Chapter Four: CONTROL Investigates
Perhaps it has crossed your mind of what became of Seth's sister Laura. It hasn't? Oh well, the information will be told anyway.
After being abandoned in the warehouse, Laura decided to follow the nasty kidnapper and hitch hike. Unfortunately, she met up with a group of shady characters, and her exploits with them will be excluded from the story. The main point is that she somehow ended up in Washington instead of Chicago. This was all right being her Aunt Linda and Uncle Roger lived there, and soon she was reunited with them.
Her aunt and uncle were only brother and sister, and had been living together for several years, he a confirmed old bachelor and she an old maid. Roger was a conservative congressman and though he was not very popular in town, he made a decent salary and voiced his traditional opinions on a daily basis. While her brother was away handling affairs of national importance,
Linda worked at a music store where she sold millions of records.
Laura felt right at home in Washington, but she missed her brother terribly and worried constantly for his welfare. Finally, after relating the horrible kidnapping scene scores of times, Roger and Linda decided to travel to Chicago to rescue poor Seth. But no matter where they searched, they could not find the lad. So they hired a detective from the Chicago S.P.I.E.S. (Service for People with Interesting EventS.), an out-of-town branch of CONTROL. With the help of their secret agent man, Mr. Smith, they were able to locate Seth's whereabouts.
Linda opened the door and admitted Agent Smith into the hotel room. "Miss, I have the location of your nephew and his kidnapper."
Linda leaned against the door. "Thank God!"
"He seems to be in the hands of a most villainous bunch of characters."
Laura bounded in the room in time to here him say that last remark. "I bet they're not as evil or insane as the people I met up with!" she bragged. "Did I tell you about the crackpot who was driving a truck full of eggs and was caught speeding by the police. His excuse for speeding was he had to hurry to the hospital before all the chickens were born. Another guy asked me if I liked the Beatles, and when I told him no, he went up in arms. Why should I like a black insect that has a crunchy exoskeleton and when you stomp on it, its guts spurt everywhere? Some people may like beetles, but not me."
"Laura, please stop your babbling," Linda pleaded. She turned to Agent Smith. "Do you have a picture of the criminals?"
Agent Smith nodded and produced several large photographs from the pocket of his green suit. "My secret cameramen got these snapshots yesterday, and they were just developed a few hours ago."
When Linda saw the pictures, she gave a choked scream, and the photographs fell to the floor. Laura retrieved the pictures to gaze at them eagerly. She was disappointed at the sight she saw. Instead of hardened criminals, she saw three women and one man, none of them the kidnapper, dressed in jeans and tee shirts, two of which were wrestling on the grass outside an elaborate mansion. Their hair was unmanageable masses on their heads, and they both were in contorting positions. The man appeared to be shouting and simpering at the same time, while one woman seemed to be screaming bloody murder as she was attacked by a second woman, a blonde girl with lanky arms and a skinny body who had a twisted expression on her face. Nearby, a brunette woman with long lashes waved frantically for the man to do something.
"These are the menacing criminals?" Laura asked, astonished. "What has become of America?"
"Two of them are trying to harm each other. Isn't that proof enough that they're dangerous?" Agent Smith looked annoyed.
"Where's the blood, the gore, the terrifying malice that is a quintessential bad guy trait?" Laura pulled at her black hair in agony.
"Which one kidnapped you and your brother?"
"None of these!" she exclaimed in despair. "I've never seen any of these people in my life."
Agent Smith looked shocked at this bit of information. "That's impossible! Why-wait a minute. The man in this picture is one of our top agents, Maxwell Smart, and the brunette woman is Agent 99 of CONTROL!" He scratched his head. "Are you SURE your brother was kidnapped? Because if so, Agents 86 and 99 stand to lose their jobs."
"Yes, he was kidnapped but-"
"Well Smart," interrupted Agent Smith, "it looks like it's the end of the line for you." He loaded his revolver and was about to set off after the former CONTROL agent when Uncle Roger entered the room.
"What's going on?" Uncle Roger asked. After being informed about the situation, he shook his head angrily. "It all makes sense now. Agent 86 must have kidnapped Seth so they could get information about my politics. Then they will probably try to impeach me because they don't believe in what I stand for!"
