Chapter 57

Commander Anden-Aipas followed the agents out the door and away from the young woman.

When they turned to look at her, she asked, “Can we do this?”

The agents turned around and looked in the direction of the girl. Their expressions were confused and noncommittal. One of the agents stepped forward and said, “No, if we break down the door, they could kill the mother before we even enter the building.”

“How about gas?” The commander is trying to come up with a plan to keep the mother alive.

The male agent said, “They might still be awake long enough to kill her.”

“Any recommendations?” the commander asked. She turned to look at the young woman sitting in the other room. She sat there with her head in her hands, crying.

The agent paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts before speaking.

The female agent said, “I was there when that little girl was saved by Commander Tim. He might be able to provide assistance. I still clearly remember it. I was in awe of the commander’s selflessness in putting his own safety at risk to save the child—it was the bravest thing I had ever seen. The commander’s heroic deed was so moving that I couldn’t help but feel moved.”

As she exited the room to call Tim, the commander remarked. “You keep working on the problem. Someone needs to keep an eye out for me among the adjacent homes.”

The two agents assembled their teams and started setting up surveillance. To guarantee that no suspect would be made aware of the operation, preparations were made. Security precautions were taken to ensure that all police officers were dressed in civilian clothing and that no surveillance technology was visible to the general public. Protocols were also established to guarantee that police officers maintained a safe distance from the suspects and conducted their operations in a discrete, low-key manner.

She picked up the phone as soon as she walked into her office. “This is Commander Anden-Aipas; I need to speak with Tim.”

Tammy was there in Tim’s office and said, “This is Tammy. Commander, how are you doing? ... Tim is with the queen.”

“I require your help. Because they are keeping a mother captive, we think that these individuals were involved in the shooting of the king and queen.”

“Tim, unfortunately, won’t be able to attend for a few days. He did, nevertheless, put together a new team, and I believe they can help you.”

“Would you kindly ask them to assist? There is only so much the mother can endure.” The commander hung up. She thought, “I’m hoping this team can help.”

After hanging up, Tammy contacted Shanae. “Shanae, the team Tim put together, can you work without him?”

“I think so. Why?” Shanae spoke while she was lying next to DarkIce. As they lay side-by-side in the darkness, Shanae softly spoke, hoping not to wake him.

“Commander Anden-Aipas is requesting help with a hostage scenario. The people who shot my mother and father might be involved.

“I’ll gather the team and see if we can assist.” Shanae sat up in bed and pushed DarkIce away. She got up and started dressing.

“Sarha, could you please have the team assemble in the armory?” Shanae asked as she exited the building. When she arrived, there were Tawni and Risfi. Pauline and Connie followed soon after. As soon as they arrived, Shanae began her instructions.

The girls gathered the equipment they believed they might need after Shanae explained the situation. Shanae asked Sarha, “Could they have three probes? It would be nice if one had a thermal imaging camera.”

As soon as they knew the location, the probe, which is a thermal imaging camera, would be over the house, according to Sarha.

After exiting the MTS, the five women entered the castle, where Commander Anden-Aipas was waiting for them.

Everything that the commander was aware of regarding the circumstances and those involved was disclosed, and the king’s story was used to dupe the mother and daughter.

The commander had given them transportation. They went along the back roads to the house across the street. Shanae was to set up their command center there.

The vehicles pulled up behind the house, and everyone exited and entered. Two agents welcomed them and led them to the upper level.

This was where the agents had put up their telescope and listening equipment and pointed it at the hostage’s house.

Shanae put the cloaked thermal imaging camera probe above the house while two more cloaked probes checked the house from window to window.

Shanae turned her attention to the screen, showing what the thermal imaging camera probe was seeing. There were three figures on the display. They appeared to be in a bedroom. One individual appears to be sitting in the middle of the bedroom. One person is constantly next to the windows. Ten feet separated the other person from the person seated.

Shanae gathered the team around and showed them where each individual was. Then she explained what she had in mind.

“They first required a diversion.” Shanae turned to face Tawni.

“Well, I could have the flames start a fire in the house. Or perhaps I could heighten the flames to twelve feet and direct them at the house.”

“No, that might frighten them into murdering her before they flee,” said Shanae.

“How about the flames being twelve feet tall and doing circles in the roadway?” Connie suggested.

“All right, I’ll accept it. “There are three of you now,” Shanae noted, referring to Connie, Risfi, and Pauline.

“Connie, could you please take these two and teleport them to the chair’s vicinity, within a five-foot area?” She indicated a location on the screen.

“As long as that one individual doesn’t move any closer,” Connie responded after taking a glance at the screen.

“I’ll look after him,” Pauline replied, indicating the person that Connie was pointing to.

“That leaves me the one by the window; I shouldn’t have a problem.” Said Risfi.

“Remember, lady, we need these two to be alive. They should provide the commander with the information she requires, hopefully.” She gave everyone a once-over.

“Where are your people?” Shanae asked the agents as she turned to face them.

“The majority are downstairs, while a few are in the house to the left. Do you require more?” questioned the agent.

