Chapter Two:

Down Inside Of You

Jonny and I have known each other for a long time.

And for a long time, people often wondered if we were dating or if we had the intention of dating. It's funny now that I look back upon those times: ever since we were kids, up until we were about sixteen and seventeen, the thought of becoming more than friends hadn't really crossed my mind. Jonny, on the other hand: it probably raced through his mind on a day-to-day basis. Hadji explained some of the basic operation of the male brain: there's not much operation period. Random synapses fire off in his head like a popcorn kernel expands in a microwave oven. I could tell he wanted something more once we got a little older. After a lot of soul searching and recommendations from Hadji, we began to form an intimate relationship.

Mind you, we've never had sex… yet. I say that because I know better. We've kissed and made out, but seldom any groping or fondling. Besides, he probably whacked off at least twice a day anyhow.

When we turned eighteen, Jonny and I had decided that we were now officially a couple. I suppose that in his eyes, now that we were able to legally vote and become somewhat of an adult, we had the ability to handle adult emotions and situations. He is my emotional rock in ways that Daddy can't be. For that, I am thankful.

My sleep was uninterrupted for the most part like it was on the RV on the way down here. Later on, Jonny said I was calling somebody's name; said it wasn't his or anyone in particular he knew. I don't remember myself: whatever it was, my subconscious had control: no visuals involved. I slowly peered into the world around me as everything came into focus. Sunlight slipped through the blinds and fell upon everything in its path. I turned over to see an empty spot where Jonny was. I pulled myself up and rubbed my eyes.

God I had to pee.

I performed my bathroom ritual, showered, and changed into a loose white cotton t-shirt and denim shorts. I finished tying my sneakers and looked in the mirror above the counter. Wasn't much to look at, but at least I was ready to face the day. I walked out outside of my room and looked around. Daddy was closing the door to his and Dr. Quest's room when he saw me.

"Good morning, Jessie," he said.

"Hey Daddy," I replied.

We began to walk towards the staircase. Daddy said that I was welcome to join him, Dr. Quest, and Hadji to the underwater research facility. Jonny was probably going to accompany me on whatever venture I took. I told him that I would probably visit later; I wanted to explore the town some and relax. My real motive was finding Stone and getting to the bottom of this emotional mess.

It was hot enough to melt a polar ice cap outside. My watch said it was eleven-thirty; the sun was at its brightest and not to mention hottest. People were everywhere of all shapes, sizes, and lifestyles. The back of my neck started to sweat thanks to all my hair. For awhile, I seriously considered getting it cut shorter. That idea still hasn't left me.

The family and I had breakfast at a local restaurant. It had a bunch of goofy shit on the walls and checkered floor, but the food was good. Dr. Quest reminisced about his younger days hanging out in soda shop parlors and other various things that occurred before the beginning of time. Afterwards, I decided that I would break away from the group and explore the city while the group traveled to the research facility. Jonny volunteered to come with me to provide emotional company. Daddy and Dr. Quest reminded us to be careful – even though we were eighteen, we were still considered children – said that if anything happened, to contact them on the cell phone if possible.

Jonny and I walked out onto the sidewalk amidst the crowd of tourists, locals, and weirdos. Jonny looked at me and asked, "So, where do you want to start looking?"

I shrugged, "Beats me. I know nothing about this guy other than he scares the piss out of me."

So we wandered around the city for awhile, exploring shops and stores. Jonny held my hand as we walked along. It felt… nice. As we went along, I asked, "What time did you get up this morning?"

Jonny looked over, "Huh?"

"I said what time did you wake up?"

"Oh," Jonny pondered. "I guess about ten minutes before you got up. I couldn't sleep anymore."

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I didn't want to disturb you. I'm not that big of an asshole, Jess."

I kissed him on the cheek, "Thanks."

"Hey, no problem," he smiled.

For some reason, I felt the urge to look behind us. Something didn't feel right.

I asked, "Jonny?"

Jonny looked at me.

"Do you think we're being watched? Or followed?"

