(Author's notes: I am terribly sorry that I haven't updated since January. My pregnancy was hard, but good news, I delivered my son two weeks ago. He was born at a healthy 6 lbs and 13 oz. We're both healthy and doing fine. I have been writing a lot more recently, and I hope that I can go back to submitting a chapter at least every two weeks. Maybe in a few months, I can post every month, but this story is getting harder and harder for me to write, mainly because its a genre I'm not used to. I love this story so much, and I feel proud because its hard to write. Please let me know if you are still enjoying it.

Thank you to all my readers and those that have left reviews.)

Blue Waltz

Chapter 11: Contrary Motion

Sept. 22

Steelbeak understood the worth of information, even within the organization of FOWL. It was one thing to trade for information outside of his chosen field with other villains around the world, but it was even more dangerous letting his fellow FOWL agents in on any tidbits he had picked up. If the wrong ear heard the wrong information, he could be killed off without more than a thought. And while his friend, Duncan Musman, had said he didn't know the name of Darkwing Duck's annoying, little girl of a sidekick, Steelbeak hadn't believed him.

Oh, it wasn't that his old friend was a bad liar. It was just that Steelbeak assumed everyone was lying, especially if there were benefits. And even with Steelbeak's offer to help Duncan auction off the information for the highest bid, Duncan was smart enough to refuse the offer for something better in mind.

Did that mean Steelbeak was going to betray his friend and disclose what he suspected to the high command of FOWL? Depends. What was in it for him?

One way or another, it was an inkling that Steelbeak had to sit on for his own safety as well as the off-chance that he was wrong about Duncan. In the meantime, he had to run down this mysterious villain that had been in contact with Duncan. Was it Taurus Bulba like they both suspected? Maybe. It would be easy to check. If a yes, then Steelbeak was going to wash his hands of the whole shebang. Bulba was a note short of a chord and violent enough to rip someone's head off before he could overheat. If it was a no, then this job just got a lot harder.

Considering how cutthroat of a business FOWL was, Steelbeak had to be careful who he asked to help him with Duncan's predicament. He couldn't work with someone too curious, too powerful, or too smart. But on the other wing, someone not curious or powerful or smart enough, and he might as well ask a bag of rocks for help.

He knew exactly who he needed.

Pepper was a bright, young mind, and relatively new to FOWL. In a man's world, she had somehow made it high in the ranks due to her computer hacking skills as well as having a powerful uncle in the organization that was willing to vouch for her. She was eager to please, optimistic to the point of annoying, and, for the most part, completely oblivious to subtleties, hints, and complex jokes. If it weren't for her perchance to violence and love of money, Steelbeak would have pegged her as a double agent.

Maybe she still was one. It was something he would have to think about later.

"Pepper, darling, did you get a new jumpsuit? Or is that a new visor?" Steelbeak said, putting the charm on thick.

Most intelligent women found Steelbeak sleazy—what do they know?—but Pepper ate up his compliments and flirtations like it was candy. She had a cute beak but no matter how sexy a girl's body could be, the Eggman uniform took away all appeal.

From her seat at one of FOWL's super computers, Pepper gave him a sultry smile. "Hey, Steel. It's been a long time since you've come down to IT. You have something special for me?"

Unlike the time he pretended to like Ammonia Pine, Pepper never took his compliments seriously. Either she knew he wasn't interested in a relationship or she thought she was leading him on, which Steelbeak was fine with.

"Bonbons from Switzerland. You're favorites," Steelbeak said, handing over a box of candy with pretty pink ribbon. They were actually from a corner store in St. Canard, often worth less than a shoeshine, but that didn't stop Pepper from gulping them down.

The female Eggman didn't waste any time ripping open the box to pop one in her mouth, relishing them with closed eyes. "Okay, you can now grace me with your request," she said with a big smile, crossing her legs and giving him her whole attention. "What do you want from me?"

Another reason Steelbeak liked Pepper, she understood quid pro quo.

"I've got a phone number I need you to track," Steelbeak said, holding out the napkin that he had folded and put into his handkerchief pocket where it had been safe since his meeting with Duncan days ago.

