Chapter 29 – A Miscommunication

The doctor's prediction of Rod's release date had been correct. A week after Grem and Acer's arrival, Rod, Roseanne, Darrel, Grem and Acer all boarded onto a private jet which would take them back to America. Rod was as good as new, and he had never felt better.

As the jet was in flight, Rod and Roseanne were cuddled next to each other near one of the windows, with Roseanne sleeping at his side. Darrel was reading a newspaper while smoking a cigarette. Grem and Acer were having complimentary in flight drinks and eating some snacks.

The repairs done on the two Lemons had been astounding. Grem and Acer had never looked or felt so good in their lives. Their rust was gone and their bodies had been polished, which gave off a brilliant shine. They even offered to fix Grem's teeth, but he wanted nothing to do with it. As he had explained to Rod, he had pride in those missing teeth; Grem lost them fighting big cars like him.

The ride back from a mission had never felt so peaceful to Rod. There were no missions waiting for him back home, and the car he loved was sleeping at his side. He looked out the window as the clouds rolled on past. He may have not come back from this mission as successfully as the last one, but at least he was coming back alive.

The jet finally made its descent and landed at the CIA headquarters. Rod nudged Roseanne to wake up, and then they collected their belongings. They entered the main building and all five started to head towards the visitor's area. At that moment Rod's heart began to race, was Emily waiting for him?

Before he could reach the doors to the visitor's area, he heard someone call out his name behind him. It was Pete.

"Hey, Torque! Can you come here a moment?" Pete called out. Rod told everyone he would join them shortly, and then drove over towards Pete.

"What's up?" Rod asked.

"Well for one thing, it is excellent to see you back here again!" Pete said, being as jovial as ever. The two cars shook tires, and then Pete continued.

"Finn McMissle is here with his accomplice. They want to meet with you," Pete said, now lowering his voice. "They are in the conference room on the third floor. I will tell the others you will return in a little while. They can wait in the visitors area in the meantime." Rod nodded his hood and thanked Pete, and made his way up towards the third floor.

As Rod opened the conference room door, he had no idea what to expect from Finn McMissle. When he entered the room, he saw the British spy sipping on some tea, and with him was the tow truck he passed off the information to back in the Japanese bathroom.

"Rod Redline! It is so wonderful to see you!" Finn McMissle exclaimed as Rod drove through the door. "Come, park yourself anywhere you like."

"Its nice to see you too, Finn. I thought they had done away with you back on those oil rigs," Rod mentioned, remembering the night that Grem had pronounced him dead. Finn laughed.

"They don't know all my tricks," Finn said and winked. Rod laughed in response.

"Now, on a more serious note, I need to sincerely apologize. I know I was supposed to come collect the photo, but if I did our mission would have been compromised. I saw the thugs from the oil rigs at the party, and I couldn't have let them see me. I sent in a diagnostics agent, Holley Shiftwell, to collect it instead. She told me she was going to go into the men's bathroom, despite her will to do so in order to collect the photo. However, she said the "agent" came out of the bathroom instead, and that was this tow truck, Mater," Finn addressed.

"Howdy, Mr. Redline!" Mater greeted, waving his tire happily.

"Well it is a good thing she didn't enter that bathroom. I was getting beat up pretty bad by two Lemons, and I wouldn't have wanted her to get roped in," Rod remarked. Finn nodded his hood.

"So I heard from Pete. Now, I need to say that you certainly handed the information off to the right car. Although he is not a spy, he played one very well; he had us fooled! He was also the one who figured out in was Axelrod."

"Oh really?" Rod asked, cocking his eyebrow. "And how did the tow truck figure it out?"

Finn let Mater go into his story about how he figured out it was Miles. As Rod listened, he was fascinated how Mater was able pull all of these things together that he had missed.

"I knew at that party I wasn't leaking oil, so it had to have been him. I remember that really confused me when it happened, but I understand it now," Mater said.

"Amazing, you weren't kidding, Finn," Rod said with awe.

For a moment there was silence. Finn quickly took a sip of his tea and lowered his hood.

"I also need to admit something else. Unfortunately, there was a miscommunication between the CIA and C.H.R.O.M.E. Miss Shiftwell was the one who told me about an American being deep undercover on the oil rigs, but it was never specified who it was…" Finn said gloomily.

Rod was taken aback for a moment. They never communicated who the agent was? He was only addressed as the "American"? He knew that the CIA communications division, not Pete, was in charge of contacting C.H.R.O.M.E when it came to which agents they were sending out on missions, or which agents they were supposed to meet up with.

"If I had known it was you, I would automatically have known that Mater was not an undercover spy and come looking for you. I need to apologize again."

Rod knew that Finn didn't have to apologize; it wasn't really his fault that the CIA had messed up in communications. However, Rod could tell Finn was taking it out on himself for Rod's injuries. If he had known the agent they sent out was Rod, maybe all that Rod went through could have been prevented.

"You don't need to apologize to me, Finn. What happened, happened, and I'm still here," Rod said, giving Finn a soft smile. Finn smiled back.

"You are right, Rod. Well, at least this mission is over and done with. This was one of the toughest ones I have been on yet!" Finn remarked.

"Tell me about it. Those Lemons sure know how to run an operation," Rod replied. As well as make some pretty good friends, which make carrying out your mission difficult he thought at the same time.

Suddenly, Rod heard a buzz, and it was an incoming transmission for Finn. He excused himself and drove towards the back of the room, talking in a low voice. Mater watched on quietly.

"Well, looks like I have to get going," Finn remarked, and turned around back towards Rod and Mater. "Mater, we are going to drop you back off at home, and then it looks like I am off on another mission… C.H.R.O.M.E's orders."

As the three cars left the conference room, Rod was able to shake tires with Finn and Mater before they departed.

"Thank you for coming and talking to me, I appreciate it," Rod told Finn while shaking tires.

"Its no problem. I'm sure I will see you again soon. Enjoy your much needed break, Rod," Finn replied. They all finally parted ways, and Rod drove back down to the first floor towards the visitor's area.

As he drove down the hallway, he ran into Roseanne driving out of the woman's bathroom. He noticed she didn't look so well, and he asked if she was ok.

"To be honest, I haven't been feeling well for a while, I don't know what is wrong with me," Roseanne said, lowering her hood as they drove along.

"Don't worry, when we finally get you back home we can take you the doctors," Rod said, and nuzzled her side. Roseanne brightened up a little bit.

Rod and Roseanne then ran into Pete, who was looking concerned. He gave them the heads up that Emily was in the visitor's area.

Reality had finally hit for Rod. He was back home, and now this time he really had to face Emily, and he would be going to divorce court. He sighed and looked over at Roseanne, but she returned him with a smile.

"Be strong Rod, I know you are. We will face her together, and I am here for you," Roseanne whispered. Rod returned her smile because she was right. Roseanne was at his side, and with her support he could face anything.

The two cars drove towards the visitor's area and opened the door, side by side, united as one.