THE TROUBLE WITH DECEIT

Part 3 Deja vu

Rounding the corner they could see the girls and Fey waving as she spotted them.  No sooner did they reach them than the girls were excitedly recounting all the details of their shopping expedition.  Suddenly Fey noticed Kip's wrist "OMG!" she retorted, "you're bleeding! what happened?"  Frowning Kip said, "oh it's nothing, I rolled my foot on something loose, a stone or something."  Fey fussed over Kip's wrist and told him they would need to put a covering of some sort on it.  "we must go to a chemist" she said, "that is where they sell that kind of thing, we passed one while we were shopping."  On their way to the shop, the boys had to endure even more details of the girls shopping trip.  "Anyway," said Rani, "what did you two get up to, apart from tripping over and getting Kip injured."  Both boys were silent for a moment, and then Kip hastily blurted out "we, err, we just kinda wandered around err, looking, at, things!"  A shadow or alarm passed over Rani's face, "you didn't interact with anybody did you?"  "No way, of course we didn't," said Dev.  "We do know better than to break the main rule of BTP's," still not looking entirely at ease Rani bought some plasters for Kip's injury in the chemist and then they decided that maybe now was a good time to get something to eat.

They all agreed on Mc'Donalds, which was one of their recommended choices. Using the map they had been given they headed towards the closest one, (in fact, amazingly there were three of them and all fairly close by). "These places were really popular weren't they," Kip said, "I can't wait to sample the food, it must be amazing!"   The food actually turned out to be not too dissimilar to the food they had been presented with back at the canteen in the house.  It was a busy place with a lot of staff involved with cooking the food ordered, and another group assembling it into small boxes, and yet others distributing the boxes to the purchasers of them when their ticket number appeared on an overhead screen.  As for the actual ordering and paying for the meals, it was perfect for them.  You just selected your items on one of the many touch screens, placed your money card in the slot and everything was automatically done for you.  However, the similarities with the canteen food ended there! "my god!" said Dev, "Is this really what these people lived on in this period! It tastes like cardboard!"

Suddenly Kip felt as though an icy hand was gripping his heart. He felt the pocket of his heavy jeans, sure enough, as he had known would be the case, his pager wasn't there.  "Oh no!" he groaned. "Whats the matter Kip?" Fey said, looking worried. "My~my pager is~is gone! it must have fallen out when that" ---" when you tripped over!" Dev said, cutting across him.  Fey looked alarmed and said "If somebody should find it then we will all be for the high jump. because this would be considered a serious breach of BTP rules."---    "I think I know where I must have dropped it guys, I think I know exactly where it must be.  You all stay here, I will go and get it and I'll be back here in 10 minutes, nobody will be any the wiser."  There was no way he should do that Rani had argued, pointing out that they must never go anywhere alone.  "Look, Rani, I appreciate that but if we are all poking around in the grass it's going to focus suspicion on us.  whereas I know exactly where I must have dropped it so I can go straight to it and be back here in no time."

Having won the point he was making he quickly returned to the little clothing store and ignoring the closed sign now hanging in the window of the door he opened it and strode boldly inside. Jerking to a halt he realized to his dismay that the same guy that had collided with him was back,  with a very large and scary looking knife in his hand, and threatening Reece with it.  The thief half turned in alarm to see who had just barreled into the closed shop, and quick as a flash Reece snatched up a pricing gun and cracked it hard over his head.  He reeled back and collided heavily with the counter and then, with his head bleeding profusely,  he dashed out of the door.  The shopkeeper's eyes widened when he realized it was Kip. "Again you have come to my aid," he said laughing.  " I am totally in your debt, what brings you back here, young man.  "I think I dropped something last time I was in here Sir, It is a grey device like that!"  he said, indicating Reece's mobile.  "Oh! it's yours, is it? customers frequently leave things in here, the drawback of it being a clothing store. Don't worry I'll fetch it for you right now."  A moment later Reece presented Kip with his estranged pager.  The relief he felt was immense.  He felt all of the accumulated tension drain out of him, and for one embarrassing moment, he felt as though he might cry with the emotional overload he was feeling.  "Sit down Kip, breathe!" Reece ordered while indicating a seat and practically pushing him into it.

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