Chapter 2 – Finding Fault(s)
The girls find their way to Tennessee to meet Dr. Terran.
"What do we know about this Dr. Terran, Sam?" asks Clover.
"According to the WOOHP data base, he is an expert on plate tectonics. He does his research out of the Pike's Institute in Alaska!"
"Why would an earthquake researcher want to be based in Alaska?" bemuses Alex.
"Interesting question, Alex. It would seem like he'd get more info if he were based in California!" replies Sam.
Soon the spies land their jet/copter outside of the field lab of Dr. Terran.
"I wonder where the good Doctor is?" asks Alex.
"Well, if he's not around, this seems like a good time to do some spying!" says Sam.
The gals quickly enter the field lab.
"This doesn't look good," says Clover.
The field lab is one big mess. It appears there has been a struggle, afterwards someone was ransacking the place looking for something. The girls investigate the lab.
"I don't see anything important!" says Clover, as she leans against a book in a bookcase. This triggers the opening of a hidden compartment in the floor.
"Great job, Clover!" congratulates Alex. "What's in the compartment Sammy?"
Sam pulls out a notebook. "This is Dr. Terran's notes on what he's found! Listen to this entry! 'Found the chemical signature of dynamite at fissure point zero. That's what must have been used to trigger the quake! Also found part of the dynamite box. Estimate that 250 pounds of dynamite were used to trigger the quake. Must get box part analyzed – could be clue.'" Turning a few more pages, Sam reads, "' They are wise to me! They want to find out what I know! I must hide this journal. I hear them coming....'"
"What else does it say, Sammy?" asks Alex.
"That's it! I wonder who 'they' are? And what became of the dynamite box part?" says Sam.
As Clover starts checking the compartment, she feels a wooden item. "Hey, guys! I think that dynamite box fragment might be right here!" She pulls out a splinter from the compartment.
"Let's scan it and see what it tells us," says Sam.
Sam runs the scan.
"This splinter has a high concentration of dynamite on it!" Sam says.
"That must have been the piece Dr. Terran wanted analyzed!" says Alex.
"There appears to be some writing on it as well, but I can't make it out! I'm going to call Jerry!
"Jerry?"
"Yes, Sam. How is the mission going?"
Clover says, "It looks like Dr. Terran was kidnapped! We never got to talk to him!"
"Oh, my!"
Sam says, "But we do have this wooden splinter with some writing on it. The writing is obscured by charring! Hopefully WOOHP can give us some information on it."
"We'll get on it right away, Sam! Keep checking the area for clues. I'll get back to you as soon as I have something."
"Thanks, Jerry!" and she hangs up.
"Ok, girls! Let's spread out and see what we can find. Keep in touch by compowder."
The girls spread out all over the field lab sight.
Alex is searching the vehicles area. "Nothing out of the ordinary here!" she says.
Sam is searching the field lab. "I hope the girls are having more luck than I am!" she says sadly. All she has found is the GPS coordinates for the quake.
Clover is searching the grounds outside and immediately around the field lab. "Nothing! No footprints! No nothing!" she says dejectedly.
All three girls return to their jet/copter.
"Did you find anything?" asks Sam.
"Nothing!" says Clover.
"Not even an oil spot!" says Alex.
"I guess we'll have to employ the RATVAT and go to the coordinates of the quake!" says Sam.
"Is that going to be safe?" asks Alex anxiously.
"Well, the doctor made it there and back safely. So should we!" says Sam.
"Ok, Sam! I've plotted the coordinates into the RATVAT's autopilot. We're ready to go!" says Clover.
The RATVAT starts to tunnel toward the earthquake epicenter. The girls are searching the area for anything unusual. Soon they arrive at the epicenter – a small cave.
"Say guys? There appears to be another tunnel over there!" says Alex.
Immediately, Clover and Sam look in the direction Alex is pointing.
"Let's see what these binocular sunglasses show, along with the contacts," says Clover.
"Well, Clover?" asks Sam.
"It most definitely is another tunnel. But it goes off in a direction opposite of Dr. Terran's field lab!"
"That has to be the tunnel of the individuals responsible for starting the quake, and probably the kidnappers too! Let's follow it!" says Sam.
