Chapter 17

As Pegasus began his descent, Jeff could see people rushing out of huts to greet him. Once he had landed, the crowd surrounded the tired teen, welcoming him back from his latest adventure. With a sheepish grin, Jeff worked his way through the crowd, receiving pats on the back as he walked among the cheering throngs. Upon reaching his mother and sister, Jeff hugged each of them in turn, receiving comfort from their answering embraces. Seeing how tired the young man was, Holly led her brother to her own hut, wanting him to rest before he found out about the letter that was waiting for him.

Wanting to be the one to break the bad news to her son, Patty Linden waited patiently at her son's bedside, knowing he would sense her presence and awaken from his slumber. True to form, Jeff began stirring as he realized there was someone in the room with him

"Mom? What's wrong? Are Sara and Holly okay?" he asked, seeing the worry on her still-youthful face.

"Sara and Holly are fine, it's Michelle I wanted to talk to you about," she told him, giving him the letter that was written in the girl's handwriting. Quickly opening the envelope, Jeff took out the single page, wanting to see what would be so bad that could cause his mother to worry.

"Dear Jeff,

By the time you read this I will be gone. You have a fiancee as well as any woman you want and I feel I am in the way. Please don't try to stop me,

All my love,

Michelle.

Reading this, Jeff began worrying about the girl he had found at the mall, knowing she would be lost in this part of the world without any friends by her side. Wanting to find her as quickly as possible, Jeff jumped out of bed and promptly tripped over his sneakers, landing at his mother's feet.

"Are you okay dear?" his mother asked, her twinkling eyes betraying her attempt to hide her laughter. With a sheepish grin, Jeff collected himself and began dressing, wanting to find Michelle as soon as possible. Once he had completed dressing, the teen stepped toward the door, and was about to open it when he was bowled over by his obviously pregnant sister as she rushed into the room. After regaining his feet, Jeff dusted himself off, before heading back to retrieve his sword.

"Have you told him yet?" she asked, immediately realizing how foolish her question was when she saw the anxiety in her brother's eyes.

"Yes, she did," Jeff answered, strapping on his sword.

"Are you sure she wants to be found?" Holly asked, jealousy tingeing her words. Ignoring the pair, Jeff hurried out the door, only to be met by Sara.

"What's wrong? Is it Michelle?" she asked, her anxiety evident in her tone. Jeff had known Sara would worry about him, but he couldn't let anything happen to the missing girl.

"Yeah, I have to go find her, if it hadn't been for me, she wouldn't be here. I'm afraid of what might happen to her," he told her, With a quick kiss goodbye, Jeff headed toward the outskirts of the tiny village, only to be met by Diana.

"Where are you going?" she asked, noting the urgency in his step. With an exasperated sigh, Jeff handed the short note to Diana. As he waited for her to finish reading, Jeff couldn't help thinking about the young girl he had found in the mall, and the silent adoration she exhibited toward him. When she was finished reading the short missive, Diana handed it back to him.

"How are you going to find her?" she asked. With a frown, Jeff realized he had failed to take into account that he had no idea where she might have gotten off to.

"I don't know. Do you have any ideas?" he asked, feeling foolish for not planning better.

"I think we should contact Apollo. I know he would be happy to help you find her," she told him,

"Okay, that sounds like a plan. But, how do we contact him?" Jeff asked.

"Did someone mention me?" a voice spoke up from behind the pair.

"Yeah, Michelle, a girl that had been traveling with us, is missing. I'm worried something might happen to her. Can you help us find her?" Jeff asked the sun god.

"Hmmm, okay, but you may not like what I find out. Wait here, I will be right back," he told the pair before vanishing into thin air.

"Damn! I don't think I'll ever get used to that," Jeff said, awe filling his voice. When Diana began giggling at his remark, Jeff's look changed to one of astonishment. This was the same woman that had appeared so emotionless when he met her. Blushing prettily, Diana turned away, unsure of what could have happened to her to make her do something so out of character for her. Knowing this lapse could be embarrassing for Diana, Jeff decided to let it go and worry about more important things.

"It might be a good idea to take some people with you; it looks like she is in trouble," Apollo said, once again startling Jeff with his sudden reappearance. With a grimace, Jeff acknowledged the wisdom in the charismatic god's words.

"What do you mean in trouble?" Jeff asked, his concern for the missing girl rising.

