The Case of the Abducted Aliens : Chapter 3
"WHAT!!"
Everyone stared at Chiana in horror; Aeryn grabbed her by the throat,
"This had better not be one of your-"
"Aeryn" John put his arm on her shoulder and reluctantly she released the young Nebari, who fell ungraciously to the floor.
John looked sternly at the girl,
"Where did he go?"
"How should I know? His throne sled is still where he left it, and the box of foodcubes is untouched! Come on, you know Rygel, he's too lazy to walk anywhere and besides, he of all us would know not to go out. Someone's taken him'"
"Someone knows about us,' Aeryn stated with a sober face.
Shirley rummaged in her rucksack for her dusting kit; Bo sat murmuring,
"Who would want to kidnap an alien? How did they get in? Just how?"
Shirley glanced up,
"Think about that logically Bo, sure we don't know who did it but they got in somehow. Think about it like this, if they had got in the back door, Watson would have barked like crazy ' right?"
"Yeah" Bo mumbled.
"If they had got in through the front door then they would have woken up Aeryn and John".
Bo nodded, beginning to catch on,
"That's all the doors, the windows, well they wouldn't risk using a ladder and plus I've looked for the imprints so they would have to have climbed up the roofing. There's no roofing under Grans' window, there's none under Dad's window, and anyhow they would have woken them up. My room does have roofing under it but what people don't realise is that I have installed an alarm that I set each night ' so they couldn't have got into my room without us knowing. The study window is locked from the inside so they couldn't have gotten in that one and the staircase window' well, the space to jump from that is too great to make without noise. That then leaves'"
It clicked in Bo's mind and he glanced at Shirley,
"Rygel's room!"
Shirley smiled and nodded, pulled on her latex gloves and plasticated her feet. Bo frowned slightly ' what was it? There's something missing here? But what? But of course Chiana!"
"Shirley, if the intruder got in by this window, then why didn't they wake Chiana up".
Shirley pointed to the bed, Bo turned and straightened the covers and a small black box slivered out, it was Shirley's Walkman. The little thief!
Downstairs, the mood was not as light hearted; John paced the room nervously,
"How did they find us? Why did they take just Rygel? What are we going to do? Someone's found us, we're done for!"
Aeryn grabbed him and threw on a chair,
"Stop it! You're making me dizzy pacing around and stop speaking so fast. We also have to worry about D'Argo".
"But how did they know we were here?" John thumped the table cantankerously.
"I don't know!" Aeryn answered irritation colouring her voice.
"Look, John, we have to get Rygel back, none of us are safe, we've got to get out of here".
"What about D'Argo?" Aeryn barked.
"Right, here's the plan, we go get the herb that Zhaan need's today ' right? Then Chiana can take the pod back to Moya while we save Sparky. Chiana can come pick us up and boom! We're outta here".
Covered in white powder Bo sighed, this was not his idea of fun; dipping the brush back into the palette, he dusted the arm of the alien throne. Why did he always have to do the tedious job? Shirley just dusted the window then went off to her computer leaving me to dust everything else. I'm just the sla-.
Something attracted his attention, pushing the throne away so he could get a closer look. Not doing, he got up and grabbed Shirley's bag and plonking it on the floor beside him. Taking out her magnifying glass he bent down closer,
"Well, well, what do we have here?"
Bo smiled to himself, seems like our little friend has a little fire in him after all.
Sitting up he took out a plastic evidence bag and carefully, using tweezers, placed the matter inside.
"Shirley" Bo said loudly walking into the room, causing her to jump, "Better take a look at this".
Shirley turned curiously to her partner, reading the excitement in his eyes,
"What is it?"
Bo handed her the bag and the magnifying glass, holding both up to the light she examined them carefully, and then smiled,
"Well done, Bo. You're really getting the hang of this sleuthing".
Bo smiled at her non-to often-said compliment.
Rolling her chair over to the work desk, she carefully laid the evidence on some slides then put them under the microscope.
