Reveal the DARKNESS Within
By: Shirley Ann Burton

Very Important Author's Note! Please read this first!

I had started planning what to do in Reveal the Darkness Within during the summer of 2001. Some people had complained that I had made my original character, Angela Jacobs, more than human because I didn't allow her to do anything wrong or become that angry. Fortunately, three recently done stories (When Exposés Attack, The Darkness of the Past on Trial, and A Double Take of Revenge) have allowed Angie to begin showing her darker side, which finally comes to a head in this story.
My original plot was to have Angie be kidnapped by a couple of agents and taken to a government scientist working in a laboratory at the Pentagon. However, along came the dreadful day…September 11, 2001. When the Pentagon became the third target of terrorists, I suddenly found myself in a rather serious writing predicament. I knew immediately I couldn't use the Pentagon anymore because that would show disrespect towards the people who were affected by the tragedy.
For over three weeks I suffered from severe writer's block. I had absolutely no idea what I could do in this situation. I even consulted with six fellow writers to see if I could get some help about solving this writing crisis. Just when things were becoming hopeless, I found a solution from two unlikely sources: A DVD of Sailor Moon S and the Sailor Moon Art Book. Without revealing too much, I will tell you a character in that season is very similar to the kidnapper of this story.
In the end, I realized that I couldn't allow the events of September 11 to stop me from doing what I love, writing. They did allow me to put the plot into perspective, and get the changes I needed to make sure I would not show disrespect to the people affected by what happened. As a result, I have decided to use as little government as possible. In fact, the only two people I have planned that have anything to do with the government are Madam President Elizan Donovan (Frances Marshall's character from her fanfic Restoration) and Daniel Simons (my invented head of the Federal Bureau of Investigations and an old friend to one of the Magician main characters).
I want to thank my fellow writing friends for helping me get through this difficult ordeal. I will always be grateful I have great friends around the world, no matter how we appear. True friendship comes from the heart, and I believe I have been blessed with the best bunch of friends I could hope for.
Also, there are some characters to note. Marshall, Gwydion Bright Owl, and Madam President Elizan Donovan are characters of Frances Marshall's creative mind. Angela Jacobs, Dr. Gregory Collins, Daniel Simons, and any other characters you may see are my original creations. As for Victor Raven, Frances introduced me to him and has allowed him to stay with me as a permanent character. You know the drill about borrowing them for future stories.
That's it. Now, have fun reading, and enjoy the story.

Part 1: Somebody's Watching

In a very dark room, someone was watching television. On the screen was a story about the dramatic capture of two escaped fugitives: The imposter Ace Cooper, whose identity turned out to be a man named Mark Willoughby, and the rogue female magician Darlena Lowland. Both of them were stopped by Angela Jacobs, a young woman who worked alongside Ace Cooper, the Magician.
The mysterious person had used a videodisk recorder to get as much information as possible. When the story was completed, he took the disk out and added it to a surprisingly growing collection. "Ah," he said in a very low tone. "Her power…so much power locked within this one young woman. I need someone like her in a rather important experiment. Could her powers be the key to making something that would easily take out our enemies?" The collection showed that this person had kept a close eye on her and her magical actions for months, possibly years. "I must find a way to tap that girl's magical powers and then harness it into something useful against those who would harm others. I know she's not showing everything she can do. It's time someone showed her what she's fully capable of doing."
He then went to a nearby phone and picked it up. Touching just one button, he spoke. "I want my top two men in here right now."
In less than a minute, two ominous-looking gentlemen, both well-built yet not like Spade, entered the dark room. Both were dressed in suits and wore sunglasses. "You wanted to see us, sir?" asked one of them.
"Yes, I did," he answered. "Gentlemen, I have a mission for you…one in which you will be paid very handsomely if you can do the job."
The other man smiled wickedly. "We'll be glad to do it, sir. What is it you want us to do?"
The mystery man went up to his own computer and pressed one button. "I want the two of you to find this young woman…Angela Jacobs."
"What for, boss?"
