Change of Plans by Kati
*Part of the New Agent Series*

Thanks for all the feedback from everyone. I really appreciate all the story ideas involving Sidney. I’ll try to figure out some way to incorporate those ideas into my future stories! Positive and negative (constructive hopefully) are always appreciated Thanks to my awesome Beta reader Antoinette. This story would have been a mess without her. Dark clouds were starting to cover the Denver skyline. It was a cold November evening, and the members of Team Seven wanted nothing more than to head home and sit in front of a warm fire. Of course business had to be taken care of first. The reign of Martin Gomaz was going to head tonight. Martin Gomaz had been on the top ten lists of the CIA and the FBI for the last ten years. His exploits in the drug smuggling ring were legendary. Hundreds of agents had tried to take the man down. Just about every team in the country had had their shot at catching the man, but none had been successful. Gomaz was invincible. Well, until tonight. Team Seven was the Government’s last hope and they had risen to the occasion. They had him cornered thanks to some awesome undercover work. Chris Larabee looked up at the sky. He pulled the collar of his black jacket around his neck as the harsh breeze picked up. He knew his team was spread out around the warehouse waiting for the signal to go in. He glanced at the man beside him. “Think we’ll finally get some snow?” Josiah asked. Chris shrugged his shoulders. Josiah was trying to lighten the tension of the moment. It didn’t help. Chris would breathe a sigh of relief when the mission was done. Gomaz was notorious for selling his arms to young rebel groups that planned terrorist attacks. JD and Sidney had been sent in as a couple planning an attack on the capital. Chris cringed when the idea was brought up. He hadn’t felt safe sending Ezra into the situation, let alone his two youngest agents. He couldn’t have been more proud of the two of them. JD and Sidney’s actions had been flawless. At least he hoped so. JD had only been able to contact his boss once, and that was to confirm where the exchange was going to happen. The two agents had held up like seasoned pros. Chris wished he could say the same for the rest of his team. He thought about Buck. The man on Chris’s mind was squirming uneasily. There were wrinkles of worry written across his face. His eyes drooped from the lack of sleep. “What are they doing in there?” he asked Vin. “Take a chill pill Buck; we’ve still got another five minutes. Once we take care of Gomaz, you can baby JD all you want.” “Still can’t believe Chris let the two of them have the case... Hell Sidney can just legally drink” “They are trained agents pal. Have to let them leave the nest sometime.” Vin smiled. “Yeah you’re the expert on young ones Junior. Considering you’re a whole six years older than JD. “Buck snorted. “How do you think they’re holding up Ezra?” Nathan asked. The last two agents had taken their spots behind the building. They would enter through the backdoor. “I am confident that they are doing just fine, after all they learned all of the techniques from the master of disguises,” Ezra said with a smile. Then added, “I am sure they are exhausted. Two weeks masquerading under a different alias is enough to drive even a seasoned undercover agent insane.” The backdoor slowly opened. Nathan and Ezra put on their gun in sync. They caught each other’s eye. They hadn’t planned on shooting anybody yet, but it looked like they were going to have to. Their cover had to be saved at whatever cost. Their victim walked outside. Ezra was on his victim in a second. He was surprised by his short stature, but still managed to get the guy into a headlock. “Ezra it’s me,” Ezra’s captive squeaked. For the first time Ezra realized that he was holding onto a girl, not a man. He immediately let go. “Haven’t seen you in a month and that’s the welcome I get,” Sidney whined rubbing her neck. “You could have gotten yourself killed, coming out here like that.” Nathan scolded, but he was smiling. Relief at seeing their friend was evident on their faces. “I had to risk it,” She said. “There’s been a change of plans. We can’t go through with the best tonight!” “What?!” The three agents jumped when they heard the loud yell. They turned to see Chris, Vin, Josiah, and Buck walking towards them. “Shut up Buck, you want to get us killed?” Chris growled. “It’s okay. JD, Gomaz and his men are deep in one of the offices signing papers they won’t come out for another twenty minutes. “JD alright?” Josiah asked. “We are both just fine, but there’s something important I have to tell you. JD and I have to stay in this longer. We can’t arrest Gomaz tonight.” “Why not?” Chris asked. His voice was surprising cool. “You have to promise not to freak out like you usually do, because I know none of you are going to like this,’ she looked at everybody. Chris sighed exasperatedly and nodded his head. The others did too, wondering what on earth the two had gotten into. “Buck?” Sidney asked “Alright fine, I won’t freak out or whatever you kids call it.” ‘Seems like JD and I are pretty good actors, cause we had no trouble getting on Gomaz’s good side. Getting the guns was easy. Two days ago, Gomaz gave us an offer we couldn’t refuse. He wanted us to join his work force. You know, join his inner circle. JD and I are Gomaz’s right hand team now. “Are you crazy?” Buck howled forgetting his promise. “I thought you kids were smarter than that! Do you know what Gomaz could do to you? Chris we’ve got to end this tonight, before Bonnie and Clyde get themselves in deeper shit.” “On the contrary, they should be complimented on their intelligence. Gomaz must be involved in a hundred different drug rings. As a part of the criminal’s inner circle, they will have access to priceless information of other felons.” Sidney looked at Ezra gratefully. “Although I do share your apprehension about their experience. I would support the idea perhaps if the agent would be a little more seasoned.” Sidney sighed as she saw the looks of doubt on the other agents’ faces. “Look I know what you guys are thinking. This is more than just getting the names of drug dealers. Gomaz has enough anthrax to wipe out the entire city of Denver!” Nathan felt like all the air had been sucked out of the area. “What are you talking about Sidney?” He asked. “I don’t know that much about it yet, Martin just mentioned it tonight,” “Sidney, are you sure? This is real serious.” Vin said to her. “I wouldn’t joke about something like this.” Sidney’s cell phone started to ring. “Hello, Maria Brown speaking,…” Oh hi Martin…yeah that warehouse was getting too stuffy for me. I decided to take a walk. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Did you and Brandon take care of everything?......well. I’ll see you in a little while.” She pushed the end button. “You’re going back in Sidney,” Chris said to the girl. He had made the decision in a few seconds. JD and Sidney had proved that they could do the work. Personally, he couldn’t think of two better people he would rather have in this position. “Chris…” Buck started to say. “You are going in there to find out what this anthrax thing is all about and you will get out,” Chris was talking to both Sidney and Buck. ‘I want you guys to call when you know anything and when it is safe. Don’t do anything stupid. If you find yourselves in over your heads, get out of there, This isn’t worth losing you lives over.” “Yes Sir,” She answered with a smile. Chris trusted them to get the job done. “I better head back inside. Before she knew what happened she was swept up into Buck’s huge arms. “Promise me that you’ll take care of JD.” He said. “We can do this Buck,” She answered. “ “I know that you can, just don’t do anything stupid, or I’ll kill you myself.” He let her go. “Anything else?” She asked looking at the agents. “Yeah, I’ve already doctored the two of you up enough I don’t want to do it again.” Nathan said. “Gomaz and his crooks are the only ones that are going to get hurt,” She