CHAPTER 11

Finding a small diner and realizing they were hungry, the four teens went in search for food and a phone book. After taking their orders, the waitress brought over a well-used phone book. Frank quickly found the address and phone number to the Institute. The waitress came back with their drinks.

"Excuse me could I borrow your pen and some paper?"

"Sure, here you go."

"Thank you."

As Frank wrote down the information, he thought of asking the waitress another question. "You don't happen to know how to get to the Texas Research Institute from here?"

"Oh sure, it's real easy. Just stay on Commerce Street until you come to Culebra, then make a left on Culebra. Two miles later and you're there! You can't miss it. It'll be on your right hand side, the only right you can take. I'm sure the guard will let you in, I see people go in all the time."

Frank and Joe had expected that, the Assassins would make sure they knew who was coming in.

"Thank you very much."

"You're welcome, let me go check on your order."

Frank waited till the waitress was out of earshot. Leaning across the table, he spoke in a low voice. "We need to go back and get the van. Then we should find another hotel and get some rest. We'll be going in tonight."

"What if the Gray Man has someone keeping watch of the van?" Biff asked.

"I doubt it, I have a feeling the van has a tracking system in it. Like a lojack or something similar."

"How are we supposed to pay for a hotel room?"

"Pool our resources. We should have enough for one night."

Biff nodded, he could always call his parents for more money, once they rescued Chet.

"Here you go kids, four cheeseburgers and fries, enjoy your meal."

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Chet lay curled up in a ball. He groaned as a wave of pain coursed through his body. This pain was worse than getting sidelined by an over-eager linebacker. He couldn't believe someone could hit so hard.

Chet had continued to refuse to help the Assassins lure Carolyn to the Institute. He was holding on to the hope that Joe and Frank would come rescue him before the Assassins could get to Carolyn. And if the Assassins knew where he lived, so did the Network. He hoped that the Network would prevent the Assassins from hurting his parents.

He heard someone grunt. Looking over his shoulder, Chet saw his furry friend sitting by the cage.

"I guess you came for your second helping of mush….Hold on, this is going to take awhile….Joe, how do you do it?" Chet moaned as he made his way towards the bowl.

Breathing heavily, Chet managed to push the bowl through the bars. "There you go, little buddy." To his surprise, the baboon held out its arm; in its paw was an orange.

"Oh, we're trading now, huh?"

Tentatively reaching for the orange, Chet smiled as the baboon sat with him to eat its food. Savoring the sweet taste, Chet slowly ate his orange.

"Hey, your name wouldn't happen to be Iola, would it? No I guess not, what with that beard on your face. Besides if I was going to picture my sister as a monkey, I think she'd be a spider monkey. They're short and cute just like she was."

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Carolyn was sleeping fitfully in the back seat of the van; images kept flitting through her mind.

A fifteen-year-old Carolyn peering out her window, watching a busload of children and teenagers coming into the building.

Walking down the hallway to begin a training exercise, she passes an open doorway. Standing in the middle of the room is a girl…a girl with red hair.

Standing next to Dr. Tyler and Dr. Warner in the control room, a red-haired girl walks into the room. The girl looks up, for the first time Carolyn sees her face….

Carolyn let out a gasp: "SHE'S AN ASSASSIN!"

**END OF CHAPTER**

Authors Note: Please read the author's profile for this story. The author, copagirl, passed away in 2013. I am posting these stories up with the permission of her family, who want her to be remembered as well. Lola was a long-time member of the Hardy Detective Agency and we miss her soooooo much! Love you Lola!

Thanks to those of you leaving feedback! I know copagirl would love all of it.