The Thunder Rolls
By: Jake Boney
Chapter 2: Artie Concerned
"The artifact that you will be 'snagging and bagging' on this assignment is extremely dangerous. Nearly a hundred years ago, it claimed the life of two Warehouse agents." said Artie.
"Artie, sometimes I think you enjoy getting us all worked up without letting us in on the secret." said Pete in a tone of mock frustration.
"If you wouldn't interrupt me so often, Agent Lattimer, I would actually be able to finish filling you in on the situation." Artie continued, "The artifact is Benjamin Franklin's key, the one he famously tied to the kite string. It is imbued with the ability to control lightning, as well as pretty much any electric current. As you know, almost every artifact that we deal with has a downside, and this is no exception. Excessive use of the Key will turn the user into a human lightning rod."
"Where is this key now?" asked Myka.
"Where would you expect to find any Ben Franklin artifact?" asked Claudia.
"Philadelphia?" asked Pete.
"Exactly, chalk one up for the big man." chuckled Claudia, "In the past 72 hours, there have been eleven people struck by lightning. I am still working on trying to figure out if there is a connection between the victims. There is something there, I am almost sure of it. Just give me some time to connect the dots."
"You two should probably start packing," said Artie, "your flight leaves in less than an hour. Contact me over Farnsworth once your plane lands, and I will give you further instructions."
"Geeze Artie, thanks for the heads up. It's not like either of us might have had plans for this evening." joked Pete.
"Very funny, Pete. You both knew what you were getting into when you joined this unit. Oh, I almost forgot, here are your dossiers. They contain all the information that we currently have on the Key." Artie said, trying his best to keep his nerves in check.
"I guess we'd best get on the road." said Myka. "Pete, you can drive. I am going to better acquaint myself with this file on the trip to the airport. Oh, and Pete, don't forget your iPod, I know how cranky you get on a plane ride without your 'tunes,' and frankly, I really don't want to deal with it."
As they got up to leave the dining room, both Pete and Myka couldn't help but notice that Artie was watching them with a look of pure concern in his eyes. Myka made a mental note to talk to Pete about it once they got to the car. She had never seen Artie look this worried, and to be honest, it startled her a little bit. Artie usually kept his emotions to himself, and this was new territory for her. She started to pack her bag for the trip. As usual, she only packed a carry-on bag. They were usually only gone for three days at the most, so this was always plenty for her. Myka was not one of those girly girls that needed an extra suit-case just for her make-up, she didn't need a whole lot.
Pete, on the other hand, always needed an extra suit-case, but it wasn't for extra clothes or make-up, or anything like that. Pete always had to make sure he always had enough snacks to last him a week when they went on these missions. He couldn't live without his junk food, and he never knew if he would have enough time to do any shopping once they got on location. He had also made a mental note to ask Myka what her thoughts were about the way Artie was acting. He had never seen this side of Artie, in all the time he had worked at the Warehouse. It left him a little addled, he did not like seeing his boss looking worried, because Artie always seemed to know way more about the artifacts than he would let on.