“Yep, which is the second part of the concern; her outsmarting whoever is looking is a red flag waving brightly in the morning sky.Men like a challenge, and she just threw down the gauntlet,” Mustang replied.“The job has now turned into a personal mission or a vendetta.”
“Whoever it is needs to tread lightly.The Fer de Lance has put out the word to stay away from her,” Apple added.“Whoever did this is not only dumb, but dangerous.You asked for an assist, and I got you.”
“Thanks, Apple.I will send the dates.I think they coincide with his Spring Break.I will get the camping gear if you can outfit Oscar,” Mustang said.
“Roger that.Apple out,” he said, ending the call.“This should be interesting.”However, he was actually looking forward to it and to seeing their home.He imagined all sorts of cutesy shit all over the place.What he would find when he arrived was another story altogether.
****
THE MONDAY QUIETNESSfelt like a new day to Helen as she waved good day to her man, seeing him off to the office.She loved this part.At the dining room table, she took out her planner, then her Technician tablet.She sipped her coffee as she plugged in the information Mustang had taught her to enter into the black screen.Rows and rows of properties, buildings, and developments popped up under Michael Kurtzwilde.
“This dude right here,” she said, hitting print for the addresses and locations to spit out in the office.
She listened carefully for the printer, but then a new sound erupted from the office.The fax machine.Helen's eyes grew wide.Mustang wasn't home.Faxes didn't come in when a body wasn't home.Therefore, the fax coming in was for her.
The fax was for The Cranberry.
The Cranberry had an assignment.
“Aww man, I hope I don't have to go and kill somebody.I don't feel like doing that, and I was planning to bake a pie tonight,” she scowled, rising slowly.
Her feet were almost dragging as she reached the fourth bedroom and spotted the fax machine.A lone piece of paper stuck out as if the machine were about to give her a wet raspberry.Helen tore off the sheet and read the words.
Find this girl.Get as much information from her as you can.Take her to the safe house listed below.Report back.
“Seems simple enough,” Helen said, taking the fax and jotting down the information.The fax itself she placed in the shredder.A text came through on her Technician's phone with an image of a teen girl.“I'm sure she no longer looks anything like that, but I shall go look.”
In her heart, she wanted to call Mustang to let him know she'd received a fax.Her gut told her to shut the hell up and tell him about her adventure over dinner, if even then.However, right now her priority was going to work.
Chapter 11- Cutting Short
The assignment wasclose by in Indianapolis.She didn't really care for the city, especially during the Indy 500 or another big event.Indianapolis, based on the data she pulled when doing a quick research scan for potential teen hot spots, ranked 12th in the nation in crime.It would also be a hotbed for teen activities and bad habits.She located two spots to begin, knowing her Seraphim, if she had access to the person, would be an immense help to point her in the right direction to prevent her from spending the day looking in the butt cracks of the city to only locate stinky turds.
She dressed comfortably in a pair of black low top work boots and her kick ass Fer de Lance pants, covered over with an ankle length black print skirt.A black turtleneck sweater along with the pea coat, went on, but the knives in her pants weren't easily accessible.
“I will look so stupid stopping to pull up my skirt to get a knife,” she said, raising her finger to touch the imaginary light bulb that popped up above her head.
