Chapter 27

"Our prints aren't on record."

"What if they pull you in for dealing with guns someday. They'll know you're involved in this."

"Let's get the box."

The box was in the trunk of a police car along with a police shotgun and a spare vest. The trunk opened and this surprised us. More casings in plastic bags were added then the trunk closed. We had not been smart because our fingerprints were on the casings. All the gangsters had to do was tell the cops and I'd be pulled in and fingerprinted.

"Jonna, go get some of the casings we — never mind. Get some cloth gloves, a bowl and a bottle of rubbing alcohol."

When we were ready, we waited until more casings were found. The trunk stayed open a long time as people looked at the evidence. When the trunk closed, we opened up a portal and took the entire box while Caiti monitored the area around the car.

Mom and Dad watched us empty the bags and wipe the casings then put them on the table to be blown dry with a hair dryer. We even cleaned the rounds that were shot at us.

Mom asked, "What are you doing?"

"Your son isn't that smart. We're taking the evidence to clean off the fingerprints."

"Oh."

The box was back in place before more casings were added. Caiti brought the box back again to clean the new batch before returning them. The clean coin had to stay until we got all the evidence. The coin was too valuable to just leave.

Later, the car left with the evidence. We hoped that when more was found, we could trace it with the coin and erase anything incriminating. Mom and Dad slept here tonight. The Heart of Opfu had to help a bit.

Mom and Dad went to work in the morning. Tiffany, Jonna and I followed in another car. The police had no reason to talk to them but some men might. Tiffany and Jonna worked in the store with Mom and Dad, just in case. I had to do something in Bejek.

I had the silver icons necessary to make the men into slaves to any degree I wanted. I wanted answers first. They came in a variety of languages. Most were French Canadian but some were Russian and English. Kapsirko Bakhtin was the main man behind this. He had sold a lot of weapons to Willie that eventually came to me.

Kapsirko lived in Montreal where the main mob stronghold was for North America. Some thought New York or Vegas was, but the American police had whittled the mob's strength down substantially. The lawmen were using the laws used to catch terrorist and the mob families were decimated.

I was not going to get rid of the men threatening my family unless I got the Russian to call them off.

I gathered a lot of details about the minor tsar. I was happy to find that he had a great many more weapons that I could put to use.

The other girls were brought in and they questioned my new slaves. On deeper questioning we found that some had skills I could use. Not all were associated with the military but some were. One happened to be the chief armourer for a mob family.

When I finished with the men, they appeared normal. They saw me as their rightful king. They would do what I wanted until I sent them home one day. Their conditioning would gradually fade and I would have to renew it in a few years. In the mean time, I would have to find a long term treatment if they were ever going to return to Earth.

The evidence box was sorted and checked for fingerprints. Later that day two more AK casings were added and Camsa was able to smudge the prints through the bag and I just hoped it was enough.

When Mom and Dad came home they looked happier. We had cleaned out their house in the mean time and even started a meal. Everybody was sitting around the table now.

Dad asked, "Are you going to continue with the story you started?"

"I have to talk to somebody to get the men here called off."

Mom asked as she looked down the table, "How are the children?"

"Both are good and Caiti has completely healed."

"That's good to hear. I don't know what I would do if they were really hurt or worse."

"Both would like to stay here a few days. You can watch them and they'll help you in the store." The children grinned to show they liked the idea.

"They're children. They don't have to work."

"I remember you saying that I had to work when I was Caiti's age."

"You're our son and had to learn."

"Caiti and Camsa are part of my family and they have to learn."

"Well, ok, just so I can watch them."

The two children left their chairs and kissed their Grandma and hugged her. Mom looked happy to have children around her.

Jonna, Lauren, Tiffany and I flew to Montreal that night and stayed in a hotel. Jonna was less apprehensive this time because the darkness helped to hide our altitude.

The next day, we found Bakhtin. He got out of his limo and entered the building he owned. Around him were three bodyguards, a driver, and a good-looking secretary. Lauren hit me and said, "We are after the man, not the woman."

She could read minds better than most women so I meekly said, "Yes, Dear."

Tiffany added, "She probably checks his sperm count a few times a day."

"The way I try to lick your ovaries from the inside?"

I got a cut off smile and she said, "She's a slut and we're your mates. And don't forget it."

"No, Dear."

We looked for a way of getting Bakhtin alone for ten minutes but nothing seemed to be safe enough. We telephoned the store and talked to Dad and found everything ok. He asked seriously, "Does Caiti have a gun?"

"Her rifle is in a safe place."

"What about a pistol, Hugh?"

"She probably has her Glock. You know how girls like to have their toys. Besides, it's a small one."

"Six year-old girls have dolls. She could get hurt."

"Caiti's six, as you said, but she is also very accomplished in handling a pistol. She handles a mortar quite well too."

"That's not funny."

"Dad, it's true. My girl is growing up in a tough environment. I'm protecting her the best I can and preparing her to take care of herself, too."

"Does Camsa have a gun as well?"

"No, he's a sweet boy." I did not say it because he had three knives.

"Yes, I noticed that. I hope he grows up right."

"You're talking customs again, Dad. Camsa will fit in well in his country."

Later, when it looked like a daylight talk was out of the question I bought a box with a magnet designed to hide a key in a car. When I put one of the coins wrapped in paper inside, neither the metal nor the magnet field affected it. We each had a coin hidden on us in case we were nabbed. We had a few more to work with for the portal.

