Expect the Unexpected

The Mad, Mad, Mackerel

"One more link," said Ethan, moving his cursor across the screen. He grinned and turned to Conner. "What do you think?"

"Manchester United on a web cast," Conner said, his eyes wide with excitement. "I take back every bad thing I ever said about the internet."

It had been a week since Zeltrax had tried to use her mother has bait against her and Doctor Oliver, resulting in Zoey Brookes' having to take leave of absence from the mayor's office to finish off her re-election campaign from a much safer location. That location was confidential, and therefore only known by a select few people, Anabel included.

"What's a web cast?" Circe asked, leaning over Ethan's shoulder, and peering at the screen. She had been loving her time as Anabel's protection detail, especially since she was getting the chance to see the human realm from the eyes of a human. She had been called back to the Mystic Realm a few times, to just give a report on any situations that had arisen, the biggest being the abduction of Mayor Brookes.'

"It's a live online broadcast of audio or a video feed," Ethan asked. "You can interact with it, and so can the people on the other side, but they can't hear or see us and vice versa."

"Uh," Circe said, pulling back. She returned to her seat and pulled up her own laptop. Opposite her, staring at the screen of her personal laptop, was Anabel.

"So where is your mother exactly?" Conner asked, turning away from Ethan to face the two girls.' His question was directed at Anabel, who blinked as she tore her attention away from the screen.

"Sorry, what?" Anabel asked.

Conner shared a look with Ethan. "I asked, where is your mother exactly?" he asked. "I mean, I knew about your home in Beverly Hills and the one in Long Beach, but you never told me about no gated property."

"It's a new estate that Mom decided to buy last fall," said Anabel. "I can't tell you where it is since that is the whole point of safe house. But she's safe, at least."

"Is that why you head is in the clouds?" Ethan asked.

Anabel smiled sheepishly. "That obvious, huh?" she asked.

Ethan shrugged. "You've been staring at the same screen for almost twenty minutes," he said. "You haven't touched the drink that Hayley set down, and the only words we got out of you when you arrived here 'hi' and 'thanks. So, yeah, pretty obvious."

"Sorry. I just can't stop thinking about Zeltrax," said Anabel. "What would possess him to go after my mother?"

"I'm more curious why he would target you in the first place," said Conner. "What does he gain from taking you? And what did you mean when you said to him about 'using you wouldn't get to him'? Did you mean Doctor Oliver?"

Anabel lowered her gaze. She and Doctor Oliver had agreed to keep their distance from one another. Meaning, she was to spend as much time with the others in public, and not at the lab with him. Therefore, to not arouse suspicion.

"Guys, check it out!" Kira called, running toward them from the door. She was brandishing a piece of paper in her hand with the word "accepted" stamped across it in block red letters. "I got it! I got it! I got it!"

"It's not contagious, is it?" Conner joked.

Kira rolled her eyes while Circe, Anabel, and Ethan bit back amused smiles.

"Funny," Kira replied, dryly.

"Sorry," Conner apologised. He swivelled around in his seat, giving Kira his full attention. "What is it?"

"I applied for an intern ship with Channel Three, and I'm in," Kira said, handing the paper to Anabel.

"Well done, Kira!" Circe beamed. Anabel had explained the intern ship programme when it had first appeared on the school news boards, and while she was fascinated by it, she wasn't interested in a job that took her away from Anabel. At least not at this very moment.