"Sam?"

A gentle nudge woke Sam from a fitful sleep. "Huh?"

"Wake up, Sam."

Sam struggled to focus on the voice, recognition setting in a moment later. "Rudy?" she said, scrambling to an upright position. "What are you doing here?"

"Oscar called a couple of hours ago and explained the situation," Rudy said. He had a few choice words with Oscar for not calling sooner, and then quickly agreed to fly back to Washington.

"Couple of hours?" Sam said, puzzled. The last thing she remembered was sitting in the corner, reading. "How did I get on the couch?" Looking around, she noticed the office was deserted. "Where is everyone?"

"Either at home or out tracking down leads," Rudy said.

"Oscar?"

"Getting a bite to eat," Rudy replied.

"How..."

"Oscar put you on the couch shortly after you fell asleep," Rudy said.

Sam stood, stretching. "Like I told Oscar, I'm not leaving. I'm not going to Virginia."

"No need," Rudy assured her. "Oscar wants you to stick with me and I'd prefer to be here in case something happens."

Sam walked to the window, staring out at the nightscape. "Are there any promising leads?"

"Yes," Oscar said, entering the office with a brown bag in hand. He took a seat at a nearby table, pulling out two sandwiches. "Here's one for you," he said, pushing the sandwich to the other side of the table.

"I'm not hungry."

"Sam, eat," urged Rudy. "Oscar's told me that you haven't eaten all day."

Sam shrugged. "What about the lead?"

"I can only tell you so much," Oscar said, finishing a bite of his sandwich.

Sam whipped around, glaring at him. "What do you mean by that? I've been involved this far, don't shut me out now."

Rudy intervened. "Sam, there are security issues involved, to which you are not authorized. Let's just say, for the moment, that the lead links back to the school."

"Paul?"

"No, Paul is in the clear," Oscar said.

"Then who?" Sam said.

A glance passed between Oscar and Rudy. Rudy turned his attention to Sam. "Not now. We're going back to my apartment where you are going to get some rest."

"But..."

"No buts," Rudy said. "Doctor's orders. It's late and you need to sleep." He had walked to her side, not intending to take 'no' for an answer. "Come on."

Rudy dragged a protesting Sam from the office. By the time they got to the elevator, Sam reluctantly agreed to follow. The trip home proved to be a quiet one since Rudy couldn't get Sam to talk. Once in the apartment, he showed Sam the guest room and bathroom. Without a word, she shut the door to the guest room and plopped on the bed.

Rudy sighed, knowing how stubborn she could be on occasions. He finally decided to turn in for the night, knowing Sam would be up at the crack of dawn, demanding to go back to the office to get additional information, which Rudy knew would not be forthcoming.

Steve lay on his back, feigning sleep, formulating an escape plan. From the prior evenings he noticed that only one guard remained after he supposedly had fallen asleep. The guard, Chip, was the smallest of the four but still heavily armed. Steve had come to the conclusion that the four men had some sort of military training in the past, either Army or Marines, based on their choice of weapons and how they brandished them. They also took orders without hesitation, and maintained their posts for hours on end without complaint. The physical appearance of all the men was another clue; clean-shaven at all times, sporting the standard close cropped military haircut and in top physical shape.

While thinking Steve was asleep, Chip appeared to relax slightly by sitting at a nearby table, thumbing through a weapons magazine, feeling he had little to be worried about with his captive safely behind bars.

Steve envisioned the layout of the cell, along with the structure of the bars and cell door. He knew time was short, but needed to make sure his plan would give him a chance of succeeding; the thought of not seeing Sam again was unbearable, along with the thought that she may end up in foster care or worse, in another orphanage. Realistically, he knew Oscar would not permit it due to the tie Sam has to the OSI, but Steve couldn't help think the worst possible scenarios.

Blocking the thoughts from his mind, he returned to the situation at hand. The first obstacle is to break out of the cell, but what next? Steve had no idea where he was or what to expect when he leaves the room. Based on the number of strides it takes for the mystery man to get to the room, Steve estimated the hall to be approximately 60 feet in length. Since he never hears a door closing prior to the footsteps, it's a good chance this hallway leads into another one. The proximity of the cell to the hallway prohibits him from using his bionic eye to get more information.