"I need her for a very special experiment I've been wanting to do for quite some time now. You see, Miss Jacobs is a magician…a rather powerful magician."
"That's funny," said the first man, "I thought you didn't believe in magic."
"Fool!" The mystery man shouted angrily. "Her powers could hold the key in creating the ultimate defense weapon! I want to harness that power and energy for such a purpose, and I can't do that unless she's here!" He then pushed a whole table of empty beakers off the table, breaking them all on the floor. "Don't ever question my motives, understand!?"
The two henchmen stepped back in slight fear.
"Okay, boss, sorry," said the second man. "Where do we find Miss Angela Jacobs?"
"You two will find her in Electro City, California. She lives inside the home of the famous Magician Ace Cooper."
"But, boss, how will we get her with that man watching over her?"
The mystery man considered yelling again yet realized that would not help the situation. I have to be careful. I want them to succeed, and I did promise them a lot of money. "You'll have to keep close surveillance on her while you're out there in Electro City. However, I don't want anyone to know about this. You have to look as inconspicuous as possible, and you have to make the kidnapping look more like an accident. It may not be easy, but then, that's why I chose you two for this job. You're both the best in undercover work. I know you'll be able to improvise something to make certain Miss Jacobs gets here safely. Now, you have your mission. I'll book a flight for both of you to get to Electro City tonight. I want you to kidnap her tomorrow and then bring her back here by car. It'll be much easier and less noticeable in a vehicle."
"We get the message, boss," said the first man. "We'll get her back here."
"Oh, gentlemen, before you leave, let me ask one thing…make sure you bring her here alive. She'll be no good in the experiment if she's dead. Now, pack some tranquilizer needles. You'll need them to knock her out long enough to keep her from using any of her magic."
"Gotcha, boss. We'll make sure she gets here as comfortably as possible."
"Very well, gentlemen. Now, on your way."
When the two left the dark room, the mystery man looked at the monitor again. "She looks so innocent and quiet…yet her magic is so powerful when emotionally pushed. I must see the raw power that lies trapped within her soul. Miss Jacobs will be just what I need for my greatest experiment. Now, all I can do is sit back…and wait."

**The Next Day**

It was a breezy morning in Electro City, California. Strong winds were giving people wearing hats and scarves all kinds of fits. A heavy rainstorm occurred the night before, leaving the roads rather wet, causing more headaches for drivers.
The residents of one particular home decided to stay in for a little while, as they decided to use this day to take advantage of catching up on some much needed tasks.
Within the walls of the Magic Express, the Magician and his friends were hard at work, each doing an individual task.
Ace Cooper himself was in the practice room with his panther Zina. "Hmm," Ace noted, "we've got to get this double-disappearance trick to work. The newest show is in two weeks, and we haven't exactly progressed too well on it."
Zina gave a rather discontent growl.
He then petted the animal. "Sorry, Zina. You know how I am when it comes to trying to get a new trick done right."
She then went on to lick Ace all over his cheeks.
"Okay, Zina, cut it out! C'mon, girl, stop!" He started giggling while she forced him to the ground.
Over in his room, which also doubled as his workshop, technical wizard Cosmo worked to perfect the new holographic projector to be used in Ace's next performance. "Let's see, if I adjust this wire slightly to the right, that may fix the tuft problem." Unfortunately, the minuscule adjustment gave him a bout of static electricity. "Ow!" he yelled while flinging his right arm in pain. "Should've unplugged it first. Sheesh!"
With his right arm still tingling, he went over to the outlet and simply pulled the plug. "Man, now I gotta use trial and error. I really hate that."
Just then, a holographic dodecahedron appeared in the room. "Cosmo, can I help you with the calculations?"
"Yeah, Angel, I guess so. I'll meet ya at the computer in a couple of minutes."
He took the device and went through the kitchen, where he found a young lady busy cooking lunch. "Hey, Angie. How's lunch coming?"
"So far, so good," she answered. "I'm so glad I finally got the chance make this ginger shrimp scaloppini. That idiotic imposter ruined everything because of what he did. If I had my way, I'd make him eat fast food three meals a day for at least a month!"
