"A Couple More Loose Ends Are Tied"

That night, Courage fell asleep and slipped into a familiar dream.

He was standing at one end of the pool table in the pool hall from way back in chapter nine.  On the other side were the five dogs he had faced earlier.  The mutt chalked up his stick as he glared at Courage with those glossy white eyes.

"Care for a rematch?" asked the mutt.  He grinned.

Courage grabbed a stick off the rack and appeared to surprise the mutt by offering him to go first without hesitation.

The mutt broke up the billiard balls as his friends stood by and watched.

The game went on for a while until, just like before, only the white ball and the eight ball were left.  Everyone thought the mutt would win again, but to everyone's surprise, Courage pulled the stick back and quickly sunk the eight ball into a corner pocket.

"Nice game," admitted the mutt.  "I see you're improving."

"What's this all about?" asked Courage in the dream.  "I mean, why am I here?"

The mutt and his four canine friends crowded around Courage.  "We're merely offering you a test," said the mutt.  "And now that you've passed, I and my crew congratulate you."

"I don't understand," said dream-Courage.  "A test of what?"

"Skills, understanding, friendship…any of those.  Anyway, the last time we met you weren't ready to face what was ahead.  Now that you've succeeded your goal, I wanted to be double-sure."

Courage nodded, although he still didn't understand much.

"I'll tell you this too," continued the mutt.  "If you ever meet up with us again, just remember that we're always gonna be friends, you and I.  No matter what."  The mutt's friends agreed.

"Really?" asked Courage.

"Either that, or your subconscious is playing a really weird joke on you."

"…okay," muttered Courage.

The mutt grinned again.  "Take care, Courage."

Courage woke up feeling relieved and confident…as well as confused.  He wondered if he ever would meet those dogs again…in his dreams or reality.

"Send him in," said the Boss.

The door to the Boss's office opened and Agent R stepped inside.  He looked slightly worried and was in civilian clothing.  The Boss wanted to ask why, but he let it slide.

"Agent R," began the Boss.  "What can you tell me about the year 1901?"

"Well," stuttered Agent R.  "It was one year after the turn of the century.  In September of that year, President William McKinley was shot in a train station and Theodore Roosevelt took his place.  In November…"

"I ask this," interrupted the Boss, "because I've been digging into the archives and found this ancient file from that year."

The Boss threw an old manila folder onto the desk.  Typed on the cover with a typewriter, were the words: OPERATION TAX RETURN.

Agent R picked up the file and opened it.  Agent R's jaw dropped as he read the first typewritten page:

Summary:  Fifteen United States secret government agents have been sent to the underground laboratory of Professor Leonard Quincy Stromwell on this date, July 28, 1901.  Five million dollars and fourteen cents have been mistakenly sent to Stromwell's residence due to an error in the printed address.  Upon approaching the laboratory, reports of "unusual activity" were heard from inside.  As the agents entered the laboratory, a strange light was being omitted from a "large, stone construction."  When the agents tried to apprehend Stromwell and his wife, Abigail Mary Stromwell, they ran into the light and disappeared from view.  The agents hesitated upon entering the construction and decided to deactivate it in order to be rid of any evidence of this happening.  Once that was completed, an inch by inch search of the room was conducted, but no tax money was discovered.  The laboratory was therefore shut down and boarded up until more proof could be obtained about the location of the Stromwell's family.  Case: Unsolved.

Agent R looked up at his boss/father with wide eyes.

The Boss lay back in his chair.  "It goes on to say that the Stromwell child was put into a foster family.  Sad, really.

"You knew about all this!" shouted Agent R.  "You knew exactly what me and my partners were getting into!"              

The Boss sighed.  "We lost two good men when we finally learned that Stromwell was discovered by an undercover cop in San Francisco five years later.  If only it hadn't been for that earthquake."

Agent R silently threw the file back on the desk.  "Why did we wait so long to retrieve the money?"

"Because it was ancient history, son.  Not until all the other strange events happened in that town did we take interest in the treasure again.  After all, it was our money, y'know."

Agent R crossed his arms with frustration.

"What's wrong?" asked the Boss.

"This isn't what I came down here for," said Agent R.

"Yes."

"Well, what then?"

