The Enigma Dragon - A CATS Tale

“Quip, as much as I respect your technical expertise and, heck, even the flexibility you must have to use that device with EZ that I saw at your flat, I would need years to help you perfect that move. It requires extreme flexibility, which I constantly work at, to bring your leg backwards until you can complete the strike with your foot over your shoulder while retaining your balance. It doesn’t do you any good to throw a Scorpion Kick only to be flat on the floor afterwards. To be honest, it looks cooler than it is effective. I can get some power behind it but it has to be placed perfectly to be effective. Happy to help you with it, but you would have to be patient and work at it.”

Quip thought for a few moments then asked, “Does Julie know how to do this?”

“No, we have not worked on this. There are other defensive moves we focus our training on. I do it to maintain my flexibility.”

Quip grinned, “Then I want to learn it. One upping Julie is a winner, if you promise not to tell her that’s why I learned it.” Juan laughed. “Your secret is safe with me, but it will take some time. I will write down a few things you can do to help stretch and we can do remote sessions if you want. I try to work out an hour or so a day.”

Quip visibly gulped. “Every day?”

“Yep, even when I was in the Mexican jail with my Uncle Jesus I worked out. It doesn’t take too much space and that tends to help with one’s control.”

Quip sucked in and raised his chest a bit then replied, “Yeah, good! That works for me too, man. I’m looking forward to the sessions.

“Now we need to go to our meeting room. I wanted to make certain you have the current information for some of the work your team is taking on. We have the location in Panama we are monitoring, then we have a review of the business ePETRO, which we are also monitoring. This is the place where Jacob and Petra did some computer forensic investigation.”

They retrieved coffee and a couple of cookies available on the side of the room as they entered. They settled into some chairs facing a very large high definition screen. The color was amazing and the detail extremely precise.

Juan joked, “So this is where you watch movies when you’re bored. I didn’t see one of these in your condo, but it would likely have been hidden behind a wall, right?”

Quip admitted, “As much fun as this is, I really don’t like looking at a screen when I am home, other than the modest television we have. I think we both spend so much time looking at screens with our work that other things are far more interesting to look at, if you get my drift.”

Juan knowingly grinned and replied, “Don’t I know it. We have some very lovely ladies, don’t we?”  They both zoned out for a moment before a high chirp sounded, bringing Quip back to business. He keyed in some words and the screen erupted with various summary information reports. Quip began to analyze the information in real time and summarized it for Juan.

Juan was certainly known for his flying and fighting abilities, but felt a bit overwhelmed by the barrage of information coming at him. He tried to listen to Quip and read the screens at the same time.

“Stop a second, Quip. You’re going way too fast for me to pick out the salient pieces. Can you slow it down a little so I can capture the right stuff to focus on?”

Quip looked confused for a moment, then quite sheepishly replied, “Juan, I’m sorry. I sometimes get ahead of myself. Julie has pulled me up short the same way. Let me look at this and then highlight out loud the areas that make sense for further investigation or work using your team. I think that will work better.”

Juan nodded and was surprised again at how graciously Quip admitted a need to change. He’d always thought Quip believed he was smarter than everyone and liked to flaunt it. Apparently not. Juan then began transcribing the areas Quip highlighted, adding a few reminder notes in places for his take on a few of the items.

 They worked on through the morning, pausing for short breaks and taking advantage of the lunch items, which appeared in place of the morning sweets. No one bothered them and the information seemed to just keep flowing. Juan noticed the information continued to be updated and assembled into increasingly logical order. Then it suddenly seemed to stop. Juan looked around as if afraid that a breach in the building had occurred.

Quip noticed Juan’s shift and, unconcerned, he insisted, “Juan, it’s alright. The timers I put into the system for breaks just kicked in.” Then he turned a bit red and admitted, “I had to put these in to make certain I get home in time for dinner. Before EZ, I would keep on working a project until I went nose down on the keyboard. But now…”

Juan grinned and replied, “I do understand total focus. I do. Let’s take a break. Perhaps you can look over my notes before dinner, and I can call Julie with an update.”

“Deal. Um, will you inform Julie that the day was good, like no arguments? She made me promise.”

Juan heartily laughed and replied, “Sure, but I am glad you told me. She gets too nosey sometimes.”

Quip looked surprised by Juan’s response. “Yep, she does at times. EZ too!”