Having not found any fingerprints round the window, which had been slightly ajar meaning that although the intruder had gotten through the window they had in fact been heavily protected with gloves and over garments. Which was rather a nuisance and had not given Shirley the all-important proper start, but Bo's find brought back the enthusiasm.
"Well, I can determine that this is part wool and skin. My guess is that Rygel bit into the intruders hand and took a chunk out ' well done".
Bo shrugged off the praise,
"Have you any idea of who the napper was from the sample" he bent closer peering through the eyepiece.
"No, unfortunately the piece of skin is not substantial enough to read imprints but we do know that whoever has Rygel also have a sore hand".
"Well what do we do next?"
"You're going to talk to John, find out as much info as possible about people he used to work with in the IASA and what their view on extraterrestrial life forms is".
"And you" Bo pressed, slightly peeved at having more slavery to perform.
"Me, I'm going to pay someone a visit".
Bo sauntered slowly into the Holmes' kitchen trying to look nonchalant, even so Aeryn glared at him suspiciously. Bo had the feeling that if she had her gun it wouldn't be sitting in her holster for very long.
John looked up and smiled wanly,
"Bo, my man, just the person I need, Peggy left me list of places where I could get the herb Zhaan needs, the problem is, is that I don't know my way around Redington very well".
"So you want me to show you around?"
John just grinned.
Shirley sat beside Bart at his computer, having had to get up early from Shirley's for a meeting, he was tired but concerned about the situation.
"To be honest Shirley I don't think this is the work of any big organisation, there's not a Nasa or any other form base near here. It would take at least ten hours to reach here from the nearest one, there's simply no time. And anyway, why would they only abduct Rygel?"
Shirley sighed,
"You're right, but then, who? I mean, how did they know that these people were here? But more importantly, what would they gain from stealing an alien?"
Bart leaned back and stretched the kinks out his arms,
"Well, there's publicity' but I don't think so somehow".
Shirley sat up and gave him a curious look,
"What do you mean?"
Bart just shrugged,
"Nobody will probably believe them without solid proof and if they had proof the government would never allow it to be published. They'd put a lid on the case quicker than you could scream 'alien!'"
The wheels turned in Shirley's head,
"What would the government do to put a lid on it?"
"Probably pay them to keep quiet and give up the evidence".
"Would they go as far as to kill?"
"I wouldn't think so, one, there would probably be a scandal over the investigation of death and two, someone who has the brains to go this far would be smart enough to hide the alien in a place no one would know. The government wouldn't take the risk of someone else finding it".
"Right". Shirley stood up, grabbed her bag and gestured for Bart to follow her.
Groaning and rubbing his poor tired eyes, he stiffly stood and grabbed his jacket.
Meanwhile, in a downtown back street, a hooded figure watched three nervous looking people walk toward an old witchcraft shop.
Watching as the two males reluctantly went into the shop leaving the female outside, they smiled evilly; this was easier than hoped!
In the shop, John and Bo looked around unsurely, the place smelt of incense and musty books.
"Yes can I help you, gentlemen?" A gruff voice asked from behind a bookshelf.
Startled John stepped back,
"Uh yeah, I'm looking for a herb'"
As John made the transaction Bo looked around the overly cluttered shop. Dried herbs hung from the wall brackets, books, and ornaments, maps and odd symbolic artefacts messed shelves, desks and the floor. Where there were no hanging objects, posters with weird writing and godlike faces splashed over the dirty blue walls.
Bo shivered, the place gave him the creeps as the air was thick with unknown enchantment and something Bo couldn't put his finger on.
I hope John hurries up!
Quickly paying the rather haggard old lady, John swept up his package and ushered Bo out the shop.
"As soon as we get this back to Chiana'" John paused and stared in horror at' nothing.
"Aeryn?"
Spinning around he searched around for his partner, but there was nothing, just houses and trees. Bo scanned the ground and noticed something,
"Uh John?" John spun back around, "Either someone's spilled ink or that's blood".
