Chapter 8. Final Preparations

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Lori strode across the hard, graveled yard, her eyes intent on the small stone building beyond her. Men moved around her in the distance, exchanging confused looks, but didn't approach her. She tossed her blond hair as the wind blew it across her face. She reached up to poke at loose hair pins but there was no time for securing them properly and they immediately unfastened again. Angrily, she began yanking the pins out. She held a few in her left hand and reached up toward her hair again with her right hand when she felt a strong hand on her wrist. She was wrenched backwards, spinning her around.

"Hold on, miss," a man said. He was tall and thin with dark brown eyes. His eyes looked her up and down studying the dirty red dress. He leaned closer, "just where do you think you're going, anyway?" He pulled his hat off with his free left hand and wiped the back of his sleeve across his sweating forehead.

Lori yanked her arm but the man gripped her tighter. "Hey, you came last night. What's your name?" She glared at him silently. "Well mine is Peter Harvey. You can call me Peter. We're going to be friends."

"No, you're an ass and I'll just call you shithead," she snarled, "now either remove your hand or lose it." She slammed her left fist into his temple, the hair pins cutting his skin. He yelped and jumped back, losing his grip. She pulled her arm away and turned to hurry again toward the building.

"Hey," Harvey yelled, following her, though keeping his distance now. "You can't go in there! Stop her!" He yelled again, waving to the guards. The men moved to block the door but looked confused at the approaching woman. "Keep her out!"

Lori stopped in front of one of the men in front of the heavy wooden door. "Excuse me but I need to speak with this man you're holding inside."

"Well, ah," the man mumbled. "I don't know…"

"She doesn't know what she's doing," Harvey said, standing close behind her. "She's just a guest that should be staying inside the guest house with the other guests." He leaned over her shoulder and winked at her. "Why don't we walk back and get a cold drink?" He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her backwards away from the door. Lori spun and slammed her open hand up against Harvey's nose. The man cried out in pain, his hands going to his face. Blood spurted between his fingers.

Turning again to the guards, who now stood with mouths hanging open and eyes wide with shock, "Dr. Loveless sent me out here to speak to Mr. Artemus Gordon," she announced importantly. "Now would you please open the door or should I tell the doctor that you wouldn't let me inside?" The man quickly fumbled with a ring of keys as the other guards slowly backed away. The door was opened a crack and Lori pushed through, snapping a "Thank You" over her shoulder.

The room was dim and she blinked, letting her vision clear. She started to look around the room when she heard a familiar voice, "Well, you're a sight for sore eyes."

Artie stepped out of the shadows, holding a book in one hand, and approached her, smiling and shaking his head. "That was some performance you just pulled to get in here. A mix of fabrication, swear words, and controlled violence that would make my Aunt Maud proud if only…" He stopped as Lori rushed to him. She buried her face in his chest in a burst of tears.

"What in the world," Artie said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "where did this come from? You were just beating the Hell out of Harvey and now this. Now calm down and take a deep breath. We need to talk and I'm short of time."

Lori leaned back and took long breaths, visibly trying to calm herself. "I'm sorry," she gasped, wiping her eyes. "We do need to talk. It was just such a relief to see you after everything that's happened. Are you alright?"

Artie pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and shook it out. He handed it to her, "it's not clean but it's better than nothing." She took the piece of bright cloth and wiped her face. "Now, if you can tell me what's been happening, I'd appreciate it but only if it's an abbreviated version. We have a lot to do and I need to send for Jim soon."

Lori burst into tears again, covering her face with the cloth, "of for the love of…", he muttered, rolling his eyes. "Is it Jim? I hope he's alright because we have our work cut out for us this time. I am trying to figure out this as much as I can before he arrives. Will you stop, please?" He waited for her to wipe her face again and calm her breathing. "Now what is it?"

"It's Jim," she whispered, with her eyes closed. "We need to talk about…" She covered her eyes again but managed to control her voice, "we need to talk about Jim."

Artie stared at her for a heart-beat, his throat constricting, "Here, sit over here." He gently took her elbow and steered her to the desk chair. "What happened? Is he injured? He damn well better not be." His voice choked in his throat.

Lori sat in the chair and stared down at her hands. She took a deep breath and blurted out, "he was shot. And Steve too. When Colonel Richmond and I were taken last night." Her hands clenched the cloth. "I don't know how they are. I just don't know."