laughed. “Sidney, you know where my apartment is,” Vin said. “It wouldn’t look suspicious if you headed over there. People like Maria and Brandon hang out in that building all the time. If you need anything and are afraid to call..” I “I’ll know where to go,” She smiled. Noises were coming from inside the warehouse. “Get out of here now,” Sidney whispered. The others didn’t need to be told twice. “Go get ‘im kid,” Chris squeezed her shoulder and ran back into the shadows. Sidney watched them go. The backdoor opened as Martin Gomaz walked outside. He was at least 6’4 and weighed 250 pounds. He was not someone you wanted to get on the wrong side of. . “Maria, how was your walk?” “I can’t believe how cold it has gotten,’ She said. “Well come inside and warm up. We have many things to talk about.” Ezra watched as Gomaz put his arm around the girl’ shoulder in a fatherly manner, as he led her inside. The undercover agent gritted his teeth. + + + + + + + JD moved silently across the apartment that he and Sidney had rented. It was hard to believe a week had gone by since either of them had made contact with the team. He could just imagine what the others were doing. He doubted any of them were getting any sleep. There just hadn’t been any chance to call. Gomaz had them working around the clock and they were constantly being monitored. The surveillance was becoming more and more lax. Gomaz now had complete trust in the siblings. JD still didn’t trust the phone, but he had a different idea about how to make contact. He walked into the living room where Sidney had collapsed on the couch. JD covered the sleeping girl with a blanket. He didn’t like the looks Gomaz’s men were giving her. Gomaz had told his men that she was off limits and Sidney could take care of herself, but it didn’t stop JD from worrying. He knew that he didn’t have too. Sidney have proved she was capable of taking care of the bad guys time and time again. She had dealt with an American terrorist plotting to murder the world’s leaders, an insane mother, and the death of her fiancé in the line of duty. He was starting to wonder if there was anything that she couldn’t do. He sat down at the desk that held his computer. This was a long shot, but it just might work. He opened up MSN messenger and checked the names of the people logged on. He saw one name and his whole face lit up into a smile. He began to type. ComputerWhiz24: Hey, long time now see Maverick34: Am I talking to who I think I am Computer Whiz24; Yup, Got a few things to tell you Maverick34: I would hope so, you could call every once in a while ComputerWhiz24: Haven’t been able too, you know what I mean Maverick34: Yeah, so how’s your sister? ComputerWhiz24: She’s great, we’ve got ourselves some great jobs. We’re learning lots of cool stuff Maverick34: like what? ComputerWhiz24: Like the twenty-seventh of November is the mayor’s birthday. Maverick34: That’s pretty sweet, why is the mayor so important ComputerWhiz24: He’s not that important. I just learned that in City Hall today. That’s a pretty cool building . Lots’ of people work there. Look Maverick I got to go, maybe we can meet sometime soon. My sister likes to go to the park down on Second Street and Mayor run there in the morning. JD had realized that somebody from an outside source had just broken into the account. He had covered his tracks well, but there was always a chance the hacker might know what he was talking about. He quickly logged off. Meanwhile Vin smiled as he turned off his computer. The others had laughed at JD and him for using the teenage-based chat room, but Vin was having the last laugh now. JD had just told him when and where the attack was going to happen. He walked over to his phone and dialed. “Hey Chris, Gomaz is sending the anthraxgo at City Hall on the Twenty-Seventh. + + + + + + + John Borders watched Brandon Brown going through the shipments of the test tubes. The shipment had arrived the night before. It had been Borders who had devised the plan of sending letters to everyone at City Hall filled with the deadly powder It was time that the United States suffered a blow from the inside of the states The country was obsessed with foreign attacks, and neglecting terrorism threats If and when from the USA’s own citizens. JD realized he was being watched, he looked over to see Gomaz’s second in command staring at him. Everything that Martin Gomaz was, John Borders was not. The blond haired criminal was scrawny. He looked like he could be blown away any moment. But what he lacked in size, he more than made up for in brains. JD had never met anybody smarter. Borders had never been completely trusting of the new recruits, and both agents were forced to keep up their guard up around the man. “Where’s your sister today?” Borders called. “She’s sleeping late,” JD answered. “She was up late last night and she’s got a pretty bad headache. “Not a very good impression on the boss, calling in sick when we are in the middle of the biggest mission we ever took part in.” “Martin is the one that said she should stay home. He actually cares about her well being.” JD answered knowing he had hit a sore spot. The older man was jealous of all the special attention that his boss was giving to the kids. Borders glared at JD, “I want those tubes counted and labeled in half an hour!” He growled and stormed into his office. He sat down at his desk. Something bugged him about the cocky kid and his sister. They were not your typical I have the government kind of rebel kids. They knew to much about weapons and stuff like that. More than dumb kids should. He hadn’t liked the way Maria’s eyes had lit up when she looked through Gomaz’s contact list. He vowed to find out more about them. He decided that he fancied a walk down by the old apartment buildings. + + + + + + + Sidney ran through the park in a red jogging suit. Her eyes were constantly scanning the people who were walking by her. She knew she was being followed. She looked for a place to go and hide. There weren’t a whole lot of options. All the trees had already lost their leaves and there weren’t many people out in this cold weather. She finally managed to find a large patch of evergreens. She ran into, knowing her assailant would follow her. “God girl, you trying to give me a heart attack,” the man huffed. “I should have sent Vin or somebody who can actually keep up with you.” “Sorry Chris,” She smiled glad to see him again. “How is everything going?” He asked. “I don’t see how Ezra can do this all the time. Talk about nerve wrecking,” She panted, as she pulled a small notebook out of her pocket and handed it to Chris. Chris flipped through the pages. Inside were several detailed maps of the location. Sidney had marked the room where the anthrax was being kept and where guards were being posted. Chris flipped through the pages to a list of famous Denver politicians. He noticed that Director Travis’s name was circled. “Those are the people that he’s planning to send the powder to,” Sidney said. “I would warn them pretty soon. Just in case we screw the bust. “Good idea, but we’re not going to screw this up, we already planned everything out. The letters will have to be sent out on the twenty-five if Gomaz wants them to arrive on the twenty-seventh. We planned to go in on the night before around midnight, which gives us two days to make the final arrangements.” “Are you sure that’s a good idea? Gomaz and his men have started sleeping at the site now that the shipment has arrived.” “We figured that. These maps will help us plan our entrances.” “What can JD and I do?” She asked. “Nothing, but make sure the two of you are nowhere near there that night. We will be going in there firing, and I have no idea where stray bullets might fly.” Sidney nodded her head, “I think we can manage that. That guy would do anything for us. I almost feel sorry for Gomaz. It is kind of like we’re the kids that he never had. Chris looked at her dumbfounded. “I said almost. I want to see this bastard go down as much as you do.” Chris pulled a little black foam sticker out