"Um Roger, spies can't impeach people," Linda began hesitantly.
"They can assassinate people!" he retorted.
"Why would anyone go to all that bother just for you?" Laura asked politely.
Roger glared at his niece and muttered sarcastically, "Thanks a lot."
"No problem, Uncle Roger!"
Under his breath he added, "Now I know why the kidnapper left Laura at the warehouse."
Mr. Smith looked grimly at the "sorry lot" as he called them and asked, "So am I to make an arrest?" His red hair seemed to bristle impatiently at them all.
"No!" Laura and Linda cried in unison. "Yes!" bellowed Uncle Roger.
"Which answer is it?" Agent Smith removed his sharp sunglasses and stared expectantly at them.
"Mine!" They all replied.
"I take it you're going to let these villains go free." Agent Smith picked up his photographs.
"Not totally, because we're going to rescue Seth from the-" Aunt Linda sighed before continuing, "secret agents."
"Yeah," Laura agreed, "It's not fair that he should be living in constant danger and excitement and not me- I mean- us."
"We'll rescue him at night to avoid publicity." Agent Smith turned to the door. "Do you wish to be present during this event?"
Aunt Linda, Uncle Roger, and Laura all looked at each other and said simultaneously, "Yes."
*************************
"It's the night of the 20th," Agent Smith stated quietly into his tape player as he headed toward High Society Boulevard.
"Wait for me!" called Laura, scampering at a break neck speed to the secluded neighborhood where her brother lived. In fact, she was going so quickly, she passed Agent Smith.
"Sh!" responded Mr. Smith, still speaking into the tape player. "If anyone catches us, it will be your head. This is a restricted area."
"What does that mean?" Laura practically yelled.
"Quiet!" Mr. Smith commanded the rambunctious teen.
"What does that mean?" whispered Laura in a barely audible voice.
Mr. Smith smiled an evil smile. "It means that there are security guards everywhere making sure no one gets in the neighborhood except people who live there."
Aunt Linda spoke for the first time. "You mean we're breaking the law?"
Mr. Smith nodded, and Laura exclaimed, "Totally gear and fab and all those other pimply hyperboles!" Mr. Smith motioned for her to be quiet again.
"Obey Mr. Smith's gesture, Laura," ordered Aunt Linda. "If we ever want to see the-" she paused and sighed again, "secret agents, we have to be extra careful, especially if we're breaking the law." She glared at Mr. Smith at this last part.
"Ok. Ok. I get your point," Laura retorted. "I'm just a little excited."
"A little?!" Aunt Linda shook her head in disbelief.
"Won't Seth get angry if we intrude on the secret agents and whisk him away with us?" Uncle Roger stared expectantly at Mr. Smith.
"He should be pleased to meet his uncle and aunt and cause no problems whatsoever." Mr. Smith seemed overconfident.
"You obviously don't know my brother." Laura made a strange face. "I know he'll cause all sorts of trouble for us."
Agent Smith came to a halt in front of one of the mansions and turned to Laura. "If you don't want to die, then you'd better not spy."
"DIE!" repeated Aunt Linda, horrified.
"It's just our motto, ma'am." Agent Smith reassured her. Then he whipped out a gun. Everyone gasped in alarm, and Mr. Smith explained to the frightened group, "We're here."
Meanwhile inside the house, Chrissy was just settling down to her romance novel. "Where was I?" she asked herself giddily. She was in a splendid mood, for earlier that evening Seth had taken her to the drive-in-theater. She recalled how exhilarating it was to sit with Seth Loin's arm around her while he tried to grab the popcorn, the electric thrill when Max, who was seated in the back with 99, shouted, "Hey, sweetheart, move your darling head a little. I can't see the screen." Oh, yes, tonight had definitely been a night worth remembering.
"Now, I think I was on the part where he said, 'Darling I love y-' What was that noise?" Chrissy had heard the intruders outside. Her heart pounding, she crept to her window and saw two men and women peering into Max's house! "Assassins! I've got to tell somebody, and fast!"
