MEMORIES - DREAMS OF SHADOWS

"I wish I can get a tan like the rest of you," groaned Camellia Castel. She was sitting on a beach in Kuala Terengganu with her six friends.

"Come on, Cammi. You know you look lovely with your complexion," replied Denise Mulder. She was becoming tired of hearing Camellia, or Cammi to her friends, complain. It has been two days since they arrived and Cammi hadn't stop complaining.

"Well, you already got a tan. So do Nicky, Lisa, Aileen, Trixie and Georgie. It's not fair," complained Cammi. She stomped her feet.

"Shut up, Cammi!" Nicky, Aileen and Trixie said in unison.

Cammi tossed her auburn hair. Her emerald eyes shone with anger. Nicky Perry quickly said, “Come on Cammi. You've been complaining ever since we arrived. Let's just give it a rest, okay?"

Cammi kept quiet. She took a sip of her drink beside her. Camellia was beautiful with her milk white complexion, soft wavy auburn hair and pink lips. She was five foot seven with a very nice figure. She had emerald green eyes that sometimes looked as they were on fire; especially when she was angry. She was full of mischief, but she never seemed to get into trouble, instead someone else would. Wearing a green bikini that matched her eyes, she knew she attracted a lot of attention. There was one thing that Camellia loved, and that was attention. One of the reasons why she was a wonderful dancer, gymnast and skater. She also played the violin. She spoke French and German fluently. Her father was a French businessman and her mother an English ballet dancer. Cammi always acted a bit childish. Lis often called her a big baby. But Cammi never found it to be insulting. She just laughs when her friends call her that.

Her close friend Nicky or Nicole Perry was an Australian. She had short dark hair, dark eyes and lightly tanned skin. She was taller than Cammi about two inches. She also had a slim figure; which she kept fit by exercising. She was cheerful and seldom lost her temper. She loved simple things. Her idea of dressing up was a shirt, a pair of jeans and sneakers. Unlike Cammi who was sweet, Nicky was boyish. Nicky was also the most unlucky girl in the group. Whenever Cammi made trouble, Nicky would be the one who got in trouble. Cammi loved attention but Nicky preferred to blend with the background. Their friends often wondered how they could be close friends. Nicky loved adventures. She loved mountain climbing, swimming, tennis, jungle trekking and other things that Cammi hated but was capable to do.

Lisa de'Laritana Cylindrica Duvenarex Dunross was another of Cammi's friends. She was half-Italian and half-English. Her name was so long because she was named after her ancestors, both on her mother and father's sides. She was the prettiest girl in the group. She had long dark hair that was so soft; people were afraid to touch it. Lis also had a very lovely smile. She was tall, slim and had a rosy complexion. One look at her you would think that she was delicate. This was true at certain times, but in truth she was very daring and reckless. Lis was also smart. She had a photographic memory and could speak Italian and Latin. She also liked dancing, classical music and most of all; clothes. She could make an ordinary sundress into an elegant outfit. Although she might seem little disorganise, she always gets her work done. Lis also had royal blood, but she never bragged about it.

Denise Mulder was half-American and half-Japanese. She had short dark hair, although not as short as Nicky's. Denise inherited her mother's almond-shaped eyes, soft skin and petite figure. Denise had dimples on both her cheeks. She loved adventures. Denise was always very serious and patient. But when it came to Cammi's complaining, she could get very nasty. Denise was an animal lover. She often kept her pet squirrel; Chip, in her pocket. Sometimes she would also carry along her pet tarantula; Harry. She was crazy about human and animal relationship. She often lectures about it to her friends. When Denise was in her lecture moods, her friends would change the subject quickly. Like Nicky, Denise loved simple things. She was a genius with computers.

Pretty Aileen Scarlet O'Brien was a science nut. She was what people would call a mad scientist. She was also absent-minded. She once forgot where she had put Nicky's math assignment. The girls spent the whole weekend looking for it. They even tried questioning a poodle they were dog sitting because it once ate Cammi's English paper. But they later found it when the teacher gave back the papers. It turned out that Aileen had passed up the paper along with her paper. It was a wonder Aileen could keep track of her experiments. She also kept her things by a secret code. Aileen had the same interests as Nicky, but she was not as adventurous. She loved sports such as ping-pong, badminton and tennis. Aileen could never make up her mind about clothes. Most of the time she would ask for Lis's opinion. With her blond hair, sparkling blue eyes, tanned skin and slim figure, Aileen attracted a lot of boys. Unlike Cammi who would flirt whenever she could, Aileen couldn't talk to a boy without fumbling for words. When she was not around boys, she could talk so fast it was harder to understand her than hearing Cammi talk in German. At least they could look up what Cammi said in the dictionary. It was very unfortunate there was no dictionary for Aileen's language. Aileen also had a 'thing' for chocolates. The others always made sure that they keep their chocolates in safe place, away from Aileen.

Georgina Naomi Stevenson was half-American and half-Chinese. She had dark blond hair that reached below her shoulders. Her blue eyes were lovely next to her lightly tanned skin. She was romantic, adventurous, playful and smart. Her blue eyes sparkled when she smiled. Georgie loved to read mystery, horror and romance stories. She could speak ten languages: Spanish, Dutch, Arabic, Irish, French, Italian, Greek, Chinese, Hindustani and Japanese. Georgie liked to be the one 'behind the scene' rather than the one in charge.

Trixie Spencer had shoulder length hair that was wavy. She was the only brunette in the group. She was very pretty with dark eyes, reddish lips and a beautiful figure. Trixie was kind, cheerful, independent, gentle and intelligent. She was serious about her work. She loved playing 'detective' with her close friend, Aileen. Trixie often worries about her figure. So, she was always on a diet. Unfortunately, she had a weakness for chocolates. Her diets often went down the drain every time Aileen was in her chocolate frenzy. Trixie had a mysterious air that complemented her elegant ways. Like Cammi, she loved to perform. She could play the piano and sing beautifully.

These seven girls had just graduated from a very special school. They were unaware that for the past four years, they had been training to be secret agents. The Agency, as the people in the United Nation called them, was a top-secret organisation. Their agents were the best from each country around the world. Due to the lost of hundreds of their best agents in World War 1, The Agency started a school to trained their agents. The students usually ranged from fourteen to eighteen. They learned certain subjects, according to their speciality. Throughout the years, The Agency had learned that those who were unaware that they were agents made the best agents. This was because they could never reveal any secret to the enemy. Now, each with their own speciality: Cammi could qualify as a doctor, Nicky a computer engineer, Lis a make-up artist, Aileen a scientist, Denise an animal expert, Georgie a qualified translator and Trixie a computer expert and an artist, they were about to embark on an adventure that would be the beginning of their life long carrier.