If he were to break out at night, Steve knew he'd have the element of surprise. Granted, trouble will lie ahead, but he'd have the chance to sneak up on his captors. After slowly putting his plan together, Steve drifted off to sleep, fully aware that he'd have to be on his guard from this point onward.

Cassie and her team had spent the day following the one lead they had; the partial plate from the van at the embassy. They broke into two teams, one spending time doing a tedious search at the Department of Motor Vehicles and the other tracking down possible rental vans or stolen ones, since they hadn't a clue as to whether the kidnappers had used their own vehicle or obtained via other methods.

By late evening, they located the van, having been abandoned on a side street just west of the city. The forensics team spent several hours going over the vehicle, lifting a multitude of prints as well as hair and fiber evidence.

Shortly before midnight, a weary Cassie reported in to Oscar. "Good news, boss," she said, stifling a yawn. "Although several dozen sets of finger prints were retrieved from the van, two sets sent up red flags in the OSI database."

Oscar, who had been on the verge of falling asleep prior to the call, found himself wide-awake. "Names. Do you have names?"

Cassie read the report to Oscar, giving him the names and background information of the two suspects. "I've got men on both their homes, but don't expect to see them come home any time soon."

Oscar encouraged her to keep at it but knew she would require some sleep before losing her edge.

"Don't worry, boss. I can sleep anywhere," Cassie said, assuring him she'd catch some sleep in the back of a surveillance car.

Oscar hung up the phone, pleased with the progress. Finding Steve was his first concern; finding the traitor was his second. He knew the two cases were related but held Steve's well being as his first priority, not only as his boss but also as a friend.

He leaned back in his chair, falling asleep within minutes.

“Agent Miller!” said the agent in the front seat.

Startled, Cassie attempted to sit upright, then discovered the odd angle at which she slept. “I’m awake,” she said, struggling to a sitting position.

“Our suspect came home last night and he’s leaving now,” the agent said.

Cassie, perturbed, grabbed the binoculars from the agent. Peering through them, she spotted the man coming out of the house. He was not what Cassie expected. The man dressed in a dark three-piece business suit, had neatly combed hair, wire rimmed glasses and carried a briefcase.

“Are we sure he’s our guy?” Cassie said, watching the man get into the car.

“He didn’t look that good last night,” the agent commented. He waited for the driver to back out of the driveway, heading west. The agent pulled out of his hiding place and followed at a discreet distance.

In the meantime, Cassie grabbed the car phone and called Oscar with the report, who urged her to keep him in sight, but not to tip him off.

“Will do, boss. I’ll report in again shortly,” Cassie said. She hung up the phone before Oscar said another word.

Following several car lengths behind the suspect, they were led through several residential areas, then into a school zone.

“Do you think we’re following the wrong guy?” the driver said. “Could he be the one the other team should be following?”

Cassie remained silent, thinking. Their investigation clearly pointed to this man as being the driver of the van. He and his cohort were the ones responsible for Steve’s kidnapping; for that, they were certain.

The agent pulled into a parking spot in the visitor’s lot, making sure they could still see the suspect. The suspect exited his vehicle, retrieved his briefcase from the back of the car then strode purposely toward the entrance of the building.

Cassie checked her watch, timing the suspect. She didn’t believe he belonged in the school, but had to wait him out. Within an hour, he left the building, heading for his car.

“Notice something missing?” Cassie said, watching the man.

“The briefcase,” the agent said. “So what does it mean?”

“Either he’s forgetful or he was making a drop,” Cassie replied. “Follow him.”

Cassie grabbed the phone and called Oscar. “We’re leaving the school. The suspect, dressed as a business man, possibly imitating a school administrator, entered the building with a briefcase and left without it.” Cassie kept an eye on the suspect’s car as it pulled out of the parking lot.

“Keep on him. I’ll contact the other team and have them move into the school. We need to find out what’s in the briefcase,” Oscar said while scrambling for the other phone. “Keep in touch.”

