2.

Grace Farrell-Warbucks smiled at her 12-year-old daughter.

"We trust your judgment Annie," she said

"Yes," said Oliver, "I'll look into this as soon as we get home."

"Um, Daddy Warbucks," said Annie, "About that, I'm afraid that if you, take the direct approach you'll spook whoever is behind all this and if that happens, he or she might destroy evidence that we would need to clear Mr. Wilcox."

Oliver looked at his daughter both impressed with and proud of his daughter's sharp mind.

"She's right Oliver." Said Grace

"She certainly is." Said Warbucks to his wife, "but what can we do?"

"Let me go down there and snoop around a little." Said Annie

"You?!" exclaimed Warbucks, "Annie, I know you want to help this girl but…,"

"It's far too dangerous!" finished Grace

"Mom, Daddy Warbucks, I can take care of myself," Annie persisted, "and besides, you need someone who could blend in down in the shanty towns, and with your private eye laid up with a busted ankle who else could pull it off?"

Oliver stared at his daughter for several seconds. As bad as he hated to admit it, she had once again made some very valid points. He couldn't believe he was actually considering this.

"Okay, Alright," said Mr. Warbucks

"Oliver!" said Grace in disbelief, "you can't be seriously considering…,"

"My dear, please trust me," said Oliver, "Annie may be young, but you and I both know that she is more than capable of taking care of herself and besides, she'll have protection. Punjab and the Asp will be nearby at all times."

"Oliver this is crazy." Insisted Grace

"Mom," said Annie, "I know your scared, truthfully I'm a little scared too, but if there is even the slightest chance that someone who works for dad has gone to jail for a crime he didn't commit, we owe it to him and to our own good name to find out the truth, please mom, let me go."

Grace couldn't help but stare at her daughter with a both motherly worry and a large about of motherly pride in her daughter's strong sense of right and wrong and her determination to do the right thing.

She hugged her daughter tightly.

"Okay," she smiled, "You can go."

Annie hugged her mother back, and smiled at her.

"Thanks, Mom." She said.

"Annie," said her dad as they walked out to the limo, "Before you go, I want you to stop by my R & D department. I'll call the professor and tell him to give you whatever he thinks will help you."

Annie nodded in agreement.

The Professor was Dr. Clayton Turner a wild-haired, eccentric scientist and inventor whom Warbucks swore had a mind that was 50 years ahead of its time.

He was also very fond of Annie just like everyone else on Warbucks staff, so, when he got the call, it was no problem to convince to give Annie whatever he thought she would need.

"Okay Annie," he said his lab coat whipping around him as he hurried around gathering things, "The first thing I want to give you is this. He pulled out a small jewelry chest and opened it to reveal a pair of silver bracelets that were a little over an inch wide and had a single dime sized ruby mounted in the top of each one, "These will prove useful, I think!"

He pulled the right bracelet out of the box and held it up.

"This bracelet conceals a miniaturized dart gun. You activate it by turning the rubies one-click counterclockwise, like this. He turned the ruby until Annie heard a barely audible click. When she looked closely, she could see the smallest metal barrel she had ever seen stick out from under the jewel.

"Now, you fire the darts by pressing on the jewel!" said professor, "These micro-darts can knock even a large man out instantly for 20 minutes! If you turn the jewel one click, clockwise, the bracelet will arm and fire darts with explosive heads powerful enough to blow a hole in steel!"

"Leapin Lizards!" exclaimed Annie, "I'll save that for emergencies."

"Right, Good Idea," said The Professor, "Now in this second bracelet, that goes on your left wrist is actually my latest invention a miniaturized two-way radio that you can use to communicate with your parents as well as Punjab and the Asp." He reached down next to the jewel and pulled out a small antenna.

"Just pull this out," he said, "and talk into the jewel."

"Got it, Thanks Professor!" smiled Annie.

Annie went back to the main house and changed out of her trademark red dress with the white cuffs and collars. She put on the same raggedy red sweater and clothes that she had worn in during her time in the orphanage luckily, they still fit. Of course, that was only because they already were a size too big when she got them. She kept them to always remind herself where she came from and to never give up her resolve to help all of the girls that stuck by her for all those years.

She hid the bracelets in the secret pocket she had added to her sweater a long time ago to keep the note from her parents in. then she mussed up her hair a little and put it in two ragged pigtails. For a final touch, she went to the firebox next to her fire place and getting some coal dust, she used it to smudge her face and hands.

She opened her bedroom door just in time to find her mother Grace Farrell standing there with her fist in mid-air as she was about to knock on the door.

"I think I'm ready now, Mom." She said

Grace hugged her daughter tightly.

"I can't believe I let you and your father talk me into this," she said, "But please be careful!"

"I will," said Annie hugging her back.

Annie let go of her mom and started down the grand staircase. She first went to her father's study and hugged him goodbye as well. He kissed her forehead and wished her look also pushing a money clip with some emergency cash in into her hand. Annie slipped it into her secret pocket knowing better than to try and talk him out of it.

Then with one more hug she headed off to the employee entrance of the Warbucks estate. Slipping out of this seldom used side entrance, she emerged onto a side street. Putting her estate master key in one of her pockets she turned and headed down the street in the direction of the orphanage. She was tempted to call a cab but she knew a girl that looked like she did right now, being able to afford a cab, might blow her cover. So, she would walk, she knew several shortcuts to get to the alley behind the orphanage. As she walked, she began to turn things over in her mind.

Her plan was to meet with Jen in the alley like she had planned and fill her in. hopefully then she would be able to convince Jen to take her back to the shanty town that she came from.

These shanty towns were makeshift towns built, by the many people rendered homeless by the depression, out of cardboard, scrap metal, wooden crates and whatever else they could find.

Annie was no stranger to this life. Having stayed in a shanty town for a while after the first time she escaped from the orphanage.

She was jarred out of her musing about these things when she realized that she had arrived back at the alley.

Jennifer was waiting for her when she got there. Her eyes widened when she saw Annie. The raggety looking girl before her was a far cry in appearance from the well-dressed girl she had faced in a fist fight a few hours ago.

Annie saw Jennifer's eyebrows go up and smiled.

"It's quite a change isn't it. Do you think I'll blend in?" she said as they turned and started toward the Shanty town where Jennifer lived.

"If I didn't know better, I never would have thought you were the same girl." Said Jennifer

"If you had met me just this past spring, this is what I would have looked like." Said Annie, "I lived in Squalor in that orphanage when Miss Hannigan was in charge."

"What happened to this Miss Hannigan." Asked Jennifer

"She was arrested on multiple charges as well as being an accomplice in a scheme to con Daddy Warbucks out of $50,000 and kill me in the process," replied Annie, "She's is currently sitting in jail."

Annie then proceeded to tell Jennifer the whole story of her life thus far. By the time she was finished they had arrived at the Shanty town. The homes of the shanty town were made out of everything from tents to scrap boards and half rusted tin sheets.

The house that Jennifer led Annie to was no exception. Inside was Jennifer's mother a tired but kind looking dark-haired woman. She looked up when they came in the door and smiled at her daughter. Her expression changed to one of surprise when she saw Annie.

"Mama," said Jennifer, "This is my new friend Annie…,"

"Bennett," Annie whispered to her.

"…Bennett," finished Jennifer, "She's an orphan, is it okay if she stays with us for a few days?"

Mrs. Wilcox looked very uncertain at this request.

"I don't know…," she started, "You know the situation we're in."

"I'll earn my keep ma'am," said Annie, "I won't be burden to you."

Mrs. Wilcox smiled at the ginger-haired girl.

"Okay," she said, "You can stay."

To Be Continued…Please Review