*** Day 2, 1330 hours, Lincoln Street Diner ***
Jordan and Leo entered Lincoln Street Diner and looked around. There were a couple of people having a late lunch there, but no sight of either Zenya or Ted.
Both of them looked at each other. Just then, a waiter approached them.
"Can I help you?" He asked.
Jordan decided against flashing his ID.
"Yes. We are looking for a friend of ours." He described Zenya to him.
"Well, I think I saw a lady that looked at that just now, but she had already left."
"Did you see anyone leaving with her?"
The waiter was apologetic.
"I'm afraid not, sir. You see, today I am the only one working here today. I had to server the customers, cook the food, clean up the place, man the cashier. I really didn't have the time to observe the comings the goings of everyone."
"Its alright, then. Thank you."
The two agents walked out of the eatery and Jordan took out his handphone and pressed Zenya's number.
*** West Avenue, same time ***
Rebecca Cross was humming a tune to herself. It was one of those old country songs which her momma had taught her when she was young.
Oh, Momma, she thought as she looked at Zenya, strapped against the passenger seat beside her, unconscious.
"Its all your fault. " She told Zenya. "If you and your fellow agents had not interfere, Momma would not have died. You deserved to be sacrificed, you and every single one of your agent friends."
Just then, a sharp thrill came from Zenya, shocking Rebecca for a while before she realised that it was the sound of the agent's cellphone. Using one hand, she searched the pockets of the agent before finding the offensive equipment. She looked at it for a while, then threw it out of the window.
Rebecca looked at the disappearing sight of the cellphone as it found its way among the bushes, and then took out her own phone and made a call.
"Daddy? Becca here. I'm afraid that there is a slight change of plans. Can you send a chopper to fetch Ted and me tonight instead. I want to leave this place as soon as I had finished this business. And I needed you to help me with something extra, Daddy. I needed some information on some people."
*** outside Lincoln Street Diner ***
"Nobody answered." Jordan informed Leo as he pressed another set of numbers.
"Jim? Jordan here."
"Yes, Chief?"
"You did say that Zenya would be at Lincoln Street Diner, didn't you?"
"Yes. What happen? You didn't find her?"
"No sight of her. No sight of convertible either."
Jordan heard some swearing on the other side.
"That's impossible. She should be there by now."
"According to the guy who was on duty, he did see someone who looked like Zenya, but she left. Did she tell you where she was going?"
"No. She was supposed to be there until the two of you turned up."
"Jim?"
"Yes, Chief?"
"Stay there. Perhaps she went along, willingly or not, with Ted, and may turned up at your side. I'll try to call the motel to check if she left a message there." Not quite possible, Jordan told himself.
"Okay, Chief." Jim said as goodbye.
Jordan then called Buena Vista Motel.
"Buena Vista. May I help you?"
"Hello. THis is Jordan Stern. I was wondering if there is any messages left for me?"
Jordan waited for a while as the person on the other side did some checking.
"Yes, Mr Stern. A lady who identified herself as your secretary, Jenny, called this morning. She told you to call back as soon as possible, and that it is urgent. "
"Thank you, but is that all? Is there a message from a Zenya Gorky?"
"I'm afraid not, sir. This is the only message I get."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome sir."
Jordan called Jenny's number, and explained to Leo as he waited for her to answer the call.
"No message from Zenya. One from Jenny."
Leo raised his eyebrow. What does she want?
"Hello, Jenny. Stern here. You called me this morning?"
"Oh yes, Agent Stern. I'm afraid that there is some very bad news."
"Bad news? Did soemthing happen?"
"In a way." Jenny explained with a sigh of regret. "Orders had come from the top for you to stop your investigation immediately."
"Stop? Why?"
"I had no idea, Agent Stern. And you know, I am just a secretary. Who am I to question their orders? I am already in trouble for not calling your cellphone immediately, but I lied to them and said that maybe your battery ran out."
Jordan smiled. Trust Jenny to help out as much as she could, then the smile ended as he remembered Zenya.
"Jenny. I'm afraid that we cannot stop now. One of our agents is now missing."
Jordan heard a sudden intake of breath when Jenny heard the news.
"What? What happen?"
"I'm not sure, Jenny, but we are trying to find her right now. If they pester you about me again, just tell them that I will report back with my team once I am sure that Agent Gorky is safe and sound, but not a second before that."
"I will pass the message for you, Agent Stern. And take care."
"Thanks, Jenny. You're a dear."
*** Station X, same time ***
Jenny hanged up the phone and took a deep breath. She stood up, and looked at the pile of photocopied materials in front of her.
Stern, Gorky, Lee, Jones and Reaper. She silently counted as she put the agent's profiles into a envelope, and then sealed it and then left the office with it.
As instructed, she walked to the intersection next to the building, and stood beside the traffic light, waiting for it to show the green man. Just then, a woman in a red sweater and slacks psuhed her baby trolley to a stop beside Jenny, and then bent down to tied her shoelaces.
Jenny turned and looked at baby inside, and stood down and began to cuddle the smiling child.
"Such a beautiful baby. Your daughter?" She complimented, as the mother finished dealing with her shoelaces.
"Yes, she is my first child. Isn't she beautiful?"
The lights turned at that moment, and Jenny smiled a quick goodbye to the woman, and quickly crossed the road. The envelope was no longer with her.
The woman went on her way down the road, unaffected by the extra luggage beside her baby.
*** Day 2, 1410 hours Birch Ridge Road ***
Jim and Vanessa remained at their hiding place. There had been more action inside the Renault Place, but nobody had came out, and nobody had came. Twice, they had seen a woman drawing aside the curtains, and looking out. But they could not recognise her. It was a older woman.
"Jasmine Renault perhaps?" Jim suggested.
