Chapter 32
Enrico and Ernesto sat in a carriage passing inside the docks watching a few of the fishers preparing their boats to leave on their next tour.
„Is your father there at the boats?" Questioned Enrico looking at the fishers watching, that tied up the boat on the corner of the bridge.
„I don't see him anywhere. I think he already left," Responded Ernesto.
„Are you available any of the following nights to help me and my dad to load the cages into the carriage, that leads them to our meeting point?"
„I'm free all these evenings," Responded Ernesto. „ We're off from the academy at the same time,"
„Great, it's easier if we two work together into getting the cages up at the carriage…..and faster you know,"
„Yes it does," Ernesto agreed, then glanced back at the sea and found the airship with a shark-themed balloon docked with ropes on the ground, and he looked back at his friend. „Hey isn't that the ship we saw the other day passing over the beach?" Questioned the brunette, seeing the friend shrug his shoulders.
„I probably was busy or distracted as it passed by. I don't remember,"
„Alright, it looks really cool the design," Ernesto admitted looking at the ship, then he crossed his arms and placed them on the side of the cart and spotted at the docks Rollan's girlfriend Gerda make her way along the bridge to the airship they had talked about, then she began to climb up on the ladder the ship had extended out. „Do you think Rollan's mom or his girlfriend think the trolls we took have just left or are they most likely to believe they were kidnapped?"
„Until that time they figure out, what really happened the trolls will be on a ship to Mexico and we won't see them ever again and they will never figure out, where they headed,"
„Maybe," Ernesto commented, then Enrico clapped hard on his friend's shoulder.
„Put your head up, Ernesto. This will go fine, just like it always did. These trolls will be worth a million for the business,"
„I know it will, but…..you know I think they're meant to be with Rollan's friends," Ernesto mentioned making Enrico shake his head.
„Don't break your head about it. As long as they don't know, what happened to them the better," Enrico spoke. „They will never know it was us, Rollan is in prison and won't be able to help his friends with it and there's no way they could track down the trolls to Mexico or wherever the traffickers take them with,"
„I think you're right," Ernesto said neutrally.
„You could need a break for a while. You're starting to make me feel worried about our business,"
„You know I joined you to help you and your dad, but now I'm starting to think this is going too far,"
„Ernesto you know what you were going into as you offered me your help. Now you either stay with us or leave and keep your mouth shut. If something blows up our cover we're done and if my dad finds this out it was us, we're doomed," Enrico warned, then Ernesto got up and jumped down at the road and Enrico turned around to see his friend look at the carriage move further. „Where are you going?"
„I'm taking a walk to empty my head. I will go later home," Ernesto said watching Enrico think about his words, then he nodded.
„Sure, be careful," Enrico wished making Ernesto nod, which walked slowly while the carriage moved faster, soon it disappeared from Ernesto's sight and the boy sat down on top of a wall to look at the docks diagonally placed over the water.
At the airship of Alfida, Alfida sat along with Kai on the stairs next to the steering wheel looking at Gerda, which stood in front of the two.
„Orm wouldn't put the lives of the cubs in danger and go out on the roads like this. Something must have happened, while I and Rollan's mom were out," Commented the blonde girl. „We have no clues, that could lead us somewhere,"
„And any suspects?" Questioned Alfida. „What about those two that broke into Rollan's room?"
„They're an option. They were the only ones to see the trolls inside the room of Rollan on that day," Gerda responded. „I wouldn't even consider them an option. According to Rollan, this one boy called Enrico has been trying to make his life miserable after their first day at the academy. Then this with the book came and he managed to convince the guards to lock him up,"
„But didn't you say he's out of prison now?" Kai asked making his older sister nod.
„Yes he is, it's just Rollan could not do a lot into talking to the guards due to what happened before. There is no second person, that can prove Enrico's appearance in his room, except for Rollan himself or the trolls. I can't prove it either, because of my dragon-self being secret,"
„That sounds terrible right now," Alfida commented. „But wait a second…...what if you show up as your dragon-self and tell what happened? Wouldn't that work?"
„I think it would, but what if I get attacked or arrested for…..you know...being that?" Gerda asked making the two raven-heads shrug their shoulders. „Or I could see this happen as well. I'm blamed for scaring Enrico during the time he was inside the bedroom,"
„We will find them. I'm giving you my word Gerda," Alfida mentioned. „Tomorrow with the daylight we will observe from above the ship and take pictures inside our heads to find possible places Orm and the triplets could be hidden, in case it's like that,"
„Thank you Alfida," Gerda said watching the girl get up to embrace her.
„Come I'm gonna pull up the ladder," Alfida announced making Gerda shake her head.
