Tracy Tam: Santa Command by Krystalyn Drown Read Free Book Online Page B

United States. We are simply one branch.”
    “Let's pretend I believe you,” Tracy said. From what she'd seen, it was possible. “What other explanations are you going to give me?”
    Beth looked back to Phil, who'd been hovering in the corner, looking very worried. “Can you pull up Mrs. Claus? I don't have access.”
    Phil pushed himself away from the wall like he'd been glued to it. “I can.” He could have said “I’d rather die first,” and it would have sounded the same.
    “Are you ready to see the biggest secret of all?” Beth asked.
    Whatever doubts Tracy had about the computer, those words made Tracy's heart leap in excitement. She looked Beth in the dead center of her eyes, and knew that despite her comments about magic, that woman was the real deal. “Yes.”
    “All right then. Phil, show her Mrs. Claus.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
     
    Tracy
     
    Tracy stood up and let Phil take the seat in front of the computer. He may have looked young, but his shoulders curled like he carried more years than her dad. He hunched over the computer, his head held up by one hand while he worked the mouse with the other. He mumbled things Tracy couldn't quite understand, although they sounded an awful lot like words she wasn't allowed to say. How did anyone get to be such a grump?
    Phil double clicked on a folder on the desktop. A login box appeared with the user name already populated—Mary Christmas. Phil glanced at the hallway to make sure no one was coming, then typed in the password. Tracy watched his fingers very carefully as he entered Nicholas343.
    Numerous files popped up with titles like The List, Inkling Profiles, Sleigh Routes, Employee Selection, Holographic Imagery, and Inventions. Phil skipped all of those, going straight to a file labeled Mrs. Claus. He double clicked that, and a list of names appeared.
    Tracy gasped when she recognized one of them. “Edward Higgens.”
    “Do you know him?” Phil asked.
    Tracy felt like she was at school, being asked a question she didn't know the answer to. “No, well, it's just…um…” She stuffed her hands in the Santa coat's pockets.
    “Ah.” Beth got it before Phil did. “The name tag.”
    Phil nodded, then clicked on Edward's name. A full profile opened up, complete with a picture of a man who looked very much like Santa, one with a curly beard.
    Name: Edward Cornelius Higgens
    Age: 75
    Address: 11 Maple Drive, Sarasota, FL 34230
    Occupation: Retired air force pilot
    Recruitment date: July 31, 2009
    Recruiter: Phil Marlin
    Side effects to Santa program: None
    “Side effects?” Tracy asked.
    “Nausea, vomiting, disorientation, memories of the sleigh ride…” Phil might have kept going with his list if Tracy hadn't stopped him.
    “Memories. Are you saying this guy pretends to be Santa, then you take away his memory?”
    Phil sighed. “It's more complicated than that. You wouldn't understand.”
    Tracy placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head in a way that would have gotten her sent straight to her room if she'd done it in front of her mom. “I'm ten. Not an idiot. Try me.”
    Phil looked to Beth like he was asking for help. The two of them exchanged a few silent gestures which Tracy took to mean they were fighting over who talked next.
    “Oh, for Pete's sake. Someone answer me.”
    “Hey,” Beth said. “Cut the attitude. We're trying to figure out the best way to address this.”
    “Which is not at all,” Phil insisted. Again, he glanced at the door. “If Walt finds out, it doesn’t matter what you think or how much you trust this girl, he is going to wipe her mind.”
    Beth didn't speak for a long time, and Tracy realized it was because the woman was scared.
    Now, Tracy was scared. Who was Walt? “What's a mind wipe?”
    “It's nothing you have to worry about,” Beth finally answered, but she didn't seem too sure about it. She shooed Phil out of the chair, and he went back to lean against the wall with his arms folded across his chest.