Alexa Rouge strode swiftly alongside James Howan down the hallways of the Mother Paula's building.
"That's awful, what you're doing. I never knew you could steep that low." She said darkly.
"I told you that we would be going to great extends with the vandal-"
"You failed to tell me, however, that the vandal was a teenager." Said Alexa.
"What does it matter? He's a no good vandal all the same. It's time we stand up for ourselves, rather than foolish police officers giving them warnings and what not." Snapped Howan.
Alexa stopped. "James, you're torturing a teenaged boy who cares about what happens to defenseless owls. What kind of an example are you setting?" She said furiously, the color of her face now similar to her last name.
"A damn good one. We can't have children running around, ruining entire corporations, thinking they can stand up to us. It's barbaric. Its-" Howan's cell phone began ringing.
"Hello?" He answered as Alexa Rouge snuck away.
Chuck Muckle's voice came from the other end. "The owls are gone." He said.
"Why do you sound worried?" Howan asked.
"Because it wasn't the fox that got rid of them. It was that damned Leep kid." Muckle replied.
"How do you know?" Howan snapped.
"Well, who else do you know that walks around barefoot at an owl sanctuary in this weather? He's moved them." Said Muckle.
"God damn it! This discussion is not over." Howan said before hanging up.
He turned and ran back to the room where Napoleon Bridger Leep was being held. He ran in and picked up the dial. He put it to ten and pressed the button.
Instant pain rushed through Mullet Finger's body, causing him to cry out.
"WHERE ARE THE OWLS?" He bellowed.
But before Mullet Fingers could reply, Alexa Rouge appeared in the doorway, turned Howan around and punched him, knocking him, unconscious, to the ground. She quickly turned the machine off and removed the attachments from Mullet Fingers's body.
"There isn't much time, you have to get out of here. I'm Alexa by the way." She said hastily.
"Mullet Fingers. Why are you helping me? Won't you lose your job?" He asked.
"Not as long as I know that James Howan is cheating on his wife." Said Alexa.
"Really? How d'you know that?" He asked.
She winked at him as she got his shirt. "You've got to get out of here fast. Howan isn't afraid to kill you, trust me he doesn't have a clean record." Alexa explained as she took his arm and pulled him down the empty hallway.
"Where is this place?" He asked, looking around.
"It's about three miles from Coconut Cove, I can give you a ride back to your house, I got the address off Howan's computer earlier." She said.
Mullet Fingers shook his head. "I ain't welcome back there, my mom'll just ship me off to juvie." He said.
Alexa Rouge pushed open an exit door and pulled him out into the wet, dark parking lot. "Better in juvie than here, trust me." She said as they approached a gleaming red Ferrari.
Alexa looked a bit stressed as Mullet Fingers got into her car, it was brand new and she'd never seen someone with dirtier feet.
"I've got a friend I've been stayin with. You can take me there." He said.
She started the car and roared out of the parking lot. Thirty minutes later, they were driving through the familiar streets of Coconut Cove. They nearly hit two kids on bicycles.
"Honestly, what kind of kids go biking at this hour?" She asked, looking at the clock on the dashboard which read 1:17 a.m.
Beatrice and Roy watched as the Ferrari that nearly hit them drove off down the street.
"Did you see how close she came to hitting us?" Roy exclaimed.
"Did you see who was in the passenger seat?" Beatrice asked him.
"The passenger seat? I wasn't looking at who was in the car, I was more worried about the fact that it almost creamed us!" Said Roy.
"It was Mullet, I'm sure of it!" She said, speeding off after the car.
Roy went after her. This was likely the longest night of his life.
James Howan sat, fuming, at his desk. And ice-pack on his head. His intercom beeped.
"Mr Howan, I have the president of Mother Paula's for you on line two, sir." Said his secretary.
Howan picked up the phone. "Mr Milcbuter! To what do I owe this early pleasure?" Howan asked pleasantly.
"I was calling to ask you the same question. You never struck me as a man to work overtime, James, so exactly what are you doing at work at this time of morning?" Asked Ted Milcbuter, president of the Mother Paula's company.
"Oh, nothing, just going over some paperwork." Said Howan.
"Really? A message from Miss Alexa Rouge tells otherwise." Said the president suspiciously.
Howan's heart skipped a beat. "Does it? And what did Miss Rouge tell you?" Howan asked, trying to sound confused.
"That you've kidnaped a teenage boy and are torturing him!" Said Milcbuter with a chuckle.
Howan wasn't sure why the president was laughing but he thought it wise to do the same.
"Honestly, James, what are you letting your employees drink over there? My lord, you know for a moment I actually believed her." He said.
"Did you?" Howan asked skeptically.
"Ha, so I though just to humor myself I'd call to see if you were actually up. I didn't expect you to answer." Milcbuter said.
"Oh, well you know me. If my papers aren't done I won't sleep all night." Said Howan, trying to remain calm.
President Milcbuter laughed again. "That's a good one, James. Now tell me, what exactly are you doing up at this time?"
"Uh," he didn't have an excuse ready "Uh..."
"My god. James, you aren't implying that this is- what Miss Rouge said is...JESUS CHRIST, JAMES WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Bellowed Milcbuter.
"Now, just wait a minute, sir. I assure you, nothing bad can come of this-"
"GOOD LORD JAMES, YOU'RE TORTURING A TEENAGER!" He shouted.
"I have the consent of the boy's mother, and it may interest you to know , Mr Milcbuter, that this is the same boy who has landed Mother Paula's in the financial turmoil it's in." Said Howan quickly.
Suddenly, Ted Milcbuter's tone changed completely. "Is it really? And you say you have his mother's full consent?" He asked.
Howan smiled. "Oh yes." He was still slightly worried about the tiny detail that Napoleon Bridger Leep had escaped with assistance Ted Milcbuter's stepdaughter.
"There." Said Mullet Fingers, pointing to the Eberhardt home as they drove down Roy's street.
Alexa Rouge pulled into the driveway and Mullet Fingers got out. "Thanks for the lift." He said with a wave before walking up to the house.
"Wait! Hold on a sec." Said Alexa, jumping out of the car "Tread lightly around Mother Paula's. James Howan is a lunatic, he'll be after you. Lay low for a while an it may blow over." She said before getting back in the car and roaring off.
"Will do!" He called after her, though he had no intention of doing so whatsoever.
There were many things that Napoleon Bridger Leep was talented at; laying low and staying out of trouble was not one of them. He went up to the house and casually walked in as though he owned the place. Shortly after, his stepsister and Roy burst through the door.
"Bout time. Roy, you need to show me how to work this thing, man." Said Mullet Fingers as he pressed buttons on the clicker for the VCR, trying to make the Television turn on.
"Where have you been?" Beatrice demanded.
He did a half shrug. "Around." He said, not wanting his stepsister to know about his night's adventure.
"We've been searching all over, you jerk! Why were you so late?" She demanded of him.
He half-shrugged again. "Went for a bit of a run afterwards, no big deal." He said, trying hard to sound casual.
"You told Roy you'd be home by midnight, didn't he Roy?" Beatrice's interrogation continued.
"Uh...yeah something like that." Said Roy, not wanting to get involved in this argument.
"Bea, I'm alright aren't I? Nothing went wrong, I just took a little while getting back, that's all. Now, if neither of you have any other problems, I'm goin to bed." Said Mullet Fingers before getting up and going off to the guest room.
Beatrice shook her head. "He is unbelievable sometimes."