Jonny blew it off, saying, "I doubt it. I mean, who the hell wants to waste their time tailing us?"

At the end of that question, I saw a blunt two-by-four piece of lumber smack Jonny in the back of the head, sending him down to the warm sidewalk below. I flung around just in time to get a hard blow to the jaw. I sailed back into a nearby magazine rack, taking it and another display down with me. I was staring at the awning of the local print shop when the figure of a lanky, badly groomed and lightly tanned guy in a camouflage getup. His sandy-blonde hair was buzz cut to try and add to the impression that he was a "tough guy;" the acne on his face, however, said otherwise. This one wasn't the chunk of wood wielding asshole that got Jonny, though.

"Rise and shine, princess," his gawky voice said.

There's no way I'm getting my ass kicked by this testicle, I thought.

He was standing close enough for me to side-sweep his legs, knocking them out from under him. My would-be attacker went down as I pulled myself up.

Playtime was over.

I looked over at Jonny who was now across the shoulder of a tank on legs. Like the first one, his buzz cut was meant to add to the effect, and it worked for him. The skinny guy got back up as people walked nonchalantly on by, not paying any regards to the arena that had opened up there on the sidewalk. My jaw really hurt and I was really, really pissed.

"Fucking bitch," he said as we got into it.

Gomer Pyle tried to hit me with a couple of punches which I blocked successfully. I managed to grab his arm and twist it in ways never though possible thanks to my training in the Israeli martial arts. He flipped over and managed to sweep me down again, this time me going down face first. As soon as I hit the concrete I rolled out of the way to miss his stomp. I flipped back up and roundhouse kicked the little shit in the face. He spun around and collapsed; some of his blood had splattered onto the shop window next to us.

I looked up to see his partner climbing into a maroon Ford Crown Victoria. Jonny was nowhere to be seen. A neon-red Chevrolet Cavalier skidded up to a halt behind the Crown Victoria; all four passengers got out. They were dressed for the weather and fit in perfectly: short hair, lots of tattoos, and very anxious to get their hands on me. I backed away slowly, stepping over my fallen foe, before I turned tail and ran as hard as I could down the sidewalk. "Get that red-headed slut!" I heard them shout.

And the chase was on.

I plowed through people: pushing, shoving, and jumping around and over. Nobody seemed to care that I was being chased by four professional hoodlums who looked like they spent their evenings watching Roadhouse and beating off. I felt my waist as I ran to see if I had the cell phone, which I didn't. Jonny had it which did me absolutely no good at this time. Besides, talking on the phone would do little for the situation at hand, anyway.

Through the alleys, boardwalks, and sand I ran. I glanced behind me: yep, they were still running after me. One was missing, but I soon figured out why. On the street beside me, I heard the rumbling of a motorcycle fast approaching. I looked over my other shoulder to see the fourth one roaring up on me on a crotch rocket. I made a hard left turn around a building and pushed myself to the limit. I ran straight down the alley and on towards the beach. I heard the bike's tires squeal as he made the hard turn himself and then rev it up to full throttle. I was on a long pier: from the looks of it, I would have to swim to try and evade them.

A giant roar of an even bigger motorcycle – what looked to be a Harley Davidson Road King Classic - shook the inside of my skull. I looked over my shoulder to see a familiar figure ride up beside the crotch rocket. The crotch rocket's rider looked over just in time to have a chain wrapped around his neck and tugged on. The assailant was jerked off the seat and onto the scorching pavement below him. The bike skidded and flipped off onto the beach below. Stone sped up and slid to a halt in front of me.

He screamed, "GET ON!"

I didn't hesitate. I jumped onto the bitch seat and put my arms around Stone's rock-hard torso. His light blue flannel shirt was soaked with sweat from his back as was his hair. Stone picked up his feet as we popped a wheelie and hammered it down the street back towards the hotels and shops. The other three were running towards us in between the building ahead. I looked up at the towering hotels as some spectators had taken seats on their balconies.

