Ace

Stage 9 - Ally?

The first members of the team were already sprinting to the second, further, cone.

"I can't say I blame you," Lucas said.

The boy running an extra lap finished and joined his teammates.

"To be honest, I didn't expect to come back either." He leaned back with a sigh. "But what can I do?" His lips twitched. "I was especially requested."

Brian didn't reply.

Lucas shot him a playful grin. "If you're worried about me, I'm pretty good at what I do."

"Being bait?" Brian raised his eyebrows.

Lucas pointed a finger at himself. "Carnivorous plant," he reminded with a wink.

A chuckle escaped Brian.

"Move your lazy bones!" coach's yell made the boys trying to catch their breath leap back into action.

"You said there were two attackers," Brian finally got to the point.

Lucas nodded, his injured hand itching at the memory.

"No one's said anything," the other agent revealed.

Lucas turned, eyebrows raised.

"There was nothing in the report this morning about more than one." Brian met his eyes.

"Auden was there," Lucas read the question. "He can verify."

If he's allowed to talk, Lucas noted. But they are keeping things from the operatives...interesting. Why?

"Why wouldn't they report that?" Brian spoke the question aloud.

Lucas leaned back, resting his arms on the bleachers behind him.

"Why would they need to hide it?" his roommate continued.

"They don't think you need to know, or..." Lucas watched the boys take a break from suicides. "They know a whole lot more about the situation that they don't want you to."

Brian scowled, yet his lack of argument showed he'd already considered the option.

"Whatever it is, they haven't shared with me either." Lucas swiped at a pesky fly.

"If they don't share everything, more people will die," the frustration was evident in Brian's voice. "Up to now we've been told it's one attacker. If there's more, that changes everything."

"You're telling me." Lucas lifted his injured hand so the band-aid was showing. "I almost got a hole in my head to go along with this." He dropped it. "Have you asked?"

Brian shook his head.

"Why not see what they say?"

The other agent chewed his bottom lip.

"Then again, if they've kept quiet till now, they'll most likely not budge." Lucas tapped a finger on the bleacher. "This is getting more complicated than it needs to be." With a sigh, he tipped his head back to stare at the sky above. "Why am I wasting my time here?" he murmured.

Null, I need to find Null, the person and more pressing matter flashed through his mind.

"Could you find out?"

Lucas turned to shoot Brian a questioning look.

"If they tell me when I ask, could you find out what's going on?" Brian asked.

Interesting. Lucas leaned forward, eyes on Brian. "I'm pretty sure that your people won't be pleased if I sneak around not doing what I'm meant to."