Cassie hung up the phone, “Stay on him. Boss’s orders.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Once out on the main drive, Greg loosened his tie, glad to be away from the school. “Man, I hate that part,” he muttered to himself.

Greg despised business suits, but knew it was necessary for the roll. He quickly made rounds of the school, leaving his briefcase hidden within the janitor’s closet to be picked up by their contact.

His thoughts turned to payday. With the money he’ll receive in two days time, Greg planned on leaving the country, retiring on a little island somewhere in the Pacific.

While turning onto a county road, heading toward the defunct police station, he spotted a car following at a good distance. He decided to make a sudden turn at the next turn, waiting to see if the other car would follow.

“He’s turning,” the driver said.

“Don’t follow,” Cassie said.

“What?”

“Call it a gut feeling. He turned too quickly. His driving had been smooth up to now. Just keep going and turn off at the next street. Find a place to hide and we’ll watch for him to come back.” Cassie grabbed the binoculars again, focusing on the direction in which the suspect turned.

Spotting the next turn-off, the agent slowed and took the turn at a normal rate, not wanting to draw unneeded attention. Finding a small grove of trees, he pulled behind them, pointing toward the road.

“Now, we wait,” Cassie said.

Greg drove a mile down the road, waiting to see if the other car would follow. Breathing a sigh of relief, he slowed the car and did a three-point turn, heading back the way he came. Once at the intersection, he looked right and left, trying to spot the car. Satisfied that he was alone, he made a left turn back onto the road, heading west once again. He passed the grove of trees, not noticing the gleam of the sun off the windshield.

“Wait,” Cassie said. They sat a few moments longer, letting some distance develop between the two vehicles. “Alright, pull out now.”

The driver carefully pulled out onto the street, keeping a discrete distance.

Cassie placed a call to the transportation department within the OSI. They were not only responsible for establishing travel plans for the agents, but could quickly access maps for any given area.

Cassie waited impatiently for an answer.

“Dawson.”

“Hey Jack, it’s Cassie Miller,” she said, glad to have a friend on the line.

“Cassie! It’s nice to hear from you. What can I do for you?” Jack and Cassie went back quite some time, both starting at the OSI within months of each other. Jack was geared more toward research than Cassie, so it was only natural when Cassie was assigned to fieldwork and Jack ended up hidden within headquarters.

“I’m heading west on county road 116. We’ve just passed the intersection of 116 and Clayton road. What’s west of us?” Cassie hoped Jack could give them some information.

“Hang on,” Jack said, putting down the phone. He scrambled for the county maps which included landmarks and structures. A minute later, he returned to the phone.

“Okay, about 7 miles past the intersection there is a fork in the road. If you go to the right, you’ll end up in a small town. Going to the left for another 10 miles or so will put you out near an old police station,” he said.

Cassie’s senses tingled. “An old police station? Old as in abandoned?”

“Closed down about 10 years ago. I remember seeing an article in the paper about the place. There’s an argument going on between the county and the state as to what should be done with it. In the meantime, it’s vacant.”

Cassie thanked Jack, letting him know he had earned a dinner out to his favorite restaurant. Jack graciously accepted. “We’ll work out the details later,” he said.

Cassie relayed the information to the driver, then phoned Oscar again. Oscar dispatched additional agents as backup, just in case they were needed.

Silence filled the car during the final miles. As they approached the police station, Cassie ordered the driver to find a hiding place so they could sit and observe the situation. She was impatient, wanting to charge in and find her Blue Eyes, but she knew she had to be patient. She leaned back in he seat, watching the suspect, whom exited the car and headed for the front door.

“Hang on Steve,” Cassie muttered. “We’re almost there…”

Sam woke early, not having slept most of the night. She stayed in bed, listening, used to hearing the sounds of her father moving about the house. Smelling the coffee Sam knew that Rudy was already up and moving. Her mood had lifted slightly through the night, realizing that Rudy only did what he thought was right.

Dragging herself out of bed, Sam padded into the bathroom for a quick shower. As the hot water hit her face, she became lost in thought, concerned for her father and herself.

Thoughts of how she would survive without him drifted through her mind. Rudy was the first adult she ever connected with, beside her parents, but it was strictly on an intellectual level. Steve caught her heart; something no-one had done since the death of her parents.