"He probably has that while he's in prison. I'm just glad he's back there, and now we know what his real name is."
"I am so glad Mark Willoughby will never look like Ace again. It'll take forever and a day to get that little tuft back to the right shape and size. He deserved every bit of what he got…" She turned her face away to hide her simmering anger.
"Angie…you okay?" Cosmo concernedly asked.
After a couple of deep breaths, she turned and faced her friend. "Yeah, I'm all right. Lunch should be ready in the next 15-20 minutes."
"That oughtta be more than enough time to get this do-hickey fixed."
"Do-hickey? Cosmo, that term is so 19th century."
"Well, I couldn't think of anything else to call it off the top of my head."
Angie giggled, "Okay, whatever. Just make sure you've fixed the bugs out of that holographic device."
"With Angel's help, this baby'll be done in less than ten." He then took off for the computer room.
Angie soon went back to her cooking, yet she knew deep within her own soul a struggle was taking place…a dangerous emotional struggle.
Since the time she had to return to her hometown and face the two drivers who killed her parents in the road-rage accident, there were signs that a darker, more dangerous side of Angie starting to show.
While in Mason City, Iowa, for the parole hearing, she had a frightening dream where she actually tried to squeeze the life out of one of the drivers for not showing any remorse for his actions, leading to the deaths of her parents.
Upon her return to Electro City, the shifter known as Marshall had confronted her about the situation: Angie's darker side was desperate for recognition and…love. The shifter forced Angie to understand the dangerous struggle into which she had placed herself.
Then, after Ace was poisoned by the imposter recently, she was determined to save his life. To do so, however, she had to join forces with dangerous rival magician Darlena Lowland. The plan did succeed, but when Darlena and Angie had their own duel of magic, a comment Darlena made caused Angie to become angered to the point of nearly strangling the rival to death.
All those closest to her had become very concerned for her own emotional well-being, all of them realizing if she did not recognize her own darkness, something dangerous could happen from with herself.
Angie, still clinging to hope, was determined to keep fighting the darkness…even if that meant the possibility of her own death.
I'll take over soon enough, Angela, the darker voice within herself said in a low tone. You won't be able to run much longer.
"We'll see about that, shadow," the female magician remarked with slight anger. "I will fight you to the end if need be."
You're still going to hide behind that light? I'll make you recognize me, one way or another.
"No chance…not now, not ever." Angie's eyes began to glow again, a sign of the struggle within. "The light will always defeat the darkness."
Not always, my dear Angela. Sometimes, you may have to rely on darkness to survive.
"What is that supposed to mean!?" she yelled.
In the practice room, Ace developed a powerful feeling within himself. "Angie…she's having another 'argument' with her darker self. I'd better check on her." He and Zina then left to meet Angie in the kitchen.
When they reached the kitchen, Ace called out to his "sister." "Angie, are you all right?"
She turned to face him, eyes still glowing. "I'm…I'm—" She quickly turned around to get her eyes back to normal. "I'm okay."
The Magician shook his head. "No, Angie…you're not okay. I can tell that just by the way you answered. I can also sense how painful this struggle has become within your heart and soul. It's all because you won't understand that darkness is a part of the human soul."
"No!" she snapped. "Darkness is not a part of me! I don't have any!"
"Angie, listen to me. The truth is all human beings have darker sides. Even I have one."
"No…it's not true. You couldn't have that within you."
"It's the truth, Angie. I do have one. You have one, too, but you're not willing to accept that fact."
Angie breathed heavily with anxiety. "How can I accept darkness? All it'll do is create more problems!"
"How do you know that? Think about it."
She then put her face down. "I…I don't know what to do anymore." She started crying.
Ace came up to her and held her in a comforting embrace. "Angie…I understand how tough this is for you, and I wish I could help you, but I can't. You have to confront this situation on your own. There's nothing I can do."
"I guess…I'm alone in this matter."