Stone reached into the holster on his side and pulled out a .45 Magnum. I stared blankly as he took aim and fired three times. All three attackers fell to the ground motionless. Stone twirled his gun and put it back in his holster. We rode past them and back onto the street.

"HANG ON!" Stone yelled over the roar of the motor.

I squeezed tighter and kept my head pressed between his shoulder blades. Stone applied the hand brake and slid the bike sideways onto the street so it was parallel with the sidewalk. He picked his foot up from off the ground and put it back on the clutch. The rear tire burned rubber as we sped off into the downtown area. I looked over Stone's shoulder into the rearview mirror: the black Crown Vic that had apparently held Jonny slid around a corner and was coming up fast on us.

Stone saw this too.

"GODDAMMIT," he yelled. "HANG ON REALLY TIGHT!"

Stone began to weave in and out of traffic. The sedan swerved around the cars, trucks, vans, bikes, and people to give us chase. I wondered if Jonny still existed on this planet. Who the hell were these guys? Better yet, just what the fuck did they want?

"Shit," I whispered.

Stone continued to swerve and weave like a skier does going down a treacherous mountain while being followed by molten lava. The rear windshield on the car beside us exploded. Stone cursed loudly as my worst fears became reality. Now they had guns and possibly no intention whatsoever of taking me, or Stone, alive.

Stone screamed, "SHOOT BACK, JESSIE, SHOOT BACK!"

I hesitated for a minute.

"SOMETIME TODAY, SWEETIE!"

A bullet slammed into the rear fender and blew out his taillight.

I grabbed his gun and turned my body sideways.

A guy in a suit was hanging out of the passenger side with a long hunting rifle. An empty cartridge flew out of the bullet chamber after he cocked it, ready to fire again. With one arm around Stone and the other trying to aim the gun, I raised it. The speed, velocity, air pressure, and all my red hair proved no assistance as I tried to level the sights out on the car itself. I pulled the hammer back and took a shot. The front right headlight shattered. This guaranteed a ticket from the local authorities if it never got fixed.

I aimed again, pulled the hammer back, and fired. A bullet penetrated the windshield. The Crown Vic swerved, forcing the passenger-side sniper to come back inside. I didn't want to kill the driver and cause a severe accident; anything that posed a danger to Jonny other than the obvious wasn't what I wanted, nor for anything to the surrounding bystanders. But this was getting out of control, and fast.

One last shot. I aimed for the radiator, which was extremely hard since it was a newer model Crown Victoria: the grill was smaller than the old-style Ford model cars. By the grace of God, I fired and hit the damn thing. The car slowed as the engine overheated and caught fire.

I put the gun back in Stone's holster. I put my arm back around him and rested my head between his shoulder blades again. We rode silently for a little while until we were out of the city and into the middle of nowhere away from the coast. I looked at my watch: we had been riding for about half an hour. Suddenly Stone veered off the road and into the woods. Caught surprised, I kept my head low to avoid the lashing branches and twigs. Stone slowed after a few minutes and I looked up. Sitting in a clearing was a black, well-polished, extremely fast-looking 2001 Pontiac Trans Am.

Dumbfounded, I asked, "That yours?"

"No," Stone said. "It's yours."

"Holy shit…"

"No time to explain. Get in. I'll drive."

Stone waited for me to slide off the bitch seat before hopping off. He grabbed the keys from his pocket and popped the hood of the car. I walked around to the passenger side as he produced some C4.

"What're you doing?" I asked.

Stone replied, "Something that's going to piss the owner off, whoever that is."

He applied the plastic explosive to the gas tank and set a small timer mechanism on it. I opened the door and flopped down onto the hot leather interior. Stone climbed in and said, "Shit it's hot in here."

He cranked the Pontiac as I buckled up. Stone stomped on the gas, shifted into gear, and sped off back towards the road. As we swerved onto the road, a loud explosion erupted behind us in the woods. Stone hammered it and we sped onward.

"Open up the glove compartment," he said.

I obeyed. Inside was an eye mask.

"An eye mask," I said.

"Put it on."