We waited for Bakhtin's car to arrive. When it approached, Tiffany and Jonna hurried across the street. It was near rush hour and the car was temporarily blocked. Tiffany dropped her purse behind the driver and bent over to pick it up. I watched the man avidly look at the young woman's butt as she picked her property up. It was Jonna that set the coin in place.

The car found its parking spot that had a reserved sign on it from the Montreal Police Department.

The wait was nearly an hour but the same people came down and got into the limo. Flagging down a taxi was not easy until I flashed money. We got in quickly with the girls. Lauren got to sit up front and keep the driver interested.

The driver asked in French where I was going. My high school French was never good so I said, "We're new to the city and want you to just drive for us. Go straight ahead, please."

"Certainly."

I handed him a tip for stopping and that put him in a better mood. The girls chatted like tourists but Jonna and I watched the car ahead of us. It was hard to hide the headband.

The driver asked Lauren, "What are those things?"

"Have your ever heard of pyramid power?"

"Yeah, a few times on the radio. Is that it?"

"Close. It lets these two concentrate better.

"No shit? I mean, really?"

"No shit is good for me."

We got on the express way but the traffic wasn't much faster. Two exits later the car ahead pulled off and after I told Lauren, she said to the driver, "Take the exit after the next one."

"Sure."

Lauren had him make three more turns after that. When we came to an apartment near the area where the car stopped we got the street name from the driver then drove on. The neighbourhood got swankier until we came to a gated community and we turned back.

Jonna mentally asked, "What now?"

"We find the girl and ask her questions."

"Is that all you want to do?"

"I have three ladies in this car that keep me well drained without all the help you get." This seemed to mollify them a bit.

We got out of the car a block from the apartment building and I gave the driver another tip.

Lauren said, "What now? I'm bored of sightseeing."

"Then try to find someone that will tell you the person's name that just got dropped off."

"How am I going to do that?"

"Take out your phone and say you saw the women that got out of a limo drop it."

"You're smarter than you look."

"Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment."

The rest of us walked up and down the block. Lauren had to talk to five people before a young boy gave her the name, floor, and access to the building. She spent a long time with the boy and her mind was closed to us. I noticed this miffed Jonna and Tiffany more than they let on.

Lauren got the boy's name and said she would mention this to the woman. The boy turned red but smiled a lot. If he only knew what a woman took out of a man. My thoughts were interrupted by two women hitting me. I hadn't closed my mind to them.

Lauren came to the front doors and opened them for us. She pointed to the mailbox with the name Christiane Roux on it with some pride. I noticed that there was no Mrs or even as Ms. She may or may not be alone though.

Jonna said, "You took long enough."

Before Lauren could answer I said, "You look smug."

"I guess I am."

"Well, spill it."

"I had Marc wrapped around my finger. He's in love or in lust with Christiane. When I saw the way he was looking at me, I figured it had to be lust."

Jonna said, "Well, what did you learn?"

"The boy gave me her bra size along with the information that today she usually goes out for groceries. The woman is not married and no men go to her apartment. She has women friends come over once in a while. He's sure that she's a model but he has not seen her picture in Playboy, Penthouse or Hustler."

"Now there is a dedicated young man. How are we going to get her?"

"She has a car in the underground parking garage in spot number 721. It's a red Porsche that happens to turn the boy on. The woman is supposed to be taking a shower now. In twenty minutes she is going to get into her sports car and roar off for some groceries. The basement has a video camera but it's not checked unless there's a problem."

I asked, "What's her panty colour?"

"Well, the boy has seen pink twice and white three times."

"Does she shave?"

"Marc wasn't sure."

Jonna said, "Men, that's all they think about."

"I might point out in my own defence that Lauren asked all those questions so she could get the info. What does that say to you?"

"That she's trying to be thorough."

I gave a small smile and she made a face and looked away. Sometimes women were so irrational. This time I had my shields up and they didn't hit me. They did glare because they could guess my thoughts.

We walked into the garage with me kissing Jonna as we walked. Lauren and Tiffany just walked in our shadow until we got passed the camera. I pointed out where I wanted the girls to be when Christiane came out. Until then we had to mark time and stay away from the cars. They had alarms and people got suspicious and angry if there were strangers around their beloved vehicles.

Christiane came out later than usual. There were people around and we had to play this one by ear. Tiffany and Lauren were chatting as they interrupted the woman as she walked down the roadway.

"Hi, do you know Janet?"

"I don't know any Janet, now get out of my way."

I could feel Lauren getting angry now. "Sure, Honey."

They moved aside and Lauren punched the woman. The mugging did not go as planned because Christiane was a fighter. Jonna had to run in and put Christiane in a head lock from behind. Lauren got in and gave the woman a good punch to the stomach. I came in when it was safe. The women now showed real fear. The silver slave was put to the woman's head and she collapsed.

Tiffany fished out the keys to the Porsche and both Christiane and I got in. The other girls straightened their clothing and then used the keys to get into the lobby. We didn't know if there was an alarm on the apartment.

I spent my time looking through the purse. There was a lot of crap but some could be useful when we learned more. Christiane finally awoke and looked at me. There was no fear now. She said quietly in a delightfully accented voice, "Who are you?" The words were in French though.

I said quietly in English, "Your master."

She thought about this but did not react. I said, "Is there anybody in your apartment?"

She replied in English, "No, Master."

"Is there anybody expected?"

"Yes, Master."

"Who?"

"Louise."