"Only until you can understand what you're going through right now. I'm sorry."
"Ace, um, later this afternoon, could I go out a little while, I mean, to gather my thoughts…and my feelings?"
"Of course you can. You don't have to ask my permission; you live here."
Wiping the tears from her face, she said, "Thanks, Ace. I'm sorry I'm putting you through all this mess."
"Listen, just try not to worry." How in heaven's name can I say that? She's worried to death about this struggle, and that's the best I can say? Boy, I've got to do a little better in the encouragement department.
"I guess I could try. Anyway, the ginger shrimp scaloppini will be ready in the next few minutes."
Taking a sniff, he knew he was in for a good meal. "Mmm, I can't wait. In fact, I may as well wait in here."
"All right." She then went back to finish up on the new recipe. "I don't know if this will be good, though. I mean, it's the first time I've cooked this."
"Angie, sometimes cooking a new dish is as complicated as mastering a new magic trick. It may not come out the way you expect the first time you do it. I'm not worried about it."
Within a few minutes, Angie placed the new dish in the middle of the table. "Okay, gentlemen. Here is my new ginger shrimp scaloppini. Give it a try and tell me what you think."
Taking a small sample of the newest dish, Cosmo blew on his fork and took the bite. "Hmm, seems pretty good." However, the ginger started kicking in, causing his mouth and throat to feel like they were on fire. "Oh…oooh…hot, it's hot!"
Angie quickly got a glass of water for Cosmo. "Here. Take this, quick."
Quickly gulping down the water, he soon felt better. "Not bad, but I think you put a little too much ginger in it."
Ace then took his bite. "Wow, extra spicy!" He then made his own glass of water appear and quickly swallowed the full glass. "Yeah, slightly too much ginger used. You'll have to tone back on it next time."
"I appreciate the input, guys," Angie said contentedly. "Least I know my dishes won't come out right the first time all the time."
Everyone giggled about the whole thing, despite the fact everyone in the room knew that something serious was really happening.
Afterward, they went to the living room to watch the news.
On the screen was Professor Jonathan Surge, brilliant scientist and owner of the Surge Consortium. He was talking about a colleague who was about to be given a special science award. "I have to admire the audacious efforts of Dr. Collins. He is always willing to do something good in the name of science and does things ethically right."
"Dr. Collins?" said Cosmo.
"I know who the professor's talking about," Angie noted. "His name is Dr. Gregory Collins. He's one of the most well-known scientists in the world, just barely behind Professor Surge. When I attended Iowa State, Collins assisted some of the grad students with a project on how to solve the energy crisis we had a few years ago."
"Wait," said Ace, "I know who he is now. He helped to isolate the gene which causes heart disease, which resulted in a scientific breakthrough for people who had inherited heart disease in their families. He started with lab animals first, and then tried it on only about 100 people. The results were so astounding the FDA wanted it approved almost immediately. You're right, Angie. Dr. Collins is definitely a noteworthy scientist."
"I guess he's about to receive the prestigious Science World Award. Didn't Professor Surge win it at least three times?"
"Five to be exact," said Cosmo.
Prof. Surge then added more about Dr. Collins. "He will win it for the second time in three years. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up passing me for the record of five in the next few years."
Ace then called on Angel. "Where is Dr. Collins?"
"His main residency is Washington, DC, where he is also a professor of medical science at District University, also located in Washington."
"Yeah," added Angie. "He lives in a modest home, even though he makes a lot of money with the job he has."
Ace started feeling something from Angie once again. "You need to go out for now?"
"Yeah…I'll see you guys a little later." She then grabbed her purse and took the Magic Bike out of the Magic Express.
Cosmo and Ace looked at each other in worry.
"Dude, ya think she's gonna be okay?"
"I don't know, Cosmo. Right now, I just don't know. She's still afraid to accept her own darkness. The danger is building up, and it may explode very soon. The question right now is…when."

She arrived at the DNA Club/Mall within 20 minutes and quickly entered the shopping center. To her surprise, she found her new boyfriend Victor Raven near the information center. "Victor!" she yelled happily.
