The TALONS Files: the chronicles of telepathic agent Ryan Dart

Ryan or Caleb?

The teenagers walked along with the guards towards the exit, descending the stairs in the spacious lobby.

As they neared the final steps, Mai made a phone call.  "Psycho and Lotus have the get rich quick plans at the Art Institute of Chicago, we need pick up."

Despite her best winning smile, her words caused suspicious looks from the guards.  The shorter one sternly grumbled, grabbing Mai by the arm. "Uh-huh, we're going to take you to the security room."  'We'll have to look at the camera footage.'

"What?"  Ryan seemed shocked.  "Is there awful art there too?  Man this day is just getting worse.  Free Willy!!"  Ryan shouted at the top of his lungs as he walked by a sculpture of a dolphin.

The taller guard glared at the unruly boy, 'is this like some kind of distraction? Or are these kids just causing problems?'

The guards walked briskly, as Ryan and Mai were reluctantly at their sides, the large hands of the security men around one teenager's arm a piece.

*   *   *

The four of them reached a door.  "Okay Willy, in you go."  The taller guard smugly glanced at Ryan.

Mai shot a scolding look at the guards.  "You can't detain us,  we did nothing wrong."

"Cathy."  The short guard said, as they entered a small plain room.  It could have been a janitor's closet. 

"Yes," an elderly woman, about sixty-five replied. She had taken her eyes from the papers on her desk.

"Would you check her pockets?"  'They seem too young to be art thieves, yet you never know.'

Ryan swallowed hard, this whole escapade may be for nothing.  He pleaded, "Seriously? We were in a room full of paintings.  None of them are going to fit in any of her pockets."

"Can I see your ID?" The taller of the two asked Ryan in a likeable tone. 'Something definitely stinks here.  Vandals?  Thieves?  What's this kid's game?   Ryan handed over his Wisconsin Driver's license to the taller guard, who handed it to the shorter guard.  As the elderly woman, who checked Mai's pockets, declared.  "She's clean."

The shorter guard, being quite muscular and bald, eyed Ryan. 'The kid seems totally in control now.'   He studied Ryan's driver's license, 'Wait, his stepsister called him Caleb' and then the guard's eyes scolded, "Thanks Ryan."   He turned his attention towards a computer monitor, quickly typing in Ryan's ID number. 

"I'll need to see your ID too, young lady."  The taller guard said, as Mai began to pull it from her pocket. 

Before she handed it over, the shorter man interrupted.  "Apparently there hasn't even been a minor infraction with this kid.  The guard swallowed and then shamefully let out.  "Says here he's prone to random outbursts."

The two guards fell silent, as they looked slightly defeated.  'detaining children for no good reason never looks good.'

The taller guard apologetically regarded Mai, and asked with a touch of guilt,  "Do you think you can find the door?"

Mai swallowed, "Sure thing."

He then scowled at Ryan, "Do you have your medication on you?"

"I left it in the car."

"Do you think you can keep him under control?"  He asked Mai, with a good-natured expression.

"Sure, I'll just talk about Chloe."

"His pet?"

Mai laughed "No his girlfriend, very pretty."

'Why is it the wierdos get the best women?'  "Alright you two, get out of here,"  The smaller guard said in annoyance.