"Easy peasy," Pepper said, taking the phone number. "It's sweet that you thought this was something you needed to bribe me to do."

"Well…if you could keep this a secret, I'd be much appreciated," Steelbeak said.

Turning her chair back to her computer, Pepper nodded. "Just be glad these walls can't talk because this little duck won't." She typed in the ten digits into the computer and pressed the send button for the program to do its work. It wasn't long before information appeared on the screen. Whatever it said made Pepper frown?
"Where did you get this phone number?" she asked.

Steelbeak frowned. Usually Pepper didn't ask questions. He contemplated not saying anything. However, if Pepper was asking, it might be important. "From a buddy of mine. I can't say anything more. He did say that the number may be disconnected."

"Oh, that wouldn't have been a problem," Pepper said with a shrug. "It's just…this isn't a normal phone number."

"How is that?"

Pepper swiveled her chair back to Steelbeak. "Usually a phone number is connected to a specific phone, usually a land-line. But if it belonged to a cell phone, I could still find out some information. However, this particular number is…well…It just shouldn't exist."

"What are you talking about?" Steelbeak asked, hoping Pepper wouldn't start talking in tech-jargon that went above his head. He hated it when women acted smarter than him.

"Well…as you can see, the area code of the number is for St. Canard or any of the small cities surrounding it, right?" Pepper said, showing the first three numbers. "So, it should have a landline somewhere in or near the city. But it's not on the map."

"So it's just a cell phone," Steelbeak said with a shrug.

"No, because for a cell phone to work, it needs to be connected to a network or a server," Pepper explained. "Cell phones may be wireless, but they still need to be connected to something for calls to be sent and received. However, this number isn't connected to any network. At least not one on this plane."

"What do you mean?" Steelbeak said, feeling irked. He was able to follow Pepper's words mostly, but some it went above his head.

Pepper's beak clamped shut and she looked away. "I can't tell you."

"What?" His anger was bubbling up to the surface. If he were talking to any ordinary Eggman, he would have grabbed Pepper by her collar and shaken her. However, he had issues with violence against women, especially women who had a tendency to stab with whatever sharp object was close by. And Pepper had a lot of sharp things at her desk.

"FOWL is…researching new resources that are beyond scientific explanation, and not everyone within the organization is privy to know the specifics," Pepper said cryptically.

This riled Steelbeak's feathers. He wasn't cleared to know this kind of information? He was one of FOWL's top agents. Why wouldn't High Command clear him for this? Especially when a newbie like Pepper knew about it.

"I can't tell you anything more than that," Pepper said. A grin split her beak. "However, we can call the number. Maybe we can learn about who is on the other line."

"I tolds you. My friend said it was disconnected," Steelbeak said, folding his arms.

"Either he lied to you or he doesn't know it's still connected," Pepper said. She pressed the call button and the dialing tone came through her computer's speakers.

After three rings, it picked up. Nothing but silence came through.

Pepper looked to Steelbeak, who looked back at her. Pepper tilted her head toward the computer, indicating it was up to him to talk.

"Uh…hello?" Steelbeak asked, trying to sound calm.

"Who is this?" The voice was cultured, smooth, and sounded nothing like Taurus Bulba. His accent was close to that of Russian but not exact. It belonged to Eastern European but the exact country was beyond his expertise.

"This is Steelbeak from FOWL," the rooster said confidently. He was certain disclosing his identity had no major consequences. Maybe if this guy knew who he was talking to, he would wet his pants and leave Duncan alone.

"You are not who I was expecting," the voice said, sounding amused. "However, I'm curious as to how the Fiendish Organization for World Larceny got my number."

"I found it on a bathroom stall. It said to call for a good time," Steelbeak said snarkily. "I told you who I was. Before I answer any more of your questions, how about returning the favor, pal."

"And reveal my hand? You Americans have so much bravado, it's comical," the unknown man said with a laugh.

"It ain't a good idea to insult FOWL," Steelbeak threatened despite the fact that the man wasn't insulting the entire organization, just the rooster. "And if you don't want to make any dangerous enemies, I suggest you tell me who you are and what business you have in St. Canard. Now."