“No. They are aware they are not to move until I say to, and they are not to carry firearms. I don’t want anyone on my team to get hurt.”

“It is acknowledged, and they will carry out your verbal instructions.” The male agent responded.

“Good luck,” Shanae wished everyone as she turned to face them.

Everyone dispersed. Connie began to visualize the place she wished to be. She was aware that if she appeared in front of the hostage, she might scream and alert the others.

She turned to Shanae and asked. “Could you please use a probe to peer through the bedroom window and show me what’s inside?”

To gain a better view of the interior, Shanae moved the cloaked probe near the window.

Connie observed the screen and noted that the three of them could fit in the area behind the hostage’s chair. “Okay, I’m ready,” she murmured as she turned to face Shanae.

“You and your flame friends are on,” Shanae stated as she turned to face Tawni.

“Tell your people that what they are about to see is us doing what we do,” Shanae questioned as she turned to face the agents. “Make no sound or movement.”

Tawni left through the back entry and proceeded around the building to the side, away from the hostage’s residence.

She spoke while raising her arms and saying, “Friends.”

On the middle finger of each hand, there were tiny flames visible. “Could you assist me? There are some dangerous men across the street. They have confined a mother to a chair. But I require a diversion.”

The flames appeared to be turning to see what she was referring to. The tops of their flames were moving as if they understood and approved of what she intended.

“If you could relocate to the middle of the road and create some sort of diversion, that would be great.”

The flames moved from her fingertips, which then moved across the front yard’s grass. As they approached the street, they grew up until they were ten feet tall and started dancing in a circle.

The air around them warmed as they drew nearer to the house. A dust devil was created as a result of the air picking up dirt and debris. The loudness of the debris hitting the house drew one man to the window.

Shanae noticed the single male moving to the window and standing there. The other turned away from the hostage to get a better look at the source of the loud boom.

“Now,” Shanae murmured as she reoriented herself so that she was facing Connie.

When Connie saw that Pauline and Risfi were ready, she seized their arms and teleported them to the location she had visualized. Connie released her grip and moved to cover the hostage’s mouth from behind. She hoped this would prevent the hostage from making a sound to warn the two men. Connie whispered, “Please don’t make a sound. We are here to help.”

Within two seconds, Pauline transformed into her eight-foot white gorilla and began to move toward the closest male. Even though she weighed over thirteen hundred pounds, she moved quickly and silently.

Risfi approached the man standing at the window. She saw that he was carrying a firearm. That would be the top concern—not wanting the weapon to be discharged.

Pauline snatched the man by the back and gave him a bear hug, applying just enough pressure to cause him to pass out.

The man at the window turned to see if his friend had heard the noise. He saw a sizable, white gorilla holding his friend. He was stunned at first and didn’t know what to do, but then he jumped into action and started to run to his friend’s rescue, raising the gun to fire. As he ran, his heart pounded in his chest, and he prayed that he would be able to reach his friend in time. It was only a few steps.

Risfi used a roundhouse kick to knock the weapon to the other side of the room before he could aim and fire.

He lifted his right leg and kicked her in the chest after hardly more than a split second of shock.

She stumbled backward, barely able to catch herself, as she tried to understand what had just happened. Risfi lost her equilibrium before finding it. She observed his attitude closely. She was unfamiliar with this particular style. She watches as he moves his hands in circular motions while attempting to acquire leverage with his body positioning, stance, and hands.

Without wasting too much time, she wanted to see what this one might accomplish. She decided to use the old style herself; she allowed her body to loosen and her arms to flop around. She remembers this being called the drunken style.

She let him kick and hit a few times for entertainment. From the other side of the room, she heard, “Come on, we need to get the mother and daughter back together.”

The man stopped, turned, and moved in the direction of the hostage. His feet were abruptly swiped from under him, by Risfi, who then lifted him into the air and dropped him to the floor before elbowing him in the chest.

“Never let your eyes leave the opponent—that is the first rule,” she remarked as she stood up and turned to face him.

Now both men were lying on the floor. Neither of them was able to move. Both of them were breathing heavily, their eyes darting around the room, trying to find a way out of their predicament.

Shanae looked at them and said, “Don’t move; the police will be here in a moment.” Her words came out loud and clear, yet there was a hint of pride in her voice.

As Connie started releasing ties from the mother’s hands, she glanced out the window and flashed the all-clear signal.

Before anyone else entered the room, Pauline changed once more. She took a deep breath and straightened her posture, trying to contain her anxiety before anyone could enter the room.

Relza ran to her mother and gave her a bear hug as soon as she entered the room. Relza’s mother gave her a tight bear hug and kissed her forehead in return. Happy to hold her daughter once more, Relza’s mother grinned down at her. She told Relza in a quiet voice how much she missed her, and the two of them embraced one another tightly. Relza happily accepted her mother’s hug and felt a wave of relief wash over her as they reunited. Relza observed that her mother’s eyes were glassy with tears as they backed away. Relza’s mother said she was so relieved to see the young girl safe and sound as she wiped away her tears with her thumb and forced a half-smile. For the first time in a very long time, Relza grinned in return and felt truly at home.