Roy winked at the capable female agent and then started answering her questions. The content of his answers was pretty much the same as in his statement. It was a story Roy had carefully thought out and was sure would hold up.
But Sultana listened very carefully, trying to find holes in Roy's story. "Mr. Black, can you explain why you always seem to run into these unusual events?"
That was a question Roy himself wanted the answer to. Trouble always seemed to find him, never giving him a break. It was really too much. "Because I'm handsome?"
The two poker-faced guys in black who hadn't said a word almost cracked up, which earned them a glare from Sultana. "Mr. Black, please answer my question seriously!"
"But I don't know how else to answer you. I mean, 'because I'm handsome' sounds better than 'because I'm unlucky,' right?" Roy shrugged helplessly.
This time, even Sultana couldn't help it and broke into a sweet smile. That smile pretty much extinguished the little bit of anger she had.
After a moment, Sultana stopped smiling and continued questioning Roy. "Sorry, I wasn't laughing at you. Mr. Black, let's not dwell too much on your luck. Can you explain why you're able to defeat those with, um, special abilities?"
Roy rolled up his sleeves, showing off the impressive muscles in his arms. "As you can see, I'm a boxer, and I'm also a Texas boy. I've been practicing shooting with my dad since I was little. Regular cops probably wouldn't stand a chance against me!"
Sultana took a long look at the muscles in Roy's arms. As a seasoned agent, Sultana could tell that his muscles were all natural, no enhancements. Even the top agents in their agency might not have such a good physique, and Roy was just a high school senior.
Sultana said half-jokingly, "Maybe you should consider joining the Federal Response Agency after you graduate."
"Ha! I'm planning on unifying all four major boxing federations in the future. I'm worried the Federal Response Agency might not be able to afford my salary!" Roy threw a few punches in the air, his fists moving so fast they almost made Sultana's eyes pop.
"Oh, you're definitely a good fighter." "Ms. Sultana, is there anything else? I've already had enough bad luck. Could you please not make me spend Christmas Eve in a cell?"
Roy started to look pitiful, and with his looks, it was a very effective tactic on women. Sultana could barely hide the amusement in her eyes, but she still pretended to be annoyed. "Weren't you being pretty bold just now? Insisting on getting my name before answering questions!"
The conversation was getting more and more like flirting. Sultana's two subordinates were getting a bit uncomfortable and had to cough twice to remind their boss. "Ahem, ahem!"
Hearing her subordinates cough, Sultana's eyes snapped back to business. A blush crept onto her face, but thankfully her complexion was a bit tan, so it wasn't too noticeable. "Indeed, there's nothing else. You can go home and be with your family."
"Could I maybe get your business card? Just in case I have more bad luck in the future and run into some weird stuff, I can contact you." Roy winked at Sultana, his eyes conveying a special meaning.
Sultana seemed a little hesitant to meet Roy's gaze. She told herself it was all for work, then pulled out a pen and wrote down a phone number on a piece of paper. "This is my personal number. Don't call it unless it's important."
The capable female agent emphasized the word "important," as if trying to convince herself. [Discovered special character Sultana Rivera. You can absorb her destiny power to gain rewards!]
Roy took the personal number from Sultana, a playful smile on his face, and replied, "Okay, I'll definitely call this number when something comes up!"
Roy also emphasized the word "comes up," making his meaning very clear. Sultana's face flushed slightly. It was all too obvious, and Sultana's two subordinates coughed again to remind them. "Ahem, ahem!"
"Well, I won't bother you any longer. I'll head out. Oh, by the way, can you have the police give me back my gun?"
During the Chucky incident, because there were bullet holes in the toy doll, Roy hadn't put away his Smith & Wesson M625. This led to the police confiscating the gun. The cursed dagger, on the other hand, was easier to explain away. Roy just used the fruit knife he'd taken from Chucky as a replacement.
Sultana gave Roy a deliberately stern look. "Mr. Black, according to local law, it's illegal for anyone under 21 to concealed carry a handgun! And handguns and ammunition must be stored separately."
"Uh, I heard Carey calling for help, so I grabbed my loaded handgun to go find her."
Roy's actions did violate some laws, but American laws are a mess anyway, and the laws in different states are even more bizarre. Even experienced lawyers who've been practicing for years can make mistakes.
"Don't let it happen again! Remember to unload the bullets from the cylinder when you get back. And one more thing, you need to sign this non-disclosure agreement before you leave."
"Thank you, big sister Sultana!" This address made Sultana smile, but she quickly caught the strange looks from her subordinates. "Ahem, ahem! We've received reports of an unusual incident at a motel in Oklahoma. Headquarters wants us to go investigate."
"Whatever you say, boss."
"Boss, we actually didn't see anything."
Sultana glared at her two subordinates. "Shut up. It's Christmas Eve, so we'll let it slide for today. We'll go to Oklahoma tomorrow."
Roy collected his belongings from the big-bearded sheriff, including his phone, the Smith & Wesson M625 revolver, and his car keys, and then left the police station.
On Christmas Eve night, someone was setting off fireworks in Snowdrift Mountain Town. Roy stopped to watch the fireworks for a while, then called Needy and Jennifer to let them know he was okay.
"Roy, you've been released without charge? Thank goodness! Jennifer and I have already written complaint emails and were getting ready to send them to the White House website!" Needy and Jennifer sounded overjoyed on the phone.
Roy hadn't expected the two girls to be so proactive. It was a good thing he got out early, or he didn't know what they might have done. Maybe even hack the White House website to clear his name?
"It was just a small matter. The FEA agents just wanted to chat with me about the details." As soon as FEA was mentioned, Needy had a lot to say.
"Roy, this FEA seems like a pretty big deal. I found a lot of stuff online. I'll tell you about it tomorrow."
"Sounds good! Make sure you get some rest tonight! Goodnight kisses for both of you, Mwah! Mwah!"
After hanging up, Roy headed towards the Japanese-style bed and breakfast. It had been two days already. Heather's probably feeling better by now, right?
(End of Chapter)