r Fla

de, it was all black-tinted plasti-glass and gleaming metal. As we walked into the lobby, I noticed secreted security cameras viewing us f

u?" she smiled, as sh

to speak to someone in aut

p mister Tressel. May I know t

fic

w minutes later, out walked this dark-skinned human gentleman, d

smiled, producing a hand for me to pump, "and wha

a run-in I had with s

?), "come into my office to discus

and motion

onist smile

een from all of this smiling. I was ab

e as the auto-door slid

t's this

ver-enthusiastic employees mistook us for a hockey-puck d

, " Tiff handed over a piece of paper

but I'm sure that you're mistaken. Our employees aren

asing down real

any car-pool, " I pointed out, "and my

hem in and we'll s

nd then looked up again, "Well, it

y chasing us then

pted, "that these cars were re

ure

len cars is in your branch of the

d, "That's for the m

that if you've see

? I've never been inside a place like this before. It's all j

watching that rec

n cars have put you through, I could arrange a little tou

, I thought I'd look him up. His name's, ah let's see, a Mr

He quit this morning. Something about a trip to the middle

perman

tall male grey-furred muskrat in a

these two a tour of the facili

enever someone wor

he looked a bit pu

is glasses an

big machines filling up a bunch of little b

ption and otherwise, " he sniffed, wrinkling his nos

d innocent e

ion bottle to make it into a box mea

verything is constantly monitored. Nothing happen

om of many mac

of the ordinary. Nothing to indicate unclean money or any reason to get upset about a l

we were in some food-

wait here, I have som

idden clues in the tour, that I can't

he good doc

ff, I was

This is a restricted area.

it, you

d and scu

it

g machines, put in a coin, and punched up a candy bar. It had

n the hallway, through the other door, the doctor going down the ha

t look like the

behind me and

good doct

st be Olymp

. Now, if you'll just follow

pened to security? I was about to say

s to insti

u just out in th

as if I were a n

er m

down to the entrance, we

your tour, but, if you don't mi

eceptionist as he

that smile direct

t of security-cam r

doctor with you

s.

saw two more of him in widely

uplets. What else did you

go as she finis

st of Who's Who In Crime or Thugs-Are-Us. And second, a high se

e, "Questionable personnel and an off-limits zo

e trouble just

eed a r

, "I dropped my con

d en

and began to th

hing off a bad soap opera. Tiff's done up as a n

cozy little dinner together (guess where), and uptown yelling at me for being AWOL

oyees-only-type door a

ay? I mean their security system

everything by computer? Sometimes things just require the personal touch. Be

But cou

r this or b

to the wis

could wonder about getting past it, she produ

what we're doing is boa

lead on

rs down from h

for the

for the

ope

e two secur

diously, "what do you think of the

should increase the proportion of RH

en PH t

oved past the guards, who were getting

ard the guards make some comm

above us. Tiff noticed it too so we both just kept shut. This

topped and the

green. Towards the left i

to guess whi

onsense, until a doctor walked by. Hm, doctors kn

r conversatio

look, shook his he

a room of m

whispered und

back, "I doubt if it's

dn't be

is bound to b

e labeled Lab-Stora

both whispe

as locked,

me, " she

verything mother taught me

s, " she smile

, think

w years since I had to pick

es isn't

ic

e, " she whispe

in past t

e, I mean medicine. We looked around, seeing nothing but meaningless Latin names. Personally, I think they

e, " she

ed as water. I looked closer and then took

warned, "it's surroun

w boxes o

Perrier?"

egan to look for

his security system didn't stand a chance. It took

y water mama brought us today, "

ive bottles of a clear liquid. I p

t. It smells like wate

ink that I'm that

eads like ord

"too much security aroun

probably could, n

that trip-beam that was probably in front of the door

t it was

ing and worth living t

six-foot Doberman guards were coming our

a break in, you've got to check it

t that thief.

understand, I'm

e same movies I do?! I

s scanner read-out, unless you n

ps

either shoulder. Th

ll down. I kicked a third in the- well, let's just say that I remove

other dart hit him at

room as I asked, "W

an oak to sleep for a

ped to look calm as the doors opened, wa

u thin

vator s

this thing? Yes, " s

er to the buttons, brought a screwdriver ou

ring and the elevato

" she said, "now wh

to handle

h the handle of

gh-tech or subtl

seconds before t

oked

round. S

lked towards

out the

n a tour of

o the back doors

ouldn'

ou with th

we?" I bent down to wor

tsteps in t

rry

ed and I rush

red around t

closed be

bout th

ock; it won't open fo

ngo, refuge in sigh

k a peace of my fur in the doo

pieces of her fur fo

in back of me; I'm g

I'm

ak an electrical circuit if I opened the door. Have to maintain electrical contact. I c

to also activate if an excess current was also applied. I got out my clippers and took of

one around to the inside of my watch, act

door opened

as we both

x with a proximit

it. Well, I'm not

ere sometimes a bit photo-sensitive. I carefully reached ar

uits confused for a few seconds. Clip t

nd I turned

pped th

, no

, and left box, wire, and my watch (still hooked up to it; oh well, wat

w put my heart somew

ffany inquired, "

of a dead-man, " I

shoulder, saw it, a

ssible, " she ga

a rag, "And we're going

g as it was probably poi

f a single cut of black obsidian, with a single poin

of the Black Dagger, with his (or her or its?) habit

to Tango and nerv

zed ten just as the box explo