Captain Holly Short, the only female Recon officer, punched the wall. Since
it was reinforced steel, it wasn't the smartest thing she could've done.
But under the circumstances, it seemed appropriate.
Turning back around to face Foaly and Root, she clenched her teeth. Julius Root was a record breaking shade of mauve. Never had he looked so much like a tomato. He was so furious that he'd even stopped smoking his fungus cigar.
"So, you're telling us that not only are there humans aware of our existence, there are humans controlling fairies?" said Root calmly. The sort of calm that comes right before the lightening strikes, and Foaly knew it.
The centaur fiddled with his trademark tin foil hat. "Well.at least they haven't gone public with it."
Holly sighed. This was going nowhere. "So what do we know, pony boy?"
Foaly turned back to his computer console, zooming in on a mugshot. "This is Zachary Webb. He's a Swedish scientist. In 1994 he discovered the existence of the people. Since then, he's kept quiet about it. Until now. Somehow he got hold of a fairy, and adapted the mesmer so that it backfired onto the fairy."
Holly stared at the centaur, horrified. Root grunted. "That's not all, is it Foaly?"
Foaly sighed. "I wish. After the business with Opal Koboi, the Council thought no one would be stupid enough to try anything for at least a few decades." Seeing their impatient expressions, he hurried on. "Lili Frond," he announced dramatically "Last surviving descendant of the first Emperor."
Root growled, grinding his almost untouched cigar into Foaly's workbench. "If you haven't got anything better than that, we're obviously paying you too much. GET ON WITH IT!" he roared.
Holly hid a grin.
"Stop smirking, you'll be next." Foaly muttered as he turned back to his precious computers. "Lili Frond is currently at Mr Webb's lab in Sweden, helping him. She mesmerises his captives into mesmerising themselves. It has a longer effect if they do it to themselves."
Foaly faced Root and Holly. "But it gets worse. Webb is using the mesmerised fairies to steal plans, for nuclear weapons, anthrax, that sort of thing. Because they can shield, it's extremely easy for them."
Root let out a long breath. "So? Why haven't you sent a squad over there? A few memory wipes, problem solved."
Holly shook her head. "If it was that easy it wouldn't be a threat." Foaly nodded seriously.
"We don't even know where this guy is. Somewhere in Sweden. We'd need help. Mud man help."
"D'arvit!" Root swore. "Not Fowl again. Can't we do anything on our own?" Holly glanced away. Fowl was an enemy of the People, and a danger. Plus he'd been mind-wiped, and probably reverted. But. things were never boring with Artemis Fowl junior around.
Artemis forced his eyes open. His head felt like someone had gone at it with a drill. Where was he? And what was he doing in a...bag! He was in a body bag!
Slowly the events of the night before returned to him. After they'd left the manor, someone had clubbed him on the head, knocking him out.
Artemis rolled as the floor swerved. He had to be in a car. He could hear music playing, country and western. Lots of static.
"Where are ya goin'?" demanded the gravely voice of the older man. "Look Dave, yer followin' the wrong bloody road!"
"Am not!" insisted Dave. "Look at the map, Mick. You're hopeless!" Dave had a New Zealand accent thickening his words, making it hard to understand.
"We have t' get there before noon, idjit. He'll be wakin' up soon. And yer still sick as a dog from the plane. And tha' was our turnoff." Said Mick smugly.
Dave muttered under his breath, turning back. Artemis rolled again, and winced as his shoulder connected with metal. At least that damn sock was gone. He wondered if it had even been clean.
Not likely.
Hours later, the car came to a juddering halt. Thankyou, Artemis thought. Country music was well and good, but he'd had more than he could take.
Click. Someone unlocked a door to his left. He was slung roughly over a shoulder, and as the bag shifted position, he saw the row of slits the allowed air through. Wriggling closer (Not exactly easy) he peers through the slits to see.the floor.
Grey tiles, he observed. Nice, shiny, squeaky clean tiles. Somewhere with money, then.
Through a door and into another room, this one with blue carpet. And then...The zip up the side of the bag was undone, and the bag pulled open. Artemis sat up immediately.
Glancing quickly around him, his first impression was.clean. Everything was clean, white and sterilised. Like a hospital. Dave and Mick were both eying him doubtfully, and beside them a matronly woman stood, with a needle held in one hand.
Artemis recoiled. He'd had more than enough sleep, thankyou very much. He opened his mouth to tell her so, but suddenly there was a slight pain in his arm.
"Goodnight, Master Fowl." said the woman kindly. Artemis stared at her for a moment, before his eyes rolled back into his head, and he collapsed.
"I hope this boy is worth it." muttered Dave.
Artemis Fowl senior looked up from his papers, at the knock on his study door. "Come in."
His wife entered, followed by a man, whose face was so average that you would have been able to pick him out in a crowd of a thousand.
"Timmy, darling, this is Mr Reid. He's agreed to look for Arty." said Angeline, determinedly cheerful.
Mr Fowl rose and shook hands with Mr Reid. Pulling up a chair, the detective got straight to business.
"Now, Mr and Mrs Fowl, I understand your son disappeared sometime last night." They nodded. "Who was the last person to see him?"
"Me." said Angeline. "I said goodnight to him."
"And where was he?"
The questions and answers flowed back and forth for thirty minutes, before Reid took his leave.
Holding the door ajar, the man glanced back and said "Mr Fowl, I understand you partook in a few shady dealings in the past?"
Artemis senior's stance and tone became defensive. "I have since realised my faults, Mr Reid."
Reid nodded. "Quite." He strode out and shut the door, softly but firmly. So, the crime-lord had gone straight, had he? Interesting.
Short chapter, I know.
