Note: I realize that I've been slacking it big time when it comes to updating my stories. First I was suffering from a big case of writer's block and didn't like anything that I was writing. Then school got in the way and I found myself never having anytime to write at all. But that's all over now so hopefully I can put as much attention into these stories as I did in the beginning. Please bear with me as I continue to tweak this story, and I apologize if this chapter is a little rough.
Katherine stared at herself in the mirror and decided that she was ready. She had come home from her lunch date with Tommy an hour ago and had to immediately start getting ready for her meeting with Anton Mercer. The door bell rang and Kat knew that it was Will arriving to take her to the meeting and she went to answer the door.
"You look nice," Will said after she opened the door and let him in.
"This is our first meeting with Dr. Mercer and I just wanted to look the part," Kat replied. She was dressed in a grey business suit and had pulled her hair back in a bun.
"Well, I think I've got just the thing to complete the look," he told her as he handed her an i.d. badge with her picture on it that read "Dr. Katherine Hillard, E.P.A." Katherine saw that he was already wearing his.
"What's in the briefcase?" Kat asked referring to the one that Will held in his hand.
"Mainly just a bunch of useless papers, but Glenn sent something along for you," Will said as he set the briefcase on the kitchen counter and opened it up. Inside was a watch, glasses, and a tiny little device that looked like a hearing aid.
"Ok, so what is all this for?" Kat asked as Will handed her the items and she began putting them on.
"The glasses will enable you to see anything that wouldn't normally be visible to the naked eye and will also enable you to take pictures of anything you see and they'll automatically be uploaded to Glenn's computer at work, the watch is a communication device so that we can keep in touch, oh and if you insert that hearing aid into your ear you'll be able to hear me and it'll record everything," Will explained.
"Shall we get on with it, I'm anxious to meet this Anton Mercer," Kat said once they were ready.
"Yeah we can take my car," Will said as they left her apartment.
They drove through downtown and past their headquarters into a nice looking part of town with huge mansions. Katherine guessed that this was where all the rich people of Reefside lived and it wasn't long until they pulled up to a house on a large estate.
"I guess business has been very good," Will remarked as he parked the car and they approached the front door.
"No kidding, maybe I should have stuck to science," Kat said with a smile as she walked up the steps and rang the doorbell.
"May I help you?" the butler asked as he opened the door.
"I'm William Cole from the E.P.A. and this is my partner Katherine Hillard, we have an appointment with Dr. Mercer today," Will informed him.
"Ah, yes, I do believe he's expecting you," he said as he let them in. "Please wait here, I'll inform Dr. Mercer of your arrival," he said as he left them standing alone in the entry way.
"So far so good," Will remarked.
"Mr. Cole, Ms. Hillard, so nice to finally meet you," Mercer said as he approached them and they all shook hands.
"Thank you for inviting us to your home Mr. Mercer, it wasn't necessary we could've had this meeting at your plant," Katherine replied.
"Yeah I mean most of the people whose companies we investigate never meet us face to face, we don't usually see them unless we find something wrong with one of their plants," Will told him.
"I assure you Mr. Cole, everything is just as it should be at Mercer Industries," Anton assured him.
"I understand that you have a greenhouse on the property where you do some research, would you mind if I had a look around it," Will asked him.
"I thought you might be interested in that, why don't I have James show you around," Anton replied as he motioned his butler.
"Well, while Will's doing that, maybe we could go somewhere and discuss the precautions your plant is taking to protect the environment," Kat said as Will went outside.
"Of course Ms. Hillard, we can talk in my office," Anton said as he led her upstairs.
"Please, call me Katherine, I think we're going to be seeing a lot of each other," Kat told him.
"Ok, Katherine, I think this is going to be the first time I've ever enjoyed my company being investigated," Anton said and smiled.
"I'm not sure I understand what you mean," Kat told him.
"It's just that it's not everyday I get the pleasure of working with such a beautiful woman," Anton replied.
"Um, thank you," Kat said unsure of what to say next.
"Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt but you have a phone call downstairs," a maid said as she entered the office.
"Make yourself comfortable Katherine, I'll be right back," Anton said as he left the room.
"Will, its Kat, do you read me?" she said into her watch once she was alone.
"Loud and clear, I can't believe Mercer was just hitting on you like that," Will answered.
"Oh so you heard that," Kat remarked.
"Yeah, I did, I took some pictures of the greenhouse, it looks like Mercer's been working on a new project, I'm done here so I'll meet you in front of the house when your done," Will told her.
"Ok, I'll try and take a closer look around the office before Anton comes back," Kat told him. She walked around the office and used her glasses to take pictures of the room. She walked over to the corner of the room and a green light began to appear. What on earth? It looks like some kind of portal.
"I'm sorry Katherine, it looks like we're going to have to cut our meeting short," Anton said entering the room and Kat jumped away from the portal which disappeared.
"I guess we'll just have to reschedule," Kat said as Anton took a seat behind his desk.
"Dad, can I talk to you for a minute," a teenage boy said as he entered the office.
"Trent can't you see that I'm in a meeting," Anton replied.
"Oh, sorry," Trent told him.
"Katherine, this is my son Trent, I assure you I raised him with better manners than this," Anton remarked.
"Nice to meet you Trent, Anton we'll talk later," Kat said as she left the room.
"So find anything interesting?" Will asked as Kat met him in front of the house.
"Not yet, but I definitely think we need to check that house out some more," Kat replied.