The room Octopussy and James were locked in had two metal chairs and nothing else. They were told the walls were electrified. James tested it. The walls were definitely electrified, including the door. They sat together in anxious silence. Both were trying to think of an escape plan. Thoughts of Jamie alone with Hekate plagued them.
"We can't sit here," James said.
"I know we can't. Do you have any ideas?"
"These chairs are heavy enough to pound through that flimsy door. I doubt they bothered with too much security for us outside. They're relying completely on the electricity and a few locks."
"That won't work. These are metal chairs. They'd conduct electricity right to us."
James got to his feet to test the weight. He would have trouble lifting something like that at his age, but nothing would stop him from saving Jamie and Della. Octopussy could tell.
"You can't do that, James. You'll break something before you get to the door. If you do make it, you wouldn't be able to handle the shock."
"If I started from the back wall, the blow might have enough force to give you a chance to escape. If not, it'll draw the guard's attention. I know you can get by the guards if you have to. Find Jamie and Della. Destroy this place and then go to the helicopter."
"No. You stay with me."
"Our daughter is out there. Felix's goddaughter is out there. We don't know what is happening to them, but I have a good idea about what could be going on. It's better if at least one of us gets out. It needs to be you. You can move faster."
"Move…" Octopussy muttered. She took off her shoes. She held out a hand. "Give me your shoes."
"Four legs, four shoes," he began to understand.
"You get one side of the chair. I'll get the other," she told him. She set her hand on his cheek. "Together?"
He leaned in for a kiss. He smiled and nodded. "Together."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-
On the other side of the building, Della paced in her room. It was similar to the room James and Octopussy were in. Della couldn't stand the thought of Jamie being with Hekate. She hated not knowing where James and Octopussy were as well. However, she had a plan. It was moving slowly.
She had a wide plastic clip that held her hair in place. Gently, she used the insulated clip to wiggle the bolts out of the hinges of the door. So far, she had removed the bolts from two hinges. She had one bolt left. It was almost out.
"Hold on, Jamie. I'm coming for you…" she whispered.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Hekate removed half of Jamie's pant leg. She tried to decide which section of Jamie's skin would look best on her wall. Meanwhile, Jamie moved her hands closer together. The chair concealed any motion she was making. Her fingernail turned a wheel on the side of the watch. A controlled stream of fire licked across the rope at her wrists. Jamie worried Hekate might smell something burning. Thankfully, the heavy Bien Beautiful's perfume Hekate was wearing kept her from smelling anything other than fruit.
"Ah, yes, right here. Calf below the knee. Let me get some moisturizer for you. It's our newest product," Hekate enthusiastically said.
When she left to get the product from her desk, Jamie's watch had burned through the ropes. Jamie freed herself at the wrists and then bent at the waist to start untying her legs. Hekate realized Jamie was about to escape. She threw one of her knives at Jamie. It stuck in her arm. A second blade hit her gut. Yet, Jamie kept going.
Jamie ran to retrieve the purse in the corner. She reached to the fake makeup products inside and assembled the gun. As soon as it was ready, she fired a shot at Hekate. The bullet scraped her cheek. She laughed at the contact.
"You think that'd hurt me? You see my scars. I thought they'd stop burning if I hid them under my products, but they're still raw. I thrive when they scald. I'll thrive from whatever blood you may spill."
"I'll spill a drop too many, Kathryn."
"It's Hekate!" she howled. Knickknacks from her desk flew at Jamie. "HEKATE!"
One of her desk ornaments hit a framed piece of skin. Jamie had to roll to avoid the glass. To protect herself, Jamie used the frames like shields. Her only gun was far from her, and it had been fired. It needed another lipstick jammed into it, but it looked like Jamie couldn't get there. The best Jamie could do was chuck the debris from Hekate's collection back at her.
"This would be a good time to phone a friend," Jamie said to herself.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Della removed the last bolt from the door. She rolled her sleeve over her hand to protect herself from any shock. In a quick motion, she yanked on the doorknob. The door fell backwards, which revealed two guards. Della easily knocked them out. She took their revolvers just to discover more guards were coming after her. The bullets in the revolvers didn't last long. Della had to run for it.
Down the way, James and Octopussy lifted the metal chair. They put one shoe on each leg of the chair to act as insulation. In unison, they rushed the door. It immediately started to bend. They retreated and thrust again. On the third thrust, the door was open for them to escape. As expected, only a few guards were near. They handled them effortlessly.
"Did you hear that?" Octopussy asked.
"Gunshots," James agreed. "This way!"
In Hekate's office, Jamie was running out of frames. She tried to stall by getting Hekate talking. "Even if you kill me, you'll still fail. Della and the others will get out. They'll go to the authorities with everything."
"They'll never get out! I'll kill them like I'll kill you!"
Outside, Della ran directly into James and Octopussy. Della felt a weight lift. "I am so happy to see you. Wait…where are your shoes?"
"Later," James replied. "Jamie?"
"I'm guessing she's still with Hekate. I'm going now. It's this way. Follow me," Della told them.
Hekate resorted to her rock collection. Jamie dodged the blows as best as she could. She tried to get back to the purse, yet the rocks kept her in one place. Jamie noticed a firm couch cushion nearby. It would be a risk to go for it, but there wasn't much else she could use to protect herself.
"I should've killed you before I skinned you! You're just like your mother. You're rude and wasting my time. If I see Octopussy again, I'll tell her all about how her daughter died!"
A rock soared at Jamie's face. It was blocked by the couch cushion. Octopussy was the one holding it. She lowered it as her eyes burned. "Hello, Hekate. I'm Octopussy. I can't wait to everyone how the mighty Hekate fell."
Della stood in the corner with the makeup gun. She had reloaded it. The trigger pulled. Della didn't miss Hekate's heart. Jamie let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in. She hugged her mother tightly. She went to Della next. After they kissed, Jamie threw the purse at James.
"I am glad to see you, Father. You get to do the honors. It's been too long since you blew something up, hasn't it?"
He grinned at the idea. The four of them ran to the exit of the building, knocking out guards as they went. James set the bomb and tossed it inside just as they ran for the helicopter. They all paused to enjoy the explosion that followed. With no lab and no Hekate, there would be no operation. The world was saved again without anyone realizing it needed saving in the first place.
"Anybody up for cocktails?" Jamie asked. They turned to look at her. "What? I can always use a good martini."
"She has a point," James agreed.
Octopussy and Della looked at each other. They spoke in unison. "Bonds."
