AN: It's a good thing I reminded her, or she wouldn't have put up the new chapter!
ASN: *glares at evil sister* Some people have other things they have to do besides work on fanfics. Important things.
AN: An accounting exam can't possibly be that important. Which would you rather work on, anyway?
CHAPTER 8: RETURN TO HOWLER'S PEAK
Howler's Peak Landing Platform
Holly gritted her teeth as she set down the shuttle at the Howler's Peak platform. Landing there wasn't supposed to be easy. Any goblin smart enough to pilot a shuttle surely couldn't be coordinated enough to float half way down, then turn 180 degrees to avoid hitting an outcropping rock. Besides, airsick goblins are easier to transport to their cells than active goblins. She unlatched her seat belt and shrugged her shoulders, easing the tense muscles. The only reward for the nerve-wracking task was the green look on her passengers' faces.
"Everybody out for Howler's Peak!" she said sweetly. There was a draft as the three bolted for the door. She followed.
"Uh, Commander!" she called. When Root turned to her, she motioned widely to the two humans.
"Oh, right." he said, then turned to Butler and Artemis. "You two will have to stay here."
"Yeah, you might scare the inmates." Holly catcalled. Butler turned slowly, menacingly, and Holly quickly moved to stand by Root.
"Well, Captain, do you want us to follow the human definition of 'stay here' or the fairy definition of 'stay here?'" Artemis asked scathingly. Holly pulled out her laser.
"My definition of 'stay here.'" she said pleasantly. Root grinned, and the two headed towards the facility.
Artemis shrugged and pulled out his laptop.
"Time to start Volume 13." he said as he started hacking into Foaly's network with his new passwords.
Howler's Peak, Control Room
Lieutenant Sland snapped to attention as the two senior LEP officers entered the control room.
"If this about the gambling, sir, I promise it stopped as soon as the dwarf got back in his cell." the nervous elf rattled off.
"What gambling?" Holly asked, confused.
"Good question." Sland immediately responded. "No idea whatsoever."
Holly and Root looked at each other, then mentally shrugged. "Lieutenant," Root said, "We're looking for the videotape records you have from Koboi's tree. Can you give us the one from the day she was kidnaped?"
Sland looked even more uneasy than before. "Um, I'm sorry, sir, but I can't give those out without express clearance from the Council." His voice was low, and he tried not to look Root in the eyes.
"Lieutenant." Root sharply commanded. "Look at me." Sland did so.
"I need that tape, it is a matter of life or death. It is highly important. I know the Council hasn't given you clearance, and that's because we couldn't ask since communications are down. We only need it for about 10 minutes." The Commander's voice was low and menacing. Sland swallowed.
"Sir, I'm sorry, but it just won't happen." he squeaked. "It's against regulations."
Root's eyes narrowed. "Look, Lieutenant. I need that tape, and I can't stress enough its importance. Now, I have a lot of influence in the Council. So I'll put it like this. Give me the tape, or they will learn of this 'gambling' problem you're so worried about."
"But," Sland was dead pale. "That's blackmail!"
"Yes. It is." Root agreed, tapping his fingers. Sland straightened.
"Sir, with all respect, you can't do that!" he stated. Root's face started to redden, and Holly decided to step in.
"Look, Sland," she said chummily, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, "we don't want to do anything to you that will ruin your standing. So, tell you what. You look the other way while we take the tape. If all goes well, and we're really on a legitimate quest, we will inform the Council of your enthusiastic assistance. If we're lying, you were overpowered. Either way, you won't get in trouble. If anything goes wrong, we'll gladly take the blame."
"Well," Sland said, looking at the pair and sighing, "all right. But please don't get me in trouble about it, okay? I have enough to deal with as it is."
A curse, referring to goblins and their mothers in general, came from the cells, and a slew of angry gang chants answered it. Sland's shoulders slumped momentarily, then he turned to Holly and Root.
"Excuse me." he said quickly, then marched off. A moment later, the two LEP officers heard a bellow loud enough to rival Root.
"Cut it out, or I'll shove that fireball down your throat myself, Clay! Look, dwarf, you're asking for it! The rest of you, sit down and SHUT UP!!"
