Hello readers! (If saying that annoys you, let me know.) It took me a while to write this because I couldn't think of a good idea to make this chapter about. Hope you enjoy it!

Zai, Amy, and Nellie stood in front of the Langham Place Hotel. This is it, thought Amy. Dan and Uncle Fiske are somewhere underneath that hotel.

"Well?" asked Zai, "Should we go in?" He looked at Amy and Nellie.

"Let's go." said Nellie. They walked up the steps and entered the hotel. It was beautiful inside, with elaborate chandeliers and beautiful furniture. "Okay, here's the plan," whispered Zai, "I made a reservation for the three of us here. I'm sure the rooms will have cameras, so we'll have to fool them somehow. We'll relax this afternoon, then, at night, we'll try to find Dan and your uncle."

Nellie walked up to the front desk to check in. Amy and Zai waited for her on one of the luxurious couches.

Amy cleared her throat. "So, um, do you have a plan for when we actually find where they're keeping Dan and Uncle Fiske?" Zai looked up. "Hey, C'mon Amy, did you think I had this all planned out? I'm just goning to improvise. I only had one night to plan all this through! And that crazy motorcycle chase totally wore me out!" "Sorry, Zai," she replied sheepishly, "Your right. I shouldn't have expected so much from you." "It's okay," said Zai, "Really. We just need a few hours to rest plan our strategy."

Nellie walked up to them. "Alright, I got the rooms. We're all on floor 22. Zai, you're in room 222. Amy, you're in room 226. And I'm in 221." The all walked to the elevators. Amy, of course, was nervous. "What if the Vespers are expecting us and this is a trap?" she whispered. "I don't think so." said Nellie. "Elizabeth won't risk it, now that she's failed to stop us from coming here." "Yeah." said Zai. "Now she's waiting for us to make the first move."

They rode the rest of the way in silence. The elevator stopped at the 22nd floor. Zai checked his watch. 4:31 A.M. "Okay," he told Amy and Nellie, "I'll meet you right here at 9:30. Just remember, rest and prepare for the rescue." They each went their separate ways.

Nellie walked down the hall until she found 212. She inserted her key card and stepped in. I think I'll take a nice, long shower, she thought. Then I'll listen to some music. She walked into the bathroom and noticed a small, black box on the floor with a big "V" on the top. She gasped and gingerly picked it up. Then she noticed a small beeping noise. She turned it around and saw a small timer that was ticking down...

Zai was sitting down on the couch in his room with his eyes closed, just thinking and concentrating. He found that it helped him deal with the pain he was feeling, physically, mentally, and emotionally. He tried to wash all those thoughts out of his mind, the screaming, the crying, the shooting, it was all to horrible to think about. He got up. It was time to prepare some things for what lay ahead. He went to his backpack and got out some things...

Amy was lying on her bed, reading. She was trying to keep her mind off of Dan. Dan, who had looked so scared when they saw him on video back in Boston. She was glad that she had Nellie and Zai to help her, even though neither of them was related to Dan. Well, Zai was, being a Madrigal, but still. That was another question that Amy had on her mind. Why was Zai risking his life to help them? Amy didn't even know him a few days ago. Although she had come to trust Zai completely, that still nagged at her brain. Well, she thought, thinking is not going to prepare me for what lies ahead. She looked at herself in the mirror. I'd better change my clothes. She decided. Something suitable for action. She opened her bag.

Bach in Nellie's room, stifled a shriek and ran toward the window. She tried to open it to throw it out, but the window didn't open. She looked at the timer. 00:3 seconds until detonation. The beeping got faster. She stood frozen with fear. BEEP-BEEP-!

Time slowed with terror. Then...

Nothing. Nellie just stood there shaking. Suddenly, a laughter started playing from a small speaker on the bomb. Then, a voice. "Oh, you are so easy to fool!" Elizabeth's snooty voice said. "You probably thought that was a bomb! I wish I could see your face. Which, by the way, I'm sure is hilarious." There was more laughter. "Oh, well. Sometimes I wonder how I do it. Anyway, as evil as you might think I am, I just sent this message to congratulate you for making it this far. For if you hear this, you are close to what you seek. Well, if you want that dirty little boy and that old man back, come get me! I'm waiting. Ta-ta!" Then the message stopped.