"Hmmm, it seems that Musman is better connected than I thought. He's also stupider than I thought," the man said in a bored tone. "He's just sore that I didn't pay him for his intel. That's the price he pays for not following my instructions to the T."

Steelbeak frowned at the name of his friend, but his features deepened at the words "pay him for his intel." Did that mean that Duncan did know the identity of Darkwing Duck's little protégé? Which means he had lied to Steelbeak.

Interesting.

"Well, if we're going to sit around and threaten each other, then let me have a turn." The voice on the other end cleared his voice, his tone turned playful. "How about: If FOWL doesn't completely vacate St. Canard and turn its petty attentions to other parts of the world, then they will be sorry. How was that?"

Lost in his thoughts, Steelbeak only half-listened. "What? Oh, yeah. That's pretty good, pal. It almost stopped my heart." He clutched at his chest in a pretend heart attack despite that the man he was talking to couldn't see him. "Hey, why don't you tell me where you are and we can exchange terrorizations in person."

"As much as I'd like to slum it with you glorified thieves, I am a busy man." The tone was no longer playful. "So, I'm going to make this clear. If I see any sign of FOWL in my territory—and by territory, I mean St. Canard—I will wipe you off the face of the earth. Am I clear?"

The line went dead.

Steelbeak was a Grade A bluffer. He could make an Eskimo believe that the North Pole was hot. He didn't hear a tell in the man's voice. The guy was either crazy or he thought he was powerful enough to back up his mouth.

"Well, that was fun," Pepper said, hanging up the digital phone and giving Steelbeak a bright smile. "It's always nice to make new enemies."

"Yeah. A riot," Steelbeak said sarcastically. "Thanks for the help, Peps. I know I can trust you to keep this a secret. I'll make sure to bring you two boxes of bonbons next time." He waved a hand at her and walked away. Usually he lingered longer with Pepper to talk to her, maybe pick her brain for some new information, but he had too much to think about. He didn't know what he was going to do about Duncan's deception or what he heard over the phone, but he knew he wouldn't sit idle.

Unbeknownst him, Pepper waited until he was long gone before she summoned a video feed on her computer of a man shrouded in darkness.

"What is it Agent Pepper?" the man asked, sounding irritated.

"I've located one of the threats," she said.

"You have? Well done, my niece," the man said, his tone turning more pleasant. "And what of his companion? Is she with him as well?"

"Unfortunately, I wasn't able to tell. I could only locate the threat over the phone," Pepper said.

"The phone? How?"

"That is irrelevant," she said, hoping her uncle wouldn't push for details. She may have broken her promise to Steelbeak about not telling anyone but the least she could do was protect him as her source. Whatever game he was playing, he could continue to scheme while she did her duty to High Command. "The important thing is that I was able to locate the magical portal that will lead us to the threat."

"Where is the magical portal?" her uncle demanded.

"St. Canard."


Another day gone and nothing more to show for her hard work than terrible office coffee, restless legs and a crick in her neck. As much as Charity believed in DCF, she understood just how easy it was for a person to burn out. For every happy ending for a child placed in a warm and loving home, there were others that fell through the cracks. Abuse going on unreported. Children running away from bad homes, both biological and foster, to never be seen again. Not to mention the families volunteering to foster children who had no business of raising any children, their own or otherwise.

Today had not been a good day. The dozens of foster children who had gone missing over the last month had finally caught SCPD's attention. They had decided that not every case had been a runaway and that they might be related to the kidnappings that were now making national news. But it wasn't because Charity had suggested it to the police but because a large group of worried mothers had caught wind and raised a stink that the foster kids weren't being investigated.

Because of this, the St. Canard DCF office was a whirlwind of social workers making a flurry of copies of each of the missing foster kids' files, enough for each cop on the case to have their own set. Charity was glad that the missing children were finally being given the attention they needed but it put extra work and stress on her employees.