Artie sat back on the desk, thinking. "Tell me what happened, from the beginning," he said quietly. "It can't be as bad as all that. He's never let me down yet."

Lori took another breath and said, "Jim thought agents were being grabbed off the street when walking near the headquarters figured that's what happened to you and Celest on the way to the bank." Artie nodded, "Colonel Richmond volunteered to go so that Jim and Steve could catch the culprits. Jim asked me to stay with the Colonel while Christian was going to help him and Steve. He said we should not get into a carriage if one appeared. We would just wait for him. When we were stopped, we tried to wait for him but the two men on the carriage got angry. They kept telling us to get inside. Colonel Richmond was arguing, stalling for time. I turned to look up the street for Jim when one hit Richmond on the head with something. It knocked him out cold. He fell on the ground and they were putting him inside when they told me to leave. I said I wanted to go with too since he was hurt so they let me get in the carriage. I couldn't let them take him away unconscious and injured. We were on the floor of the carriage and the doors were just shut when I heard Jim's voice telling them to stop. I tried to open the door but it wouldn't move." Artie groaned but kept silent, listening intently. "Jim was yelling at them to get off the coach. He had his gun pointed up at them on the seat. I put my hand inside my purse and punched the glass in the door but it still wouldn't break. Jim must have heard me. He looked at me. But when he did, he looked away from them, and…"

Artie leaned back, sighing. "And that's when they shot him." Lori nodded.

"One man shot Jim and the other one shot Steve at the same time," she whispered, "it was all my fault. If I had just sat still and let him do his work. I drew his attention away from them."

Artie took a deep breath, "ok, listen to me, what was Jim wearing?"

Lori looked up at Artie, "what? Why in the world would you ask that?"

"Because some of Jim's outfits are bullet proof," he said slowly. "One gold colored vest is separate but the other ones are sewn inside his cloth vests. So what color was he wearing, if you noticed?"

"It was the blue with the silver threads," she said, "with the blue jacket. Is that why he wears that one so much? I thought he just liked blue."

Artie smiled, "well he does like blue, which is why the bullet proof layer is inside that vest. The other one is in the very pale blueish-grey outfit but he doesn't wear that as often." He sat back again, smiling, "I feel better knowing what happened. Was he hit with a revolver shot or a rifle? Or could you not see?"

"Shotgun," she said, "I could hear the blast. He was on his horse and flew backwards onto the ground. Steve also, though I think he was shot with a revolver. The man fired more than once but I didn't hear a lever action moving, it sounded more like a revolver. They were sitting above me but the sounds were muffled. And the coach pulled away immediately after so I didn't see if they moved." She dabbed at her eyes again.

"And Christian would have been there too," Artie said, "so if they needed to go to a doctor, she would have taken them." He nodded, "ok, well I am going to stick to my original plan." He reached a hand down to Lori's shoulder, "I know it's difficult to watch Jim get shot. I have seen him hit in the chest before. It knocks the wind out of him and sometimes even cracks a rib. But he bounces back. He'll be alright."

Lori nodded, wiping her eyes again, "I'm so glad I was able to get in here to talk with you. I didn't tell Jeremy or the other guys. Or Celeste. Poor thing is a ball of nerves."

"So you saw everyone then?" Artie grinned. "Loveless has collected a large group of us. Jeremy was about to try for a break out with everyone when Celeste and I arrived. I convinced him to wait for a few days. Let me figure out what Loveless is up to."

"Loveless?" Lori asked. "That's the weird little guy? He was surprised they had captured Richmond. He said he hadn't asked them to but the men said they recognized the Colonel from the photos he had shown them. Loveless must have had photos of the agents. Of course everyone ignores me so I just walk wherever I want. Harvey was the first person to even notice me. But Loveless seemed very angry and stressed. Do you know what he wants to do?"

"He's always angry and stressed," Artie laughed, "and he is always trying to take over the world and get revenge on Jim. Usually those two themes are twisted together. Usually with using explosives and some odd ideas that I don't think I can even describe."

"Is he using an explosive this time," Lori asked. "Is this what all these bottles are for?"

