{"id":369,"date":"2014-12-30T07:06:31","date_gmt":"2014-12-30T07:06:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/?page_id=369"},"modified":"2022-01-01T19:41:15","modified_gmt":"2022-01-02T01:41:15","slug":"part4","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/episodes\/episode10\/part4\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 4"},"content":{"rendered":"

Episode 10: \u00a0Catch Her If You Can<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Part 4<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou think you could ride in a kangaroo\u2019s pouch?\u201d asked Nick, holding up a small, stuffed kangaroo wearing a t-shirt that said AUSTRALIA<\/strong>. \u201cI always thought that would be sweet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019d be nasty, dawg,\u201d Styx replied, wrinkling his nose. \u201cThat\u2019s where the baby kangaroo develops — it\u2019d be like ridin\u2019 around in a chick\u2019s uterus!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike we haven\u2019t all done that before,\u201d Diamond said dryly, looking up from her phone just long enough to roll her eyes at her two male companions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you know what I mean!\u201d spluttered Styx. \u201cIt\u2019s probably all full of\u2026 fluids and goopy shit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEw.\u201d Diamond made a face before turning back to her phone. Nick turned back to the touristy merchandise.<\/p>\n

They were killing time at a gift shop near their gate at the Melbourne Airport, waiting to board their flight to Lima, Peru to investigate the disappearance of several antique books. Nick hoped they would have better luck there than they had in Australia. They\u2019d found no leads on the theft of the Gospels of St. Luke and St. John<\/em>, an eighth-century text on loan from Cambridge, England. It appeared to have been stolen without a trace from the State Library Victoria in Melbourne. The English were going to be as pissed as the Aussies if their precious book wasn\u2019t found and returned.<\/p>\n

Hell, I would be too,<\/em> thought Nick, his mind on the President\u2019s Book. All that information, including — probably — details on HimTak itself, in the hands of a crook. How long would it take, he wondered, for the secrets to start spilling?<\/p>\n

He was startled out of his thoughts by the familiar beep of his watch. Looking down, he pressed the button that activated the miniature video screen, which showed Agent K sitting behind his desk. \u201cDouble-0s,\u201d K began brusquely as Diamond and Styx looked over each of Nick\u2019s shoulders. \u201cOur globetrotting book bandit has struck again! This time, she\u2019s \u2018borrowed\u2019 Beowulf<\/em> from the British Library in London. More specifically, she\u2019s nabbed the Nowell Codex, a book dating back to the first millennia, which contains the unique manuscript of Beowulf<\/em> as well as four other texts. Your mission, Double-0s: bring Beowulf<\/em> back to Britain and catch the crook who took the book!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick cocked his head. \u201cK, when did you start speaking in rhyme?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNever mind that, 008,\u201d snapped K, stern as ever. \u201cNow fly to London and find that felon!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really more alliteration and assonance than rhyme, what he\u2019s using,\u201d said Diamond thoughtfully as the video screen descended back into Nick\u2019s watch.<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNever mind. We\u2019d better head to the airline counter and tell them we need to fly to London, not Lima. I hope there\u2019s not a fee for changing flight plans this late.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick chuckled. \u201cIf there\u2019s a fine, it\u2019s on K\u2019s dime. And hey, guess what — that almost rhymed!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re like K: a poet, and you don\u2019t know it,\u201d Diamond quipped with a smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, trust me.\u201d Nick winked. \u201cI know it.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cThe other team\u2019s headed to London,\u201d Jay told Leo and Opal as they logged into their laptops at their newest hiding place in a different hotel across town. \u201cThere was another theft there yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me guess: another priceless book?\u201d droned Leo.<\/p>\n

