The Double Cult Cha-Cha: An Al Squires of the Protectorate Story (Book 1)

Ch. 9.3: Norah Gets Her Answers (More or Less)

When we got to the Chief's office, I turned to Norah, and said, "Wait here for a minute. You might want to brace yourself." She nodded.

I then unceremoniously barged in, slamming the door behind me, asking him, "Did you know?"

"You know," the Chief said with a sigh, "many of the more civilized parts of the Multiverse believe that a person should knock on the door before barging into a room." His words started to seethe when he added, "Especially when the room in question is your boss's office."

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said, my voice drenched in sarcasm. "Allow me to correct that." I then closed the door, knocked a few times, then barged into his once again, asking him "DID YOU KNOW, SIR?!"

"Did I know what?" He asked. "What are you doing here? You should be at the hospital with your assignment. Instead, your assignment is with you here of all places. Don't think that I didn't see in the doorway." Obviously, this was his way to make sure that I knew that our short conversation over comms officially didn't happen. Even though we were the only ones in his office at the time, which didn't mean that we were safe from prying eyes and ears.

"Don't bust a gear, Chief," I answered, playing along, "the hospital was compromised, so she's under protective custody and she signed an NDE. Did you know that my 'assignment' as you call her was going to be more than she was?"

"Where is she, then?" he asked, pretending that he doesn't know.

"She's outside your office, of course," I answered with a huff.

"In that case," the Chief said, "You should've brought her in with you. Otherwise, she'd be waiting a long time before you let her in."

"No, she wouldn't," I said to the Chief.

"Yes, she would," The Chief said. "Now, what are you on about?" he asked. "I read the report on her readings; everything indicated that she was a Blando-Rando."

"Ah-ha!" I said as I walked closer to his desk, perhaps a bit too dramatically, "so you admit sending me on a Blando-Rando babysitting assignment."

"Hold that thought," he said as he gingerly raised his hand, then looked past me to talk to Norah.

"Come in, my dear meydleh," he said with a gentle 'come here,' motion with his hand. "There's no need for you to be standing outside my office, and not be a part of the conversation; especially when you're the subject of the conversation. As it says on the door, I'm Herschel Wandsworth, Chief of Operations of this little circus of ours."

"Uh, I-I'm Norah Navarro," she replied, stammering her words a little as she walked further into the office and got a better look at him. "P-please to meet you, uh, sir."

"Please to meet you," the Chief said congenially. "You probably have questions, now that you're seeing me for the first time. But you'll have to wait for a moment while I speak with Agent Squires, here.

"Where was I," he continued, turning his attention to me, "Ah, yes. Alright, I admit it. I sent you there to look after her, even if she was a Blando-Rando. I thought it would get over your contempt of them. Like it or not, but the Protectorate is in it to protect every; Blando-Randos especially. Besides, that girl was in that stasis pod for a reason; and you were never one to turn down a mystery."

"Well, the mystery got more and more complicated from the moment I met her," I said, hitting his desk hard enough to shake some things on it loose.

"Stop abusing my desk," the Chief said, "and explain yourself. No, on second thought," he said as Norah came up to the desk, staring agog at him, "You said that she signed an NDE, right?"