of his pocket. “Buck told me to give this to you. Put it on the back of Gomaz’s car. It is a tracking device will help us catch him if he manages to get out get away.” Sidney pocketed the sticker. “How is he holding up?” “He’s taken up a permanent residence in front of the phone waiting for either of you to call. You should hear all of the farfetched stories that he has come up with. Right now the story line is that Gomaz has a hidden spaceship somewhere and he secretly planning on sending you and JD to the moon. Sidney chuckled, but then grew serious. “Have you called the Feds yet? I mean this is anthrax that we’re dealing with. Somebody trained should deal with that stuff.” “There lies a huge problem. The CIA officer assigned to this case is George Norris.” The name sparked a cord in Sidney’s mind. “Isn’t that..” “One of the many people that Ezra managed to piss off during his career with the CIA.” Chris finished. “He refuses to do anything about it. Says we don’t have enough proof. Sidney gritted her teeth. “We might as well call the whole thing off. I don’t want any of you dealing with that stuff. You saw what happened on the news to those poor people who were exposed to it.” She did not mention how terrified she was when either she or JD had to handle it. “Can’t we get the help from another department?” “Travis is trying, but the soonest anybody can get here is a day after the letters are supposed to be sent out. I guess it takes a while to fill out all that paper work.” “Maybe I can get Gomez to procrastinate sending the letters or…” Sidney was thinking aloud. Chris grabbed her hand and made her look at him. “Look Sidney, We have to do this alone. Gomaz has to go down soon. Even if the plan at City Hall fails. I can promise you that he will do something like this again. We have taken every precaution necessary.” Sidney nodded her head, but it didn’t ease the fear in her stomach. “You know sometimes this job really sucks,” She sighed putting her headphones back on. “I better get back, they’re expecting me back down there in an hour.” She was about to start running, but Chris grabbed her arm. “Not so fast squirt,” He pulled her into a hug. “Make sure you watch your backs okay? “You should see the chemical suits Nathan wants us to wear. We’ll look like we’re from Mars.” Sidney had to laugh. “You watch yours too. When this all over, you owe me a pizza and a beer from Inez’s.” “Why is that?” “Cause Gomaz had been making me all this gourmet crap that is making me sick. See you later Larabee” She turned around and started to run off back towards her rented apartment leaving Chris in the trees. He waited about five minutes and walked out the opposite way. Neither one had noticed the scrawny man hiding behind a nearby park bench. John Borders stood up with an evil smile. “ATF agents huh? Never would have guessed that one.” He hit the rewind button of the small recorder he had brought with him. The man slowly started his long walk back. He had a busy day in front of him. + + + + + + + The night of the bust had finally arrived. ATF Seven was pumped up with controlled excitement and Adrenaline. The black van was moving towards the end of town. Buck was checking over the firearms and surveillance equipment. “Feels weird not to have the kid here jumping all over the place and messing everything up doesn’t it? Josiah put a comforting hand on Buck’s shoulder. “He’s fine Buck” “Yeah I know, just been suck a long time since I’ve seen him,” Buck said truthfully. “Probably grew a beard and has five kids by now,” Vin joked dodging an old McDonald’s cup that had come flying his way. “Ezra you’ve been awfully quiet tonight,” Nathan said “Perhaps it because the only intellectual one who dares converse with me on substantial matters is not among us at the current moment,” “Sidney ain’t here to talk with him. Enjoy the piece and quiet while we still can boys. Ezra’s yap ain’t going to stay still very much longer.” “Neither will my fists Mr. Tanner,” Ezra answered calmly. Chris had to smile. Even during the most tense and nerve-wreaking times. None of them could stay completely serious very long. Chris’s cell-phone started to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket. “This better be important, I’m in the middle of something here,” He growled. “Nobody can say our illustrious leader isn’t cordial,” Ezra chuckled, but he shot his mouth when he saw the look on Chris’s face. “I believe this well worth your time, Agent Larabee It involves two of your young agents,” “Who the hell is this?” Chris asked surprised. “This is Martin Gomaz sir, I must say it is quite a pleasure to talk to one of the most famous federal agents on this side of the Mississippi. That is what Agent Dunne said before he became unconscious.” Chris almost dropped the phone. He saw the questioning look on Vin’s face, but did not answer right away. “Let them go now, and I promise that I will not kill you,” Chris’s voice became low and menacing. “I do not believe you are in the position to be threatening me Agent Larabee, but I can not abide by your wishes even if I had wanted too. You see I am on my way to a place where I will never be able to be found. Since my plan was destroyed, I was forced to come up with another idea for my anthrax supply. I am under the impression that you know how dangerous anthrax can be when it becomes airborne. Well a bomb has been placed somewhere in the warehouse where the anthrax is located. The bomb is set to go off ten minutes from now. Your agents are also hidden somewhere in the building. The anthrax and the people inside will be in trouble in ten minutes. If you wish to change this course of action, I suggest you hurry. You are in for a very dangerous game of hide and seek Mr. Larabee.” Chris did not get a chance to respond. The line had gone dead. Chris threw the phone against the front window. “Chris?” Buck prompted The expression on his face reflected what the rest of the team was feeling. Just by hearing on end of the conversation. Sidney and JD were in a lot of trouble. Chris seemed to have gained control of himself. The van started to seed down the street. Vin saw the speedometer moving faster and faster up the screen. “Gomaz is escaping right now,” Chris started to say, “There is a bomb in the warehouse that is set to go off in ten minutes. If that anthrax gets airborne…” Chris didn’t finish the sentence. “And JD and Sidney?” Josiah asked, knowing he wasn’t going to like the answer. “Are somewhere inside the building.” Chris said quietly not taking his eyes off the road. Ezra’s cell phone was out in a split second. “Hello. Director Norris? This is Agent Standish from the ATF. Do you remember the anthrax that we told you about a few weeks ago? Oh yes, I forgot that you never called me back. Well I regret to inform you that Gomaz is currently escaping and there is a bomb set to go off in a matter of minutes that will send almost ten pounds of the substance into the air…No, the last thought on our mind is catching Gomaz,” Ezra’s voice grew cold and hard. “Two of our agents are trapped inside the building. Our main priority will be to get them out. I suggest you get some of your agents down here to get the anthrax before it is released into the air Wouldn’t want this to blow up in you face would you. I took the honor of placing your name as the senior advisor of this set-up.” Ezra hung up the phone He had would have enjoyed the chance to provoke Norris , if the situation hadn’t been so serious.. The van came to a screeching stop along side the front door of the warehouse. “We got six minutes gentleman,” Chris turned around. “Get in there and find them!” He reached out for the flashlight and the walkie-talkie that Buck was holding out to him and jumped out of the van and sprinted towards the building. None of them needed to be told twice. They grabbed their own flashlights and followed Chris to the door. “Shit,” Chris kicked the door hard when he saw the padlock. “Stand back,” He said to the others as he pulled out his gun. The padlock split in half from the impact of the bullet. Chris