John looked down at the ground, a small stain of blood marked the spot where Aeryn had stood but not a foot from it lay' John bent down and picked it up. Trying to see what he had, Bo searched the older man's face and was shocked to see fear and loss in his eyes.
Opening his palm up slowly, the hair fastener glinted in the sunlight, Bo looked down the street, while John slipped the clasp in his pocket.
First Rygel, now Chiana, who would be next?
Simultaneously both stared at each other,
"Chiana!"
Before they set off at a sprint.
"China! Chiana! Where are you?"
Bo and John rushed breathlessly into the Holmes living room, everyone looked up sharply.
Both guys searched the room and instantly sighed in relief at the sight of the frisky Nebari teenager perched on the sofa.
"Bo?"
Bo turned to face a curious Shirley,
"She's gone".
Shirley's faced drained,
"Aeryn?"
He nodded.
This meant war.
It was five o'clock; John had accompanied Chiana to the pod to see her off safely leaving Shirley and Bo to think.
"Why would someone steal an alien?" Bo asked, shoving the book he was reading down in irritation.
Looking up Shirley sighed,
"I don't think it's the question of why, it's a question of who". Tapping a newspaper on her palm, she walked across the room to stare out the window.
"This person has to be smart, they knew exactly how to kidnap Aeryn and Rygel ' who wouldn't have gone without a fight. They must have a contact with either the government or NASA or some other official assembly, to deal with them. This is someone who was able to snoop around and manage to find out that John was landing - meaning that either they too intercepted the transmission or they were in the building with us' In that case, the question is why were they in the building in the first place? But the most important of all is, this person knew my house, they knew exactly the layout. They KNEW that they couldn't go in through Gran's or Dad's window, through the doors, in the stair window or through mine' Who in Redington would know this?"
"Me?" Bo smirked.
Shirley smiled,
"No, for many reasons, first you would have woken me up and secondly you were with John during Aeryn's abduction. No, this person wasn't just doing this for money they were doing it for ultimate power ' who do we know that is power crazy?"
Bo looked over at Shirley and smiled,
"There's only one person I know and their name begins and ends with Y".
"Exactly".
"WHAT!!"
Everyone stared at Chiana in horror; Aeryn grabbed her by the throat,
"This had better not be one of your-"
"Aeryn" John put his arm on her shoulder and reluctantly she released the young Nebari, who fell ungraciously to the floor.
John looked sternly at the girl,
"Where did he go?"
"How should I know? His throne sled is still where he left it, and the box of foodcubes is untouched! Come on, you know Rygel, he's too lazy to walk anywhere and besides, he of all us would know not to go out. Someone's taken him'"
"Someone knows about us,' Aeryn stated with a sober face.
Shirley rummaged in her rucksack for her dusting kit; Bo sat murmuring,
"Who would want to kidnap an alien? How did they get in? Just how?"
Shirley glanced up,
"Think about that logically Bo, sure we don't know who did it but they got in somehow. Think about it like this, if they had got in the back door, Watson would have barked like crazy ' right?"
"Yeah" Bo mumbled.
"If they had got in through the front door then they would have woken up Aeryn and John".
Bo nodded, beginning to catch on,
"That's all the doors, the windows, well they wouldn't risk using a ladder and plus I've looked for the imprints so they would have to have climbed up the roofing. There's no roofing under Grans' window, there's none under Dad's window, and anyhow they would have woken them up. My room does have roofing under it but what people don't realise is that I have installed an alarm that I set each night ' so they couldn't have got into my room without us knowing. The study window is locked from the inside so they couldn't have gotten in that one and the staircase window' well, the space to jump from that is too great to make without noise. That then leaves'"
It clicked in Bo's mind and he glanced at Shirley,
"Rygel's room!"
Shirley smiled and nodded, pulled on her latex gloves and plasticated her feet. Bo frowned slightly ' what was it? There's something missing here? But what? But of course Chiana!"
"Shirley, if the intruder got in by this window, then why didn't they wake Chiana up".
Shirley pointed to the bed, Bo turned and straightened the covers and a small black box slivered out, it was Shirley's Walkman. The little thief!