"There are some smugglers about five miles north of here. They are holding her captive," Apollo explained.

"Okay. Diana, would you see if you can get some of your Amazons to come along with us? I think we should try to find Leandra too," Jeff began, his determination evident in his commands.

"You weren't planning on leaving me out of this were you?" said a booming voice from behind. Startled, Jeff turned around to see Heracles standing there.

"I wouldn't dream of it. I would be grateful for your help," Jeff told the warrior. Reaching out his hand, Jeff held it there until Heracles grasped it, sealing their friendship.

"Don't forget us," Diana spoke up, directing their attention to the fifty Amazon warriors she had brought with her.

"Wow, you brought an army with you, didn't you?" Jeff asked, his smile showing Diana how much he appreciated her support. Blushing furiously, Diana quickly turned to the fierce warriors and smiled in satisfaction. The warriors she had picked were the most elite fighters of all the Amazons. Diana knew they would fight for Jeff, but they would need to see proof of his abilities to give their full effort. She wouldn't let Jeff know it, but this was the perfect opportunity for him to prove himself as the true Oberon warrior.

"Wait... Wait, I'm coming with you," Leandra yelled, running to join the ferocious group of fighters. Out of breath, the beautiful redhead was panting when she reached the others. Looking around, Jeff was gratified to see the support he would be receiving on his quest to rescue Michelle.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road. Diana why don't you go ahead of us and scout the way?" he told his troops, leading them out of the village and on to their next adventure.

As the group marched along, they searched for any signs that would give away the smugglers' hideout. Jeff kept scanning his surroundings, hoping to pick up any thoughts that would give the criminals away. As he continued his probing, he was startled when he ran into a stopped Diana.

"There's smoke up ahead; I bet that's where they are keeping her. That is, unless they've moved her," Diana told him. Following Diana's cue, Jeff looked in the direction she was pointing. Just as she had said, there was a thin column of smoke, only three quarters of a mile away. With renewed spring in their steps, the warriors headed toward the smoke, hoping to catch the kidnappers off guard. As they got closer, the pungent smell from the burning wood became more evident.

"Okay, what's your name?" Jeff asked, pointing to a young girl in the middle of the ranks.

"I'm Cassandra," she answered, stepping forward. Although she wasn't as tall as the others, she was still bigger than most of the girls Jeff had ever seen. Pulling her aside, Jeff knew he had made the right choice when he saw the intelligence shining keenly from her eyes.

"I want you to get closer to them. Find out where they're keeping Michelle and report back as soon as possible," Jeff told her. With a nod, the girl scampered away, her footsteps silent on the soft earth. Jeff watched her disappear into the bushes, only to reappear a few yards from the camp. Jeff watched Cassandra creep ever closer to the camp, her movements fluid. When she reached the back tent, Jeff figured that was close enough.

<That's close enough. Do you see any sign of her?> Jeff thought to the stealthy warrior.

<Yes, she is in this tent. Please let me get her for you, > the girl replied. With a sigh, Jeff decided to let her continue, appreciating the initiative of the young warrior. Jeff watched Cassandra sneak into the tent, and then reappear shortly with her prize. Although bound and disheveled, Michelle didn't look any worse for her experience. With a smile of satisfaction on his face, Jeff watched Cassandra lead the vulnerable girl out of harm's way. Once they were clear, Jeff decided to get some retribution from the smugglers.

"Shall we show them what happens to someone that abuses a woman?" Heracles asked him, the lust for battle glowing in his eyes.

"No, I have a better idea," Jeff replied, chuckling softly at the plans he had for the kidnappers. With a sigh, Heracles agreed, his disappointment showing in the set of his shoulders. Concentrating, Jeff found the leader of the band of outlaws, and began using his power to scan through the man's memories, When he found what he was looking for, Jeff made small adjustments to the smuggler boss's perceptions. When he had completed his task, Jeff made the man freeze in place, awaiting the teen's next commands. Satisfied, Jeff continued his explorations and alterations with the rest of the men until he was satisfied. As soon as he had completed this, Jeff leaned back, ready to watch the fun about to take place. Wanting to let all of his follwers see the fun, Jeff decided to wait for Michelle and Cassandra to get back. When the pair reached the camp, Jeff rushed to Michelle, eager to release her from the ropes the smugglers had tied her with. Completing this, Jeff was startled when the girl burst out in tears, her sobbing making him fearful that she was hurt worse than he had originally thought.