Chapter 10: Equations File

It was a Saturday, a day where students were meant to stay at home, but it was one of the rare weekend, that CalSci College was fully operating. Alex was with larry for the day, learning about force, and Issac Newton's three laws, while Charlie was at the FBI conference room, lecturing Don and his team about the patterns at which the disappearances seem to occur.

Amita was walking along Larry's corridor towards his office to collect an assignment. When suddenly, a scream erupted from the direction of the foresty section of the Campus. Larry and Alex came running out of the office, meeting up with Amita in the corridor and with an unspoken agreement, the trio sprinted towards the scream, and say a student dashing away from the forest in a frenzy.

"What happened?" Amita asked, stopping her.

The student pointed at the forest with a shaky finger, and mouthed "Anna Wales," looking scared.

"Didn't she go missing?" Larry asked.

"Yeah," Amita answered, while Alex told the student to say. Amita went to comfort her, and Larry took out his mobile and called Don.

By the time Don and his gang, along with Charlie, arrived, and the area was fenced off. Larry and Amita looked around, only to find that Alex had disappeared from sight.

During the time when Larry and Amita weren't paying Alex their attention. He had taken the opportunity to disappear into the forest, and was now staring at Anna Wales' poor corpse.

"It doesn't look natural," Don said, appearing behind Alex.

Alex nodded thoughtfully.

"Peach mentioned 'good for experiments' when I asked to take her class," he said.

"So you're saying that Peach does experiments on the vanished teens?" Don asked.

"A plausible explanation," Charlie spoke up, having just joined them, and overheard the last part of the conversation. "See the uneven stages of scabbing? And see how the patches of scabs are larger than usual? It isn't natural, I agree with Don. And chemicals would explain a lot."

"Great! Now we should find out what chemicals caused the scabbing," Don replied, already contemplating his next move.

"Alex, you shouldn't be here," Charlie said, turning to Alex.

"I just had to see for myself," he replied, and left to rejoin Larry and Amita outside the police barrier.

That night over the dinner table, Don was still at the Bureau working on the case, Alex broke the news to Alan and Charlie.

"I've got a place in Professor Peach's class. I'm to be attending them every second day," Alex said quietly.

"Are you crazy Alex?" Charlie exclaimed.

"Yeah, probably," Alex shrugged. "I'll still be taking your classes though."

"Can't persuade you otherwise, can I?" Charlie asked sadly.

Alex smiled. "Sorry," he apologized.

"Then I'll have to give you a few extra lessons tomorrow," Charlie added good humouredly.

"But it's a Sunday," Alex groaned.

"That's right."

Alex had woken up at 11.30 the next day, and found Charlie by his beloved koi pond in the large garden, once he had finished getting ready. The garden was all neat and tidy, the handiwork of Alan, who was a keen gardener. The grass was green and luxurious, and the garden beds were lined with many different exotic flowers, that Alan had maintained over many, many years. Alex walked up behind Charlie, and startled him.

"Oh!" Charlie jumped and looked around as Alex tapped him on the shoulder. "You're up, good." With that, Charlie lectured Alex about force, re-enforcing what Larry had told him yesterday, and then moving on to the judgement of force in Newtons – the units of measurement – and the more mathematical side of it all. This went right up until lunchtime, when Alan came out with a tray, and Charlie broke for the lecture, proceeding to play the angle game.

They had not got through three rotations when Don joined them with a file. Which he handed over to Charlie.

"I'll get it back to you asap," Charlie said.

"Thanks Buddy," Don replied.

Charlie turned to Alex and introduced him to the "Force Game".

"This came is basically the angle game, where you guess how much force an object can take."

The game was played until the end of lunch. After lunch though, Charlie set some exercises for Alex, and returned to his garage, and co-incidentally, his problems.

Monday on Campus, Alex was doing more set exercises whilst Charlie went to find Larry. It was then that Peach entered the office.

"Alex, where's Professor Eppes?" she asked.

"He just went out, sorry," Alex replied.

There was a pause as Peach was thinking.

"Then perhaps you can help," she said after a while, handing the file to him. "You are, after all, his student."

"And yours," Alex added.

"Back to these equations," he said, flipping the file open. "I can try, but I can't promise results though."

"I have faith in you Alex."

Peach walked to the door, and at the last minute, turned back.

"Oh, and don't show Charlie that file." Then continued walking away from the room, but before she could completely get away, Charlie returned.

"Hey Professor Peach," he said in his usual cheer. "What can I do for you today?"

"I was just telling my new student not to be late."

"Alex's a good student."

"I know, see you around."

"Likewise"

"Don't worry Professor, I won't be late, no if I can help it." Alex called after her.

Peach smiled, and left the office with a wave of her hand.

As soon as Peach was out of earshot, Charlie closed the door.

"What was that about?" he asked Alex.

"Nothing important." Alex gave the door a quick glance.

"Ok," Charlie answered slowly, and the two of them went back to their individual works.

At the end of the school day, Don came around and picked Charlie and Alex up. Once they were safely driving away from the campus, Alex picked up the file from the seat next to him and handed it to Charlie.

"Peach gave it to me when she came into the office," he said as a way of explanation.

"You said she didn't want anything," Charlie said, confused.

"Well, she didn't. Peach said I wasn't to tell you Charlie, and I'm not, I'm telling Don, you just happen to be within earshot. Besides, she could have been eavesdropping."

"Can't be too careful," Don added.

Charlie looked at the file.

"I should be able to work these out in a couple of days," he said at last.

"How long will it take to duplicate them?" Don asked. "It's better if Peach doesn't know that we are informed about the file."

"At the rate of about one per second…12 seconds max."

Don whistled.

As they turned into the driveway of Charlie's house, Don said. "Alex, be careful. Look after yourself."

"Don't worry about me Don. I can take care of myself."

"I'll say so."

Charlie murmured something unintelligible.

"Sorry, didn't catch that Buddy," Don prompted.

Charlie spoke up.

"I can't believe you're agreeing with him Don."

Don and Alex shared an uncomfortable look.

"Um…should have watched our conversation," Don said awkwardly. "Charlie, I don't know how to say this. And I am sorry to have to break it to you Buddy. Your student here, is an MI6 operative." Don regrettably broke the news, but it was the only way that he could get Charlie to understand, even if the initial reaction was shock.

"Alex is a…a…" Charlie was so stunned, that he couldn't think properly. Even numbers refused to come to his aid.

"Spy?" Alex supplied. "Though I wish I wasn't."

Charlie looked from Don to Alex, and back again, hoping for it to be all a hoax, only to be disappointed.

"Look, Buddy. You can't let anyone find out about it. Not even the gang," Don warned.

Charlie just got out of the car muttering to himself. "The chances of that happening is less than even one percent…"

Don looked at Alex once again. "There goes the 'prefer if he didn't know' part. But don't worry, he'll be alright, after a while," Don added, seeing the concern on Alex's face, and together, they headed into the house.

That evening; Alex was in his room doing more of his homework, and e-mailing Tom Harris back in England. Charlie came into the room with Peach's file in his hand.

"There you go Alex," he said. "All duplicated."

Alex nodded. "Thanks Charlie," he said. "About this afternoon."

"I overreacted. Should have noticed that you were different. But I was in my own world. As usual."

"You've taken it better than others."

"That's from working with Don," Charlie said, it was clear that he idolized his brother. "Expect the unexpected. Oh, and work on these equations by yourself." Charlie's eyes were twinkling with mischief, completely different from the way he was reacting only moments before.

"Oh Professor!" Alex exclaimed as Charlie walked out the door.

"Just think of it as a test with no time limit," he called back, over his shoulder.