Ladies and gentlemen, I will now introduce you to the longest chapter ever. It is approximately 1 and 2/3 times longer than my other chappies, and I believe this will be the length of the rest of my chapters. Is everyone happy? -loud claps- Thank you. Thank you very much.

cybergurl: So you like H/T as well, cool! Sorry, but that's about all you'll get of Trubs/Holly. I have to do A/D romance, and progress in the plot as well.. I just don't have enough time for H/T... -sighs-

PeanutButterOreoCookieGirl99: I don't blame you. I like Keeth as well, partially because he's my character, and because I like evil people like Opal and Arty and spunky people like Holly. Keeth fits into the first category.

neutralgal: You like the first word. Hmm. Emancipation? Hehe. You're not writing any stories lately, are you having writer's block? I've had them before, I don't like them.

Princess Arwen Evenstar 77: Here's the next chapter! And I'll look forward to your story!

By the way, can anyone guess what will happen in this chapter? The chappie title kinda gives it away......


Chapter 15: Abduction

Downtown Haven

Keeth stomped his foot vigorously on the sidewalk. Remember the good old days when you could steal a communicator from a LEP officer and use it as what humans called a 'walkie-talkie' with your fellow criminals? These days, when Keeth was within a 3-meter radius from a LEP officer, either Recon or Retrieval, it was bound to be a red alert. Alarms ringing, red lights flashing, the whole enchilada.

Thanks to them, that is the LEP, Keeth had no idea where Spiro was hauling his emaciated body. Nor Opal. He wouldn't be surprised if she was staring at a mountain of shopping bags, tiny hands clapping in delight. No doubt Spiro would notice the trembling of the detector; the problem was he wouldn't be able to contact Keeth in any way.

As he rolled his eyes and sank down to the floor in chronic stress, he noticed an immense red sign attached to a store window. It was an article from the Haven Times. The title read: "Alert. Watch out for threatening goblins." Something more amusing was the sub-title written in smaller letters beneath it: "Or are goblins all threatening?" Honestly. The freedom of the press was taken for granted in the Lower Elements, but this was just too much! True, all goblins with an exception to himself were no smarter than a rat, but they could read plain Gnommish. Imagine the fireballs the entire race would conjure up after reading the article. Quite destructive. Enough to make Haven look like it was never there.

It was hard to remember that he was wanted in every nook and cranny underground. I should be more cautious, he thought as he shielded himself and started walking.


"This damn detector won't stop buzzing," Spiro muttered as he held the special device between his digits. "I mean, how do I know it's Keeth? It's really frustrating to have a vibrating detector in your hand while you don't know who's possessing it."

"Is that a K-sensor, by the way?" Opal asked.

"K-sensor?" Spiro repeated, and shrugged. "Never heard if it."

"If it is, then the vibration will grow to be more intense the more you get closer to the destination. The destination you are aiming for is, in this situation, Keeth Gates. D'Arvit, I had a design of it done just before I was rendered comatose, but someone had presumably stolen it. I should have protected it inside a security valve."

Spiro grimaced. "Just like Keeth. He's all about stealing and cheating. You can see it on his face."

"I have an idea," Opal began.

"Don't tell me. So what we have to do is notice the intensity of the vibration as we get closer to that goblin and try to find him in that way?" Spiro almost shouted at the last sentence. "That's the most inefficient method of hide-and-seek I've ever heard of. Come on, get a grip. Think about the time wasted."

"And that means you've got a better idea?" Opal retorted angrily. It was a very Opal-ish way of telling someone to shut up She cleared her throat and spoke again. "Well, my instincts tell me to turn at the next block. Let's go."

"Since when did we rely on mere instinct?" Spiro taunted.

"Nonsense, you fool. Haven't you heard of the adage 'Fairy intuition is never wrong?' Proverbs are there for a reason, and I suggest you follow me instead of telling me what to do."

Spiro fell silent. Certain fights were won by retreating. Besides, Opal was right; the K-sensor was trembling at a higher frequency, reminding him of the latest Fission Chips model of a cell phone at home. If he got home, the first thing he would do is try to make another model. This time, he thought. No C Cube would be able to unlock it…

"Hmmm." Opal thought aloud. "Strange. If this is indeed the K-sensor that I designed, then Keeth Gates is supposed to be right where I'm standing." She glanced at the sensor now quaking so hard that Spiro was having a hard time trying to keep it in his hand.

