#12 - "Infatuation"

"Jessica? Come on, it's time to get up. Jessica!"

Did you ever have someone screaming at you to get out of bed? I'm sure we all have. At times like these, you grab a pillow and place it over your head to block out the unwanted sounds or hit the snooze button. Unfortunately with Jaime badgering me inside my head, there was no way I could ignore her.

"Just five more minutes," I groggily mumbled.

"That's what you said twenty minutes ago! Jess, you have to get up now or you will be late! There is no more time to waste!"

"All right, all right," I grumbled back. Given my present state, I couldn't be sure if I thought that or said it aloud. Didn't matter as Jaime continued to chatter away, trying to get me up.

As the Scarlet Sabre I've become accustomed to keeping odd hours and sleeping whenever I could. It wasn't a problem, as I didn't have regular hours to keep when I was just a plain old scientist here at CII. That, like much of my life, had changed with the new job. I now had regular hours to keep. Boy, did that suck!

The final straw was when she started blast loud rock music directly into my head. Van Halen I think it was, but couldn't be sure given my current mental state. After being subjected to that, I flung the covers off and reluctantly rose to meet the day.

"Okay, okay, I'm awake! Enough of the concert!" I mean, sheesh! I like music well enough, but not under these circumstances! "That was a very nasty thing to do!"

"Hey, it got you up didn't it?", was Jaime's thoughts on the matter. I couldn't tell for sure, but I had the feeling that she was giggling at me. "You've got enough time for a quick shower, and fast breakfast. No time to waste! Move it!"

"Yes, mother," I grumbled in response. After grabbing clean underclothes, I stumbled into the bathroom. A nice shower should perk me up considerably.

The showering water helped accelerate the waking up process. At least I was more coherent at any rate. I washed as quickly as I could, but my mind couldn't help but wander back to the night before. Back to the source of why I was having such a rough time this morning.

The date with Kyle Sherwood last night had gone off splendidly. Perhaps a bit too well. We had a fancy dinner before sharing a few drinks and dancing close. His charming manner and devilish good looks certainly played a part in my slow start this morning.

Okay, I'll admit it. I've got one whopper of a crush on the dashing Mr. Sherwood. I couldn't sleep last night as I was thinking about Kyle. The feeling of him holding me in his arms, the smell of his cologne, those enchanting eyes and mesmerizing smile. It had been a long time that I had that kind of reaction from a man. Was it any wonder that I couldn't sleep?

I would have remained in the shower daydreaming about Kyle if Jaime hadn't kept badgering me. Honestly, she is such a nag at times! It's just my luck that I have such an assertive inner voice. Because of her, punctuality is usually one of my virtues.

And so thanks to Jaime's prodding, I was out of the shower and dried off. I blow dried my hair and got dressed for the business world. A small breakfast, juice and some fruit, was consumed and I was off. Fortunately, my office wasn't that far a way. Just a short walk across the plant.

The clock struck 8:01 as I strolled into the Executive Loop. That's what they call the area where most of the CII Executives have their offices around here. I suppose I shouldn't complain. Only a minute late considering how little sleep I had gotten last night.

I casually made my way towards my office. I could see that Tom was already at his desk working as I approached. The door was open so I stepped inside. Tom noticed my entrance and looked up. He smiled upon seeing me.

"Good morning, Ms. Flynn," he said as he rose to his feet.

"Hi, Tom. And it's Jessica or Jess, not Ms. Flynn."

"I'm sorry, Jessica. I hope you were able to get some rest after yesterday's trying ordeal."

I laughed slightly at that comment. After the evening I spent with Kyle, what I did earlier in the day seemed almost irrelevant. Almost all but forgotten in my mind. Of course, I was used to such excitement as the Scarlet Sabre. It was really no big deal to me, but I suppose I should show some after effects from that experience. It would be normal to do so.

"No, I really didn't get much rest last night," I told Tom. That part was at least the truth. The exact source of my restlessness wasn't any of his business. "Hopefully today will be an easy one."

"I'll get you some coffee and then we can go over today's itinerary."

"Thanks, I need it."

While Tom went off to get coffee, I made my way into my office. It looked the same as the last time I was here. Strike that, it looked almost the same. There was a new addition that was not here when I left last night. On the corner of my desk on a corkboard pad was a vase filled with flowers.

