Chapter 15 #2
“I’m going to take the snake… thing… to the hospital wing to get checked out, but we’ll keep him locked up and guarded.
Agent Quackenbush will escort you to the hospital wing once you’re dressed.
” Agent Talbot glanced around the room, keeping the snake cradled to her chest. Its feathery wings drooped from her arms. Her brow wrinkled as if an unsavory thought struck her.
“In fact, I think I want an agent with you both all day.”
Joline’s eyes widened at the thought. She was mentioned in Grimm’s note. They were both targets. She wrapped her arm around Ariel, pulling her close, trying her best to help her feel safe again. Ariel’s trembling subsided.
Agent Quackenbush gave the room a once-over as Agent Talbot left with the amphiptere. “I don’t sense anything hiding or lurking about,” she announced before giving Ariel a sympathetic gaze. “I’ll be just outside in the hall if you need anything,” she said softly before leaving the room.
Joline tucked a lock of Ariel’s silver-streaked hair behind her ear. “What can I help with?”
She still had the sheet wrapped tightly around her small frame. Her eyes kept darting to the dresser as if she feared another creature would pop out from underneath it.
“Ariel?” Joline prompted, while giving her shoulder a quick squeeze.
Ariel shook her head as if coming out of a daze. She glanced around the room as if temporarily forgetting where she was. With a sniff, she finally said, “I need to find my track pants that snap up the side. It makes it easier to access the compartments in the other leg.” Her voice was flat.
“Are they in the dresser?”
Ariel nodded. As Joline left her side to open the drawers, Ariel grabbed her arm. “Be careful,” she said in a whisper, still eyeing up the dresser as if it could transform into a monster.
“It’s alright. Agent Quackenbush already cleared the room.” Ariel’s facial expression said that she wasn’t convinced, so Joline added, “I’ll be careful.” When she crossed the short space to the dresser, she asked, “What drawer are they in?”
“The bottom. I’ll need a shirt too, but which one doesn’t matter so much. Shirts are in the middle drawer.”
Joline carefully searched for the pants, not wanting to make a mess of things after Ariel already had a lot to clean up. Then she found a shirt that matched the black track pants. She handed the clothes to Ariel. Tears streaked down her cheeks. “What can I do to help?” Joline offered.
Ariel shook her head. “I never realized how helpless I really am. Especially since…” She glanced down at the prosthetic leg.
Joline wished she could say something reassuring, but all ideas sounded stupid in her head.
She stayed quiet. Ariel continued, “I was laying in bed. I sleep with my leg off.” She shrugged.
“I expect most people do.” Her tears eased up, slowing in frequency as she wiped her nose on the back on her hand.
“He came, knowing I’d not be able to run.
” Her brow wrinkled. She leaned against the wall, putting a hand to her forehead. “How could I be so stupid?”
“About what?”
“I let him mutilate me. And for what?” Anger brought a blush to her cheeks and neck.
Her fingers bunched up the sheet as she made fists.
“So he can send creeps into my room at night to toss my leg out of reach so I can’t run?
Or fight.” Her eyes glanced back at the dresser.
“At least I can still manage pretty well on three legs.” The last comment seemed more a musing out loud.
“That’s all more reason to put an end to this, once and for all.
Agent Stone said they’re prepping to hit up the place Grimm invited us to now.
And our plan seems pretty solid. With the extra security on campus, I don’t think he’s getting away with anything today.
” Determination grew within Joline. It mirrored the look on Ariel’s face.
“One way or another,” Ariel agreed, “this ends today.”
Ariel thought that agents would have shut down her plan after the intruder, but they seemed all the more determined to help.
Extra reinforcements were brought in just in case.
WANC swarmed with current and former agents, all on high alert.
While most of the ‘Eh Team was with Agents Stone and Sparks’ raid, a few members were called back to campus just in case shit hit the fan.
Grimm would be crazy to pull anything with all the agents and security around. But Ariel knew he was just that: crazy. He’d view it as a challenge to prove how smart he was. If anything, the extra help would lure him in.
After meeting in the classroom, Ariel swapped her prosthetic for the one ‘gifted’ by Grimm.
She felt dirty just touching it. The club members spent the morning setting up their traps.
Simon instructed all of them on the various ways to make snares.
Jennifer provided education on how to properly chloroform someone.
It seemed strange that the sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Ariel half expected a storm for all the trouble that was brewing. The only thing in the sky was a lone eagle passing lazy circles overhead. She wondered if that was an ASS agent on patrol.