\u201cPriceless and ancient,\u201d replied Jay. \u201cIt contained the sole surviving manuscript of Beowulf<\/em>, and it\u2019s wicked old, like Biblical old.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opal shook her head. \u201cThis is terrible!\u201d she moaned. \u201cWe have to put a stop to this! If only I could figure out what this clue means. Do you think it leads to London?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it does, it won\u2019t matter now; we\u2019re too late.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI still want to crack it. Maybe there\u2019ll be another clue left at the new crime scene. I know it\u2019s in another language; I just need to figure out which one. It\u2019s hard to figure out how the letters were rearranged when I don\u2019t know what language it was in originally.\u201d She sighed, sweeping back her newly-blonde hair as she looked at the clue on her computer screen. \u201cIt uses the Latin alphabet, but only nineteen letters — of course, maybe the other seven just weren\u2019t needed in the message,\u201d she murmured, thinking out loud. \u201cIt uses grave accents but no other diacritics, which rules out certain languages. It doesn\u2019t appear to be a Germanic, Romance, or Indo-Iranian language, which means we need to think outside the box\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d said Leo, listening in on her thoughts, \u201clet\u2019s think, then. The clue might lead to London, England. What languages do they speak in England?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, English, of course,\u201d said Opal. \u201cThere will be immigrants who speak other languages, just as there are in the States. But\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go wider, then. Outside the box.\u201d Leo grinned. \u201cHow about the whole UK? What are the main languages?\u201d<\/p>\n

A slow smile started across Opal\u2019s face, matching his as she ticked the possibilities off on her fingers. \u201cWell, there would be Welsh… Scots and Scottish Gaelic\u2026 Irish\u2026 Cornish\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of those are pretty obscure, right? Could it be one of those?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could\u2026\u201d Opal stared at her screen with fresh eyes. The two men left her alone, and it took her just half an hour to cry out, \u201cI\u2019ve got it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d Jay and Leo crowded around her laptop.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s in Gaelic. Scottish Gaelic. It was encrypted using columnar transposition, the same type of coding used on the Kryptos sculpture outside the CIA headquarters. All I had to do was find the right key, the number of column shifts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, most of that was over my head, but continue,\u201d said Jay, and they all laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started trying numbers until I got a letter pattern with something recognizable. The number thirteen gave me this.\u201d She motioned to the text now displayed on her screen:<\/p>\n

HARRY TIONNDADH AIR A’ ‘AITE, LE GRIPHOOK AIR A GUALAINN, SAOIL LE UILE A NEIRT AIR A’ AODIONACH BOITEAG, A\u2019 TAIGH-\u00d2SDA SIN A’ DORAS DO TRASDA CAOL-SHR\u00c0ID. A\u2019 B\u00d2CAN CUM MAR SIN FH\u00c8IN CUIMIR MAR IAD IMICH A-STEACH DO A’ PEINNTEALTA DORCHADAS, AGUS DARA AIR DHEIREADH HARRY\u2019S LUIGHEAN BONN CABHSAIR AGUS E DRE\u00d2SGACH A SUIL AIR CHARING A\u2019CHROIS BEALACH.<\/em><\/p>\n

To Jay, it looked no different at first, but then he recognized a couple of English words — names, rather. \u201cHey,\u201d he said, pointing, \u201cit says \u2018Harry.\u2019 And there, \u2018Griphook.\u2019 Is that a name, too?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHard to tell if it\u2019s a proper noun with everything in caps,\u201d said Leo.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere have I heard that word before? It sounds familiar\u2026\u201d Jay stroked his goatee as his eyes narrowed at the screen.<\/p>\n

\u201cGriphook? Sounds like a tool or a weapon. Or maybe a pirate name or something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUgh, not pirates again.\u201d Jay groaned. \u201cI\u2019ll keep thinking on it. Can you translate it into English?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can, but it will take some time. Gaelic isn\u2019t exactly a language I\u2019m fluent in.\u201d Opal chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe neither, but maybe I can help,\u201d Leo volunteered. \u201cI\u2019m good with languages.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

As they settled down to the tedious task of translating the clue, Jay continued to muse over the word \u201cGriphook.\u201d \u201cThe name Harry is used here twice, see?\u201d he heard Leo murmur. \u201cIt must be important.\u201d<\/p>\n

Important\u2026 Harry\u2026 Griphook\u2026 Harry\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Suddenly, it came to Jay. \u201cI got it!\u201d he called out, leaping up from the bed. \u201cGriphook\u2019s a goblin, not a pirate. And Harry — wait for it — is Harry Potter<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n

Two heads turned away from the computer screen simultaneously, staring at him with identical looks of skepticism. \u201cYou think this clue she\u2019s been working on for days somehow refers to Harry Potter?\u201d Leo said, his eyebrows raised.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know it does. And listen, it makes sense! Everywhere she goes, she\u2019s stealing books, right? Books. So why not have her clues refer to books, too? Hell, I bet this clue is right out of one of the Harry Potter books!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich you\u2019ve read, apparently.\u201d Leo smirked with amusement.<\/p>\n

