The TALONS Files: the chronicles of telepathic agent Ryan Dart

An Unexpected Text

Ryan, Mai and Damon went to lunch at Chili's, which was on the west side of Green Bay. They talked and swapped stories. Actually, it was more like Damon and Mai talked, and Ryan listened. Ryan couldn't help but roll his eyes, which he did quite frequently, when he heard the two throwing compliments each others way, causing a blush on the other's face.

Finally, something broke his concentration-which was a welcomed surprise. He actually felt like a chaperone on his friend's date. And yes, apparently both Mai and Damon were very much interested in one another. Which, as Ryan considered Damon's lanky appearance, was a good omen for his charmless friend.

Ryan's attention breaker was a very unexpected text, and just maybe a game saver. Considering how his butt was on the line, Ryan figured this text might actually make up for his mistakes. He looked down to see the shocking words shouting across his phone's screen,

'I can lead you to the last disk...that is if you give them to me."

Ryan gawked at the words. His heart leaped in his throat. Was it the senator?

'who is this?'

The reply came quickly.

'I never disclose my name by phone, but I think you have a good Idea. If you share your guess, I will end this conversation now.'

Ryan shrugged. 'Ok, you can remain anonymous.'

'The disk's location is revealed behind door number 2 of the nightmare level in the VR arcade.'

Ryan considered this. Why wouldn't the senator allow the director to deliver the disks?

'Why do you need me?'

'Because scam Likely is not going to disclose the drop area until his problems are resolved. It would suit you best to recover them before Scam causes problems for us.'

Ryan's wheels were spinning. 'What's in it for me?'

'You'll be a hero.'

Ryan replied. 'And...'

'How about 5 million reasons to do what I say.'

'I'm in! Where will I meet you?'

'O'hare international airport. At the United ticket counters.'

'See you then.'

Ryan interrupted Mai and Damon, as Mai was gasping her next statement with a smile, "So you use a flexible polycarbanote for the surface?"

"Yeah, It ensures enough strength to support four hundred pounds, but is light enough...."

"Sorry to interrupt this great bonding opportunity, but, Mai, you and I have to go back to the VR arcade."

"Wait, I'll come with you guys." Damon said, a little shyly.

"Sorry, Damon. You're going to have to sit this one out." Ryan said hurriedly.

"I get it, You're jealous. I'm stealing you're partner and you can't handle it."

Ryan screwed up his face and shook his head emphatically. "It has nothing to do with that. It has everything to do with saving the world. And Mai and I have a chance to put away a bad guy ourselves."

Damon looked over towards Mai, who was studying Ryan. Mai shrugged, "Let's see your phone."

Ryan unlocked it and handed it to his partner. The Asian girl read it, becoming more intense with every line she read. Eventually she handed the phone back to Ryan, left the rest of her burrito on the plate and grabbed her windbreaker.

"He's right." She apologized to her new found friend. "We absolutely have to do this. Though, make me a glider too, and we can fly together."

Damon's eyes could have been headlights, they shone so bright. "Will do!"

Mai giggled, "Ok, later!"

* * *

Ryan called Damon an Uber, and the two telepathic agents headed out the door.

"So the location is going to be revealed in a Video Game?"

"I guess."

"And the Senator is tech savvy?"

"Look, he probably has chronies that can hack a game, like his lobbyist friend."

"The lobbyist is a hacker?"

"What? No, I'm just saying the Senator has chronies."

"And how was he able to infiltrate SCARE well enough to know the drop off point before we do?"

"I don't know Mai." Ryan said, as he started the Four Runner with his phone. "What I do know is during the mental link I had, with Esmeralda's help, I learned that the senator's man in SCARE received text messages from an unknown source, a lot like this."

"Refresh my memory, what happened to that guy again?"

They hopped in the Four Runner as Ryan commanded, "Drive to the Edge VR Arcade."

"You didn't answer my question?" Mai demanded.

"He was dropped to his death from a sky scraper."

"Yeah, let's not let that happen to us."