The taxi arrives at the street given on the note and they have the driver drop them off there. They don’t want to arm the wrong people. The driver was clearly confused as to why they wanted to be let out at such a spot. But he never said anything, so they let it be. Seth gave him the rest of the money they had, he smiled and told them to have a good night. Once the taxi leaves and is out of sight they continue to the address.

  Chris was more concerned about Elle. She didn’t say anything to Chris on the way here and hadn’t said anything to him since the police station. He wanted to talk to her, but he didn’t want to press it. Best just to let it go until this is over and they’re all back home safe and sound.

  The area was a mix of commercial and industrial. Nothing too rge, a few smaller factories and other brick buildings line the street. A few trees and bushes break up some of the monotony. But nothing too big to be able to sneak around with.

  “Lets just head in the direction we need and scope out how we’re gonna sneak into…wherever we‘re going.” Seth says.

  They trot down the street looking at the numbers on the buildings until they round a bend in the street and see a rge fence with the same number on it. The fence going around it was much like the one around the site back in Tailorton.

  “Okay, what do we do now?” Jerry asks.

  Elle walks up and starts fidgeting with the front gate lock. Seth and her brothers take hold of her.

  “Elle, we can’t just go barging in.” Jackson tells her.

  “Our parents are in there…!” She stops for a moment, she was shaking a bit. “Whoever has them wants us here so why can’t we just go in?”

  Chris take the initiative and floats up to look over the fence. There was a street light above him but he didn’t care.

  “Chris? Look out.” Seth calls up.

  Chris peeks up over just enough to see. He notices a parking lot between the building and fence, which ran around to the right of the building. There was a security light pointed into the lot, but it was otherwise dark, good for cover. The building itself looked like a warehouse. He spots a few people walking around the outside. But they’ll have to get past the fence to look for a way in. Chris floats down and reports his findings.

  “Let’s check around the outside perimeter and see if we can find a quiet way in.” Seth offers.

  They quickly walk the perimeter of the fence and find a stack of crates sitting between the fence and the neighboring building on the right side from the street. It proves the only quick way in, that doesn’t involve the front gate.

  “So, we barging in powers bzing or are we goin’ ninja?” Jerry asks.

  “Ninja? Allow me.” Seth says. Dark swirls of shadow begin enveloping his body. The shadow stuff blends him into the surrounding shadows. The next thing the kids know Seth is up on top of the crates. Chris didn’t even hear him move.

  The gang watch in awe, especially Jerry. Chris remembers hearing about Shade attuned. Masters could move so swiftly that even some of the most experienced air elementals couldn’t track their movements. Chris wasn’t sure how one could move through the air and not be noticed. Seth obviously had some skill. Not to mention that even Spirit attuned couldn’t sense their powers energy solely for the reason that Shade’s didn’t use chi to fuel their powers. Sheer force of will drove Shade powers.

  A moment of shocked silence follows, until Jerry breaks it. “No. Freakin‘. Way. He was all smiles.

  “Keep it down ninja boy.” Jackson whispers.

  Chris thinks the same thing, but he has to watch and floats up. On first gnce, he doesn’t see anything. But looking more intently, he notices one of the guards walking by the wall of the warehouse as a dark mass glides up behind him. The mass hit’s the guard in the back of the knees then quickly snap the edge of his hand quickly on the back of his neck. The guard goes down fast. Seth trots around the perimeter then runs back to the fence and gives the all clear.

  “Okay, all the guards are taking a nice nap now. Let's go.” Seth helps the Prowman kids over while Chris floats over and down to the ground.

  “Dude. You have to teach us how to do that.” Jerry says motioning the hopping over the fence trick.

  Seth smiles. “Once we get your parents out of here and back home, I’ll see what I can do.”

  They all make a round of the exterior. But they stop around the back, confused. They stop and overlook a rge lit grass area, about the same size as the rest of the property. It was neatly cut and trimmed.

  “What’s this for?” Chris asks no one in particur.

  “Who knows? Let’s keep going.” Seth says.

  Finding a door in the rear of the building, Seth tries some of the keys he got off the guards until he gets one that unlocks the door.

  Seth goes in first. Moving slowly. He waves them in, then holds a finger to his mouth. They take heed and tread quietly. The inside looks like one would expect a warehouse to look like. Boxes, crates, a tow motor. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. Not to mention…where are their parents.

  A quick survey of the surroundings show’s there are no guards around.

  “Well, shit.” Jerry says.

  “Now what?” Jackson wonders, looking around.

  “Mom! Dad!” Elle yells out echoing out inside the rge warehouse. Her voice was also quivering a bit, Chris could tell anyway. He just wanted to give her a hug, but…

  “There’s got to be something here. Let’s look around.” Seth tells everyone.

  Chris and the others each take section of the warehouse. While they look, Chris notices Elle with a few tears running down her face. He can’t take it anymore; he goes to her.

  “Elle?”

  She looks at him, wiping her face. “Yeah.” She doesn’t sound thrilled.

  “I…I’m sorry if this is my fault.” He says. Her look is almost distant. “I got carried away, I know that now.”

  “Yeah, you did.”

  “But, I only did it to get back at Rex for hurting you.”

  A small smile spreads on her face. She nods her head.

  “Guys! Over here!” Seth calls over.

  They go to meet him with Jackson and Jerry. Inside an office are the controls for a elevator.

