Chapter 1: Family Values

Police Plaza, Haven

Generally when the words 'Short' and 'LEP' are included in the same sentence, the mind immediately jumps to Captain Holly Short, Recon's first female officer. Captain Short has been involved in many police cases, news of which has spread around Haven and even to Atlantis. The most famous of these are probably the Artemis Fowl Affair and Holly's role in stopping the Goblin Rebellion, although there are others.

Although Captain Short does feature in this particular case she is not the focus of attention. It is her sister, the little known Corporal Berry Short that concerns us.

In many respect, Berry resembled her sister. Both siblings had the same shaped faces and willowy figures, although Holly spent more time in the gym than Berry. Both had coffee-coloured skin and auburn hair. That is pretty much where the similarities end, however. Whereas Holly's eyes burnt with determination and the will to succeed Berry's were gentle and laid back, the sort of eyes you turned to when you had a problem. This would probably explain why Holly had climbed almost the entirety of the LEP career ladder while Berry had only recently been promoted to Patrol.

Holly exuded an air of command while Berry was more like a lazy contented cat.

When our story begins, Berry was at the front doors to Police Plaza, sipping a strawberry smoothie and trying to find her access card. An elf snuck up behind her.

'Hey Bez,' he said.

Berry turned and smiled. 'Monty! You're back, then.'

'No, Berry, I'm still visiting my grandmother.'

'Oh. Say hello to her from me, then.'

Corporal Monty Newt shook his head. Even though he had known Berry since kindergarten, he never quite understood her way of thinking.

'I was joking.'

'Oh.'

Berry continued the search for her access card until Newt, rolling his eyes, used his own to open the door.

Berry smiled again. 'Thanks,' she said.

The two elves made their way to the briefing room. 'I wonder if we'll be in the area car again,' Berry mused.

Newt snorted. 'Doubt it, considering your driving last time.'

Berry bristled. She hated having her driving insulted. 'What was wrong with it? At least I don't get overtaken by stink worms.'

'No, you run over them instead.'

There was no venom in the argument and they both knew it. Sometimes friendships are too strong to be broken by insults. It probably would have continued anyway, just for a bit of variety in what appeared to be a mundane day, if Commander Mercury had not spotted two of his officers.

'Short! Newt!' he barked.

Berry often wondered how Holly put up with the bad-tempered Commander Root. Berry, who strongly disapproved of smoking, found that even a few seconds in Root's company was nearly enough to drive her mad. One of the reasons that Berry did not want to get promoted to Recon was the fact that she'd have to stop working under Mercury, who was quite nice as commanding officers go. He was a rather plump gnome with good-natured features and generally eating something, usually a carrot.

'I was looking for you two!' That was another thing about Mercury. He was a gnome of little words, and when he did speak it was not in a long speech. His sentences generally came out in small, sharp bursts.

Berry smiled and saluted. 'Don't worry, sir,' she said. 'We weren't doing anything particularly illegal.'

'Good to hear it!'

Berry winked at Newt. 'Of course,' she continued, 'that all depends on your definition of illegal…'

'I've got some new recruits for the two of you to break in!'

Berry's smile shrank slightly.

'New recruits,' Newt said flatly.

'That's right!'

'Sir, you know that Newt and I work best together,' Berry said, trying to find a way to get out of puppy-walking.

'Exactly! You two are my best officers! You can set a good example! Besides,' Mercury continued in a low whisper, 'you know what Internal Affairs are like.'

Berry and Newt nodded. They did know what Internal Affairs were like. Anything they found 'suspicious' – which could be from going to your grandmother's funeral or eating the same thing for lunch everyday – prompted an investigation. Sool and his cronies would have a field day if they found out that Berry and Newt had worked together for the past few months.

'All right,' Newt said, 'where are the newbies?'

Mercury beamed and led the way to the briefing room. There Berry and Newt met their new patrol partners.

One of them was a sprite, green-skinned as usual, and checking Berry out, as sprites tended to. From the way he stood, Berry guessed that the sprite in front of her was Chix Verbil II.

The second occupant of the room was more unusual. Law enforcement was not a common choice of profession among pixies, but then again, the pixie didn't seem to be the common sort of pixie. Dark brown hair was tied in a bun at the back of her head and her eyes shone with a determination that Berry was more accustomed to seeing in her sister's eyes.

Berry leant over to whisper to Newt. 'What's the betting I get the sprite and you get the hot-headed pixie?'

Newt was about to reply when Mercury introduced the two new officers.

'This,' Mercury indicated the sprite, 'is Private Joey Frind.'