"Yes," Artie said, waving the book in his hand toward the bottles. "Chemicals, mostly solvents. He wants me to make some large volume of mixtures of chemicals. I made some to keep the peace but I'm not moving as fast as he wants. I am trying to stall too to give myself time. Last night a made a discovery that I think is what I'm looking for." Lori stepped closer as he opened the book that he had been carrying. "Dinitrophenol," he said, pointing at a page in the book. "This is a new compound that I have read about. This book was on the desk when I came in. I think Loveless is looking for something more powerful than the usual TNT." He nodded his head toward the bottles, "I snuck into his lab in the main house last night and went through his bottle collection. I found a bottle labeled with this name on it. I brought it back here and hid it. He'll never find it. But he might get a little rough looking for it. I don't want you here when he comes storming in."

"Can you make it so it can't be used?" Lori asked, quickly scanning the page.

Artie grinned, "I can make sure he can't use it but I'm certainly going to." He winked at her shocked face. "But I would like Jim to be here when I do because I'm not sure what else he has planned." He paused, "I am going to send him a message but I'm not sure how long it will take to get to him, depending on where we are."

"Where we are?" Lori said, surprised, "Don't you know? We aren't far from the headquarters building."

"What?" Artie said, completely surprised. "How do you know? Oh, wait," he paused, looking at her, "you were awake? We were all knocked out with gas fumes. Since Richmond was already knocked out, they must not have bothered with you. "

"Oh, that makes sense then," Lori said. She turned away and walked into the middle of the small room. "The carriage started down the street, down by the restaurants, beyond Headquarters. We didn't go far when we turned a sharp right and the left wheel dropped into a hole." She started to walk as she spoke. Artie watched her closely. "Then we took another right and another right and another right," she said, as she walked, making a square. "And dropped the left wheel into a hole." She walked the same square on the floor, "right…right…right…right…hole," she continued. "This went on for a long time. I kept banging into the edge of the seat when we hit the hole. It's like they were just driving in circles."

"Maybe to make sure to confuse a passenger that might have woken up or watch to see if they are being followed," Artie said. "And then what?"

"After the last time we hit the hole, "she said, "we turned a sharp left. And went straight for about ten minutes, which would have been the road parallel to the one headquarters is on." She stepped left and walked to the wall. Turning, she looked back at Artie, "I swear we are only about fifteen minutes from headquarters by carriage, maybe twenty. I could run back there on my feet."

Artie started to laugh, leaning against the desk, wiping his eyes. "Perfect. All this time I didn't even know what town we were in. And Jim has probably been riding his horse back and forth out on the street."

"I hope so," Lori whispered, her face worried again.

"Well we will know soon enough," Artie said, "I will get him word tonight, after dark."

"How," Lori asked, watching him. "You know, everyone thinks you're kidnapped and instead, you are winding everything around your fingers. Jim was about to have a heart attack."

"Jim will get me back," Artie said, "don't worry about that. So this is what I need from you…" He paused, glancing out the small window near the door. "Damn," he said, looking back at Lori and then around the room. "Here," he said, taking her elbow again. "Sit in this chair behind the desk and don't move, don't speak, don't even breath. Hopefully he won't notice you."

"Who?" Lori whispered as he pushed her down into the seat. "Him? " The door unlocked and creaked open.

"Good morning, Mister Gordon," Loveless said as he walked inside. The door was pulled shut behind him and two guards leaned against the door. "I thought I would stop in and apologize to you." He smiled but his eyes were cold and angry.

"Good morning," Artie said, smiling and giving the shorter man a formal nod. "And what would you have to apologize for?" He walked slowly across the room, making sure that the doctor kept looking at him with his back to Lori at the desk.

"I told you last night that I would find you another Toluene so that you could continue to work today," Loveless said slowly. "I swore I placed the bottle on a table but this morning the label said Pentane. Isn't that odd? Maybe I need glasses," he giggled, his eyes watching Artemus closely. "Maybe I was tired after working in my lab all day. Or maybe someone came in when I was away and switched bottles and took the Toluene away."

"Oh, now, who would do that," Artie said, trying to keep his voice friendly.

"Yes, who," Loveless said, "out of all the people in this compound, who would know the difference between Pentane and Toluene? But I suppose anyone could read a label. And another bottle is also missing. Would you like to guess what that bottle is?"

"How could I guess," Artie said, "there are so many possibilities?"

"It's something special," Loveless repeated, as he started to walk around the room. He paused at the pile of broken glass at the base of the far wall, kicking the pieces with the toe of his shoe before continuing on. He paused at the large bottles of mixed solvents. Then walked to the wall of shelving with rows of bottles. Most of the bottles were out of his reach but he appeared to be reading the labels.