\u201cHell yeah, I have. Who hasn\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay scoffed. \u201cWell, you\u2019re missing out, then, buddy. The series is epic!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, okay, enough,\u201d Opal cut in. \u201cIt helps that we know what the clue comes from. Now, all we have to do is finish putting it in English, and we should be able to figure out where it leads.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHope it\u2019s not Hogwarts,\u201d said Jay. \u201cIt\u2019s unplottable. Maybe King\u2019s Cross Station\u2026 Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Leo burst out laughing. \u201cNerd.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever, dude. Like I said, you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re missing. I wonder, is 4 Privet Drive a real address?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no mention of a Privet Drive,\u201d said Opal after a while, \u201cbut there is a Diagon Alley and a Charing Cross Road. Look\u2026\u201d And she showed them the English text.<\/p>\n

\u201cHarry turned on the spot, with Griphook on his shoulders, concentrating with all his might on the Leaky Cauldron, the inn that was the entrance to Diagon Alley. The goblin clung even tighter as they moved into the compressing darkness, and seconds later Harry\u2019s feet found pavement and he opened his eyes on Charing Cross Road.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cDiagon Alley!\u201d cried Jay. \u201cOf course! All we need to do is find the Leaky Cauldron. Of course, that\u2019s easier said than done since Muggles can\u2019t see it\u2026 Neither of you is a witch or wizard, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDude,\u201d Leo chuckled. \u201cAgent Jay, the rebel of HimTak, really is a Harry Potter nerd. You think the other agents know this?\u201d he asked Opal, \u201cor can we use it for blackmail?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHardy-har-har,\u201d retorted Jay good-naturedly. \u201cIf you don\u2019t watch it, I\u2019ll make it required reading for Double-0s. How \u2018bout that, Vitruvian?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow \u2018bout Vitruvian stops razzing Jay long enough to book us a flight to London?\u201d suggested Opal with a smirk. \u201cAnd don\u2019t worry about getting us seats together — at the rate you two are going, I think I\u2019d rather sit by myself. A few hours of peace and quiet would be nice.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two men were taken aback. \u201cAt your service, Your Royal Odyssey,\u201d said Leo finally with an unctuous little bow and a smirk to match. Then he went back to his computer to look up the next flight to London.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The British Library was a sprawling, red brick building filled with books and exhibits, collections and archives, and reading rooms that could accommodate hundreds of visitors. Yet the library was nearly deserted on this particular afternoon, unless you counted the security guards and Scotland Yard officers that canvassed the place.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been closed ever since the theft,\u201d explained one of the library\u2019s directors as she led Nick, Diamond, and Styx on a tour through the building. \u201cWe can\u2019t bear to risk any other items disappearing or any evidence being destroyed, so we\u2019re being especially stringent with who we allow into the building.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s your security usually like?\u201d asked Nick. \u201cDo you normally have an idea of who comes and goes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyone is welcome to enter the library, tour the building, or visit our exhibition galleries. We require a reader pass for those wishing to use any of our sixteen reading rooms, through which the majority of our collections can be accessed. Patrons have to be at least eighteen to apply for a reader pass and must show proper identification and proof of residence. We generally discourage those who are not students or researchers. Some hear the word \u2018library\u2019 and assume we operate the same way as a public library, which isn\u2019t the case.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo the person who stole the Codex\u2026 would they have had one of those reader passes?\u201d Diamond wondered hopefully.<\/p>\n

\u201cLikely, yes, but the book that was stolen didn\u2019t disappear from one of the reader rooms. It was on display in one of our galleries, which is open to the public. We have security footage from that day, but it\u2019s awfully grainy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWonder who she was posing as this time?\u201d muttered Diamond.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe Pearl can clean it up,\u201d Nick replied out of the side of his mouth. To the director, he said, \u201cWe\u2019d like to see the security tape, please.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, Mr. Carter. If you\u2019ll just follow me\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Agent Jay, we\u2019ve followed you this far,\u201d said Leo, spreading his arms wide. \u201cNow what.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay looked around. The three of them stood at the intersection of Charing Cross Road and Oxford Street in the West End of London. After more than twelve straight hours of travel, he was exhausted, and his brain felt fuzzy. He wished his thoughts were less muddled, but the jet lag had finally caught up to him. Though the sun had not yet set in England, it was already the next morning in China; they\u2019d lost eight hours of time and a whole night\u2019s sleep.<\/p>\n