He turned and saw his love. "Angie!"
The two came up to each other and hugged happily.
Victor then looked at the female magician. "So, um, you still dealing with your inner demons right now?"
"Yes, I am, I'm sorry to say. Um, Victor, I have to admit I'm starting to get very worried—no, make that scared."
"Why? Why are you afraid?"
"I'm concerned if something does happen to me, I could hurt people…including you." She then turned away for a moment. "Victor, I'm scared what I could do may destroy what we have right now."
He made her face his sad eyes. "Angie, I love you. I know you're going through emotional turmoil right now, but there is nothing on this planet that would make me stop loving you, not even this struggle with your inner demons. If you need me, I'll always be at your side, just like Ace, Cosmo, and the others."
The pair grew closer together and kissed for a few seconds, yet felt like forever.
Just like before, though, Victor felt sadness in the kiss. Angie, I know you have to deal with your inner demons yourself, but I promise no matter what happens, I will still love you. I hope you will never forget that.
After letting go, Victor looked at his watch. "Oops, time to get back. The man in charge of the security system is out sick today, so Dad left me in charge of security. He's gonna blow it if I don't get myself back to the office."
"Okay. Be careful."
"Same to you. Bye."
As he left, Angie whispered, "Bye." She then blew a kiss to him.
She then started walking around the mall to see if there were any good bargains, particularly items that could help Ace with his latest show.
Going by the greeting card shop, she saw some good birthday cards. "Hmm, I could use those for upcoming birthdays. I know Mona's supposed to have one next month. Why not? Go ahead and stock up on the cards now so I won't have to worry about them later."
She then found at least six different greeting cards and made her purchase.
Leaving the store, the gust of wind coming from the outside door of the mall caused her hair to get messed up. "Oh, dear. I'd better get to the ladies' room and fix my hair. I can't stand messy hair."
She made it to the area where she could freshen herself up. Taking the brush out of her purse to start fixing her hair, she went simple stroke after simple stroke.
Finishing up shortly, she started making her way towards the exit of the ladies' room. However, as she tried to open the door, she found it to be mysteriously locked. "Hey…what's going on here?" She tried to pull the door open, then attempted pushing it, but to no avail. "Something funny's happening here, but I'm not laughing." Closing her eyes to focus on her magic, she wanted to use her powers to get the door open and escape.
Suddenly, she started smelling something, something malodorous. "What the—" She started coughing heavily. "It's some kinda gas…I-I can't breathe. What's happening to me?" She then tried to summon her special power. "Magic Force…re…veal…" Unable to finish the sentence, she managed to say one last thing before she completely lost consciousness. "Ace…help…please." She finally fell to the ground, out cold.
Two gentlemen then unlocked the door and entered the ladies' room. Both of them wore gas masks to protect themselves from its effects.
"Looks like we got her," said one of the gentlemen.
"Yeah. Now all we have to do is get her to the boss safely. Then, we'll be rakin' in the dough!"
"Right. Let's go."
The two men picked her up, and the first one pulled her over his shoulders.
They came out of the ladies' room unnoticed, or so they thought.
What they failed to notice was a little boy lost in the mall. He was trying to locate the information desk when he noticed two gentlemen carrying off with a young woman. He immediately recognized the young woman. "It's Angela Jacobs!" he whispered in fear. "I gotta find somebody!" He then ran to find the information desk and report a possible crime.
In the security office, Victor was keeping a close eye on things when he started noticing one of the screens. "Hey, what's this?" He made the camera zoom in on the situation. "Looks like two gentlemen carrying someone. No, maybe it's a mannequin. I—wait a minute. Why would they carry a mannequin from the ladies' room on the west side?" Making the image even closer and sharper, he discovered what was really going on. "It's a kidnapping!" He then ran towards his father's main office. "Dad! We've got an emergency!"
Robert Raven, the owner of the DNA Club/Mall and Victor's father, noticed his older son's rather frantic look. "Son, calm down. What's going on?"
