Chapter 3: The Thieves

Later that evening, the Wilshire females returned home with bags, bicycles, and McDonald's for Mr. Wilshire. They found him, exactly as they had left him: sitting on the couch in front of the TV with a bowl of popcorn, except this time he seemed strained.

"Dear, don't you think purple is Katie's color?" His wife pecked him on the cheek.

"Y-yes dear but-"

"Daddy, look what I picked out for you! A sweat suit!" Katie beamed at him.

"That's nice dear, but-"

He did not have the chance to warn them. The figures zoomed out from the shadows of the wall, and Mr. Wilshire realized it was not just two of them, but several men (and women, to Mr. Wilshire's surprise) hidden in the darkness of the room. And they were not exactly men either, at least by Mr. Wilshire's standards; they were young, most not above the age of 35, and some he saw were still "wet behind the ears."

And if they were gangsters, they were not the ordinary kind, which made Mr. Wilshire shiver at the thought of extraordinary thugs. All had a sort of bandage or tape (he could not tell) wrapped around their neck, hands, torso, or ankles. They were attired in dark colors and their faces were covered with torn scarves. Their gloves were more frightening than ever, outfitted with some sharp blade, needles, thorns, or poison.

Same gang. Albert recognized at once. His eyes shot about the room, scanning for the secret of how they all had entered undetected and well-hidden. He glimpsed their faces for the leader.

"Oh, Albert!" His wife shouted to him suddenly. "Please don't hurt her!"

Mr. Wilshire whizzed around and found Katie limp and peacefully asleep in the arms of one of the young gangsters. Even though the fellow was "skin and bones" (at least to Albert's opinion) he carried Katie effortlessly, bridal style.

Mr. Wilshire's face reddened as he became angry. "What have you done to my daughter?" He attacked, assuming the air of a father reprimanding the date of his daughter.

"We must subdue her in care the stone reacts," The young man with the calm voice spoke from behind him. His hair was silver and spiked, and he observed Albert closely with tight black eyes. He motioned to another gangster; his eyes still locked with Albert. "Tell the mage to open the portal."

"P-p-portal?" Albert stuttered in his fury. "You're not porting my daughter anywhere!"

"You may come as well if you like," The composed and quiet nature of the young leader unnerved Albert, and he began yelling.

"What do you want with her? Kidnap her, will ya? Over my dead body! Going to ask for some money, huh? You think you're slick! You're nothing with your stupid bandages!"

The young leader only stared at Albert, but underneath the scarf, he was smirking. Albert watched, angry and confused, as another of the gang members spoke to the silver-head leader in a different tongue.

"Si, si," The silver-head answered him, and the other gang member scowled at Albert who was now sweating in his fury.

"Oh my!" Mrs. Wilshire exclaimed suddenly and all turned to where she looked: on the wall of the living room, a black hole spread across the portrait of Albert's mother and the closed window.

"Entri," Albert heard the silver-head tell his comrades, and they began to leave, stepping through the black hole.

"No!" Susie screamed, clutching the hand of the gangster that held her daughter. A female member of the gangsters with a high pony-tail removed the hand of Mrs. Wilshire easily, and with such a force, sent Susie flipping onto the couch.

"Silly Earthling," The female murmured from beneath her velvet scarf. "Tricks are for kids."

Susie stared stunned at the lady, holding her pained hand, and watched with horror as Katie was lifted into the portal. Albert in his last stance yanked a lamp from a desk and charged at the silver-head gang leader.

When he was just about to whack the lamp upon his spiked head, the leader vanished. Albert stood stunned for a moment and then whizzed around, searching the house for the fellow.

"Albert, behind you!" Susie cried, but it was too late. The leader had not moved but simply vanished and was now back again in his same spot, but Albert was vulnerable. It seemed like a simple push to Mrs. Wilshire, but she was surprised to see Albert shoved head-on into the wall opposite the one of the hole. He fell back, K'Oed.

'You are," Susie began almost in tears, "a heathen!"

The spiked head fellow seemed shocked for an instant, but then simply stepped into the black hole and disappeared.

When she thought it was safe, Susie ran over to her husband and shook him with her less painful arm.

"We must go get Katie!" Albert grumbled roughly but he did not have to say it. Susie was staring curiously at the hole that had not disappeared from her wall. She was not going to let the funny people steal her daughter.