(Frank's POV)
I look at my watch for about the hundredth time. Jenny is over an hour late. I wanted to surprise her with what I've got in store for her today. It's officially our one year anniversary since we first met and this afternoon, I wanted to take her for a lunch cruise on the Thames, followed by a ride on the London Eye. Then in the evening, we'll see Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre (she went to see it with a friend for their birthday and immediately fell in love with it). And finally, we'll end the night with dinner at my place, with me cooking – lobster tails, linguine carbonara and steamed mixed vegetables.
Though, I'm hoping that's how the day would go if I'm wondering if someone is going to show up or not, and worrying about where she could be, and what is taking her so long.
Come on, Jen! Where are you?
Suddenly, my mobile rings. I take it out of my pocket to see who's calling me. It's Mrs King.
"Hello?" I answer.
"Frank, something's happened to Jenny," says Mrs King. She sounds upset. "She's missing!"
I feel a chill run through my body and I nearly drop the phone. Jen's missing? But how could that be? I dropped her outside her house last night.
"What?" I mumble.
"She didn't come home last night," says Mrs King. "I thought she'd be with you, but when I left the house this morning, her phone, purse and keys were on the doorstep. I've called all of her friends, but they haven't heard from her and I daren't call her parents. For all I know, she could be…"
"Let's not assume the worse has happened, Mrs K," I interject, not wanting to think about that. "Have the police been called?"
"Yes – Richard called them about fifteen minutes ago. They're out looking for her – some are questioning the neighbours about last night. Oh Frank, I just don't know what to do. Anything could've happened to her."
"Mrs K, it's best not to have doubts like that in your mind. Just take some deep breaths and let the police handle it, OK?"
After we say our goodbyes and hang up, I race for the broom cupboard to get down to HQ, bringing out my screwdriver and pressing the button to summon Rose, Oscar and Carrie down to HQ too.
When I arrive at the underground base, I head over to the computers to go through CCTV to see who could've taken Jen or if there were any unusual activities happening around the street before she was taken.
Seconds later, the team arrive.
"Frank, what's going on?" Carrie asks.
"It's Jenny," I say. "She… she's missing."
"Missing?"
I nod. "I just got a call from Mrs King saying that Jenny didn't return home last night – despite the fact that I dropped her off in front of her house. When Mrs King left the house, the contents in Jen's bag was scattered on the doorstep."
"So, someone's kidnapped her?"
"It looks like it."
"But who could've taken her?" Oscar asks.
"That's what I'm trying to find out," I tell him. "I'm going through the CCTV footage of Jenny's street to see who could've taken her."
"Don't bother," says Rose. "Look at this."
We gather around Rose at one of the computers. My eyes widen as I see that it's a message from… the Grandmaster!
"'To the Cat – I have something that belongs to you. You have until midday today to claim her. If you're not here by that time, the girl will die! From the leader of SKUL: the Grandmaster'," I read.
"How does the Grandmaster know that the Cat… or Jenny works for MI9?" says Carrie.
"Unless… oh no," Rose groans. "We have a mole in MI9. Someone from SKUL now knows that Jenny is the Cat and has passed the information on to the Grandmaster."
"Meaning, he can use Jen's family to get to her," I say.
"The Grandmaster said that he has someone that belongs to Jenny," says Oscar. "The message said a girl – it must be her mum or her sister."
"I'll check." Rose gets typing right away. "That's weird. The location of Livi and her mother are situated at two different locations: the London Metropolitan University and a surgery in Harley Street."
"Livi has lessons today and her mother is a receptionist at the plastic and cosmetic surgery in Harley Street," I say. "So, that means…"
"The Grandmaster has Jenny," Oscar finishes.
"But… that doesn't make sense," says Carrie. "If the Grandmaster knows that Jenny and the Cat is the same person, why is he keeping Jenny prisoner?"
"This may answer your question, Carrie," says Rose. "I've just received an e-mail from the mole inside SKUL. Listen to this: 'To MI9 – Due to a leak within your organization, the Grandmaster now knows the identity of the Cat. However, the girl has managed to deceive the Grandmaster into claiming that she is her own twin sister, Claudia. But I'm afraid your friend cannot keep up the charade for long, as the Grandmaster has demanded that the Cat is to show up and rescue her 'sister'. If she's not there by midday today, he'll know that your friend has lied to him and will be killed. Please hurry – you do not have long. The Mole'."