"The security camera's picked up a possible abduction. Two gentlemen are walking off with a young woman."
"Where is it?"
"West side of the mall, just outside the ladies' room."
"Okay, we'll activate all the locks, and I'll see if I can keep the people calm."
Mr. Raven ran up to the intercom system and spoke as calmly as possible. "Attention all customers and employees. We have a possible kidnapping in progress. We are going to lock the mall up, but I want everyone to remain calm. Everyone on the west side of the mall be on the lookout for two gentlemen and a young woman. The young woman may be the victim. Be very cautious." He then turned to Victor. "Activate all the locks immediately, starting with the west side lock."
"I'm on it, Dad."
Meanwhile, in that area, the two gentlemen heard the announcement and started running faster.
"Great," complained one of them. "We're supposed to be inconspicuous, and now we've been found out! How?"
The other answered, "They must have an advanced security system. I knew we should have studied the schematics of this place first."
"We've got to reach the door before they activate all the locks!"
The two ran as fast as they could, being very careful not to drop their victim. Pushing their way through the crowd, they managed to get out the door just before the locks activated.
In the office, Victor saw the two escape. "Dad, they're outside the mall now. Should we get the police?"
"Yes. Notify the police and tell them someone is being abducted. By the way, what does the victim look like?"
"It's hard to tell right now. The camera can't see her face."
That made his father even more nervous, but he took a couple of deep breaths to calm down. "Very well. Tell the police we have a kidnapping in progress right now. They have left the mall and may quickly try to leave town."
Victor picked up the telephone and contacted the police. "We have an emergency here at the DNA Club/Mall. Angela Jacobs is being abducted even as we speak, and the kidnappers have left the mall. We don't know what their next move is, but we have security cameras checking the parking lot. Mall is currently in lockdown."
The two gentlemen quickly made it to the car in which they planned to get away.
The one holding Angie noticed the camera. "Quick, take care of the video!"
The other threw a grenade right at the camera and blew it out. "That should keep them from ID'ing the car. Now, let's get outta here!"
The one with Angie gently lay her into the back seat of the car and quickly got into the passenger side. "Go, go!"
The car quickly skidded away and left the parking lot in a matter of seconds.

Meanwhile, at the Magic Express, Ace practiced with Zina on improving their double-disappearance trick when he suddenly heard a weak voice within his mind. Ace…help…please.
He gasped in worry. "Angie…something's happening to her." He then closed his eyes and psychically communicated with her. Angie, are you all right? Where are you? Can you hear me?
Trying to make the image clearer, he could only see swirls. "She's fallen victim to some sort of gas or drug. I can't see anything in her mind."
Just then, Angel appeared in the room. "Ace, Lieutenant Vega calling, and it sounds very urgent."
"Patch it through here."
Vega appeared on the room's video screen. "Ace," he said with a sad look on his face, "there's a possible kidnapping in progress. I think you'll be needed."
"Wait, Derek…I sensed Angie in some kind of trouble."
"You did? The victim does appear to be a young woman. Could it be…oh, no…Angie."
"No…not my kindred sister. Who's responsible? Faceless!? Black Jack?"
"Ace, we don't know who's behind it. Right now, though, we've set up a dragnet all over the city to make sure they don't leave. I'm on my way to the mall now to check with Mr. Raven and Victor on the security."
"I'll meet you there ASAP, Vega."
"You sure?"
"I'm not about to sit here and do nothing while Angie's life could be in danger."
"Okay, but you need to calm down first."
"I understand…sorry."
"All right, I'll see you there."
As soon as the screen went black, Ace grabbed his cape and quickly ran out of the room towards the garage.
Cosmo and Zina were heading back to the workshop when they saw Ace running fast.
"Dude!" Cosmo exclaimed. "What's the rush?"
Running by he answered, "Get to the Magic Racer. We're going to the DNA Mall."
Cosmo and Zina looked at each other in grave concern. "Ace talkin' like that means something's majorly wrong. C'mon, girl." The young man and the panther ran to the garage and to Ace's special car.