kicked the door open and ran inside. He stopped dead in his tracks. “Oh God,” Buck whispered when he saw the labyrinth of rooms. Nobody waited before heading out to search the rooms. Precious time was ticking away by the second. + + + + + + + JD could hear voices. They hurt his head and he tried to slip back into the comfortable darkness. But the noise was unbearable. He tried to stretch out his body to turn around, but found that it was impossible. He couldn’t move an inch. His body was rolled up in a ball. He was stuck in some kind of box. He forced his groggy eyes open. IT didn’t make much difference JD couldn’t see his hand in front of his face. Not that he could have moved his arm if he had wanted too. “JD!” The voices were a lot clearer now. He tried to respond. But only a croak came out of his dry throat. The voice calling his name didn’t stop. Suddenly the past events came rushing back to his mind The only thing JD could do was squirm. The box began to roll and it crashed on its other side. The voice stopped calling his name. “What the hell?’” Buck asked “Nathan did you see that?” The two men rushed over to the overturned box. Buck kneeled down beside the box. “JD is that you?” Buck asked. “Buck?” The voice inside croaked back. Both Buck and Nathan breathed a sigh of relief. “JD you alright?” Nathan asked. “Buck there’s a bomb set to go off in a couple of minutes! You have to get Sidney and these boxes of anthrax out of here!” Buck was looking around for something to open the box with, but was finding nothing. “JD do you know where Sidney is?” Nathan asked. “I saw one of Gomaz’s men dropping her into one of the old crates. They put something over her mouth that knocked her out cold” Buck and Nathan looked at the all the boxes around them. Nathan pulled out his walkie-talkie. “Chris, We need you down here pronto! JD says Sidney is trapped in one of the old anthrax crates! We got three minutes to find her.” “We’re on our way Nathan,” Chris’s voice echoed through the metal box. Within a couple of seconds, the whole team was once again together. They were desperately searching throughout the crates for their missing friend. They knew Sidney wasn’t going to respond. So they were knocking over the boxes hoping one of them would be abnormally heavy. Vin spotted one in the corner and tried to kick it over. It wouldn’t budge. “Guys, I found her!” He called. Chris rushed over and the two men lifted up the heavy crate. “Let’s get out of here!” Chris called. Buck and Ezra lifted JD up and they rushed out of the broken door. “What about the anthrax?” Vin asked Chris. “Leave it, we don’t have time!” Chris yelled. The men didn’t stop running till they were a safe distance away from the warehouse. “Damn FBI never showed up,” Ezra sighed. “That’s not our fault Ez, We told them our main priority was to find JD and Sidney. The rest of this is their fault.” Vin said placing his arm around Ezra’s shoulder. “The only thing we can do is pray that there isn’t enough to cause a huge effect.” Chris had just pried open JD’s box with a crowbar from the van. JD was still pretty doped up. Buck had to practically drag him out. Chris moved on to Sidney’s crate. He quickly pried open the top, praying that she was okay. They were all in for a shock when the top was pulled off. “Oh my God,” Josiah whispered. Chris turned pale. Instead of an unconscious girl, there were test tubes full of white powder. “Oh shit,” Vin gasped. “We have to go back in there!” Chris reached out to grab him from rushing back to the building, but there was no need. There was a loud “BANG!” and the building burst into flame. All anyone could do was watch in horror as the flames engulfed the entire structure. Vin collapsed on the ground with his hands over his face. “How could I have been so stupid?” He moaned. Nobody answered him. They simply stared at the building as it started to bend from the heat. They all were in a state of shock. “Wow, that’s some fire,” a voice behind them said appreciably. Vin stopped dead in his tracks, the voice striking a very familiar cord in his memory. He turned around to see Sidney standing behind them. She looked absolutely exhausted and her knuckles were bleeding badly. . “You guys look like you’ve just seen a ghost,” She laughed weekly. Buck looked at Sidney, then at the building, then at Sidney again. “JD, are you alright?” She asked seeing her friend leaning his head on Buck’s lap. “Yeah I’ll be fine. How did you manage to get out of there? I saw them put in that crate!’ He exclaimed. Sidney sighed. “I need to sit down first, before I pass out.” Ezra grabbed onto her shoulder and guided her down to the ground. Josiah made a quick call the fire department. “I never got the full blast of the chloroform like you did JD. I learned how to circular breath through my nose when I used to play the trumpet. I never inhaled enough fumes to knock me out. The whole passing out thing was just an act. How did I get out of the crate? I owe that one to Lady luck. Borders forgot to screw down the last corner of the box. It took me a while to pry open the top. Otherwise I never would have been able to open it up. She smiled. Knowing that I would never be able to find you in time,” She nodded to JD, “And no way to contact you,” She added looking at Chris, “I went and tried to look for the bomb.” She stopped and looked at the building. “I guess I wasn’t very successful, and now there’s no way to tell what’s going to happen as the anthrax gets in the air.” “I don’t think you have to worry about that,” Nathan smiled. “Vin took care of that problem.” He pointed to the open crate. Sidney glanced inside and gasped. “How did you manage to find it?” She asked. “Well,” Vin answered sheepishly. “I kind of thought it was you.” Sidney started to laugh and soon everyone else joined it. “I guess this turned out okay didn’t it,” Buck chuckled “Nobody got hurt and the anthraxis safely in our custody. Only problem is that SOB got away.” “Buck, I put that microchip behind Gomaz’s license plate.” JD said. Buck was one his feet in a second. He ran to the back of the van and opened up a laptop. “I got him! He’s on his way to the airport. We can still catch him.” Chris started to make orders. “Buck, you and Nathan come with me. We’re going after him. Ezra, you and Vin will wait here. I am sure that the FBI will be here shortly. I don’t think I could look at any of them without punching them in the face right now. Josiah?” “I’ll take the young ones home and put them to bed.” He laughed at the two agents sitting on the ground. They both looked like they could fall asleep right there.. Chris sighed when JD opened his mouth expecting a protest. He was surprised when JD asked, “Do we get a bedtime story too?’ Chris chuckled as he hopped into the driver’s seat. “Hey Buck,” Sidney called. “Yeah,” Buck called out the open window. “Get a punch in for me okay?” “I’ll get two!” Buck laughed as the van pulled away. + + + + + + + The black van was on its way home. Gomaz was safely in the custody of the Denver police. “I swear that girl is going to give us a heart attack.” Nathan sighed. “How many times have we almost lost her ?” “You know I think she does it on purpose. She could get away with murder in any of our eyes.” Buck answered. “Hey Buck, you know what JD called me?” Chris asked. “What?” “The greatest agent on this side of the Mississippi.” “Well that’s because he was half delirious Pard Everyone knows that I’m the greatest agent on this side and the next side of the Mississippi.” “Well we’ll just have to ask him when he wakes up won’t we?” Chris challenged. Nathan just rolled his eyes. Glad the day was over and nobody had received any serious injury. But he knew the peace wouldn’t last long. It was only a matter of time before Team Seven plunged into the face of danger once again. END Comments

Change of Plans

by Kati

Part of the New Agent Series

Thanks for all the feedback from everyone. I really appreciate all the story ideas involving Sidney. I’ll try to figure out some way to incorporate those ideas into my future stories!