Reality caught up to me, "Wait a minute; just what the hell is going on here!"

"Sweetie, if I had time to explain I would. I will when we get 'there.' Right now, your family is in some deep shit."

I sat there motionless.

"Come on, Jessie! Now's not the time to be acting like your daddy."

"And what, pray tell, do you know about Daddy? Or better yet, the rest of the team for that matter?"

"Now's not the time. Now, for God's sake, put the mask on and get some sleep. It's going to be a long ride. Don't try to peek because then I'll know."

"And if I try to jump out?"

Stone rolled his eyes, "I've engaged the child safety locks and window locks. Don't even think of trying to overpower me, either. Now, would you please put on your mask and go to sleep!"

I narrowed my eyebrows and frowned.

"Please, Jessica," he pleaded.

I finally put on the eye mask, welcoming the darkness. I leaned my head back onto the headrest.

Out of the blue, I remarked, "Mind explaining to me why you've been invading my sleep?"

Stone was silent for a minute, and then asked, "What?"

"I've heard you… sometimes seen you in my sleep."

"I can't explain that right now. Just sleep. Now that you're near me, you probably won't have the side effects."

I ripped off the eye mask. Stone was severely agitated now.

He demanded, "Dammit, now what?"

"Side effects!" I screamed. "From what!"

"I told you to wait. What the hell is so wrong with that?"

I folded my arms. Stone was starting to really piss me off.

He tried to be reasonable, "Look, Jessica, sweetie, I'll explain everything when we get to the compound. But, please, you've got to put on that mask. I can't let you see where we're going in the most inconspicuous way possible."

"Why? Why can't I see?"

Stone pulled out his .45 and pointed it at my head.

"Put your mask on now, or I'll fucking blow your head off your shoulders."

I got cocky, "You fucking moron, you ain't got any more bullets! I used the rest up!"

"What?"

Stone used his elbows to operate the steering wheel while he opened the chamber. He dumped out all the empty cartridges.

"Son of a bitch," he said.

We rode in silence for a few more minutes.

Stone finally said, "Well at least close your eyes, please. I'm sure you're tired."

I looked over at him and then back onto the road. We were approaching an interstate highway. He did have a point: I was pretty exhausted.

"Here," he said as he reached behind me and pulled out a small pillow. "Lean your seat back and get comfortable. It's going to be a few hours."

"I'm worried about Jonny," I said. "Not to mention the rest of the team."

"I know you are, sweetie. Not to make you any more concerned than you already are, but I don't think your family's in any real danger… yet. But they'll be expecting you."

Confused, I asked, "What're you talking about?"

"You'll find out in a few hours. Get some sleep first. This is going to be the biggest adventure yet."

I put the pillow behind my head and reclined my seat some more. A few minutes passed.

I asked, "Stone?"

"What?" He replied as he began to switch on the radio.

"Who are you, anyway? And what do you want with me?"

He sighed, "I'm nobody; just a soldier of fortune, so to speak. And you, well, you'll find out your role in this in a little while. You're probably not going to like it, but it's who you are, and there's no escaping it. Believe me: I've tried."

I nodded and leaned back some more.

For some reason, I could feel the hot tears running down my face.

"Thanks," I whispered before losing my grip on the world.

"You're welcome," Stone said.

I couldn't completely hear what he said next, but it sounded like "Welcome back." Welcome back to what?

I slept soundly.

The Trans Am that supposedly was mine – even though I had never seen it, bought one, or driven it – had a good suspension and handling. I began to stir awake when we rolled over a speed bump. I yawned and raised the seat back upright. Stone was hanging halfway out the window punching in some code on a keypad.

Looking around me, I could see pastures for miles. However, where we were currently idling, it was no pasture. Giant twelve-foot high brick walls went on for what seemed like an eternity housing some sort of unforeseen complex. The path was a long curvy paved road that would lead one to believe that this was a plantation mansion. Extremely heavy-looking iron gates barricaded visitors from the outside. Stone swiped a keycard after punching in a code to signal that the gates be opened. A giant clang and they slowly opened inward. Stone sat back down in his seat and noticed that I had woke up.