On top of that, Duncan Musman had graced the office with his presence as he was required to do as the Director. However, instead of organizing one of his asinine meetings in which nothing was ever accomplished, he had taken Natalie Runner aside to talk to her. Although Charity had kept her distance from the female duck since the day at the courthouse where Natalie had betrayed her, she was glad to see a look of disgust on the woman's face. It appeared that even Duncan's allies found him distasteful.

When five o'clock rolled around, the office emptied like a stampede, and Charity wasn't far behind everyone else. Despite the workload still on her desk, she wasn't up to putting in a few extra minutes today.

Taking the elevator down to the parking garage, she wasn't surprised that it was empty with only a few cars parked. It appeared that everyone in the building—not just DCF—wanted to get away from work quickly.

Getting into her car, she felt a wave of relief hit her before she turned the key in the ignition and adjusted her rear view mirror. Fear raced through her heart as she saw someone in a mask in her back seat and she instinctually grabbed her purse and swung it at the orange bill that was as bright as a target.

"Ow, wait a minute. It's just me."

The familiar voice stopped her from hitting him a second time.

"Darkwing Duck?" she cried out in surprise. Still on an adrenaline high, she shouted, "What the heck were you thinking? Don't you dare do that again! You scared the crap out of me."

"I apologize," Darkwing said, his voice muffled as he rubbed his sore beak. "I needed to talk to you, and I couldn't risk Musman seeing me."

"I have a phone," Charity said dryly.

"We had to talk in person. Honestly, this was my best plan." He smiled wryly with a shrug.

Charity folded her arms. "Okay, I'm listening." She still fumed but in a way she was relieved that the hero was there. It reminded her how she voiced her wish to talk to him to Gosalyn. Could she have had something to do about this?
"Not here," Darkwing said. "Drive. Musman can't know that we've talked."

Charity doubted that Duncan would ever be seen in a parking garage. She had seen him take a taxi whenever leaving the building. Nonetheless, she put her car in drive and eased out of the parking garage. She didn't ask where she should go. She went directly to a McDonald's only a few blocks away. Ignoring any looks she was given by her passenger, she ordered two meals, one for herself and one for Gosalyn.

"Do you want anything?" Charity asked, addressing her rear view mirror.

Darkwing was hunched against the back seat to stay out of sight. He gave Charity a rueful frown.

Someone needs a happy meal, she joked to herself.

After paying for her food, Charity drove to an empty street and parked where she could eat her burger. Darkwing was still frowning. "What? I'm hungry. I had a bad day at work."

However, she had misinterpreted his frown. Darkwing was still considering Duncan Musman's words from the night before. Whose side was she on? He was certain she would help him, but there were still doubts. He had to keep replaying the evidence in his head, how she had saved Gosalyn from being kidnapped, how she had written to him for help and had so far sent him another letter describing how Gosalyn was doing in school, and finally, Gosalyn's own perception of the lovebird. He had to believe in his and Gosalyn's instincts.

Especially if he was to get any more information on Musman. If he wanted to shake off the mouse's blackmailing, he had to know more of his enemy including who was pulling the strings in the background.

"So, what's up?" Charity asked. She had her own information to give Darkwing but she wanted to hear what he had to say first. Plus, she hadn't finished her fries.

"I need your help," Darkwing said, leaning forward. "Musman is much more dangerous than I suspected."

Charity could have told him that. But at the same time, she wasn't certain she could be of any use. Not only was she a mere social worker, but she wasn't willing to risk her life for the masked hero. She had far too many responsibilities to endanger herself. She had to think of Gosalyn as well as the hundreds of children and people who relied on her at DCF. "I don't know if I can help but what do you have in mind?" She made no promises.

"I need you to plant this bug in Musman's office," Darkwing said. He held out his hand in which a small item lay no bigger than a ladybug.

Charity frowned. It sounded simple, but at the same time, he was asking a lot of her. "If Duncan finds out, I could lose my job." She could never forget the veiled threated that Duncan easily threw around, especially since it looked as if he were priming Natalie to take over.

"It's very important," Darkwing said. "He's…he has something on me." It was a hard truth for him to admit.

