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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 couldnt 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 didnt 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 Cammis 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 Cammis
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 métais 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 couldnt
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.
Its 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 didnt
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 taime, René whispered to Cammi.
Je taime, 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 OBrien. 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.
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