As they sat on the beach, the hotel manager came with a bouquet of flowers for Nicky. Everyone, who knew her, knew she hated flowers. No one had ever dared to send flowers to Nicky, not after what happen with Cammi. Cammi gave her a rose for her birthday and she went berserk. She chased Cammi around the park until both of them couldn’t run anymore.

Cammi just couldn't resist teasing Nicky. "Nicky, who is your secret admirer?"

"How should I know?" said Nicky angrily. Her usually cheerful face was a mask of anger. She hated it when people send her flowers.

"You could look at the card, you know," said Lis. She took a sip of her orange juice. She played with the small umbrella that often came with the drinks, for a while.

"Well, it says here: Meet me in the lobby at twelve. Bring along your friends," read Nicky.

"What kind of guy is he? 'Bring along your friends.' Who would want us along on a first date?" said Georgie. She took the card from Nicky and studied it. She was hoping that the writing would be familiar. But, it was a neatly typed card.

"Who cares? He has expensive taste," said Cammi excitingly. She took the flowers and breathed in the perfume. She wished that someone would send her flowers. Nicky was always the one who gets the nice things.

"How do you know? You didn't send me these flowers as a joke, did you?" said Nicky. She had always been a victim of Cammi's pranks. Cammi had once disguised herself as a man and sent her on a wild goose chase for a shop that didn't exist, saying that it sold the finest climbing gear.

"No, I didn't. I know because these are camellias. They don't grow in Malaysia. They are only found in China, India and Japan. They are very expensive. They can cost about RM 120 a dozen,"

This news shocked the others. Although Cammi often played tricks on them, they believed her because her family owned the largest chain of florists in the world, 'The Castalina' franchise. They owned farms and shops all over the world. Botany was also one of Cammi's many hobbies.

They all went to their rooms. They had decided to meet this person as said in the card.


That afternoon; at twelve, they waited for Nicky's secret admirer in the lobby. They had been waiting for a few minutes when Lis saw someone they knew from school.
"Hey, isn't that Darryl Nixon?" asked Lis to Cammi.
"Looks like him. What is he doing here? I thought he was training to be an instructor at the school?" said Cammi.
Darryl Nixon was a handsome young man. He had shocking red hair and blue eyes. He was one of the smartest kids in the school. He was also different. He had ESP, which meant he could read people's mind and feel what other people were feeling. Sometimes he even had visions of the past or future. But, no matter what, he could never know what Nicky was thinking. Most of the time he could only feel her feelings. Nicky was never comfortable with him, because she felt vulnerable to his abilities. Kids at school often said that they were a couple. This made Nicky even more uncomfortable around Darryl. Seeing him right now was very upsetting.
Much to Nicky's irritation, he walked towards them. "Hey, girls! Nice to see you again," said Darryl cheerfully.
"Hello, Darryl! What brings you here? I thought you were training to be an instructor at the school," said Cammi. She looked at him with a very familiar glint in her eyes that she had whenever she was flirting. The others groaned. When will Cammi learn not to flirt with every boy she saw?
"Hello, Cammi. No, I won't go out with you, at least not tonight," Darryl said smiling at Cammi. He and Cammi were quite close. They had gone out a few times, but it was nothing serious.
Hearing his answer, Cammi smiled. "Well, it didn't hurt to think about it," she shrugged.
"Darryl, why are you here?" asked Georgie impatiently. She hated it when Cammi flirted. Especially with Darryl, because Georgie had a major crush on him. With Cammi in the picture, Georgie thought she didn't have a chance. She didn’t mind when people said Darryl and Nicky was a couple, because she knew how Nicky felt about Darryl. But, few people could ever tell what Cammi’s feelings.
"I was asked to give this to all of you," he replied. Darryl gave Nicky an envelope. Nicky opened it. Inside were pictures of a young man who resembled Cammi. With it was a ransom note asking for US$1 million for his return. The others gathered around her. When Cammi saw the picture, she gave a startled cry and went pale; very pale.
"Cammi, what's wrong? You look as if you had just seen a ghost," said Nicky. For four years she had known Cammi, never once had she saw Cammi in this state.
"That man is my uncle! Darryl, why are they holding my uncle hostage?" said Cammi. She grabbed Darryl by the collar and shook him hard. “Warum?” Cammi shouted in German. She shook Darryl even harder. Cammi could be very strong when she lost her temper. Denise quickly came to Darryl's rescue. She and Lis tried to calm Cammi.
"Why were you asked to give these to us?" asked Nicky.
"Sir Lancelot said that they wanted René Castel's niece to bring the money to them. I can't just waltz in and say 'Cammi's uncle is held hostage and could be killed.' So, I decided to send Nicky flowers. I knew that will get her attention," said Darryl, as he looked at Nicky. Nicky ignored that remark on the account that Darryl was probably nervous about telling Cammi. After all Cammi was known for her temper, which was evident in the way she lashed at Darryl.
"Are we supposed to give the money to them?" questioned Trixie.
"No, your mission is to rescue him and capture the kidnappers," Darryl said as if they were professionals.
"What do mean rescue him? Isn't that for the police? Besides, Cammi's uncle is in Scotland and it's hard to get a plane at such a short notice," said Aileen, eyeing Darryl strangely. She had been trying to comfort Cammi, who was crying.
"Those were my orders. All of you will be leaving tomorrow at eight. Here are your tickets and please don't ask any questions. Everything you will need is in the envelope," said Darryl quickly and left the girls to comfort Cammi.
"I guess there's only one thing for us to do. We have to go to Scotland and save Cammi's uncle," said Nicky as she put her hand on Cammi's shoulder.
"Merci, Nicky. I will never forget this. Thank you all of you," said Cammi gratefully. She wiped the tears on her face.
"That's what friends are for,” Lis said. She patted Cammi’s hand. Cammi gave her friends a weak smile.


That night; after packing, Lis sat looking at the sea. The others had gone out for dinner and Cammi had gone to bed early. She had been crying ever since she heard the news about her uncle. Suddenly, Lis heard a cry coming from Cammi's bed. She quickly ran to Cammi. Cammi was sleeping fitfully as she shouted something in French.
"Cammi, wake up! You are having a nightmare!" Nicky shook Cammi.
Cammi woke up sweating. "Lis, I dreamt I was in Scotland and I saw this man lying on the ground. I turned him over and it was Uncle René. I'm scared, Lis. He's my only family," cried Cammi. Lis tried to calm her.
"Shhh… it's only a dream. I promise we'll save him. Now, you should go back to sleep,"
"Lis, would you mind tucking me in? I'd really appreciate it,"
"I don't mind," said Lis as she tucked Cammi in," Now, go back to sleep."
"I can't go to sleep! Not with Uncle René in danger!" said Cammi. She threw off the covers. She sat on the bed.
"Then, what do you want to do?" asked Lis. She took a chair and sat down next to Cammi's bed.
"Just talk to me," pleaded Cammi. Her emerald eyes had lost their shine. Tears stained her face. They talked about lots of things. One of the things they talked about was about Cammi's family.
Cammi's parents died when Cammi was eleven. Her uncle, René Castel took care of her ever since her parents' death. He was only twenty-one then. The ten years' age differences made them a lot closer, more like brother and sister. René had to take care of the family businesses as well as Cammi. They travelled all over the world and did adventurous things together. She went to a girl's school in Switzerland at thirteen years old. A year later, her uncle enrolled her in the special school; where she met Nicky, Denise, Aileen, Lis, Georgie and Trixie.
"Lis, why haven't you gone back to your room yet? Cammi, you still haven't gone to sleep? Move it, we have an early flight tomorrow," said Georgie when she came back from dinner and found Lis and Cammi still talking. Lis went back to her room that she shared with Denise. That night, they all slept fitfully.


