Adventure in the World of Crimes

Bridge

Laura was seated on her spacious, luxurious, and expensive condominium's single sofa, reviewing another case that Dale had relentlessly sent her just only a week after her previous life-risking task when her phone resting on the small, round glass table next to the food one of her student brought, in the middle of her living room rang, showing the name of the girl she was cursing for so many times that week.

She picked it up and pressed the green button, creasing her head as soon as she placed it on her ear.

"I swear Dale if this is another task, I will bomb our agency with explosives until all these never-ending piles of papers disappear and turn into ashes!"

"Hello to you too, Purple." Was all the sarcastic remark she received from her rant. Dale cleared her throat, "The three cellular phones you asked me to put a tracker are all ready. You might want to pick it up?"

"Of course, I will. I could've at least a break from your grip that I should be deserving of after my task, don't you think the same?"

"You're resting, aren't you? I bet you're just sitting there with plenty of food on your table, feet up high, seated on your comfy chair-"

"And finishing up the papers you tasked me to do!" She interjected, grudgingly, and Dale, on the other line, grimaced and had to take away her phone from her ear.

"Gosh! You don't have to louder your voice." She rambled, "That was sir Hermes' order. Don't give you strenuous task since you're still recovering and while you wait for your cut in your abdomen to heal perfectly."

"Yes, but I feel like there would be another cut in my brain for racking it just to have something to put in here if I keep doing these reports and papers that I don't we have. I thought we're all about receiving requests and giving assistance."

Laura threw the paper on her side and picked one fresh peach on the table and bit on it. She's been receiving good service of care from her agency, one time, Dale visited her personally, well only to bring her these papers and not to actually take care of her, Dale was smart, but would never think of taking care of her ever. Most of the time, her students and anyone in the agency would take a turn to visit her and change her gauze and clean her cut also bring her food and supply her fridge. She's almost living the best life, except of course the part where she had to read papers while they were all doing those.

Dale breathed out a sigh, "Fine. Bring all of those here. Are you sending these phones to your kids?"

Laura beamed at the order, she'll be finally free from the playing words in papers that she couldn't understand, but then frowned upon realizing the use of word Dale chose to address the scholars she'll be visiting today.

"They're not my kids. I would never claim annoying with exuding attitudes children mine." She rolled her eyes, and she heard the girl snickered at her remark, "But yeah, those are theirs that I gave before but I took it back so you could add a tracker since we have to make sure they are safe. Anyway, I'm taking those to them now. I need a driver."

"Someone will be there in ten minutes."

"Got it! Bye!"

Dale, as usual, was busy instructing her computer geeks squad to do whatever they were accomplishing. She saw them fastly smashing the keyboards and breaking in sweats just to complete which seemed to be like breaking code and viruses that she supposed were made by Dale herself for the training of her squad.

The room's white stead light turned into a blinking green light, the word 'COMPLETED' flashed on the huge screen as Dale pressed the timer on her hand and studied the consumed time.

"It's a little faster than the last, but still not fast enough for a group who are breaking down my codes. Still, well done." She commented earning a loud sigh of relief from the agents.

Dale walked towards her, taking the papers one agent, which happened to be her driver for the day, handed to her. She signaled Laura to follow her upstairs which of course the latter did.

"Do you want anything while I'm being generous today?" She sat on her swivel chair and shot her a soft gaze, placing the timer and papers next to her laptop, and leaned back on her chair.

"A year vacation?" She tried bidding, sitting on the chair across her, and crossed her arms and legs.

Dale barely offered anything for them, she always went straight to the point and down to business as soon as someone entered her office, so Laura's trying her luck, though she knew it was impossible.

"Sure."

Laura sat up straight in surprise, she looked at Dale right in the eyes and there was no hint of kidding on it, just her usual way of looking. "For real?"

The other girl sneered, putting in her blue light glasses. "You wish. Anyway, that ends my generosity."

"I kind of figured," Laura replied with an eye roll.