"So Jenny is posing as her own twin sister?"
"Just one more reason why I love her," I say. "You clever girl."
"But like the e-mail said, she can't keep this up for much longer. If we don't do anything before twelve, the Grandmaster will know that Jenny has lied to him and she'll be killed," says Oscar. "We're going to need some help."
"What about Zeke?" Carrie suggests. "He must have some awesome gadgets that he could lend us to help Jenny with."
"Good idea, Carrie," I say. "Question is how do we get in touch with him? None of us have his phone number."
"Actually, that's not strictly true," says Rose, looking flushed. "After you and Jenny left on Monday, Zeke gave me his number and e-mail address in case I needed help on solving a complex Math problem or… something."
"Oh yeah, I saw that," says Carrie. "And I saw how pink you went when he winked at you."
"Carrie!"
"Er, team, if we can please focus. We've got someone posing as their own sister that needs saving," I say. "Rose, if you would…?"
She types in Zeke's phone number into the computer. After a few rings, Zeke's face appears on the screen.
"Oh, hi, Rose!" he smiles. When he sees the look on our faces, he adds, "I take it this isn't a social call?"
"I'm afraid not," I say. "Zeke, we need your help. Something has happened with Jenny."
I explain to Zeke that Jenny was taken by SKUL last night after the Grandmaster knew of her identity being the Cat by a leak in MI9. Then I explain how Jenny has convinced the Grandmaster that she is posing her own twin sister called Claudia, and the e-mail we received this morning from the Grandmaster explaining that if the Cat doesn't show up at midday to rescue Jenny, he'll kill her.
"…So we need something that'll convince the Grandmaster that Jenny is telling the truth," I conclude. "On top of that, we need something that'll wipe the memories of everyone in SKUL who knows her identity as the Cat so this doesn't ever happen again."
"It's just as well your friends with a boy genius because I've got the necessary gadgets for this," says Zeke. "How long do we have left?"
I look down at my watch. "We have about an hour and a half."
"OK. Give me half an hour – I'll have the stuff ready for you."
"But we have no idea where SKUL could've taken Jenny," says Oscar. "She could be anywhere."
"I can check the CCTV footage for any activity that happened before they took Jenny…" I start.
"Don't worry. I'm on it," says Zeke. "In fact, I'm done."
"Wow, he's good," Carrie murmurs.
"According to the video surveillance, a black van was seen speeding through Shepherd's Bush, nearly colliding with a middle-aged man on a motorcycle. The van was last seen heading for Spa Road in Bermondsey, by the old railway station."
"We better get there right away," I say. "Let's go."
"I'll see you lot there."
Zeke hangs up, while the team and I exit HQ and head for Bermondsey.
xxoOoxx
"Where is Zeke?" I say, staring impatiently at my watch. "He should be here by now."
"Frank, it's only been like ten minutes since we got here," says Carrie.
"I know, but… time is running out for Jen. And it won't be long before the Grandmaster realizes that she's lying. If he even lays a finger on her…"
"We will rescue her, Frank," says Rose. "We've still got about thirty minutes to do so. But for now, you've got to calm down. OK?"
I nod. Rose is right – we've got plenty of time. I just need to take a few deep breaths – which I do… while glancing down at my watch.
Where is he?
Just then, I hear the gunning of an engine. I look around – there are no cars driving by or motorcycles. I look to the sky, shielding my eyes with my hand – not a plane or helicopter in sight. Strange. Then, a cold draught blows through the street – which is rather odd as the forecast said that it was gonna be a warm day today, the warmest September in years. What is going on?
"Hi, guys!"
The team and I turn to the bridge, and there is Zeke. He's wearing a white polo with a red hoodie on top, denim shorts and simple black-laced plimsoll shoes. He's standing by an orange Vespa scooter, but there are no wheels – it's hovering above the ground!
"Zeke! How did you get here so quickly?" says Rose.
