Kayo gritted her teeth in frustration but kept her expression neutral. She stood facing him, poised to defend herself, or to attack. Without turning his head, he beckoned at the young woman with them in the room.

"Number Thirteen! Come here."

Kayo did not move her head, and she kept her eyes on the Hood.

"Don't listen to him. Stay out of his reach and you will be fine. You go anywhere near him and he will kill you."

Number Thirteen, young Lizzie was beyond terrified, but she backed away all the same. She saw that the professor was still unconscious on the floor, and Mister Bell was unwilling to take his eyes off this female intruder. Why was he treating her with respect and caution? Mister Bell strode around giving out orders to everyone else except for the professor. What was different about this woman?

She backed away until she was far enough out of the reach of either of them; and studied the woman carefully as she and Bell slowly circled each other. She was wearing a sort of pale blue jumpsuit with high heeled boots. But rather than being restrictive in any way, both the woman and her outfit looked designed for movement and action. Lithe and ready. On the woman's lapel she noticed a logo of some kind. Frowning slightly, she squinted, trying to make out the detail over the distance. Suddenly, she blinked, and her eyes opened wider.

She knew that symbol. She may have been living in this pit for most of eternity, but the owners of that logo had been the subject of news and discussion often enough for Lizzie to know exactly what it represented.

International Rescue.

But they were still out of action, weren't they? Weren't International Rescue more into floods, fires and hurricanes? Whoever heard of them saving kidnap victims?

If this woman was from International Rescue, she would be here to save someone. They would have no particular reason to know anything about herself, or young Number Nine…young Jenna. On the other hand, those girls down the corridor…if International Rescue were somehow interested in saving kidnap victims, then what better than ten or more young women vanishing into thin air?

Her mind went back to that dashing young man she had been told to care for when he first arrived. Wounded and concussed, confused and afraid he might have been, but there had been something about him that had impressed her. His determination not to show fear. His insistence that his family and friends would find and rescue him.

Could it be that this woman had come for him? For Virgil? If International Rescue had sent in one of their agents to rescue Virgil, did that mean he was one of them? Were they here to rescue their own agent from the clutches of the mad scientist? What about this Mister Bell? What was his role in all of this, apart from being, apparently, the professor's acolyte?

The woman had told her that Mister Bell would not hesitate to kill. He had not seemed that dangerous. Perhaps, with the professor holding his leash, he was restricted in what he would or could do? But the professor was down, and this Bell was facing a foe of his own. One he seemed to have a grudging respect for.

Perhaps the woman was simply waiting for a moment to attack? A distraction, perhaps? But what?

Lizzie cast her eyes around the room and her eyes fell upon the professor's desk. She knew what he kept in that desk, and she had long ago learned the combination of the locked bottom drawer. She had never had the chance or reason to use it until now, but…

She slipped across the room and ducked down behind the table. She was aware of the woman watching her from the corner of her eye, but Bell had his back to her. She quickly tapped in the combination and opened the drawer. Her eyes fell upon what she was looking for. What the professor always used on his victims until he had them completely under control.

Not any kind of drug in this drawer. Aside from personal things that did not interest her were handcuffs. Simply handcuffs. Two sets to be precise. She whipped them out, making sure to let them jangle together in her hand. Then she slammed the drawer shut, and shouted loudly, managing to put every ounce of her current fear in her voice;

"Mister Bell!, lookout behind you!"

The Hood's head whipped round suddenly, and instantly Kayo swept out with her leg, knocking him off his feet, and finished with a swift karate chop that sent him spinning away into the land of nod alongside his comrade. Kayo crouched over the two fallen men and looked up with a smile as Lizzie came over to her. She held out her hand.

"Kayo."

"Lizzie. Are you International Rescue? I thought you weren't in business right now?"

"Yes, I am, and we're not. This is personal."

"Oh. Here, I thought you might want to use these?"

Lizzie handed Kayo the cuffs and watched in amusement as the woman cuffed the professor's left wrist to Mister Bell's left ankle, and then the professor's right ankle to Mister Bell's right wrist. It would be entertaining to see the two men trying to get around latched together that way. She watched as Kayo searched the two men thoroughly and removed anything on them that might be used as any sort of key or lock-pick.

"Where are the keys to these cuffs?"

"Still in the drawer."

Kayo nodded and retrieving the keys, she slipped them into the pouch beneath her wrist control and straightened up.

"Right. How many guards are left down here?"

Lizzie shrugged.

"Changes all the time. There are always four upstairs in the orphanage. Down here anything from one to ten at different times. Where they all come from, I don't know."

Kayo thought about the Hood's ship in geosynchronous orbit over the house.

"How many are here this minute?"

"Ten minutes ago, there were three down here."

Kayo activated her comms.

"Rover, come in."

"Rover." Came Eos' voice.

"Rover, I need you and TeeKay to scan this basement as best you can. Tell me how many life signs you can find ambulatory. I'm looking for the guards."

"Stand by." TeeKay's voice replied; then several moments later, "Shadow. Reading two life signs in the corridors, one life sign solitary in a small room, possibly a cell, one in what is clearly a cupboard, and a large room with seven occupants. More details impossible due to the dampening field."

"FAB." Kayo replied. She turned to her companion.

"Do you want out of here?"

"Yes!"

"How much? Are you willing to help me, and do as I say?"

"Will you get me out, and all the other girls too?"

"Everyone, if you help me."

"In that case, anything!"

"Good. Go and find the two security guards, tell them that something has happened to the professor. Bring them both here. Tell them nothing about me."

Lizzie nodded and scuttled off. Kayo concealed herself in the rather obvious hiding place behind the open door. She prayed that Sally and Isla would get their timing right. Much of that was guesswork but…

She heard raised voices and poised herself to strike. Two men's voices coming closer, cross examining Lizzie fiercely; Lizzie responding quickly, with the hiss of indrawn breath, as though she were being manhandled.

I'll manhandle them if they hurt her! Kayo thought fiercely. The voices paused outside the door and she heard the sound of their heavy boots stomping into the room.

At that moment, the lights went out.