'How ya doin'?' Joey said, holding out his hand.

Berry tried very hard to keep her face under control.

'And this,' Mercury continued, 'is Private Garnet Hart.'

The pixie stared defiantly up at Berry and Newt.

Hostile, the Short sister noted. Not a good sign.

Mercury beamed as he introduced Berry and Newt. 'These,' he said grandly, 'are two of the finest officers you could ever wish to meet. Corporal Monty Newt – surely you've heard about the Dawnfire jewellery heist? Well, he was the arresting officer – and Corporal Berry Short.'

That was another thing Berry liked about Mercury. Most people, when introducing Berry, felt inclined to add, 'Holly's sister' or something along those lines. Mercury's opinion was that Berry needed no other introduction.

Mercury clapped Berry on the shoulder. 'Five years these two have been in the force and never have I had a single complaint.'

No, thought Berry, that's because you let Marilyn deal with all the complaints.

'If they're so amazing,' Garnet said, 'then why are they still pacing the streets of Haven and aren't in Recon?'

That was not a wise move. There were two things in the world that Mercury hated: an empty fridge and people who insulted his officers.

'Because,' he said, looking at Garnet with unveiled dislike, 'they do the job.'

Berry wasn't really listening. She was staring intently at the pixie. You're angry, angrier than a pixie generally is, she thought at Garnet, and by the end of this shift I intend to find out why.

'Frind, you're with Newt in the area car,' Mercury continued, 'and Hart, you're with Short on the Frond Street beat. That's in Downtown Haven.'

Berry smiled warmly at Garnet but inside the cogs were turning. Perfect.

The Frond Street beat was one of Berry's favourites. She'd spent most of her childhood in Downtown Haven and it was always nice to see her old haunts.

Today, however, her mind was not on sightseeing.

'So, Garnet,' she began.

'Don't call me Garnet,' the pixie replied. 'The only person who calls me Garnet is my mother.'

'Oh. What do I call you then? Gary?'

The pixie gave her a 'gods, you must be stupid' look. 'My friends call me Nettie.'

Believe it or not, that look had pleased Berry. She rather liked coming across as stupid, because it meant that you were underestimated. Being underestimated was an important advantage.

There was silence between the two officers of the law for a few more steps. Then Nettie said, 'You're Captain Holly Short's sister, aren't you?'

Berry nodded. 'That's right.'

'Was it some sort of joke, calling her Holly and you Berry?'

Berry shrugged. 'I was rather unexpected. Our parents had decided on only having one child. Of course, they were pleased when I was born,' she added, seeing Nettie's expression, 'but they weren't very original when it came to names. Do you have any siblings?' Berry asked, diverting the attention away from herself.

Nettie shook her head. 'No. I was never alone, though, if that's what you're asking about. I had my cousins.'

Berry noted the tone Nettie used. Ah, so that's why you're so angry, pixie girl, Berry thought. Family trouble.

'What are their names? I might know them.'

Most of Haven knew Berry. She was sort of the general Agony Aunt. Nearly everyone had had a problem at some point and had asked for help from the younger Short sister.

Nettie avoided Berry's gaze, staring intently at a poster advertising bubblegum. 'Opal and Topaz,' she said quietly. 'Koboi.'

'Koboi!' That came out louder than Berry had intended. 'You're related to Opal Koboi!'

'I'm not proud of what she did!' Nettie retorted. 'She was quite nice when she was younger! Anyway, I was never that close to Opal. Opal was always messing with phone lines so I spent most of the time with Topaz.'

Berry tried to relax. 'Sorry,' she smiled at the pixie. 'It's just my sister's told me a lot about Opal and not much of it was good.'

'She always did get a tad obsessive,' Nettie admitted.

A tad!

'Topaz Koboi,' Berry tried the name out, it sounded familiar. 'I've heard that name before. Give me a moment and I'll remember.'

Nettie waited patiently until Berry clicked her fingers. 'Got it!' the elf said triumphantly. 'Topaz Koboi, owner of a fern shop on the corner of Acorn Avenue.'

Corporal Hart nodded but did not say anything.

'Business is booming, and the last time I saw her Topaz looked fine. So why are you worried?'

Nettie's head snapped up. 'Whoever said I was worried about her?'

Berry held up a hand. 'Relax,' she said, 'I can't read minds. It's just that you're very tense and when you talk about Topaz you frown.'

The pixie looked startled. 'I do?'

'Trust me.'

Nettie stared glumly at the pavement. 'I am worried. Topaz just hasn't been the same lately. She's been acting strangely, spending a lot of her money on computer parts.'