He nods to his scooter. "Hover Scooter," he simply says. "It allows me to hover above ground and water surfaces while performing complex manoeuvres. Can go up sixty to sixty-five miles per hour – and I installed a cloaking device, so no-one can see me whizz through London on a vehicle without wheels."
"That explains the gunning noise and the breeze," I say. "Anyway, do you have the gadgets needed?"
"Yes – and it should be arriving in about" – Zeke looks at his watch and starts to count – "Five… four… three…"
A loud roar downs out Zeke's words. I look around the street – no cars or motorbikes have come past us. So I look to the skies – and there I see a figure flying around in a circle. Then it swoops straight down, like an angel. After it lands, the team and I gaze out at the figure, open-mouthed. The figure looks exactly like Jenny when she's the Cat!
"Guys, meet the Cat Android 1000," says Zeke. "She is essentially the robotic version of Jenny. If Jenny were to be injured in an accident that required months of healing, the Cat Android 1000 would take her place. She has realistic 'human skin' coating which hides her joints, making her virtually identical to the real Jenny when naked. She is equipped with several devices, including laser emitters in her eyes, thrusters on her legs and back that allow her to fly and retractable rocket fists. For combat and defence, her arms can be reconfigured into weapons, such as a blade or gun – though this will tear the sleeves of her clothes apart. She is also an expert hand-to-hand combatant."
For a moment the team and I are all too stunned to say anything. This has to be the most incredible invention I have ever come across.
"Wow," says Rose after a long silence. "This is… amazing. No, not amazing – absolutely phenomenal! You truly are an absolute genius, Zeke."
His cheeks go pink. "Thanks Rose." Then he clears his throat. "Anyway, I've also equipped the CA1000 with a neuralyzer. I'm sure everyone is familiar with the Men in Black films and how the neuralyzer actually works."
"You mean you've invented a fictional device that can erase memories?" says Carrie, sounding shocked.
"I once saw a program on the Discovery Channel a few years ago called Sci-Fi Saved My Life dedicated to the Men in Black films. Experts in the episode said the neuralyzer has a chance of being built in real life, so I decided to put that to the test. It took about twenty months to perfect the device and after testing it on Darwin and Einstein – my lab rats – the neuralyzer is good to go. The neuralyzer is implanted in CA1000's eyes and is powerful enough to wipe the memories of the last seven days from the human brain."
"That's incredible, Zeke, but shouldn't we be finding their HQ?" says Oscar. He glances at his watch. "We don't have a lot of time left."
"But where do we start?" says Rose. "There are some eight hundred arches in the viaduct at Spa Road that extends between London Bridge to Deptford – it could take forever!"
"And that's where the CA1000 comes in," says Zeke. He turns to the android. "CA, go and find a black Ford Tourneo transit van that was last seen around this area at around 11:40 last night."
The Cat Android nods and takes off.
Zeke brings out a handheld electronic device. It is dark red and has a screen roughly the size of a Blackberry screen. It has a circular speaker on the left side, and on the right side it has four black circular buttons. "The D-Transceiver – short for the 'Droid-Transceiver'. I can use it to talk and communicate with any of my androids. It also has compass, radar functions and instant messaging." Suddenly, the device starts to beep. "Looks like we've got a live one – the CA1000 has found the van. It's not too far from us."
"Then let's go!" I say.
We take off, with Zeke leading the way on his Hover Scooter to where the Cat Android is. After a couple of minutes or so, we find the android in a derelict viaduct widening, standing next to the black van that Zeke had described to her.
"Good job CA1000," he says. "OK, Jenny can't be too far, so let's do a search around the area."
Time is getting on as we start to search and we're all starting to worry we might not find Jen in time – with me, I've gone from worrying to panicking. I look at my watch – we've got less than fifteen minutes. I want to ask Zeke if he can track Jenny down but then I remember that her phone and watch communicator are at home with Mrs King so we can't make much progress.
But after about five minutes, we come across an entrance in one of the arches under the bridge, just past the lilac hoarding. The door is stood half open.
"Hey, look at this!" says Carrie. She bends down to pick up something from the ground and then she shows it to us. It's a SKUL badge. "Looks like we're in the right place."