To Be Continued!
Perhaps it has crossed your mind of what became of Seth's sister Laura. It hasn't? Oh well, the information will be told anyway.
After being abandoned in the warehouse, Laura decided to follow the nasty kidnapper and hitch hike. Unfortunately, she met up with a group of shady characters, and her exploits with them will be excluded from the story. The main point is that she somehow ended up in Washington instead of Chicago. This was all right being her Aunt Linda and Uncle Roger lived there, and soon she was reunited with them.
Her aunt and uncle were only brother and sister, and had been living together for several years, he a confirmed old bachelor and she an old maid. Roger was a conservative congressman and though he was not very popular in town, he made a decent salary and voiced his traditional opinions on a daily basis. While her brother was away handling affairs of national importance,
Linda worked at a music store where she sold millions of records.
Laura felt right at home in Washington, but she missed her brother terribly and worried constantly for his welfare. Finally, after relating the horrible kidnapping scene scores of times, Roger and Linda decided to travel to Chicago to rescue poor Seth. But no matter where they searched, they could not find the lad. So they hired a detective from the Chicago S.P.I.E.S. (Service for People with Interesting EventS.), an out-of-town branch of CONTROL. With the help of their secret agent man, Mr. Smith, they were able to locate Seth's whereabouts.
Linda opened the door and admitted Agent Smith into the hotel room. "Miss, I have the location of your nephew and his kidnapper."
Linda leaned against the door. "Thank God!"
"He seems to be in the hands of a most villainous bunch of characters."
Laura bounded in the room in time to here him say that last remark. "I bet they're not as evil or insane as the people I met up with!" she bragged. "Did I tell you about the crackpot who was driving a truck full of eggs and was caught speeding by the police. His excuse for speeding was he had to hurry to the hospital before all the chickens were born. Another guy asked me if I liked the Beatles, and when I told him no, he went up in arms. Why should I like a black insect that has a crunchy exoskeleton and when you stomp on it, its guts spurt everywhere? Some people may like beetles, but not me."
"Laura, please stop your babbling," Linda pleaded. She turned to Agent Smith. "Do you have a picture of the criminals?"
Agent Smith nodded and produced several large photographs from the pocket of his green suit. "My secret cameramen got these snapshots yesterday, and they were just developed a few hours ago."
When Linda saw the pictures, she gave a choked scream, and the photographs fell to the floor. Laura retrieved the pictures to gaze at them eagerly. She was disappointed at the sight she saw. Instead of hardened criminals, she saw three women and one man, none of them the kidnapper, dressed in jeans and tee shirts, two of which were wrestling on the grass outside an elaborate mansion. Their hair was unmanageable masses on their heads, and they both were in contorting positions. The man appeared to be shouting and simpering at the same time, while one woman seemed to be screaming bloody murder as she was attacked by a second woman, a blonde girl with lanky arms and a skinny body who had a twisted expression on her face. Nearby, a brunette woman with long lashes waved frantically for the man to do something.
"These are the menacing criminals?" Laura asked, astonished. "What has become of America?"
"Two of them are trying to harm each other. Isn't that proof enough that they're dangerous?" Agent Smith looked annoyed.
"Where's the blood, the gore, the terrifying malice that is a quintessential bad guy trait?" Laura pulled at her black hair in agony.
"Which one kidnapped you and your brother?"
"None of these!" she exclaimed in despair. "I've never seen any of these people in my life."
Agent Smith looked shocked at this bit of information. "That's impossible! Why-wait a minute. The man in this picture is one of our top agents, Maxwell Smart, and the brunette woman is Agent 99 of CONTROL!" He scratched his head. "Are you SURE your brother was kidnapped? Because if so, Agents 86 and 99 stand to lose their jobs."
"Yes, he was kidnapped but-"
"Well Smart," interrupted Agent Smith, "it looks like it's the end of the line for you." He loaded his revolver and was about to set off after the former CONTROL agent when Uncle Roger entered the room.
"What's going on?" Uncle Roger asked. After being informed about the situation, he shook his head angrily. "It all makes sense now. Agent 86 must have kidnapped Seth so they could get information about my politics. Then they will probably try to impeach me because they don't believe in what I stand for!"
