Excerpt: AD: 2003

"We've been asked to help on another case. Rook, Interface, grab your bags! You're flying to Kansas."

From the office pit, there's a mixed reaction. There's a few chuckles from one side, and from the other a small groan of disapproval. Rook, pushes back from his chair and gives Aleph a cross look. "And my work?"

"Give it to Bet, she'll take over for you while you're gone."

Interface bends down to grab the bag from under his desk and throws it into his desk chair. "Rook, throw your bag over, I'll take them out while you hand everything over."

"Thank you Hess." Rook picks up his bag and walks it around all the desks to hand it to the large black agent. "It'll only be a moment."

Interface picks up his own bag in addition to the bag Rook handed him and heads out of the office pit. Rook steps back round the desks to grab a file of papers from his desk that he was working on. He leans over the small cubicle divider on his left and drops the file on Bet's desk. "Cindy, I'll forward my research to you while I'm on the plane. But for now, you can look through my notes. You know most of what I do, but there's a few extra things you might want to look over."

"No problem Rook, good luck."

With the papers dropped off, Rook walks by the door to the office Aleph has commandeered and grabs the piece of paper he's holding out. "The case file will be ready for you on the plane. That's the Detective, the morgue Address, and that's the name of the victim. Should be an easy case. We can hold this down while you're out, but I want you back soon."

"Of course Aleph. If it's as simple as you say, we'll be on our way back tonight."

Aleph nods. "Interface is going with you just as back up. The Detective isn't up on The Foundation, so low profile okay?"

The thin dark haired agent folds the paper and tucks it away into the breast pocket of his jacket. It's only a few minutes outside to the car where Interface is already waiting. He's on the phone, with whom Rook assumes is his wife, and he slows down his approach to give Hess a few more seconds on the phone. The bags must already be in the car and their driver is waiting behind the wheel of the company town car. Interface is tall enough that while he stand on the sidewalk chatting with his wife he's able to comfortably lean his elbows on the top of the car. He doesn't sense Rooks approach, but Rook is able to hear the conclusion of his conversation before he's reached the car. Hess turns around as he closes his cell phone, and gives Rook a smile.

"Alright Rowan, let's get this show on the road."

"Certainly."

The agents slide into the back seat of the town car and Hess gives the driver a nod in the rearview window. The driver starts the car and Hess grabs a file that's lying on the seat between them and hands it to Rook. "Here's what we got from the Kansas City detective. Seems like a pretty clear cut case."

Rook nods, "Aleph seemed to think so as well. We might be back as soon as this evening."

"Could be."

"Aleph also indicated low profile. They're new to The Foundation's brand of help, so we'll need keep ourselves reigned in."

"That's what I do." Interface smiles.