Undercover

   (When we last left Fred, he and Anthony had run into John Smith and M007 again)

   Once everyone was in the car and they were underway, Fred started asking questions.
   “What do you want with us?” was his first.
   “I thought,” John replied. “That since you aren’t working with Jonathan anymore, you could help us in another way.”
   “Like what?”
   “We believe you could infiltrate the PEANUTs and get us inside information that will allow us to get rid of them once and for all.”
   “Well that ain’t gonna work.”
   “Why not?”
   Fred snorted. “Because they know who I am, that’s why.”
   John shook his head. “No, they don’t.  None of the PEANUTs have ever had direct contact with you.  That was The Terrorists.  The PEANUTs don’t really know anything about you, much less what you look like.  And they have no idea about anything concerning Anthony.”
   Anthony grinned, but stayed silent.
   “Yeah, well how are we gonna get in there?” Fred asked.
   John pointed to the toques that Fred and Anthony were holding.  “Anyone with one of those on outside a kitchen is generally known to be a PEANUT.”
   “But, I mean, me and Anthony?  PEANUTs?”
   Fred looked at Anthony.  Anthony looked at Fred.  Anthony looked at John.
   “Will we get Alexander?” Anthony asked.
   John nodded.  Next thing they knew, Fred and Anthony were out on the side of the road with toques on their heads.  Fred looked around.
   “Now what?” he asked.
   Anthony shrugged. “I guess we just walk around until we run into another PEANUT or something.”
   “Okay.”
   They started walking.  For a while, they didn’t meet anyone.  Then they turned onto a more peopled street and things got interesting.  When people saw the toques, they crossed over to the other side of the street quickly.  Fred hadn’t realized just how notorious the PEANUTs actually were. 
   After an hour or so of aimless walking, they decided to take a short break on a nearby bench.  While they were resting, Fred noticed a policeman standing on a street corner.
   “I’m gonna go ask him for directions,” he said.
   “Good idea,” Anthony replied.
   Fred walked over to the man and tapped him on the shoulder. “Excuse me, sir.”
   The policeman turned and blanched when he saw the toque. “Y-yes?”
   “Could you possibly tell me the way to PEANUT HQ?”
   The man pointed to a large building just a few blocks away with a shaking finger. “Right t-there.”
   Fred clapped him on the back. “Thanks.”
   He walked back to Anthony. “He said that PEANUT HQ is right in that big building there.”
   “That was easy,” Anthony said.
   Fred shrugged. “Yeah.  But easy is good.”
   Anthony shrugged too. “I suppose.”
   They made their way to the building and soon stood outside it.  It was several stories tall and really big besides that. 
   “What do we do now?” Anthony asked.
   “I guess we go in,” Fred replied.
   He opened the door and stepped in, Anthony right behind him.
   Inside was a hive of activity.  Weapons fire came from multiple firing ranges.  Huge crates were being moved here and there.  Guys in toques were running all over the place, looking official and busy.  At Fred and Anthony’s entrance, everything stopped.  All eyes turned to stare at them.  Fred gulped and yelled the first thing that came to mind.
   “The British are coming!”
   Pandemonium.


   To be continued….