Dreams
Chapter nine, Last Resorts
Disclaimer: I don't own Artemis Fowl.
A/N: Just to remind you, this is set before the Eternity Code. This is a longer chapter so I expect lots of thankful reviews, or I will go back to short chapters.
I'M REALLY SORRY FOR CONFUSING EVERYONE, BUT PLEASE RE-READ CHAPTER SIX, AS I HAVE ADDED IN A NEW CHAPTER.
Police plaza, Haven City
"Amber, what is it now?" grumbled Commander Root, when Amber turned up at his office. "I've got an investigation to carry out."
"I need to go above ground." She explained, wrinkling her nose, the room smelt of pungent cigar smoke.
"Oh you do, do you?" questioned Root, leaning his elbows on his desk and peering at Amber over steepled fingers. "Why, may I ask?"
"To see someone," she stated, somewhat cryptically.
"The commander raised one eyebrow, "Who do you need to see?"
Amber swallowed; this was it, "Artemis Fowl."
Root's face glowed magenta. "You know, you're just like your mother. She wanted to go above ground to see that mud boy. She wanted him to give her away at her wedding to Trouble."
Amber listened, hopefully, "And? Did you let her?"
"No."
Her face fell. "Oh. Does that mean you're not going to let me?"
"Not necessarily."
"Please Commander, Artemis deserves to know. He might even be able to help."
Root groaned. "You can go, on one condition; I send you with an escort and you don't involve Fowl in our affairs in anyway. Tell him about Holly, then come straight back."
Amber paused for a second. That was three conditions. She decided not to point that out, it wasn't worth it. "Great, thanks. Whose the escort?"
"I'll get Lili Frond to accompany you." The commander answered. Meet her at the Shuttle port.
Tara Shuttle Port, Haven City
The Shuttle Port was packed, with one of the chutes down because of the investigation; it meant fairies had longer to wait for a seat on the regular Shuttles.
"Come on Lili, this is important." Amber pestered, as Lili took her time.
"It's Captain Frond, to you, young lady." Replied Lili, testily.
"The day I call you Captain is the day I give up hope on Holly." Amber answered, just as testily.
"Look, the shuttle's arrived, do you want to get above ground, or don't you?" Lili asked, pulling Amber towards the opening doors.
Amber froze on the spot. "No." She said. "No I don't," with that, she pulled free of Lili's grip and began running back towards Police plaza.
Lili raised her eyebrows, but followed anyway.
Police Plaza, Haven City
A knock sounded on Root's door. He groaned; he knew who that would be.
"Come in..."
The door opened and Amber fell into the room,
"Back so soon?" sighed the commander, sarcastically.
"Yes, I am," replied Amber, ignoring the sarcasm. "I need to talk to that shuttle pilot, Nettle what's-her-name. Where is she?"
Root didn't even bother asking why, he just handed her the number and offered her the phone.
Amber punched in the digits and pressed a button labelled 'call record'. It answered on the first ring.
"Hello?"
"Hey. My name's Amber, and I am the daughter of the elf that you rescued yesterday."
"Oh. How can I help?" Nettle asked.
"I wanted to know, the name of the officer that escorted you to police plaza, can you remember?" Amber crossed her fingers; the information that Nettle was about to provide could be vital.
"I think he was called Verbal, or perhaps Verbil, I'm not quite sure."
"Ok. Now one last thing; the Lep Rapid Response team, did one of them arrive before the others?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact Verbal seemed to be there a while before everyone else. Is that any help?" Nettle asked.
"Yes. Thanks a lot." Amber ended the call and handed the phone to the Commander so he could replay it.
Root listened to the call, a solemn expression on his face.
"Well?" She asked him, when he'd finished.
"We do have a Verbil in the Lep, but not in the rapid response team. What does it matter anyway?" Root asked.
"It matters, because the criminal may have never left the crime scene, just mingled with the crowd. What does this Verbil look like, anyway?" Amber replied.
"He's a sprite, green skin, wings..." The commander was interrupted by a sharp intake of breath from Amber.
"Wings?!" She echoed, "The figure in my dream had wings, remember I told you? Well they could easily have been sprite wings, but I thought they'd be wing rigs." Then Amber remembered something, "Commander, was anyone late for last nights shift?"
Root brought a file up on his computer screen; he scanned it quickly. "Yes, your mother, and ... Chix Verbil." Root paused, could there be any reason behind Amber's theory? "We'll have to wait for the prints to come back from the lab. In the mean time, I'll contact your father. Now leave me in peace. Promise you'll go back to your Grandmothers?"
"No way. I'm staying right here, I wanted to see the finger print results the second you get them."
Root sighed, Amber would make a fantastic Lep officer, but he wasn't sure if he could cope with another Holly.
A/N: Was this chapter long enough for you? I hope so, because the next one's pretty short.
Keep smiling.