"I came to tell you good-bye."

The Boss sat up in his chair.  "Good-bye?"

"Yes," said Agent R.  "I'm here to turn in my resignation." 

Agent R reached into his pocket and grabbed his resignation form.  He threw it on the desk.

The Boss took the paper and read it.  "You were never happy with this job, were you?"

"I'm sorry, Dad," admitted Agent R.  "It's just that, I know you and Mom are heads of the government and you expected me to follow in you footsteps, but I just have any interest in what you and Mom do."

The Boss got to his feet and walked around his desk.  Agent R felt afraid at what he was going to say, but he remained as still as a statue as his father approached him.

"Why…why didn't tell me this before?" asked the Boss.

"You made such a big deal out of it, I didn't want to hurt your feelings," said Agent R.  He hung his head.

To his complete surprise, Agent R's father hugged him, something he hadn't done in years.  "My boy," said the Boss.  "I'm so sorry.  I really thought you would be happy here."

Agent R nodded.  "I know, but I have dreams of my own too."

"And what would they be?" asked the Boss.

"I'm thinking of going back to where I was when I was taking college."

"Las Vegas?"

"Yeah, Dad.  I had so much fun there, and the careers you can have are not only cool, but well-paying and numerous…almost as well-paying as your job."  Big Boss looked at him oddly.  "Well, maybe not almost."

"Okay, son, if this is what you really want, I guess there's not much I can do to stop you."

Agent R nearly passed out from excitement.  "You really mean that?"

"Well, I guess I could stop you in any number of ways, but since you're my only son, I suppose I should let you make your own decisions."

Agent R was so overwhelmed with emotion, that he hugged his father with all his might and said, "I won't disappoint you, Dad."

"I know you won't, son," answered the Boss.

At that moment, the intercom on his desk went off.  "Sir?  Are you there?"

The Boss walked over to the intercom.  "Yes, what is it, Montgomery?"

"Sir, the new recruits are here, sir."

"Excellent.  Send them here in one hour."

"Yes, sir."

The Boss looked at his son.  "Well, I guess I'll see you later, son."

"Yeah, Dad.  Be sure to call, okay?  Do you need my number?"

"Oh, I'll find out what it is eventually," said his father with a smile.

"Bye, Dad," said Agent R.

"Oh, son," said his father.  "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Oh, yes," said Agent R.  He reached into his pocket and pulled out his badge.  He abruptly tossed it at his father, who caught it with one hand. 

"Bye, son."

Agent R smiled as he closed the door.

The Boss took the badge and looked at his son's name on it.  He then opened a drawer and tossed the badge into it.  He then reached for something in the drawer and pulled it out.  It was a photo that had been confiscated from D.M.'s camera.  There were a lot of photos in the desk, including the one with Stromwell's ghostly face on Mr. Furry, but the one the Boss held was the last one D.M. took.  It, of course, was the one with Agent R, Gammon, Barsby, Darkest Moon, Kevin, Zalost, Shirley, the Duck Brothers, and lastly, the ghost of Dr. Stromwell all standing in front of the portal. 

The Boss smiled.  It looked like a bizarre family portrait.  People, dogs, aliens, AND ghosts…all in the same pic.

"I'll be thinking of you, son," said the Boss as he put the photo back into his desk.  "Always."

The former Agent R walked into one of the Capitol building's lobbies.  Now that he was no longer an agent, he would have to be recognized on a first name basis.  He was thinking about plans on how to find a job in Vegas, as well as a place to live.

As the front doors came into view, he heard someone yell, "Hey, Mr. R!"

Jonathan turned and saw Gammon, Barsby, and D.M. sitting on some seats in the lobby.  As Jonathan walked over to them, they got up.  He could see they had sad, solemn faces.

"Well, guys," said Jonathan.  "I guess I'll be heading out now."

"It's a shame you have to go," said Gammon.

"Yeah," agreed Barsby.  "You probably would've gotten good pay if you had stayed."

"Well," sighed Jonathan.  "Like I said back in Nowhere, I wasn't happy with my job, and…well, I gotta go."

"We'll miss you, Mr. R," said D.M.

"Send us a postcard when you get to Vegas, okay?" said Gammon.