"Can I get something down for you," Artemus asked innocently.

Loveless slid his gaze to the agent and noticed the book Artie was holding. "And what book are you enjoying in your leisure, if I may ask?" The doctor turned to face him, "since you aren't doing any of the tasks that I asked you to do for me?"

"Asked," Artie said, laughing. "I thought you had insisted." He held the book out, walking sideways again, still trying to keep Loveless turned away from Lori. "It's a book on rare explosive chemical mixtures. Fascinating reading." He opened it and flipped through the pages. "There are a few in here that I have never even heard of." He looked at Loveless and was annoyed at the smiling face. "A collection of very unstable mixtures."

"Dangerous in the hands of someone who has never heard of these mixtures," Loveless said, "and hasn't been performing testing in controlled conditions." He smiled again, "in fact that mixture is so unstable that it might explode in a hot building. I had it stored in a cool, dry place, not in a hot humid space." He waved his hands to his sides, "why, it may explode by the end of the day, even by just being exposed to humidity and moisture. Wouldn't that be a shame?" Artemus stared saliently, keeping his eyes on the doctor. "Another thing that would be a shame would be that one of the other agents became mysteriously ill from being locked in a hot, humid room, or maybe fed spoiled food." He laughed at Artie's alarmed look, "in face the longer we play at this hide and seek, where is the button hidden, and other childish games, the more apt that someone will be injured or taken sick." He paused, watching the agent, "I assume I am making myself clear. I want it returned to me, mister Gordon. Or bad things will start happening to your colleagues." Artie felt a chill suddenly in the hot, humid stone chamber.

Loveless turned to walk back to the door and stopped, staring in surprise at Lori sitting behind the desk. "What are you doing here?"

"Making new friends," Lori said, smiling, "Getting more business. Want some?" She raised an eyebrow at him and twirled a finger in her hair.

"Filthy woman," he muttered in disgust as he approached the door to leave. The two men guarding the door were staring at Lori. They jumped as the doctor approached. "Open," Loveless snapped. He stormed out, followed more slowly by the guards. The door was slammed shut.

Artie let out a long sigh, and began pacing. He took out his watch and checked the time. "Well at least he left you out here with me. I was sure he would have ordered you to go back with him."

"That's why I said that," she grinned, still twirling her hair. "I thought if I offended him, he would not want anything to do with me. He thinks I'm some street walking women of the night, not an agent or even a secretary."

"Young lady, this afternoon you'll learn to be a bomb expert," Artie said, putting the book on the desk. "You and I are going to make a few special ones for this evening, an after dinner fireworks show." He looked her up and down as she stood and walked closer. "Does that outfit have pockets?"

Lori snorted, "no, I don't have pockets. But us women can hide things as long as they aren't too large." She walked to the table and look at the Bunsen burner and glassware. "So where do we start? And I don't want my dress singed so no accidents, mister."

Artie chuckled as he turned on the burner, "I'll try not to have any explosions in here. It would do more than singe our clothing."

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Later that night…

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Artemus sipped his wine as he listened to Colonel Richmond and Dr. Loveless discuss delicate subjects of future inventions such as horseless carriages and wagons that could carry people through the sky. He remembered seeing models of inventions Dr. Loveless had made years ago. Ideas he had read about and concepts he had tried to develop himself.

"Of course flying is occurring now in balloons," Artie interjected. "I suppose adding a power source to propel the basket forward would make it easier to control direction. It would be safer than just floating with the wind."

"Safer," Loveless laughed, turning to Richmond, "Mr. Gordon is always discussing safety while Mr. West is always throwing caution to the wind.

"Which is why they make a good team," Richmond said quietly. "Partners' abilities complement each other, making the sum more than just two agents."

"Team concept," Loveless chuckled, "that is the concept I was trying to inhibit by separating one of each pair. I think I accomplished my task. I have slowed down the pair of West and Gordon, and the others too, I trust."

"Temporarily," Richmond admitted, "the men are their own person and can work independently or regroup effectively."

"As effectively," Loveless said, "I doubt that. I didn't mean to stop them, just slow them down. Case in point, Mr. Gordon always works with Mr. West. By separating them, Mr. West must work with another agent. He couldn't possibly know this other man's thoughts as well as Mr. Gordon's." Loveless tipped the glass in a salute to Artemus.

"We do work together," Artemus agreed, "but separately. And then connect later after fact gathering has preceded enough to make an arrest."

