Natalie Diego and the Collegenappers

Chapter 21: Administrative Approval

            Bro. Bradley and Dr. Zaretsky listened carefully as Gary and Isaac sat down and began to explain.

            Gary shook Bro. Bradley’s hand. “First off sir, thank you for the honor of being in your presence. Natalie spoke often of her desire to emulate you in her conduct and behavior. You were, I guess you could say, her hero. As Natalie is one of my own heroes, speaking to you in person is truly an honor.”

            Bro. Bradley smiled somewhat awkwardly and nodded. “I’m blessed to hear I am helping someone.”

            Isaac leaned forward. “Now, what you have heard of Natalie from Sir Quincy is troubling to say the least.”

            Gary grimly agreed. “He even went so far as to mention the DT Cam.”

            Isaac started at that. “He did?”

            “He did.”

            “Sacré bleu!”

            “He mentioned them as one would mention Hitler or some other villain.”

            “No!”

            “…Which is something that I do not understand.” interrupted Dr. Zaretsky.

            The men looked at each other and smiled. “They don‘t know about the great DT Cam! Well, let‘s explain in passing.” Gary turned to Dr. Zaretsky. “The DT Cam was one of the greatest agent duos in all history.”

            “They were well known throughout the clandestine world as forces of good, and they were loyal to their agency, out of which stemmed the Org and Natalie. They defeated villainous scoundrels, and worked as a team, securing safety for all in their path.”

            “But why were they called the DT Cam?” Bro. Bradley wanted to know.

            Isaac smiled. “Their names were Danny and Trisha Cameron. DT Cam was a cool way of shortening their names and rolling them into one very special duo.”

            Dr. Zaretsky sat up at the mention of their names, and peered at the computer screen. “So it‘s true then.”

            “What?”

            “That Natalie is their daughter.” He pointed to the laptop. “Her file lists her parents as Daniel and Patricia Cameron, and her birth name was Natasha Patrice Cameron.”

            Isaac sat back. “Sacré bleu!”

            “Yes, that‘s true. I talked to her about it a few times. Her parents, unfortunately, were hated by those whose interests in villainy were large enough for DT Cam to interfere with. Those few villains got together, and when the duo was just finishing a mission in Bangladesh, the taxi they chose was their doom. They were blown up by the bomb in the trunk. Natalie was only six, and she did not know exactly what her parents did. Not long after this, perhaps half a year, Natalie was recruited into the new program her parents‘ agency was setting up. DT Cam had already given permission for her to join, so she told me, and she did well. She was recruited by a young agency man, then unknown, but today Ryan Colton is the Director of the Org, at the very top of the ranks. She unknowingly followed in her parents‘ footsteps, not knowing why her supervisor changed her name. She picked it out, but they required her to change it, as with other children they did not.”

            Bro. Bradley interrupted at the pause. “And what of her memory of her parents? When she heard of DT Cam, didn‘t she put two and two together?”