Charity's eyes widened, remembering the files Duncan had in his desk drawer, all the pictures of others that could only be used to blackmail. Did Duncan now have a file on Darkwing Duck? She knew that her boss was dangerous, but if he had St. Canard's masked hero in his pocket, then could anyone touch him?

"I won't let him control me. I'm playing along with his demands for now, but if it means going against my ethics, I'll call him on his threat," Darkwing said. "But that could put a lot of people in danger, Gosalyn included."

Charity's beak pressed in a grim line. She turned around and took the bug from Darkwing's palm. "Do I have to do anything special to turn it on?"

"No. Just put it anywhere in his office. I'll be able to hear everything that goes on there. If he thinks that I'm complacent, he might slip up," Darkwing said.

"And then what? You'll blackmail him?" Charity asked with a frown.

Darkwing looked uncertain. "I stop him. And I find out who is after Gosalyn."

Charity nodded, careful with the little device. It was so small, she worried that she would lose it. In the end, she pulled out a compact mirror she kept in her purse and put the bug inside the clamshell-like apparatus. "There is something else," she said, pulling out the notes she took when she had searched Duncan's office. She had kept the papers inside her purse at all times until she knew what to do with them. She explained how she broke into his office and found the files and the photos of Gosalyn with the phone number written on the back, handing over all the information she had.

"Did you call the number?" Darkwing asked.

"I was afraid to," Charity said. "I'm not used to all this intrigue. I'm more comfortable with this kind of stuff when it's in a novel."

"This is good," Darkwing said. "Thank you."

Feeling as if the masked duck was going to wind down the meeting, Charity felt a pull to bring one more thing up. If Darkwing Duck contacted her because of something Gosalyn had said, had the child also said something about all the missing children?

"This isn't your only case, is it?" Charity asked tentatively.

Darkwing was reading her notes when he looked up. "No, but it has my highest priority. Don't worry. I will do everything I can to make sure Gosalyn—and you by extension—are safe."

"I wasn't…I just want to know, have you been investigating the kidnapping cases?" Charity said quickly.

Darkwing's eyes never left her own, although they used the mirror to look at each other, but that didn't lessen the tension. "Yes, I'm looking into it."

"And the foster children? Do you think they are connected as well? I mean, the police have been asking for files all day, so I wondered if they keep you informed," Charity said, feeling a little uncomfortable under the man's gaze.

"Yes, I believe they are connected," Darkwing answered. "But the police haven't told me anything. I'm investigating it on my own. In fact, it's connected to another case I've been on for weeks."

"What case?" Charity asked, breaking the eye contact to turn her head to the back seat. "What do you know about the missing kids? Have you found any of them?"

Darkwing looked away, a little ashamed that he hadn't been looking for the children for very long. "No. But I'll let you know if I do."

Charity didn't know why her hopes soared so high. Was her faith in the masked crime-fighter so strong that she thought he could do anything? Living in St. Canard, everyone developed a form of hero worship for Darkwing Duck. Sometimes it was hard to remember that he wasn't all-powerful. He was merely a man.

"I know most of the foster children that have disappeared. I can tell you which ones are most likely runaways, and those who were definitely taken," Charity said. "I can help." The words were already out of her mouth before she could consider them. Was she in a position to help him? Not only was her workload already past the bursting point, but she also had to take in consideration Gosalyn. But then again, she was a mere social worker. Was her offer a vain one? What could Darkwing Duck not do that a she could?

"Could you find out the exact locations that the foster children went missing?" Darkwing asked after considering it. "And perhaps where they went to school and their home address? I know that kind of information isn't public knowledge but—"

"I'll get it for you," Charity said. Technically, she could only release anything within a child's file to their legal guardians and the police, but in this case, she was willing to breech protocol. "It'll take me a day or two, depending on if I can finish the files for the police."

"When you do, call me at this number," Darkwing said before rattling off seven digits.

Charity reached into her purse for a pen to write it down, but she was stopped.

"Memorize it," Darkwing said. "You saw with Musman the dangers of leaving a phone number out in the open."