Loveless glared at him and then turned back to Richmond, "I am surprised that you don't insist on the pairs mixing up more often. Spending years as one team not efficient use of skills and spreading of experience and knowledge."

"The agents interact and work as groups when needed," Richmond said, "the loss of efficiency might decrease their success rates in casework. There is no replacing knowing another person's thought patterns and habits. And regrouping does decrease efficiency. Like you said, it slows their work but doesn't stop it."

"I am sure Mr. West will be joining us shortly," Artemus said, "he hates to miss a party."

"He has no idea where the party is taking place," Loveless chuckled, "but I shall send for him soon. You delay your work for me, Mr. Gordon, but I think you will quicken your pace on the morrow. I have procured a new bottle of Toluene. In fact, two bottles, in case there is another accident."

"What if there are 2 accidents," Artemus said quietly, swirling his wine in the stemmed glass.

"Don't press me, Mr. Gordon," Loveless voice was low and threatening as his brown eyes glared at the agent. He turned to smile at the two blond women sitting across the table. "But we men have been monopolizing the conversation again. I had wanted to congratulate the young lady, Celeste, in helping Antoinette in the kitchen preparing the meal." Antoinette glowed with pride as Celeste blushed and looked from Artemus to Richmond nervously. "This beef Wellington is the best I have had in years. You out do yourselves." His gaze slid to Lori, who was sitting next to Artemus. "And you disappeared today from the house and reappeared in the stone building. How did that occur, young lady?"

Lori smiled, looking over her shoulder at the guards by the closed door of the dining room, "Oh, Peter introduced himself to me and asked me to accompany him on a walk around the grounds. We had such a good time together." Harvey's face blushed red, what could be seen beneath a bandaged nose and eye. "But I became over heated in the sun and thought the stone house looked like a cool place to relax for a bit while Peter went in search of bandages. It's too bad I accidentally bumped him with my elbow. I thought his hand was a bee, you see, and I just went into such a panic. I do hate bees, don't you?"

Loveless fumed at her long-winded, obviously conjured up story, as Artie chuckled silently into his wine glass. Richmond sat back in his chair enjoying the exchange.

"At least you were accompanied," Loveless snapped out. "Kindly stay in the main house tomorrow. You will find its high ceilings and shaded windows give a cooling effect to the rooms. And don't bother the help, they have work to do."

"Oh, I will," Lori said, twirling a loose bit of hair on a finger. Her hair was back to being shining gold, piled high on her head in intricate twists. Her dress was freshly washed, as was her skin, bronzed by the sun. Celeste, next to her, looked like a porcelain doll. "I do like to walk though, especially in the mornings." She turned to Celeste and Antoinette, "don't you like to walk too? I do hate to be cooped up inside too long, unless the afternoon sun is strong."

"Too much sun isn't good for the skin," Antoinette said, agreeing, though looking confused and noticing how aggravated Loveless was becoming. Celeste sat silently between them.

"I agree about walking," Richmond said, putting his napkin down. "Especially after a heavy meal. But tonight I am afraid I will have to bid you all a good evening. I fear my head is aching again."

Artie looked at the Colonel with alarm, as did Lori. The girl spoke up quickly, "let me walk you back to the room you are staying in. I want to make sure you make it." She looked over at Harvey, "and maybe Peter would accompany us in case you need a stronger hand than mine to help you."

Loveless looked bewildered at the sudden and quick exchange between guests. He barked at the guard, "yes, Harvey, go with them and bring her back afterwards. And no dilly dallying outside in the moonlight either!"

"Sir," Harvey snapped formerly, "of course, sir." He opened the door as Lori walked out, holding Richmond's elbow. He quickly followed, shutting the door.

"And you, Mr. Gordon," Loveless said, yawning, "may also return to your shelter. I believe we will all have a long and successful day tomorrow. My dear," he said, holding a hand out to Antoinette, "let us walk this child to her room and turn in."

Artemus gave a quick glance to Celeste, "if you don't mind, doctor," he said, trying to sound casual, "I would like to walk outside for a few minutes with Miss Celeste, especially since I may not have a chance to speak to her tomorrow."

Loveless opened his mouth to interrupt but Antoinette put a reassuring hand on his knee, "Maguelito," she said softly, "the fresh night air might help her sleep."

Loveless sighed and nodded, glaring at Artemus, "keep in mind that my men will be watching you both very closely."

