Jordan awoke relatively early to the pale winter sunshine streaming in through the window. The events of the previous night were still playing in his head. In the final analysis he had been unable to find any fault in his team's actions. He just wished they had found some way to rescue Emily and retain the device. Perhaps some things were just not meant to be.
Jordan got out of bed and headed down the hall. He stopped in the bathroom and brushed his teeth. Then he continued toward the kitchen. Zenya was curled up on the floor in front of the fireplace sleeping on a pillow from the sofa. A blanket lay across her at an odd angle. Jordan paused for a moment to fix the blanket.
A few minutes later the coffee maker was sending a steady stream of coffee into the pot sitting on its base. Jordan decided he was impatient and removed the pot with a sizzle and replaced it with his coffee mug. He heard footsteps and looked up to see Jim Reaper emerging from the hallway.
Jim walked over and sat on a stool on the other side of the counter. "So, do you think it's over?"
"I think this skirmish is. Everyone seems to have gotten what they want. Martin got Emily back, and the forces of darkness got the device back."
"And everyone goes home happy."
"Yeah," Jordan said with half a smile, "Everyone goes home happy."
***
[Later]
The entire team was seated in the living room jockying for position around the box of doughnuts that Jordan had just deposited on the table. "There's enough for everyone," Jordan said, "There is no need for pushing and shoving. Oh, I almost forgot, we made the front page of the paper."
Jordan took a copy of the Boston Globe from under his arm and dropped it near the doughnuts on the table. Leo picked up the paper and read the headline, "Shootout at MIT Wounds One"
"Do they have any idea we were involved?" Zenya asked.
"The article doesn't give any indication that they do, but I asked Jenny to call the Boston PD and give them some subtle hints that they shouldn't look too hard for the parties involved."
"I'm sure whoever is employing Docker and Carol has already moved to make sure this remains a mysterious event," Leo said, "The one useful thing the article says is that Docker didn't go to any of the area hospitals."
Jordan's cell phone rang, and he looked startled for a moment before taking it from his coat and answering it.
"Hello... Great... Thanks a lot. We'll probably see you tomorrow morning... Bye," Jordan put the phone away and surveyed the curious looks around the room, "It was Jenny. I asked her to look into the charges outstanding against Tom, and she couldn't find any. Either those weren't FBI agents at all, or they had been misled."
"That's a relief," Tom said, "I was not looking forward to spending the rest of my life as a fugative."
"It also means we're free to go home."
***
[Epilog - 15 Months Later - Founders Hall - Worcester Polytechnic Institute]
"Hey Joey, come here!"
"Dave, I'm trying to study for my final. Can it wait?"
"What is your average in this class currently, a 92?"
"Something like that."
"And Prof. Watson drops the lowest score. Therefore, you will get an A even if you don't show up tomorrow, so get your ass over here."
Joey sighed, closed his textbook loudly and walked over from the couch to Dave's computer, "What is it."
"Check out what I found on the web. Some guy claims to have developed a device that will pick up brainwaves and turn them into a radio signal that can be used to control various types of devices."
"He's clearly nuts."
"Maybe," Dave said clicking on a link, "but he's done a great job."
They watched as a circuit diagram appeared on the screen. "He's even included the control logic for the thing," Dave added.
"I hate programming," Joe replied.
"That's why I'm dating a CS major. She carried me through any course that requires writing code. What are you doing next week."
"Sleeping a lot. This term had sucked and next term won't be any better."
"Well," Dave said, "you'll just have to change your plans. I have the key to the Microelectronics Lab in Atwater-Kent, and you and are are going to spend some time there."
NRPG:
Thus ends mission number 2 for Team ZULU. We've got some time to tie up any loose ends that we want, and get the team back to Washington. I know I have some mission ideas here somewhere (from Krister and Peter, I think). I'll have to find them. If anyone else has suggestions to make, feel free.
I'd expect about 2 weeks of real time before our next mission (I want to give enough time for suggestions to come in, and to then figure out what the mission is).
Respectfully submitted,
Alton Reich
SA-4 Jordan Stern, Team Leader ZULU
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