Author's Note~ Here's chapter 2, a rather short chapter. . .thank you to
everyone who reviewed, and I hope I don't disappoint! Thanks for reading,
and need I say it? Please review!
Ch 2 ~ Jackie's Bad Day
Jackie was having a very bad day. First, he arrived at the airport at five in the morning, but had to sit inside the plane for two hours without moving while mechanics checked out a problem. Then, he took the rare Ming vase he had been so proud of finding to a lab, and discovered it was a cheap Victorian knock-off. When he came home, he reached into his wallet to pay the cab driver, and found only a note that read "Jackie, I borrowed some money to go to the carnival. Hope you don't mind!" so he had to call Captain Black to pay his fare. Now, after innocently deciding to pay his uncle a visit, he was spending the afternoon dusting and sweeping and lifting heavy boxes, still in his sweaty and dirty kaki pants and jacket, because Tohru had a cold.
He sighed as he swept all of the dust from the back of the old shop into a dust pan, discovering dirt so deep that several cockroaches were buried too thick in the pan to see them. 'This place should be condemned,' he thought to himself bitterly. Suddenly, he heard the door in the front swing open. He ignored it.
"Jackieee! Take care of customer!" came the shrill voice of Uncle from upstairs. "Uncle must brew healing potion for Tohru!"
Jackie put down the broom and walked into the front of the shop. Immediately, his young niece pounced on him, almost knocking him over.
"Jade! Watch where you're going! Oh, and I need the money you took! You need to ask before you take things from people!"
"But Jackie-"
"And another thing, Jade, what are you doing here? Don't you have homework?"
"Uh, Friday, duh!"
Deciding to skip a lecture on procrastination, Jackie frowned at her. "But you should stay put when I tell you to. How'd you get here?"
"The bus. But there's something really important!"
Jackie was slightly alarmed by the urgent tone in her voice. Knowing Jade, it was probably nothing, but you couldn't be sure.
"Okay, then, what is it, Jade?"
Jade's amber eyes darted around quickly, as if looking for hidden spies. Then, she pulled her uncle down close by the collar of his jacket, and whispered in his ear.
"There's a spy in Section 13"
"Jade, Captain Black alr-"
"No, I know who!"
"What?! Why didn't you tell Captain Black?"
"Shh.he wasn't there. His assistant was, but I think she's a spy, too."
Jackie's initial panic receded, and the corner of his mouth dropped. Playing along with Jade, he whispered back "How do you know he was a spy?"
"I overheard a phone conversation, and he said he knew the combination to the vaults, and he was going to meet the Dark Hand at 11:00 to give them all twelve talismans!"
Jackie was through whispering. "He said that?!"
Jade looked thoughtful. "Well. . .something like that. He didn't exactly say Dark Hand, or talisman. . .or even vaults. . .but I think it was implied."
Jackie sighed. It was a relief to know that this was just another one of Jade's "moments," instead of an actual emergency.
"Jade. . .do you remember the time you thought that old woman in the supermarket was Daolon Wong?"
"Yeah! She was so creepy! C'mon, Jackie, it was an honest mistake. Anyways, what does this have to do with a Dark Hand spy?"
"Do you remember the little talk we had afterwards?"
"Um. . .no?"
"The one about not jumping to conclusions?" he said gently.
"Oh. . .that one."
"Right. Jade, you can't go around accusing people without proof!"
"But Jackieeeeee!" she groaned.
"Sorry, Jade. Now, help me watch Uncle's shop, and we can get a movie to watch later."
Jade sighed. "Fine. What're we getting?" she asked hopefully.
"Well, there's a new documentary about the aborigines of Australia," he said, in a voice that suggested he thought this a very tempting offer.
"Oh. Goodie," said Jade, less than enthusiastically. "But- but what if George tries to steal the talismans?"
"Jade, if there ever really is a spy, Section 13 security can stop them. It isn't up to us. I'm an archaeologist, and you're a little girl who needs to stop worrying so much."
"But Jackie-"
"Jade. . ." he said in a warning tone.