A wide grin on my face, I approached the vase. It held a combination of cream and white roses with pink snapdragons and pink carnations. Their fragrance was lovely. There was a card pinned among the flowers. I grabbed the envelope and opened it. A card tumbled out.

"Do I get three guess who those are from?", Jaime sent me. "And the first two don't count."

"Shush you," I told her back.

"Thank you for a most enjoyable evening, Kyle", the card read.

"So much for my guess," Jaime taunted. "I figured it was our pal Fuergy." This was one of those times I couldn't tell if Jaime was serious or if she was joking. I sincerely hoped that she was joking.

"How sweet," I whispered, ignoring the voice in my head. "He's quite the guy, huh?"

"Who would that be, Jessica?" I turned in surprise to find Tom advancing towards me, a steaming hot cup of coffee in his hand. Obviously, I must have been talking out loud again instead of thinking to myself. Bad habit of mine. Most just chalked it up as one of my eccentricities. We brilliant scientists are supposed to have them after all.

"That would be Kyle," I told Tom as I accepted the coffee and took a sip. "We went out to dinner last night."

"Oh, I see." Well, it was easy to tell that Tom was not as enthusiastic about Kyle as I was. Not that it was any big surprise or earthshaking revelation. "Today's itinerary is rather light. Ms. Campbell has you down for a 9:30 appointment. The trip to Tyler Labs was rescheduled to this afternoon. There is also some news from LawTech. They apparently had some excitement last night. It's all in these reports."

"Thanks," I said accepting the folders. "I'll check it out right away."

"I'll be outside if you need me," Tom said as he started to depart. I nodded my understanding and he closed the door behind him.

I set the reports on the desk with the intention of looking at them right way. Instead, I smelled the flowers again and re-arranged them slightly. I actually was humming a happy tune as I played with the flowers. They were a perfect touch on Kyle's part. I had to admit that he was a smooth operator. He had made me feel special all night and that feeling was continuing on for today.

Maybe I'll just enjoy my coffee and the flowers before trying to do any serious work. As the saying goes, sometimes it's good to be the boss. I wasn't going to get any work done at this rate. Not that it really mattered to me. Mr. Sherwood continued to dominate my thoughts.

"Not too infatuated with him, are we?" Jaime teased.

"No, not at all," I teased right back. "It's something special when you met a guy and everything just seems to click. There's something almost magical about it. It's something hard to put into words. It just feels wonderful."

"You know I'm happy for you, Jess, but we do have work that needs to be done. After all, that is why you're getting paid. You can daydream about Kyle later on."

"Oh, I suppose," I grumbled. "Spoilsport."

Having finished up with the flowers, I picked my coffee up and took a seat behind my desk. I took another drink before setting the cup down. The inflow of caffeine certainly didn't hurt.

"Now, the first order of business...", Jaime started to send me before I interrupted her.

"I think I'll call Kyle and thank him for the flowers."

"Jess!"

"Relax. This'll take just a minute. What's his extension number?"

Jaime provided the requested information and I punched the number in on the phone. The phone rang twice before his secretary answered and I asked for her boss. Kyle picked up a moment later.

"Kyle Sherwood here. How can I help you?", his smooth voice said over the phone.

"Hello Kyle. I just wanted to thank you for the flowers. They're lovely."

"Jessica! How delightful to hear from you. I'm glad that you like the flowers. I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed last night."

"And here, I didn't get you anything," I teased. "Do you think you'll find it your heart to let me made it up to you?"

Kyle chuckled slightly in response. "As I stated last night, I do so enjoy the art of the deal. I am sure we can negotiate an arrangement to our mutual benefit and satisfaction. What are you prepared to offer?"

That Kyle and his wheeling and dealing. He was almost making this sound like a business deal! I suppose in a sense it was. After all, the principal was the same, just what was at stake was different. Millions of dollars and a corporation's fate were not riding on this deal. Just two people with a mutual attraction.

"Well, Mr. Sherwood, it seems to me that I should arrange tonight's festivities since you handled last evening's merriment so splendidly. Perhaps we can get together after work for some cocktails and supper. After that, we'll see where the evening takes us."

"A most tantalizing proposal, Ms. Flynn. A proposal that I will have to take under serious advisement. I'm going to be out of the office most of the day. Where would you like to meet?"