Seconds later the Magic Racer zoomed out of the garage with Ace driving almost wildly.
"Whoa, dude, wait a sec!" yelled Cosmo. "What's with you!? Slow down!"
Ace pulled over to the side and took a couple of deep breaths. "I'm sorry, Cosmo. I didn't mean to be so crazy like this while driving."
"Ace, just tell me what's going on."
Putting his face down, the Magician slowly responded, "I got word from Vega that Angie may have been…"
"Been what?"
"Kidnapped from the mall. Two men abducted a young woman from there, and Angie was going there."
"It's gotta be Spade and Diamond!" Cosmo quickly stated. "Black Jack isn't exactly fond of her."
"It could be, but Vega isn't sure who it is just yet. Besides, Jack does have some respect for Angie. That's why I want to check the security camera video."
"Gotcha, dude. Now will ya take it easy driving?"
"Sure. Let's go." Ace started his car again and drove more peacefully to the mall.
When they got to the mall, police vehicles were already surrounding all the entrances.
Ace found Vega at the west side doors.
"Ace," the lieutenant said, "Bob and Victor have the video disk ready for you to look at. Maybe you can tell who kidnapped Angie."
"I'll certainly try."
Ace and the others went into the security office.
There, Victor had already prepared the video. "Okay, here's where the kidnappers were. They had just left the ladies' room with a young woman in tow. I spotted it with the camera and zoomed in. I wasn't sure who the victim was at first. We put the mall into security lockdown, but they managed to get out just before the locks activated. We then tried to use the cameras outside to locate the escape vehicle, but one of them blew out the camera with a grenade."
Victor then zoomed in on the two kidnappers. "It looks like two men in suits, but that's all we got. They're pretty dark suits, too."
"That would rule out Spade and Diamond," Ace concluded. "They where suits in three colors, not one."
Just then, Captain Friedrichs came into the room. "Vega, what is this? Why is the mall completely surrounded by the police?"
"Because someone has been abducted from here. The kidnappers managed to get out of the mall just before the locks activated."
"And just who is the victim?"
"We don't know for sure who it is yet."
Just then, an officer walked in with a small boy. "Sir, this boy may know who the victim is."
Friedrichs just scoffed. "How can a little boy know!? He's probably making this all up."
After seeing the boy shake in fear, Vega looked at his superior coldly. "Look, I'm willing to go on every lead we have right now, and I'll listen to an eight-year-old if need be." He then came up to the small child and calmly said, "It's okay. He can be a bit scary. Now, why don't you tell me what you saw."
The boy took some deep breaths and started his story. "I was lost in the mall and looking for Mommy. I then saw to big men walking out of the bathroom. Both of them were wearing strange masks. One of them had a girl on his shoulder. When he sorta swung around, I did see the girl's face, and I knew right away who she was."
"You know who the person is? Can you tell us who?"
"It was…Angela Jacobs, the girl magician."
That sent shockwaves through everyone in the room.
"No," whispered Cosmo. "Not her. What has she done to deserve this?"
Vega's eyes went into disbelief. "She's so nice to a lot of people. Who would want to kidnap her?"
Victor and Ace were both brewing with anger.
"If I find the people who kidnapped Angie," said Victor, "I'll break every limb on them!"
"Save some for me," added Ace. "They'll pay dearly for this."
Meanwhile, the two gentlemen who abducted Angie were seemingly making their clean getaway, until they noticed a water-filled police barrier ahead of them.
One of the officers yelled into his megaphone. "Stop in the name of the law!"
"You wish!" the driver yelled. He then sped up the car and crashed it right through the barrier, allowing them to escape completely.
The officer then took out his radio to contact Friedrichs. "Sir, the vehicle went straight through. They've escaped, but not before we managed to get a description and license plate."
"Very well. What information do you have?"
"It's a black sedan with California license plate 075PMD."
"Good. That will certainly help in this case." He then turned off the radio. "When someone disappears, we have to wait 24 hours to declare her missing, but—"
Ace came up and grabbed Friedrichs by the shirt. "How can you say that!? Angie may not have 24 hours!"
