It's Eureka. Stranger Things Have Happened

Chapter 4

"You're moving me tonight, aren't you?" Jewel asked, leaning against the wall of her cell.

Stark came closer to the outer glass wall. He never could get used to how she always seemed to know what he was thinking.

"We have a special guest coming in tomorrow and I can't have him knowing about you. We don't know who we can trust. So, you'll be spending a couple days in the smart house."

"And you think that things will be relatively calm, because that's what you want during this visit. So my dad will be working his regular shift, then home to spend time with me. Supervised of course because, according to you, I am the country's most valuable asset next to the Intersect," Jewel said.

"I never said anything about an Intersect," Stark said.

"Didn't have to. It told me," she replied. "So, when am I going to my dad's place, and does he know I'll be there?"

"You're going right now. We'll take you there in a cab. It won't be suspicious."

~***~

"No. Nope. Nope. Oh, my God, no," Jo said as she mark all of the wrong answers on a weapons' test. "Carter, the XJ-55 assault cannon uses a 30-round magazine? On what planet?"

"Less commentary. More addition. My kid's coming home for the day. What's my score so I can get outta here?" Carter said in excitement.

"Fifty-three percent," Jo replied.

"Yeah! Third time's a charm."

"Third time's the 'F', again. No advanced weaponry for you."

Carter had to know every gun in the hidden rack. To Jo, it seemed like Carter felt he should've had special treatment since he was the Sheriff.

"I see what's going on here. You feel you were passed over when they brought me in as Sheriff."

"And yet, I aced the exam the first time."

"Jo, it's not a contest. I was assigned here by Washington. The same Washington that decided my daughter is to be studied like a scientific anomaly for the rest of her life. If you have an issue, like I do, take it up with them. And give me the remote."

Jo wasn't about to give him the remote to the gun rack until he passed the exam.

"It's regulation, Carter."

"Okay, Jo. I'm the sheriff, which means I need your trust, I need your respect, and most importantly, I need the remote to the freaking gun rack!"

"Really, Dad. You can't enforce the rules if you're not willing to follow them first," Jewel said from behind Carter, causing him to jump out of his skin.

"Better hit the books," Jo chuckled. "And you," she said to Jewel. "Don't distract him."

"She's just here to say hi. How many security guards will be at the house?" Carter asked. He took a sip of his coffee.

"Just a handful, or... twelve," Jewel replied.

"Tw-twelve?!" Carter exclaimed as he choked on his coffee. "What did you do that Stark had to increase your security detail?"

"I sort of left GD the night you moved into the smart house. Hid in the smallest room I could find upstairs. My locator chip came back online during the power surge. Because that happened, I waited until you left before I snuck back into GD so you wouldn't get in trouble. I had slipped past everyone until I reached my cell. Stark was there, waiting for me," she answered. "I've been on lockdown ever since so they could see how I got out if I ever felt like trying again."