"Oookay. . ." she said to her uncle, eyes downcast. 'Fine. If Jackie won't help save the talismans, I'll have to do it myself.'
Ch 2 ~ Jackie's Bad Day
Jackie was having a very bad day. First, he arrived at the airport at five in the morning, but had to sit inside the plane for two hours without moving while mechanics checked out a problem. Then, he took the rare Ming vase he had been so proud of finding to a lab, and discovered it was a cheap Victorian knock-off. When he came home, he reached into his wallet to pay the cab driver, and found only a note that read "Jackie, I borrowed some money to go to the carnival. Hope you don't mind!" so he had to call Captain Black to pay his fare. Now, after innocently deciding to pay his uncle a visit, he was spending the afternoon dusting and sweeping and lifting heavy boxes, still in his sweaty and dirty kaki pants and jacket, because Tohru had a cold.
He sighed as he swept all of the dust from the back of the old shop into a dust pan, discovering dirt so deep that several cockroaches were buried too thick in the pan to see them. 'This place should be condemned,' he thought to himself bitterly. Suddenly, he heard the door in the front swing open. He ignored it.
"Jackieee! Take care of customer!" came the shrill voice of Uncle from upstairs. "Uncle must brew healing potion for Tohru!"
Jackie put down the broom and walked into the front of the shop. Immediately, his young niece pounced on him, almost knocking him over.
"Jade! Watch where you're going! Oh, and I need the money you took! You need to ask before you take things from people!"
"But Jackie-"
"And another thing, Jade, what are you doing here? Don't you have homework?"
"Uh, Friday, duh!"
Deciding to skip a lecture on procrastination, Jackie frowned at her. "But you should stay put when I tell you to. How'd you get here?"
"The bus. But there's something really important!"
Jackie was slightly alarmed by the urgent tone in her voice. Knowing Jade, it was probably nothing, but you couldn't be sure.
"Okay, then, what is it, Jade?"
Jade's amber eyes darted around quickly, as if looking for hidden spies. Then, she pulled her uncle down close by the collar of his jacket, and whispered in his ear.
"There's a spy in Section 13"
"Jade, Captain Black alr-"
"No, I know who!"
"What?! Why didn't you tell Captain Black?"
"Shh.he wasn't there. His assistant was, but I think she's a spy, too."
Jackie's initial panic receded, and the corner of his mouth dropped. Playing along with Jade, he whispered back "How do you know he was a spy?"
"I overheard a phone conversation, and he said he knew the combination to the vaults, and he was going to meet the Dark Hand at 11:00 to give them all twelve talismans!"
Jackie was through whispering. "He said that?!"
Jade looked thoughtful. "Well. . .something like that. He didn't exactly say Dark Hand, or talisman. . .or even vaults. . .but I think it was implied."
Jackie sighed. It was a relief to know that this was just another one of Jade's "moments," instead of an actual emergency.
"Jade. . .do you remember the time you thought that old woman in the supermarket was Daolon Wong?"
"Yeah! She was so creepy! C'mon, Jackie, it was an honest mistake. Anyways, what does this have to do with a Dark Hand spy?"
"Do you remember the little talk we had afterwards?"
"Um. . .no?"
"The one about not jumping to conclusions?" he said gently.
"Oh. . .that one."
"Right. Jade, you can't go around accusing people without proof!"
"But Jackieeeeee!" she groaned.
"Sorry, Jade. Now, help me watch Uncle's shop, and we can get a movie to watch later."
Jade sighed. "Fine. What're we getting?" she asked hopefully.
"Well, there's a new documentary about the aborigines of Australia," he said, in a voice that suggested he thought this a very tempting offer.
"Oh. Goodie," said Jade, less than enthusiastically. "But- but what if George tries to steal the talismans?"
"Jade, if there ever really is a spy, Section 13 security can stop them. It isn't up to us. I'm an archaeologist, and you're a little girl who needs to stop worrying so much."
"But Jackie-"
"Jade. . ." he said in a warning tone.
"Oookay. . ." she said to her uncle, eyes downcast. 'Fine. If Jackie won't help save the talismans, I'll have to do it myself.'