Downstairs, the mood was not as light hearted; John paced the room nervously,
"How did they find us? Why did they take just Rygel? What are we going to do? Someone's found us, we're done for!"
Aeryn grabbed him and threw on a chair,
"Stop it! You're making me dizzy pacing around and stop speaking so fast. We also have to worry about D'Argo".
"But how did they know we were here?" John thumped the table cantankerously.
"I don't know!" Aeryn answered irritation colouring her voice.
"Look, John, we have to get Rygel back, none of us are safe, we've got to get out of here".
"What about D'Argo?" Aeryn barked.
"Right, here's the plan, we go get the herb that Zhaan need's today ' right? Then Chiana can take the pod back to Moya while we save Sparky. Chiana can come pick us up and boom! We're outta here".
Covered in white powder Bo sighed, this was not his idea of fun; dipping the brush back into the palette, he dusted the arm of the alien throne. Why did he always have to do the tedious job? Shirley just dusted the window then went off to her computer leaving me to dust everything else. I'm just the sla-.
Something attracted his attention, pushing the throne away so he could get a closer look. Not doing, he got up and grabbed Shirley's bag and plonking it on the floor beside him. Taking out her magnifying glass he bent down closer,
"Well, well, what do we have here?"
Bo smiled to himself, seems like our little friend has a little fire in him after all.
Sitting up he took out a plastic evidence bag and carefully, using tweezers, placed the matter inside.
"Shirley" Bo said loudly walking into the room, causing her to jump, "Better take a look at this".
Shirley turned curiously to her partner, reading the excitement in his eyes,
"What is it?"
Bo handed her the bag and the magnifying glass, holding both up to the light she examined them carefully, and then smiled,
"Well done, Bo. You're really getting the hang of this sleuthing".
Bo smiled at her non-to often-said compliment.
Rolling her chair over to the work desk, she carefully laid the evidence on some slides then put them under the microscope.
Having not found any fingerprints round the window, which had been slightly ajar meaning that although the intruder had gotten through the window they had in fact been heavily protected with gloves and over garments. Which was rather a nuisance and had not given Shirley the all-important proper start, but Bo's find brought back the enthusiasm.
"Well, I can determine that this is part wool and skin. My guess is that Rygel bit into the intruders hand and took a chunk out ' well done".
Bo shrugged off the praise,
"Have you any idea of who the napper was from the sample" he bent closer peering through the eyepiece.
"No, unfortunately the piece of skin is not substantial enough to read imprints but we do know that whoever has Rygel also have a sore hand".
"Well what do we do next?"
"You're going to talk to John, find out as much info as possible about people he used to work with in the IASA and what their view on extraterrestrial life forms is".
"And you" Bo pressed, slightly peeved at having more slavery to perform.
"Me, I'm going to pay someone a visit".
Bo sauntered slowly into the Holmes' kitchen trying to look nonchalant, even so Aeryn glared at him suspiciously. Bo had the feeling that if she had her gun it wouldn't be sitting in her holster for very long.
John looked up and smiled wanly,
"Bo, my man, just the person I need, Peggy left me list of places where I could get the herb Zhaan needs, the problem is, is that I don't know my way around Redington very well".
"So you want me to show you around?"
John just grinned.
Shirley sat beside Bart at his computer, having had to get up early from Shirley's for a meeting, he was tired but concerned about the situation.
"To be honest Shirley I don't think this is the work of any big organisation, there's not a Nasa or any other form base near here. It would take at least ten hours to reach here from the nearest one, there's simply no time. And anyway, why would they only abduct Rygel?"
Shirley sighed,
"You're right, but then, who? I mean, how did they know that these people were here? But more importantly, what would they gain from stealing an alien?"
Bart leaned back and stretched the kinks out his arms,
"Well, there's publicity' but I don't think so somehow".
Shirley sat up and gave him a curious look,
"What do you mean?"
Bart just shrugged,
"Nobody will probably believe them without solid proof and if they had proof the government would never allow it to be published. They'd put a lid on the case quicker than you could scream 'alien!'"
