A/N: Disclaimer in the first 2 chapters.
Chapter 9: Aunt Hedwig and Uncle Eugene
The Hunter kids are sitting outside the living room where Tim is talking on the phone to find them a new place to stay. The problem is that there aren't places that will take six kids in.
"He's been on that phone for a long time," Max complains, "Who's he talking to?"
"Just about everyone," Emmy suggests as she runs her hands through her hair nervously.
"Who knows? Splitting us up is pretty complicated," Sal says, "They probably have to find six different families to take us."
"Five families," Max corrects him, "They're sending me to the orphanage."
"Four, actually," Emmy adds in, "I'm also going to Black Friar's." Sal cringes and says,
"Sorry."
Max starts to talk about how he would rather join the French Foreign Legion than go there. Anika asks what that is and Max admits he doesn't actually know. He tries explaining it until Tim comes into their waiting space.
"Guys? I think I might have a plan." Everyone immediately starts to protest about being split up.
"Nobody's going anywhere!" Tim tells them, "It wasn't easy, but I figured out a way how everybody can stay together until Erik and Kate get back."
"Huh?" Emmy asks.
"I do really need to have a word with them. Anyway, why didn't you guys tell me about your real aunt and uncle?" Tim asks.
"Aunt Hedwig?" they all ask.
Tim confirms their suspicions and tells them about Uncle Eugene. They were both coming to watch over the kids. Tim seems confused when the kids' reactions aren't as positive as he thought they would be. Soon, Aunt Hedwig and Uncle Eugene are at the door talking about the haunted Hunter house.
"What are we worried about?" Max asks as the kids take their luggage into Erik and Kate's room, "We already got rid of Hedwig once." They all imitate how scared she was of Sal's voice changer pretending to be a ghost, "We can do it again," Max says.
"No, we're not. We're going to be perfect angels," Tess decides.
"We are?" Daniel asks.
"Yeah, why?" Max asks, "All Hedwig cares about is stealing the diamond. And I bet old Gene is in on it with her."
"Okay, we have to pick up the fake diamond from Magpie and deliver it to Saganash. If we start making trouble, Hedwig and Eugene will make trouble for us."
"That's the last thing we need," Sal says.
"Exactly. We have to be smart."
"But I don't want that witch sleeping in Erik and Kate's bed," Anika complains, "It's like they're taking their place."
Tess reassures Anika that as soon as they get the fake diamond to Saganash, Hedwig and Eugene will be gone. Everyone gives Tess a 'shining' smile, except Max and Emmy. Max rolls his eyes and gives her one 'shining' smile. Emmy grudgingly follows suit. A whistle blows and they all run down the stairs to see what the meaning of it is.
"Fall in!" Eugene calls from the bottom of the stairs, "Fall in! Double-time! Fall in! Line up for inspection! I want a nice, straight line!" he continues yelling as he walks down their line. When he gets to Emmy, though, she takes a step back.
"I want a pony," Max whispers to himself. Eugene is glaring at the two of them.
"Back in line! And what did you say?"
"Nothing," Max says. Emmy stands where she is, in a defiant pose with her arms crossed.
"Latrine duty for you," he says to Emmy, who rolls her eyes, then to Max, "And one more remark and you'll be joining her."
"What's he talking about?" Max asks Sal. Sal explains that he's going to make the two of them clean the toilet. Anika laughs and Eugene scolds her for laughing.
"What, we're not allowed to laugh any more?" Max asks.
"Oh, one of us is going to laugh. Me… when you two clean the toilets with your toothbrushes."
"B...S," Emmy says with a glare directed at Eugene.
"What, that's not fair!" Max says.
"And then you'll clean the kitchen!"
"With the same toothbrush?" Daniel asks, "After they cleaned the toilets with it? That's nasty-"
"SILENCE!" Eugene yelled when he got in front of Daniel, "You will clean the kitchen with Daniel's toothbrush. Now off to work. And use plenty of disinfectants. On the double!" He starts saying Hut a bunch and Max runs to the bathroom. Emmy slowly follows with a mischievous smirk on her face.
"Fall out!" Eugene says, no one moves, "That means you're dismissed, Go! Scram!"
The other four quickly leave.
Max is complaining to Emmy as they scrub the long hallway.
"I'd like to disinfect him," Max says.
