Robert drummed his fingers on his desk. A stack of yellow ledger papers in front of him. Flipping through them the first thing he noticed was the atrocious handwriting filling the pages.
Various ideas filled the pages, mostly half baked, impossible, needlessly complicated plans to find the alien calling themselves Skylar.
From secretly testing the DNA of everyone in the area (the whole world if need be), to picking fights with any person not behaving normally, Robert had to face the facts. Every single one of his agents was a schlub. He wondered if any of them were actually capable of watching Skylar’s ship.
When he asked for ideas, they came up with things he already discounted as unfeasible. When he brought up suspicions of being infiltrated, no one agreed and no one was extra vigilant, thus they lost the alien in the first place.
The final piece of paper was the exception. Granted, the plan didn't follow the red tape of bureaucracy or much else in the way of rules. But that was part of its brilliance. Familiar, yet with a twist that should bring the alien back in cheetah form.
Robert grinned and held the piece of paper up, a giddy heart beat preceding his fingers flying over the phone keypad.
"Agent Rad," Robert used the preferred name of Ron Alfonse Dune, "come to my office immediately."
"Yes sir." Rad always spoke in a raspy whisper that sent goosebumps down Roberts back. Made him wonder just how many rules and social conventions this man broke on a daily basis.
But with dangerous shape shifting shave around, a rule breaker was exactly what Robert needed.
"Take a seat Rad." Robert had cleared his desk of all the papers but Rad's submission before the man arrived. When the other man sat, the two of them were eye to eye. “Any idea why I called you in?”
Sharp blue eyes looked at the paper on the desk, and back up at Robert. “I reckon you want to talk to me about my suggestion.”
“Yes.” Robert rapped is knuckles on the center of the page. “As far as traps go, I like it. Though this would not fly with the higher ups as is.” Rad nodded. “I could tweak this, for it to get approval; however, that will take time.”
“And if they escape, it could be disastrous.”
“Exactly.” Robert held up three fingers. “This is how long it will take to get official approval. But… we know that’s an eternity.”
“Do I have permission to take leave?”
Rupert rubbed his nose to hide his growing grin. “Report back in three days.”
“Yes sir.” Rad stood, and as his hand touched the door handle, Robert cleared his throat.
“And Rad.” The man turned, chiseled jaw jutting towards him. “Just to be fully prepped for the scare.” Rad’s slow wink sent another rush of goosebumps down Robert’s arms.
Robert and Rad thought alike, and they were ready for anything.
Word count: 496
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