CHAPTER FIVE: PROMISE

Alex looked at the door leading to the office in which he slept. He knew in that same office would be Sabina and her father. He was nervous about meeting her again. How her just knowing him got her dragged in to this. He turned the knob and gave the door a push and entered the room.

Only Sabina was in the room, sitting on the couch, legs crossed waiting. He closed the door and stopped. He looked at her and she looked at him and smiled. She stood up and ran to him hugging him. It hurt but he could bear the pain. Her brown hair waved in his face. Her blue eyes were closed and she didn't want to let go.

"Hi, Sab."

She finally let go and looked at him. She took a step back and smiled again.

"They told me that I would be working with an agent, but they never said it was you. I asked them about you but didn't tell me, I thought you were hurt because you didn't answer my emails."

She spoke so quickly, excited; like a five-year old. Alex laughed; suddenly everything he was worried about or was afraid of didn't matter. Life in these few minutes was perfect.

"I am sorry the made you do this," said Alex.

"Everything is okay as long as everyone is safe. Alex, promise me that you'll stop him."

Alex knew he couldn't promise anything, he knew that there was a chance she might get hurt, and that anyone might get hurt. He looked in her eyes.

"I promise." He said, reassuring her. "Now I have to go see someone and I'll be back in a while." He smiled and left. Now all had head to do was see Smithers and then he could spend the rest of his time with Sabina.

He entered Smithers' office. Alex knew better than to think of it as a normal office, far from it. It had a lamp and a couch and desk. Smither wasn't there, his extremely large chair sat empty.

Smithers is an extremely large man with a black mustache and no hair atop his head. Alex turned to exit the room, when a voice called him from behind.

"Alex, dear boy, I thought I never see you again after that… you know." Spoke Smithers in a happy-go-lucky voice.

Alex looked stunned, Smithers wasn't there a second ago.

"Oh, you see my new gadget, the hologram projector, see you place the projectors on all four surfaces around where you want the hologram. They emit a picture of what I am doing right now or can play a video. We already have one ready for you and Sabina; she is such a nice girl. Come down to the lab; I'll close the projector, sit in the chair and press the stapler down."

The picture shut off and Alex sat in the chair. He could have fit two people his size in it. He leaned the chair and pressed down the stapler and the chair immediately began to sink, it began a slow descent down a tunnel of pipes and steel. After the two-minute trip, he arrived. The lab walls were stainless steel silver and the floors the same. There was door in front of Alex, and He stood up and waited.

"Decontamination beginning," spoke a computerized voice.

Alex barely had time to compute the words himself before a stream of with gas exploded around him. The stream continued for a full ten seconds before stopping and the doors opened.

Finally Alex saw the lab, it was exactly like in the movies men in white coats and all different kinds of gadgets. Some disguised in shoes. Grenades in hats and lasers in toothpicks and bombs in rings. Alex walked through the halls, unnoticed by the men and women.

Alex finally came across Smithers at the end of the hall working but by expressions on his face he was eagerly awaiting Alex's arrival. Alex entered the room and waited. Smithers stopped and looked up and smiled again.

"I know you have a lot of work to do before you leave and so do I. See your gadgets aren't quite ready yet, but they will be before the three-day limit. First we have your projectors, you know how those work. Next we have your toothbrush, this is a detonator and the toothpaste is your bomb. If you use the whole tube at once you can blow up a four-story building, so be careful."

"Next we have your ring and pen. Use the pen to outline a spot you need to get through and turn the ring twice on your finger it will emit a laser bean and will find the pen mark and cut right through it. And last but not least, we have your contacts, don't worry they won't distort your vision, the right contact will work as a camera, it will transmit all your photos to us. And the left contact will work as a digital map. If you place the contact case in the security room computers as your tour passes through you'll get a digital map of the entire area and security cameras and guard positions, the whole nine yards. Oh and by the way to use the camera blink your eye twice."

"Well old chap we'll supply you with two contact cases; one to go into the security room and the other for the contacts. We'll have your gadgets ready for you in two days so until then have fun with Sabina. Alex, make sure you come back its fun to work with kids."

He smiled again as did Alex. 'Make sure you come back', Alex sure hoped he did too. But right now he turned around and began to walk away.

"Would you like me to send for the chair?" Asked Smithers.

"No, I'll take the stairs." Alex said not turning around.

"Okay suit yourself."

Alex continued walking, somehow regretting he hadn't taken the offer for the chair, it'd probably be a long walk up the stairs, but it gave him time to think. To think about that promise he had made to Sabina. He wondered if he could keep it. He guessed he would only have to wait and see.