Nothing I Expected
Disclaimer: Manhattan productions are the sole owner and distributor of Totally Spies.
Disclaimer: Concept, ideas and OCs all belong to me, UID 140135
Chapter 2
"There's no time for explanations, young man. Besides, we will be erasing your memory soon," Jerry replied, interrupting Sam before she could answer. "Girls, as I said before in Sam's absence, a number of women have disappeared in the last forty-eight hours, key women noted for our world's advancement through recognition from the UN," he explained as their pictures, names and last-known positions were brought up on the screen behind him. Gabriel watched this with a dumbfounded look on his face, slowly getting to his feet.
"Of foremost importance, the Pentagon has contacted WOOHP personally as one of their newest and most brilliant scientists has vanished this morning, barely four hours ago. You will be investigating her home and last known position," he said as a picture of woman in her late-thirties popped up on the screen. Gabriel's eyes opened wide in shock as he shot up from the floor.
"That's my ma!" he exclaimed. Jerry's one eyebrow rose in surprise.
"Indeed?" he stated with interest. "Jeanie King is your mother?" Gabriel nodded, his face becoming ashen with each passing second that he looked at his mother's picture. Sam felt her heart plummet for him. Then she jumped in fright as Gabriel slammed his book-bag onto Jerry's desk.
"Ye have tae let me come with ye! What if she needs my help?" he said forcefully. Jerry stared at him for a second, and then nodded. He looked past Gabriel at the girls.
"Time to suit up. Son, come with me. I'll have Gladys do a quick adjustment on one of my spare watches for you to use," he said, his attention back on Gabriel. Gabriel followed him, sparing a glance back to Sam. She nodded encouragingly as Jerry led him to another room for the gadget modification.
THE ROAD TO JEANIE KING'S RESIDENCE, 13:10 PM, THURSDAY 20 JULY
"So," Clover whispered to Sam, "when did you two start dating?" she asked, glancing back at Gabriel, who was fiddling with the watch Jerry gave him. Sam grimaced before answering.
"It's not like that. He came up to me during study hall and asked if I knew where to find a copy of 'Paradise Lost'. He was just too…" here she began to blush, "close when the WOOHP tunnel opened." Clover harrumphed, clearly disgruntled. Sam continued to drive, relieved that Clover hadn't noticed her blushing.
"Then why are you blushing?" Alex asked, clueless as always. Sam cringed.
"AHA! You like him!" Clover squealed in triumph. Gabriel heard her squeal, looked at Sam in the rear-view mirror, an understanding and equally embarrassed look in his face. He looked as if he knew exactly what she was going through.
"We're here," Alex called out.
KING RESIDENCE, 13:34 PM, THURSDAY 20 JULY
Gabriel unlocked the door, letting the spies enter before him. He followed behind quietly, shutting the door with a sad click. He stood to one side until they gave him the OK. The house was one of the smaller in Beverly Hills but just as roomy. What made this one lonely were the scattered boxes still taped up, with the hint of the unpacked in the few things arranged in the living room. Most were photographs. Gabriel picked up one and stared at it, stroking the frame absently. Sam startled him with a hand to the elbow, causing him to nearly drop it. She caught it with a deft hand, barely glancing at it and then taking a second look. In it was a younger Jeanie King with a young girl aged around thirteen, a feminine version of Gabriel. She looked at Gabriel, noting his intent look at her.
"My sister. She…went missing three years ago," he explained, hesitating for a minute. Sam handed it back to him, not really understanding the hesitation. Alex called from the top of the stairs, "All clear!" before coming down. Clover met up with them in the living room. Gabriel put the frame down discreetly.
"Nothing looks weird. Everything's just messy," Clover said. She looked at Gabriel, not noticing his look of embarrassment. Sam nudged her in the elbows.
"Is anything out of whack?" Alex asked. Gabriel shook his head.
"Everything's how I left it this morning. My ma and I haven't finished unpacking, what with just getting here a few days ago. Besides, we wanted tae paint the rooms afore doing anything major," Gabriel explained.
"Are you really Scottish?" Clover asked innocently.
"CLOVER!" Sam and Alex both shouted. Gabriel just blinked, a smirk barely visible on his face
"Sure as I last checked, Clover. Are ye crushing on me?" he asked back, just as innocently devilish. The other girls snickered behind their hands at Clover's reddening face.
Then, in unison, they heard two computers trilling,
"You've got mail."
"Upstairs," was all Gabriel said before rushing up the stairs. The girls followed behind, following his rush to a small room next to the master bedroom. He was already seated behind an old-fashioned writing desk and entering a password before they could stop him. He clicked the e-mail, opening the attachment. It called up an amateur-recorded video, shaky on the projection but dated three hours ago. The spies leaned in around him as the video filmed a line of woman tied from behind, all hanging from ceiling hooks, and all gagged. Gabriel began to cough, rubbing his throat as he watched the film. Sam subconsciously squeezed his shoulder. Alex grinned, watching from the corner of her eye. Then a countdown flashed on the screen, counting from 06:59:59.
Gabriel backed off from the computer, rushing to his own room, the attic. The girls were just climbing the stairs when he started reading his own e-mail.
"'join me, son. I have your mother as reparation for the damage she caused then. Join me willingly, and I'll let her be. Four hours left. Join me, and we can become a family again. You have the final word in this, Gabriel.'" They watched his back as he stood silent, staring at the screen. Without warning, he punched a hand through the monitor, sparks flying everywhere. The girls jumped in fright. Sam rushed forward, pulling his hand from the mess of glass and circuitry. His knuckles were bloody, but no fragments penetrated outwards; with faint burn marks on the back of his upper wrist. She watched his face as she took the bandage from Alex and began wrapping around his knuckles. It was a complete mask, totally void of emotion. He barely reacted when she tightened the knot.
"Why did you that Gabriel? We could've traced the e-mail from your modem," she told him, biting back her anger. He looked at her, eyes dark, then glanced down at his wounded hand.
"My ma always said that my temper would be the ruin of me. And it was," he said quietly. He looked back at her.
"We didnae need the computer, I know where they are."
To be continued…