"Here we are in Scotland. I wonder where is our contact? He's supposed to meet us here when we arrive," said Nicky. They had landed for half an hour and still no sign of their contact.
Suddenly, a young girl came running towards them. She had long blonde hair, rosy complexion and a nice figure. "Are you all friends of Darryl?"
"Yes. Who are you?" answered Denise.
"I'm your contact. Now, let's go or we'll never reach Tayside before tea," said the girl impatiently. She took the bag that Aileen was holding and puts it in the back of a van parked nearby. A boy, no older than the girl, drove the van.
In the van the girl introduced herself as Drina Green and the boy as Teddy, her twin brother.
"Okay, now that you've introduced yourselves, how about telling us the situation," said Nicky.
"Well, we all know that they are serious. They want Camellia to bring the money to the Castle Camelot, Sunday at nine. Your job is," she pointed to the rest, "To rescue him and to capture the kidnappers."
"And how are we suppose to do that?" said Denise. She felt that there was something else that the girl and the boy were not telling them.
"All of you have your own special skill. Use them," said Teddy. He turned left at a traffic light. He stopped the van in front of a large mansion.
"Here we are. Welcome to Lance Manor," said Drina. She gave Cammi a bunch of keys and an envelope. "In this envelope are the things you need to know. Good luck!"
"But, aren't you gonna stay?" said Denise. Nicky was already unloading their bags.
"No, this is your first job. The board has a rule that says no help from others during initiation," said Teddy. "But I do hope we'll see each other again." Teddy gave Lis a shy smile.
"Board? What board?" asked Trixie. She felt there was something strange about Drina and Teddy.
"That you will know in time,” said Teddy, as he got in the van. Drina and Teddy left without another word.
"I guess we should go inside and see the house," said Denise. They all picked up their luggage and went inside.
The interior of the mansion was even more beautiful than the outside. There was antique furniture everywhere. There was a beautiful chandelier hanging above them. The staircase was like from a book. It was white and Cammi almost expected a prince to come down.
Suddenly, "Ah, Miss Nicole and company have arrived! Why didn't you ring the bell, miss?" asked an old man who came from the next room. He called for a servant to take the girls' luggage.
There one thing that Nicky hated most and that is when someone calls her 'Nicole'. "Who, may I ask, are you sir?" she asked, politely enough.
"I'm Robert McNiely, the head butler, miss. I have orders to treat all of you as the mistresses of the house."
"May I ask who gave those orders?" asked Aileen. She was getting a bit suspicious about this whole trip. If it weren't for Cammi, she wouldn't have come. Now someone gave orders that they should be treated like queens. The detective instinct in her told her that there was definitely something strange going on.
"That is for me to know, Miss Aileen. Now, Wiona will take you to your rooms. You are free to walk around the mansion if you like. Dinner will be serve at seven," said McNiely stiffly. He left them with a young maid.
"Please follow me, miss," said the girl. She took them upstairs. “You can have any room you want. If you need anything, ring the bell that is in your room." The girl then left them standing in the corridor.
"Okay, let's check out the rooms and decide which one we will take," said Nicky.
There were eight rooms altogether. They each picked a room. They noticed that the rooms were just what they liked. The other room at the end of the hall turned out to be a library. They decided to meet in there after unpacking.
"So, what are we going to do next?" asked Trixie, as she sat next to Aileen in the library.
"I really don't know," answered Nicky. As the others sat down in the middle of the library, Cammi looked around. She pulled out a book titled 'Medical Encyclopaedia Volume 7.' Suddenly, the shelf opened. The girls saw a dark staircase leading downwards.
"Now, what have you done, Cammi?" said Nicky. They gathered around the doorway.
"Where do you think it leads?" asked Georgie to no one specific. She leaned on Nicky's back. In fact, everyone was leaning on Nicky.
"I don't know. But I intend to find out. Now, would you all please get off me?" said Nicky. She pushed them off her and was about to go in when Denise grabbed her arm.
"Are you sure it's safe? I mean, for all we know all these could be a trap,"
"We won't find out if we don't go in," said Trixie. She found a switch and turned it on. The whole staircase filled with bright light. It was as if they were supposed to go in. The girls took a vote and decided to go in.
They walked for about what seemed hours. When they reached the bottom of the staircase, they couldn't believe what they saw. The room was a science and computer lab, studio and a small gym combined together. Everything that they could ever need was there.
"Si je m’étais attendu à ca! Are you guys seeing what I'm seeing?" asked Cammi. She rubbed her eyes.
"If you're seeing what I think you're seeing, then I'm seeing what you're seeing," said Aileen. She checked out the science equipment. "Look at these things. Hydrochloric acid, acetone, an atomic clock, everything that a scientist would ever need is here."
"Check out the computers! They are all the newest and most modern models. I could do almost anything," said Trixie. She began fiddling with the computer.
"The gym is kind of small. But it has enough equipment to give someone a good workout," said Nicky.
"Hey, guys! Look at this," said Trixie. She pushed a button on one of the computers. It had the words 'Press me' written on it.
"Welcome, Nicole, Lisa, Camellia, Aileen, Denise, Trixie and Georgina. My name is FX 2000. But you can call me FX. I have been programmed just for you. You can ask me any question, tell me your deepest secrets, and so on," said a computer generated face that resembled Darryl.
"Hey, you look a lot like our friend, Darryl," said Nicky, accusingly.
"Darryl is my inventor and programmer," FX said as if they had known all along. He somehow sat down on a chair behind him. Lis noticed he was wearing a brightly coloured shirt with black jeans.
"I see Darryl also managed to include his fashion taste in your program," Nicky said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"It's all I can find on such short notice in my closet. I have clothes for every condition, nation and weather in the world."
"What do you mean 'short notice'?" asked Georgie. She's not a computer genius but she knew FX was not your ordinary computer.
"I do everything that a person do. I shower, eat and do other things. Except all these are done inside the computer. Have you seen the show 'I Dream Of Genie'?" said FX. The girls nodded. "Well, I'm almost like the genie. Just don't ask me to grant you three wishes. Enough talk about me. Let's talk about your plan on how to save René Castel."
"We never saved anyone before. How are we going to know we're doing the right thing?" puzzled Trixie.
"Never save any... Why, you once saved a very important dog! Do you guys remember a certain French poodle belonging to a certain diplomat?" FX reminded them.
"Esmeralde, Franklin Graham's French poodle," laughed Cammi. They could never forget a dog that nearly got Nicky drowned, broke Denise's leg, ruined Aileen's important experiment and ate Cammi's English paper. The dog nearly died after being kidnapped. But after a few sleepless nights caused by guilty conscience, the girls rescued her from the kidnappers and nursed the poor dog back to health.
"That doesn't count. Esmeralde was only a dog. This is a man we're talking about," argued Lis.
"It's the same thing. You used your skills to save Esmeralde. Use them to save René," reasoned FX. He had somehow managed to make his dinner in the middle of everything. "You better leave now if you don't want to be late for dinner. McNiely hates it when people are late," FX continued as he began to eat his dinner.
"Oh, I completely forgot about dinner. We better hurry," said Aileen. She stopped fiddling with a microscope.
They were about to leave when FX called them, "I nearly forgot, there's something for you in the safe next to the table there. The combination is NLCADTG."
They opened the safe. It contained seven gold watches with their names engraved on them. "FX, what are these for?" Cammi asked as she put on the watch that had her name on it.
"Those are special watches. You can communicate with me no matter where you are. You can also communicate with each other," explained FX, "Please wear it at all times. Don't worry, they are water proof." His fish was moving and he was struggling to cut it.
"We'd better go now. I'm getting hungry. Bye, FX!" said Nicky. They all left FX with his fish.