\u201cThink,\u201d Jay muttered to himself. \u201cThink\u2026 The Leaky Cauldron\u2026 where would it be?\u201d<\/p>\n

Leo and Opal stood staring at him as he thought out loud, completely helpless. \u201cLet\u2019s just start walking,\u201d Opal suggested finally with an impatient shrug. \u201cMaybe we\u2019ll see something that will point us in the right direction.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay agreed, and they set off up Charing Cross Road. At least there was only one direction to go; past Oxford Street, Charing Cross became Tottenham Court Road, which wasn\u2019t part of the clue. They were on the right path — literally. Now they just had to find the right place to stop.<\/p>\n

They walked along, passing bars, boutiques, and bookstores. Jay looked longingly through open doors and into store windows, tempted by the smell of liquor and the sight of animal-print hats modeled by mannequins. Then he remembered their purpose and suddenly grabbed Opal\u2019s arm. \u201cBookstore!\u201d he shouted, pointing. It was the second one they had passed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see\u2026\u201d said Opal cautiously, staring at him like there was something wrong with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s look it up! In Harry Potter!\u201d<\/p>\n

Before the others could respond, Jay jogged into the bookshop. He found the children\u2019s section in a distant corner, and it didn\u2019t take him long to spot a colorful display of Harry Potter books. By the time Opal and Leo joined him, he had already snatched up a copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher\u2019s Stone<\/em> and begun rifling through its pages.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere!\u201d he cried suddenly. Opal and Leo leaned in to read over his shoulders as he read out loud, \u201cThey passed book shops and music stores, hamburger restaurants and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand. This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles beneath them? Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

He skipped a few lines and read further down the page, \u201c\u2019This is it,\u2019 said Hagrid, coming to a halt, \u2018the Leaky Cauldron. It\u2019s a famous place.\u2019 It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Hagrid hadn\u2019t pointed it out, Harry wouldn\u2019t have noticed it was there. The people hurrying by didn\u2019t glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn\u2019t see the Leaky Cauldron at all. In fact, Harry had the most peculiar feeling that only he and Hagrid could see it. Before he could mention this, Hagrid had steered him inside.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSo you see,\u201d Jay said when he finished, \u201call we need to look for is a bookshop that\u2019s next to a record store. The clue should be somewhere between them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leo looked skeptical, but Opal nodded and said, \u201cThat helps. Let\u2019s try it.\u201d<\/p>\n

On impulse, Jay paid for the book rather than putting it back on the shelves and carried it with him as they set off up the road again. They moved at a quicker pace this time, checking the signs over every door on each side of the street. As it turned out, there were lots<\/em> of bookshops on Charing Cross Road but only a few music stores. When they found one next to a large, chain bookseller with a narrow alley in between, Jay knew they\u2019d reached the right place.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is it,\u201d he whispered, his heart hammering with excitement. He crept into the dim alleyway, feeling a little like Nicolas Cage in National Treasure<\/em>. The alley was a dead end, walled in with bricks at the back. That was perfect. Jay opened his Harry Potter book again, squinting to decipher the words in the shadowy light. At last, he read, \u201cHagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a dustbin and a few weeds.\u201d<\/em> Here he stopped and looked around. The alley was not exactly a courtyard, but it had walls, weeds, and a trash can.<\/p>\n

\u201cHagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the dustbin. \u2018Three up\u2026 two across\u2026\u2019 he muttered. \u2018Right, stand back, Harry.\u2019 He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella. The brick he had touched quivered — it wriggled — in the middle, a small hole appeared — it grew wider and wider — a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight. \u2018Welcome,\u2019 said Hagrid, \u2018to Diagon Alley.\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThree up\u2026 two across\u2026\u201d repeated Leo. For the first time, he looked enthusiastic. He reached towards the brick wall, but Jay pushed his hand away.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo way, newbie. I figured out the clue; I get the first look.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leo scowled but backed up to let Jay move closer to the wall. He counted three bricks up from the center of the trash can lid, then hesitated. Two across\u2026 but which way? He moved right one, two bricks.<\/p>\n