Holly headed for the records room. After a moment of browsing the dusty tapes, she saw one labeled for the day Koboi had disappeared, and grabbed it.
"Got it, Commander!" she called as she returned. Root glanced at her, still listening to Sland's threats.
"He's good. At first, I didn't think he had the guts to be the jailer here. I guess he can handle it just fine." He nodded as he saw the tape. "Good, let's go. I don't trust that Mud Boy alone near our equipment anymore than I can throw him."
Artemis looked up from his position on the seat of the shuttle as the two fairies returned. Holly glanced at the laptop. "What are you working on?" she questioned.
The teen criminal closed the computer and gave her a mischievous smirk. "Volume 13," he said smoothly, taking the tape from her hand. Root frowned.
"Volume 13? Of what?" he inquired curiously. Holly shook her head, exasperated.
"Don't ask."
Butler slid the tape into a strange looking television/VCR on the shuttle. The four allies watched as Koboi ran from the dogs, attempted to mesmerize the humans, fail, and finally convince them to take her with them. A few minutes later, they saw Sland and his team jump out of the bushes.
Artemis stood, rewinding the tape. "Look," he said, "right... here!" He paused the tape, pointing to one of the men. Root tapped his fingers on his armrest.
"Yes, Mud Boy?" he asked, looking slightly confused.
Artemis decided to hold his comment, and instead said, "Here. This man's hat says something. Most of the time it's a baseball team, but this seems to be a logo of some kind."
"Maybe it has princess on it." Holly quipped. "Face it, Artemis, it could be anything. And now what are you doing?"
Artemis had returned to his computer, plugging it into the large liquid crystal TV while she had been talking. Now he downloaded the picture into the computer, and pulled up another program.
"And what does that do?" Root asked. "Clear up reception?"
"Actually, yes, it does." Artemis said, as the picture sharpened. "It goes through each pixel one by one, refocusing each until it reaches the maximum quality. Then it puts them all together, centering the photo until it's as clear as real life. It's quite simple, really."
"I see." Root said. A lie.
The picture slowly came into focus, and three red words appeared on the Mud Man's cap. California Technology Labs. Artemis sat back with a smirk.
"What would you do without me?"
Root glared at him. "Be half a ton of gold richer." he snarled. Holly was already revving up the engines.
"California I can find. Where are these labs?" she called back over her shoulder. Artemis was searching for the company on the Internet even as she spoke.
"The main offices are in Pasadena. With branches in L.A, San Francisco, San Diego, and Alameda." He turned to Root. "Where would you like to start?"
"What are the facilities like?" Root asked worriedly. Artemis sighed.
"Do you expect complete floor plans to be posted on the Internet? Humans may not be your version of the 'best and the brightest', but we don't set out welcome mats for burglars."
Holly grinned. "You would know, wouldn't you, Arty."
Artemis completely ignored her and turned to Root. "However, you can probably expect barbed wire, guards, guns, electronic surveillance, and I wouldn't be surprised if they had infrared sensors."
"How do you know?" Root asked curiously. Artemis grinned slightly.
"Do you really want to know?" he countered. Root groaned.
"No, not really." They paused and held on for dear life as Holly entered the chute leading to Pasadena.
"So," Root said, "how are we going to get in?" Artemis frowned.
"I have an idea, but I'd like some more time to work on it." Root shook his head.
"Uh-uh. Things will start breaking again in the Lower Elements. We need Foaly and we need him now. Talk."
"All right..." Artemis said, "But don't yell at me if it doesn't work out perfectly."
AN: I think that one was even shorter.
ASN: I think you're right. Unfortunately, I can't stick up a new chapter every night. I forget.
AN: Oh well. *brightly* They can read our other Artemis Fowl story while they're waiting!
ASN: *pauses in disbelief* I can't believe you just stuck a plug for our other story in this note.
AN: It's called Artemis Fowl 4 for lack of a better title.
ASN: *lectures* Advertising the story like that was rude, crude, and obnoxious.
AN: Jealous that I thought of it first?
ASN: Yeah.