Thinking of her parents dampened her mood. She sometimes wished her memory wasn’t so sharp, wishing it were normal. She enjoyed being able to think about her parents, but on occasion, she wished she could forget them.

Sam leaned against the shower stall, fighting back tears. The image of her real father came forefront, which wasn’t a surprise due to the periodic reminders.

A sudden blast of cold water jarred Sam out of her thoughts causing her to quickly turn off the water. Exiting the shower, she kept her mind on the chores at hand, trying not to let it wonder. Minutes later, she headed down the hall to the kitchen.

Rudy looked up to see a sullen Sam entering the room. “Feel any better?” he asked, taking a sip of coffee.

“Not really,” Sam said, pulling the jug of milk out of the fridge.

Rudy abandoned the paper to prepare a quick breakfast for Sam, knowing that unless forced to eat, she would go without. “Sit down. Breakfast will be ready shortly.”

Sam plopped into a chair. “I’m not hungry.”

“Tough. You will eat what I prepare,” Rudy said.

Sam scowled at him, grabbing the paper to avoid conversation.

Rudy quickly put together a filling meal of pancakes, eggs, sausage and toast. Setting the plates in front of Sam, “I expect you to eat at least half of it.”

Sam set down the paper, looking at the food, suddenly realizing she was hungry after all. Not wanting to show just how hungry, Sam made a show of picking at the food, pushing it around the plate while eating a few bites at a time.

“Eat,” Rudy said, looking up from the paper he had retrieved from Sam.

Having been told to do so, Sam picked up the pace a little, finishing off exactly half of the breakfast. Although she wanted to finish it, Sam wasn’t going to give Rudy the satisfaction.

Rudy inspected the plate. “I suppose that will do,” he said. “Now, if you can keep your temper in check, I’ll tell you what I can of my conversation with Oscar.”

“You talked to him this morning?” Sam attempted to contain her eagerness.

“Yes. Apparently Cassie and her team have a solid lead. They tracked the two responsible for kidnapping Steve to their homes last night and are following one who left this morning. That’s as much information I can give you for now,” Rudy said, waiting for Sam to object.

Sitting quietly, Sam mulled over the details, trying to sort it out with the details to which she was already privy. Unfortunately, the puzzle pieces weren’t fitting together.

Sam pushed away from the table and left the room, not exactly the response Rudy expected. ‘Of course,’ he thought, ‘I should never expect a reaction from her.’

When upset, Sam had always proven to be unpredictable, either staying quiet or losing her temper. Rudy chuckled, returning to his newspaper. He figured it was better for her to be silent than to have a temper tantrum.

Hearing the sliding glass door open and close, Rudy suspected Sam had gone out on the balcony.

He peeked around the corner into the living room, spotting her sitting outside on a lounge chair, legs tucked up under her chin, arms holding her legs, resting her chin on her knees.

Although he preferred Sam be silent instead of losng her temper, Rudy was still dismayed with her mood.

He decided to push Oscar for additional details that he could tell Sam, hoping to brighten her mood. He reached for the phone, dialing the number. Several rings later, Oscar answered.

“Oscar, we need to talk.”

Steve paced his cell, formulating his plan, when he heard the familiar footsteps coming down the hallway,

“Good morning, Colonel Austin,” the man said. “I trust you slept well?”

“Considering my bed is a board…”

The man smiled. “One more night and you’ll be out of here. Of course, I’m not sure your new accommodations will be as good as this.”

Steve had grown to hate the man. With every visit the man appeared smug, sure of himself. A smile slowly played across Steve’s face.

“Is something funny, Colonel?” the man said, curious about Steve’s thoughts.

“I was just thinking what it will be like to wrap my hands around your neck,” Steve said.

Heckle instantly moved to the man’s side, not liking the implication.

“Come, come, Colonel. We both know that won’t happen,” the man said, crossing his arms.

Steve chuckled. “It’s nice to see your trained poodles pay attention. I was beginning to wonder if they were merely decoration.” Judging the reaction from the guard, Steve suspected they were more than just hired hands, possibly partners.