"And it also looks like a trap," says Oscar. "SKUL wouldn't exactly leave their merchandise lying around – unless they wanted us to find it."
"Well, if that's the case, you better go in disguise," says Zeke. He goes to his pocket and brings out three watch-devices – one blue and two pink. "The Disguise Watch. It has the ability of allowing you to instantly change your outfits to any disguise possible by tapping the button on the side of its screen and then touching the screen. It also acts as a communicator and a GPS."
"Cool!" the team exclaims when Zeke hands them the watches. As soon as the team strap the watches on the wrists, they scroll through the watch to choose their disguise. When they've found their disguise, the team touch the screen of the watch and in a flash; the team appear in their chosen disguise – the black uniform wore by the underlings of SKUL.
"Oh, my gosh, this is so awesome!" Carrie cries. "This is the best gadget ever invented."
"Thanks very much," says Zeke. "Also, due to her own A.I. and computer programming, the CA1000 has the ability to interact and connect with other computer networks with ease, allowing her to hack and control computer systems. So SKUL won't know what hit them."
"That's great, Zeke!" says Rose. "Now let's get this show on the road. Time is nearly running out."
"I'll call for a SWAT team," I say. "Good luck, agents." I nod to the Cat Android. "CA1000."
The android nods, pushes the door open and steps inside, with the team following behind.
"Don't worry, Frank, the team will rescue Jenny," says Zeke. "You can count on it."
"I hope so," I say, and then I take out my phone and make a call to MI9.
(Jenny's POV)
"Atchoo!" I sneeze. Then I mutter, "Oh, God."
I am dying. I'm cold and I'm shivering. My nose is all bunged up, my throat is raw, my head aches and my chest hurts. That's what happens when you spend the night in a freezing cold and damp prison cell. And this burlap sack of a blanket that I'm wearing around my shoulders isn't helping. It's itchy and rough and there are some holes in it so I can stay 100% warm. I wonder what time it is. I've got my silver charm bangle jangling on my wrist instead of my watch – but I know its morning. And I know that time is running out for me. If something doesn't happen at midday, I'm toast. But I've got to believe that Frank and the others will come up with something. I know they will.
I hear footsteps. I sit still, listening. Maybe it's Oscar, Carrie and Rose. Or maybe – and I know it sounds very cliché – maybe it's Frank. He'll rescue me from the clutches of the Grandmaster and I'll reward him with a kiss, like Princess Peach would every time Mario saves her. I hear a set of keys jangling, then the door unlocking. I quickly stand up as the door swings open with a loud creak.
And there's a man standing in the doorway – but it's not Frank.
It's the burly man from yesterday. Agent Mac or McCampbell – Agent Alberts never established which man had what name. He glares in at me, an angry scowl on his face.
"Let's go," he growls.
The blanket falls from my shoulders as I leave the cell. I follow the man down the unpleasantly damp and cold corridor, shivering as I do. As we climb up the hairy steps in the dim light, I put my foot on a step that isn't there and trip, banging my shin.
"Ouch!" I scream, even though it isn't that painful – but there will be a big bruise later.
"Keep moving!" the brawny man commands.
As soon as he turns, I roll my eyes and mutter, "Prick," under my breath and I carry on up the stairs again.
When we get to the top, we walk down the long corridor to the room where the Grandmaster sits. The brawny agent shoves me and I stumble to the middle of the room. I look around and find that there's a room full of agents, about fifteen or so – including Agent Alberts. She has a pleased smile on her face. A triumphant smile. And standing next to her is the Grandmaster – and in his arms, General Flopsy.
"Well, well, well. Looks like time has run out for you, hasn't it… 'Claudia'?" he says. "It seems that your 'sister' is not going to rescue you anytime soon, is she?"
"We've still got a bit of time left," I say. "I mean, what time is it? Ten o'clock? Half eleven…?"
"It's time for you… to bite the dust. I shall leave you in the capable hands of my agents…"
"Hmm, of course. You don't wanna get blood splashed all over your rabbit and dressing gown, now, will you?"
"How many time do I have to say it – it is not a dressing gown. It's a ceremonial robe."