Since Jordan's phonecall half an hour earlier, both of them had been on extra alert. Now it was not only a murder case, but one of their teammates had been missing.
Jim and Vanessa did not say it out loud, but both believe that either Rebecca or Ted Cross was responsible for Zenya's sudden disappearance.
At the back, several bushed moved, and then Jordan Stern and Leo Jones appeared.
"Anything?"
"Where did you guys come from?" Vanessa asked.
"We parked our car way down. And I don't want to call you. No use letting them know that their garden crickets had learnt a new singing tune."
"How's Zenya?" Jim asked.
Both Jordan and Leo shook their head.
"If Ted or Rebecca had brought her here they would have reached here long ago." Jim deduced.
"You're right. A wasted trip." Leo mused.
"Not really." Vanessa added.
"Why?"
"Well, if you would agree, I would like to go and visit the occupants inside. The Crosses might not be inside, but the rest of the people might know something."
"You go first. " Jordan instructed. " I don't think we would open the door if they see 3 big men standing outside the door."
Vanessa nodded, as she made her way out of the bushes, sweeping a few leaves from her coat.
The door of the Renault House was made of old wood, and looked old. If the people inside refused to open the door, I would be able to kick it down, Vanessa thought as she knocked on the door. Behind her, the 3 other agents stood beside the door, so that they would not be seen.
"Anybody home?" Vanessa asked, raising her voice.
After a while, the older woman whom they had observed opened the door slightly and peeped her head out.
"Who are you looking for?"
Vanessa took a deep breath.
"Well, I'm looking for Rebecca. Are you Mrs Renault?"
Mrs Renault nodded, unsure of whether to let this strange chinese girl in serious suit in or not.
"Mrs Renault, I'm FBI agent Vanessa Lee." She identified herself, flashing her ID with one hand while the other hand was ready to grab her gun. "Can I come in?"
"FBI? What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong, Mrs Renault. Can I come in?" she asked again.
"Well, I guess so." The old woman opened the door larger. "Rebecca will be back shortly, I believe. She just went to answer a helping call."
When the door was large enough to admit the visitor, the 3 agents stood out of their hiding place, and watched Mrs Renault's eyes grew wide.
"Who are you?" She asked.
"Federal agents, Mrs Renault. They are my colleagues."
"I don't need so many federal agents. What is wrong."
"Noting is wrong, Mrs Renault. Look, only I will come in. They just keep me company." Vanessa turned back to look at her teammates.
They looked at her, abit worried for her safety but understanding her motive for doing so. They stood back a few steps.
"See? They are not coming in. Only me. I just want to ask a few questions, that's all, and wait for Rebecca to come back."
Abit relunctantly, Mrs Renault let her in, and then quickly slamming the door as if keeping the big bad wolves from coming in.
Vanessa looked around. The house was small, with just no partition whatsoever except for one for the toilet. The beds were in a corner, and there was a wooden table in the table, where a woman in her twenties sat. THere was nobody else, giving the reason why Mrs Renault was unwilling to let some male strangers entered the house. She looked up, surprise on her face.
"You are not Rebecca. Who are you?"
Without waiting for an answer, she asked her mother.
"Mom? I thought it was Rebecca? Where is she? She ought to be back by now."
"This FBI agent is here to look for Rebecca."
"FBI agent?" Jasmine stood back and approached Vanessa. "What is wrong?"
Vanessa flashed her ID again.
"Miss Renault? " She nodded.
"Jasmine Renault. What is wrong?"
"I would just like to ask, who is Rebecca meeting?"
Mrs Renault answered that question.
"A Russian woman called Helping Hands just now, as I asked Rebecca to go and talk to her. THe Helping Hands is a society which help out women in need."
Vanessa nodded her head. So Rebecca went to find Zenya. Damn.
"And she is supposed to come back here."
"Yes," Jasmine Renault said."This house is the unofficial office of the Helping Hands. Everytime we met one of the women we would come back and report. It might sound unnecssary, but I like to keep track of the progress of the women. My mother does that actually."
"Do you have an idea where Rebecca is right now?"
"No. We do not track our members. Its all volunteraily work."
"But can you find Rebecca now?"
"Sure. She got a cellphone. But why should I?"
"Call her, Miss Renault. Just find out where she is, and where is the woman she is supposed to contact, and I will tell you the rest later."
Jasmine nodded her head, picked up the phone, and called a number.
"Rebecca? Jasmine here. Where are you now? Have you met the woman yet? What? She is not there? I see. Okay then, I'll see you in a few days time." She hung up the phone, and then looked at her watch.
"Rebecca said that woman did not turn up, and she is not feeling well, so she is going back to her house to rest. Miss, if there is no other things, I would appreciate it if you leave now. I got an appointment."
Then, Mrs Renault spook.
"Not with that man again, Jasmine."
Man? Vanessa thought.
"You're meeting Ted now?"
Jasmine, whose back was already turned against her, spun back.
"Ted? How did you know his name? He said that no one knew his name except for me and Rebecca."
"Miss Renault. Bad news for you, but Ted is not your dream guy. He is Rebecca's secret husband and I believe that they had, in their hands, a FBI agent right now. Now, tell me, where are you meeting him. "
Jasmine Renault looked pale all of a sudden.
"Ted? Rebecca's husband? But he said he loved me! He said that he is going to show me the Goddess this afternoon!"
"SHow you the Goddess? Where?"
"Lake Blue. Its one hour's drive from here." She said as she dropped her head, as if knowing the betrayal of her lover ate up all her energy.
"Lake Blue. Thank you, Miss Renault." Vanessa said, as she ran out of the house to inform the rest of the team. They had to go and save Zenya, and fast.
Regards,
Lee Sau Woon aka SA Vanessa Lee