"What did I tell you," Spiro replied. "I don't believe in intuition. It's similar to a superstition or something. What I do trust entirely is concrete knowledge."

"Whatever," Opal said, and continued her pondering. "Hmm. Why do I have a feeling that he's hiding?" With a quick jump, she landed on the road right beside the sidewalk, her fine high heels colliding painfully with something solid.

"OWWWW!"


Ever since a half ton of fairy gold became Artemis Fowl's own, every single LEP officer from Private to Commander had received a lecture from Holly, the 'AF incident' expert on the main characteristics of Fowl's plans. One of them was, 'There is always a Plan A and Plan B. Plan B is similar to Plan A, except for an unexpected twist at the very end.' Another one of them was, 'Only Fowl himself knows the entire scheme. He reveals the hidden plans one by one, driving everyone involved into ultimate insanity.' The last one was, 'There are so many risks, although he lives for the day.'

Among the two elves that were involved with Artemis for the past two years, Holly had no doubt been the one who was more understanding and willing to take each and every risk provided. However, this particular risk she was about to take… well, she was seriously considering a play performance; her role was to break down in tears and have a fit.

There is no way I'm going to do this. Holly thought. No way. Not unless a big brained, witty Mud Boy is down in Haven with an idea that will prevent chaos, or worse, genocide.

Holly sighed. Of course it had to be done. No matter how much she squeezed her brains, she could not possibly think of a better, more convoluted plan. After all, she was Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon unit, for Frond's sake. The first female recon officer. The one and only Artemis Fowl expert. Frond and all the elfin kings that ever existed, Jesus, Buddha, whoever it was that humans believed in above ground… They wouldn't do away with Holly that quickly. She was indispensable. Or was she?

She thought of a blonde, grinning Lili Frond that was about to pounce in her place after the Council had shredded her badge into pulp. Holly was already becoming a convict; she had committed so many misdemeanors that Root didn't know what to do with her. For a start, she had assisted Fowl once again when it was decided in the Council to dispose of him. Not only that, but she had used the mesmer on Opal, another fairy. It was a violation of the Booke.

Artemis spotted Holly and nudged her, pretending to lean back in his chair. Holly cleared her throat, but no sound would come out of her full lips. It was as if her vocal cords were petrified.

"Ahem," Artemis said, breaking the tension. "Holly wishes to say that she needs to check the LEP headquarters to see if there is any sign of Spiro and his partners."

Artemis said all this in a very rapid pace. Root nodded absently, chewing his fungus cigar until there was what looked like an explosion in his mouth. Foaly said "Sure" while checking his beloved screens. Diana and Juliet looked at them with a puzzled look; after awhile, Diana asked Artemis, "Why can't she talk?"

Holly opened her mouth again. Still no sound.

"Holly has a sore throat, and I am afraid she can't speak up for now." Artemis came to her aid.

"Uh-huh," Juliet narrowed her eyes. "Why don't I go with you?"

"No," Holly said, her words so abrupt that it was almost rude. Then she smiled sheepishly and said, "I mean, I don't think so. I mean, you're a human."

"I can wear that suit. You know, one of Foaly's latest inventions. Memory latex combined with thick threads of camouflage foil."

"Well… all right." Holly said. "But why don't I take Diana?"

"Why is that?" Juliet inquired, her narrowed eyes refusing to widen back to their original state.

Holly winked. "She's the smaller one, isn't she?"


"Now, you filthy goblin man, where the hell were you?" Opal demanded menacingly.

"I was in Howler's Peak, you idiot. The prison you're about to be thrown in after this is all over. I'm going to hand you in to the LEP."

"How?" Opal snorted. "I don't know, or much less care about what you think, but it seems to me that before you hand me in, you're going to be handed in yourself."

"Will you two shut up?" Spiro snapped. Being crammed inside a small room behind a trap did things to people. Especially if you were accompanied by a duo of bantering creatures.

"Right, I'll shut up. I'll shut up after I do something fatal to this poor lady."

"Don't you call me poor lady, you ignorant felon!"

"Oh, now who's calling who a felon?"