"Other than a trip out to Tyler Labs this afternoon, I'll be in the office all day," I stated. "We could just meet somewhere?"

"Tell you what, Jessica. I'll pick you up at Tyler Labs this afternoon. A gentleman never lets a lady arrange her own transportation."

"I like the way you think," I told Kyle back, a smile on my face. "I'll see you this afternoon then."

"I'll be counting the minutes. See you later, Jessica."

"'Bye", I said before hanging up. I leaned back in my chair and sighed. I would imagine that there was a very dreamy look on my face. Kyle wasn't the only one who would be counting the minutes! Not to mentioned the seconds. Boy, was this day going to drag!

"Well, if we actually did some work time would go by faster," Jaime sent me after a very long pause.

"I suppose you're right, Jaime. It's just difficult sometimes to put very strong feelings and emotions aside. When you think you're in love with someone it's a very special time. Almost nothing else matters. All you can think about is that one person that you've fallen for."

"I've said it before and I'll say it again: you're not too infatuated with him, are you? We do have some things to go over before your meeting with Sheryl."

"That's right," I agreed. "Let's get down to business here. Hey, how come you didn't tell me about having a meeting with Sheryl?"

"Given the state you were in this morning, I didn't see any point. You wouldn't have remembered anyway. And it gave Tom something to do."

I couldn't fault her logic on that point. I've been very distracted all day thus far. Obviously, the fine art of business was not weighting very heavily on my mind! Some Director of Operations I'm turning out to be.

"So what else didn't you tell me about?"

"What happened at LawTech last night," Jaime promptly answered and then didn't say anything else. Looks like I was going to have to do the twenty questions bit here. I do it to other people so I suppose I shouldn't complain too loudly when it gets done to me.

"Okay, I'll bite. What happened at LawTech?"

"A squad of Kilbots raided the factory late last night. The full details are in the folders that Tom gave you."

Oh, say right. I had completely forgotten about the folders between the flowers and Kyle. I grabbed the top folder and started to page through it.

"Are you going to make me do this the hard way or would you care to summarize for me?", I sent Jaime.

"Sure I can summarize for you, Jess. Provided I've got your full and undivided attention."

"I'll give it a whirl," I teased. "So what happened with these Kilbots at LawTech last night?"

"A squad of five Kilbots attempted to raid the supply warehouse at LawTech. Shockwave and her assistant Mockingbird were both on hand testing out the security system when the Kilbots were spotted. Also on the premises were Heroes for Hire. They were able to destroy all the invaders between them." Editor's Note: See X-Factor #18-19 for the full details.)

"I guess Tom was right, there was some excitement at LawTech last night," I said to Jaime as I continued to flip through the folder.

LawTech was short for Lawrence Technologies, a robotics manufacturer on the West Coast. Recently CII had entered into a silent partnership with LawTech to help stave off a take-over bid from Kord Industries. Kord was the conglomerate that was widely believed to be a front for Iron Maiden. She'd locate and secure new technologies that would in turn be passed on to Dr. Destroyer!

The last time I was out in LA, I looked into the situation at LawTech and helped Shockwave get hired there. We even sent them a security upgrade to help them out against potential raids. Using Heroes for Hire as a stopgap measure was Shockwave's idea. Not surprising as she used to work for Heroes for Hire. From my understanding it was a West Coast version of the Wild Cards, only not as classy. Mockingbird was hired after I had left. I wasn't sure who she even was.

I had thought my involvement at LawTech to be finished after my trip, but when I became a Director of Operations I had the partnership with LawTech dropped into my lap. I guess I was going to have to make a trip out there one of these days and check up on things in person. (Editor's Note: Scarlet helped LawTech in Scarlet Sabre #1-2.)

By the time I had digested all the information in the files, it was time for me to get moving to keep Sheryl's appointment. I stepped out of my office and closed the door behind me. Tom looked up as soon as he was aware of my presence.

"I'm off to see the boss", I told Tom.

"Very good. I'll hold down the fort."

"Oh, I'm going to want to talk to a Sara Redmond out at LawTech later on this morning. Let's give those West Coast folks a chance to rise and shine first."

"I'll get a conference call set up for later this morning."

"Thanks, Tom."

"One more thing, Jessica," Tom called out. I had started to walk away, but now turned back towards him. "The rest of your office supplies arrived after you left yesterday afternoon. Among them your business cards and company cell phone. I didn't want you to forget it. Just in case someone wants to reach you directly."

