by Lee Sau Woon
Castle Rock High School
Vanessa, Zenya and Jordan drove to the high school, and the first thing that Vanessa when she got out of the car was cows - again.
>"You can't get away from them around here, can you?"
>"Apparently not," Zenya said, frowning and looking at the cows.
>"Take a look at this," Jordan called. He had wandered to the other side of >the parking lot. As Zenya and Vanessa came up to him, they saw an >eighteen-wheeler with a cattle carrier parked in the middle of the pasture >behind the school, a couple hundred yards away. A group of men in matching >gray-green coveralls were herding a few dozen cows into the truck. There >were no markings on the cab or the trailer. There appeared to be something >written on the back of the coveralls, but they were too far away to read >it.
>"I suppose they could be rounding them up to take them to the >slaughterhouse."
>"Except those are dairy cows," Jordan said.
>Zenya considered asking what the difference was, but it didn't seem to >matter anyway.
>"I'm going to see if I can get a closer look at what's written on those >uniforms," Vanessa said. She started down the hill toward the cows.
She walked for about ten steps, when she realised that her team mates were not with her. Looking back, she saw the two of them headed for the school building, obviously not intending to join her.
"Never mind," she told herself, as she gave a shrug. She understood the need to get away from these creatures. If its not for the fresh (okay, not so fresh) air and sunny weather, hell, even she would not want to stay within smell range of the cows.
By the time she reached the cattle carrier, the men had already finished loading the cows and were ready to go. They might not have noticed her arrival, but if they did, none of them indicate it.
When she was walking towards them, she had noticed one of the men. He looked like he's in his 20s, and looked kinda cute even in that awful coveralls. In his hand was a checklist of sort, and he seemed to be in charge.
"Hey, where are you taking these cows?" She asked him.
The man, who was looking at his checklist, and ticking things off, looked up.
"Are you asking me, Miss?" He asked.
Dark brown eyes, sandy brown hair, California sunshine smile.
Get back to business, Vanessa chided herself.
One and a half head taller than her. Well-tan, smooth skin, smooth hands. Does not look like a labourer or manual worker. Where does he comes from? Coveralls had the word Green Pastures on it.
"Yes, I'm asking you. Where are you taking my cows?"
"Your cows?" He was amused.
"Yes, my cows." She flashed her ID. "Nowadays, alot of things indirectly belongs to the government."
He raised his eyebrow in mockery. "Agent Lee. That makes it the two of us then."
"Two of us?"
"Yeah. As for your question, sorry, Miss, but I am under strict orders not to reveal them."
He said that with a smile, waved her a goodbye, and climbed up the vehicle where all the rest of the workers were waiting. Vanessa expected the vehicle to leave and left her standing there like a fool, but then the man suddenly jumped down from the vehicle and walked towards her again.
"Hey, Agent Lee. Call this advice, or whatever. Try not to stick your nose into things that you are not supposed to know. Curiousity kills the cat, and you're too cute to die. Nice meeting you."
Before Vanessa could say anything, he climbed up the vehicle for the second time, and this time, it drove off, bringing all the stench away.
She was about to swear, when suddently she heard a high pitched piercing sound.
A fire alarm, she thought, as she ran as fast as she could towards the building.
>Back in the parking lot, Zenya located Jordan just as Vanessa came running >up, too. "What happened," they asked at the same instant.
>"Fire started in the computer lab," he said. "Some kid threw a gas can and >a burning rag through the door. I didn't get a good look at him, but I >think he was at the strip mall helping with the cows."
>"Can I suggest we get out of here and let the school officials handle the >fire," Zenya said. She pulled the file out from under her jacket. "I >didn't want to take a chance on this burning up."
>"Good thinking," Jordan said.
"What's that?" Vanessa asked as they quickly made their way back to the car.
Zenya gave the file a pat, and explained it briefly to her.
"Paper trail." She commented with great distaste.
>Jordan's phone rang as they were getting into the car. He tossed the keys >to Zenya and she passed them to Vanessa and got in the back seat.
>"Stern," Jordan said into his phone. "What've you got? .. They going to >be all right? .. Yeah, keep in touch." He put his phone away as they >pulled out of the school lot. "That was Reaper," he said. "Reed and Jones >have been shot."
>Zenya gripped the edge of the seat. "What? How?"
>"Under the influence of the cows. Reed's injury was a flesh wound. Agent >Jones has been taken to the hospital."
>Zenya noticed that he seemed to be directing that statement at her, but her >awareness of the fact was peripheral. She forced aside concern that would >border on panic if she indulged it, and guilt over not calling Leo the >moment she figured out the connection. "It's the smell of the cows," she >said. "That's the trigger."
Just then, a thought striked Vanessa.
"He is 'one of us'! He's a FBI agent too!" Jordan and Zenya stared at her, not knowing what she is saying, while she stepped on the accelerator and sped to the hospital.
"I'll explained later," she promised.