The wheels turned in Shirley's head,
"What would the government do to put a lid on it?"
"Probably pay them to keep quiet and give up the evidence".
"Would they go as far as to kill?"
"I wouldn't think so, one, there would probably be a scandal over the investigation of death and two, someone who has the brains to go this far would be smart enough to hide the alien in a place no one would know. The government wouldn't take the risk of someone else finding it".
"Right". Shirley stood up, grabbed her bag and gestured for Bart to follow her.
Groaning and rubbing his poor tired eyes, he stiffly stood and grabbed his jacket.
Meanwhile, in a downtown back street, a hooded figure watched three nervous looking people walk toward an old witchcraft shop.
Watching as the two males reluctantly went into the shop leaving the female outside, they smiled evilly; this was easier than hoped!
In the shop, John and Bo looked around unsurely, the place smelt of incense and musty books.
"Yes can I help you, gentlemen?" A gruff voice asked from behind a bookshelf.
Startled John stepped back,
"Uh yeah, I'm looking for a herb'"
As John made the transaction Bo looked around the overly cluttered shop. Dried herbs hung from the wall brackets, books, and ornaments, maps and odd symbolic artefacts messed shelves, desks and the floor. Where there were no hanging objects, posters with weird writing and godlike faces splashed over the dirty blue walls.
Bo shivered, the place gave him the creeps as the air was thick with unknown enchantment and something Bo couldn't put his finger on.
I hope John hurries up!
Quickly paying the rather haggard old lady, John swept up his package and ushered Bo out the shop.
"As soon as we get this back to Chiana'" John paused and stared in horror at' nothing.
"Aeryn?"
Spinning around he searched around for his partner, but there was nothing, just houses and trees. Bo scanned the ground and noticed something,
"Uh John?" John spun back around, "Either someone's spilled ink or that's blood".
John looked down at the ground, a small stain of blood marked the spot where Aeryn had stood but not a foot from it lay' John bent down and picked it up. Trying to see what he had, Bo searched the older man's face and was shocked to see fear and loss in his eyes.
Opening his palm up slowly, the hair fastener glinted in the sunlight, Bo looked down the street, while John slipped the clasp in his pocket.
First Rygel, now Chiana, who would be next?
Simultaneously both stared at each other,
"Chiana!"
Before they set off at a sprint.
"China! Chiana! Where are you?"
Bo and John rushed breathlessly into the Holmes living room, everyone looked up sharply.
Both guys searched the room and instantly sighed in relief at the sight of the frisky Nebari teenager perched on the sofa.
"Bo?"
Bo turned to face a curious Shirley,
"She's gone".
Shirley's faced drained,
"Aeryn?"
He nodded.
This meant war.
It was five o'clock; John had accompanied Chiana to the pod to see her off safely leaving Shirley and Bo to think.
"Why would someone steal an alien?" Bo asked, shoving the book he was reading down in irritation.
Looking up Shirley sighed,
"I don't think it's the question of why, it's a question of who". Tapping a newspaper on her palm, she walked across the room to stare out the window.
"This person has to be smart, they knew exactly how to kidnap Aeryn and Rygel ' who wouldn't have gone without a fight. They must have a contact with either the government or NASA or some other official assembly, to deal with them. This is someone who was able to snoop around and manage to find out that John was landing - meaning that either they too intercepted the transmission or they were in the building with us' In that case, the question is why were they in the building in the first place? But the most important of all is, this person knew my house, they knew exactly the layout. They KNEW that they couldn't go in through Gran's or Dad's window, through the doors, in the stair window or through mine' Who in Redington would know this?"
"Me?" Bo smirked.
Shirley smiled,
"No, for many reasons, first you would have woken me up and secondly you were with John during Aeryn's abduction. No, this person wasn't just doing this for money they were doing it for ultimate power ' who do we know that is power crazy?"
Bo looked over at Shirley and smiled,
"There's only one person I know and their name begins and ends with Y".
"Exactly".