Secrets

Secrets -Chapter 5: The Rules-

Lianna laid on the bed, just thinking. Why was Micheal Vick dead? He was a no-good dogfighter, but still. Lianna thought he deserved it, but Meagan just saw it as it was: a murder. Lianna jumped up. She hurriedly ran into the main room. There Meagan sat on a brown leather couch, typing or something. Lianna looked about. They had changed to a five-star hotel. She didn't quite remember the name, but she thought it started with a CH.

*click* *click* *click*her eyes raced to the keyboard. She caught sight of the screen. It was all codes and data; it made her head spin. How could she look at the screen every two seconds? The phone rang. "Who on earth?!" hissed Meagan as she looked up from her work. To Lianna: "Get it... Please." Meagan added the last part in a mumble as she retired to her zone.

Lianna took her time getting the phone. She snickered as she held it to her ear. After five seconds of listening she dropped the phone, and before she could yell "Meagan!", Meagan snarled over Lianna's shoulder, "What's with the racket?!" as if she had appeared out of thin air. Lianna didn't so much as flinch. Meagan normally acted raw, but was never truely in that bad a mood.

Lianna started to scream, "IT'S BIRD BRAIN!!!!" over and over again. Meagan was astonished. Him?! Now?!

She snatched the phone from the ground and growled, "Leave us be!"

"Temper, temper! We have your first field assignment."

"Now?"

"Yes, now. It's only fitting since you found the body."

Meagan's stomach started to twist and turn. She had taken great care in staying unseen. She told the police fake names, she'd checked in under fake names, and changed the card numbers all the time.

"No need to be ashamed," he went on. "It took our best to find you, and this long." He was right, but where did she slip up? She started to shake. The laptop! She hadn't bought it! She had to be more careful next time, for both their sakes. "Now get on-"

"Now wait just a minute!" Meagan inturrupted. "We have rules!" He froze. Here was a child telling him their conditions.

He gulped softly and covered his tracks (at least, he tried), "Now don't start with me, little girl!"

Meagan took offense to "little girl" even though they both knew he was terrified. As if on cue she began to chew him out, and, listening, Lianna almost died of a giggle fit (quite literally, she was choking).

Meagan handed Lianna the phone after a few rules were established: "When we're in the field, we use your credit cards! Get over it!" "No contacting us, we contact you!" "We do what we want when we want, and we'll solv the case our way!"

"Oh, and Bird Brain," Lianna started, "you tell our parents and you're DEAD!" She hung up before he could say a word.

Lianna snickered. They had laid down the law. It was and forever would be their terms.

"Hey," Meagan called. Lianna looked at her and saw an eviil grin. "We haven't 'negotiated' salaries yet!"

Lianna's smile brightened. She could use some extra money. She started thinking about overtime, Christmas bonuses, bonuses in general, pay checks, promotions, and money, money, money! Meagan snapped her fingers. Oh, how Lianna could get distracted! *sigh*

"Where'd she get 'Bird Brain'?" White Wing asked himself. He'd got served. "I couldn't have told their parents anyway," he continued. "What could I say? That I recruited, uh... ten year olds?" He was going to be dead for that one; Lianna and Meagan'd see to it. White Wing decided to give up. They were different, too different.

Lianna grinned. They were on their way to another game. Meagan had buried herself in work (hacking and all that). She had bought the tickets in advance this time, saving them from visiting the hag. The taxi started to slow. "Why do taxis alwas have to he yellow?" Lianna asked herself. Meagan beat down the urge to answer her. The taxt stopped and Lianna bolted out. Meagan took her sweet time. "It's just a ball!" she hissed to herself.