The last brick moved when he tapped it. It was loose!<\/p>\n

\u201cBingo,\u201d said Jay as he wiggled it out of its mortar. He handed the brick to Leo and shoved his hand into the space where it had been. It was dark and gritty with brick dust, but at last, his fingers brushed a new texture, something smooth, like paper. He pulled out a small scroll of rolled up parchment paper.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou found it!\u201d exclaimed Opal, her eyes dancing in the dim light. \u201cThis is almost fun!\u201d<\/p>\n

Leo shoved the brick back into place and turned to Jay. \u201cWhat\u2019s it say?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay unrolled the scroll. His heart sank when he saw what was on it. Immediately, he passed it to Opal, muttering, \u201cIt\u2019s another damn clue. Looks like gibberish, if you ask me.\u201d<\/p>\n

T \u00ca’ NAO S\u00c8NEZ\u00c0EOSR VLEETR EE TN TEO CUIS E ETG\u00c9OEP ERLSSAEDXUUTTP\u00c9DMOR\u00c0,EOMV R MA,BMOD ELTD UAPVDRRUEP EDR ZTES,SE BS ODTEE,S RMO DEBA,NSMDARNNOAU’ NEITDARIEMMTA ED,NRARE NRLANSLHGN;OGPEUUNSSELNR EUFLANIOLNAOO PLE\u00c0NRMEDATTA LT DCAENOUUXNTL ALMM\u00c9STLSOA SEP \u00c0.C;\u00c0 .VUET \u00c9E ‘CU \u00c8 E NE TRN, SR, RI’SEOEENESTSLS\u00c9CC NIESEEJ,IUAESSBEIR LLDMI VIEANM\u00c7L-IMOS RPR TZ EIELDAAN\u00c9I CN C OE H TEIFSLN,NNSLRO OCENU,UEEO\u00c0OLSUHD ILO LQLM,ZIOEI ES;T DEOTQRDP NEUDOE\u00c9LS IEEMRLN NBA \u00c0MOF EOVEELMMS’URAEDREUAIUEE EMEAA GIOUEPTEIIESERNPDIST DZJ OEGIS\u00c9\u00c0L E PC A V ARODOEUUASA MVUESTL ‘M U U EUNSO VR\u00d4 B EEPC ECECSSEIPDRULT NNC LMINNOUNE ST – N-EPU CD UOD\u00c9 R NZ<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt shouldn\u2019t be as difficult to crack this one,\u201d said Opal confidently. \u201cWe know what language and code she used on the first one; if she follows a pattern, this will be cake.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf she speaks Gaelic, she\u2019s probably from Scotland, right?\u201d added Leo. \u201cMaybe this will even help track her. It\u2019ll certainly narrow down our options.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay nodded, his heart lifting again. \u201cWe\u2019re on the right track.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

In the nearby library, Nick said, \u201cGreat. Meet you back at the hotel later.\u201d As his watch\u2019s screen went black once more, he turned to Diamond and Styx. \u201cJay and the others are in town now, too. They decoded their clue, and it led them straight here. Well, not here here but to London, at least. They found another clue, and they\u2019re off to get a room in our hotel, so they can rest up and start working on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Diamond frowned. \u201cThat\u2019s good\u2026\u201d she said thoughtfully, \u201cbut why would the clue lead them somewhere else in London? Why wasn\u2019t another clue found here in the library? Come to think of it, why weren\u2019t clues found at any of the other crime scenes, except for the Library of Congress?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick considered this. They\u2019d combed every inch of the State Library Victoria in Melbourne and come up with nothing — no solid evidence and certainly no clue like the one from the Library of Congress. He was sure Jay\u2019s team would have done the same in China.<\/p>\n

\u201cI dunno,\u201d he finally admitted. \u201cThat\u2019s weird. But at least it\u2019s a lead to follow, which is more than we\u2019ve found.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe not,\u201d spoke up Styx from the computer they had gathered around. \u201cCheck this out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick and Diamond returned their attention to the task at hand. They had captured a fuzzy image of the crook\u2019s face from the library\u2019s security feed, which they\u2019d sent to Pearl to digitally enhance. The image she\u2019d sent back wasn\u2019t crystal clear, but it was an improvement. They had spent the last hour cross-referencing that picture with the library\u2019s database of reader passes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis look like the same chick?\u201d Styx asked, pointing at the monitor. Nick\u2019s and Diamond\u2019s eyes moved between the screenshot from the security video and the image he\u2019d brought up on the computer screen. They both hesitated, looking back and forth, and then they nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s her,\u201d Diamond said confidently. \u201cIt\u2019s gotta be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick read the name below the photo of a young, blonde woman on the reader pass. \u201cMs. J. Nelson. Not much to go off of.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe director said you have to apply for one of these reader passes. I\u2019m sure they keep applications on file,\u201d said Diamond brightly.<\/p>\n