"Thanks."

I accepted the phone and slipped it into my jacket pocket. I took a quick look at the business cards before setting them back on the desk. I'll deal with those later. I've really got to get an attaché case one of these days. Give me something to carry stuff around in. Something that'll help me fit in better around here.

"Consider it done," Jaime sent me. In the back of my mind I could see her tracking down and ordering an attaché on the Internet. With express delivery, I'd have it first thing in the morning. I just wish that all tasks could be handled that efficiently and quickly!

The office of Sheryl Campbell was another short walk away. Her personal secretary, Abigail Carson, told me to go on in as Sheryl was expecting me. Sheryl had her own little private area away from everyone else in the executive loop. As owner and CEO, Sheryl certainly could do what she pleased in this aspect.

Not surprisingly, Sheryl's office was nearly three times as large and much grander than mine. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. If, as Kyle suggested, money is the yardstick of personal success, then the size of one's office was that for an executive. Sheryl was very successful and had the office to back it up.

"Jessica!", Sheryl said upon seeing me enter. "How are you this morning?" Sheryl gestured towards one of the chairs across from her desk.

"Dragging a bit," I admitted. "I had a long, but interesting day yesterday."

"Yes, the incident at the press conference made all the news reports. This Fuergeson accidentally generated a massive amount of PR for the new computer system. Although, I doubt that was his intent."

"Kyle said something to that effect as well yesterday."

"I see you've met our eager Mr. Sherwood," Sheryl noted. I wasn't quite sure if she was being sincere or sarcastic.

"Yes I have. In fact, we went out on a date last night. Charming guy."

If Sheryl was surprised, she didn't show it. She simply nodded her head in understanding. "That he is, from what I heard. Mainly I just wanted to see how you were doing after your harrowing day. Obviously, my concerns were unfounded."

"I've gone through much worse than yesterday," I laughed. Sadly, this was the truth. Some of the stuff I've lived through as the Scarlet Sabre would make your hair stand on end. "It'll just take me a while to fit into this new role."

"That's understandable. I'm going to give you a few weeks to deal with those projects currently under your control and come up to speed on company business. Afterwards, there are a few other assignments that I'm going to hand off to you. I'd rather not say any more right now as some are still being negotiated."

"Of course, no need to get ahead of yourself," I agreed.

"Regardless, I am pleased that Fuergeson failed in his attempt to kidnap you. You might want to be extra cautious until that madman can be captured."

"Don't worry, Sheryl. I'll be careful. I always am."

"Good," Sheryl said with a smile. "You're very important to me as a friend and now an executive. I don't want to see anything happen to you."

"I don't want to see anything bad happen to me either." On that matter, we were in complete agreement!

"Sara! Good to see you again," I said to the image on the monitor. My meeting with Sheryl over, it was back to the office to put in some more work. Well, at least attempt to do work as Kyle continued to dominate my thoughts and emotions. True to his word, Tom had set up a video conference with Sara Redmond. It was right before lunch, my time.

"Hi, Jessica," the woman on the monitor said back. Sara Redmond had blonde hair and green eyes. She was one of those women who were just naturally attractive. However, that was one aspect of herself that Sara really didn't play up. In actuality, Sara was the armored heroine Shockwave. "This is quite a surprise."

"Not entirely," I explained. From there I launched into my explanation on how I was promoted up into CII management and that the partnership with LawTech was now part of my responsibility. "So as you can see, you'll be dealing with me a great deal in the future."

"Then congratulations are in order. Would your call have something to do with the Kilbot raid last night?"

"Yes. I wanted a first-hand account on how things were on your end. Was there any damage to the plant? Were any projects set back?"

"Not really," Sara answered. "Damage to the facility was minimal. The robots never even reached any sensitive areas. All in all, we got off very lucky."

"That's great. How did the security system upgrade perform for you?"

From there, Sara explained what happened in greater detail. Turns out that they were testing a Monitor Drone when the Kilbots were spotted. The rest of the system was still down, so it had played no role in the conflict. At least now it would fully be in place and could be pivotal should any new attacks arise.

After getting the necessary stuff out of the way, we chatted about what was new for a little bit. Obviously, there were things neither one of us were going to say over an open channel in regards to our other identities. Simply a sensible precaution, after all, you never knew who might be listening.