Positive and negative (constructive hopefully) are always appreciated
Thanks to my awesome Beta reader Antoinette. This story would have been a mess without her.

Dark clouds were starting to cover the Denver skyline. It was a cold November evening, and the members of Team Seven wanted nothing more than to head home and sit in front of a warm fire. Of course business had to be taken care of first. The reign of Martin Gomaz was going to head tonight.
Martin Gomaz had been on the top ten lists of the CIA and the FBI for the last ten years. His exploits in the drug smuggling ring were legendary. Hundreds of agents had tried to take the man down. Just about every team in the country had had their shot at catching the man, but none had been successful. Gomaz was invincible. Well, until tonight. Team Seven was the Government’s last hope and they had risen to the occasion. They had him cornered thanks to some awesome undercover work.
Chris Larabee looked up at the sky. He pulled the collar of his black jacket around his neck as the harsh breeze picked up. He knew his team was spread out around the warehouse waiting for the signal to go in. He glanced at the man beside him.
“Think we’ll finally get some snow?” Josiah asked. Chris shrugged his shoulders. Josiah was trying to lighten the tension of the moment. It didn’t help. Chris would breathe a sigh of relief when the mission was done.
Gomaz was notorious for selling his arms to young rebel groups that planned terrorist attacks. JD and Sidney had been sent in as a couple planning an attack on the capital. Chris cringed when the idea was brought up. He hadn’t felt safe sending Ezra into the situation, let alone his two youngest agents. He couldn’t have been more proud of the two of them. JD and Sidney’s actions had been flawless. At least he hoped so. JD had only been able to contact his boss once, and that was to confirm where the exchange was going to happen. The two agents had held up like seasoned pros. Chris wished he could say the same for the rest of his team. He thought about Buck.
The man on Chris’s mind was squirming uneasily. There were wrinkles of worry written across his face. His eyes drooped from the lack of sleep.
“What are they doing in there?” he asked Vin.
“Take a chill pill Buck; we’ve still got another five minutes. Once we take care of Gomaz, you can baby JD all you want.”
“Still can’t believe Chris let the two of them have the case... Hell Sidney can just legally drink”
“They are trained agents pal. Have to let them leave the nest sometime.” Vin smiled.
“Yeah you’re the expert on young ones Junior. Considering you’re a whole six years older than JD. “Buck snorted.
“How do you think they’re holding up Ezra?” Nathan asked. The last two agents had taken their spots behind the building. They would enter through the backdoor.
“I am confident that they are doing just fine, after all they learned all of the techniques from the master of disguises,” Ezra said with a smile. Then added, “I am sure they are exhausted. Two weeks masquerading under a different alias is enough to drive even a seasoned undercover agent insane.”
The backdoor slowly opened. Nathan and Ezra put on their gun in sync. They caught each other’s eye. They hadn’t planned on shooting anybody yet, but it looked like they were going to have to. Their cover had to be saved at whatever cost. Their victim walked outside. Ezra was on his victim in a second. He was surprised by his short stature, but still managed to get the guy into a headlock.
“Ezra it’s me,” Ezra’s captive squeaked. For the first time Ezra realized that he was holding onto a girl, not a man. He immediately let go.
“Haven’t seen you in a month and that’s the welcome I get,” Sidney whined rubbing her neck.
“You could have gotten yourself killed, coming out here like that.” Nathan scolded, but he was smiling. Relief at seeing their friend was evident on their faces.
“I had to risk it,” She said. “There’s been a change of plans. We can’t go through with the best tonight!”
“What?!” The three agents jumped when they heard the loud yell. They turned to see Chris, Vin, Josiah, and Buck walking towards them.
“Shut up Buck, you want to get us killed?” Chris growled.
“It’s okay. JD, Gomaz and his men are deep in one of the offices signing papers they won’t come out for another twenty minutes.
“JD alright?” Josiah asked.
“We are both just fine, but there’s something important I have to tell you. JD and I have to stay in this longer. We can’t arrest Gomaz tonight.”
“Why not?” Chris asked. His voice was surprising cool.
“You have to promise not to freak out like you usually do, because I know none of you are going to like this,’ she looked at everybody. Chris sighed exasperatedly and nodded his head. The others did too, wondering what on earth the two had gotten into.
“Buck?” Sidney asked
“Alright fine, I won’t freak out or whatever you kids call it.”
‘Seems like JD and I are pretty good actors, cause we had no trouble getting on Gomaz’s good side. Getting the guns was easy. Two days ago, Gomaz gave us an offer we couldn’t refuse. He wanted us to join his work force. You know, join his inner circle. JD and I are Gomaz’s right hand team now.
“Are you crazy?” Buck howled forgetting his promise. “I thought you kids were smarter than that! Do you know what Gomaz could do to you? Chris we’ve got to end this tonight, before Bonnie and Clyde get themselves in deeper shit.”
“On the contrary, they should be complimented on their intelligence. Gomaz must be involved in a hundred different drug rings. As a part of the criminal’s inner circle, they will have access to priceless information of other felons.” Sidney looked at Ezra gratefully.
“Although I do share your apprehension about their experience. I would support the idea perhaps if the agent would be a little more seasoned.” Sidney sighed as she saw the looks of doubt on the other agents’ faces.
“Look I know what you guys are thinking. This is more than just getting the names of drug dealers. Gomaz has enough anthrax to wipe out the entire city of Denver!” Nathan felt like all the air had been sucked out of the area.
“What are you talking about Sidney?” He asked.
“I don’t know that much about it yet, Martin just mentioned it tonight,”
“Sidney, are you sure? This is real serious.” Vin said to her.
“I wouldn’t joke about something like this.” Sidney’s cell phone started to ring.
“Hello, Maria Brown speaking,…” Oh hi Martin…yeah that warehouse was getting too stuffy for me. I decided to take a walk. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Did you and Brandon take care of everything?......well. I’ll see you in a little while.” She pushed the end button.
“You’re going back in Sidney,” Chris said to the girl. He had made the decision in a few seconds. JD and Sidney had proved that they could do the work. Personally, he couldn’t think of two better people he would rather have in this position.
“Chris…” Buck started to say.
“You are going in there to find out what this anthrax thing is all about and you will get out,” Chris was talking to both Sidney and Buck.
‘I want you guys to call when you know anything and when it is safe. Don’t do anything stupid. If you find yourselves in over your heads, get out of there, This isn’t worth losing you lives over.”
“Yes Sir,” She answered with a smile. Chris trusted them to get the job done. “I better head back inside. Before she knew what happened she was swept up into Buck’s huge arms.
“Promise me that you’ll take care of JD.” He said.
“We can do this Buck,” She answered. “
“I know that you can, just don’t do anything stupid, or I’ll kill you myself.” He let her go.
“Anything else?” She asked looking at the agents.
“Yeah, I’ve already doctored the two of you up enough I don’t want to do it again.” Nathan said.
“Gomaz and his crooks are the only ones that are going to get hurt,” She laughed.
