Chapter 3

Ned sat down in the empty chair opposite Orion. Orion turned toward him.

"Nightshade, I believe you know Lieutenant Warren my aide," he said motioning to the man in the other seat.

"Lieutenant," Said Ned giving a nod of greeting.

"Good evening, Commander," Said Warren.

"Do you have the tape ready?" asked Ned getting right down to business, Orion nodded and pressed a button on the keyboard in front of him activating the big screen built in to the opposite wall of the office. Ned swiveled his chair around and watched the clip in silence for several seconds. Finally he spoke

"It was an inside job," he said with confident calmness.

"What do mean it was an inside job?" said Warren half rising from his chair, "There is no way that even you could tell that from the video tape!"

"Warren, sit down!" Orion Snapped, "You're making a fool of yourself." Warren dropped back down in his chair.

"Nightshade," asked Orion, "how do you know this?"

"Go back to the beginning of the clip and I'll show you." Ned Replied. Orion hit another button and clip returned to the beginning.

"There's your answer," said Ned pointing to the screen, "The kidnappers van was already parked on the corner opposite the camera when Lady Katherine arrived. How is that possible? They knew in advance where she would be going that day."

"And the only way they could have known that is if someone on the inside tipped them off." Orion stood up and began to pace back and forth while Ned leaned back in his chair and put his fingertips together.

"How are we supposed to figure who the traitor is?" Orion said as he continued to pace.

Ned didn't answer for several seconds, suddenly he sat up.

"Doesn't the ambassador usually have a large dinner party about mid-way through his trips?"

"Yes," said Orion, "That's tonight at the ball room of the Grand Palace Hotel in about an hour, he wouldn't postpone it due to the circumstances either, British stiff upper lip, you know."

"Well then you'd better get on the phone and tell the manager there that will be a new waiter on duty tonight." Said Ned and with that he stood up exchange a knowing smile with Orion and strode from the room the door sliding shut behind him.

The dinner party was in full swing and no one seemed to notice the young waiter that moved through the crowd, carrying a tray of hors'douvres. In another part of the ball room Moze sat in a chair picking lint off of her dress and wondering why she had let her parents drag her into this. They only reason that her family had been invited to this party was because her father was on the town counsel and the entire town counsel was expected to attend, so here she was all dressed up and completely bored. Suddenly as she was gazing absent mindedly around the room she noticed the back of a waiter that looked pretty cute. She sipped her lemonade and watched has he moved around serving the contents of the tray that he was holding in one hand. As she watched the ambassador's security chief excused himself from the group and walked toward the door. The young waiter that she had been watching surreptitiously followed him a few minutes later.

Moze had now forgotten all about being bored, her curiosity got the better off her and she followed them.

Ned had noticed that the Security Chief Charles Weston had been unusually nervous that night so he decided to follow him when he abruptly left the party. Chief Weston went up to his room and sat down at his desk. He picked up the phone and dialed.

"Hello," a voice on the other end answered.

"It's me," said Weston, "it's going to take me longer to get the payoff to you."

"WHAT!" thundered the voice so loud that Ned could her it through the door the rest was garbled shouting that Ned couldn't understand.

"Now calm down!" Weston said, "The Feds are sure that the kidnapping was an inside job, sothey're sure to be watching everyone here at the party I can't slip the ambassador the ransom note now I'll get caught for sure." The was a pause,

"Don't get tough with me you ruddy fool," he snapped, "If I go down I'm jolly well taking you blokes with me, so I wouldn't be entertaining any ideas about double-crossing me."

Ned was so intent on the conversation that he was hearing that he didn't notice the head that was peaking around the corner at him. or at least the backside of him.

Moze saw the young waiter touch his belt buckle. There was the glow of a black light and the waiter was now wearing black leather.

"Whoa," thought Moze, "that was pretty cool. Ned's never going to believe that I saw a real secret agent!"

Weston was just hanging up the phone when his door was nearly blown off of its hinges by Ned's foot.

"Charles Weston," said Ned flashing his badge, "You're under arrest for conspiracy to kidnap Lady Katherine." Weston smirked, as he stood up and walked toward the door

"You can't prove it," he sneered, "you don't know where she's being held and if anything happens to me they have orders to kill her and there goes your evidence." Ned smirked back.

"That's where you're wrong," Ned sneered back, "the supercomputer on my bike outside has been tracing all the out going calls made from this office. I already know where the girl is being held." The smirk left Weston's face. Suddenly he turned and bolted out into the hallway. Ned was after him in a split second. Ned burst into the darkened hallway and froze, Weston was standing there holding a gun at Moze' head.

"Don't come any closer, Nightshade, " you let me walk out of here or I swear I'll kill her!"

Ned stepped forward into the light, and glared at Weston. Moze eyes widened in shock and for a few seconds she forgot about the gun at her head. This secret agent that was standing theregiving her captor a death glare was her best friend Ned Bigby.

"Weston," Ned growled slowly, "if-you- even- scratch- her-I'll-dissect- you!"

TBC Please Review.