Thankyou Nightraven106 RavenGhost The Serendiptuos Oracle, That Aerin for reviewing. (
Turning back around to face Foaly and Root, she clenched her teeth. Julius Root was a record breaking shade of mauve. Never had he looked so much like a tomato. He was so furious that he'd even stopped smoking his fungus cigar.
"So, you're telling us that not only are there humans aware of our existence, there are humans controlling fairies?" said Root calmly. The sort of calm that comes right before the lightening strikes, and Foaly knew it.
The centaur fiddled with his trademark tin foil hat. "Well.at least they haven't gone public with it."
Holly sighed. This was going nowhere. "So what do we know, pony boy?"
Foaly turned back to his computer console, zooming in on a mugshot. "This is Zachary Webb. He's a Swedish scientist. In 1994 he discovered the existence of the people. Since then, he's kept quiet about it. Until now. Somehow he got hold of a fairy, and adapted the mesmer so that it backfired onto the fairy."
Holly stared at the centaur, horrified. Root grunted. "That's not all, is it Foaly?"
Foaly sighed. "I wish. After the business with Opal Koboi, the Council thought no one would be stupid enough to try anything for at least a few decades." Seeing their impatient expressions, he hurried on. "Lili Frond," he announced dramatically "Last surviving descendant of the first Emperor."
Root growled, grinding his almost untouched cigar into Foaly's workbench. "If you haven't got anything better than that, we're obviously paying you too much. GET ON WITH IT!" he roared.
Holly hid a grin.
"Stop smirking, you'll be next." Foaly muttered as he turned back to his precious computers. "Lili Frond is currently at Mr Webb's lab in Sweden, helping him. She mesmerises his captives into mesmerising themselves. It has a longer effect if they do it to themselves."
Foaly faced Root and Holly. "But it gets worse. Webb is using the mesmerised fairies to steal plans, for nuclear weapons, anthrax, that sort of thing. Because they can shield, it's extremely easy for them."
Root let out a long breath. "So? Why haven't you sent a squad over there? A few memory wipes, problem solved."
Holly shook her head. "If it was that easy it wouldn't be a threat." Foaly nodded seriously.
"We don't even know where this guy is. Somewhere in Sweden. We'd need help. Mud man help."
"D'arvit!" Root swore. "Not Fowl again. Can't we do anything on our own?" Holly glanced away. Fowl was an enemy of the People, and a danger. Plus he'd been mind-wiped, and probably reverted. But. things were never boring with Artemis Fowl junior around.
Artemis forced his eyes open. His head felt like someone had gone at it with a drill. Where was he? And what was he doing in a...bag! He was in a body bag!
Slowly the events of the night before returned to him. After they'd left the manor, someone had clubbed him on the head, knocking him out.
Artemis rolled as the floor swerved. He had to be in a car. He could hear music playing, country and western. Lots of static.
"Where are ya goin'?" demanded the gravely voice of the older man. "Look Dave, yer followin' the wrong bloody road!"
"Am not!" insisted Dave. "Look at the map, Mick. You're hopeless!" Dave had a New Zealand accent thickening his words, making it hard to understand.
"We have t' get there before noon, idjit. He'll be wakin' up soon. And yer still sick as a dog from the plane. And tha' was our turnoff." Said Mick smugly.
Dave muttered under his breath, turning back. Artemis rolled again, and winced as his shoulder connected with metal. At least that damn sock was gone. He wondered if it had even been clean.
Not likely.
Hours later, the car came to a juddering halt. Thankyou, Artemis thought. Country music was well and good, but he'd had more than he could take.
Click. Someone unlocked a door to his left. He was slung roughly over a shoulder, and as the bag shifted position, he saw the row of slits the allowed air through. Wriggling closer (Not exactly easy) he peers through the slits to see.the floor.
Grey tiles, he observed. Nice, shiny, squeaky clean tiles. Somewhere with money, then.
Through a door and into another room, this one with blue carpet. And then...The zip up the side of the bag was undone, and the bag pulled open. Artemis sat up immediately.
Glancing quickly around him, his first impression was.clean. Everything was clean, white and sterilised. Like a hospital. Dave and Mick were both eying him doubtfully, and beside them a matronly woman stood, with a needle held in one hand.
Artemis recoiled. He'd had more than enough sleep, thankyou very much. He opened his mouth to tell her so, but suddenly there was a slight pain in his arm.
"Goodnight, Master Fowl." said the woman kindly. Artemis stared at her for a moment, before his eyes rolled back into his head, and he collapsed.
"I hope this boy is worth it." muttered Dave.
Artemis Fowl senior looked up from his papers, at the knock on his study door. "Come in."
His wife entered, followed by a man, whose face was so average that you would have been able to pick him out in a crowd of a thousand.
"Timmy, darling, this is Mr Reid. He's agreed to look for Arty." said Angeline, determinedly cheerful.
Mr Fowl rose and shook hands with Mr Reid. Pulling up a chair, the detective got straight to business.
"Now, Mr and Mrs Fowl, I understand your son disappeared sometime last night." They nodded. "Who was the last person to see him?"
"Me." said Angeline. "I said goodnight to him."
"And where was he?"
The questions and answers flowed back and forth for thirty minutes, before Reid took his leave.
Holding the door ajar, the man glanced back and said "Mr Fowl, I understand you partook in a few shady dealings in the past?"
Artemis senior's stance and tone became defensive. "I have since realised my faults, Mr Reid."
Reid nodded. "Quite." He strode out and shut the door, softly but firmly. So, the crime-lord had gone straight, had he? Interesting.
Short chapter, I know.
Thankyou Nightraven106 RavenGhost The Serendiptuos Oracle, That Aerin for reviewing. (