Dale stood up with a soft chuckle, she walked towards her drawer and drew three boxes of cellphones in there— the phones she requested to buy and put a discreet tracker and a few entertainment, games, and social applications plus her number.

"These are the phones for your kids. I did like what you've told me to do. We can see in detail where they are even when they turn off their location." She explained, sliding the boxes one by one towards Laura who caught it all.

"Thank you." She replied, standing up. "I should go. And by the way," She looked at Dale with the same look she was using in a serious meeting, blank and scary. "I need to know everything about Dany's case."

She looked back at her, measuring if she'll agree or not. When nothing changed in Laura's expression, she turned her attention to her laptop and shrugged, "Her task is the most private amongst the one I have given to the rest of you. But I'll send you the details because I know you'll not stop bugging me about your best friend's case like you always do."

Laura smiled, muttering a small thanks before she proceeded out of her office. Heading to the school where the scholars were currently free from studies and were given a break, after years of not being given of it, for another three months while the school was being renovated.

The school was filled with scholars and workers, the sound of the machines was piercing her ear. It was near on getting done, the tunnel was gone and the main ground was now visible at first enter, unlike before that there were so many things to do before finally reaching the main ground. it had also improved a lot of buildings, the field at the back of the school was officially part of the university and was used for football practice, and most importantly, the previously demolished sleuth clubroom was rebuilt and made beautifully than the previous resting place of spiders and insects.

That was where she was heading now, she opened the door of the clubroom and found no one, and Laura knew better than to ask why, instead, she walked towards the nook of the room and slipped her finger on the hole there, pulling it up as she readied herself for a slide she didn't know she missed.

"Laura!"

She saw the three scholars inside risen from their sit and rushed towards the still seated on the fluffy cushions spread on the now carpeted floor. Even inside the hidden room had changed a lot, the pictures of the victims were now gone, the wall was now painted with lavender and off-white paint that it had become brighter than the last time.

"Miss Laura! Nice to see you again!" Blake exclaimed, running towards her for a hug but Laura kicked him on his chest lightly that had him pushed backward. "Aww!"

"Go back to your seats." She dictated, standing up on her own as she picked up the paper bag where the phones were. "How are you doing lately? Any threats?"

"If there's anything we're receiving lately, that's only praises and gratitude. They were also looking for you." Coleen answered, sitting on the chair across Blake. "But we said you stopped schooling."

"That's good. I wouldn't stay long. by the way, I just dropped by to drop this." She took out each brand new phone that was still on the box and passed each to them. "That's my gift for treating me worse in my stay."

"Worse? You had the best time with us."

That's true, but Laura wouldn't admit it.

"You wish, Foster, just being with you it already feels the worst." She bantered, earning a chuckle from Eloise and Coleen while Blake just snickered at her. They opened the phones, the three were in awe with the latest model of their phones and how cool it was. The rules were changed, care of Coleen who stayed at being the president, one of those was that they could now reach anyone around the world through their phones, and the phones they were using were now their own.

"This is cool!" Blake exclaimed, eyes shining as he scanned the phone.

"Thank you, Laura." Eloise thanked her, Laura just waved her hand.

"Anyway, that has a tracker, I hope you don't mind, we have to make sure you're protected and no one will get back at you. My number is there, the messages were also tracked but it's encrypted so the agency wouldn't see the messages, yet, please, don't spam me with messages. I'm looking at you, Blake."

Blake grinned and shrugged as if already have a plan running in his mind. Laura just rolled her eyes at him and placed her hands in her pants' pocket.

"I have to go now. Message me on your graduation." She said then walked towards the exit door.

"Take care, Laura."

She was already in her car when her phone vibrated continuously, her nose flared when she checked it, she was getting lots of messages from Blake letter by letter, and she wanted to go back to the school to give him one good blow on his face.

Then it rang, making her annoyed even more. She fished it out again out of her pocket and answered it.

It was not Blake.

It was Black, flashing the name, Warren Velmont.

"Purple, the two commanders died."