"I doubt we will both be climbing walls and escaping tonight," Artemus said, "especially with the agents here and Colonel Richmond now. You must have more agents here than our headquarters building in far-off Washington."

"Yes," Loveless smiled, "I do. And Washington is so very far away. All good points, Mr. Gordon. I think you understand your situation perfectly." He chuckled as he walked out of the room with Antoinette.

Artie waited for them to leave the room, thinking to himself, "oh I understand better than you suspect." He turned to Celeste, sitting frozen across the table. "You have barely eaten a thing tonight. How are you feeling?"

She burst into tears, "I just want to go home. I don't understand why I'm here. I know you wanted me to help but it's been days now and my parents will be so worried and …"

Artie quickly moved around the table to sit next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "There, now, everything is going to be fine. Why don't we talk outside?" He stood up and waited for her to gather her dress and stand next to him. He looked down at the dinner plate where Lori had been seated and chuckled to himself at the empty plate except for a few scattered bones. "Amazing nothing seems to bother Lori. I think dangerous situations make her eat more."

"I've never met a woman like her," Celeste said, "she told me she grew up on farm. She seems so strong for a female too. She was exercising in the room tonight. She can lift herself right off the floor by holding a door. I don't think I could do that."

"You never know what you can do until you try," Artemus said, as she took his elbow. "For instance, if I had told you a month ago that you would be working as an agent to help stop one of the most dangerous criminals in the country, you would have said I was crazy. But look at you, eating dinner, making friends with Antoinette. If you hadn't been so pleasant this week, you would have been locked in your room, but instead you are allowed to walk around freely. This is to our advantage, trust me."

The girl was listening closely as he spoke, her nerves calming down already. Artemus opened the door to the hallway and was met by two guards. "We are to accompany you both," one snapped.

"Well that's very kind of you, sir," Artie said, smiling, "we are going to walk the grounds, as we usually do every evening. You are welcome to join us. I feel like having an after dinner cigar. I have a few extras if you do are interested?"

Both men nodded, relaxing at Artie's friendly offer. The group moved downstairs and outside into the cooler air. They walked along the tree line, keeping to stone paths so Celeste's shoes didn't become soiled. When they neared an arrangement of benches, Artie paused, putting a hand inside his coat. "Would you two gents care to relax here?" He handed them each a cigar, which they eagerly grabbed. Artie and Celeste continued to walk as the guards sat on the benches, puffing away. Almost immediately, they slumped over, unconscious.

"That was nice of you to do that," Celeste said, patting Artie's arm, not noticing the guards' condition. "It seems like you are being friendlier also to the guards. Is this part of your plan? Or was it Mr. Harvey that you were tormenting?"

Artie snorted, his keen eyes observing more guards walking in the far distance. "He was being more annoying than the others," he said. "He actually acted like he wanted to help me make up the chemical mixtures. I certainly didn't need him hanging around." He nodded toward the far end of the long main building, recognizing the door that lead to the rooms where the other agents were being held. "I don't know what Lori has in store for him this evening but it won't be good. That man is already limping and is covered with bandages." He nodded between the trees toward the wall. "Celeste, I want to speak to you quickly. And I will encourage a question or two, but you and I will need to move very fast."

"What do you mean," she whispered, her eyes moving to his face.

"I mean that Lori has explained to me that we are not far from the headquarters building," he whispered, "she indicated that she was awake during her ride here, unlike everyone else. And she said if we were to go over that wall, we would be on a street that runs parallel to the street our headquarters building is on. And it would be just to the left." Celeste listened silently as they walked. "So this is what we are going to do. I am going to boost you over that wall. You will roll over the top and drop to the ground on the other side and then run as fast as you can away from this place, out into the street. Either run all the way or hail a cab. I have seen the drivers that nabbed us and they are in the compound tonight, so you don't need to worry about being picked up again."

"Wait, what?" Celeste said, starting to stare up at the walls. "You want me to climb the wall?"

"No," Artie said, steering her to the wall. "I want you to drop to your feet and run. I will do everything else with you." He turned her to him, to look into her eyes only inches away from his face. "Now when you land, what direction are you going?"

"Left," she whispered, her teeth gritting. "Left. I will run left toward headquarters. Aren't you coming too?"

"No," Artie said, "I'm staying here to wait for Jim. You will tell Jim where I am, correct?" She nodded firmly, "good girl. Now what direction will you run?"