'Computer parts?'

'That's what I said.'

Berry looked up and saw a scuffle up ahead. 'I'm afraid unravelling your cousin's personality is going to have to wait,' the elf said. 'There's police work to be done.'

No sooner had she said that, she shouted, 'Oy!' and started to run.

Holly Short was heading to her cubicle to do some long-neglected paperwork when Root's door opened and he shouted, 'Short! Get in here!'

Holly had long since stopped trying to persuade her boss not to shout in her ear. 'Here, sir,' she said, stepping in front of the door.

'Good,' Root said. 'Foaly has some urgent news.'

Holly didn't exactly rush. Foaly's idea of urgent news was not often considered important by the rest of the members of the LEP: he had been known to sound the alarm bells if someone forgot his birthday.

'What is it?' she asked when she was inside the office.

Foaly was standing in front of a plasma screen and, judging from his stance, had found one of his favourite 'Mud Men are going to take over the world' pieces of information.

'Holly,' the centaur nodded at her. 'I think you should sit down for this.'

Frowning slightly, Holly did so.

Foaly sighed theatrically and launched into his speech. 'Every year,' he said, 'we get thousands of phone calls, e-mails and text messages laced with keywords.'

Holly nodded. She knew all this already; it was typical of Foaly to drag things out.

'Also, there are some Mud People who's messages we follow more highly than others.'

Holly sighed. 'Get to the point, Foaly.'

Foaly drew a deep breath and turned to Holly. 'Artemis Fowl is back.'

Holly raised an eyebrow. Foaly's words had not had the desired dramatic effect. 'I don't see how Artemis's return from New Zealand is a red flag emergency,' Captain Short said.

'We're not talking about New Zealand,' Root said. 'Artemis has attempted to contact the Fairy People, apparently with a second kidnapping in mind.'

Holly's blood ran cold. She remembered when Artemis had kidnapped her – how could she forget? The experience had burned itself into her mind and simply refused to go away. She would not want another fairy to have to go through the same thing.

'Evidence?' she managed.

Root shrugged, before Foaly had a chance to drag out his reply. 'E-mails. Text messages. Online orders. Artemis has been making quite a few preparations for this.'

Holly shot a glance at Foaly. 'I thought you'd said you'd stopped monitoring his communications?'

'I lied,' the centaur replied. 'In truth I was just monitoring human communications in general. It was the contents of Artemis's e-mails that directed my attention towards him.'

'So what do these e-mails say, exactly?'

Foaly brought up a window on the touch screen.

Butler, the e-mail read,

I trust the preparations for our fey friends are complete. Soon the school term will be over and I will be able to continue with my plans to kidnap another of the People.

Artemis Fowl II

There was something wrong with it. Holly couldn't quite place it, but there was something wrong with the e-mail.

'Would Artemis be so stupid?' she said. 'He may not know that we monitor all communications in general, but he would have some sort of suspicion, wouldn't he?'

Foaly shrugged. 'He's a teenager, and adolescents by nature tend to be cocky. He also believes that we've stopped monitoring him, so maybe he feels safer to execute his schemes.'

Holly remained silent. Foaly's reasons made sense.

'I want you, Holly,' Root said, 'to watch Fowl just in case. It could be nothing, or it could be everything.'

Holly nodded. Better safe than sorry.

'I also think you should take a partner on this one.'

'I think I can handle Artemis Fowl,' Captain Short protested.

'I have no doubt that you can, Captain,' Root replied, 'but there is always the chance that he'd thought of something we haven't. I don't want to run the risk of you being kidnapped again.'

'If you do get kidnapped,' Foaly said, 'your partner can tell us what's happened and we can have you out of there in no time.'

Holly's eyes narrowed. 'Artemis kidnapped me once,' she said. 'I won't let it happen again.'

'This little mission will also serve to see if one of the corporals is ready to face the initiation test into Recon,' Root continued.

Oh, great, Holly thought. A newbie who, in all likelihood, will forget about the mission and start hugging trees.

She sighed. 'All right, sir,' she said. 'Who's coming with me?'

Root inspected a keyboard on his desk. 'How about Corporal Short? She seems very promising.'

Captain Short blinked. 'No, sir, not Berry. She's not ready; she's just a kid. Sending her against Artemis Fowl is not a smart move.'

'I thought you said Artemis wouldn't be that stupid and that this is probably a hoax of some kind? If it is, your sister is in no danger whatsoever. If it isn't, you will be there to save her from anything particularly dangerous.'

Like I always have, thought Holly. Will there ever come a time when no one will depending on me?