Chapter 7

Upon returning from China, Team Zeta returned to London to reflect on the previous events.  While Carly had to go meet someone, her teammates were back in the Team Zeta office, trying to come to terms with their recent run in with Ed Wick.

“So now Wick knows about the tablet!” Sarah cried out in disbelief as she paced around the room.  “Unbelievable!  The thing is so damn obscure, and yet he still wants it!  How can he know about it?”

“It’s Wick,” Emily answered in her very casual manner.  “He always knows.  Once a new find comes, Wick does whatever it takes to get it.  Diversions….bribery…extortion…anything!”

“Don’t forget murder!” Paulina included in the small list Emily provided.  “That hijo de una ramera would sell out his own mother if it could get him some money!  Besides, you saw those photos of our own agents!  He has that much power to tell his men to do that!”

Emily took a drag of her cigarette before blowing out the smoke so that she could do something that, according to those who know Miss Parker, was absolutely unimaginable to her character: provide something insightful.

“I don’t know about that Paulina…”

“What do you mean mapache?” Paulina asked.

Emily walks over towards Paulina to show her a closer inspection of the photos.  “Just take a closer look at the photos.  Sarah, you come and look too.”

The squeamish Harvard-educated kitty was far too reluctant to comply as she responded with, “Uh….ew…no thanks.”

“Will ya’ just bloody look at ‘em?!” Emily shouted.

“Okay,” Sarah weakly said as she slowly made her way to look at the photos.

Once Sarah came, Emily explained the photos in detail.  “Take a look at the bodies.  All were cut and picked clean.  Now knowin’ from experience, Wick’s goons are pretty sloppy.”

“Sí,” Paulina said, “come to think of it, you and I have taken on Wick a few times ourselves, Sarah.  And we both have been able to knock out those guys with no more than a kick to the head.”

“Right,” Emily continued.  “Those guys are more of the ‘get-in-and-get-it-done-now’ types.  The way these guys went in, they planned this attack and took their time.”

“So someone else is after us?” Sarah asked.  “Is that what you think is going on?”

“It’s likely,” Emily replied.  “And it also means that tablet holds something really serious.”  Emily put the photos back into the envelope before leaving the office to finish her cigarette, leaving Paulina and Sarah to think about it.

“This is some freaky stuff, gatita,” Paulina told her partner.

“Yeah.  But do you know what’s more freaky?  Emily explained those photos in detail…and it actually sounded smart!”

“Sí.  Perhaps this case might turn her into a better agent.”

Soon after saying that, the two heard shouting and pounding coming from another room.  Startled by this, Sarah and Paulina ran over to where the commotion was taking place.  It was in a nearby break room, and the two of them discover that the same agent whom they felt would change her sarcastic and cynical ways and become a more formidable agent was shouting angrily while kicking and pounding a vending machine.  She even goes so far as to grab a nearby chair to try and break the glass of the machine.

“BLOODY ‘ELL!  CAN’T GET ME SPICY CHIPS, I CAN’T!”

As the raccoon continued her fight to claim the last dangling bag of spicy fries from the vending machine, Paulina turned her head to Sarah and reminded her that, “Remember the key word is ‘agent’, not person.”

“Oh yeah, I know,” Sarah said before she and Paulina attempted to pry Emily from her predicament before she breaks off the push bar so she could try and reach into the machine.