The next morning in New York City, an unexpected visitor with an Irish accent showed up in the lobby of John Jay Hall.

“I’m lookin’ for Max Einstein,” the visitor told the Columbia University security guard stationed at a desk in the lobby.

“Sorry. There’s no one here by that name.”

“Oh, right. My bad. I believe she’s registered as Adjunct Professor Paula Ehrenfest.”

The guards had all been advised by Professor Ehrenfest’s personal security detail to let them know if anyone suspicious ever showed up looking for her.

Especially if they uttered the words “Max Einstein.”

“Let me check my computer,” said the security guard.

The computer screen was facing her. The Irish-sounding visitor couldn’t see it so only the guard knew that she had opened her Messages app and was quickly typing 10-25 and texting it to the two men stationed in the RV outside at the corner of 114th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.

“10-25” was police code for “Report in person.”

“Is there some problem?” asked the Irish visitor.

“No,” said the security guard. “Just having a little trouble locating Professor Ehrenfest’s room number….”

Jamal and Danny came charging into the lobby. Fast.

“What’s our situation, Edith?” asked Jamal.

Edith, the campus security guard, nodded at her freckle-faced, red-haired visitor.

“She was asking for Max Einstein.”

“Because Max is my bloody friend,” said Siobhan. “Who are you lot?”

“We work for Mr. Abercrombie,” said Jamal.

“You mean, Ben? Well, I reckon I do, too. I’m Siobhan. Max and I are mates.”

Danny held up his phone and snapped a photo of Siobhan’s face. “Verifying identity with facial recognition software.”

“Look, you two oafs, I need to talk to Max. I need her help.”

“She’s a match,” said Danny after his phone played a quick little confirmation melody. “Siobhan.” (He pronounced her name correctly: sha-von.) “Member of the Change Makers team. Home country Ireland. Expert in geoscience. She views the earth as a patient whose maladies can be diagnosed through scientific examination, and eventually cured. She hopes, one day, to develop technology that will be able to predict major events such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods.”

“Crikey,” said Siobhan. “You found all that info about me online?”

“We’re tied into the CMI database,” explained Jamal.

“Oh. Does it also tell you that I like long walks on the beach at sunset?”

“Uh, no.”

“Good, you dense fool eejit. Because I don’t. Now where’s Max?”

Jamal and Danny escorted Siobhan up to the seventh floor.

Max was so thrilled to see Siobhan, she threw her arms around her Irish friend and gave her a huge hug.

“Careful now, Max,” grunted Siobhan. “I didn’t fly all the way to New York City to have my ribs cracked.”

Siobhan was fiery and fearless and had helped Max stand up to some extremely bad actors on the team’s first mission in Africa.

“You two okay up here?” asked Jamal.

“We’re better than okay,” said Max, overjoyed to be reunited with her friend.

“You two can stand down,” Siobhan told the bodyguards. “If anybody from the Corp shows up, they’ll have to deal with me.”

“We’ll be on the street if you need us,” said Danny.

“We’ll let Mr. Abercrombie know you’re here, Siobhan,” added Jamal.

The guards headed out of the building.

Max closed her dorm room door.

“Okay, Siobhan, what’s going on?” she asked.

“I need help. The earth back home is sick, Max. Very, very sick.”