Nick couldn\u2019t help but return her smile. \u201cLet\u2019s find out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally, it seemed they had made some progress. Within half an hour, they were poring over the application of one Jess Nelson, a university student living in London. \u201cWe\u2019ve got her name and address,\u201d said Nick. \u201cAll we have to do now is track her down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich, from the way she\u2019s been jaunting around the globe, could be harder than you\u2019d think,\u201d Diamond pointed out.<\/p>\n

\u201cGirl gets around,\u201d chuckled Styx.<\/p>\n

Diamond rolled her eyes. \u201cYeah, she\u2019s a real jetsetter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo here\u2019s what we\u2019ll do.\u201d Nick had a plan. \u201cWe\u2019ll send Scotland Yard to this address. Diamond, you go with them. Styx and I will head to the airport to see if anyone under this name has made flight reservations. If she\u2019s planning to flee the country or already has, we\u2019ll know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Diamond nodded. \u201cSounds good. Call me if you find out anything.\u201d She waved her precious phone in his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cBack at ya,\u201d Nick replied, shoving his watch in hers. \u201cLet\u2019s go, man,\u201d he said to Styx.<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn, weren\u2019t we just here?\u201d remarked Styx as they arrived at Heathrow Airport once more. \u201cFeels like we ain\u2019t never left the airport!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick groaned. \u201cTell me about it.\u201d Between his fear of flying and his hatred of boredom, he was not a fan of airports. Styx was right: they\u2019d certainly spent enough time in them lately. And that didn\u2019t even compare to the number of hours they\u2019d spent in the air. Nick couldn\u2019t wait to finish this mission and set foot on home soil again. If only they could catch this criminal. Nick repeated her name in his head: Jess\u2026 Jess Nelson\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

They asked to see the head of airport security, who was able to access a passenger database. \u201cThere are several Jessica Nelsons, but only one who registered as \u2018Jess.\u2019 The passenger in question boarded a flight from London to Munich, Germany.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick and Styx exchanged glances, but before either of them could say a thing, Nick\u2019s watch beeped. Diamond\u2019s pretty face appeared on the screen, looking disheartened. \u201cShe\u2019s gone, Nick. The police forced entry into her apartment, and it\u2019s completely deserted. Any luck at the airport?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right; she left. But we think we know where she went.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah?\u201d Diamond\u2019s voice lifted, a hopeful smile brightening her face. \u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick grinned. \u201cAll I can tell ya is, we better learn how to say \u2018Where is the library?\u2019 auf Deutsch<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cWo is die Bibliothek, bitte?\u201d<\/em> replied Leo promptly when Nick repeated this joke later.<\/p>\n

Nick rolled his eyes at the newest Double-0. This guy was almost more annoying than Shazam. \u201cThanks, dude, but I was just kidding. Most Germans know English nowadays, don\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if not, I\u2019m fluent,\u201d Leo said with a smug grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood to know,\u201d replied Nick curtly, not bothering to disguise the sarcastic tone in his voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, Carter, I\u2019m sick of your attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Di-Crapio, we\u2019re all sick of your face!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re an overgrown toddler. How you became a Double-0 to begin with\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShut it, both of you!\u201d Jay called over. K\u2019s brows furrowed on the screen of the Blackberry as Jay smiled good-naturedly. \u201cKids. So we need an update: how far have the Feds tracked us?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey arrived in the UK earlier today,\u201d Pearl\u2019s voice answered from off-screen. He could hear her fingers clacking across her keyboard as she spoke. \u201cI\u2019d say you have a night or so before they track you down. They\u2019re checking with Interpol because of the standard passport check they have when you check into hotels. But since you\u2019re using our HimTak specials, and they apparently mistook Leo for Nick back in China–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMistook him for me?\u201d Nick interjected, his jaw dropping. \u201cHow? I\u2019m way better looking than that–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYet far dumber\u2026\u201d said Leo.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you admit I\u2019m hotter!\u201d Nick grinned at the newer agent before high-fiving Styx, who snickered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re still a moron.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI dunno\u2026\u201d Diamond said as she sat on the hotel room\u2019s desk, swinging one of her sexy legs idly. \u201cNick did outsmart you just now.\u201d She flashed Nick a dazzling smile before turning her attention back to her phone.<\/p>\n