"Whatever, mate."
Even though he's wearing sunglasses, I can tell that he's glaring at me. Then he takes his leave from the side door. After he leaves, Agent Alberts gets out her gun – as do the other agents.
"I knew from the start that you were lying about having a 'twin sister'. I told the Grandmaster that you said that to save your own skin. You made her up in your head – which ironically, is the first place I'm going to shoot you. Like I said before, you are Jenny Brownstone – and you are the Cat. And now, you're gonna be Swiss cheese when we're done with you." She looks down at her watch. "Men, on my signal, fire. In five… four… three… two… one. Fir–" Suddenly, the lights go out. "Hey – what the hell? What's going on?"
Either the electricity in this place has gone bust or MI9 have arrived. Either way, I'm happy I'm not riddled with bullets.
"Find out what's going on!" Agent Alberts commands – but then I hear the sound of punches, kicks and grunts. Thank the Lord, its MI9. "Hey – what's going on? What is the meaning of this?"
The lights come back on. I look around the room. I see that all the agents – except Alberts and three others – are all lying on the floor.
Agent Alberts gazes around the room with a stunned look on her face. "What – but – how –?"
"Looks to me that that was my sister's way of saying hi," I say.
"Well, your sister must be stupid then I thought because you're still standing in front of me, rather than escaping with her." Alberts points her gun at me. "Sweet dreams, Cat."
"I don't think so!" says one of the agents with dark skin. The agent performs a somersault and kicks the gun out of Agent Alberts' hand. Then, they swing their other leg and kick Alberts on the chin twice, knocking her to the ground.
I stare at Alberts as she groans in pain, then I stare at the SKUL agent who knocked her down.
"What the… heck…?" I start.
The agent turns to me and takes off their helmet. "Surprise!"
I recognize them instantly. "Carrie!" I turn to the other two agents who take off their helmets too. "Rose! Oscar!"
"There's no time to explain," says Oscar. "Right now, we gotta get out of here."
"You don't need to tell me twice. Let's vamoose!"
Rose and Oscar lead the way out of the door, with me and Carrie following closely behind them, running at full speed.
"So, how did you guys know where to find me?" I ask as we run. "I don't have my phone or watch communicator on me."
"Thank Zeke," says Rose. "He tracked the van you were in down on CCTV."
"On top of that, he gave us these really cool watches that can we can use to disguise ourselves," says Carrie holding the wrist that the watch is up. "On top of that, he's got a soft spot for…"
"Carrie!" Rose screams, flustered.
"Guys, now's not the time for this!" says Oscar. "We've still got a long way to go before we get of here."
"If we get out of here!" I say, pointing. "Look!"
We skid to a halt. At the end of the corridor, there's a group of SKUL agents – about twenty or so – blocking our exit.
"Back the way we came!" says Carrie.
We turn… only to find another group of SKUL agents blocking the way – along with Agent Alberts.
"Oh, crap," I murmur. "We're surrounded."
The team and I stand back-to-back with each other as the SKUL agents move towards us.
"End of the line for you, Miss Brownstone," says Agent Alberts. "Along with your pesky MI9 friends, too."
"Well, guys, it's been a pleasure working with you – even though we haven't actually done a mission together," I say.
"Don't be blue, Jen," says Carrie. "We've still got the CA1000."
"Huh? What's that?"
Right on cue, someone breaks through a wall which causes the SKUL agents to stop where they are. I squint into the thick dust and debris to see who could've done that. I blink a few times and focus properly. I stare at the person who came through the wall – and I let out a gasp.
It's… the Cat!?
"What the fu…?" I gasp again and clamp my hand over my mouth.
"Your 'sister'," says Carrie, making two quote marks with her fingers.
"The Cat Android 1000," Oscar whispers to me. "Zeke built this in case you were injured in an accident and needed time to heal."
"Or you were kidnapped by SKUL and told them that you weren't who you say you were, even though you are."
"Uh-huh." I nod. "Yeah, that… that makes sense."
"The Cat!" Agent Alberts exclaims, pointing at the android. "Agents, take aim and fire!"