"Left," she said, clenching her left hand. "I won't forget."

"It should look familiar to you very quickly," he reassured her, "or hail a cab. Just get away from the wall. Ok, I am going to turn you and boost you up." He looked around the trees, without trying to be obvious. Guards mingled around. He didn't see Harvey, or Lori for that matter. "Ok, go," he whispered, turning her to the wall. He quickly stepped on a downed tree limb, giving himself another foot of height. He grabbed her around the waist and pushed her above his head. Her body slid up the wall. He grabbed a shoe and pushed up again and suddenly she was gone. He heard an "ooof" as she landed and men shouting immediately after. Turning, he raised his hands as a group of guards rain toward him with guns drawn.

Jim paced the large hall, his boots echoing on the marble floor. The room seemed empty even though there were people nearby. He punched his right fist into his left palm, muttering, "dammit, Artie, send me a sign, a message, anything, damn you…"

"Jim," Steve called out from across the room. "Come look at this map. I am trying to measure the length a carriage can travel in the time they've been gone." He was sitting at a table scattered with maps on the side of the room. One leg was up on a chair with a wide bandage wrapped around his thigh. He was bent over, twisted, holding a pencil and a ruler.

"If they are still on a carriage," Jim snapped. "If they didn't get moved to a train or stuffed into a house or commercial building. If this is Loveless, he would have a plan. They would have changed transportation almost immediately."

"Well if they got on a train, they could be anywhere," Steve said, tossing the ruler down to pull at his hair. "And they could be hidden in thousands of buildings." He looked up at Jim. "Are you going out? I wish I could go with you."

"No, stay here," Jim said sternly. "One of us needs to be here anyway. I just need that telegram answer before I go." He pulled his watch out, opening it. "Marlita said she would bring it to me. I just hope she doesn't translate it to French first."

Steve chuckled, "check it before you run out." A door slammed down the hall and quick footsteps were heard. "Speak of the devil."

"James," Marlita's musical voice called from down the hallway turned his short name into a minuet. "James!" She was walking very quickly, almost out of breath, waving a piece of paper. "Your answer! I have your answer." Jim rushed to her and took the paper, his eyes scanning it. "I hope it helps, it's such a long list. It's just so upsetting."

Jim handed it back to her, "thank you. It helps, somewhat," he muttered. He turned back to the maps, turning one and picking up the pencil. "The message is what buildings have recently been rented or changed hands in the city. If Loveless recently moved in, or in the past few months, he might have signed paperwork to lease or purchase something." He was marking stars next to buildings on the map. "If we have to, we can check them all. Everyone can take a few and check them tomorrow."

"He would have used a fake name," Steve said, "and everyone would be hidden. We can knock on the front door but we will have to check basements and storage buildings too. That will take a long time, even if everyone pitches in." He looked at Marlita, "hey, the secretaries can help. They could keep the office workers busy while we check out the back."

"Yes," Marlita said, stepping forward, "I want to help. I am tired of being in the office. So is Malinda and Laura. We all want to help. Poor Colonel Richmond," she said, dabbing a kerchief at her eyes.

Jim stood up and held his hand out, "let me see that again, please," he said. Marlita handed it to him. He leaned it over and held it to the map. "That's it, Steve, that's where they are. Gotcha, you basta…"

"James!" The front door slammed behind them and another female voice shouted his name. "Help, please!" The group all turned and froze in shock. A pile of blond hair and white lace crumpled to the marble floor.

"Celeste!" Steve jumped and ran forward, his long legs out sprinting Jim, even with his limp. He dropped to his knees and slid across the stone floor, gathering the half-fainted girl into his arms. He lifted her head, smoothing the blond hair back from her pale face. "Celeste, can you hear me? It's Steve. Jim is here too."

"James," she whispered, gasping for breath. Her blue eyes opened to look up at them. "Steve. I can't believe I made it. We've been so close. All this time."

Jim picked a delicate hand and tapped the back, "ok, girl, open your eyes and tell me what happened. Have you been running? From the prison?"

Her eyes snapped open, "from the prison? Yes, how did you know? I just ran my new shoes off my feet to get here and you already knew where we were? And yet here you are, doing nothing? Leaving us there? Poor Artemus thinks you will help and you haven't helped one bit and…"

"Stop," Jim said, laughing, "calm down. I thought you were out of breath." He took her other hand and pulled her to her feet. "I just figured it out a split second ago. But why don't you reassure me that I'm correct. Where have you been?"