Sara told me about her new assistant: Lisa Horton. Not a name that I had heard of before. In fact, it was one that Jaime had trouble locating. Not that it was that uncommon of a name; we just couldn't find a Lisa Horton that had the same aeronautics and electrical skills as this one did. Obviously, this Lisa Horton was the Mockingbird who been assisting Shockwave. It was also evident that the name was most likely an alias.

While doing the search Jaime came across a very 'out there' fact. Back in 1951 there was a song called "Mockin' Bird Hill" written by a Vaughn Horton. We couldn't help but wonder if there was some sort of connection or just one of those amazing coincidences. Maybe this Vaughn Horton was a relation.

Another possible explanation was that this Lisa Horton had simply fallen through the cracks in the databases we searched. It would not be the first time. For instance, she could have changed her name via marriage or simply on her own or it was an omission. Not finding a Lisa Horton was not that great of a concern. Especially among those who wear skintights.

All in all, it sounded like things were going great for Sara right now. I was very happy for her. I was definitely going to have to take a trip out to LA to check up on things first hand and to renew friendships. I was also going to have to bone up on all the LawTech projects beforehand as well. Not a problem with Jaime around.

After finishing up with Shockwave, it was off to lunch. Today, I simply went back to my apartment to relax for a little while. A nice refreshing nap helped make me feel a bit less groggy then I had been. Too bad I had to get up and go as I probably could have spent a couple of hours sleeping. Oh well! That's what happens when you've got a built in alarm clock.

Once lunchtime was over it was back to the office. Tom signed out a company car and we were off to Tyler Labs. The trip would pass very slowly from my perspective. I'm used to just flying out to Tyler Labs and thus taking a very direct route unlike a roundabout car trip. Not to mention traveling at the much faster velocity.

The trip gave me the opportunity to talk more with Tom. His story was pretty ordinary. There was no great mystery on how he ended up as my assistant. He was simply the first name on the list for new assistants or replacements. Luck of the draw on my part, so to speak. Still, he was a pleasant enough of a fellow so that trip didn't drag. Were I not his boss and if Kyle hadn't entered the picture, I wouldn't mind getting to know Tom socially.

"I can't say that I've heard much about this 'Tyler Labs' before," Tom admitted. "Other than the trouble they had last week. Have you dealt with them much before?"

"Frequently. Tyler Labs is one of the unofficial research and development wings for the company. They were originally a privately owned business that went bankrupt. Ms. Campbell purchased the company a few years back and they've been doing R&D for us ever since."

"I see," Tom nodded. "Perhaps that's why I hadn't heard much about them. They're usually in at the beginning of projects, but not the end."

"Something like that."

There was a great deal more I could have said about Tyler Labs, but I didn't want to demonstrate too much insider knowledge. TL also dabbled in making equipment for heroes, such as Muskateer's flying scooter and Hunter's, now Huntress', gadgets. I had spent much time there in both of my identities, although in very different parts of the complex. As Scarlet I was mostly in the vehicle hanger while Jessica was known around the computer lab.

This was the place that actually spawned my current hemorrhoid: the so-called Fuergeson the Great. Once he had been one of the research scientists, but was something of a maverick. He preferred to work on his own nutty side projects as opposed to the work assigned to him. One day one of these projects literally blew up in his face.

Fuergy dropped out of sight after that and remained hidden for years. Unfortunately, he crawled out from under his rock last week and very nearly destroyed TL with his Terrible Tank. He also tried to crash a cargo plane into the building with Muskateer and I still on board! The madman actually considered himself to be the 'Emperor of Technology' and seemed determined to make Jessica Flynn his Empress! He had made two attempts to kidnap me, first right out of my own apartment with a horde of robots and then later at the HE press conference.

Unfortunately, the toad was still out there somewhere. No doubt figuring out some new scheme to make me his wife. Not that such a thing would ever happen! Not without having a gun pointed at me, at any rate! He was not cute and cuddly like Kyle was.

Well, that took care of me for the rest of the trip. Once Kyle's name came up, I started to think back upon our date together. Think about his debonair manner and charming smile. Just a few more hours before I'd see him again!

