Chelsea and Bevis sat quietly working at the long dining room table; the two men lay sleeping on the two couches in the living room area. Looking at them, Bevis wondered what it would take to wake them up; she surmised it would be very loud or urgent to accomplish the task.

"Hey ..." Chelsea nudged her, "stop staring at him."

"Staring?" Bevis asked, frowning.

"Staring," Chelsea said, nodding, "help me sort through this timeline here."

Bevis ignored Chelsea and picked up a piece of paper, looking at the documents in front of them and placing the new information correctly. Chelsea continued to stare at her until she met her determined gaze.

"What?" Bevis asked.

"You've got nothing to say?" Chelsea asked.

"What am I to say to those words?" Bevis asked,

"You always have a sassy comeback," Chelsea said, pausing and frowning, "you used to when you dated Brad ... sorry .... Frank but not before ..." smiling, Chelsea looked at Bevis, "... huh ... you're coming back to the old you."

"I think the old me has always been here; she was buried under all the stuff ... that man demanded," Bevis said, "I've been thinking ... if my parents named me so I couldn't be found ..." Bevis frowned, "how did Frank Zini find me?"

"That is a good question," Chelsea said, pulling a notepad near her and writing on it, "I'll add it to the list."

"The list of what?" Bevis asked.

"Of unanswered questions," Chelsea smiled.

"You have a list of unanswered questions," Bevis said, shaking her head and picking up a piece of paper, "I think this one ..." she looked over the spread of paper on the table, "... goes here."

"I think you're right," Chelsea said, "it's weird that this should feel like doing a puzzle ..." she stopped, "it is like doing a puzzle."

"Oh, I know that look," Bevis said, glancing at her friend, "what is it?"

"Puzzle ..." Chelsea murmured, repeating it to herself as she dug out her laptop, opened it and started searching for something, "it could be a piece to this puzzle."

"Chelsea?" Bevis called, watching her friend, "What is going on?"

"Ahhhhhh," Chelsea nodded and smiled, "a friend gave me unlimited access to look at some secured files in case we need to connect the dots."

"A friend of yours?" Bevis asked, narrowing her eyes at Chelsea, "Is this friend another law enforcement person?"

"Maybe," Chelsea said, "but not for the same people we work for, so ... more access."

"Right," Bevis nodded, "what did this friend find?"

"It's what wasn't found .." Chelsea said, "but I have it here ... they ... the agency had it all along; someone moved it to another file."

"Why would they do that?" Bevis asked.

"It's a piece of our missing puzzle," Chelsea said, "I'm guessing they didn't want it to get lost, damaged, corrupted or ..."

"Found," Bevis supplied, "someone in that ... agency ... is on the Calderones payroll."

"No," Chelsea said, drawing the word out, "surely not."

"Why not?" Bevis asked, "They have been everywhere but the military ... that we know of ... why not wherever your friend works."

Chelsea sighed, looking at the timeline on the table, "Why do you have to have such good points," she shook her head, "let me copy this and secure it."

"Do you know if your ...friend is .... what was it Jake used ... tracing your connection?" Bevis asked.

"They shouldn't be able to," Chelsea said, "if they are, I want to know who they truly working for and what that person's connection to the Calderones are?"

Nodding, Bevis stood, moving into the kitchen to fill her coffee cup; pushing the coffee pot into the machine, she stilled; her skin crawled while the feeling of being watched rose, causing her to shudder hard. Looking around, Bevis came face to face with a woman with a bruised face. The bruises were turning colour, so they weren't fresh; her one arm was in a sling. Scaring on the back of her hands drew Bevis' attention to the round marks in the centre. Bevis blinked; that looked like ...

"A hammer," she whispered, frowning as her eyes snapped up to the woman still staring at her, "can I help you?"

"Jonaraja?" she whispered, cocking her head, "where have you been?"

"Excuse me," Bevis said, looking around, "you said my parents' names ... did you know them?"

The woman gasped, "Wow, you look just like your mother."

"You knew my mother?" Bevis asked.

"A long time ago," she said, "I haven't seen her for many years."

"They were in a car accident," Bevis said, shrugging, "that is probably why."

"I know they were," the woman said, "they told me before they left ..." she narrowed her eyes on Bevis as she stilled, "...you do know your parents are alive... don't you?"

"My parents ..." Bevis said, "actually I have no idea ... no one would tell me anything ... I wasn't even allowed to see their bodies."

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"Did you have a funeral?" the woman asked.

Bevis nodded, "Two stone pavings in a graveyard I never knew existed," she said, "all paid for by the company my Dad worked for."

Nodding, the women moved further into the kitchen, "You must be Bevis then."

"I am," Bevis nodded, "and you are?"

Candy came into the kitchen from a doorway near the back, pausing before quickly moving forward, surprise clear in her expression, "Aunty Angie," she called, putting her food items on a counter and moving to hug the woman, "when did you get here?"

"Just now," Angie said, "I got a call about missing puzzle pieces you kids were putting together and may need my help."

"How can you help?" Bevis asked.

"I was there at the time that most of the story happened," Angie said, "they obviously still want me dead," she pointed at her face, "so ... what can I help with?"

Chelsea walked into the kitchen stopping behind Bevis, "You're Angie Calderone?"

"Was, but yes, that is the name I was born with," Angie said, "and you are?"

"Chelsea ... and that is all you need to know right now," Chelsea said, "do you know where your mother is?"

"She moved to the coast," Angie said, "decades ago ... why?"

"Come with me," Chelsea smiled, "I think you are the next piece of the puzzle."

