The first five minutes of the ride to the Smile Center yielded no conversation. With the silence between Treen and Lance adding additional heat to the already existing friction between them, she decided to try and cool things down.
“So, how’s it going with Regina?”
“Why?” he asked, staring straight ahead, both hands gripping the wheel.
“It’s just a question.”
“No one — especially you — just asks a question.” Loudly, Treen exhaled.
“You’re over analyzing — ”
Suddenly, Lance began to flicker his eyelids as if his vision was blurred. Then, when he tried to speak, a dreadful cough flew out and more of them followed. The car swerved across the center line, narrowly missing an oncoming van before Lance regained control.
“Are you alright?” she asked, still grasping the dashboard. Lance cleared his throat and adjusted his tie. When he’d completely regained his composure, the sentence that sprinted from his mouth made no sense at all.
“Talk small in engages me dislikes who someone when analyze over to tendency a have I,” he said rapidly, before his eyes widened and stayed that way. It was as if his jumbled words had come out on their own.
“What did you say?” asked Treen, staring at him as she released the dashboard.
“I-I meant to say, I have a tendency to over analyze when someone who dislikes me engages in small talk.”
“Good point. I’ll shut up.”
Once again, Treen peered out her window. The clouds had darkened even more and the wind had picked up. When a large bird flapped by and whirled into the distance, it reminded her that animals behave strangely before a storm; she wondered if it ever caused them to communicate backwards...
Like most extra large pizza boxes, the one Russell carried to the wastebasket didn’t fit inside, so he just leaned it up against the wall. Hearing the crumbs sizz to the bottom was one thing, but feeling the vibration of tumbling, uneaten crust was another.
He opened the box and snatched out two tattered tan edges of the once warm pizza that Ariel had ordered for them. He chewed Ariel’s leftovers because he was still hungry, and still hungry because he was trying to quit smoking. With Bruce Lee posters plastered all over the walls of the Security Flat, who wouldn’t want clear lungs and to get in shape?
Ariel sat staring at a wall of inset security monitors, where he could watch most areas of the Smile Center. He didn’t plan on living in the security flat, but since he never seemed to leave, Treen suggested he move in — which he did.
“I don’t believe my eyes,” said Ariel, gazing at the monitor that displayed the foyer.
“What’s up?” asked Russell, posing in front of a mirror, the Stetson atop his head. He strolled over to see why his new friend was so excited.
“Russ, that’s Treen’s tutor,” he said, pointing at the screen with grin that rivaled the Smile Center Logo.
“Regina?”
“Yep.”
With his grin growing broader, Ariel kept his eyes on the monitor while Regina walked towards the information office and stepped inside. Shortly after, the Security Flat’s intercom sounded. He quickly reached over to press the switch.
“Ariel here.”
“Hey cute cowboy.”
“Hey sweet Sam. Please say ya’ need me for somthin’ in your office.”
“Okay, I do that. Regina want to see you.”
“You’re kiddin’.”
“No kiddin’ — lover boy.”
“Be right down,” he said, tipping the chair when he sprang up.
“You’re right, you are a fumblin’ idiot, said Russell laughing.” Ariel tugged off his T-shirt then snatched a fresh, black shirt from the closet. “Any pizza crumbs on my face?” He asked buttoning up and tucking in.
“All clear,” said Russell, handing him his hat. Ariel darted towards the exit.
“Wish me luck — and stay in here,” he said, closing the door behind him.
Like a real gentleman, Ariel raced through the hall, then chugged down two flights of stairs, instead of swinging through Samantha’s office window. However, if he had smashed through her glass, it would’ve been a waste of time because he found Regina sitting alone in the Café.
Ariel took off his hat, tapping it nervously as he approached Regina’s table. She stood so fast that she knocked over her umbrella, which he moved quickly to pick up. “This thing must have holes in it,” he said, noticing her soggy hair and wet trench coat.