“Sidney, you know where my apartment is,” Vin said. “It wouldn’t look suspicious if you headed over there. People like Maria and Brandon hang out in that building all the time. If you need anything and are afraid to call..” I
“I’ll know where to go,” She smiled.
Noises were coming from inside the warehouse.
“Get out of here now,” Sidney whispered. The others didn’t need to be told twice.
“Go get ‘im kid,” Chris squeezed her shoulder and ran back into the shadows. Sidney watched them go.
The backdoor opened as Martin Gomaz walked outside. He was at least 6’4 and weighed 250 pounds. He was not someone you wanted to get on the wrong side of. .
“Maria, how was your walk?”
“I can’t believe how cold it has gotten,’ She said.
“Well come inside and warm up. We have many things to talk about.”
Ezra watched as Gomaz put his arm around the girl’ shoulder in a fatherly manner, as he led her inside. The undercover agent gritted his teeth.
+ + + + + + +
JD moved silently across the apartment that he and Sidney had rented. It was hard to believe a week had gone by since either of them had made contact with the team. He could just imagine what the others were doing. He doubted any of them were getting any sleep. There just hadn’t been any chance to call. Gomaz had them working around the clock and they were constantly being monitored.
The surveillance was becoming more and more lax. Gomaz now had complete trust in the siblings. JD still didn’t trust the phone, but he had a different idea about how to make contact. He walked into the living room where Sidney had collapsed on the couch. JD covered the sleeping girl with a blanket. He didn’t like the looks Gomaz’s men were giving her. Gomaz had told his men that she was off limits and Sidney could take care of herself, but it didn’t stop JD from worrying. He knew that he didn’t have too. Sidney have proved she was capable of taking care of the bad guys time and time again. She had dealt with an American terrorist plotting to murder the world’s leaders, an insane mother, and the death of her fiancé in the line of duty. He was starting to wonder if there was anything that she couldn’t do.
He sat down at the desk that held his computer. This was a long shot, but it just might work. He opened up MSN messenger and checked the names of the people logged on. He saw one name and his whole face lit up into a smile. He began to type.
ComputerWhiz24: Hey, long time now see
Maverick34: Am I talking to who I think I am
Computer Whiz24; Yup, Got a few things to tell you
Maverick34: I would hope so, you could call every once in a while
ComputerWhiz24: Haven’t been able too, you know what I mean
Maverick34: Yeah, so how’s your sister?
ComputerWhiz24: She’s great, we’ve got ourselves some great jobs. We’re learning lots of cool stuff
Maverick34: like what?
ComputerWhiz24: Like the twenty-seventh of November is the mayor’s birthday.
Maverick34: That’s pretty sweet, why is the mayor so important
ComputerWhiz24: He’s not that important. I just learned that in City Hall today. That’s a pretty cool building . Lots’ of people work there. Look Maverick I got to go, maybe we can meet sometime soon. My sister likes to go to the park down on Second Street and Mayor run there in the morning.

JD had realized that somebody from an outside source had just broken into the account. He had covered his tracks well, but there was always a chance the hacker might know what he was talking about. He quickly logged off.

Meanwhile
Vin smiled as he turned off his computer. The others had laughed at JD and him for using the teenage-based chat room, but Vin was having the last laugh now. JD had just told him when and where the attack was going to happen. He walked over to his phone and dialed.
“Hey Chris, Gomaz is sending the anthraxgo at City Hall on the Twenty-Seventh.
+ + + + + + +
John Borders watched Brandon Brown going through the shipments of the test tubes. The shipment had arrived the night before. It had been Borders who had devised the plan of sending letters to everyone at City Hall filled with the deadly powder It was time that the United States suffered a blow from the inside of the states The country was obsessed with foreign attacks, and neglecting terrorism threats If and when from the USA’s own citizens.
JD realized he was being watched, he looked over to see Gomaz’s second in command staring at him. Everything that Martin Gomaz was, John Borders was not. The blond haired criminal was scrawny. He looked like he could be blown away any moment. But what he lacked in size, he more than made up for in brains. JD had never met anybody smarter. Borders had never been completely trusting of the new recruits, and both agents were forced to keep up their guard up around the man.
“Where’s your sister today?” Borders called.
“She’s sleeping late,” JD answered. “She was up late last night and she’s got a pretty bad headache.
“Not a very good impression on the boss, calling in sick when we are in the middle of the biggest mission we ever took part in.”
“Martin is the one that said she should stay home. He actually cares about her well being.” JD answered knowing he had hit a sore spot. The older man was jealous of all the special attention that his boss was giving to the kids.
Borders glared at JD, “I want those tubes counted and labeled in half an hour!” He growled and stormed into his office. He sat down at his desk. Something bugged him about the cocky kid and his sister. They were not your typical I have the government kind of rebel kids. They knew to much about weapons and stuff like that. More than dumb kids should. He hadn’t liked the way Maria’s eyes had lit up when she looked through Gomaz’s contact list. He vowed to find out more about them. He decided that he fancied a walk down by the old apartment buildings.
+ + + + + + +
Sidney ran through the park in a red jogging suit. Her eyes were constantly scanning the people who were walking by her. She knew she was being followed. She looked for a place to go and hide. There weren’t a whole lot of options. All the trees had already lost their leaves and there weren’t many people out in this cold weather. She finally managed to find a large patch of evergreens. She ran into, knowing her assailant would follow her.
“God girl, you trying to give me a heart attack,” the man huffed. “I should have sent Vin or somebody who can actually keep up with you.”
“Sorry Chris,” She smiled glad to see him again.
“How is everything going?” He asked.
“I don’t see how Ezra can do this all the time. Talk about nerve wrecking,” She panted, as she pulled a small notebook out of her pocket and handed it to Chris. Chris flipped through the pages. Inside were several detailed maps of the location. Sidney had marked the room where the anthrax was being kept and where guards were being posted. Chris flipped through the pages to a list of famous Denver politicians. He noticed that Director Travis’s name was circled.
“Those are the people that he’s planning to send the powder to,” Sidney said. “I would warn them pretty soon. Just in case we screw the bust.
“Good idea, but we’re not going to screw this up, we already planned everything out. The letters will have to be sent out on the twenty-five if Gomaz wants them to arrive on the twenty-seventh. We planned to go in on the night before around midnight, which gives us two days to make the final arrangements.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? Gomaz and his men have started sleeping at the site now that the shipment has arrived.”
“We figured that. These maps will help us plan our entrances.”
“What can JD and I do?” She asked.
“Nothing, but make sure the two of you are nowhere near there that night. We will be going in there firing, and I have no idea where stray bullets might fly.”
Sidney nodded her head, “I think we can manage that. That guy would do anything for us. I almost feel sorry for Gomaz. It is kind of like we’re the kids that he never had.
Chris looked at her dumbfounded.
“I said almost. I want to see this bastard go down as much as you do.”
Chris pulled a little black foam sticker out of his pocket.
“Buck told me to give this to you. Put it on the back of Gomaz’s car. It is a tracking device will help us catch him if he manages to get out get away.”
Sidney pocketed the sticker. “How is he holding up?”
