The Shadow Chasers

Chapter 4

Clover was at the far corner opposite the door, pointing to a small air conditioning vent near the ceiling.  The three screws that remained were unevenly flush to the vent cover.

"Whoa, good eye, Clover!" Alex said appreciatively. Clover smiled in return.

"Wow.  Can't believe you found something, but I doubt it's a lead. A person couldn't fit in there," Asahi noted.

Clover nodded, then activated her jetpack to the surprise of Asahi and Mitsuru. She floated to the vent and unscrewed one of the loose bolts by hand.

"Screwdriver, coming up," Sam announced.

She tossed up a metallic pink bracelet she'd fished out of her backpack, which Clover caught. Clover pressed a button and a small screwdriver popped out of a slot, which she used to get to work on the remaining screws.

"Found the other screw," Alex said holding it aloft. She'd spotted it behind a potted plant with her M-Rays. "You mentioned a person couldn't fit," she said to Asahi. "But we've dealt with pint-sized robots and people in the past-" she mused. He and Mitsuru once again shared a surprised look.

Before either could reply, they noticed Sam caught the screws Clover tossed down. She handed them over to Asahi, who put them in his coat pocket. Clover hovered back down with the vent cover, handed it to Alex, and flew back up to the shaft. She pressed a button on the Multi-Function Charm Bracelet to send a beam of light into the dark.

"Scratch marks in the shaft here," she informed the others.

"Same here," Alex said with interest, holding the vent cover so the others could see the inside face of it.  They looked closely at it and saw that a series of small slashes marred the metal cover.

"I'll get that," Sam said, holding out her X-Powder to press a button. A click signified a standard photo, followed by a purple light passing over it for a scan. She pressed another button, and a holographic image of Jerry, from the shoulders up, appeared on the upper half of the high-tech compact.  Asahi and Mitsuru looked at the older gentleman with curiosity.

"Hello Sam. How goes the mission?" he inquired cordially.

"We've got a lead, Jerry. Can you check out these marks on the inside of this air vent cover?" she asked, pressing a button to transfer the data to him.

"I'll have the lab get on it ASAP. And get you the results once we know. Ta ta," he said with a smile.

Alex set the vent cover alongside the wall under the opening, and Clover landed and deactivated her jetpack. "We know ventilation shafts from years of experience," Clover said, walking towards the exit. "Time to go to the roof," she said, sparing a glance over her shoulder before opening the door for everyone else.

Everyone made their way out of the room, through the station and out the front entrance, receiving a few stunned looks, thanks to their inexplicable outfit change.

The group of five stood to the side of the double doors, in front of a series of wall-sized windows, under the sturdy metallic overhang outside.

"Be right back," Alex said musically, as she, Sam, and Clover ignited their jetpacks and flew up to the roof. Mitsuru simply gazed after them before turning to Asahi.

"Their technology," Mitsuru said, with a hint of wonder.

"You're telling me. The police could really use gear like that," he replied.

Mitsuru nodded. Faint sounds of traffic and city life filled the air as she pulled out her white Kirijo smartphone to check for messages and make a call.