Ask Jolene

"Ok, Jolene," I whispered. "Here's your chance to help. Security and the headmaster are coming down the hall and are probably checking doorknobs. And it looks like this one only locks with a key."

She looked to her left and bit her bottom lip a little. "Then we probably have a minute since they have to check both sides of the hall. If we can make it seem like the door is locked, they'll pass right by us, right?"

"Most likely, but how?"

Jolene looked around the room, slowly smiling. She grabbed two extension cords and tied both around the handle (it was a handle-type doorknob), then kept one and handed the other to me. I started to ask what her idea was, but I got it. Pretty good. When security got in front of the door, we both pulled our cords. I kept it from going up, she kept it from going down. I could hear Neil barking orders at two people who were very unhappy to hear it, followed by all three moving down the hall.

"I want those two found, NOW! If you two so-called 'security guards' don't find them, you'll be finding yourselves NEW JOBS!!" Then, at the end of the hall, it started again. "Damn! He hasn't gotten far. Newton isn't nearly as fast as he thinks he is, and he has a tendency to use people's vacuousness to be lazy. Keep looking, and do not forget to look above and beneath things." Then silence.

I stood up, smiling. "That was pretty good. You have given this some thought."

"Yeah, well...y'know, it just came to me." She looked very happy with herself, but not smug. More like a good student who knows she is one. "So, your name's Newton, huh?"

"Far as he knows, it is."

"What is it as far as I should know?"

"Just call me Newton."

"C'mon, I helped you out twice! You can at least tell me your real name," she asked in a cute kinda-whine.

"After what just happened with Neil, I'm not so sure."

"He said you've been sneaking into a lot of schools. Is that true?"

"....yeah."

"What for? Like I couldn't guess," she crossed her arms, but wasn't mad.

"I guess he did it to set us up. As for me, I guess because it combines the two things I enjoy most in this life: games of wits and girls."

"In that order?"

"Depends on the girl."

"Am I...I mean, do you generally have sex with them?"

"No. Actually, it's only happened twice before. Well, for me, anyway."

"Who else is there?"

"I don't know if I should tell you."

"Oh come on! You called Headmaster Butler 'Geezer', so you use code names or something, right? That'll be enough. Use code names, and I swear I won't ask you about them again. Unless I need to."

"....There are two more here besides me and Geezer. Weasel and, the Wheelman."

"You paused before 'Wheelman'. He doesn't usually go by a code name, does he?"

"You're sharp. I hope you really are on my side. You'd be a dangerous enemy," I said, only flattering her at the end. She enjoyed it.

"Do I get a cool code name, too?"

"You don't like Jolene?"

"Sure, but I'd like 'Black Mamba' even better."

"'Black Mamba'? Why that?"

"Haven't you ever seen Kill Bill? Maybe 'Sidewinder' would be better."

"Why not call yourself 'Snake'?"

"Too vague. Besides, if anyone here should be called Snake, its you, mr. Infiltration Specialist. Plus, if you were Snake, I'd get to be your Meryl."

"You would?

"Sure! Red hair, willingness to help, sexy as hell..." She struck a pose on the last part.

"Not to mention a rookie."

"Watch it, Newton!"