Part 4-Investigating, Strong-Style

Rita Logan and the Dark Tower
Featuring Micah, Matt and Noah Strong
By Toni Walker

Part 4: Investigating, Strong-Style

“It’s not as if she knows what she’s getting herself into,” Noah Strong said. It was useless to defend Rita’s actions to Matt. He was still torked that she wouldn’t go out with him last semester.

“Let me guess. You want to dash in and be the hero. Show her the error of her ways?” Matt asked his brother.

Matt stood off to the side and watched through binoculars as Rita Logan and Kyle Filmore raced from the Dark Tower toward the dimly lit parking area near the fence.

“You do have to admit, we have a leg up on the investigation,” Noah said.

Noah was the eldest more stable brother. Not that Matt was unstable, but Noah was the responsible one. He was the first to consider all his options before taking one step. It was a trait that sometimes annoyed his younger brother, Matt, who was the spontaneous one. Matt wasn’t used to his brother acting so much like him.

“We have to help her, Matt,” Noah pleaded.

“Hey, isn’t that my line?” Matt said. “I thought I was the only brother who rushed in where the sensible feared to tread.”

“She and Kyle were nearly captured just now,” Noah stressed. “I don’t think there is anything impulsive about wanting to help them.”

Matt gave his brother the eye. “So what are you saying here? You want to compare notes with Rita?”

“We have to know why she’s investigating the ruins of the Dark Tower before something grave happens to her. I don’t want anyone else disappearing,” Noah said.

“I thought dad said they were keeping a lid on the string of missing college girls.”

“They are. Nothing was ever reported in the newspaper about it. She must be there for a different reason,” Noah said.

Noah had a sudden sinking feeling as he stared intently at his brother.

“What was that look for,” Matt said.

“What if someone was luring Rita to the tower but they didn’t anticipate her bringing her friends along?” Noah hypothized while grabbing his coat and walking toward the door. “She could be in more danger than we realized.”

“Where are you going?” Matt asked, following his brother to the door.

“We’re going to find Rita before the mad man in the dark tower find her first.”

“Great. Just great,” Matt said slowly. “I guess my quiet evening at home just went out the window.”

“Are you coming?” Noah shouted from outside.

“Yeah, yeah.” Matt sighed and followed. He didn’t like this role reversal at all. Noah was not supposed to be the impulsive one. That was his job. “I’m coming.”

Matt grabbed his coat and locked the door behind him. One couldn’t be too careful these days.

***

“You have to give me another chance,” Rita begged. “I know I can find something.”

Mrs. Cresswell‘s aged face was painted with a frown.

“I‘ve changed my mind,” she said. “Stay away from the Dark Tower. And stay away from me.”

She shooed the duo out the door and then proceeded to slam it in their faces.

To say Rita was shocked was an understatement.

"I told you that you were out of your mind," Kyle said. "We should not have gone in there!"

Mrs. Cresswell’s house was on the same lot as the Dark Tower so the walk to their friend Jordan’s car was a short one.

"What did you find?" asked Jordan blowing bubbles and chewing gum.

"Things. Strange and scary things that should not be found in a bell tower," Kyle said darkly.

"What Kyle means is that we had to stop investigating before we got very far into our search," Rita explained. "I found it a bit odd at Mrs. Cresswell's sudden dismissal of our investigation."

"If it hadn't been for Noah Strong, I doubt we would have ever found our way out," Kyle said.

"You don't know it was him," Rita said. Jordan smiled at Rita with a knowing smirk. She knew that Rita had a crush on Noah Strong. "He just got a glimpse of someone around a dark corner. It wasn't Noah."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," Kyle said. "I know what I saw."

"Five minutes before that you thought it was a ghost."

"Hey," Kyle said. "I didn't imagine the door unlocking itself and letting us out, did I? It was Noah. I know it was."

Rita nodded and sighed. It was better to let Kyle believe what he wanted to believe instead of fighting with him all night. He was famous for babbling on and on about absolutely nothing.

The trio turned and left the parking lot of the dark tower and headed for home. Neither, Rita, Jordan nor Kyle noticed the man standing not an arms length from them. He had the ability to disappear into the shadows. His breathing was controlled and hardly audible even to himself. His mission at this point was an unknown variable. He was awaiting instruction on how to deal with the teenagers.

Kyle seemed to be a bit more focused on the danger which was odd since Kyle didn't have anything in common with focusing.

Steven Strong and his computer expert, Cosmo, were back at the Strong Compound watching Rita’s movements though security monitors that they had set up throughout the facility.

"Cosmo, get information on these kids for me. I want to know what they're doing here," The Mr. Strong was standing next to Cosmo. He also watched his son's movements through the security feed he had set up in their bedrooms and the main living quarters.

"Roger that," said Cosmo through the mini microphone cupped around Micah's ear.

"Micah, if they dare to return, you have to stop them anyway you can. You know that, right? Our objective is to protect the package at all costs," Micah's father, Steven Strong said.

Micah eyed Rita as she smiled at her friends and sped away in her convertible. He knew she did her best work alone. He'd learned all about her antics from his brothers, Matt and Noah.

"I understand, dad. You can count on me." Micah verbally agreed with his father, but he knew that if it came down to harming Rita and her friends, he just might not be able to do it.