"Um Roger, spies can't impeach people," Linda began hesitantly.
"They can assassinate people!" he retorted.
"Why would anyone go to all that bother just for you?" Laura asked politely.
Roger glared at his niece and muttered sarcastically, "Thanks a lot."
"No problem, Uncle Roger!"
Under his breath he added, "Now I know why the kidnapper left Laura at the warehouse."
Mr. Smith looked grimly at the "sorry lot" as he called them and asked, "So am I to make an arrest?" His red hair seemed to bristle impatiently at them all.
"No!" Laura and Linda cried in unison. "Yes!" bellowed Uncle Roger.
"Which answer is it?" Agent Smith removed his sharp sunglasses and stared expectantly at them.
"Mine!" They all replied.
"I take it you're going to let these villains go free." Agent Smith picked up his photographs.
"Not totally, because we're going to rescue Seth from the-" Aunt Linda sighed before continuing, "secret agents."
"Yeah," Laura agreed, "It's not fair that he should be living in constant danger and excitement and not me- I mean- us."
"We'll rescue him at night to avoid publicity." Agent Smith turned to the door. "Do you wish to be present during this event?"
Aunt Linda, Uncle Roger, and Laura all looked at each other and said simultaneously, "Yes."
*************************
"It's the night of the 20th," Agent Smith stated quietly into his tape player as he headed toward High Society Boulevard.
"Wait for me!" called Laura, scampering at a break neck speed to the secluded neighborhood where her brother lived. In fact, she was going so quickly, she passed Agent Smith.
"Sh!" responded Mr. Smith, still speaking into the tape player. "If anyone catches us, it will be your head. This is a restricted area."
"What does that mean?" Laura practically yelled.
"Quiet!" Mr. Smith commanded the rambunctious teen.
"What does that mean?" whispered Laura in a barely audible voice.
Mr. Smith smiled an evil smile. "It means that there are security guards everywhere making sure no one gets in the neighborhood except people who live there."
Aunt Linda spoke for the first time. "You mean we're breaking the law?"
Mr. Smith nodded, and Laura exclaimed, "Totally gear and fab and all those other pimply hyperboles!" Mr. Smith motioned for her to be quiet again.
"Obey Mr. Smith's gesture, Laura," ordered Aunt Linda. "If we ever want to see the-" she paused and sighed again, "secret agents, we have to be extra careful, especially if we're breaking the law." She glared at Mr. Smith at this last part.
"Ok. Ok. I get your point," Laura retorted. "I'm just a little excited."
"A little?!" Aunt Linda shook her head in disbelief.
"Won't Seth get angry if we intrude on the secret agents and whisk him away with us?" Uncle Roger stared expectantly at Mr. Smith.
"He should be pleased to meet his uncle and aunt and cause no problems whatsoever." Mr. Smith seemed overconfident.
"You obviously don't know my brother." Laura made a strange face. "I know he'll cause all sorts of trouble for us."
Agent Smith came to a halt in front of one of the mansions and turned to Laura. "If you don't want to die, then you'd better not spy."
"DIE!" repeated Aunt Linda, horrified.
"It's just our motto, ma'am." Agent Smith reassured her. Then he whipped out a gun. Everyone gasped in alarm, and Mr. Smith explained to the frightened group, "We're here."
Meanwhile inside the house, Chrissy was just settling down to her romance novel. "Where was I?" she asked herself giddily. She was in a splendid mood, for earlier that evening Seth had taken her to the drive-in-theater. She recalled how exhilarating it was to sit with Seth Loin's arm around her while he tried to grab the popcorn, the electric thrill when Max, who was seated in the back with 99, shouted, "Hey, sweetheart, move your darling head a little. I can't see the screen." Oh, yes, tonight had definitely been a night worth remembering.
"Now, I think I was on the part where he said, 'Darling I love y-' What was that noise?" Chrissy had heard the intruders outside. Her heart pounding, she crept to her window and saw two men and women peering into Max's house! "Assassins! I've got to tell somebody, and fast!"
To Be Continued!