"He definitely needs it," Emmy agrees. They spend hours scrubbing with their toothbrushes. Slowly, making their way down the hallway. Max looks at his ruined toothbrush in disgust at the end of the night.
"Well, that's gross," Emmy says as she also looks at hers. Emmy and Max bid goodnight as the others start to text each other about the Saganash plan. They also start asking about the two who had cleaning duty. Sal tries telling Max about how Saganash wants them to hand over the diamond in a parking lot the next night, but Max falls asleep as soon as he hits the pillow.
Emmy, on the other hand, stays up with Anika talking about the plan to get Erik and Kate back.
"So how do we get proof from Saganash that Erik and Kate are safe and will be there?" Anika asks.
"First, I think I should be the one holding the diamond so Saganash can't take it from me. Secondly, we demand to see Erik and Kate before any deal has happened," Emmy explains. Anika smiles at her positivity for the plan. And decides to ask a question,
"Where did you go when you used to sneak out?" Emmy looks up at her, surprised.
"Well," she starts and seems to get lost in thought, "I would go to a lot of different places. But do you want to know one of my favorites?" Anika nods excitedly. Emmy stands up and gestures for Anika to follow. The two girls get dressed in all black and Emmy opens the window.
"What are we doing?" Anika asks.
"I'm going to show you some of the best views in Amsterdam."
They climb out of the window, and onto the fire escape. They go all the way down till they're on the street. Emmy and Anika are running through the quiet streets with the wind blowing loudly as the only other sound's the owls and their beating footsteps. Emmy takes Anika to another building not that far from their house, and they climb to its roof. Emmy and Anika sit atop the building as Emmy points out the beautiful image before them. And how the Hunter House is the center of this portrait. Anika looks in awe.
"It's beautiful," she says.
"It's the first landscape that inspired me to start taking pictures," Emmy responds. The two girls sit there a little longer. They walk around Amsterdam for a little longer before heading back home. A smile on both of their faces as they fall asleep for the night.
The next morning, everyone is sitting at the kitchen table as Hedwig dishes up the grossest looking oatmeal anyone has ever seen. Eugene explains how this will be their 'morning rations' every day. Sal asks if they could have a variety that backfires into Eugene thinking of adding raw garlic on Sundays. Sal tries forcing down the food but can't help but gag.
"What is it? Don't you like it?" Eugene asks.
Everyone is gagging around the table. Except for Emmy who hasn't tasted it yet. Sal tries to play it off as not hungry but Eugene slams his fist down and Sal starts eating again. Emmy takes her first bite and tries to think of ways to get Eugene and Hedwig gone before remembering what Tess told them about being on good behavior. This really did stink.
The five of the Hunter kids who went to school, were at school sitting down for lunch. Tess gets off the phone and informs the other about what Daniel had just told her. Magpie had dropped off the fake diamond. They each open their lunchboxes in hope of food, instead what they get are disgusting meat slices and two small orange slices. Not even a full lunch. All of them gagged and closed their lunch boxes, reminiscing over Kate and Erik's food they used to have. Tess reminds them that all they have to do is give Saganash the fake diamond and get past their prison guards. Surprisingly, Emmy doesn't flinch at the word prison as she had been lately. Sal then seems to have an idea.
So that night, Sal is making a great, fancy dinner for Eugene and Hedwig. Daniel escorts them further into the dining room when Eugene and Hedwig enter the room in confusion. Daniel pulls out Hedwig's chair for her.
"And don't worry about your rooms. Max, Tess, and Emmy are making up the bed with fresh seats," Sal says with a kind smile to Hedwig. Anika comes in pretending to be tired. She explains that she already brushed her teeth twice for three minutes both times. Sal sees Tess and Max sneaking out as he continues flashing Eugen and Hedwig his million-dollar smile.
Tess and Max were a little more than confused when Emmy didn't sneak out with them but had no reason to worry. Once they stepped out of the front door and Tess said all clear. Emmy was right there with them.
"My way was much sneakier," she boasts to the two of them.
"It's not like we got caught," Max says.
"No, you got lucky," Emmy retorted.
"Can you two quit your bickering for five minutes?" Tess asks with annoyance. The two glared at each other before hopping on their bikes and following Tess to the location of the drop-off. Little did they know, Simone saw them leaving.