The team and I lay flat on the floor as the SKUL agents take out their guns and start firing at the android. I can the bullets ricocheting – I don't know if they're hitting the CA1000 or the walls.
Then silence.
A horrible, still silence.
I slowly open one eye and look to the Cat Android… to see that she's still standing. There are no holes in her. Zeke must have used a special bulletproof coating. I look to the SKUL agents. They all have the same horrified look on their faces.
"But… but… but that's not possible," Agent Alberts murmur, looking up and down at the Cat Android. "What in the blue blazes are you?"
The Cat Android smirks at Agent Alberts. "Something you won't remember," she says. Crikey, she even sounds exactly like me! Suddenly, the eyes of the android changes from brown to red.
"Cover your eyes!" says Rose, covering her eyes with her hands.
I lie back down on the ground and cover my eyes – and for extra caution, I squeeze my eyes shut real tight. Just then, I hear a noisy, camera-like sound. And then the sounds of bodies landing on the floor with a thud.
Then silence.
For a few seconds, I don't move.
Then I hear the voice of the Cat Android say, "You can open your eyes now."
Removing my hands from my eyes, I slowly start to sit up. Then I slowly open my eyes. When my eyes are adjusted, I see that Agent Alberts and the rest of the SKUL agents are lying on the floor. I look up and find the Cat Android holding her hand out for me. I take it and I get pulled to my feet.
"What did you do to the SKUL agents?" I ask the android.
"I simply erased their memories with the neuralyzer that Master Zeke installed in my eyes," she tells me. "The flash in the neuralyzer is powerful enough to wipe the last seven days from the human brain."
"You mean they'll never know that the Cat and I are the same person? I mean never ever?"
"Affirmative."
I let out a huge sigh of relief. "Zeke Williams, you are most definitely the man."
"How long will they be unconscious for?" Rose asks.
"They will be unconscious for exactly thirty minutes," the Cat Android replies. "And when they wake up, they will find that they will be without vision for the next forty-eight hours."
"By that time, they'll be inside an MI9 prison cell," says Carrie.
"Speaking of which, we better get out of here before more agents show up," says Oscar.
"I have checked the computer system of SKUL and it shows that these are the only agents within the vicinity," says the Cat Android.
"Ah," I ah-ed. "That explains why the lights that went out – you hacked into their computer system."
"Affirmative."
"That's what I love about Zeke – he thinks of everything!"
"Or a certain someone," says Carrie, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Shut up, Carrie!" says Rose, nudging her.
I shake my head, laughing. "Come on, guys – let's get out of here."
The team and I follow the Cat Android down the corridor. Even though the Cat Android told us that there are no other SKUL agents about, I still feel the need to be cautious and glance at any of the doors that are opened just a crack. I go on like this until we emerge outside, greeted by the SWAT team, their guns pointing at me, the team and the Cat Android.
"It's OK, men, they're MI9!" I heard someone say, and I recognize the voice before I see the face.
It's Frank.
"It's OK, you can lower your guns – they are on our side," he tells the SWAT team. He catches his eyes with mine and smiles. I smile back. He rushes over and envelopes me in a huge hug. "I'm so glad that you're OK," he tells me.
"Me, too," I sniff.
When we pull away, Frank leans his head down and kisses me. Then he takes my hand and leads me to an ambulance where the paramedics dress my cuts and grazes, and wrap a blanket around me. I see Zeke running to me, with the Cat Android following behind.
"Zeke!" I cry.
"Jenny! Thank God you're all right," he says.
"Thanks for using the Cat Android – who I didn't know you made into a spitting image of me – to save me. As well as using the neuralyzer to erase the SKUL agents' memories"
"No problem."
I nod – but then, something comes to me. "CA1000, when you checked the names of the SKUL agents in the computer system, did the Grandmaster's name appear on it?"
"Negative. The Grandmaster's name did not show up on the system."
I put my hand to my forehead. "Oh no," I say with a groan.
"Why? What's wrong?" Zeke asks.
I sigh. "The Grandmaster still knows who I am," I tell him. "Oh God. He's going to the pass the information to every SKUL agent in the country. I'm gonna have to go on the run. My family will have to go into witness protection. My life is over."
"Why would your life be over?"