“They are highly trained marksmen, Colonel; hunters as well. You wouldn’t want them on your trail,” the man said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some work to do before your departure.” The man started toward the hallway, then stopped. Turning back toward Steve, “Oh yes, I almost forgot. Your breakfast will be along shortly.”

Cassie sat patiently, watching the building. After her conversation with Jack, she quickly called again, requesting the blueprints of the building. He promised to have them delivered to her location within the hour.

Cassie jumped when a man knocked on the passenger window. “Don’t do that!” she said after rolling down the window.

The agent, fresh out of training, apologized profusely. “Sorry Agent Miller. Mr. Goldman told me not to drive up this way, but to park and walk in so I wouldn’t be spotted.” He handed Cassie a corrugated tube that contained the blueprints.

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” she said. Cassie got out of the car, removed the blueprints from the tube and very carefully spread them out over the hood of the car.

The young agent stood nearby, waiting to be dismissed. Cassie looked up, noticing the young man. “You can head back to the office now,” she said. “Let Mr. Goldman know I’ll contact him once I’ve formulated a rescue plan.”

The young agent nodded, then jogged back toward the woods, heading for his car.

Cassie’s partner exited the car, stepping to her side. The both examined the blueprints, noticing the simplistic nature of the building; one story above ground, three stories below. Cassie pointed out the possible entry points, wanting to remain unnoticed.

“I’m willing to bet Colonel Austin is on the bottom level,” the agent said.

Cassie nodded. “That’s what my gut feeling is telling me. “

They developed a plan for the Steve’s rescue. Once they fine tuned the details, Cassie called Oscar and relayed the information.

“I’ll bring reinforcements,” said Oscar before hanging up the phone.

Cassie replaced the car phone in its box and exited the vehicle.

“Now, we wait,” she said, knowing it’s going to be a long day.

After receiving his orders, Agent Zuercher and his partner entered the school, heading for the office.

The secretary looked up at the two men, “Can I help you?”

Agent Zuercher presented his ID, along with his partner.

The secretaries eyes bulged upon seeing the C.I.A. badge.

“I need to speak with the principal immediately,” Zuercher said.

Instead of calling, the secretary bolted from her desk into the principals office, informing him of the agents.

The principal quickly followed the secretary out to the front.

“How can I help you?” the principal said while inspecting the badges.

“My men are currently locking down your school. Once complete, the school will be searched from top to bottom,” Zuercher said.

“What for?” the principal said, perplexed.

“That’s classified sir,” the other agent said. “We expect full cooperation from you and your staff. Please make an announcement for all children to remain in their classrooms until told otherwise.”

The principal motioned the secretary to make the announcement, then turned his attention back to the agents.

Zuercher produced a picture of their suspect. “Do you recognize this man?”

The principal took the picture, studying it. “I’m not sure…”

“I know it’s not the best quality,” said Zuercher.

“I have a magnifying glass in my office,” the principal said. “Follow me.”

The agents rounded the front desk and followed the principal into his office. The principal sat at his desk, pulling a magnifying glass out of the top drawer. He turned on the desk lamp and peered through the glass at the picture. Several moments later he looked up at the agents. “I’m not sure, but I think this is Greg Smith, a school administrator. He was just here this morning.”

A glance passed between the two agents. The C.I.A. agent quickly departed in search of his team. Zuercher turned his attention back to the principal.

“Do you know where in what areas of the school he visited this morning?” Zuercher had pad and pen at the ready.

“Sorry, can’t help you there,” the principal said.

“Pardon?” Zuercher didn’t plan on taking no for an answer.

The principal became flustered. “I don’t mean I won’t cooperate. I mean that he prefers to conduct his business by himself.”

“Is this unusual?”

“No, he’s a school administrator. Why should he have an escort?” The principal had never given it a second thought when the administrator requested to go alone. He wasn’t the first administrator who preferred to roam the halls alone.

“I would have expected outsiders to be escorted,” Zuercher said, slightly dismayed. Being a father, he would hope his children would be protected from the possibility of an outside intruder.

“Yes, well, we’ve never had any problems,” the principal said.