  “So where is the elevator?” Elle says.

  “Lets find out.” Seth says, he flips the ‘up’ switch.

  A motor is heard running, and the floor vibrates a little. Nothing is happening to the office so they go out to the main floor. They see it. The center of the floor is sliding to one side, allowing a cargo lift to rise. A railing surrounding three sides, yellow caution striping along the edges and its own control panel.

  “Well guys, you ready?” Seth says stepping onto the lift.

  Everyone takes a deep breath and steps on.

  “We should get our powers ready too.” Jackson suggests.

  Seth pushes the button for down and the elevator descends.

  The elevator comes to a stop and a rge set of double doors open up Chris wasn‘t sure how far down the elevator traveled but it was far enough that they would not be heard if one of them screamed.

  The room beyond was a rge storage room. Metal shelves, crates, boxes, refrigerators and many other things fill the room. They take a look around. Upon closer inspection Chris notices several shelves had medical equipment on them. A few of the refrigerators nearby those shelves had vials and bottles of different sizes, all with medical information on them.

  “I don’t like this.” Jackson says.

  Chris thought the same thing as well.

  Three doors lead out of the room, one on each wall. The one across from the elevator reads “Laboratories’. To the right was a door named ‘Offices’ and ’Dorms’ to the left. But the doors had no knobs, they must slide open?

  “Ooo. Door number three please.” Jerry says with a grin pointing to the one for the offices.

  “You know. I’d make a comment. But he’s probably right.” Chris says. He looks to Elle; she was looking around the stuff on the shelves. A frustrated and confused look on her face.

  They decide to take the one for the offices. Figuring they might be able to see exactly who is behind all this. ‘Going directly to the source’, Seth called it. Through they figure it’s probably locked, but they try it anyway. It is.

  “Okay. Next.” Seth says.

  The next door, Laboratory. Or should they take the Dorms.

  As they mill over the options, the lock to the ‘Offices’ door beeps and slides open with a hiss. They all prepare for anyone coming with gun bzing. But no one comes.

  “Uh. Maybe whoever is down here knows we’re here and wants us to go down there.” Jackson says.

  Chris sees Seth look around at the ceiling. “There.” He points to a couple video cameras.

  “Come on.” Elle starts forward…with a purpose. “They wanna sees us, fine. I wanna see my mom and dad.”

  Chris just looks at the others. They’re expressions say it all. Follow Elle.

  They follow Elle down the office corridor. It curves to the left till it comes to another hallway. To the left is a door with no inscription, to the right the hallway stretches on for about ten yards before ending in another door. Three doors line the hallway to the left. The doors are marked office one and office two, except the st door, the pgue says; ’Generator Room’.

  A pce like this would need its own generator, Chris thinks.

  Elle moves again, down the hallway. Moving at a faster pace, nearly jogging.

  “Elle slow down.” Seth warns her. “Don’t be in such a rush. We’ll find your parents, okay.”

  Elle looks back, frustration on her face. She turns and starts trying doors. Banging on them, trying to move them to the side.

  Chris feels bad for her. He can only imagine what’s going on in her head. He’s worried about his own parents, of course. But he knows that it’s best to go about this carefully.

  Then the door at the end of the hallway opens. Elle runs into the pitch bck room.

  “Elle, wait!” Chris calls out. But too te.

  “You know your suspense movies right?” Jackson says. “Running into a dark room? Not good.”

  Seth sighs. “What other choice do we got.”

  The rest of them moan and run into the dark room. The door slides shut behind them. Go figure.

  “Told ya so.” Jackson says.

  They are momentarily blinded by the lights as they fsh on. The sound of guns being cocked and set is heard. Their eyes quickly adjust and they are standing in a rge den-like room filled with armed guards. Suited up with protective chest, arm and leg armor. Including what looked like gas masks.

  “Welcome, children!” A man says from behind them. A bck man in an expensive looking suit walks around the guards. He was about as tall as Chris’ dad, with a moderate build. He looked a little older than the kids parents too. Some gray peppering his hair. Some of the guards move aside to let him through. “I’m so gd you could make it. I’m Director Carl Hariman”

  His smile looks genuine, though Chris wonders what it hides.

  “Where’s our parents?” Jerry asks him.

  “They’re safe and sound, here in the facility. In the Dorms actually. I’ve set up some rooms for you all as well.”

  “Thank you, But we’re not staying.” Chris tells him.

  Elle moves forward. The guards train their guns on her. The man puts a hand up, the guards back off a bit. “I wanna see my parents.” Putting emphasis on each word.

  “Yes. The Prowman’s. Your adopted parents. But wouldn’t you rather see your real parents?” The Director walks to her and kneels. Chris has a bad feeling about this.

  “Your mother is over in Japan, somewhere, not sure where exactly. But I’m here for you…pumpkin.”

  Yep. Bad feeling realized.

  The Director takes Elle’s hand. A look of complete shock on her face. Jackson and Jerry just look at each other, dumbfounded.

  “Take the others to the dorms…and prepare them.” The Director orders his guards.

  The guards advance. Seth and the others back up.

  “Uh, Seth.” Jerry says.

  “Hey. I’m good. But bullets are faster. Plus, not enough shadows in here.” Seth puts his arms up in surrender. “Just py along for now guys.”

  Chris agrees and puts his arms up with the others. By the way…prepare them for what?