The sun was just rising above the trees as Agents Parker and Doran leaned against the government issue black SUV in the parking lot of the local supermarket. They were both incredibly bored but you couldn't really tell from behind their aviator sunglasses.
"Any idea who we're watching this time?" Doran asked Parker taking a sip out of her coffee. Parker checked something on the clipboard she was holding.
"It says two civilians, one cop" she said.
"A cop?" Doran said with a slight thread of annoyance in her voice. "They're the worst." Parker nodded.
"They always think they can do our job better." She said watching a small car that had just pulled into the parking lot. It parked close to their SUV and four people got out of the car, three men and a woman. They had already met Chief Karen Vick of the Santa Barbara Police Force. The three men must be their charges. The first one had great hair and was relaxed but was extremely attentive at the same time. The second was very tall and was definitely the cop out of the three. He carried himself like he was in charge of everything. The third man followed behind them all looking extremely nervous.
"Agents" Chief Vick said shaking both of their hands in turn. They nodded.
"Chief" Doran said acknowledging her. "Everybody climb in the vehicle" she said giving orders to the three men. They all obliged. "Don't worry, we'll bring them back alive" she said trying to reassure everyone there. The tall one of her charges, the one who had to be the cop rolled his eyes and gave an exasperated look to Chief Vick, but he climbed in to the backseat of the SUV without complaint. The other two followed him in and then Doran climbed in the back with them. Parker sat shotgun with their driver, an Agent Felix. "All right let's get names down" Doran said taking the clip board from Parker. "Carlton Lassiter" she looked up and the cop shifted in his seat crossing one leg over the other.
"Actually it's Head Detective Carlton Lassiter" he said.
"I'll make a note of that detective" Doran said sarcastically. "Out here you'll do what I say and you won't ask questions" she looked back at her list. "Burton Guster and Shawn Spencer" the black man raised his hand when she called Guster. Spencer was too busy looking around in the car to acknowledge her.
"Dude, Gus these FBI people are going to make us disappear faster then the love child of Waldo and Carmen San Diego" There was a giggle from the front seat as Parker lost her cool for a second. Doran raised and eyebrow and stared at Spencer.
"Keep quiet Spencer" Lassiter growled from his seat. "These agents have better things to do than to listen to your antics" Doran gave Lassiter a small smile but recovered her stony exterior quickly. FBI witness protection agents didn't flirt with the people they were supposed to be protecting.
"Oh Lassie" Spencer said relaxing in his seat stretching his legs out and putting his arm on the seat behind the detective. "You're just mad because the guy you chased got away"
"Shawn……." Gus said trailing off slightly. He was staring at Agent Doran who was still staring at Spencer.
"Mr. Spencer-" she began.
"Please call me Shawn" he said smiling brightly at her. She loathed people who smiled brightly this early in the morning.
"Mr. Spencer" she said again "We're here to ensure that all three of you stay alive until you have to testify in two weeks. These two weeks can be very long or they can go by very quickly. Agent Parker and I will do our best to provide you with everything you might need, but let me assure you I can also take those things away" Spencer smiled at her.
"Did Chief Vick happen to mention that I'm psychic because I'm getting a vibe that you can't really take everything away" he winked in her direction. Agent Parker turned around in the front seat.
"Believe me Shawn she can" she said giving him a grin and a wink. Shawn grinned back and then silence lapsed over the car. They drove for a while Lassiter tried to keep track of time, but he soon fell asleep. His head drooped to the side and finally rested on Shawn's shoulder. A bump in the road jolted him awake.
"What?" he exclaimed snapping his head up and then wincing at the sudden movement.
"Relax Lassiter it was just a pothole" Doran said not looking up from her newspaper. "Felix, please don't hit every single one"
"I won't" he promised giving her a glance in the rearview mirror "we're here anyways." Lassiter looked out the window and groaned as he saw the safe house they'd be using. Because he had been asleep he hadn't been able to see where they were going. The SUV had been parked outside of a cabin in what looked like a secluded woods near a lake.
"Well if this doesn't spell recipe for a horror movie I don't know what does" Shawn said getting out of the car and stretching. Everyone got out of the SUV slowly stretching their cramped muscles and Lassiter even managed to get the crick out of his neck.
"Everything is inside" Parker said leading the way into the cabin. "We'll be able to go over some ground rules and have some dinner" It took no time to get them all into the cabin. The weather was a little cool and it didn't take long for them to feel the chill while standing outside. Felix set about making dinner and Parker and Doran sat their three charges down on the sofa.
"All right here's the deal. We've got three bedrooms, one bathroom and this big living space here." Doran waved around the room. "Now you'll all be sharing a room, unless one of you wants to share with Felix and let me tell you he makes more noise when he snores than a freight train." She made a face as she ran her hand through her hair and continued. "We have two weeks and plenty of food and things. There are movies and games but no internet. You should have left the cell phones at home and I hope you brought some books." Spencer raised his hand. Doran ignored him but Parker smiled at him and he started talking.
"Do we get code names? If so mine get's to be Yellow Snow" he asked his face a picture of seriousness. Doran pinched the bridge of her nose. Lassiter couldn't help but smirk because this time he didn't have to deal with Spencer's random questions.
"No you do not get code names and why do you even want to be called Yellow Snow?" Doran said almost afraid of the answer.
"Because then the cannibals would be told not to eat me." Shawn said. Gus groaned at the bad joke and Parker got lost in a fit of giggles. Even Felix from over by the stove got a chuckle or two out. Lassiter rolled his eyes and then looked at Doran. They shared a dislike for Spencer's constant wisecracking and that would probably be to only thing to keep them both sane throughout the two weeks. Shawn raised his hand again. Doran ignored him again, but he just started talking. "Also Agents, do you have first names or am I going to have to refer to you all as Felix, Parker and Doran for two weeks? ooooo" He got a smirk on his face "I could make up names for you that's always fun"
"I'm Amanda" Parker burst out and if possible her smile broadened.
"Aaron" Felix called from the kitchen area where he appeared to be putting a pizza in the oven.
"Doran" Doran said.
"Doran Doran?" Shawn said "Funny that sounds more like a band than someone's name." he shrugged. "Oh well"
"It's Alex" Doran said sighing a little as she made her admission. Lassiter made a noise. Doran looked at him. "What? You think my name is funny Carlton?" She emphasized his name to get her point across
"No" Lassiter said holding up his hands. "No, I just didn't realize you were that Agent Doran." Doran narrowed her eyes and Lassiter continued. "You have almost more drug ring arrests then there are drug rings."
"You're like a super cop" Shawn said clearly impressed. Felix came over before the conversation turned completely into talking about Doran's arrest record.
"Lunch is ready, it's pizza. I hope you guys like Pineapple and Ham" he said and then everyone else smelled the scent of the pizza wafting over to them. Both Gus and Shawn perked up at the word Pineapple.
"Pineapple you say? The yellow, golden delicious fruit that makes all other fruits rethink their existence?" Shawn said
"Yeah!" Amanda said "I love cooking with pineapple. I can make pineapple upside-down cake, pineapple smoothies, pineapple juice floats and pineapple pancakes" Shawn held up a hand.
"Pineapple Pancakes?" He turned to Gus. "Gus I think we may have already been caught by the gang members and been shot because I think I'm in heaven. Although I didn't know Angels doubled as FBI agents"