Chapter Twelve. This chapter took forever to write.

Tessa strode down the stairs, pulling on her customised three-eyed infra-red goggles, the feeling of apprehension rising in her chest. She didn't like not knowing things, and she wasn't sure what to make of their unknown guest, either. She pulled the side door open, not wanting to alert the intruder, and slipped out.

###

Scarlett's many eyes followed the screens, watching both Tessa and the intruder's progress. Mary was leaning against the desk, also following Tessa's progress.

###

Rex slipped easily through the gate bars, feet crunching on the gravel. He winced at the noise and quickly moved to the grass, awkwardly spraying gravel to the sides as he did so. He then made his way towards the fountain. If he avoided the gravel path around it, he wouldn't get caught.

###

"They've gone round the other side." Scarlett muttered, frustrated. "And Tessa's left the radio here." That was the reason why the girl wasn't in a higher position, she thought moodily, she couldn't be trusted to remember anything. But there was nothing they could do now.

###

As Tessa emerged into the daylight, she realised several things. First, the intruder was nowhere to be seen, despite the fact that they had definitely been by the front gate. Second, she'd left her radio inside. Third, if she lifted up the goggles, she could see that the gravel on the front driveway had been recently disturbed. She began to follow the direction the intruder seemed to have gone in.

###

Rex lapped water from the fountain like a dog. It might get him caught, but the water lacked the muddy taste of the stream water, and he was thirsty. Once his thirst was quenched, he became aware of how hungry he was, and the water sloshing around his empty stomach stopped feeling quite so satisfying. He wondered how easy it would be to sneak into the kitchens, if he could even find them. He left the fountain to walk round the house.

###

As Tessa rounded the corner, she could have sworn she saw a splash of blue heat through her goggles, turning the next corner. She hurried after it.

###

Mary felt a giggle building in her chest as she watched the cameras. The whole situation outside felt faintly ridiculous. Scarlett, on the other hand, just looked incredibly exasperated. She was also mumbling under her breath and Mary was sure she heard the word 'incompetent' once or twice. Eventually, Mary picked up Tessa's radio and turned to leave the room, only to be stopped by Scarlett.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"Outside." Mary replied. "If I go round the house the other way, I might be able to stop the intruder. That, and it might be useful to have someone with a radio outside."

"No." Scarlett said. "You're most probably the one they want, and I refuse to deliver you into enemy hands. Is this really the sort of thing Tessa would let you do?"

"Uh, yeah?" Mary still didn't see the problem. Scarlett just shook her heat and muttered, "So irresponsible!" under her breath before turning back to Mary.

"Not on my watch." She said firmly, as if that were the end of it. Mary, though, stubborn as ever, wasn't about to give up.

"Why not? It's not like I don't have a plan or anything, and Tessa's almost certainly going to loose the intruder at this rate."

"I'd rather we loose the intruder than you. You're my and Tessa's first priority, not whoever's sneaking around outside!" Scarlett wasn't taking any chances, not after what had happened last time.

###

Rex had found a promising looking door, but he also felt like he was being followed. Twice he was convinced he heard breathing behind him. Of course, that was impossible; he was invisible, and it wasn't as if he'd heard footsteps, either. It was probably the wind and his own fears. Still, he didn't feel much like taking chances, and he glanced around nervously, before trying the handle.

###

"Okay, they're definitely trying to get inside. That means we aren't going to loose them – probably, anyway – but you're going back to your room and locking the door. Make sure the windows are also locked, and the curtains drawn."

Scarlett expected Mary to protest, and was surprised when she said nothing. Turning her head to see why, she realised the Mary was gone, and so, she noticed, was Tessa's radio. She swore violently and snatched up hers.

###

Mary had one hand on the door-handle when Tessa's radio crackled into life. "Mary, I have no idea what you think you're doing," Scarlett snapped, "But you are going to go to your room and lock the door. Right. Now."

"Nuh-uh." Mary replied. She knew how the radio worked – Tessa had shown her how to use it once. "I'm going out there."

"Mary," Scarlett growled, "I'm not going to repeat myself. Get back in here. In room. Lock door. Now."

"I'm glad you're not going to," Mary said. "Because that would be useless and also kinda inconvenient, what with trying to be stealthy and all. Also, my bedroom door doesn't lock."

"I'm serious Mary, you are going to get back up here and – Wait, did you seriously say your door doesn't lock?"

"Yup."

###

Scarlett felt numb. She shouldn't have been surprised, really. While she couldn't deny that Tessa's hearts were probably in the right place, the girl could be incredibly irresponsible. It wasn't that she meant to be, but she could overlook obvious flaws in her plans, and wasn't the smartest monster on the planet. Scarlett wouldn't have been surprised if it was Tessa's fault that Mary had the reckless attitude she did. Tessa had probably put it in her head that she was good enough to face down anything – idiot girl.

Mary had already left the house, Scarlett saw, but there was no use trying to stop her. The whole situation was out of her hands.

She just hoped her boss saw it that way.

###

The door was locked. The grubby sash window in the door, however, was ajar at the top. Rex tried to climb up but, once again, his adhesive ability mysteriously failed him. There was no ivy around the door either. He managed to get a grip on the window-frame, but something was jamming the window, stopping it from opening it further. He had wasted enough time, Rex thought. There had to be more than one side-door.

###

It was only once Mary had closed the door behind her that she realized she'd left her more high tech infra-red goggles inside, and only had her lighter, portable pair jammed in her back pocket. They would have to do, she thought, pulling the strap over her head. She did have her trusty rounders bat, though, so it wasn't like she wasn't armed. She genuinely didn't get Scarlett's problem. Now if she was coming out here, unarmed, and without goggles, then she would understand, but she wasn't! Scarlett would see!

Everything would be just fine.

Don't tempt fate, Mary. Don't tempt fate. I'm on Scarlett's side with this one.

...Or I would be if we didn't all know that it's just Rex.