Online Mystery

Mission Impossible

November 2005

After watching Owen and Sean, from the sidelines, for almost a year and a half, Phil knew the team families they were placed with were not working for either of the boys. They went through the motions, but never formed the close bonds necessary to call their current teams family.

Phil was convinced that he has received glimpses of the future and in some way or another, those Facebook pictures will come true.  As long as Phil remains on the council, he will not stand idly by.  Not anymore.  Enough is enough.  And in this instance, he is acting without the council's approval.

Phil sent a message out to Owen to come to his office today at 4pm.  He also arranged for Harvey to pick him up from his studies and drop him off here at the hospital.  There was an assignment that would be perfect to test out the chemistry between Sean and Owen.  If the other council members can just see how they work together, he knows the Facebook future will come to fruition.

Phil pulled up his old dial up, hoping to get another glimpse of the future, but sadly, nothing came up this time.  Phil sighed and wiped his hand down his face.  "I hope I'm right about this."  Phil murmured to himself.

"I didn't mean to interrupt, Dr. Roberts, but you requested my presence this evening?"  It came out as a question.

Phil spun his chair around with a horrible squeak piercing the silent small office.  Phil flinched at the deafening noise but noticed, not a muscle even twitched on Owen, who stood stiffly in the doorway.  "Please, have a seat Owen."  Phil motioned toward the two office chairs opposite him.  His cluttered desk separating the two.  Phil noted how crisp Owen's shirt looked, as if he had just pressed it.  His black dress pants, fit him perfectly.

Posture perfect, Owen gracefully lowered himself into the closest chair.  His eyes never left Dr. Roberts face.  This was a sign of confidence.  He was not intimidated by the older council member summoning him to a private meeting.  Owen glanced over Dr. Robert's shoulder and raised an eyebrow in question.  "Isn't that computer as old as I am?"

Phil laughed, nodding his head.  "It is.  I keep it for... Let's just say, nostalgia purposes."  Phil looked down at his watch, noting his other guest is running a bit late.  As usual.

"Am I keeping you from your work Dr. Roberts?  I can always come back at a more favorable time."  Phil waved off Owen's offer and turned as his protégé came sliding around the corner in a rumpled Metallica T-shirt, ripped jeans and hair disheveled, as if he hadn't even taken the time to brush it this morning.

"Woo!  I thought I was going to be late.  Good thing I was just down the hall."  Sean heaved as if he had just ran ten miles.  He plopped himself in the other chair, his right leg slung over the armrest.  With a thumb, Sean pointed toward Owen.  "Who's the stiff, Phil?"

"I beg your pardon.  I don't know who you think you are talking about, but I am not about to sit here with this...this...ruffian..." anger rolled off Owen in tangible waves.

Phil interjected before he lost them for good.  "I have an assignment, one specifically suited for boys your age."  Both boys sat quietly, awaiting further instruction. That seemed to grab your attention.  "Now, I need an agreement for the two of you to work together before I divulge any further details of the mission."

"Sure thing, big guy.  Whatever you want." Sean flipped his curls out of his eyes and smirked at the boy with the stick up his pinched butt hole, sitting next to him.  Brownnoser, Sean thought wryly when he took in the appearance of his counterpart.

"I prefer to work alone."  Owen spoke without inflection, eyeing the loser next to him, "But if it is the wishes of the council for me to work with a fellow member, I will do my part."  Owen repressed an eye roll as he thought about working with the sorry excuse of a boy sitting next to him.

"Excellent!"  Phil was relieved that they had accepted so easily.  "Now, the mission, should you choose to accept it,...we need you two to be participants in the after school program, the boys and girls club.  Funds are pouring in, yet no improvements have been made to the property.  We feel it might be the director of sports operations, but without being able to infiltrate the program, our current team's hands are tied."

"Very well.  We shall attend the after school program and assess the situation." 

"Just one clarification," Sean waved his hand around flippantly, "does this mean we get to participate in the sports programs or just gather intel?"

Phil smiled, these two are night and day, salt and pepper, hot and cold... But he feels the energy in the air already around these two.  "Do whatever you need to help us crack this case wide open."

Owen asked the crucial question, "and how many favors will we receive?  Or better yet, how much debt will this remove from our accounts?"

Phil raised his eyebrow, shrewd, that's what he would label Owen.  "If the recovery is as big as we think it is, I would say...half your debt and five favors...each."  The two boys looked at each other.  Sean's smile stretching wide while Owen's lips twitched at the corners, yet stayed flat.

"Done."  Owen declared as he stood up.  "Shall we?"  He asked in Sean's direction.  "We have much to discuss if we are to be successful in our endeavor."

"Awww, you are such a sweet talker, aren't you, Pumpkin?"  Sean part Owen's cheek as he left the office.  Phil shook his head as he decided, they will either be the best friends of the future I saw, or they will kill each other.  With that thought, Phil chuckled and turned back to his computer to turn it off.

There on his screen was the future Facebook site.  How long had this been up?  And what did Sean and Owen see?

Phil was caught by the sheer beauty of the serene picture.  Greece.  One of the places he and his wife have always wanted to visit.  But then the caption underneath the picture set his heart to fluttering. 

Do answers or trouble lie in wait for Owen and Sean?  My question won't be answered until their return from Greece.