When Holly got to Commander Root's office, Root wasn't in there. Instead, sitting behind the desk was-
"Trouble? What are you doing here?" Holly realized she would not be receiving a reprimand and she leaned casually against the door.
"Hi, Holly. Didn't you hear?"
"Hear what?"
"Root didn't come in today."
"Root didn't come in? He hasn't missed a day of work in decades, well except for the Artic thing last year."
"I know. They say, other than that, last time he missed work was his mother's funeral and I think that was ninety years ago."
"So what are you doing behind his desk?"
"You're even further behind than I thought. The Council was talking about moving either you or me up to Lieutenant Colonel. I got here first today so for the time being they stuck me behind the desk to fill in for Root."
Trouble Kelp, famous for choosing the name "Trouble" at his manhood ceremony was probably LEP's most gung-ho officer. The thought him behind a desk was laughable.
Trouble must have been able to read the expression on her face. "I know. But trust me, as soon as Root gets here I'm sure I'm back out to Retrieval One."
Holly became serious. "So how long were you planning on not telling me about that goblin who shot me?"
Trouble's cast his eyes to the desk. "Look, Holly, I wanted to tell you but you know the Council and you know Root. They know you would have started up a big commotion about everything. They didn't think there was any risk."
"That's it, Trouble. They didn't think. What about the Ambassador? How is he taking all this? After all, his son was just kidnapped last night."
"Not well. In fact he just went to go get something to drink. He'll be back any minute so I suggest you go join your Recon buddies and find out where you're supposed to be and what you're supposed to be doing."
As Holly left she knew something was wrong. Root wouldn't have left without something being completely wrong. And she didn't trust the goblin. She looked in disgust at the Recon boys drinking large mugs of coffee and laughing. She ignored them and went back to the Ops Room. Foaly had some questions to answer.
Holly hit the buzzer, "Foaly! Let me in, now!"
"Just a minute, Cap'."
"NOW, Foaly."
There was something in the tone of Holly's voice that made Foaly press the button to open the door without any of his usual sarcastic remarks. "What is it? I was just working on something important."
"It's Commander Root. He's gone."
"What do you mean 'gone'?"
"He isn't here. He never showed up here at the Police Plaza today and he didn't call in sick. Nobody knows where he is. I've got a bad feeling about this."
"I've got a bad feeling about something else."

"What is it?"
Foaly pointed to one of the screens. "Check out this monitor. Look, watch it again: our goblin friend ditched the iris-cam." Sure enough the video feed showed the goblin walking away with Peteris, Cronus, and Aquarius.
"But where are they?" murmured Holly. "Rewind the video feed and pause it.there!" Holly's well-trained eye scanned the image. "Look," she pointed out a small rectangular piece of paper. "Zoom in on that." As the image expanded Holly's breath caught. It looked like- "Foaly, that's an approved Visa. They're at the surface. The date says it's current."
Foaly snorted. "Surface? That dwarf's got a burn time of less than three minutes. It's hardly nine yet. The sun will be out and he'll be in blisters. The others won't be too well either." Even back when they had all lived above ground fairies had been primarily nocturnal creatures. Sun bleached out a lot of their magic.
"Just shut your yap a minute, Foaly. I'm trying to figure out how soon I can get to the surface," snapped Holly.
"There's a flare coming in at E1 in an hour and a half. We've got to get you there."
Holly grabbed a large assortment of weapons and a moon belt (to reduce the weight of all the heavy equipment). Foaly didn't even fuss too much when he saw Holly take a set of Koboi Hummingbirds.
He folded his arms and looked a moment at Holly as she put her helmet on. "You know it's against regulations for an officer to go up there without orders."
"Since when do I bother about regulations? For the matter, since when do you bother?"
"Never, but you're supposed to hear it anyway and since Root isn't here to remind you.Look, Holly, keep the video feed coming on the helmet cam and I want you to wear an iris-cam in case of any problems with the helmet." The barest hint of worry crept into his usually sarcastic voice. He usually wouldn't even consider the slightest possibility that something might just go wrong with his helmet. Foaly made his way to a store of what looked pretty similar to human contact lenses inside glass vials. "Hazel, right?"
After inserting the tiny camera in her eye (after taking off and replacing the helmet) Holly stood before the door and turned back, "Don't tell Trouble or any of them where I'm going. I want it to be too late to stop me."
"Alright. Be careful out there. I'll get you access to the chute. We've tightened security there."
Holly tried to go through the door and found someone blocking her way.
"What are you doing here, Captain?" Trouble frowned at the arsenal she was carrying.
"I was just-"
"I know you were 'just' but where are you going? Recon is supposed to be at the other end of the Police Plaza waiting for further instructions. We can't make a move until we know where they've got Aquarius."
"Trouble, I know where they've got him."
"What? Then why didn't you say something? I've got five people in the office making a fuss and plenty more than aren't too happy. I wish you'd mention this sooner! Why didn't you?"
"Because she doesn't know exactly where they are," Foaly said.
"Oh."
Holly glared at Foaly and said, turning back to Trouble, "Look, they're above ground, or they're going there. I know that much. I think they've got the Commander, too. I'm going up there. Maybe they've got some link above ground."
"You think its Artemis Fowl?"
"No. I don't think it's him. Not this time anyway."
Trouble sighed, "Holly, you know I can't let you go up there, especially without backup."
"Then, I guess you don't know I'm gone. I'm going."
"So am I," Trouble told her. There was a spark in his eye. Holly knew that like herself, Trouble preferred fieldwork to desk jobs and dealing with civilians.
"Sorry, Commander, but I think you've got to stay here. Somebody's got to keep an eye on this place. The Council already stuck you with it."
"Fine, but as soon as Root gets back, I'm out of here. Are you at least going to take backup with you?"
"No." She put another hydrosion shell in her pocket. "I'm going alone."
"In that case, I officially know nothing at all about your departure. I only discover your absence sometime hours from now when somebody else asks where you are."
Holly couldn't help but grin. "Thanks. Bye, Trouble, I mean Commander Kelp. Foaly, I'll be in touch."
"You better be. Come on I'll take you to the chute. Trouble, if you don't get back there soon someone might show up looking for you and ruin the whole thing. Get a move on." Captain Kelp left in a resigned manner as Holly and Foaly made there way to the chutes. Foaly gave Holly last minute advice and a blackout suit, "You Recon jocks never remember these."