"I said, shut up!" Spiro commanded through gritted teeth. "Save your personal problems till later. She'll be coming here any minute, before we know it!"

"Right," Keeth concentrated on listening to the sounds coming from above him. "Hey, isn't that her?"

"Are you in your right mind? That women must be at least eighty, she's the janitor,"

"Captain Short's around eighty." Keeth said, obviously confused. He was not familiar with human age and measurements. "I'm almost a hundred myself."

"I meant in human standards." Spiro was having a hard time with his attempts to be amiable. The man hadn't tried to be friendly since he was four years old.

"Oh. Is that old?"

Spiro couldn't hear him, because of Opal's sudden scream. "Ow! Someone stepped on my foot! Who took my shoe!?"

"Opal. Who in the name of sanity would want to take your shoe? I'm telling you for the hundredth time: get a grip."

It was dark, but Spiro could just make out Opal's pouting face. It was right then that Keeth chose to speak up. "She's here," he said gravely.

"How can you be so sure?" Opal asked, forgetting about her shoe temporarily as her mind filled up with delightful images of revenge.

"It's got to be her," Keeth pointed to the beam of light spilling out from the crevice. "Red hair, brownish complexion, dull green LEP suit."

"Then what are you waiting for? Pull the rope." Spiro commanded haughtily.

"But… There's something fishy about this situation."

"Fishy," Spiro repeated after Keeth. "What's so… fishy?" He apparently thought that 'fishy' was not that good of a word choice.

"Well, you see… she's standing in the dead center of the trap door. As if she already knew it was there. Not only that, but she has not moved an inch from that spot, not even twitched. Strange as it may sound, it seems as if she's actually waiting for all this."

"Which makes it all the better. Pull the rope."

Keeth yanked the rope. Something fell.


Holly knew exactly what to do with the girl walking beside her. Diana was so warm-hearted she would never approve of this preposterous act. She had no choice, but Holly decided to try speaking to her reasonably first. She cared about Diana, after all, she was her friend. Holly grabbed Diana's shoulders firmly and turned her. Holly had a big smile plastered on her face.

"Diana," Holly's grin widened. "I need you to turn back here."

Diana frowned. "Why? I want to go with you."

"This is, um, the restricted area." Holly said. "Only LEP captains and commanders are allowed here. Diana, of all places, if you're caught here, you're toast."

Diana considered this briefly. She did not want to be 'toast,' especially not the way Holly had said it. But Juliet had told her to keep an eye on Holly, for she had bought Juliet's suspicion. Diana was suspicious about Holly herself. "Nah. I think I'll go with you."

"Diana, no." Holly said firmly. "Turn back. Please?"

Diana crossed her arms. "No." she said obstinately.

"Yes."

"No."

Holly sighed. "Oh, fine." Diana grinned. Her grin vanished like water being evaporated as Holly's layered voice spoke to her, "Diana, go back. Now."

A drop of sweat trickled down Diana's neck as she resisted to the mesmer. "No," she rasped, glad that she at least managed to blurt out something.

"Yes, Diana. Go back. Go back and tell the others that I'm fine. Accept it. Your will is mine for now."

Diana's feet abruptly turned on their heels, and her legs began to move at a swift pace.

"That's it. Good girl." Holly watched Diana walk away. As soon as Diana disappeared at the other end of the corridor, she heaved out one exasperated sigh. She then walked over to the exact place where Artemis claimed the trap door would be.

Trap doors, she had thought before. How quaint. However, thoughts such as this did not come to Holly's mind in this fateful moment. She felt as if she was on one of those rides at a Mud Man amusement park. The one that went way up into the air towards the sky, and fell in three seconds back to the ground again. She had ridden one of those at Disneyland Paris. Against the regulations, of course, but at night, shielded, and no longer visible to the naked eye. That particular ride was dubbed a 'ghost machine' and had not been operated for months.

Holly found herself chuckling at the thought of how gullible humans could get. Relax, Holly thought to herself. Just relax. Everything is going to be all right.

Isn't it only in movies and soap operas where the most startling situations come to you at the most unprepared moments? Because that was exactly when Holly fell into the trap, the chasm not giving Holly a moment to comprehend what had happened.


Wahh!! Holly got kidnapped! Don't kill me, I don't like it either! Wahh! -blows her nose-