"You must've been tired," He said.

"I haven't slept in months," I replied.

"That was a four hour trip we just took. It's about seven in the evening now."

After looking around, I asked, "Where are we?"

"Yarborough, Georgia. Don't bother looking it up on a map: it's not in any registry. This place doesn't exist."

"What is this place?"

Stone said gravely, "Your employer."

Suddenly the hairs on the back of my neck stood erect.

"Wh… what are you saying?"

"Wait," he said.

We pulled forward down the paved path. Beyond the trees and the wall was a small open pasture. Horses grazed peacefully as the sun slowly sank; sooner or later, they would be led back to their stalls. Lots of dogwood trees and cobblestone paths lead around the plantation. The path made a circle around a fountain in front of a mansion that belonged in the Civil War era. Stone pulled the car around to the front, put it in park, and killed the engine.

"Now," he said. "You do not know how to get here, nor will you know. Because when we leave, I'm driving, and you will be blindfolded."

"What is this?" I asked.

"Through your life, have you ever wandered why you're so good with a weapon, why you have the yearning to see action, why you can stand large amounts of stress, make cutthroat decisions on the fly, and why you haven't asked too many questions as to why a strange man like me is taking you along for a ride while your lover has been kidnapped and your family is possibly in danger?"

I looked at him blankly. What the hell was going on inside me?

"Thought so," Stone said. "Oh yeah, I lied: the child safety locks are not engaged. You can open the door."

I unbuckled my seatbelt, rolled my eyes, and got out.

"You still didn't answer my question," I persisted.

Stone pulled out a cigarette from his shirt pocket and lit it.

"Do you trust me?" He asked.

"I don't know: should I?"

"I saved your life, didn't I? Seems like you owe me at least that much."

"Where did they take Jonny?"

Stone shrugged, "Sweetie, I don't know. But chances are back to that research facility that your folks went to. How much did Benton tell you about it?"

I began to walk up the steps beneath the towering marble columns.

"Not much at all," I said.

"Figures," Stone said. "Well, come on. Let's go inside."

I turned around, "Can I ask you one more thing?"

"I guess so: shoot."

"How much do you know about me? About the Quest team?"

Stone simply laughed.

The chills shot down my spine faster than the speed of sound. Somewhere inside, my soldier instincts awakened.

Who am I, I wondered.

The plantation mansion was huge. The outside walls were a pearl white and freshly painted. Black trim around the windows and doorways gave it a classic Southern appeal. Stone and I stepped across the threshold into the foyer. The hardwood floors echoed our footsteps as they proudly gleamed with their wax jobs. The inside was lavishly decorated with only the utmost class. Antiques worth more money than I could ever imagine were at every turn. Overall, it was like stepping into a time machine going back a century. Stone took one last puff on his cigarette before smothering it in a free-standing ashtray next to the front door.

Stone motioned up towards the ceiling, "Look up there."

I looked upwards to be greeted with an inconspicuous security camera.

He advertised, "If you need surveillance, RadioShack is the place. Hang a right at this first room across from the staircase."

We walked forward and turned into a parlor. The peach walls and warm fireplace seemed inviting. A baby grand piano stood in one corner while quarter-century easy chairs were angled in front of the hearth. Two gentlemen occupied the chairs. Stone walked forward and shook hands with both, commenting on how nice it was to see them again.

"I say, Dennis," said the one on the left. "Who is this fine young lady that you have brought to us?"

The one on the right stood and turned as the one of the left did. The two were dressed in rather dapper gray Armani suits. When in comparison, Stone looked a little out of place hanging around with these guys. Stone turned and motioned for me to come deeper into the room.

"Don't be bashful, Sweetie," he said.

I walked forward into the close presence of the three. I shook hands with leftie first, then the one on the right.

"Why, she's not even a full adult yet. Tell me, what is your name dear child?" Rightie said with a thick English accent.