At the parking garage, Tess was holding the box that held the fake diamond. The three teens made their way into the garage slowly.
"Max can keep a lookout," Emmy says
"What?" Max asks, "Why me?"
"Are you too scared?" Emmy asks. Max opens his mouth about to reply when Tess holds up a hand for them to be quiet.
"We'll all just go. That way we can get the best look of Saganash," Tess whispers to them, "And stay quiet."
"There is so much I don't like about this plan," Max says after a few moments.
"For instance?" Tess asks as they make their way between two pillars.
"To start with, it's not an actual plan." Emmy looks around nervously as a tense silence settles around the three. They continue to walk until the phone Saganash had given them starts to ring.
"Do you have the diamond?" Saganash's distorted voice comes through the other end of the phone.
"Yes."
The voice gives them instructions to place it between numbers 99 and 100. But Max asks for proof that Erik and Kate are fine before they give him the diamond. Max also points out that since Saganash is a kidnapper, he's not the most reliable source. Saganash complains that the process is taking too long and starts to count to three.
They place the box holding the fake diamond on the ground. Tess hides behind one pillar, Max behind another, while Emmy goes and disappears into the shadows along the wall.
A cloaked figure they presume is Saganash walks out of a glassed off part of the garage. He walks towards the box but before he can reach for it Tess shouts now as she and Max get in front of the figure. Emmy drops from the ceiling behind Saganash.
"Boo," she says with her arms crossed and a stoic face.
"You don't get nothing until we see Erik and Kate," Tess says, her arms also crossed. Max imitates her posture by crossing his arms as well. They have a quiet staredown while Emmy pretends to yawn from her position behind Saganash.
"What are you guys doing here?" Simone's voice calls out from the back of the parking garage. Tess and Max turn in surprise as Emmy groans in annoyance at her presence. Saganash tries to make a run for it. Emmy tries chasing after him. Leaping onto his back.
"You, stop where you are!" Simone yells to Saganash as Emmy does some hand to hand combat moves (A/N: I don't know what else to put there!) with Saganash. Saganash wraps one arm around Emmy's neck and starts pulling her away with him.
"Release her!" Simone yells again as she gets closer. Saganash makes it to the door and releases Emmy, making a run for it. Emmy collapses to the ground, gasping for air. Simone notices the box on the ground. She picks it up and sees the diamond. She looks at Max and Tess, then looks towards Emmy, who has disappeared.
…
"Well, where have you been 'till this hour?" Hedwig asks as Max and Tess come home with Simone. Tess and Max talked at the same time, but Simone told the truth. That they were at a parking garage and now Emmy was missing. Eugene tells Simone how they had no idea they were gone.
"These children are like untamed animals," Hedwig says, "They come from broken homes, but they're barely even house trained."
"They've always seemed like good kids to me. But that's not my concern right now," Simone replies, "What I'd like to know is why they would leave this lying around a parking lot." Simone opens the box revealing the fake diamond, "And why Emmy has run away now?"
Eugene seems particularly interested in the diamond. Asking to see it as he wants the diamond for himself. Simone ignores Eugene and goes back to interrogating Tess and Max about the diamond. Max chuckles and actually tells the truth,
"That's just a fake obviously," he goes on to explain where he got the diamond. Simone asks them more questions and Max answers with about this online game they're a part of. Outrageous dares and that's why the other person had a cloak. Emmy was also part of it and just left a little early. Probably went to a friend's house.
Simone leaves the house and Eugene is immediately angered with those two. Telling them how they will pay for what they did. Max gives him a nickel saying,
"Keep the change." Eugene gives him a toothbrush in return and Max is tasked with cleaning the hallway floor again.
As Max scrubs the floor with his toothbrush, his phone dings with text messages from the others. Emmy still hasn't returned and no one knew what else to do. Tess texts in their group chat about Saganash giving them another chance tomorrow. Hedwig comes and complains about how he's texting when he should be working. After their brief banter, Hedwig threatens him with the possibility of going to the orphanage.
The next morning five Hunter kids stand in their line. Discussing what they're going to do about Simone taking the fake diamond from them. Max is sleeping as he stands in his spot of the line. They decide they need to get the fake back from Simone. Then Eugene comes in. After a quiet and snarky remark from Max, Eugene tasks him with Latrine duty with his toothbrush again. Max says how his toothbrush is officially retired because it's so worn out. Eugene moves to Tess asking if she uses eye makeup sometimes. That's the brush Max has to use then.
