Magic World (working title): Chapter 11 part 3

The plane trip went much quicker than she had any right to expect. Getting on the plane was smooth, her credentials were accepted without question, the flight took off 10 minutes earlier than scheduled. Then because it was a private jet the flight to DC, which would have normally taken eight to nine hours, only took six and a half.

Then in an unprecedented streak of serendipity there was a FedEx plane leaving from the same airfield going to Indianapolis. The US Marshall's badge proved its worth by letting her claim to be a Sky Marshal. The flight took only a half-hour, and the FBI team heading to Terre Haute was loading into their SUV's and trucks as her taxi dropped her off in front of the offices on Klein Pkwy.

Actually, to someone who didn't know any better all that might have seemed like luck, but after several decades in the business, it was  more true to say that she simply knew where to look, and often knew about options that most people wouldn't realize. This combined with a sense of when and how to break the rules allowed her to pretty much get away with anything.

She asked for Special Agent Dylan Albertson, and was directed to 20 something ruggedly handsome bodybuilder, who had apparently solved his authority issues by becoming an authority figure himself. That, she admitted to herself, was a tactic she hadn't thought of. Even so as he stood there in his silk shirt, navy jacket, and grey striped tie, she felt and immediate dislike toward him. He had all the posture and body language of an overconfident micromanaging prick.

It was like when people say that a woman can tell whether she would sleep with a man withing 10 seconds of meeting him. She knew she would totally sleep with him, sure. But she still hated him.

"Agent Albertson," she greeted him with a polite smile, holding out her hand. "I'm Agent Albini. Leonard s-"

"It's 'Special Agent' actually," he said, not smiling, and not holding out his own hand. Instead he continued to walk past her.  "And yes, I know who you are. What I don't understand is why a CIA agent is feeling the need to stick her nose in a Federal Investigation on US soil. Aren't you a few thousand miles out of your jurisdiction Agent Albini?"

"First off, 'Special Agent' that information is classified. Second if you - EV-ER - shout about what agency I'm with again, I will have you arrested for treason, and waterboarded to within an inch of your life. For STAR-TERS," she said quietly so that only he could hear. "Thirdly, Leonard said you could help. And..." she dreaded having to say this next part. "... I'll... I'll owe you a favor." He started to smirk a little, so she corrected herself. "A PROFESSIONAL favor, dipshit. So come on, Leonard said you could pull this off, like you were a big shot. Are you really going to try to prove him wrong?"

Albertson's face had started turning more and more read as she spoke, then when she mentioned Leonard, he calmed visibly. She filed this information for later.

Then he smiled a little ruefully, and pointed to the van that was just pulling up.

The Mobile Lab van.... She had to play a lab geek.

"What?" she whined. "Are you serious?"

He smirked back at her, an evil little glint in his eye. "Didn't he tell you? It wasn't a very big favor."