"Don't tell me you don't remember this girl, Carl," said Stone. "I take that back: you are an old fart. This is Roger Bannon's daughter."

"Really?" Leftie said, with a thick Irish accent. "You're serious? Yes… I can see it now: she has her father's hardened face."

I didn't know whether to feel dignified or embarrassed.

"That's a good thing, Jessica," Stone said.

That answered that.

"Who are you?" I asked.

The one named "Carl" spoke first, "Ah, how rude. We have not yet introduced ourselves. You may know me as Carl; nothing more, nothing less."

His smile managed to break through his withered face. Carl's black hair was neatly combed forward and a light shine applied. I suspected he must be in his mid-to-early fifties, kind of like Stone.

I turned to the other one, "And you?"

The red-haired Irishman was, I'd say, about a decade younger than the other two geezers in the room. His face was soft and jovial, yet there was something in his eyes that made you not want to have your back to him.

"I am known as McClellan, lass. It's an honor to finally see you again after all these years."

I raised an eyebrow, "All these years?"

McClellan shrugged it off; told me not to worry about it. I looked back at Stone, "Now what?"

Stone turned to the others, saying, "Are they ready?"

Carl nodded his head, "The board room is ready. Everyone is here now. Let us proceed."

Carl turned to me, "Come, Miss Bannon, we have a lot to discuss in a short amount of time."

I folded my arms, "No shit."

We walked down the hallway to a small broom closet. Carl reached inside and flipped some sort of switch. Suddenly, the back wall of the closet slid sideways, revealing a small service elevator. Carl stepped aside, "Age before beauty. Oh yes, and Stone? For your 'old fart' remark, you can blow it out your ass, old chum."

I stepped into the elevator car. It was well polished; beautiful wood stain and sleek railing all around it. It was large enough to fit about four or five people in it. The others stepped in and stood in front of me. Stone pressed the down button. The door slid shut and the car's pulley system released, lowering us into the depths of unknowingness.

"How old are you now, Jessica?" McClellan asked.

"I'll be eighteen in June," I said.

"Ah," he said. "Only four months away: I'll be you're excited."

I simply nodded. I thought about Jonny and the rest of the family. Were they all right? For some reason, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get my emotions excited, my heart racing. Something kept me from going overboard. The elevator car let out a small ding after it came to a stop. The door slid open revealing a long, cold hallway. Fluorescent lights hang freely in their ballasts and let out a soft hum. The walls were uninviting and gray, much like what this day had been. Everyone stepped out; I stood to the side. Stone turned to me, "Gotta use the bathroom? Do it now."

I looked around, "Where is it?"

Stone pointed down the hallway towards an intersection.

"It's down there on the right. I'm sure you can figure it out: it's the one with the room with the label of 'WOMEN' on it," he said.

I sighed and walked down the hallway. My sneakers made a soft clack on the cement floor. There wasn't a speck of dust to be found; someone must be allergic to it. I turned into the women's restroom and stepped inside. It was more inviting than the hallway: bright pastel cream colored walls and green stalls. Like the hallway, the cleanup and maintenance was top-notch.

After finishing my business, I stood at the row of sinks. A giant mirror went from one end to the other. I washed my face and looked at myself. The same questions ran through my mind, yet I still didn't have any answers. From the looks of things, I had a binary choice: do as they wanted me to, or curl up into a ball and start sobbing. Then maybe they would take a little pity on me and shoot me. Often I ask myself, "How did I wind up in this mess?" What if these people were lying? What if the Quest team wasn't in any real danger? What if they were looking for me back at the hotel room this second?

What if I was lying to myself? Who the hell were those guys and what did they want with me? Or Jonny? But then again, they probably took Jonny as collateral to get me to come for him. Then they'd have me right where they wanted me. Did I really have a choice?

"Come on, Jessica, let's go," Stone said. He was holding the door open and motioning for me to get my ass in gear.

I washed my face, dried it off, and then exited the restroom.

"You don't have a choice," he said out of the blue.

I stopped dead in my tracks, "Huh?"

