The Trio Squad

Chapter 5

STEPH

After having a delicious pasta made by The Great Chef Helen, for lunch, we started opening the backpack to take out the files and the weird instruments we found in James' safe. Those stuffs were with weird shapes and sizes, I don't even know how to describe them.

There was a grey colored celotape labelled as "No Harm If Bound", some pills in a small plastic bag with the name "Candy Pills", and some more instruments, one shaped like a gun, a bottle, some jewellery shaped ones, glasses, powders and a screen with a microphone. Some things were in pairs, some in threes and some single.

The first file was named as "Currently Solving Case". The second and the third files were labelled "Number 2" and "Number 3".

Lisa opened the first file. Helen took the second one while I reached for the third file. Before I could read what was written in the first page, Lisa called out, "Hey, see what I found!"

She had a CD in her right hand, "I found this in this file."

Helen ran to her room to bring her laptop and placed it on the dining table where we were seated around. She inserted the CD in the slot after switching the computer on.

A few seconds later, James' face filled the screen as he addressed us, "Hello Girls! I'm glad that you've finally found these files -" Helen had to pause the video because Lisa's phone started to ring.

While we were busy staring at Lisa for a while, Helen's phone started buzzing. I felt lonely and lazy having nothing to do. I looked at James' face on the screen for a while, then stared at Lisa's face for a few minutes watching the way she spoke to the person at the other end. I really have to learn from her how to speak in phones as I didn't know how to. I'm better talking to people face-to-face.

Feeling bored looking at Lisa's old face, I shifted my eyes to look at Helen. She was having a big smile on her face as if she was speaking to her boyfriend.

Wait! She doesn't have one, does she? If she has one and didn't tell me about it, I will shave her head while she's snoring in her sleep. So that no boys would love her until her hair's grown. I'm not jealous but we've promised not to fall in love until we reach the age of twenty five. And a promise is a promise, guys!

I again glanced at James' face while my best friends were busy with their "calls". Helen tucked her phone inside her jeans' pocket. Seems like her 'customer' had finished his/her need. What would someone speak for just a couple of minutes? And she was still having this Big Smile on her face. Lisa then stood up and started to pace around. But, Helen had answered the call while she was seated on her chair.

It's really weird how people speak in phones. Some prefer standing, some walk the journey through their whole house, and some wish to speak while seated. And me? I don't like speaking in phones. You might ask why I have a phone. Well! I love to play games and read stories in my phone. And honestly the only contacts I have in my phone are my Lisa and James' only, while all three of them have about fifty or more contacts.

"Rachel, don't cry! It's okay. Send me your sister's address!" When I heard Lisa say sternly, I realized that I had fallen asleep.

Wondering where Helen was, I looked around. She was nowhere to be seen. I spent a few more minutes looking at Lisa's pace and her hands moving around frantically. I turned hearing footsteps behind me and there was Helen coming from the kitchen with a glass of water in one hand and the other hand was closed tightly.

"What are you doing?" I hissed at her. She just ignored me for a while thinking of a better comeback, I guess. She placed the glass on the table.

"At least I'm doing something useful rather than snoring my whole life." She sat in her chair and opened her other hand.

My mouth flew open seeing a piece of The Thread. She placed the piece on the table and watched Lisa and her tantrum with a smile on her face. "She has a good news!" my mind screamed.

Lisa sat down on her chair with a frown on her face after speaking over the phone for approximately 17 minutes. (Of course, I counted the minutes. I'm a spy, duh!)

"I have a serious case," she said and honestly I was surprised. It was a long time since we got a case. The most serious one of all we've got up to date was of a missing car.

"I have a good news!" Helen shrieked.

"Always good news first," I exclaimed.

Lisa and I both looked at Helen. She started talking, "I got a call from James." She actually squealed. "He told he tried your number first. Then he called me because your line was busy."

"Oh! That should have been Rachel." She chortled.

"Rachel?" I asked.

"Yes. Rachel. The girl at the counter at James' office. Helen freaked her out."

"And you made her believe that you were James."

"Yes. And she beli-"

"Dudes, it's James! Emergency, guys!" Helen interrupted. "He said to connect with him through the White Call ASAP. And he ended the call. I think it's a good sign. Let's talk to him first."

She placed The Thread and Lisa said, "I'll text Rachel and inform her that we'll be there in 5 minutes. With Steph here we can reach her place in ASAP." She grinned and I grinned back.

"Girls...," we heard James' voice and went to stand behind Helen. "I don't know where I am-"

"How did you find a phone?" I cross questioned him.

"That doesn't matter, Steph. I don't know who has taken me. Don't try to find me now. You'll be caught. Listen. There are some instruments in the safe under my desk. You will need them. To get them, you have to-"

"Oh, James, we already have them." It was Lisa who cut him that time.

"How?" He asked.

"We took it after raiding your office once we found out that you have disappeared. Look. We have those stuffs here." Helen showed him the files and some if his weirdo-equipments. "What are these instruments, by the way?

"You will know once you watch the CD in the empty file. First listen to me, girls. I don't know why I've been kidnapped. No one here's telling me about it. I contacted you guys to tell you to not try to contact me or find me. And I don't have my superpowers now. You can't teleport to me either. Oh, okay, got to go. I hear someone coming. Don't call me. Wait till I contact you. Don't get caught and be careful." He finished his speech with a warning. We watched his image vanish.

"Uh-oh! It seems as if the good news is not good at all. Lisa, spill out the bad news." Helen said.

Her expression changed. "It's Rachel. She told me that she contacted James but he's not reachable. And that's why she called me since James told her to do so if she has any news, today, before lunch-"

"Oh! She means you!" I chuckled.

"Yes." She nodded. "It's her sister's daughter. She's missing since last night. And she needs our help. She's upset and she told me that her sister's gone crazy. This is the address." She showed me her phone. "Steph, teleport us. We should find the girl."

"But what about James? His CD?" Helen asked pointing at the laptop screen.

"Oh Helen! This won't take long! Let's finish this off and come back to him." Lisa promised. "Rachel and her sister needs us. If James were here, he'd tell us to find the little girl first. I don't think it will consume a lot of time."

"Yes! Let's go!" I screamed.

"Let's do it like this. You guys go to Rachel's. I'll stay here and do some research on these stuffs." Helen told us.

"I think it's a great idea." Lisa agreed.

"Okay then, goodbye, Helen. Have a nice time. I'll go with Lisa and find out what the problem is." I told waving at Helen and teleported to Mrs. Lewis' porch. (FYI, Mrs. Lewis is Rachel's sister. ;) )