Daniel sighs as Simone hangs up after he set up a date between her and Tim. Tess and Anika comfort him as Sal walks in stating how he found Max, asleep with his head on the toilet seat. He gave Tess her ruined brush back, but Tess, seeing how disgusting it was now, didn't want it anymore.
Anika explains how their second plan is going according to plan. Max flops on the couch and starts telling them how he shouldn't be a part of the plan. Hedwig and Eugene will be watching him like a movie. And Emmy had still made no contact with them. They talked strategy to look for her around Amsterdam. They were worried about her even if she might have left because she didn't want to be in the same house as Eugene and Hedwig. But after looking for Emmy until five o'clock, they were still yet to find her. And their aunt and uncle had a new curfew for them.
…
Emmy had run when she realized Saganash had let her go, Simone was there, and the fake diamond lay on the ground in front of her. Emmy didn't know what else to do. Her old instincts kicked in as a thief with a reason to run from the cops. She sighed as she sat atop a building the next morning. She didn't know what her next move was, the Hunter's had been the last family to try and take her in, now they were gone. She lays on her back on the roof of the building, letting out another long breath. Closing her eyes she tries thinking. One word continued to play in her head, over and over and over again. Cal. Cal. Cal…
The old friend she had met again not too long ago was here in Amsterdam. Perhaps even the twins. But could they help? Well, what did she need help with? Finding Erik and Kate. One way to do that was to have Saganash lead her to them, but she had almost been kidnapped that way.
"That's it!" Emmy exclaimed to herself. She bolted upwards and steadied herself from falling over the side of the building.
She got off the ledge and made her way down the stairs of the building, a plan forming in her head. She was going back to the parking garage, and she was going to follow whatever tracks Saganash left. And she was bringing an excellent tracker with her.
…
Night came and only four of the Hunter kids were sneaking out. Except, there were extra locks on the door.
"Seriously?" Tess asks, "wish I knew Emmy's escape route." The lights turn on and Hedwig and Eugene open the doors of the living room to look at the kids.
"No one taking valuables-"
"Our valuables," Eugene interrupts Hedwig.
"From this house."
A door creaks in another room. Eugene looks toward the closed doors that connect the living room and kitchen. He slowly creeps towards the doors, everyone following. When he opens the door, Max is standing in the kitchen holding up a sign that says, Gruel is for fools! Max reveals his face as the other kids laugh at his antics. Eugene tries to charge at Max but slips and falls on the soapy ground. Hedwig also falls on the floor as Max walks past them with his show brushes.
"I thought you gave up," Anika says to Max as they make their way out.
"Hunters never give up!" Max replies. He unlocks the extra lock with the keys that fell off Eugene when he fell.
The five of them stand outside the bottom window as they watch Simone and Tim leave for their date. Anika tells the others she has a way in and leaves the group. She grabs the fake diamond when she's in and comes out. They head to the parking garage and are surprised to see Emmy there, with another girl they've never met before.
"Emmy!" They all yell. The two turn to look at the group. Anika runs over to Emmy and hugs her. Emmy embraces the hug.
"Why are you guys here?" Emmy asks
"Saganash is giving us a second chance," Tess explains, "uh, who's that? And what are you doing here?"
"Well, I'm Cal," Cal introduces herself. She has dirty blond hair tied in a messy ponytail and her green eyes glinted with mischief.
"And we're looking for clues Saganash left behind," Emmy adds, "bad thing is, she's pretty good at not leaving anything behind."
"She?" Sal asks.
"Oh, yeah, Saganash is definitely a she," Emmy replies, "my little brawl with her proved that."
"Oh, okay."
They see Saganash's shadow in the glass and all seven of them stand in a huddle. Saganash walks to them and holds out her hand. They demand to know where their parents are and Saganash gives them a picture from today's paper. It's Erik and Kate tied up without their faces in the frame. Tess takes the box out of her pocket and hands it to Max who hands it to Saganash. Saganash checks it for the diamond. He turns and leaves. Daniel asks,
"Wait, when do we get our parents back?!" But Saganash was already gone.
A/N: Thanks for reading!