Eventually, Tom pulled the car through the front gate and into the Tyler Labs parking lot. Tyler Labs actually consisted of three buildings and vast open grounds. There was a small runway, a racing track, and even a large pond for testing submersibles. The building adjacent to the parking lot held the main offices and was the one Fuergy shot up with this tank.

The sight that greeted us was unlike one that I had ever seen out here before. The parking lot was filled with vehicles and construction trailers. Numerous workmen were plying their trade in an effort to repair the facility. The damage was going to take less than two weeks to repair.

The work appeared to be coming along nicely. The rubble and debris from the attack had been picked up and removed. Holes were being patched and repaired. Broken windows had been removed and new ones installed. The whole front of the Tyler Labs complex was a whirlwind of activity.

Fortunately, none the other buildings had suffered any damage during the attack. A nearby building held the research and development labs where the actual work was done. The vehicle hanger was the largest building and as one might expect, it was here vehicles of all types were constructed and tested. It sat further back on the property, well behind the main office building.

Tom found an open spot and the car was parked. We stepped out and began our tour of the facility. Since Tom was unfamiliar with the place, I took the lead. First I headed into the reception area of the main building. Might as well announce my presence.

A strange thought crept into my mind as after I finished speaking to the receptionist. You always hear stories about places being nervous when someone farther up the corporate chain comes for a visit. I couldn't help but wonder if they were nervous about little ol' me stopping by! I never thought that I'd ever make anyone, outside of the odd criminal or three, nervous. Just another thing I would have to get used to.

The receptionist was Lydia Davidson. I had met her many times before during my previous visits. So, she was not intimidated by me, nor should she be. After all, she was way down the food chain here at Tyler Labs, so to speak. There are lots of other people for her to worry about than me.

About a minute later, Roma Asheland arrived. Roma was the Assistant Director for Tyler Labs. With the death of Director Shuttleworth, Roma was unofficially acting as the director. Unfortunately, one of my jobs during this visit was to inform Roma that she was going to remain Assistant Director. She was not going to be promoted to the Director position.

Now I have nothing against Roma personally. In fact, I barely know the woman at all. You see our investigation into the attack on Tyler Labs led us to the conclusion that Director Shuttleworth had been murdered. And not by anything that Fuergeson had done.

So, our theory was that Director Shuttleworth had been murdered and that the culprit was someone who worked at Tyler Labs! At this point it was impossible to know if this was a personal vendetta or if it was directed towards the Director's chair. Therefore, by promoting Roma I could be potentially putting her in danger. She could even be the killer for all that I knew.

To that end, I had offered the job to Muskateer, or rather to his secret identity Steven Harper. He had enough scientific know-how to understand most of the projects going on here at TL. Plus, given what I knew of Muskateer, he would most likely get under the killer's skin and force him or her into another attempt. I was confident that Muskateer could defeat this killer and that would solve this particular mystery. I just hoped that he didn't get killed in the process!

Roma Asheland was an attractive woman, standing about 5'5" in height. Her most outstanding features were her short reddish blonde hair and green eyes. As I said before, I really didn't know much about the woman. We had been introduced before, but that was really the extent of our relationship.

Introductions were made and we were off on the grand tour of Tyler Labs. Granted, it probably wasn't really needed, but was necessary for appearances. Roma led the way and was very cordial. It wasn't like she was going to be rude to me. After all, I was effectively her boss.

Roma led the way on the tour, with Tom bringing up the rear. He was content to just observe what was going on and didn't add much to the conversation. Roma was a regular chatterbox about what was being done and what projects were being worked on. Information I already knew about, but at least I did get a different perspective on it.

The tour of the lab building and the vehicle hangers were particularly time consuming as I met many familiar faces. Each needed to be brought up to date on my own circumstances. I took my time speaking to people. I always liked the personal touch myself.

This was one of the points that Beth had brought up to me back when we were discussing whether I should take this job or not. The fact that I could relate to other scientists and researchers. After all, I had once been in their shoes. Some other exec without this background might have just as easily said hello and have been off. (Editor's Note: Jess' conversation with Beth took placed in Scarlet Sabre #6)

There were a few issues that were brought up and I promised to look into the situations. Issues that management hadn't thought of any great importance, but then again, no one else in management was a scientist either. A few of their points I could agree with. Others I would have to look into further. All in all, things were going to improve here at Tyler Labs.

