen," he grumbled.

Then his path led him past Connor and Abby. "Yuck. If you must play footsie, do it under a desk, would you?"

Finally, he walked past the ADD. "And here is my head of security wiping the lipstick off my field coordinator, with his mouth, of course. Charming. Who knew it was so hazardous just leaving work? In the future, would you all couple somewhere else, please? I have no other path to and from my office."

He continued grumbling as he left the floor.

They all chuckled.

"So, if the boss is leaving, does that mean we can leave for the day?" asked Connor.

"Is shift over?" asked Abby.

Becker shrugged. "Don't care. Jess, grab your stuff. We're out of here."

She chuckled, nodded her head, and quickly got her things. "Bye!" she cried, as she left Ops, hand in hand with Becker.

End of Chapter Eleven