by Lee Sau Woon
>Day 2 Morning
>-------------
>The agents woke up the next morning with rain greeting them. It seemed to >make everyone, and everything, sadder than usual, except for Vanessa, who >seemed to like the grey skies and sullen clouds.
>Breakfast was, to say the least, huge. The De Mornays were glad to be so >service to 'the government'(Mr De Mornay's term), and did so with gusto. >Breakfast consisted of french loaf, croissant, bacon, coffee, orange juice, >tea, one cheesecake, one blueberry cake, a large size pizza, milk, soup, >cold ham, and pasta. At the end of the meal, all of them were so full that >the mere mention of 'will you be back for lunch?' nearly sent them throwing up.
>After the eldery couple went out of the dining area, the agents began to >talk about what they should do.
>"I would like to go the Laughton's farm," Zenya mentioned. "Just to look at >the cows, and this cow-theory of ours. "
>"How about the three kids' homes? There might be some evidence that the >local PD had overlooked." Martin asked the rest of the team.
>"Highly likely," Leo said with a chuckle, as he looked at Jordan, >remembering the conversation the latter had with the sheriff the day before.
>"So we have three places to go." Jordan told them.
>"Three?"
>"Yes, three. Jim, Vanessa, I want the two of you to pay a visit to old-man >Cross."
>"Cross?" The two of them chorused.
>"That is too risky!" Zenya exclaimed, as she sat straight from her sunk-in, >relaxed position. "We just can't send two agents to face him, even if they >are the best shooters in our team." She darted her eyes towards Leo's >direction, only to see him expressionless, looking at Jordan.
>"I'm sure you have your reason for that, don't you?" He asked the team leader.
>"In a way, yes. First of all, since we had already known that he is here, >we might as well find out what is his motive. If it is not related to us, >very good. We would be able to concentrate fully on our case. If his >arrival here is related to us, a little visit will only make him hesitate >when he tried to do anything funny. Both way, we stand to win. You two >think you wana do it? I won't force you if you think that it is a bad idea." >He said, looking straight at his two agents.
>"We'll go," Vanessa and Jim said after half a second's hesitation.
>Vanessa and Jim had to take one of the cars out of town, and the rest of the >agents had no choice but to cramped into the other car.
>[nrpg : insert meeting with t.cross from previous post titled the cross >interview ]
>With Ted Cross partially out of their hair, the two agents went back to >their car and began to make their way back to Castle Rock. A quick >phonecall confirmed that the rest of the team were at one of the kids' house >and would meet them later at the farm.
>Just when they were about to enter the town again, the car emitted a rather >large pop from the back and then grunted.
>"Oh my god, what is it now?" Vanessa the driver asked, as she slowly brought >the car to a stop.
>Jim did not say a word, but went out and walked to the back of the vehicle.
>Vanessa joined him ten seconds, and found him swat on the road, giving a >disguisted look at a flat tire.
>"Lousy tires," he grumbled to no one in particular.
>Lucky for them, they found a spare tire at the boot, and Jim proceeded to >change the tire. Vanessa took off her coat and tried to help, was told to >stay away by her partner.
>"Chauvinist." she commented, as she stood up again and began to walk off in >the direction of a huge field.
>"Hey, Vanessa, don't call me that. " Jim called out as he busied himself >with removing the flat tire. "I'm for all equality, but you're wearing >white, and I'm not. I don't want the rest of the team to think that I let >you run away and wrestle with cows."
>He did not hear any reply, and a quick glance backwards told him that she >had made her way into the field and out of hearing range.
>It took him less than five minutes to finish changing the tire, and when he >turned to look for Vanessa, she was missing.
>"Vanessa," he shouted in the direction of the fields. "The car's all right >now. Where are you?"
>There was no reply, and something told him that something was wrong, somehow.
>He looked into the car. Her coat, and gun were still there. Taking her gun >and shoving it into his own coat, Jim made his way into the fields and wade >among the half metre tall grass. He nearly could not find her, lying there >among the tall grass, if the shard of glass in her hand had not reflected >the sunshine and attracted him to it.
>And then he saw the bloodstain on it.
>"Oh my god, Vanessa. Don't joke now. Don't." He prayed as he quickly ran >towards her.
>same day, one hour later
>-------------------------
>When Vanessa was young, she never liked to play the 'robber' while playing >cops-and-robber with the neighhourhood kids. She hated the feeling of >handcuffs on her wrists, and she hated it now. It did not help that she was >chained to a water heater pipe next to the bed back in her room.
>"Release me now, Jim. I mean it," she screamed across the bed at her >partner, who was talking on the phone with Jordan. Without meaning to, she >pulled at the chains, and the wounds on her wrists open slightly.
>Jim barely gave her a look, as he continued to explain to Jordan why they >were unable to meet the rest of the team at the farm, and plugged his other >ear with a finger.
>"Yes, she is fine now. She just woke up. Not much blood lost. The wounds >were quite shallow. I am not sure what exactly happen. Her explanation is >kinda interesting though."
>"Jim Reaper! You release me now, you hear it?!!!!" Some more rattling on the >chains. The pipe looked as if it might get torn off any moment.
>"As you can hear, she is very much alive. I'm just not sure whether all >these screaming is good for my sanity though. [pause] Yes, we will wait. >About fifteen minutes, you say? [pause] We'll be in her room. Okay."
>With that, he hung up.
>"Goodness," he chided her as he inspected her wounds again. "Do you know >how much time it take me to dress them up?" He said, shaking his head as he >remove the dressing and began to clean the away the blood again.
>"Take off the handcuffs, Jim, and I will do it myself." She told him.
>"What? And risk you cutting yourself open again?"
>"Jim! I didn't cut myself open, I just slashed my - " she paused as she saw >the grin on his face. "No, I didn't slashed my wrists, the damn cows did it."
>"Great explanation, Agent Lee," Jim told her, his grin wider as he called >her by her title.
>"Oh god, am I going to say to make you believe me?" She asked, exasperated. >"I've told you so many times, I was looking towards the field, when I notice >these few cows there, and then they just started moving, and then the next >thing I knew was me chained to this pipe. I _really_ didn't try to kill >myself."
>"I believe you," he told her, as he bandaged her wounds again.
>"Then why am I still chained up like a convict?"
>"Because, my dear Vanessa, I don't know how long this mad cow effect will >last. I would rather make you mad for a while then to make you dead for >this lifetime."
>She bowed her head, and swore, and then looked up again when the door opened.
>Jordan entered the room.
>"The details?" He asked the agents.
>"Cross or Vanessa?" Jim asked.
>"Both."
>(They) gave Jordan a report of everything except the 'doorway' incident.
>"My evaluation," said Jim, "is that he's telling the truth. He will come for >us, but not now. He tried not to show it, but I think he was surprised we >knew he was here."
>"I agree," Vanessa said. "He's not after us right now. But he will be."
>"OK. We can't rule him out, but let's not dwell on him. We'll just watch our >backs."
>"Can you release me now?" Vanessa asked.
>"You sure she'll be okay?" Jordan asked Jim.
>"I guess so. The three kids seemed to be okay after they woke up. She >didn't sleep, but I guess fainting is similar. "
>"It just doesn't sound good if the public knows that even FBI agents are not >immune to the charms of the cows." Jordan added.
>"Release me, gentlemen. Now." Vanessa said through clenched teeth. Jim >smiled as he took out the keys of the handcuff from his pocket and proceed >to unlock the handcuffs.