Angie smiled at the other women, "Okay, let's get to work."

"I guess that means I'm on break," Bevis grinned, "need some help?"

Turning toward Candy, who stood at the counter looking out the window, Bevis paused, "Candy?"

"Help would be great," Candy said, still staring out the window, "why don't you start pealing these?"

"Sure," Bevis came toward Candy, who looked at her, then put a finger to her lips and turned on the water before taking a pot plant off the windowsill and filling it with water until it overflowed

into the basin, revealing three listening devises, "let's wash these down the drain."

"Where did the potplant come from?" Bevis whispered.

"Our office," Candy sighed, "I happened to check if the plant needed watering and found one," she shook her head, "I have no idea how long it's been there."

"You found them now," Bevis said, squeezing Candy's shoulder, "that is what matters."

Nodding, Candy checked the rest of the plant before putting it back on the windowsill, "I wonder who planted them and who has been listening in," she said, shaking her head, "first the bug Chelsea found and now this ... maybe we should do a sweep of everything and see what we can find."

"Good idea," Bevis said, "could we do it after we've eaten?"

Smiling, Candy chuckled, "Sure, I guess you're feeling a little hungry."

The office door stood closed against anyone coming through it and surprising the pair at the desk. A man sat in the chair; a woman stood behind him, glancing at the unconscious form on the floor.

"When will she wake?" the man asked.

"It does not matter," the woman said, "as long as she sleeps while we're in the room, I gave her enough to knock her out for hours. Just get the information The Calderone wants; otherwise, both our necks will lose a head."

"I'm trying, but whoever is on the other end seems to have an amazing capacity for shielding their location and identity," the man said, glancing up as the office door handle was tried, rattled and finally, the person on the other side started hammering, rousing the drugged form on the floor, "we can't stay here ... if we're discovered our covers will be blown."

The woman drew her head in from the window, "We'll have to do the ledge until the fire escape," she said, "leave it and let's move ..." the door groaned when the person on the other side rammed their weight against it "... quickly ..." she called while scrambling through the window onto the ledge and started working her way toward the fire escape.

The man followed just as the door blew open, slamming against the wall; the man, on the other side, looked around, noting the moaning form on the floor and the open window; pulling out his phone, he pulled up the camera before looking out of the window and called "smile" to the two caught red-handed on the ledge. Taking several photos before closing the window, he pocketed his phone and knelt next to the woman on the floor.

"Cassey," he called softly, "can you hear me?"

The woman groaned but didn't move; pushing a red button under her desk, he hesitated, narrowing his gaze as he slid his hand further under the desk and detached a surveillance device. Shaking his head, he rose, dropping it into a glass of water as he moved toward the door and the sound of running feet.

"We've had a breach, and we need the medical unit up here," he called to the two men, "looks like she was drugged, and these are the two you need to pick up either from the ledge, the fire escape or wherever they think they can run to."

One of the men downloaded the photo to his phone while the other went into the room carrying a black bag and camera; the first man disappeared with the advice that he would send a medical team to the room.

Standing in the doorway, the man watched as the bag was opened. Powder and a brush came out, "I would start with the desk, laptop and chair," he said, "the screen showed they were trying to get into some programme Cassy has on her laptop."

The man nodded and went to work just as the medical team came running toward the doorway, stepping aside and giving them access to the room and the prone form as he answered his phone.

"Chelsea, you were on the money," he said, "I don't think they got what they wanted, but Cassey is drugged, I'm guessing within an inch of her life ..." he paused as Chelsea spoke on the other side, "oh don't worry whatever they were looking for wasn't found but I did find a listening device under her desk so I'm guessing that is how they knew what was going on and the best time to hit," he paused again, "Chels ... Chels ... slow down, I know who they are and they won't be getting far. Everything is going to be okay." He paused as she continued to speak, interrupting her when the medical team required his attention, "Chels, I have to go ... I'll keep you updated." Cancelling the call, he moved into the room, "What is it?"

"Andrew, do you know what they gave her?" the attending medic asked.

"No, but the two work for the Caledrones," Andrew said, "does that make a difference?"

"Experimental," they said in unison.

"We'll have to draw blood and test it," the one said, pulling out the equipment to follow through on the words.

"Which hospital will she be going to?" Andrew asked.

"She isn't," the attending medic said, "we'll keep her onsite."

"She needs a doctor," Andrew said.

"She'll get one," the medic said, "what she needs more is protection, and she'll get that as well."

Andrew frowned, "Why here? Can't we put a protection detail on her at the hospital?"

"Hospitals have too many people coming and going," the medic said, watching his partner work, "easy to end her."

"I don't think they would," Andrew said, "those two didn't get whatever the Calderons wanted."

"They will make her talk," the partner said, "and then kill her; at the hospitals, it's easy to pay someone off."

"Got you," Andrew said, "she stays onsite. Who is going to be part of her protection detail?"

"We were hoping you'd head it up and pull in whoever you think should be watching her," the medic said, "you do know who the two are who did this to her after all."

"I do," Andrew nodded, "I'll be out here sorting that out while you save her life."

"Did she respond to you?" the attending medic asked.

"Just groaned," Andrew said, pulling up a number in his phone and dialling, "that's why you two are here."

Turning away to talk on the phone as he kept an eye on the proceedings in the office, Andrew frowned. He was fortunate to be this close to the office. The two photographed were seasoned agents, and Andrew wanted to know how they were turned to do the bidding of the Calederones. There were a lot of questions he wanted answers to, but right now, he was happy to start with the miracle of saving Cassy's life.