I raise my eyes to see Frank standing with two cups of tea in his hands.
"Well, uh…" I stammer. How am I going to break the news to him? We've just gotten back together.
"Jen?" Frank is looking at me, waiting for a reply.
"Er… well… You see, Frank… I… I…"
Bleep bleep bleep
"Huh?" Zeke takes out his D-Transceiver. There's a bewildered look on his face. "What the…? Jen, look at this."
I take the device from Zeke. My eyes widen when I see the message.
To Miss Jenny Brownstone,
I know you have concerns about the Grandmaster knowing your identity as the Cat. But you have nothing to fear. Before the Grandmaster made his exit, I slipped a Mickey in his drink, which temporarily sedated him. While sedated, the Grandmaster was put under a hypnotic state due to effects of the drug and I told him to forget about you, your 'twin sister' Claudia and your identity as the Cat. So you have nothing to worry about. And as for me knowing about your secret, do not worry. Your secret is safe with me. Trust me – for I am like you, an MI9 agent.
I wish you the best of luck
The Mole
"Oh wow!" I murmur. "Can't you believe it, Zeke? This guy's an MI9 agent – working undercover at SKUL!"
"He must be the best," says Zeke. "He hacked into the D-Transceiver!"
"Ahem!"
Zeke and I look at to find Frank still standing in front of us.
"In case you have forgotten, I'm still here!" Frank says patiently. "Now would someone please tell me what's going on?"
"Oh right," I say. Zeke and I exchange glances. "Well, you see, Frank… I just wanted to know… how I was going to explain my whereabouts to Aunt Hermione and the police."
He raises one eyebrow slightly. "Oh."
"Exactly. I can't exactly tell them I spent the night with you or friends now, can I? Also" – I hold up my hands and nod at my knees – "how do I explain my injuries?"
"Don't worry, Jen," says Zeke. "The Cat Android will take care of it."
"That's very nice of you, Zeke, but I don't really want to explain to Aunt Hermione and Uncle Richie why they've been without vision for two days."
"Well, that's the thing about the neuralyzer – it can erase the memories of the past hours, days, weeks, months or years, depending on the chosen settings. The only reason why the SKUL agents are suffering from the side effects of the device is because I set it on the highest flash setting."
"So, the neuralyzer is safe to use?" Frank asks.
"Precisely. When activated, the neuralyzer will give a bright flash – like any normal camera would – and your memories will be wiped. So your aunt and uncle and the police will be fine. So what, we erase the last twelve hours?"
"Um, I was thinking maybe thirty-six hours," I say.
"A day and a half? Why that length of time?" Frank asks.
I shrug. "No reason." No way am I not doing chores for a month! "Anyway, I'm exhausted – not to mention hungry."
"Here, get this down you." Frank hands me the cup. "Then afterwards, we can go back to my place. I'll be sweet to you. I'll massage your forehead – and your shoulders – and your feet…"
"You'll feed me grapes, too?"
"If you like."
"Then it's a done deal." I take a sip of the tea. "By the way, MI9 need a new receptionist."
After been checked over once more, the paramedics let me go… then I hear a commotion. I look to the entrance under the bridge to see the SWAT officers grappling with the SKUL agents who, I can guess, are fully awake, and now realising that they are blind as a bat.
"Let go of me!" I hear someone growl. It's Agent Alberts. "Where are you taking me?" she shouts. "Why can't I see? What is going on?" One of the officers gives Alberts a hard shove towards one of the black prison vans. Alberts nearly stumbles, but the other officer catches her by the arm.
I watch as Alberts disappears into the van. The door slams behind her. The two officers hop into the front and the van starts. My eyes follow the van until it disappears around the corner.
I don't realize that Frank is taking my hand and squeezing it. "Hey," he says, "you OK?"
I look into Frank's warm blue eyes and smile. "Just fine. By the way" – I give him a tender kiss on the lips – "Happy anniversary."
"You remembered!"
"Of course I remembered. Now let's go home to celebrate what's left of this special occasion. I just hope that next year, you're not the one who's gonna get kidnapped."
Frank laughs. Then he puts my arm around my shoulders and guides me to the car.