\u201cKids, don\u2019t make me get Daddy K involved,\u201d Jay called over, rolling his eyes to himself before glancing at Opal.<\/p>\n

She sat on the bed, poring over the latest clue. It had turned out not to be Gaelic or encoded using the same technique, which had set her all the way back to square one. Well, almost — at least she knew it was likely to be in another language. She thought about asking Leo to see what he could decipher from her various attempts at decoding it but didn\u2019t feel like causing a fuss between the Blond Battle Royale that seemed to be going on. As her mind wandered, her ears tuned back in to what Jay and Pearl were discussing.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause they spotted Leo, Nick\u2019s now being charged with aiding and abetting a fugitive, despite his own HimTak diplomatic immunity. It\u2019ll never stick. Brian is being heavily investigated now. He\u2019s officially being charged,\u201d K continued after raising a brow at Jay for his last remark.<\/p>\n

Nick snapped out of his Diamond-staring reverie, leaving Leo still lost within one. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

K nodded on the screen of the small device. \u201cHe\u2019s not taking it too well, and the CIA is furious with the Feds. Brian\u2019s currently on an extended leave \u2019til it\u2019s all settled\u2026 and on house arrest, no less, to prevent him from fleeing the way Opal did. The CIA is the only reason he hasn\u2019t been formally arrested yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick rolled his eyes. \u201cNo wonder the CIA\u2019s mad; he\u2019s one of the best. Eff that — if they don\u2019t want him, we should take him. And how\u2019s he talking to you anyway, K?\u201d<\/p>\n

The golden-haired scientist\u2019s head leaned over the screen, appearing next to K\u2019s. \u201cDuh, the iPod Touch I gave him communicates directly to us through an encrypted and untraceable line. Take that, FBI bitches!\u201d Everyone chuckled. \u201cAnyways, they know you\u2019re in the UK and tailed you that far, but as Lancy booked several hotels under the same aliases, they\u2019re still checking each and every one out. I reverse-traced Opal\u2019s cell phone when she was almost caught in China, so we could track the trackers. As of right now\u2026\u201d He heard more typing noises. \u201cThey\u2019re in Manchester. You\u2019ve got at least a night before they trace you to London, and that\u2019s if they don\u2019t check out the place Lancy booked in Bristol.\u201d<\/p>\n

K sighed. \u201cThis is becoming more and more problematic. Split up again and find a way around those damn agents. You\u2019ll now have the Feds following you every step of the way, Carter. Fix this.\u201d With that, the screen went black.<\/p>\n

Nick felt outraged. \u201cWhat the hell?! I wasn\u2019t the one even spotted! Leo was!\u201d K blamed him for everything. One of these days\u2026<\/p>\n

Leo leaned against Diamond, rubbing his hand down her side as she giggled seductively. \u201cThose are the breaks, Carter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Nick,\u201d Opal said softly. \u201cThat was my fault; I just stupidly forgot they\u2019d be tracking the cell phone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not your fault, Ash; they shouldn\u2019t even be following you in the first place.\u201d That was when it clicked. Suddenly, an idea came to him. It was fun, it was simple, and it was brilliant.<\/p>\n

Jay caught the look on his most unique agent\u2019s face and raised a brow as he titled down the shades he loved to wear. \u201cAlright, Nick, spill. You have an idea.\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded. \u201cIndeed I do, Jay. Indeed I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Jay had to hand it to Carter. When he had an idea, most of the time, it was ingenious.<\/p>\n

Opal sat in the chair before him, decked out so outrageously, he doubted even Brian would recognize her. Gone was the dyed blonde hair, which he had colored a shocking, bubblegum pink. It was cropped shorter to just above her shoulders and spiked in every direction. She had taken out her blue contacts and replaced them with a pair of brown ones. Fake piercings decked out her nose and ears, while black lipstick and heavy eyeliner accented her other facial features. She wore one of Diamond\u2019s push-up bras under a tight, black Sex Pistols t-shirt that was ripped in strategic places, hugging her curves and giving her a bustier appearance. Jay had paired it with a red and black plaid miniskirt, a black studded belt, tight black leggings, and a worn-out pair of Converse sneakers. In the punk disguise, she looked nothing close to her real self.<\/p>\n