She laughed and hugged him before they sat.
Regina said she was driving to the Alees, but stopped at the Center when news of the hospital attack sounded over the radio. Ariel said Treen was on her way, then told Regina about the bogus doctor that had tried to kill them.
Ariel didn’t mention Lance. He didn’t want Regina to think he was making things up out of jealousy. It was definitely better if Jazz told her what they knew about her new boyfriend. In the meantime, Ariel could set up a future night out.
“Umm, listen,” he said quietly, shifting in his chair. “I’m not too good at askin’ this kinda question.” Lightly, he punched the inside of his hat. “Do you think we could, you know — you know what I mean?”
To ease his suffering, Regina smiled and reached across the table for his trembling hands.
“I really messed that up,” he said, looking down at their intertwined fingers.
“No you didn’t,” she said, squeezing his hands tighter. “Yes Ariel, I would love to — ”
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Lance shouted from the foyer, closing his umbrella as he approached with Treen walking beside him. Regina released Ariel’s hands like they’d burst into flames, but her affection had already been realized.
“I think you two make a great couple,” said Treen, stopping at the table. She moved her dripping hair from her face then leaned to kiss Regina on the cheek.
Ariel stood. He didn’t care that Lance had seen them holding hands, but he did wonder why Jazz had strolled into the Smile Center with him.
“What are you doing here Lance?” Regina asked, standing. “Good question,” asked Ariel.
“My dear Regina, I was simply dropping Treen off. I saw your car parked outside so I came inside. Apparently, I should have stayed outside.”
“Yep,” said Ariel, nodding.
“You’ll have to excuse Ariel and me,” said Treen, we have business to tend to.” Treen squeezed Regina’s hand, whispered goodbye, then pulled Ariel’s sleeve towards the foyer. She knew better than to leave Russell Wellbay alone in the Security Flat for too long.
They jogged upstairs, sprinted down the hall, then quickly opened the door. The lights were still on, but the Security Flat seemed awful quiet for Russell Wellbay to be in there — especially with the arsenal of audio equipment that he’d been offered to use.
“Where is he?” Treen asked, searching the room. “Russ!”
“I’ll check the kitchen,” she said, “Maybe his mouth is too full to answer.”
It didn’t take long to establish that Russell wasn’t there because the place was small. Other than a few tables loaded with computer equipment and a closet full of Ariel’s neatly stacked boxes of gadgets, there weren’t many spaces to hide in or under.
With her back to the window, Treen rubbed her earlobe and continued scan the room. As the rain pelted the glass behind her, she suddenly felt bits of water sprinkling onto her hand. She turned around and saw that the window had been left slightly opened.
“Did you leave this up?”
“No,” said Ariel, who dashed over and yanked up on the pane.
A gust of wind, rain, and leaves smacked their faces when they leaned forward to look outside.
Ariel pointed down to the red Humvee, where he’d parked earlier to sneak Russell inside the building. “I didn’t leave the light on inside the Hummer!” he shouted, over the howling storm.
Ariel backed out of the bad weather and Treen did the same. However, by the time she’d shut the window and turned around, he’d hurried across the room, dropped down on one knee and began to rummage through the wastebasket.
“Ariel, I don’t think Russell’s in there.”
He grinned. “No he’s not, and neither are them cigarettes he threw away earlier. My keys are also missing. Looks like ol’ Russ is takin’ care of his nicotine fit down in the Humvee.”
Treen shook her head in disbelief and buttoned her black leather jacket. “I’d better go down and check on him. Keep an eye on Lance,” she said, pointing towards the monitor that showed him still talking to Regina in the Café.
“And if he leaves?”
“Then hurry down to the — ”
Treen noticed a yellow box atop the wall unit next to her. She moved quickly to pick it up, then whispered out the words written in bold red in ink on front: “The Tail Tracker: Follow anyone, anywhere.” She shook the carton.
“Ariel this box is <