“He’s taken up a permanent residence in front of the phone waiting for either of you to call. You should hear all of the farfetched stories that he has come up with. Right now the story line is that Gomaz has a hidden spaceship somewhere and he secretly planning on sending you and JD to the moon.
Sidney chuckled, but then grew serious.
“Have you called the Feds yet? I mean this is anthrax that we’re dealing with. Somebody trained should deal with that stuff.”
“There lies a huge problem. The CIA officer assigned to this case is George Norris.” The name sparked a cord in Sidney’s mind.
“Isn’t that..”
“One of the many people that Ezra managed to piss off during his career with the CIA.” Chris finished. “He refuses to do anything about it. Says we don’t have enough proof.
Sidney gritted her teeth.
“We might as well call the whole thing off. I don’t want any of you dealing with that stuff. You saw what happened on the news to those poor people who were exposed to it.” She did not mention how terrified she was when either she or JD had to handle it.
“Can’t we get the help from another department?”
“Travis is trying, but the soonest anybody can get here is a day after the letters are supposed to be sent out. I guess it takes a while to fill out all that paper work.”
“Maybe I can get Gomez to procrastinate sending the letters or…” Sidney was thinking aloud. Chris grabbed her hand and made her look at him.
“Look Sidney, We have to do this alone. Gomaz has to go down soon. Even if the plan at City Hall fails. I can promise you that he will do something like this again. We have taken every precaution necessary.”
Sidney nodded her head, but it didn’t ease the fear in her stomach.
“You know sometimes this job really sucks,” She sighed putting her headphones back on. “I better get back, they’re expecting me back down there in an hour.” She was about to start running, but Chris grabbed her arm.
“Not so fast squirt,” He pulled her into a hug. “Make sure you watch your backs okay? “You should see the chemical suits Nathan wants us to wear. We’ll look like we’re from Mars.”
Sidney had to laugh. “You watch yours too. When this all over, you owe me a pizza and a beer from Inez’s.”
“Why is that?”
“Cause Gomaz had been making me all this gourmet crap that is making me sick. See you later Larabee”
She turned around and started to run off back towards her rented apartment leaving Chris in the trees. He waited about five minutes and walked out the opposite way. Neither one had noticed the scrawny man hiding behind a nearby park bench.
John Borders stood up with an evil smile.
“ATF agents huh? Never would have guessed that one.” He hit the rewind button of the small recorder he had brought with him. The man slowly started his long walk back. He had a busy day in front of him.
+ + + + + + +
The night of the bust had finally arrived. ATF Seven was pumped up with controlled excitement and Adrenaline. The black van was moving towards the end of town.
Buck was checking over the firearms and surveillance equipment. “Feels weird not to have the kid here jumping all over the place and messing everything up doesn’t it?
Josiah put a comforting hand on Buck’s shoulder. “He’s fine Buck”
“Yeah I know, just been suck a long time since I’ve seen him,” Buck said truthfully.
“Probably grew a beard and has five kids by now,” Vin joked dodging an old McDonald’s cup that had come flying his way.
“Ezra you’ve been awfully quiet tonight,” Nathan said
“Perhaps it because the only intellectual one who dares converse with me on substantial matters is not among us at the current moment,”
“Sidney ain’t here to talk with him. Enjoy the piece and quiet while we still can boys. Ezra’s yap ain’t going to stay still very much longer.”
“Neither will my fists Mr. Tanner,” Ezra answered calmly. Chris had to smile. Even during the most tense and nerve-wreaking times. None of them could stay completely serious very long. Chris’s cell-phone started to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket.
“This better be important, I’m in the middle of something here,” He growled.
“Nobody can say our illustrious leader isn’t cordial,” Ezra chuckled, but he shot his mouth when he saw the look on Chris’s face.
“I believe this well worth your time, Agent Larabee It involves two of your young agents,”
“Who the hell is this?” Chris asked surprised.
“This is Martin Gomaz sir, I must say it is quite a pleasure to talk to one of the most famous federal agents on this side of the Mississippi. That is what Agent Dunne said before he became unconscious.” Chris almost dropped the phone. He saw the questioning look on Vin’s face, but did not answer right away.
“Let them go now, and I promise that I will not kill you,” Chris’s voice became low and menacing.
“I do not believe you are in the position to be threatening me Agent Larabee, but I can not abide by your wishes even if I had wanted too. You see I am on my way to a place where I will never be able to be found. Since my plan was destroyed, I was forced to come up with another idea for my anthrax supply. I am under the impression that you know how dangerous anthrax can be when it becomes airborne. Well a bomb has been placed somewhere in the warehouse where the anthrax is located. The bomb is set to go off ten minutes from now. Your agents are also hidden somewhere in the building. The anthrax and the people inside will be in trouble in ten minutes. If you wish to change this course of action, I suggest you hurry. You are in for a very dangerous game of hide and seek Mr. Larabee.”
Chris did not get a chance to respond. The line had gone dead. Chris threw the phone against the front window.
“Chris?” Buck prompted The expression on his face reflected what the rest of the team was feeling. Just by hearing on end of the conversation. Sidney and JD were in a lot of trouble.
Chris seemed to have gained control of himself. The van started to seed down the street. Vin saw the speedometer moving faster and faster up the screen.
“Gomaz is escaping right now,” Chris started to say, “There is a bomb in the warehouse that is set to go off in ten minutes. If that anthrax gets airborne…” Chris didn’t finish the sentence.
“And JD and Sidney?” Josiah asked, knowing he wasn’t going to like the answer.
“Are somewhere inside the building.” Chris said quietly not taking his eyes off the road.
Ezra’s cell phone was out in a split second.
“Hello. Director Norris? This is Agent Standish from the ATF. Do you remember the anthrax that we told you about a few weeks ago? Oh yes, I forgot that you never called me back. Well I regret to inform you that Gomaz is currently escaping and there is a bomb set to go off in a matter of minutes that will send almost ten pounds of the substance into the air…No, the last thought on our mind is catching Gomaz,” Ezra’s voice grew cold and hard. “Two of our agents are trapped inside the building. Our main priority will be to get them out. I suggest you get some of your agents down here to get the anthrax before it is released into the air Wouldn’t want this to blow up in you face would you. I took the honor of placing your name as the senior advisor of this set-up.” Ezra hung up the phone He had would have enjoyed the chance to provoke Norris , if the situation hadn’t been so serious..
The van came to a screeching stop along side the front door of the warehouse.
“We got six minutes gentleman,” Chris turned around. “Get in there and find them!” He reached out for the flashlight and the walkie-talkie that Buck was holding out to him and jumped out of the van and sprinted towards the building.
None of them needed to be told twice. They grabbed their own flashlights and followed Chris to the door.
“Shit,” Chris kicked the door hard when he saw the padlock. “Stand back,” He said to the others as he pulled out his gun. The padlock split in half from the impact of the bullet. Chris kicked the door open and ran inside. He stopped dead in his tracks.