"Okay, I'll be sure to…"  Agent R stopped.  "Wait a minute.  How did you know I was going to Vegas?"     

The agents' solemn faces were not trying to keep from laughing.

Agent R was shocked.  "You mean, you're all leaving too?"

Barsby laughed.  "Like we said back in Nowhere, we weren't happy with our jobs."  

"We turned in our resignations right before you did," said D.M. proudly.

Jonathan didn't know what to say.  "Wow…c'mere, you guys." 

The four of them had a big group hug right then.

"So," said Jonathan afterwards.  "Where are you guys heading?"

"Haven't you guessed by now?" asked Gammon.  "We're going to Vegas with you!"

"You're kidding!" shouted Jonathan.

"Hey, best friends gotta stick together," said Barsby.  He held out his palm.  Gammon looked at Barsby for a moment, got the hint, and placed his hand on top of Barsby's hand.  Then, D.M. placed her hand on top.  All three of them looked at Jonathan.

"Whaddya say, Johnny?" asked Gammon.  "Sticking together?"

"On one condition," said Jonathan, whose hand stopped inches above the others.

"What's that?"

"Don't call me Johnny.  I never liked that name." 

Everyone laughed as Jonathan placed his hand on top and the four of them threw their hands up in the air.  Obviously, this was unusual behavior for people to do in the Capitol building, which explained why several people were staring.

"C'mon," offered Jonathan.  "Let's get out of here before we get thrown out."

Outside, Jonathan said, "Y'know, now that we're ex-agents, we need to start going on a first name basis, right?"

"Exactly," said Gammon.  "You're Jonathan R, right."

"I know," said Jonathan, rolling his eyes.  He looked at Gammon.  "So, you're Chris…"  He turned to Barsby.  "And you're Gareth…" He looked at D.M.  "And you're…hey, what is your first name?"

D.M. smiled.  "I'll tell you after we get some lunch. I'm starving."

"Me too.  Let's go!  My treat!" said Jonathan.  "And maybe D.M. can take a picture of us there before we head off to Vegas!"

"Yeah!" said D.M. and Gareth.

Vegas, thought Chris.  This could give me a few ideas for my sketches.

The four of them walked down the road, side by side, and so unaware of the adventures ahead.

On the outskirts of Indianapolis, Indiana, a large bundle of blankets moved on the side of a road. 

Mad Dog shakily got to his feet.  He had a massive headache and was rather dizzy.

"Ohhh…what happened?"

He looked around.  It was night.  In the distance, the lights of Indianapolis shown brightly against the black sky.

Mad Dog growled.  Not only did he lose the battle in the RV, he lost the bat too.

He was just about to head into Indy and find a rental car to drive home on, when he suddenly heard some shouting in the distance.  He sniffed the air to determine where it was coming from.  To his surprise, he discovered the sound was coming from above.

Mad Dog looked up and squinted into the sky.  He didn't see anything, but the screams were getting louder.

Just then, Mad Dog could see a black form dropping out of the sky at an enormously fast speed.  It looked like a large mass at first, but Mad Dog could see that it was made up of many pieces.  It was definitely the source of the sounds.

At it was heading right for him!  He tried to get out of the way, but the blankets got tangled around his foot, and just as he freed himself…

CRASH!

When the dust cleared, all that was left was Mad Dog at the bottom of a pile of evil villains.  Katz, Le Quack and all the other villains that had been blasted out of Stromwell's lab had been flying through the air all this time and had now landed at last…on top of Mad Dog.

Everybody was more or less injured and seeing stars. 

"Are we dead yet?" asked Doc Gerbil.

"It sure feels like it," uttered Le Quack.

"All I can say is," coughed Katz.  "If I ever meet another bad guy that's more evil than us, it'll be too soon."

At that moment, a car drove up and stopped in front of the pile.  The villains didn't even recognize the car until they heard the driver side window roll down and they recognized the person driving.

The man wore a fedora on his head and was wearing a black outfit.  His face was horribly mangled, but you could still see his wicked smile.  The long blades on his fingers stretched beyond the steering wheel almost to the windshield.

"Hello, there," said the man in a low, freaky voice.  "My name's Freddy.  Need a lift?"

But by that time, all the villains were halfway to Indy.

End.