KC Frantzen - May the K9 Spy 02 - May Finds a Way: Peril in Paris (12 page)

I
quickly make my way into the air conditioning vent, dart up the ductwork and overhead. Nice to know lessons aren’t wasted. Plus this time I know cat moves.

I’m going to miss him.

I inhale deeply. Ok, let’s go.

I peer through the nearest vent cover. This is the room where those machines whirr and click, spitting out paper. Keep going. Snort. Better avert my eyes. Someone’s in the toilet room.
Sniff
. This seems to be an office area.
Snuffle
. Miss Coralee’s been around, though her scent isn’t strong.

I step forward, using my best Léonce sneaky walk.

Now we’re getting somewhere, a small storeroom with lots of shelves. And check out the box labels – surveillance equipment!

I remove the cover, shimmy down the metal shelving and look over the options.

Ink pens. No good – I don’t have thumbs.

Clocks they wear on their fore legs, I mean arms. Useful, but I’d have to wear it around my neck, then it’d be hard to see. Pass.

Night vision recorder – possibly.

Sunglasses. None for K9’s on this shelf.

Tracking devices. Need at least ten of these. Good thing they’re tiny.

A tray of bugs! Better take half a dozen or so. I smile at the memory from boot camp. Smoke Dog and I laughed at the term. They don’t look, act or smell like insects. Maybe I can position them to transmit what’s going on, if I remember how. Must be drones somewhere.

I’d better batch these things in case I need to vacate quickly. I climb and jump, box to box, shelf to shelf, until I find a good site to make a pile.

Now to keep looking.

K9 items! Retractable lead. No. Thank. You. Adjustable service collar. Uh huh. Camera bob. Definitely. Still no sunglasses. Drat.

And this box contains…
Thump thump.
Flak vests – in adjust-to-fit styles. Perfect provision! Didn’t think I’d be issued one of these until I graduated. So, I’ll issue one to myself and stuff the pockets with treasure.

There are other items, but I don’t know what they are. We covered only basics in boot camp.

I attach the battery pack and intruder gear to the vest, then strap it on. Wish there was a reflection somewhere to see myself. Edgrr would be so pleased. Miss Sandy and Sassy better look out.

Uh oh. I hear Radio Man off in the distance. I scan the storeroom. Okay. Boxes where I found them, all labels visible from front, same spacing. They’ll discover someone was inside when they take inventory. After information is transmitted and they know I found the moles I hope. And I hope I don’t get into trouble for taking stuff, but this is urgent.

As I turn to leave, I notice a familiar-looking cabinet. It’s like Dad’s rolling chest in the garage, where he keeps his important tools. Better check it out, then go.

Wow. Surveillance drones! There had to be drones! Beetles, dragonflies like Miss Sandy and Sassy use… Think I’ll borrow several of the bees.

Stop. If I take more, I’ll have to waddle.

I return to my stash, load up and squirm back into the opening. Must leave the vent cover open. Can’t be helped.

Maybe Léonce will help me “deploy my resources.” Woof. I’ve wanted to say that since day one of boot camp.

I think I’m heading towards the front of the Embassy. There are offices coming up and Miss Coralee’s scent is stronger.

I follow the scent. Here. This must be hers. It’s full of moving cartons.

There’s an open binder. Maybe there’s intel I need, like, where Mr. Vince is staying for one thing. If I can turn a little this way over the vent and peek–

Plunk.

Gasp!
What was that?

I look down.

A bug fell onto her desk!

Voices through a vent. “Roger that.”

“Unknown source, needs confirmation. Dissident will not seek asylum. Repeat. Dissident will not seek asylum. Roger. Usual protocols.”

Radio communication. I’ll stop and listen, then approach.

“Affirmative. Ambassador and family return from furlough in five days. Standard protocol. Recheck quarters in two. Affirmative. Floral arrangements ordered. Addition. Alert veterinarian. Schedule annual checkup. Affirmative. Maintenance confirms. Gym drain repair complete.”

Communications Room! Even better than finding Miss Coralee!

“Situation TY936 monitored. Negative. Canine has not surfaced. East sentry potentially confirms same canine approached. Not admitted. Sentry under interrogation. Continue surveillance.”

I hope that guard doesn’t get into trouble because of me, but he should brush up on his signals. Unless… I didn’t give him the correct one. Yikes.

I carefully crawl to the vent for a visual.

This place is smaller, but it reminds me of HQ at the Metro in DC. There’s a wall-size monitor with several smaller ones on each side. Video is running, no audio. Oh I see. Some have scrolling captions. I notice small lights underneath each monitor – white, yellow, orange, red. Most have the yellow lit. If it’s the same code, those are active surveillance. A few are orange, so the team’s on standby. No red that I see. It will be when I synchronize my camera bob with one of the screens, if I can remember how.

One thing I’ve learned, being in the field is a challenge without the training you need.

“Agent Stark to redeploy in ten days. Air shipment in progress, over land to follow. Confirmed. Boyfriend checks out. Seems like a good guy. Checked myself. Roger that. You betcha she deserves it.”