“Oh God,” Buck whispered when he saw the labyrinth of rooms. Nobody waited before heading out to search the rooms. Precious time was ticking away by the second.
+ + + + + + +
JD could hear voices. They hurt his head and he tried to slip back into the comfortable darkness. But the noise was unbearable. He tried to stretch out his body to turn around, but found that it was impossible. He couldn’t move an inch. His body was rolled up in a ball. He was stuck in some kind of box. He forced his groggy eyes open. IT didn’t make much difference JD couldn’t see his hand in front of his face. Not that he could have moved his arm if he had wanted too.
“JD!”
The voices were a lot clearer now. He tried to respond. But only a croak came out of his dry throat. The voice calling his name didn’t stop. Suddenly the past events came rushing back to his mind The only thing JD could do was squirm. The box began to roll and it crashed on its other side. The voice stopped calling his name.
“What the hell?’” Buck asked “Nathan did you see that?” The two men rushed over to the overturned box. Buck kneeled down beside the box.
“JD is that you?” Buck asked.
“Buck?” The voice inside croaked back.
Both Buck and Nathan breathed a sigh of relief.
“JD you alright?” Nathan asked.
“Buck there’s a bomb set to go off in a couple of minutes! You have to get Sidney and these boxes of anthrax out of here!”
Buck was looking around for something to open the box with, but was finding nothing.
“JD do you know where Sidney is?” Nathan asked.
“I saw one of Gomaz’s men dropping her into one of the old crates. They put something over her mouth that knocked her out cold”
Buck and Nathan looked at the all the boxes around them. Nathan pulled out his walkie-talkie.
“Chris, We need you down here pronto! JD says Sidney is trapped in one of the old anthrax crates! We got three minutes to find her.”
“We’re on our way Nathan,” Chris’s voice echoed through the metal box.
Within a couple of seconds, the whole team was once again together. They were desperately searching throughout the crates for their missing friend. They knew Sidney wasn’t going to respond. So they were knocking over the boxes hoping one of them would be abnormally heavy.
Vin spotted one in the corner and tried to kick it over. It wouldn’t budge.
“Guys, I found her!” He called. Chris rushed over and the two men lifted up the heavy crate.
“Let’s get out of here!” Chris called. Buck and Ezra lifted JD up and they rushed out of the broken door.
“What about the anthrax?” Vin asked Chris.
“Leave it, we don’t have time!” Chris yelled.
The men didn’t stop running till they were a safe distance away from the warehouse.
“Damn FBI never showed up,” Ezra sighed.
“That’s not our fault Ez, We told them our main priority was to find JD and Sidney. The rest of this is their fault.” Vin said placing his arm around Ezra’s shoulder. “The only thing we can do is pray that there isn’t enough to cause a huge effect.”
Chris had just pried open JD’s box with a crowbar from the van. JD was still pretty doped up. Buck had to practically drag him out. Chris moved on to Sidney’s crate. He quickly pried open the top, praying that she was okay. They were all in for a shock when the top was pulled off.
“Oh my God,” Josiah whispered. Chris turned pale. Instead of an unconscious girl, there were test tubes full of white powder.
“Oh shit,” Vin gasped. “We have to go back in there!” Chris reached out to grab him from rushing back to the building, but there was no need. There was a loud “BANG!” and the building burst into flame. All anyone could do was watch in horror as the flames engulfed the entire structure.
Vin collapsed on the ground with his hands over his face. “How could I have been so stupid?” He moaned. Nobody answered him. They simply stared at the building as it started to bend from the heat. They all were in a state of shock.
“Wow, that’s some fire,” a voice behind them said appreciably. Vin stopped dead in his tracks, the voice striking a very familiar cord in his memory. He turned around to see Sidney standing behind them. She looked absolutely exhausted and her knuckles were bleeding badly. .
“You guys look like you’ve just seen a ghost,” She laughed weekly.
Buck looked at Sidney, then at the building, then at Sidney again.
“JD, are you alright?” She asked seeing her friend leaning his head on Buck’s lap.
“Yeah I’ll be fine. How did you manage to get out of there? I saw them put in that crate!’ He exclaimed.
Sidney sighed. “I need to sit down first, before I pass out.” Ezra grabbed onto her shoulder and guided her down to the ground. Josiah made a quick call the fire department.
“I never got the full blast of the chloroform like you did JD. I learned how to circular breath through my nose when I used to play the trumpet. I never inhaled enough fumes to knock me out. The whole passing out thing was just an act. How did I get out of the crate? I owe that one to Lady luck. Borders forgot to screw down the last corner of the box. It took me a while to pry open the top. Otherwise I never would have been able to open it up. She smiled. Knowing that I would never be able to find you in time,” She nodded to JD, “And no way to contact you,” She added looking at Chris, “I went and tried to look for the bomb.” She stopped and looked at the building.
“I guess I wasn’t very successful, and now there’s no way to tell what’s going to happen as the anthrax gets in the air.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about that,” Nathan smiled. “Vin took care of that problem.” He pointed to the open crate. Sidney glanced inside and gasped.
“How did you manage to find it?” She asked.
“Well,” Vin answered sheepishly. “I kind of thought it was you.” Sidney started to laugh and soon everyone else joined it.
“I guess this turned out okay didn’t it,” Buck chuckled “Nobody got hurt and the anthraxis safely in our custody. Only problem is that SOB got away.”
“Buck, I put that microchip behind Gomaz’s license plate.” JD said. Buck was one his feet in a second. He ran to the back of the van and opened up a laptop.
“I got him! He’s on his way to the airport. We can still catch him.”
Chris started to make orders. “Buck, you and Nathan come with me. We’re going after him. Ezra, you and Vin will wait here. I am sure that the FBI will be here shortly. I don’t think I could look at any of them without punching them in the face right now. Josiah?”
“I’ll take the young ones home and put them to bed.” He laughed at the two agents sitting on the ground. They both looked like they could fall asleep right there.. Chris sighed when JD opened his mouth expecting a protest. He was surprised when JD asked,
“Do we get a bedtime story too?’
Chris chuckled as he hopped into the driver’s seat.
“Hey Buck,” Sidney called.
“Yeah,” Buck called out the open window.
“Get a punch in for me okay?”
“I’ll get two!” Buck laughed as the van pulled away.
+ + + + + + +
The black van was on its way home. Gomaz was safely in the custody of the Denver police.
“I swear that girl is going to give us a heart attack.” Nathan sighed. “How many times have we almost lost her ?”
“You know I think she does it on purpose. She could get away with murder in any of our eyes.” Buck answered.
“Hey Buck, you know what JD called me?” Chris asked.
“What?”
“The greatest agent on this side of the Mississippi.”
“Well that’s because he was half delirious Pard Everyone knows that I’m the greatest agent on this side and the next side of the Mississippi.”
“Well we’ll just have to ask him when he wakes up won’t we?” Chris challenged. Nathan just rolled his eyes. Glad the day was over and nobody had received any serious injury. But he knew the peace wouldn’t last long. It was only a matter of time before Team Seven plunged into the face of danger once again.
END
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