Celeste took a deep breath and pulled a leaf from her mouth, shaking her dirty hands. "It's a bunch of buildings surrounded by a large white stone-ish wall. I don't know what it's called. There is a large wooden double door gate to enter; a huge main building and a smaller stone building in the center; trees and paths inside between buildings." Jim looked at Steve and they both nodded. "it's just down the street! We didn't know where we were and we were just down the street this whole time!"

"Who's we," Jim said, "who else is there?"

"Artemus, of course," Jim released along breath, "and Lori and Colonel Richmond, they just arrived." Jim nodded, stepping back. "And I think Mr. Pike and all the others that have been missing." She shrugged, rubbing her hands over her arms. "Artemus said Lori figured out where we were because she was awake on the way in. And Artemus just boosted me over the wall tonight and I ran and ran. I didn't dare get in a carriage though he said it was safe. I just started running and couldn't stop." Tears welled in her eyes and Steven quickly stepped forward to wrap his arms around her, drawing her to his chest.

"You have been so brave," he whispered. "We know where to go because of you."

Jim nodded, "yes, Celeste, more than you know. Is everyone healthy? I might need to move people quickly."

Celeste wiped her eyes and looked at him, "Colonel Richmond is ok but he got hit on the head when they grabbed him. He ate dinner with us all tonight but said his head hurt so Lori walked him back to his quarters."

"Dinner," Jim asked, "you all ate dinner tougher? Who else was at this dinner party?"

"Obviously doctor Loveless and Antoinette," he said, "its so odd. He acts so pleasant and Antoinette is so sweet but Artemus tells me how evil the doctor is. I am so confused."

"It is confusing," Jim said, looking over her at Steve. "So we know where and we know its Loveless." He looked back at the girl, "do you know anything about what Loveless is doing? Did Artemus say anything?"

"Artemus kept talking about the explosive," she said, "and he is working in the stone building with chemicals making explosives for doctor Loveless."

"What?" Steve said, "he can't be."

"Don't worry about Artie," Jim snorted, "if he's making bombs, they're for himself, trust me on that one." He turned toward the table, "can you draw out quickly where buildings are? It might give me an edge when I go in tonight."

"Are you going tonight," Celeste asked, "that's good. I am worried about Artemus. After I dropped off the wall, I heard a lot of shouting. I thought,.." she whispered, looking at Jim, "I thought I heard a gunshot."

Jim took a deep breath, "ok, we won't worry about that right now. It doesn't mean he was hit, or if he was, that he was hit seriously." He turned and walked back to the table of maps. He turned a piece of paper over and picked up a pencil. He drew a line, "if this is the road that runs along the wall, and this is the wall," he said, drawing a second line, "can you draw where the buildings are?"

Celeste took the pencil and quickly drew a large rectangle, "this is the main building. Main door, dining room and bedrooms on this end, and kitchen in the middle, and this far end is where I think Jeremy is. There is a lab on the first floor. I didn't see that or where Jeremy was but Artemus told me." She drew a smaller square, "and this is a stone building in the center of the green space, where Artemus seems to work all day. Or not work. Loveless seems very upset that he isn't working fast enough or doing whatever it is he is supposed to be doing."

Jim grinned, "that's my partner. Anything else?"

Celeste stood up, "I don't think so. There are smaller buildings but I think they are just storage areas and bathroom areas for the men. There were a lot of guards around."

"How many would be a lot," Jim asked, "five, ten, twenty?"

Celeste counted on her fingers, thinking back, "maybe ten. One seemed to be the leader, his name is Peter Harvey. Lori took him away tonight. Artie thought she might injure him. He already had a broken nose from her smacking him," she said. "He seemed to find it amusing"

"That is amusing," Jim said, "good for her. She'll probably rip his arm off and beat him with it."

"So do we go now?" Steve asked eagerly. "I can go with you, right?" He hugged Celeste tighter, "though I think this little lady has had enough excitement for tonight."

"Me too, I want to help," Marlita said firmly. Jim looked at the rag tag group assembled around him. He noticed Christian had appeared, silently as usual, and was standing now behind the secretary, patiently waiting. Everyone's faces were eager to move out to save their friends.

Jim smiled at everyone, "ok," he nodded, "this is what we're going to do."