Octagon Project 3: Zachary McHall

~-7-~

"Anything?" Roy asked as he stood near the coffee shop at the Portland airport entrance with a hot cup in his hand and his baseball cap low over his tired hazel eyes.

"Nothing." Everyone replied.

"It's quiet here with us too." Michael, the head of Division Eight spoke. "I honestly don't see why McHall is so sure they'd show up. He's got agents around the clock on every airport and toll booth in the Oregon state!"

"It doesn't make any sense to me either. And if it wouldn't put a million dollar bounty on my head, I'd have killed the dude already." Roy replied.

"That's a lot coming from an Octagon veteran. You've been here what, five years? That's the longest anyone's made it."

"Can we keep the com clear, please?" Kaylee hissed. Roy rolled his eyes and released a heavy sigh.

"I think I see her!" Someone from division eight whispered loudly, followed by the muffled shot of a tranquilizer gun with a silencer.

"Fuck! You almost shot me you idiot!" Kaylee about screamed.

"Oops." They apologized.

Mel and Zack walked through the airport with their worn suitcases trailing behind them. Zack kept up his sarcastically optimistic face while Mel was doing everything in her power from killing somebody just for looking at her with how exhausted she was. She didn't usually sleep, but falling asleep even for a half hour in a plane is like trying to commit suicide in front of Andrew McHall. And from Zack's experience, doesn't exactly fall out as planned.

"Zack..." Mel began quietly in a warning tone as they neared the entrance to the airport parking lot. "Zack." She said quietly through clenched teeth as she smacked his arm.

"For the last time we aren't being followed." Zack sighed quietly.

"No, but we might be." She grumbled. "Coffee stand, nine o'clock. I'd recognize that hat from anywhere."

"The dude with the green Ducks cap?"

"That's Roy..." Mel muttered. "He always wears that hat on intel missions."

"If he sees you staring, he will more than just know that it's you." Zack hissed. "Just act tired as we pass and you'll do fine." As if on cue, Mel unwillingly yawned as they neared the automatic glass doors. For extra measures, she rubbed one of her eyes, careful not to smear any make-up. Zack glanced over at her just as Roy looked their way. "I guess you really are tired." He commented, only to end up getting a glare in response. They stopped outside as they waited for cars to let them pass and Mel stretched her arms.

"Time to hotwire another car." She grumbled in a low voice.

"Roy? You alright?" Dean's voice asked in the coms as Roy stared at the backs of the two that just passed by. He shook his head and rubbed his face.

"Um, yeah. I just thought I saw Zack but it wasn't him."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah the dude had super short brown hair. And we all know that Zack loves his hair enough not to dye or cut it. Not even if he was forced to."

"Was the guy with anyone?"

"Yeah, it looked like his sister. Shorter, straight light brown hair like him with blonde tips and green eyes. Wait... green eyes..."

"Just check them out to be on the safe side." Dean suggested. Roy didn't have to be told twice. Quickly pickpocketing a badge off the waist of a security guard he passed, he was out the door in seconds.

"Excuse me," he began as he approached them. The guy looked over and Roy held up the badge for a brief moment, feeling dumbfounded as he gazed momentarily at the long bandage on the side of the man's face. "I'm sorry for the interruption but I'll just have to ask you guys a few quick questions." He glanced to his side into the airport where Kaylee, Dean, and few Division eight members stood by for backup just in case.