"That was a lovely dinner, Robert. It was one of the finest I had ever eaten," Cammi complimented the fine dinner they had just had. "And the dessert was magnificent."
"I will tell the cook you said that, Miss Camellia," said McNiely. He began to gather the dishes.
"I've never seen you eat so much, Cammi. If you go on like that, you'll grow as fat as Trixie," Nicky pointed at Trixie.
"Hey, who said I'm fat? I'm just a little mmm...plump," argued Trixie. Her weight had always been a joke between them.
"Don't worry, Trixie. You're just nice the way you are. In fact, you're cute," said Aileen. She patted Trixie's shoulder.
They were sitting in the library when they heard a beeping sound. "Did you hear that?" asked Cammi.
"If you mean a beeping sound coming from our watches, yeah I heard it and I still can hear it," said Nicky, like it happens to them all the time.
"Hey, won't anybody answer me?" they heard FX's voice said. They looked at their watches.
"FX, what's up?" Denise said. She felt a bit weird talking to her wristwatch.
"Meet me in the 'Room' now. We need to talk about you know what." FX whispered.
"Why are you whispering, FX? There's no one here but us," said Aileen.
"Even walls have ears. Put down your muffin and hurry up, Cammi," urged FX.
"How did..." Cammi managed to say before Nicky dragged her to the secret passage.
FX was waiting for them when they arrived. "Well, you sure took your time to get here."
"Cammi insisted on finishing her muffin," said Nicky, looking at Cammi.
"Were you finishing your muffin or changed your clothes? I personally think that the green dress looked nicer. It matched your eyes," FX smiled. Cammi blushed. Her face turned almost as red as her hair.
"Okay FX, why did you ask us to come here? I'm sure it's not to give fashion tips for Cammi," said Nicky. She took a chair and sat down in front of the computer.
"We need to talk about your plan. Here's the blue print of the castle," FX showed a blue print on the main screen next to the main computer. "Here's were they are holding René, in the east tower. Cammi will go in with the money and the rest will have to go through the window and rescue him when they are busy with Cammi."
"But, Nicky's the only one besides Cammi who has experience in climbing, None of us know how to climb," said Aileen, indicating Lis, Denise, Georgie, Trixie and herself.
"Do they know how Cammi look like?" asked Lis. She had an idea, but it would be risky.
"No. Why?" FX scratched his head.
"Then, one of us could go as Cammi. René's hair is red, so they must expect a redhead. I could easily disguise one of us as Cammi. I could do wonders with wigs and a bit of make-up,"
"That's a great idea! Cammi and Nicky could climb into the castle and open the castle for us," said Denise excitedly.
"Hold on a second. I just heard that they are planning to have a ball in the castle tomorrow night. I had entered your names into the guest list," FX showed them a long list of people and at the end of the list were their names.
"Why would we want to go to a ball held in the castle?" asked Georgie.
"So you can scout the place. Tomorrow, go shopping and find a nice costume. After the ball, meet me here at midnight so we can discuss our plan," told FX.
"But I hate dressing up," complained Nicky. She scowled at the idea of wearing a ball gown for a night.
"It would be fun. Don't worry about being recognised, it's a masquerade ball," said FX, smiling.
"Whatever you say, FX. G'night, FX," said Nicky gloomily. They all slept better that night.


The next morning, at breakfast they were discussing their plans for the day when McNiely announced that their vehicles had arrived. "Miss, your vehicles have arrived. They are in the garage."
"What do you mean by our vehicles, Robert?" asked Trixie. She wiped her mouth with her napkin.
"I suggest you look for yourself, Miss Trixie,"
When they reached the garage, they saw their cars and motorcycles, all shiny and sat nicely in the garage. Nicky's and Lis's Harley Davidsons, Cammi's black Jeep, Aileen's Ferrari, Denise's black Land Rover, Trixie's Geo-cruiser and Georgie's blue BMW sport car.
"What in the world are they doing here?” exclaimed Cammi. She checked her Jeep and found a small screen and a few unknown buttons were installed. The others also found the same addition to their vehicles, only different according to the type. Nicky and Lis found a small microphone and earphones were installed in their helmets.
Suddenly, the wall in front of them turned to reveal a screen similar to the one in the 'Room.'
"So, how do you like it? The new addition is for communication. You can talk to me and your friends while you're driving," said FX.
"FX, why is my Jeep here in Scotland?"
"You need transportation to get around, don't you? So, I made a few phone calls last night,"
"A few? Our cars were in seven different places, each thousands of miles apart,” said Denise.
"I can't explain exactly why I did it. But, let's just say it's important that you believe me," FX offered no other explanation. "Now, I suggest you get a move on finding a costume for tonight."
They went back to the house and asked McNiely where they could find costumes for the ball. He told them that there was a store in town that sold all kinds of clothes for parties. They could either buy or rent one. Cammi didn't want to go with the rest of the gang.
"Cammi, why won't you come with us?" asked Aileen. Her tone had a hint of disappointment in it.
"I want my costume to be a surprise," she said as she went out the door. The girls heard the Jeep roared as it went out the gate.