“Thanks for your help,” Zuercher said. “I’ll join my men in the search and will let you know if we need anything.” He turned and left the office, still mulling over the lack of security within the school. He approached his C.I.A. partner. “It’s no small wonder this could happen,” he said. “School administrators are permitted access to the school unescorted. Any news yet?”

The C.I.A. agent simply shook his head. “We’re doing a room by room search, which is going slow since we’re trying not to upset the kids.”

Agent Zuercher’s radio crackled to life. “Herman here. We’ve encountered a locked room.” Grabbing the radio, “Where are you? I’m near the main office.” After receiving directions, he and his partner headed for Agent Herman’s location.

Simon had spent most of the morning performing his menial duties as expected of the job. He had finished sweeping the floors when he spotted a man in a business suit, carrying a briefcase walking in his direction. The man passed him by without saying a word.

Simon continued to sweep the floor, watching the man who was now at the end of the hall. The man entered the janitor’s closet, and then exited a moment later, minus the briefcase. After the man passed Simon, Simon wandered down toward his utility room. Peeking inside the room, he found everything in order. After closing the door, he locked it behind him.

For the next hour, Simon continued his work uninterrupted, until a hoard of men took over the halls. Unsure of the activity, he felt it was in his best interest to stay out of the way. Leaning his broom in the corner of the hallway, he wandered down the hall toward the cafeteria, avoiding the new arrivals along the way.

In the classroom, Anton sat quietly, reading a book. After the announcement came through for all students to remain where they were, the teacher declared the time as a study hall, allowing the kids to work on their homework or to read quietly.

Choosing to read, Anton was startled when two well-dressed men entered the room. He recognized them immediately as U.S. government agents, having seen plenty of them surrounding the Russian embassy when his family first arrived. Butterflies formed within his stomach. He wondered if his deliveries were linked to the arrival of the men. His father had always told him that the letters were simply correspondence, nothing of consequence.

He returned to his book, trying to quash his concerns, relieved when the men left. Anton left his seat, approaching the teacher, who looked up as he approached.

“Anton, please return to your seat,” the teacher said.

“I must call my father,” Anton said, hoping the urgency came through.

“I’m sorry, Anton, but you’ll have to wait until the principal says we can move around the building again. Now please return to your seat,” the teacher said.

Anton stood a moment longer, trying to decide if he should continue arguing or sit down.

“Anton…”

The boy finally returned to his seat, anxious to speak with his father, hoping everything would return to normal shortly.

Zuercher arrived at the spot where several agents had congregated. “Where does the door lead?”

“Janitor’s closet,” the CIA agent said. “We’re looking for the janitor now.”

“Simon should be nearby,” a voice said. Zuercher turned to see the principal heading in their direction. “Normally it’s kept unlocked, but Simon reported a rash of thefts from the closet. Childish pranks, more than likely, but it still costs money.”

“What kind of things were stolen?” a third agent said.

“We keep more than janitorial supplies in the closet. We also keep chalk, chalkboard erasers, pencils and so forth. All chemicals are kept out of reach,” the principal said.

Hearing approaching footsteps Zuercher turned to see a gray haired middle-aged man walking in their direction. He wore dark glasses and had a sad sort of smile on his face.

“Can I help you?” Simon asked.

“We need to inspect this closet,” Zuercher said.

Simon nodded, unclipping a large ring of keys from his belt. He quickly flipped through them until he found a shiny brass key. Stepping forward, past the men, he unlocked the door and stepped back.

“Please wait here,” the CIA agent said.

He and Zuercher entered the closet, looking for the briefcase. Within moments they spotted it tucked up under a shelf with a large carton of chalk in front of it.

“An attempt to hide it,” Zuercher said.

After donning vinyl gloves, they carefully slid it out of the hiding place, noting the weight.

“What do you think is in here?” the CIA agent said. Squatting, he placed the briefcase flat on the floor.

Zuercher squatted beside him, examining the outside. “I don’t know, maybe money, but it looks like we have another lock to open.”

The two men examined the built in locks, one on each side of the briefcase. They were hesitant to jimmy the locks in the event it’s booby-trapped.