On the other end of the room, Nick attempted to console a wailing Diamond. Her wavy, sun-kissed tresses were gone, replaced by straightened, raven black locks. Instead of the tight, skimpy clothing she usually wore to impress and hypnotize the men around her, she donned one of the lawyer-esque outfits from Opal\u2019s earlier disguise: a charcoal gray pencil skirt with a matching blazer over a cream-colored blouse. \u201cThis isn\u2019t me!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick sighed. \u201cI know, but hey, you\u2019re still Di. You\u2019re still\u2026\u201d His voice lowered to whisper things he didn\u2019t want anyone else knowing. No need for everyone to learn about the details of their escapades, after all. \u201cYou\u2019re perfect for this, and it keeps the Feds away from Opal.\u201d<\/p>\n

His plan was simple: make the FBI agents believe that Diamond was Opal and that Opal was someone else entirely. He would take Opal\u2019s phone, since he was now officially a suspect anyway, and call them. This way, Nick would lead them away from the real Opal as they assumed he was with her now and had been since she\u2019d left DC. He grinned; he loved a good prank. The first call, however, would be from Jay\u2019s Blackberry, which, like Brian\u2019s iPod Touch, could not be traced, just to give them a little more time before they had to bail.<\/p>\n

Jay tossed him the phone as he made his way over with a silent and sulky Diamond Divine in tow. Nick sighed as he sat next to Opal. \u201cI\u2019ll need your voice for this. Since it won\u2019t be from your phone, I don\u2019t want them thinking we split up.\u201d He beamed at Jay. \u201cI love this assignment.\u201d He dialed the number Pearl had given them once he\u2019d shared his amazing idea.<\/p>\n

\u201cAgent Tom.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah\u2026 who\u2019s this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t know who I am? Man, you should. I mean, what kind of agent are you that you don\u2019t even recognize our voices?\u201d Nick nodded at Opal as he handed her the Blackberry.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, Agent Tom! How\u2019s Brian?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick smiled. Now that was a nice touch. He placed the phone back to his ear in time to hear Tom muttering to Agent Hank. \u201cTrace the call\u2026 now!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I hear I got upgraded to suspect! I didn\u2019t know the American government could get any stupider! Are you guys even looking for the person who is really behind this, or are you too busy trying to frame Ashavari? Do you know the enemy?\u201d Nick beamed as everyone else rolled their eyes. They could sense when a sing-along with NIck was coming.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got a lot of nerve, Carter\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, you do know me! Awesome! But\u2026\u201d He took a deep breath. \u201cDo you know the enemy? Do you know your enemy? Well, gotta know the enemy, oh-ehh\u2026 Insurgency will rise, when the blood\u2019s been sacrificed. Don\u2019t be blinded by the lies in your eyes. Say!\u201d<\/em> By the end of his little song, Nick was headbanging to full effect, even though, sadly, the FBI agents couldn\u2019t see him the way his colleagues could. He laughed at his own mockery. \u201cSo, Agent Tom\u2026 do you know the enemy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know the enemy is off his rocker and that he\u2019ll be found now that he\u2019s been on the line long enough to be tracked!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that so?\u201d Nick smirked. \u201cWhere am I? Where is Ashavari? Just where are we, Agent Tom?\u201d<\/p>\n

Silence.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought so. It\u2019s okay; I\u2019ll make it easier on you next time to trace us. I\u2019ll keep in touch. Toodles!\u201d He clicked the phone off and handed it back to Jay. He couldn\u2019t stop grinning at everyone, even Leo. \u201cI really, really, love this assignment.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Part 5<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Episode 10: \u00a0Catch Her If You Can Part 4   \u201cYou think you could ride in a kangaroo\u2019s pouch?\u201d asked Nick, holding up a small, stuffed kangaroo wearing a t-shirt that said AUSTRALIA. \u201cI always thought that would be sweet.\u201d \u201cI think it\u2019d be nasty, dawg,\u201d Styx replied, wrinkling his\u2026<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span><\/i><\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":145,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"templates\/template-onecolumn.php","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-369","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P5xaHX-5X","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/369","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=369"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/369\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":991,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/369\/revisions\/991"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}