"I hate shopping," grumbled Nicky she was holding four shopping bags for Aileen, Trixie and Lis. The three of them decided that they needed new shoes to go with the costume they bought. Denise and Georgie had gone to the bookstore, knowing that if they stay, they would have to carry Aileen's, Trixie and Lis's shopping bags. Knowing them, the shopping bags could add up to eight, or maybe even ten.
Nicky was about to go in the store when Lis came out and said, "Hey, isn't that Cammi coming out of the store there?" Lis pointed to a girl carrying a large bundle of cloth. The girl looked a lot like Cammi. Just as Nicky turned, the girl disappeared into a black Jeep.
When they reached the mansion, Nicky asked if Cammi had returned. "Yes, Miss Nicole. She returned a few minutes ago."
Nicky stopped at Cammi's room on her way to hers. She knocked on the door. "Cammi, would like you to see our costumes?"
"I'm sorry, Nicky. I'm a bit busy right now. Why don't we meet in the library at seven, okay?" come Cammi's answer.
"Whatever you say, Cammi," Nicky went to her room.


"How do you like my costume?" Aileen showed off her pink cotehardie. It was from silk and had floating sleeves. The pink went very well with Aileen's blonde hair and blue eyes. Her blue eyes hidden by a glittering pink mask. Her hair held by a pink comb. She looked beautiful.
"It's wonderful. You look like a princess. How do you like my wedding gown?" said Trixie. She stood and turned to show Aileen her dress. It was a beautiful wedding dress made of silk. It showed off Trixie's shoulders very nicely. It had a full skirt that reached her ankles. Trixie's face hidden by a white feathery mask. A white veil covered her nut-brown hair. She held a bouquet of white roses.
"You look like you're on your way to your wedding," laughed Nicky. She had just come into the library. She sang the tune 'Here Comes The Bride' as she walked in.
"Well, at least I don't look like some-... who are you suppose to be anyway?" asked Trixie. She tossed her veil.
"I'm Zorro. Hero of the poor and nightmare of the rich," said Nicky, drawing her sword and bowed. She wore a loose black shirt, black pants, a black mask and hat. Nicky also had a moustache that Lis had help drawn. One look at her, it's easy to mistake her for a young man dressed in a costume. The only fault was her eyes. They were too gentle.
"Well Zorro, what do you think of my costume?” asked Lis. She wore a beautiful dress with crinoline, made of carmine velvet. It was a sleeveless and figure-hugging dress. Around her waist, Lis tied a gold cord. Lis wore a matching shawl and mask. She looked lovely in red. Her crown and necklace brought out her excellent beauty.
Nicky gave a whistle. "My fair lady, you are beautiful. May I have this dance?" Nicky took Lis's hand and leads her in the most terrible waltz steps anyone had ever seen. Nicky maybe a good dancer when the music was fast, but she was terrible in slow dances. In less than five minutes of the dance, Nicky must have stepped on Lis's feet fifteen times.
"My lady, let me save you from this terrible barbarian who had been dancing on your beautiful feet for the past five minutes," Denise offered Lis her hand. She was dress as Robin Hood, complete with a bow and arrows. She wore a green tunic and a pair of green tights. A green mask covered half her face. Denise also wore a green hat with a feather.
"Thank you, Sir Robin,” Lis took Denise's hand and danced on, leaving Nicky with no one to dance with but Aileen. Nicky asked Aileen for a dance. Aileen quickly turned her down because she would like to have her feet in good condition for the ball.
"Lis, why did I let you talk me into wearing this stupid outfit?" grumbled Georgie as she walked into the library. She was dressed as an Arabian princess. The lavender-coloured outfit showed off her figure beautifully. She wore a veil and a mask.
"You don't look stupid. You look beautiful," Aileen complimented Georgie.
"Where's Cammi? She's the only one who still haven't shown up," wondered Trixie. She adjusted her veil that had fallen off.
"She said she'd meet us here. She had wanted to keep her costume a surprise," said Nicky.
Just then, they saw her. She was wearing a white hooded cloak over a white ball gown. Her auburn hair tied into an elegant French braid, with a white silk ribbon at the end. A string of pearls circled her white throat. She wore a white feathery mask that covered her face.
"Cammi... is that really you?" asked Nicky. She couldn't believe Cammi would look like that.
"Of course it's me, silly. Who else would you think it was?" Cammi took off her cloak, only to reveal her magnificent gown. It had small ribbons around the full skirt. The collar turned up and the neckline was as low as it could get. Cammi held a white ivory fan in her hand. She looked so sweet and angelic.
"So this is the secret costume you had been working on all day long," said Lis. She walked around Cammi to admire the dress.
"I bought the dress but I made everything else,"
"Okay, enough small talk. I can hear McNiely calling us. Our limo must have arrived," interrupted Trixie. She gathered her bouquet and coat.
"I can't go out like this. People can see right through it," said Georgie. Lis sort of forgot to mention to Georgie that you could see right through her costume.
"Yes, you can. People can only see your legs. Besides, you have nice legs," answered Cammi as she put on her cloak.
"I'm not going to dance. Not even if the guy is the cutest guy I had ever seen," grumbled Georgie as she got into the limo with the rest.