"If you would let me finish, Cooper, I was about to say in the case of someone being abducted, the rule is waived, and the FBI has to get involved."
"That's my department, then," said Vega. "The head of the FBI is an old friend of mine from our police academy days. I'll get in touch with him immediately."
Ace finally calmed down and let go of Friedrichs. "Sorry about that, Captain. I thought you were going with your typical nose-by-the-book routine."
"Cooper, that is the typical routine in an abduction. If you don't think I'm concerned for the safety of Angela Jacobs, you're wrong this time. My question is, will there be a ransom involved?"
"Seems like a good bet," answered Vega. "If that's the case, they'd more than likely contact Ace in the Express. In the meantime, I need to get on the horn to Washington and fill him in."
Vega then went to the videophone and picked up the line. "I hope you can help old friend, because we're gonna need it."

Over 3000 miles away in Washington, DC, it was early evening when one person was still left in the office which housed the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
A gentleman in his mid-50s, he was appointed by President Elizan Donovan to be in charge of the FBI, which had made great improvements in the last few decades in terms of solving some of the most complex cases.
"Well, time for me to get on home. The leftovers from Shelley's baby shower should hold me over tonight. I'm happy for her." He then heard his videophone ring. "Hmm, who could be calling me at this hour?" He then pressed the button on his phone to receive the call. "Daniel Simons, FBI. Can I help you?"
"Dan, it's me, Derek."
Simons's eyes widened. "Derek…Derek Vega? I never thought I'd hear from you again, old buddy. How are you?"
"Well…I could be better."
"Uh-oh. This isn't a personal call, is it?"
"Nope, 'fraid not. We've had a kidnapping here in Electro City."
"Oh, no. Who was kidnapped?"
"Angela Jacobs."
"She's that female magician who works with Ace Cooper, right?"
"Yeah, that's the one. Two men abducted her from the mall here and crashed through a water barrier. They've left the city and could be anywhere. I've got the video disk from the security cameras, so I'll transfer the images from here to you."
In a matter of seconds, Simons was able to see the abduction taking place. "Okay, Derek. Can you give me vital stats on Angela and the vehicle?"
Vega gave Simons as much information as he could get off the top of his head, including the vehicle and license plate. "Does that help?"
"Yes, it certainly does. We'll put out a nationwide alert to be on the lookout for Angela Jacobs and the black sedan with California plate 075PMD. And one other thing, I suggest you use the media. They may be of help in situations like this. When people realize someone like Angela's been kidnapped, the citizens do become more vigilant."
"I agree. I'll ask Captain Friedrichs to allow Sensa-News to broadcast the information as soon as possible."
"You mean you're still not the captain yet?"
"The way politics are around here, I probably never will be. Well, we don't have time to lose. We've got to get this moving, or we may end up finding Angie dead."
"Don't worry, Derek. I'm on the case."

After finishing the conversation on the videophone, Vega went back to the others. "Dan's implementing the operations now. He's contacting all the associated FBI and state agencies to be on the lookout for the vehicle, and Angie."
"Good, it's a start," said Ace in slight relief.
"We can do even more with help from Sensa-News. Captain, I think it's time to get the media to work with us on this case."
Friedrichs slightly hesitated but realized Vega was right. "Okay, we need to get this set up immediately. Perhaps the media can be of help in locating Angela Jacobs."
"I want to be there, too," said Victor. "I have to make some kind of plea for her safe return."
"Count me in," added Cosmo.
Ace looked at everyone in the room. "I know I will be there, and so will Mona. Angie is a member of my family, and we all care about her."
"Very well," said Friedrichs. "Mr. Raven, we'll need a copy of the video disk to—"
"Already done," said Raven when he pulled up the copy. "Here you go."
"Now, let's get to Sensa-News and get this thing ready to broadcast."
Everyone left the security room except for Raven. He could not help but worry. "I know how much Victor and Angie love each other. God, please, protect her from harm as best you can."