Obediently, Charity put the pen back down and asked for Darkwing to repeat the number until she had memorized it.

"One more thing," Darkwing said, stowing Charity's notes inside his coat.

The tone of his voice made Charity pay even closer attention to the masked duck.

"If anything goes wrong, anything at all, take Gosalyn and run," Darkwing said, his tone warning. "If either of you are in danger, go. Gosalyn knows where you two can be safe."

A chill ran down Charity's back. And before she could say anything more, Darkwing opened the back door and had left almost soundlessly save for the closing of the door.


Sept. 23

Steelbeak didn't blame his friend for lying and keeping such information to himself. After all, it must have been a great surprise to have found out that he was sitting on the Darkwing Duck's secret identity. It was a practical gold mine in the criminal underworld, but if he knew Duncan Musman, the man would sit until he was able to determine the best use of the information. Eventually, Duncan would understand that his best option was to align with FOWL and either sell the secret to them or allow them to set up an auction so they both could benefit financially.

Steelbeak was absolutely certain that he would hear back from his friend.

However, as time passed, he became more and more nervous that Duncan had not contacted him again. Had he said something to scare off the mouse? As much as Steelbeak wanted his friend to join FOWL, he had a feeling that it wasn't Duncan's style. He wasn't a team player. It would be like Duncan to do things on his own so he wouldn't have to share the profits. The only reason he and Steelbeak had spent so much time together in their youth was because Duncan saw the benefit of two running a con which led to a much better outcome than a single-man job.

However, this must not have been the case since he was cutting Steelbeak out. Normally that would be okay. After all, they had gone their separate ways, only staying in contact because they both benefitted staying friends. Steelbeak had gotten good information off of Duncan, and the mouse used the rooster as a resource. They scratched each other's backs.

But on the other hand, Steelbeak couldn't let his friend go this one time. If it was anything else besides Darkwing Duck's biggest secret, he would have "forgotten" ever having talked to Duncan.

He may have been one of FOWL's top field agents, but there was always room for promotion in the ranks. And if he could get rid of the organization's most hated enemy, he was looking at a seat in High Command in his near future.

It was obvious since Duncan over saw St. Canard's DCF—among other departments—that he had found the little girl that was always trailing behind Darkwing Duck and his sidekick. The mouse had found out who she was through his office, and if Steelbeak wanted to do the same, he would have to search through thousands of files because more than likely the office wasn't so technologically forward to have everything on the computer. It would take months to find it, not to mention, he doubted he could do so in secret.

He could always try to weasel the information out of Duncan, but if things got…messy, he wasn't certain he could follow through with his threats. Duncan could still be an asset in the future, and Steelbeak wasn't ready to cut ties with his longtime friend.

There were other options including pursuing the confident, European voice he and Pepper had talked to, but Steelbeak had an inkling that the man was either too crazy to bargain with or too high of a player for him to mess with. There was only one door open for Steelbeak that he was willing to open.

It was rumored that Taurus Bulba knew Darkwing's little sidekick was. It was even said that Bulba was the one who introduced the two since nobody could recall if the masked crime-fighter had been seen with her before Bulba stole the Ramrod. It was the entire reason Steelbeak had searched out the bull and used the best of FOWL's scientists and the best experimental medical surgeries to bring him back to life, even giving him metal parts to make him stronger and better, not that the guy was grateful.

It was too bad that Taurus Bulba hadn't worked with Steelbeak. If Bulba cooperated, Darkwing Duck might be now called Deadwing Duck. But the hot-headed Bulba decided that revenge was his alone and went off on his own, not giving a thank you or the identity of the little girl before he left.

But if Taurus Bulba thought he was free of FOWL's influence, then he had another thing coming. Steelbeak had only left him alone because the cyborg parts proved to be malfunctioning, a fact that both irritated the FOWL agent and was glad for. The fact that Bulba would over-heat was the only reason Steelbeak was still alive. But at the same time, Steelbeak was afraid. He wouldn't admit it to anybody. When he wrote his report to FOWL about the outcome of bringing Bulba back to life, he had lied. He may have said something about Bulba escaping or some such nonsense, basically putting the blame elsewhere but on himself. But he made absolutely sure that FOWL would never send him after Bulba.