"Hey, look at Georgie! I thought she said she wasn't going to dance," said Trixie to Denise, as she watched Georgie dancing with a very cute boy. In fact, the boy was Georgie's seventh dance partner.
"Fhuh, am I tired?! I don't think I can dance to another song," said Georgie. The song had ended and she had sent her partner to fetch her some punch.
"I'll remind you that when another boy ask you to dance," Denise said lazily.
"Hey, at least I'm not as bad as Cammi. She hadn't stopped dancing ever since we got here," Georgie, pointing at Cammi who was dancing with a very handsome boy. She had been dancing ever since they arrived. First a count asked her to dance. Then, a prince, a duke and a baron. She had even danced with a boy in a gorilla suit.
"Having fun?" Cammi said as she stood next to Trixie. She adjusted Trixie's veil, which had been covering her eyes.
"Sure. I've been standing here for the last hour and you're asking if I was having fun?" said Trixie. She drank her seventh glass of punch slowly. It was beginning to taste like plain water.
"You looked as if you were having fun when you were dancing with that handsome joker," teased Cammi. Trixie blushed. "Have you guys seen Nicky?" Cammi continued.
Denise was about to answer her when suddenly Nicky came up from behind them, "Please hide me, guys! She's crazy!" She ducked behind Trixie's skirt.
A girl dressed in a witch outfit came up to them, "Have you seen a handsome boy dressed as Zorro?"
"I don't think so," Cammi said innocently. She really didn't know whom the girl meant. The only person at the ball dressed as Zorro was Nicky. Unless... "Oh, you mean Zorro the Romeo!" Cammi said as if she knew this Zorro. "I think I saw him go that way," Cammi pointed at the banquet table at the other end of the ballroom.
The girl thanked Cammi and went towards the other end of the ballroom. When the girl went away, Cammi started to laugh. The others didn't know what was the joke. The only one who seemed to understand was Nicky.
"Cammi, stop it! How was I to know this would happen?" sulked Nicky.
"How did it happen?" Cammi managed to say. When she said it, she laughed again.
"Could someone please tell me what the joke is?" Aileen said as she stood next to Nicky. She had managed to spill her punch on three of her seven dance partners. Her last partner made a very lame excuse for leaving, when Aileen kept stepping on his feet. He said he had to feed his parrot. He was dress as a pirate with a fake parrot on his shoulder.
“You see, il y a eu un malentendu,” Cammi said, before having another laughing fit.
"Don't you even dare, Cammi!" Nicky said, even though she couldn’t understand French. But she had a feeling that Cammi was about to tell her friends about the little misunderstanding.
"She can't even stop laughing, how can she tell us anything? Maybe you should tell us, Nicky! You seemed to know why she's laughing," Lis said. She didn't know the whole story, but she heard Cammi laughing. Cammi seldom laughed as hard as she was now. Usually she would mind her manners, especially around boys.
"You see, Denise introduced me to one of her dance partners. Then his sister came. When he introduced us, she somehow got the idea that I'm a...," Nicky hesitatingly starts to tell the story. But Cammi interrupted her.
"She thought Nicky was a boy," Then, she laughed again. This time, the others joined her.
Nicky was about to scold them when Cammi screamed, "Denise, you didn't bring Harry, did you?" Cammi took a few steps away from Denise.
"Actually, I did. I just can't leave him at home. He would probably feel lonely, especially in a new environment. How did you know I brought him along, Cammi?" Denise asked. She had put Harry in her pocket, as usual.
Before Cammi could answer, Georgie said, "Probably because Harry is sitting quietly on your shoulder. Or is that another spider that looks like Harry?" She took a closer look at the spider on Denise's shoulder. “It’s Harry all right, right down to the last hair.”
"Maybe that's why your last dance partner ran out of the ballroom so fast," Lis said, innocently.
"Well, just keep it away from me!" said Cammi, frightened. She was afraid of spiders.
"Harry wouldn't hurt you," Denise tried to calm Cammi. She put back Harry inside her pocket.
Trixie looked at her watch and saw that they had already wasted a lot of precious time, “Okay, enough fun already! We have to look around the place. Remember, it's tomorrow night. We don't have much time," Trixie reminded them the real reason they were there.
"That's easy," said Cammi, recovering her composure. "We'll split up and cover everything in no time."
"I'll go with Trixie and search the west side," volunteered Aileen. She pulled Trixie next to her.
"Lis and I will take the south," said Denise. Lis just agreed with her, as long as she didn't end up alone.
"That leaves Georgie, Cammi and me. I think I can go alone. I'll take the north," said Nicky.
"I guess that leaves us the east side. Meet here at 11.45 p.m. Be careful," Cammi and Georgie went to the east side.


"Trixie, what would we do if we run onto someone?" asked Aileen nervously. She tiptoed behind Trixie, as they walked through the castle's hall.
"We'll think about it when it happens," decided Trixie.
Suddenly, they heard footsteps coming their way. There was no place to hide. "Hey, you two, what are you doing here? You are not supposed to be here," said the man.
Trixie, seeing Aileen getting nervous under the watchful eyes of the man, quickly turned on her charm, "We were looking for the ladies' room and we sort of got lost. You know how these old castles are, they are just like giant mazes," Trixie took a step forward, "We were hoping a handsome gentleman like you would come and save us," Trixie looked at him seductively.
The man believed everything that Trixie said, "Come on, I'll take you back to the ballroom." He offered his arms to Aileen and Trixie. "Two beautiful girls like you shouldn't go around this castle alone. Danger lurks everywhere here."
"Thank you for helping us,” said Trixie to the man, when they reached the ballroom. After the man had left, "Well, we didn't find anything in west side. That man, I wonder who he was," said Trixie.
"I don't care, as long as I don't have to meet him again. It would be few minutes before the others come back, Aileen sat down in a chair, "I hope they will have better luck than we did."


"This place isn't guarded at all. An elephant can walk in and they will never notice," said Denise to Lis.
"Come on there's nothing here. Let's go back. FX said that Cammi's uncle is held in the east tower," Lis pulled Denise's arm. The hall was too dark for her liking. The shadows looked as if the were moving.
"Okay, it's already nearly 11.45 anyway. I hope the others had better luck," Denise said as they turned back. "Lis, why don't you tell me about your plan for tomorrow."
Lis told Denise her plan. Unknown to both of them, someone was listening to them, in the shadows.


"I wish I didn't say I'd go alone. This place gives me the creeps," whispered Nicky to herself. She began regretting her decision exploring the north side alone.
She walked for quite a while. She didn't run into anyone. It seemed that this side of the castle had no guards. When she reached the end of the hall, she saw a stairwell. She was about to go down it when she heard a noise behind her. Before she knew it she had fallen down the stairs.
"Are you okay?" said a very concerned voice. The person helped Nicky up.
"I'm fine. Just a little dizzy," Nicky said. Then she turned to see her saver, “It's you!”
"Hello Zorro! I never thought I'd meet you again like this," said the girl in the witch outfit.
"I'd better go. My friends are waiting for me," Nicky tried to get away. But she was still a bit shaken from the fall. But the girl managed to catch her.
"Let me walk you back. You had quite a nasty spill," the girl wouldn't buy anything that Nicky said to get out of this sticky situation. She also purposely led Nicky through the long away. All the way back, the girl just talked and talked, not giving the slightest chance for Nicky to say anything.
When they reached the ballroom, Nicky saw Lis, Denise, Trixie and Aileen sitting together. "There are my friends. I better go. Thank you," Nicky quickly thanked the girl and went to join the others. The girl went away disappointed.
"Nicky, what happen to you? You look a bit pale," Denise said concernedly. She helped Nicky to a chair.
"I'm fine. I just had a little fall. Not to mention a thirty minutes walk back here with that witch," Nicky, pointing at a girl who was looking very jealous.
"Well, when Cammi comes back let her check you, okay?" said Lis.
"Whatever you say," Nicky rubbed her forehead where a large bump was beginning to show.
Meanwhile, in the east side of the castle, Georgie and Cammi found that it was heavily guarded. "Georgie, how are we going to get inside the tower?" whispered Cammi.
"You could climb through the window. It's not very high," Georgie pointed out.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed Cammi by the shoulder, "What are you doing here? You are not supposed to be here," said a very heavily built man. Cammi quickly used one of the holds she learnt in judo classes. Unlucky for the man Cammi graduated from the class with flying colours. Cammi knocked him out in seconds.
"Cammi, let's get out of here," Georgie grabbed Cammi's arm. They turned left at a corner, but it was a dead end. Behind them, they could hear voices.
"They must have found the man. He's sure to tell them about us," panicked Georgie.
"Shhhh... stay calm, Georgie! I'll get us out of this mess." Cammi looked around for something that she could use to save themselves. Suddenly, she remembered, "FX, help us get out of here," Cammi contacted FX, using her watch.
"Where are you?" said FX's voice.
"We're in the east wing, not far from the tower," whispered Cammi. She could hear footsteps coming closer towards them.
"Wait, I've got your signal. There's a secret door on the left of the suit of armour, the one with a red lance. Pull the lance downwards and the door will open. The door will close back when the lance moves back to its right position. The passage will lead you to the courtyard," instructed FX.
Cammi quickly did as instruct. The door managed to close behind them, just as three men went by. They followed the passage right to courtyard.
"That was a close call. Remind me to thank FX when we get back," Georgie said in relief. They were standing in the courtyard.
"Let's go and meet the others. They'll be worried about us," said Cammi.