Zuercher picked up the case, exiting the closet with the CIA agent close behind, who stripped off his gloves. “We found what we’ve been looking for,” he said to the principal. Turning to Simon, “Have you seen anyone enter this closet recently?”

Simon merely shook his head. “No sir, I haven’t. I’ve never seen the briefcase either.”

Zuercher radioed for the other agents to meet outside at the front of the building. He thanked the principal and Simon for their cooperation, then strode down the hall to the exit.

Simon stood at the closet door, watching the agents depart. Dismayed at their finding the briefcase in the closet, he closed the door and locked it, returning to his duties.

When the announcement came over the intercom that the children were free to move about the building again Anton quickly walked down the hall to the office.

“I must call my father,” he announced, passing the secretary and entering an empty office.

Closing the door behind him, Anton settled at the desk and placed a call to the embassy. Minutes later he relayed a message to his father through the personal secretary. “Please tell him I must speak with him. It’s urgent.”

Anton was told to hold while the secretary searched for the Ambassador. He became antsy, waiting, when finally he heard his father’s voice.

“Anton? What is wrong?” the Ambassador said.

“Father, government agents just left the building. They had all students stay in their classes while they searched the school,” Anton said.

The Ambassador silently considered the news.

“Father?”

“Yes Anton, I’m here. Do you know if they found anything?”

“I do not know, father. I was restricted to my classroom. They were here for a little under an hour,” Anton said. “What should I do?”

“Have you made your delivery today?”

“No Father. I’ve been unable to do so.” Anton knew he would be in trouble, but he had always been told to be discrete. The halls were unusually busy when he first arrived due to an upcoming student function. He planned on making the drop at lunch, but was unable to sneak away.

The Ambassador sighed. “In that case, do nothing,” his father said. “Return to your class and keep to yourself. I have to think about the situation and determine a course of action.”

“Yes father,” Anton said. A moment later he hung up the phone and did as ordered; he returned to the classroom to continue with his studies.

Zuercher and his fellow agents took the suitcase back to the office and down to the techno-geeks, as he referred to them. Oscar met them in the lab, waiting the results from x-rays. They wanted to determine if an unwelcome surprise awaited them within the case.

A technician brought the case over to a table, in front of Oscar. “All clear, sir. The locks will need to be broken.”

Oscar motioned the waiting locksmith over to the table. Within a minute the case was unlocked.

Zuercher, who still wore his gloves, carefully opened the case.

“As I suspected,” Oscar said. “Our suspect dropped off a payment.” He picked up a wad of bills and fanned through it. “All one hundred dollar bills,” he said. Quickly counting the rows across and the depth of the stack, he estimated well over 250 thousand dollars. “A hefty payoff.”

Zuercher let loose a low whistle. “So who is it for?”

“That, Z, is the next piece of the puzzle to be found,” Oscar said.

He motioned everyone to sit, filling them in on the morning’s events on Cassie’s end. The organized the men into teams and ordered them out into the field with Cassie.

Having given instructions on how to approach the area, he dismissed the men, placing a hand on Zuercher’s shoulder to hold him back.

“Yes sir?” the agent said, turning to face his boss.

Once sure the other agents had left the office, Oscar said, “Z, keep an eye on Agent Miller. She and Colonel Austin have a special relationship and I don’t want her to do anything rash.”

Zuercher was surprised. “They are an item?” He had heard of other men trying to catch Cassie’s heart, but didn’t realize someone had succeeded.

Oscar grinned, “No, not in the way you think. It’s more like a brother and sister relationship. Sometimes it seems like they are the siblings they didn’t have when growing up.”

Zuercher nodded, understanding. He once had a very close relationship with another agent and when they tried to take the next step, their friendship fell apart. “Don’t worry, sir. I’ll make sure Agent Miller doesn’t run into any burning buildings…”

Oscar thanked him then sent the agent on his way. Returning to his desk, Oscar sifted through the employee folders from the school. Now that they have identified one suspect, the next step was to identify the contact at the school. Pulling out one folder in particular, he opened it and began to read, a frown pulling at the corners of his mouth.

...Continued