„Rollan said he would get here as soon as he could with his friends. Keep it down, please," Gerda asked earning a nod from Alfida, which took a glimpse down at the bridge, then she noticed a boy head towards the ladder and she squinted her eyes to recognize the boy.
„Who's this guy?" Alfida asked, then Gerda glanced down and shrugged.
„It looks like the second friend, that hangs around Enrico," Gerda responded, then the boy began to climb up the ladder making Alfida frown.
„Girl, I need to talk to you" Ernesto announced making Gerda shake her head watching the boy coming up, then Alfida walked away as Gerda awaited the arrival of the foreign Spaniard.
Ernesto got up on deck, then got up to see Gerda, which was staring at him neutrally.
„What are you doing here? Gerda asked crossing her arms unpleased with the sight of the boy.
„I'm sorry, that Enrico led Rollan into jail. I'm here to offer you my help," Ernesto offered, then he heard a clicking and felt a gun being aimed at the side of his head, then he rolled his eyes to see Alfida holding her gun with a serious face, slowly pulling her finger on the trigger.
„Rollan is now free," Alfida commented. „And your help is not needed,"
„I know what I did along with Enrico was bad, but I really want to help your friend out. I know what happened to the trolls. I was the one tricking their dad out before Enrico knocked him down," Explained the brown-haired teenager making Gerda wide her eyes.
„Of course, you're the ones, that broke into their house," Gerda announced unsurprised walking away from the boy towards her brother, which got up to grab her hands. „They've all come here by accident and we came to help Orm take them back and you just break into the house to kidnap them for what? What has Rollan ever done to you two? Why pull innocent people…..beings into this? Wasn't breaking into his house or luring him to jail enough!?"
„Listen, Greta,"
„Gerda!" Corrected Kai crossing his arms making the boy roll his eyes and feel Alfida press the point of the gun against the head.
„I'm sorry, I mean Gerda. Look your troll-friends are fine at the moment. I know where they are, They're locked up in a cage in a warehouse in the suburb of Alicante. Enrico's father is the leader of a small group, that collects rare species of animals and ships them out to Mexico to another Traficant, which processes them into something like coats and other things to sell in the black market. In a few days, which isn't set for now we're going to deliver them to our partner, that will take the animals and bring them to Mexico. I can tell you, when no one's around and when exactly they will leave. I am sure, if we all work together we could free these animals including your friends,"
„Do they have weapons?" Questioned Alfida earning a nod from the teenager.
„Yes, but I will make sure I find a day or night, where no one's around. And if only one person is around it doesn't matter, we're four. We can easily surround him," Explained Ernesto watching Gerda think about the offer of the boy.
„What's the catch?" Gerda asked crossing her arms making Ernesto shake his head.
„None, your friends will be free and maybe if we manage to inform the guards about this they will arrest the others. If they're arrested we're free…..well Enrico and I will land as well behind the grids, but if we confess, we may stay less time in there,"
„You would do that even though you will spend a few years locked in?" Gerda asked making Ernesto shrug his shoulders.
„Well I hope it won't come to that, but I have no choice,"
„Hmm not such a bad idea," Gerda commented earning a nod from Alfida, which took down her gun.
„You've got a plan of how your hideout looks like?" Questioned Alfida making the boy shake his head.
„No," Responded Ernesto. „But if you want tomorrow or even right now, we can discuss an idea or two and I see what I can do, when I get to be around the warehouse," Suggested Ernesto seeing Gerda take a glimpse of the ship as she heard a whistle.
„I think we can do it right now, Rollan and his friends got here," Gerda pointed out to see Rollan come by along with Marina and Pastor.
„That's great," Alfida said looking down at the ladder to see Marina the first one to be climbing up the ladder, while Pastor followed along with Rollan behind her and Alfida helped Marina up, which afterward helped Pastor and Rollan up at the ship.
„How did you get out of jail?" Ernesto asked curious as Marina helped Rollan up, then both looked at Ernesto surprised.
„What are you doing here?" Rollan asked sternly his classmate.
„Rollan first of all. I'm so sorry I helped Enrico break into your bedroom and I'm glad to see you're out of prison. I came here because I was there when the troll kids got kidnapped….or well I was part of the situation," Ernesto told then noticed Rollan getting tensed in anger to listen to the story, then Gerda grabbed Rollan by his arm to earn his attention.
„He told us what exactly happened. And he is willing to help us into the hideout, where they're all hidden," Explained the girlfriend. „Let him talk,"
„Why did you kidnap the trolls?" Questioned Rollan. „What is even the point of taking them away from me, when they belong to another family?"