"There they are. Cammi, Georgie, where have you guys been?" asked Lis.
"We nearly got caught. Luckily, FX managed to get us out of there," explained Cammi. "What happen to your head, Nicky?" Cammi checked the bump on Nicky's head.
"I had a little accident."
"I think it's just a light concussion. But, I want you to go straight to bed when we get back, okay?" said Cammi, after she had examined Nicky.
"But, FX wants to meet us after the ball," argued Nicky.
"No arguing. You are going straight to bed. I'll tell you about the meeting tomorrow," Cammi offered no arguments.
"We'd better be getting back. It's nearly midnight," Aileen reminded them.


"Hello, aren't you early? It's only twelve thirty," said FX sarcastically. He was waiting for them in his pyjamas.
"We're sorry, FX. We got here as fast as we can. We still haven't changed out of our costumes," apologised Trixie.
"Where's Nicky?"
"She's resting. She had a little accident at the castle," answered Cammi in a business-like tone. "Now let's talk about our plan for tomorrow."
"We can use Lis's plan to disguise one of us as Cammi," said Denise.
"Okay, any volunteers?" asked FX
"I can do it. Cammi is just about my size," Denise compared her petite figure with Cammi's five foot seven, "Well, maybe a size bigger. But I don't think they'll notice."
"Then, that's settles. Now about the tower, there's a window that leads into a room. I managed to access a military satellite. Using the infrared sensory on board, I counted five men guarding the room. Nicky and Cammi will climb up and free René. The others can use the secret passage from the courtyard. Georgie knows the way. Denise, when you are taken inside, switch on the green button on your watch. The other watches will beep. Then the others can move in. Denise, you have to be extra careful. One false move and your identity would be revealed," said FX. He was searching for something under his bed.
"I understand," replied Denise. She couldn't help feeling scared.
Aileen yawned, "FX, is that all?"
"Yes, we'll go over it again tomorrow. Now get some sleep," said FX as he found what he was looking for; his teddy bear.
"G'night FX!" said the girls as they left FX with his teddy bear.


The next morning, they woke up early. They were brief again of the plan: for Nicky's sake. Then, they made the necessary preparations. Nicky and Cammi checked the climbing equipment and worked out a bit, to warm up for the night. Lis searched for the right wig and contacts for Denise to wear. Aileen and Trixie studied the blue print of the castle that FX had printed out. The others depended on them to remember all the escape routes and secret passages. Georgie and Denise practised their taekwando.
Soon the night came. "Good luck! Don't worry, you'll do just fine," FX assured the girls, as they got more nervous. Aileen had been eating chocolates all day. One of the reasons for her chocolate 'frenzy' was nervousness.
"Easy for you to say. You're sitting here while I climb a tower," said Nicky.
"Enough already! Let's go," scolded Cammi. "We'll stay in contact with you, FX."
"Be careful," they heard FX said as they walked out.