"I was reading your face. You were probably asking yourself if you had a choice in the matter. The answer is no."

"How the hell…"

"Look Ponchita," Stone started before I interrupted.

"Wait… what did you just call me?"

Stone looked baffled before realizing what he just said.

He shook his head, "No, nothing… never mind, let's go."

I grabbed his arm, "No, Goddammit, I want to know what the fuck you just called me!"

Stone twisted his arm out of my grasp, saying, "And I told you to forget about it! Let's go."

Stone started to walk away; I followed, yelling, "Just what the hell do you know about me? About my dad? About the Quest team?"

He said nothing. We met back up with McClellan and Carl.

Carl looked at the two of us, "Shall we continue?"

Stone nodded. The four of us continued down the hallway. We were not alone in these catacombs: guys in suits and lab coats wandered from room to room. Some carried clipboards, some firearms, and some the weight of the world. Finally we arrived at a giant vault-looking door. Superman would have a hard time ripping it off its hinges; it looked like the frame had a hard time holding it on its hinges. Carl and McClellan stood at opposite sides of the door while Stone stood in the center.

Stone said, "Input code on one. Three… two… one… go."

All three punched in a numeric code on their respective keypads in unison.

"Slide cards on one. Three… two… one… go."

All three slid a magnetic key card through the card reader next to the keypad.

"Retinal scan on one. Three… two… one… go."

Finally, all three put their faces up to the retinal scanner above each pad. The computer made a couple of beeping noises and a gigantic latch was heard releasing. The wheel on the vaulted door began to spin; everyone stepped back. The titanium-alloy door slowly swung outward, allowing us to step inside. I was the last to get inside as the door slowly swung back into place and locked itself. We were in a foyer of some sort. Heavily armed guards stood at every corner of the room. I looked on the right wall where a gigantic banner hung: a fox with a dagger in its mouth. The label "FOXHOUND" circled around it. Another banner was on the wall in front of me: on it, a picture of the United Nations logo with the word "TRAIN" around it. The acronym was spelled out below it: Tactical Reconnaissance and Infiltration Network.

Two ivory doors with golden handles separated us from the meeting room. One guard opened it up for everyone to enter. I stepped inside ahead of everyone into the room. A long metal table stood in the center of a cold boardroom. The walls were like those in the hallways before: dark, solemn, and full of secrets. Around the table, there were fourteen of them: seven on each side. Each person was of a different nationality, a different race, different gender, and different age. In unison all of them stared at me. Silently, each one stood up from their chairs.

Stone nudged me forward, saying, "Have a seat, Jessie."

I took an empty seat next to a middle-aged Russian lady. Everyone reclaimed their seats as soon as I scooted up to the table. The Russian lady looked at me and smiled; she had beautiful velvet hair and sparkling emerald eyes. Stone, McClellan, and Carl took seats where available.

"It's very good to see you again Dennis," one of the members said.

Others agreed. Stone nodded his head, "Yes, yes, I know."

Then he turned to me, "Everyone, do you remember Jessica Bannon?"

The Russian lady turned to me, in her thick accent, asked, "You're Roger and Estella's daughter?"

I nodded.

Whispers began to erupt. Stone continued, "I believe it's time. She's old enough now."

An Italian gentleman about Daddy's age asked, "She's eighteen?"

"Yes," Stone said. "And, as you know, we have a situation on our hands. We agreed that she would be the perfect one for this. No virtual missions, no in-depth training – why train on stuff she already knows?"

Another member asked, "Weapons and equipment OSP?"

"Yes," said Carl.

Someone else spoke up, "And method of communication will be Codec?"

"Yes; push-to-talk communications via cellular phones can be monitored. These guys were smart enough to stockpile scanners."

Stone turned to me once again, "Jessica, are you ready to discover what's going on?"

I gulped. My stomach turned inside out. Tears began to fill my eyes. I nodded my head as fear took hold of my entire body. I was paralyzed with emotion.

The lights dimmed, and an overhead projector turned on.

The title of the first PowerPoint presentation was "Les Miserable Teribles."