Scene 31


Private manor owned by Globo-Fashion


After arming ourselves with the sidearms from our fallen guards, the three of us made our way to the basement. Ms. Swan had turned on her tracking unit and was closely watching the signal strength to determine if we were getting close.

When we reached the basement, we cautiously opened the door at the bottom, ready to disable any guard there, but no guard was in sight. We followed the stronger signal to a hallway lined with doors. Again, no guards were present.

The strongest signal seemed to come from the door at the far end of the hallway. When we examined the door, we found it to be locked.

“I can blow the door,” said Ms. Hawk.

“Not yet,” I replied. “Let’s see who’s inside first.”

As my two associates kept watch, I knocked on the door. I called through the door, “Dirka, are you in there?”

“Yes,” came the reply from within. “Mr. Dove?”

“That’s right. Keep away from the door. We have to force it open”

Ms. Hawk quickly applied a small explosive charge to the lock, along with an electronic detonator. We all stepped back from the door and Ms. Hawk pressed the switch on the detonator control she carried.

With a quick flash and a small puff of smoke, the explosive blew out the lock on the door.

As my two associates kept guard, I pushed open the door carefully. Inside, I saw Dirka at the back of the room. “Come on,” I said. “We’re getting you out of here.”

Dirka joined us in the hallway and I quickly introduced her to my associates. “Any idea where my other associates are being held?” I asked her.

“It should be right around here,” she said. “For all I know, they could be behind any of these doors.”

A quick check of the doors revealed that my associates were indeed being held there. Soon, the other five of my associates had been freed from their cell and were with us in the hallway.

“The kidnap victims are being held on another part of this floor,” I told them. “We need to get them and get out of here.”

“What about Ivana?” demanded Dirka. “You’re not going to let her get away with this?”

“I’m sorry,” I told her. “I want to stop her, and we will. However, our first priority is to rescue those men, including your husband.”

I turned to Ms. Swan. “Go back upstairs and join the men there. Ms. Falcon, go with her. You need to secure transportation for everyone. That includes all of us here, the four men upstairs, and at least five or six kidnap victims.”

“Right’” said the two in unison. They quickly moved down the hallway.

“The rest of you,” I continued, “Let’s go rescue those men.”