He also left out in the report the tracking device he had installed in Bulba's hardware which only Steelbeak knew about. He hated to burn down bridges. Even if that bridge was crazier than Quackerjack on drugs.

Perhaps now was the time to use that tracking device.


Charity's leg wouldn't stop jumping as she worked at her desk. Every once in a while she would glance at her purse where the listening device lay nestled in her makeup kit. She longed for the end of the day for when she could spring into action and plant the device like Darkwing Duck had asked her to, but at the same time, she feared going to Duncan's office. She had broken in once without getting caught, and it tempted fate for her to think she could do it again.

She had to try.

At quitting time, she watched all the other social workers go, a few lingering and telling her that she worked too hard. It was then she realized she had stayed late one too many times. As a foster caregiver, she shouldn't get into the habit, especially since the after-school program she enrolled Gosalyn in had chastised her for being later several times already. But this time, she would have to be a tad late.

Once she was certain the building was mostly empty, she made her way to the top floor, armed with an armful of folders with the pretense that if she ran into someone, she could always say she was delivering important papers. And of course, she had the electronic bug pinched delicately between two fingers for easy access, as long as she didn't lose it.

Duncan's floor was completely empty, most of the lights off like before.

Charity sighed, feeling confident that she wouldn't be caught. Like before, she moved to Duncan's office door and used her library card to jimmy it open. Unlike before, it completely ruined Charity's card.

"Your sacrifice will not be forgotten," Charity told her beloved library card, tucking it back into her purse.

She ducked into the office, closing and locking the door softly behind her. Now where to put the listening device? She figured that it would do the most good close to Duncan's phone, so she moved to his chair, sitting down and looking at the items on his desk. She couldn't put it on any item that Duncan would use regularly or anyway the cleaning crew might wipe down. She almost put it in a large plant that was behind Duncan's chair, but she didn't know if the bug was water proof.

Perhaps inside a drawer, Charity considered, opening up Duncan's top drawer where she knew he kept his liquor and cigars from the last time she snooped in his office. The metal sliding hinges screeched open, and Charity cringed at the thought of a sensitive listening device picking up that sound over and over again. Perhaps not.

Right at that moment, Charity froze in horror as the knob on the office door twisted as someone turned a key to unlock it. Later as an afterthought, she berated herself for not hiding, but at the moment, she was slow to act.

Duncan was at first surprised, but an oily, smooth smile spread across his furry face as he took in the intruder. "Well, well, well. Charity, did we have a meeting that I forgot to attend? Or perhaps you wandered inside my locked office by accident?"

Charity wasn't sure if she couldn't talk or chose to remain silent. She had been caught red-handed, and her nerves seemed to have short-circuited.

"Speechless. That's something I never thought I would see from you," Duncan said, moving toward the desk. His eyes moved to the drawer that Charity still held open. "Is there something I can help you with? Something you are looking for?"

Charity closed the drawer slowly, wary of what the mouse was going to do to her. She braced her legs to run. She had never been afraid of Duncan—who was basically her equal in height and weight—but at that moment, she had to wonder if she could defend herself against him, even with her years of karate practice as a child.

"You won't find anything here," Duncan said, leaning against his desk smugly. "Well, at least nothing illegal if your goal is to discredit me or to get me fired."

Charity remembered the files she had looked through on her last visit. Yeah, the information she had found smelled of blackmail, but there was no clear evidence. Not that that was her goal today.

Shaking off whatever froze her tongue, Charity stood up and adjusted her glasses. "Well, I won't insult you by pretending I am here by accident. I'll just be going, Mr. Musman."

"Wait a minute," Duncan snapped, looking angry, perhaps because he had failed in intimidating Charity. "You broke into my office. Do you think you can go just like that?"

