Karrin, Ron, and I were on a stakeout.

The former lowered her binoculars.
-"That dog must be a cross between a woolly mammoth and a St. Bernard."

While Michael Carpenter was disguised as a carpenter, I could see a pack of kids climbing upon Kai. He had a basketball on his jaws and was knocking down toddlers left and right with his tail. The rugrats were tenacious and unrelenting, launching themselves again on top of him.

All the kids that were targeted in the past kidnappings were placed in the same kindergarten. It took a lot of strings being pulled but the kidnappers would be forced to come this way.

The u-haul truck opened and Stallins approached the car, stopping for a smoke over Ron's window.
-"Traffic saw two green vans with pet food coming. ETA 10 min." He gave a long look at the kindergarten, where Betty and Carpenter's ankle-biters played with the other targets. "Are you sure that we don't need reinforcements? Last time they were packing a lot of heat."

Ron offered him a pack of disgusting Newports cigarettes. He started counting.
-"A knight of the cross, one Temple dog and a Warden. Just for kicks, Betty got a King Cobra in her backpack."

Stallings reevaluated the ball of fur, which currently was laying belly up, drooling under a tummy rubbing from the pint-sized horde.
-"It is only a large dog. Smart, but only a dog."

-"Don't let the Lassie attitude fool ya. That is the bodyguard of a century-old sorceress."

I chipped in.
-"Four centuries."

Everyone, even Ron, did a double-take at that.
Stallins shook his head and returned to the u-haul.

Ron clicked his radio two times and Michael went for his tool cart. Ron and Karin flipped off the safety on their guns.
I exited the car, crossed the street, and took my position by the entrance. I unfurled a cloth and laid down my tarot cards.

Soon enough, two long haul trucks could be seen, side by side.

A door was slammed open and I saw the Dense Rookie running out.
-"Rudolph come the-"
Tires screamed and one of the trucks barreled towards Ron's car.

I screamed.
-"WATCHOUT!"

Karrin and Ron got barely enough time to jump outta dodge. The truck smashed the car to pieces and pushed it halfway into the u-Haul where the other guys got trapped.

I closed into the mass of messy metal and the smell of gasoline assaulted my senses.

-"HELP!WEARETRAPPED!" "THE KIDS!"
The Wise Rookie's cries were followed by Stallins voice, resonating from inside the deathtrap.

I looked over my shoulder and saw a human-shaped hole in one of the walls, from it, emerged Kai, who spat a bloody leg with parts of a trouser attached. Michael herded the kids inside cover, Ammorachius in hand. Several armed thugs were pouring out the second truck and would overwhelm Michael's position while fire started to lick the u-haul underside.

I channeled my chi into my palms and made a tear in the u-haul wall, making an impromptu exit.
-"GET OUT!"

Ron and Karrin guns were barking nonstop, but the heavy automatic fire made them scoot over cover.

A third truck came into the scene, the driver pulled a sharp drift. We saw the back, full of weapon tooting guests.

We hit the ground while they sprayed our location with lead.
Another set of tires entered the picture, this time a black sedan. The windows rolled down and machineguns poked out.

I leaped over Karrin to shield her with my body.
My ears cracked with the hail of gunfire.
And then it was silent.

The screech of tires broke the silence and I peeked over the swiss cheese remains of Ron's car.
All the thugs were dead, bullet holes applied liberally over both trucks.