by Lee Sau Woon
>ZULU office
>-------------
>After Amanda had left, the agents looked at one another for a long time, >each trying to digest the information that had been thrown to them.
>After a while, Jordan spoke.
>"So what do you people think?"
>"Work with the Crosses?" Leo asked, his tone speaking volumes, as his >fingers continued to run across the stacks of files and paper on his >desk, doing a mental check. Then, "damn".
>"What is it?" Zenya asked as she quickly went over to Leo's desk.
>Leo looked through a stack of printouts on his desk again. "Something's >missing. "
>"What was it?" Jordan asked.
>"Something... personal. Some research of my own," Leo answered, >refusing to elaborate further.
>"Those two imposters must have taken it after they had gassed us," >Martin said.
>"Damn."
>"Irreplacable?" Zenya spoke in a low tone so that only Leo could hear.
>He shook his head. "No, but it will mean that they know what I know. >Damn."
>"You all right Leo?" Jim asked, concerned.
>"Yes, sure. Nothing that I cannot reprint again."
>"So what do you people think of this offer?" Jordan asked again.
>"I'm against it," was the first comment, and it came from Leo. Zenya >nodded her head.
>"I can't say I like the idea. Coorporating with them its like going to >the other side, the bad side. What kind of additional resources can >they give us anyway? Besides a stinking reputation, that is." Vanessa >added.
>"Additional manpower, connection with alot of insiders and politicians, >less red tape, unlimited money." Jim asked matter-of-factly. "Very >often, money rule the world, or at least, Washington DC."
>"Murky," was her comment.
>[ NRPG : additional comment welcome. How does the other characters >think of this offer? ]
>Jordan looked at his watch.
>"Its getting late. Why don't everyone go home and sleep on it, and >we'll meet here tomorrow morning and make a final decision? Jim, can >you stay back for half an hour or so for me to update you on the team?"
>"Sure," Jim replied, and the two of them began to make themselves >comfortable around Jordan's desk as the rest of the team made their way >out.
>2am, Vanessa's apartment >------------------------------
>After standing in front of her easel for two whole hours without once >connecting the brush to the canvas, Vanessa gave up and climbed into >bed.
>"Your feet's cold", Chris mumbled as he turned to face her.
>"I thought you are asleep."
>"I cannot sleep with so much noise around."
>"Noise?"
>"Yeah. All those noise your dark thoughts are making. Something is >troubling you, and you are not telling me."
>Vanessa thought for a while, then proceed to tell him all the things >that happened in the afternoon.
>"I really don't know what to do, Chris. On one hand, somebody is >definitely dabbling into some experiments that is not supposed to be >carried out. On the other hand, trying to find out the truth will >involve working with the Crosses, and I really don't like that. They >are such evil people, going around killing and harming people. And they >tried to harm you!"
>Chris smiled at her usage of words, making him feel like she is much >younger than her actual age.
>"What do you think I should do?" Vanessa asked after a while.
>"The doctor says 'sleep'. Tomorrow you will think better."
>same time, Ted Cross' office
>-----------------------------
>It was very late. Everybody except the night time security guards had >left the building, and he was all alone, in his office, all lights off >except for a single study lamp focused on the middle of the desk.
>It did not turn out as he expected.
>Ted Cross had thought that ZULU would jump at the chance to find out who >had been carrying out illegal cloning experiments, but the response does >not seemed to be in his favour.
>Worse of all, Amanda had told Cross about Leo's threat. Amanda did not >know the reason of the threat, but Ted does. And in a way, it scared >him.
>On the table laid a deck of Tarot cards. Ted Cross was not really a >believer of anything, but several times in the past, when he had relied >on the deck of cards. And he always used his own set, manufactured so >many years ago that now it would not be possible to find a identical >set.
>Just then, the door to his office opened. A female figure entered.
>"Go away, Beck. Leave me alone."
>"I am not Rebecca."
>It was only then he realised that who the visitor really was.
>"Ann," he said to himself. He had never seen her before, but had >instead heard from many people on how much she looked like Rebecca, and >the confidence and grace that this stranger had.
>"So you had finally decided to visit me. And all the time I thought the >others are lying, that you are only a figment of their imagination."
>"Well, Daddy. I'm so sorry it took me so long to visit you. Can you >please forgive me?" Ann said mockingly.
>"Who are you exactly? Where are you from? And what do you want?"
>Instead of answering, Ann's eyes fixed on the cards on the desk.
>"Oooo, Tarot. Want me to tell you your fortune?"
>Ted Cross surprised himself by nodding his head.
>Ann took the deck of cards in her hands, and laid them out accordingly. >Even Ted Cross had to admit that she was quite an expert in it. After >she had finished, she folded her arms and give a nod and a smile of >satisfaction.
>"Yes, that is exactly the message I was told to give."
>With that, she walked out of the office.
>Ted Cross looked at the cards facing him. There was no way she could >have prearranged the cards, since he had shuffled them himself >beforehand. And he did not like what the cards spelt out.
>He did not like it at all.