"Okay, Denise. Go in and the minute they let you in, signal us," Cammi instructed. Everyone was dress in black except for Denise. She wore one of Cammi's dress, a red wig and green contacts. Lis did a great job. It was remarkable how much Denise resembled Cammi.
"Wish me luck!" Denise took a deep breath and walked up to the front gate.
"Cammi and I will climb in as soon as Denise goes in. The rest go in now," whispered Nicky. Aileen, Trixie, Georgie and Lis climbed the sidewall, into the courtyard. Georgie led them to the secret passage in the courtyard. They were careful not to let any of the guards see them.
A man let Denise in. She pressed the green button to signal Cammi and Nicky. "Okay, Denise is in. Come on, Cammi," Nicky and Cammi climbed over the sidewall. When they reached the tower, Nicky threw a rope up. She made sure it was secure before climbing. When she reached the top, she signalled Cammi to begin climbing. Nicky hid in the shadows while waiting for Cammi.
When Cammi reached the top, they saw René tied to a chair and guarded by two men. "Where are the other three?" asked Nicky.
"They're probably guarding the door," said Cammi.
"You take the right and I'll take the left," said Nicky. She jumped out of the shadows.
"What in the..." one of the men shouted. He didn't manage to finish the sentence because Nicky hit him on the head with the back of her hand. The other man attacked Nicky, but Cammi kicked him in the stomach and Nicky knocked him out. Nicky tied up the two men, while Cammi untied René.
"Fleur, what are you doing here?” René gave Cammi a big bear hug. René was a handsome young man. Looking at him people would know that looks ran in Cammi's family. He was six feet tall and muscular. He looked a lot like Cammi, only his eyes had charm instead of mischief. René kissed Cammi's forehead, "I missed you, Fleur," Just then the other three guards came in.
Nicky tried to hold them off on her own. But they were too much for her. "I'm sorry to ruin this very touching union, but here are three more," Nicky told them. René punched out one of them, while Cammi threw another one over her shoulder and hits him in the face. Nicky kicked the last one in the shin and hit his head with a chair.
After they tied up the three guards, they went downstairs to join the others. They found Aileen standing alone in the hall, looking very frightened, "Aileen, what's wrong? Why are you standing here? Where are the others?" asked Cammi.
"Cammi, they found out about Denise. We tried to save her, but there were too many of them. The others was caught, but I managed to escape by hiding behind the curtains," Aileen wiped a tear on her cheek and continued, "After they left, I came straight here and hoped that you two weren't caught also,"
"How many were they?" René offered Aileen a handkerchief.
"There were ten of them. They took Denise and the others to the dining hall. I heard that they planned to kill them," answered Aileen.
"We'll need a plan," René thought for a while. "Cammi, you'll create a diversion. Nicky and Aileen, both of you try to sneak in when Cammi has the guards attention," René explained his plan after a few minutes of thought, "Cammi and I will deal with the guards."
Cammi walked up towards the two guards. At first they were angry, but after Cammi turned on her charms, they fell for it. Cammi leads them to a corner, while Nicky and Aileen sneaked in the dining hall. After they got in, René punched one of the guards just as he was about to kiss Cammi. His friend took out a gun and pointed it at René. But, Cammi kicked it out of his hand. René then punched the man unconscious.
"Now, what do we do?" whispered Aileen after Cammi and René joined them inside the dining hall. There they saw Lis, Trixie, Georgie and Denise tied up with guns pointed at them.
"Okay, Nicky and Cammi, you take the five near the bar. Aileen and I will take care of the others," instructed René, "After you had taken care of them, free the others and call the police."
"But, I don't know how to fight," cried Aileen. She was near to tears.
"Don't worry, just stay behind me. If anything goes wrong, run and get help," said René, "Okay, now!" They charged at the men.
Cammi did a triple flip and landed right in on the bar. She kicked one of the men in the face. Nicky punched another as Cammi grabbed another by his head and kicked him in the stomach. The other one was to shocked to do anything, even when Nicky took his gun and pointed it at him. René was struggling with the other five. While Nicky told the man to untie the girls, Cammi helped René. She did a double somersault and kicked one of the men. René tried to punch one of them, but the man managed to duck. René accidentally punched Nicky. The man tried to grab Nicky. Unfortunately for him, Lis hit him on the head with a vase. "Ouch!" Lis cried out.
"What happen?" Cammi asked as she held a guard in a chokehold.
"I broke a nail," Lis answered as she hit another guard with a poker.
Meanwhile, Georgie hit a man with a chair. The man got up again and tried to hit her. But, Georgie managed to duck and before the man could turn around, she hit him again with a tray. The man fell and Georgie turned to Denise. Suddenly, someone grabbed her by the arm. She turned and saw the man she had just hit, "Don't you ever give up?" Georgie then punched him in the face. This time Georgie checked to see if he was really unconscious. The man tried to open his eyes. But before he could even blink, Georgie punched him out again.
"Someone, help me, please!" cried Aileen. One of the guards managed to corner her. He was holding a sword at Aileen's throat.
Suddenly, someone hit him over the head with a bottle of champagne, "Never mess with my best friend," said Trixie to the unconscious man.
"Thanks." Aileen said to Trixie.
"No problem. But, it's a pity to waste such excellent champagne," Trixie looked at what was left of the bottle and checked the date, "A good year too," Trixie shook her head.
Trixie was tying the man up when another came up behind her. Aileen moved fast. She grabbed the broken bottle and scratched the man in the face. Trixie turned to see the man making a grab at Aileen. But, before she could do anything, Aileen kicked and punched the man. “I didn’t know you could do that,” Trixie gaped.
“Neither did I,” Aileen smiled. She gave Trixie a high-five.
"FX, call the police," said Denise. She was pinning a man to the floor. Then, she hit him in the chest. The man groaned in pain and fainted.
A few minutes later, the police came. "What in the world happen here?" asked the inspector in charge when he saw the state of the dining hall. Truly it was a sight. About twenty men lay unconscious on the floor. The room looked as if it had just been hit by a tornado. The inspector looked at one of the men and said to his sergeant, "Better call for an ambulance."
"But the girls look fine, sir. So is the man," said the sergeant, puzzled.
"Not for them, you nitwit! For them!" the inspector pointed at the unconscious men. He turned to the girls, "It was very brave of you to try and save this man alone. But next time, leave it to the police, okay?" The girls nodded, "Not that I think they would this again," he mumbled as looked sympathetically at the men.
"Uncle René, I was so worried," Cammi hugged René after the inspector left.
"Ahhh... isn't that sweet? Nicky, look at them," said Aileen, smiling at the sight of the happy family reunion.
"Is there anything I could do to thank all of you?" asked René after he released Cammi.
The girls discussed it for a while. "Uncle René, when we got the news of your captive, we were on our holiday. So..." Cammi said sweetly.
"So, you want another holiday, to repay the holiday you missed," René said. The girls nodded. "Then, you shall have it. Pick any place in the world and I'll arrange everything,"
"You see, that's the problem. We can't decide where we want to go," said Cammi.
"How about if I send you anywhere in the world? Any place that you want to go. Just name the place and I'll take care of the rest. In fact, I can even give you a trip around the world!" René said excitedly. "How about that?"
"That would be great! You'd really send us on a trip around the world?" said Cammi. Her green eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Of course! You can go anywhere and stay there for as long as you want," promised René to the girls. He then looked at Nicky, "Before I forget, Nicky. I'm sorry for punching you. It was an accident,"
"It's okay. I'm used to it already," René looked a little puzzled. The girls just laughed.
René had some business to take care, so he said good bye to them. “Merci, Fleur. Je t’aime,” René whispered to Cammi.
“Je t’aime,” Cammi kissed her uncle goodbye.
After giving their statements to the police, the girls went home. They had brought their own vehicles. On their way home, the girls rode in their own vehicles. "Cammi, in the tower, your uncle called you 'Fluer.' What does that mean?" asked Nicky through the communicator.
"It's French for 'flower.' It's his nickname for me, because I was named after my parents favourite flower," explained Cammi.
When they reached Lance Manor, they went straight to the 'Room.' But the secret staircase wasn't there anymore. Their cars were not in the garage. They tried to contact FX, but there was no answer. On the table, in the library was a note saying that they were to leave for Australia the day after tomorrow.
"Cammi, do you think we just imagine FX?" asked Georgie, as they sat in the library.
"No, it's impossible for seven people to imagine the same thing," reasoned Cammi.
"Then good, because I really liked him. Maybe we'll meet him again," said Nicky.


In Room 201, at the hospital, "How are you feeling, Davis?" he asked.
"I'm fine. Just a little sore on the head. That Spencer girl sure is strong," Davis said.
"The others are doing fine, I hope,"
"Yeah, Larry and Dickson have light concussions. Garth has a bruised neck. Ken has a few broken ribs. The others have bruises here and there. Parkinson will have scars on his face from O’Brien. But the guys in the tower are worst. Harrison has a fractured leg from that Perry girl. Are you sure she doesn't play soccer or maybe even football?" joked Davis.
He laughed, "Thank you for your help, Davis,"
"Anytime, sir. Just remember, the next time you want to test them, remind me to buy some insurance for my team," said Davis, rubbing the big bump on his head.