„Rollan, Enrico's father is secretly trafficking rare species we have found across Europe and the Iberian Peninsula. As Enrico told about the night he broke into your house he encountered the trolls and was also attacked by that human-dragon hybrid…..thingy….whatsoever…..Enrico's dad discovered the trolls were magical creatures and wanted to have them raise our earnings on this. You know I've been helping Enrico and his dad for almost a year in catching those rare species and when I figured out we had to take your cubs I felt bad, but had no choice, but to fulfill this task. If I could I would have avoided this, but I couldn't. What I ask is for you to listen to me and I'll find us a way to get into the hideout without anyone in there to free the trolls and your friends can take the cubs back home to their family,"
„And after all, you two have done you expect me to believe you?" Rollan asked making Ernesto shrug his shoulders.
„I know I was also not quite correct, but I was afraid my life would be in danger or the lives of my family members. You know if you're in a gang doing illegal things together you have to be aware, what may happen if you leave or deny certain tasks. I'm already risking too much in coming here to tell you this,"
„Well telling this to random strangers isn't as terrible as telling it to the guards. This is far from danger in my opinion," Kai commented. „But is Orm there with the cubs?"
„When we kidnapped the troll cubs there was a slink, adult troll around them with a red vest. You mean him?" Questioned Ernesto making the raven-haired boy nod. „When I left Orm was still unconscious and the troll cubs were depressed. They're alive for now,"
„Alright, we need to handle right now," Gerda commented making Rollan shake his head.
„What about the bad guys?" Questioned Rollan. „They must be around the hideout right now?"
„For now on, only Enrico's father stood back along with a team member," Ernesto explained. „I would need to observe it to see when they leave,"
„What about tomorrow night?" Alfida asked making Ernesto shrug his shoulders.
„Enrico's dad is usually late there at the weekends at night. Mostly now, that there are animals around,"
„But he's alone there, right?" Asked Kai making the brunette shrug his shoulders.
„Most of the times his right arm Samuel was there. Enrico used to be there once in a while, but due to the academy, he's less there at night. Also, I think his dad ordered him to stay away,"
„Okay, if you have this chance try to figure out, which day and what part of the day is better for us to enter in without coming across his team. And do you already know, when the animals are all getting exported?" The blonde asked.
„That's the problem now. I don't know it and assume it could happen spontaneously. You know due to safety reasons for our group to be undiscovered," Explained the brown-haired Spaniard.
„We better work all together in this. Alfida, what do you think about you taking a look at the hideout for the next days when Ernesto goes there?"
„I could use my glass without any problems. I would prefer to have a second person in the near in case I need help,"
„Will you go with her?" Gerda asked looking at her boyfriend, which pondered about it and looked at Pastor and Marina.
„What about you, Marina? You're quite skilled with your gunmanship?" Suggested Rollan earning a nod from the brunette.
„I'm in," Marina said approaching Alfida, which raised her fist to bump with hers.
„The rest of us will need to look for a plan, but I want you Ernesto to draw us on a sheet a map on how the inside of the hideout looks like. Doesn't have to be perfect,"
„Sure….uhm what if my drawing skills aren't that good?"
„Kai could help you out. He's a painter," Gerda mentioned earning a nod from the Spaniard. „The rest of us will have to wait for the outcoming of this. We're going to be the ones entering into the hideout and if necessary one or two stay out in watch or ready to enter, in case we need back-up,"
„Alright," Pastor commented watching Ernesto walk to Kai, while Gerda and Rollan crossed their paths with Alfida and Marina.
„You've got your own gun, right?" Alfida asked making Marina shake her head. „Alright I'll arrange you one on my own,"
„You can do that?" Rollan asked curiously making Alfida smirk.
„Duh, I've got them hidden in my ship," Commented the raven-haired girl making Rollan nod.
„Oh…..makes sense," Rollan responded looking at Gerda, which smiled and grabbed his hand.
„We will have Orm and his cousins back safe and sound. We're have been a great team since the defeat of King Harold," Gerda mentioned making Rollan nod.
„Mainly you were the one, that fought him," Rollan mentioned making Gerda shake her head.
„You were the first one to start the fight against his guards to defend my honor. Even though you were injured you kept assisting me during the entire scene from above the tower to help me take him down. You were there for me when no one else could be and helped me through my despair. You were more useful, than you get credited for," Gerda recounted making the boyfriend smile a little and he leaned his forehead on the shorter girl's. „Tu eres mi heroy….,".
„Siempre estaré a tu lado," Rollan promised making Gerda smile enamored at his words, while Alfida rolled her eyes with a smile keeping down her emotion about the sight and Marina just observed the two pleased with the relationship status of the two.