"Ok, Sammy! I'll drive!" says Alex. Clover and Sam give each other an apprehensive look, and quickly snap on their seat belts for safety!
Alex deftly maneuvers the RATVAT into the newly discovered tunnel, and follows it to the surface. The spies are constantly scanning the tunnel for clues.
Soon they reach the surface. They exit the RATVAT to investigate. The place looks spotless.
"If the individuals who planted the dynamite used this as a base camp, they were sure meticulous in cleaning up when they left!" exclaims Alex.
Sam is scanning the site with the analyzer sunglasses, "They sure did! I'm not even picking up the remains of a campfire!"
Clover has been walking the fringe of the clearing to see if there were any clues. "There's nothing in the trees, bushes, or flowers! Talk about neat! It's like they had a maid clean up the site after them!"
Just then, Sam's compowder rings. "What's up, Jerry?"
"Any new info?"
"Well, Jerry, we followed another tunnel that led away from the epicenter of the quake, but whoever planted the dynamite meticulously cleaned their staging area! We can't even find a strand of hair!"
"Hmmm! I see. The perpetrators must be using extreme caution. By the way, we've finished the analysis of the wood splinter you sent us. It came off a box from the Auburn Explosives Company. They are located in Pennsylvania, in the Appalachian Mountains."
"That makes sense! They're probably close to coal mining sites!"
"Exactly! I have sent their address to your compowder. It looks like the only lead right now."
"Thanks, Jerry."
Sam says to Clover and Alex, "Let's take the RATVAT back to Dr. Terran's field lab and take our jet/copter to Auburn Explosives."
"Ok, Sammy. Clover's and your chauffeured driven limo waits without!" says Alex playfully, as she bows and points toward the RATVAT.
"Yes, Alex, but did you bring my peke, Frou-Frou?" says Clover in a playfully snooty manner.
Sam responds, "We could probably have used a Frou-Frou! We couldn't sniff out anything!"
The girls laugh and get into the RATVAT.
They are in for quite a surprise when they get to their jet/copter! It has been ransacked! The copter blades have been bent out of shape, the rotor broken off, the jet engine turbofans have all their blades broken, and inside the cockpit all dials and instruments have been smashed and broken.
"What a mess!" says Clover.
"Someone doesn't want us to leave!" says Alex.
"But maybe in their zeal to keep us here, they left us a clue!" says Sam, as she employs the analyzer sunglasses again. "BINGO! They didn't have the time to meticulously clean this area! I have found a blond hair, a black curly hair, a red hair, and a black straight hair!"
"Let's analyze them on the compowder!" says Clover.
They do the blond hair first. "Oh, well! Nothing here! It's yours, Clover!"
Clover says with alarm, "Oh, am I losing my hair?"
"Relax. It probably fell off your hairbrush. Let's do the red hair next." Sam does the scan. "Well, another zero, that's mine! How about the black straight hair?" Again Sam does the scan. "Alex, that's yours. Only one hair left!" Sam performs the final scan. The analyzer is searching the database. The name Esteban Ocello pops up.
"Esteban Ocello? Who's he?" asks Alex.
"According to the WOOHP database he is a farmer in Madrid, Spain. What would his hair be doing in Tennessee?" asks Sam.
"Looks like we have another lead! Now if we can get some wings?" says Clover as she calls Jerry.
"Yes, Clover."
"Jerry! Someone trashed our jet/copter making it totally inoperable!"
"Oh, my!"
"But they left a clue. A certain Esteban Ocello appears to have been in on it. He's in Madrid! We need to get a plane so we can check him out, as well as Auburn Explosive."
"Very well, ladies. A hoverjet should be there momentarily. Also a WOOHP team will secure your jet/copter and RATVAT!"
"Thanks, Jer!" Clover no sooner hangs up and both the hoverjet and WOOHP team arrive. "That's what I call service!" Sam, Alex and Clover quickly board the hoverjet.
"Where to first?" asks Alex.
"Madrid! We have a suspect's home to investigate! He wouldn't have had time to return, so hopefully we can search the farm without interruption!" says Sam, and the plane leaves for Spain.