He’s talking about Mr. Vince and Miss Coralee!

“Roger. Rukan whereabouts unconfirmed. Transmissions continue from US. Considering alternative. Evidence Rukan recruited US agent.”

Yes. In fact, two agents.

“Security team on standby until more intel arrives. Sources confirm. Local Movement in preparation mode. No details on schedule. Presumed imminent. Embassy potential target. Affirmative. Available intel through regular channels, nothing confirmed. Instruct operatives to maintain radio silence until time to use CFC’s.”

Righty-o! My Crisis Frequency Code will access an emergency monitor. When I transmit video of Miss Sandy and Sassy, HQ will understand who the moles are… Plus they’ll have the plot detail, and they’ll know it’s from me!

If I can get out… and remember how to operate the camera bob.

I
continue towards the front of the building using my best cat walk.
Sniff
. I’m near the entryway. There has to be a vent close to the door.

Yes.

I exit the wall near a chair and assess the situation at paw. Surprise will be an advantage. I can make it through the door in about two seconds, if I’m at the ready when it opens. The humans won’t react in time – I hope – and I’ll be off to the shrubs and away to find the lady Marie’s.

Door opening, here I go…

Yells! Screeching tires!

I dive for the shrubs. The surveillance equipment spotted me but maybe I was only a small blur. I can’t be concerned about it now. Gotta go!

After recognizing the
Métro
route, I find the correct exit and rue, dart through the cemetery wall and prowl my way inside the lady Marie’s. Léonce is a great instructor whether he knows it or not. Hope I get to tell him.

Drat. He isn’t home this morning, though his scent is strong. I need some rest before the mission and I don’t think I can manage without his help. Guess I’ll nap under the red cloth and surprise him for a change.

“So soon?”

I whirl and look up. My friend crouches in a high window, ready to pounce.

“Léonce! Did you miss me?”

He lands lightly, tail held high.

“You did! You did!” I wiggle my whole self and greet him with kisses. When I take a breath I say, “I’ve activated Plan B and need your help.”

“
Oui
…” He looks thoughtfully at my gear then says, “The Embassy loaned equipment?”

“Not… exactly.”

“You are American,
non
?”

“
Oui
, but I didn’t communicate very well and took matters into my own paws.” I tell him about the guard, and Mr. Vince and Miss Coralee, and how the giant rude rat came to my rescue and swimming, and how I got inside and a bath, and about all
the rooms, and how I used my escape and evasion techniques to get away.

“I had a couple wrong turns getting back though. At least the rain stopped. But I made it. Listen. We can put a stop to Director’s plot and expose Miss Sandy and Sassy, and I can return too because they’ll know it’s me when I transmit everything with my code.”

“Someone trustworthy will receive?”

My ears lower. “Hadn’t thought of that.”

taptaptap

Our heads cock, ears flick towards the human door. Léonce bounds onto the table and into the window as I dive under the red cloth and rip off the vest. I stash it and myself in the hiding spot under the table. All I can do is sniff and listen.

The door creaks open and a scent wafts towards me.

Alexis! Is he alone?

I hear boxes placed on the floor. His scent is so dejected I can hardly bear it, but I resist a peek. The door closes, his footsteps fade.

Léonce’s face appears under the cloth. “We go.”

I follow my nose. “There he is. C’mon.”

When he sees us, Alexis tries to keep from smiling though – odd – tears aren’t far behind. “Hey Cat, hey Mutt. Where you been?”

As Léonce jumps up, Alexis lifts me beside him. I smile into his fine young face as he scruffles my ears.
Thlbpt.
This time he doesn’t wipe it off. I’m glad.

“I know you won’t tell anyone, but I have a hard decision to make. See, Director is about to do something awful–”

I give Léonce a look.

“–and I think I can stop it. I just don’t know if I should. She’s my mother, you know? What if she knows something I don’t, what if she’s right?”

Léonce slinks near me and whispers, “You face the same issue,
oui
?”

“I do?”

“With the woman and the jagged-eared dog.”

“Oh… That’s different. And we’re not talking about me.” I stamp my paw. “Well, we aren’t.”

He twitches his tail, then purrs for Alexis.

I start wondering if I should re-think Miss Sandy and Sassy.

No! I saw what I saw.

“You guys listening? I have stuff she needs to pull something off, something bad. And I think it’s wrong because people can get hurt. Let me show you.”

He digs out a cell phone and a portable radio from his pocket. “I’m to modify these so they are untraceable and will explode on signal. No problem. But… Director is going to use them to cause a lot of damage and people could get hurt, like I said. Not cool.

“Should I turn her in? I mean… I don’t know. But I can’t let this happen either, you know?”

I rest my head on his leg as he struggles to keep his voice level.

“If I destroy this equipment, she’ll
know
it was me.” He returns the items to his pocket and sighs deeply. “I don’t know what to do.”

I do!
I jump down and tug his pant leg.
We can help each other. C’mon!