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“I won’t tell, Alex. You keep listening to Miss Gerta. Hide the device somewhere but leave it on so that we can hear them. We will only reach out if we think you’re alone or to warn you that we’re coming for you, okay?”
“Okay. Hey, mister?”
“Yeah, Alex,” smirked Sniff.
“I don’t think I wanna be smart anymore.”
“What?” said Sniff. “No. Being smart is the coolest thing in the world. I had to be smart to train the dogs to get to you. My friends who invented that communication device are really, really smart. In fact, I work with some of the smartest people in the whole world. We’re like one big happy family.”
“I don’t have a family,” said the little boy. Sniff could only see a small head with dark hair. No other features were visible.
“What about all the other kids and teachers with you? Aren’t they like your family?” asked Sniff.
“Sort of. I mean, I guess.”
“Listen to me, Alex. I promise you that once we get you out of there if you want to find a home with a mom and dad, we’ll find you a home. Whatever you need, we’ll find for you. Okay?”
“Promise.”
“I promise, buddy.” He heard the little boy shuffle away, then slowly crawled backwards through the tunnel. When he reappeared, the others stared at him.
“You okay, brother?” asked Matt.
“Yeah, man. I just wonder how those kids ended up in a kiddie think tank without parents. It feels strange to me, and I don’t like it.”
“Let’s send a message to the team back home and see if they can investigate further,” said Liffey. He was rubbing Zeus’s head, the dog’s tongue still hanging out from his hard labor.
“Okay, let’s head to the car wash,” said Sniff.
“The car wash?”
“How else do you think we’re going to wash these three? They love it, and it’s the fastest way to rub them down.”
Sniff wasn’t wrong. The dogs got so excited by the smell of the car wash they could barely contain themselves. Only using light pressure for the power washers, they scrubbed the dogs with the brushes, then gave them a shower. Back at the hotel, they fed them their steaks, rare. As they sprawled out on the floors, the men took their cue, showering themselves and settling in.
They could hear the kids waking and the teachers instructing them to wash their hands and use the facilities. A few minutes later, the guards showed up with milk and donuts. Not exactly a healthy breakfast, but at least they were feeding them. When they were gone, Sniff spoke.
“Alex? Alex, can you hear me?” he asked.
“Yes, sir. I signed to the other kids about the device this morning. They can hear you too. The teachers are talking to the guards outside.”
“Is this the GR4750?” asked a girl. “I’ve seen this device before, and it’s amazing. No one seems to be able to reverse engineer it.” The men all laughed, shaking their heads.
“It is,” said Sniff. “I’ll tell you all about it when we get you out of there.”
“Sir,” whispered the girl, obviously moving closer to the device. “If the enemy is within, I do not fear the enemy outside.” Sniff frowned, not saying anything at first.
“I understand. I’ve read that book as well,” he said calmly. “Did you figure it out in the end?”
“Not yet, sir. I’m still working on it.”
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“Marilisa, sir. I’m seventeen.”
“I’m Sniff, Marilisa. Keep us informed, but we’ll be listening.”
“What the hell did that mean?” frowned Matt.