Charity may not be an expert at spying and intrigue, but she hadn't read dozens of mystery and detective novels without learning a few tricks. "What are you going to do? There is no evidence that I broke into your office. For all that you know, you could have accidentally left it unlocked, which is an honest mistake. I, on my part, came up here hoping to catch you still at your desk to ask you a few questions. When I found your office open but nobody inside, I decided to leave you a note. However, I don't see any notebook paper or sticky notes on your desk, so I decided to search your desk for something to write on, which is when you walked in on me. I'm sure that the security guards and police would understand that this was all just a misunderstanding, especially since nothing in your office has been broken and nothing stolen."

Duncan raised an eyebrow at Charity's spill, looking entertained.

"However, if you feel the need to report me, I'm sure that the proper authorities wouldn't mind searching your entire office to make sure nothing has gone missing. Not that anything in here looks like its worth much," Charity said, picking up a random curio from the desk: a heavy replica of a famous statue that she blanked on its title or the artist that created it. She kept her voice cool and calm, but her heart was pounding a rock ballad in her chest as she placed the electronic bug on the statue before replacing it.

Duncan shrugged. "I don't think that will be necessary," he said coolly. "You can go, Ms. Loveatte."

Charity walked to the door, suspicious of his candid attitude and the fact that he was letting her off so easily, but she would worry about that once she was far away from her boss. However, she didn't make it fast enough.

The mouse stopped her by holding out his hand, blocking her from exiting. "If I'm correct, you've accumulated a lot of PTO," Duncan said, his voice back to its annoyingly smooth tone. "In fact, you haven't taken a day off ever since your promotion to supervisor. I think it's about time you had a long, extended vacation. Let's say, a month of mandatory leave of absence."

"A month!?" Charity exclaimed, feeling prickles under her skin as she worried about what Duncan could do with DCF with her absent for a month. "Absolutely not. Not with the police looking for dozens of foster kids. I won't take that much time off." Why did she have the feeling that this wasn't a negotiation.

"Or we could bring the police in on this," Duncan said. "I'm sure they would be interested why you were in my office not only today but last week as well."

Charity paled.

"Oh, are you surprised that I have a camera set up in my office?" Duncan asked with a smug smile. "I may not have anything incriminating in here, but you'd be surprised with how many people think I am stupid enough to leave sensitive information just lying around. You're not the first to try to get one over me."

Charity's confidence not only slipped, it fell a few stories and splatted against the proverbial sidewalk. Did that mean he knew about the listening device? No, she didn't say anything or do anything to indicate she had a bug inside Duncan's office. If she pretended that she failed in her mission, Duncan may not find the listening device.

"Two weeks," Charity said through pursed lips. "I can't be away from my desk for more than two weeks." She felt her legs shaking but she kept a stiff upper lip and a straight spine.

"One month," Duncan said sternly. "And you'll be grateful that I'm letting you keep your job."

Yes, Charity was grateful considering she was playing a dangerous game. One that she didn't intend on loosing. She hung her head in defeat. "Fine. But don't blame me when the department falls into chaos without me." She may have to feign defeat, but that didn't mean she had to be pitiful.

"I'm sure Natalie Runner will do a fine job filling in for you while you have some time off," Duncan said. "In the meantime, you might want to spend your time off rethinking your priorities. There are a lot of benefits to playing nice with others."

Charity rushed out of there, not trusting herself to keep it together. Her knees threatened to shake from being so bold in such a troubling situation, but at the same time, she had fought off the desire to punch Duncan in the throat as her karate instructor had showed her.

Once away from Duncan, she stopped by her office for the copies she made of the files of the missing foster kids that she had made for Darkwing Duck. The collection wasn't complete, but she doubted that Duncan would allow her to return just to make copies.

She hoped it would be enough to find those missing kids. She was willing to do this and more if it meant their safety.

(Author's note: In regards to Pepper, she is a character from the 2017 Ducktales show. She is an Eggman that works for FOWL. Even though she was in (I think) only two episodes, I loved her character a lot and decided to put her in my Darkwing Duck fanfic. She very different than DT17 Pepper, and I don't know how much of a part she'll have in my story. I'm basically writing this story chapter by chapter, but its nice to have an Eggman with a name to be able to use for future plots.)