After a time, I had the feeling that Roma was getting a little bit annoyed. Perhaps she felt that the tour was her time to shine in my eyes and here I was spending more time talking to the workers. Oh, well. She'd just have to get over it.

Several hours passed quickly during the tour. We ended up at Roma's private office to finish things up. The Director's office had been nearly destroyed during the attack. The roof had literally been blown off Director Shuttleworth's office. Tom was waiting for me down in the lobby.

"I trust you found everything in order, Ms. Flynn," Roma asked once we were situated.

"From what I've seen, it's business as usual at Tyler Labs," was my answer. "Everything seems to be running smoothly in spite of the remodeling."

"Moral is just starting to come back around. Director Shuttleworth's death came as quite a shock to many employees."

"To me as well. He was a good man."

"Naturally, many of us are wondering just what sort of changes are going to be implemented around here. After all, there's going to be a new director and we now have a new boss from the parent company as well."

Roma was trying to find out just what I was going to do with this place now that I was in charge. After all, I could make wholesale changes if I wanted to. Not that I had any reason to do so, but I suppose I could. I've always been of the philosophy that if it's not broke, don't fix it. No wonder Roma was trying to find out what I was going to do. Perhaps she thought she was going to get cut loose.

"For the present, I don't plan to do much in the way of changes. Tyler Labs is running smoothly enough for my tastes, so no real reasons to clean house. I have a candidate for the Director's Chair in mind. I'm just waiting on his answer right now."

"I see," Roma replied, a bit crestfallen. I could have sworn that the room temperature dropped a few degrees. "I had been hoping..."

"I do think that you'll make a very fine director," I interrupted. Might as well nip this in the bud and get this unpleasantness over with. "However, not at the present. The situation can change if my first choice declines the offer. I can't tell you any more at the present."

I chatted a little bit more with Roma before departing. Time had simply flown since I arrived here. I hadn't even thought about Kyle for hours now. That's probably why I was so surprised to find him and Tom waiting for me in the lobby.

"Kyle!", I called out, a big smile on my face. "You made it." My walk picked up its pace considerably and I reached the men. Kyle greeted me with a hug and peck on the cheek.

"But of course, Jessica," Kyle responded. "I always keep my appointments when it involves a lovely lady."

"Charmer," I teased. "Tom, you can call it a day. Kyle and I have plans for this evening. Thanks for everything."

"As you wish, Jessica. Have a good night."

We said our good-byes and Tom was off. I noticed him leave, but really didn't pay much attention to him if you know what I mean. My focus was entirely locked in on the delectable Mr. Sherwood. He offered me his arm.

"Shall we leave the business world behind for the evening?"

I put my arm in his and followed his lead towards the exit. "By all means. Let's have some fun!"

And that was that. Kyle had his RX-7 waiting in the parking lot. He helped me inside before joining me. The sportscar was put into gear and we were off. Kyle moved the car out into traffic and we were heading back towards Manhattan.

We were riding along chatting when there was a loud thud on the roof of Kyle's car! We both looked at each other in mild shock. It sounded like something hit the car!

"What was that?" I wondered in astonishment.

More thuds followed and I could make out something small and metallic flying around outside the car! They looked just like the robots that Fuergeson had used to attack CII with a few nights back! The robots latched on to the car and held on tight.

"This is not good," I muttered. I really couldn't say more without giving things away. Looks like that nutball Fuergeson was making another attempt to kidnap me! The way this was setting up he might very well succeed.

"What are these things?", Kyle cried out. "What are they doing to my car!?"

To his credit, Kyle tried to shake them off by swerving at high speeds but the robots remained locked on tight. Unexpectedly, the robots lifted the car off the road and started to fly away with it! I tried to open the door and leap to safety before it was too late, only to find the door clamped shut because of the robot outside.

Looks like Kyle and I were going for a ride. Just not the kind either one of us were expecting! Fuergeson was really starting to tick me off.

There was the sound of metal being ripped and a hole was being made in the roof of the car. A robotic tentacle snaked inside the car. A second later, gas began to issue out of the limb!

"Don't breath it," I warned Kyle, but it was too late. His eyes rolled up and he fell unconscious on the steering wheel.

Eventually, I was forced to breath the gas in. I started to feel very sleepy almost immediately. My last thought as I started to succumb to the gas was that I was not going to be happy when I woke up!