Nellie just stood there. Then, she started shaking. Not with fear, but with rage. That... that... that CREATURE! When I finally get my hands on her! Shes gonna wish she was NEVER born! Nellie felt like destroying something. No, she told herself. She's trying to make me angry, so that I'll make mistakes. I can't give her what she wants. Nellie set her jaw. Now, Elizabeth had made it personal.

Zai was in his room, working tediously. He looked at his watch. 8:11. Not much time left, but he could finish. Half an hour later, he was done. He secided to do some scouting. He went downstairs to the lobby. He was trying to find a way to the basement. The basement is for employees only, so I'll need to find a way down there., he decided. He went up to the front desk. "Excuse me, but where is the business center?" he asked the woman behind the desk. "Floor 3." she answered in a monotone. "Thanks!" he replied as he made his way to the elevators.

He rode to Floor 3 and exited. There was a corridor and a big door. He pushed it open. There was a large, dark room. He took out a small flashlight out of his pocket and shone it around the room. There were many couches and tables. He walked to the far end of the Room. There was a door that said "EMPLOYEES ONLY". He looked at the lock. Rats, he thought, a key card lock. Nothing I can pick. He had two options. I can wait here and wait for an employee, or I can try and find another door. He decided to find another door. He left the Business Center and went to the lobby. Keeping out of the woman at the front desk's sight, he waited. After 10 minutes, a maid walked by. He followed her at a safe distance. She walked down a long, bare hallway, and through a big set of double doors. Bingo, thought Zai. He ran back to elevator and back up to his room. He reached into his backpack, pulled out the blue bottle of pills, and took two. Then he picked up the phone and dialed room service.

Amy looked at her watch. 9:00. Okay, time to do this. She turned off all the lights and walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower as hot as it would go. Amy wasn't a fan of steaming showers, so she started washing her hair in the sink. After twenty minutes, there was a thick cloud of steam hanging in the room. After twenty-five minutes, the room had become like a sauna. That might cover up the cameras, she decided. She walked to the front door and, as quietly as she could, she went out.

Nellie and Amy had been waiting at the elevators for two minutes when Zai showed up. She had decided not to tell them about Elizabeth's "time bomb" because (1) she was embarassed about and (2) this matter was between her and that vile excuse for a human. "Are we ready?" asked Nellie. Zai and Amy nodded, too full of excitement and nervous energy to talk. Nellie reached into her pocket and pulled out three small black devices. "These are mini-microphones. Imbed them your back molars. That way we can communicate. Amy and Zai each took one of the microphones and stuck them in their back teeth. Nellie did the same. "Alright, do either of you two have a plan?" Zai smiled. "I think I have an idea."

"Wait, you us to split up?" asked Amy. Zai nodded. "That's the idea. Amy, you'll go in first, then Nellie, and I'll go last. That way I can guide you, since I already checked the place out. We'll go in at 15-minute intervals." They made their way back down to the lobby. "Okay, I'll cause a distraction." said Nellie. she looked at Amy. "Good luck, kiddo." Nellie walked up to the front desk. "Excuse me!" she said loudly to the receptionist, "I ordered tandoori chicken off of room service, and chicken tandoori is supposed to be cooked in a stone oven, but from the taste of it, it was cooked in a brick oven, and there was a burnt spot on it, and I think the tea I got wasn't brewed long enough, and..." Zai turned to Amy. "Amy, don't get yourself killed in there, please? And take this." He handed her a small, black bag. Amy looked at it questioningly. "When the time's right, you'll what to do with it." he told her. Amy tried to nod, slipped off, unnoticed by the exasperated receptionist. She walked right where had told her to go, down the hallway, and through the double doors.

Amy walked through the door. Her knees were shaking. She looked around. There was an elevator and some doors on either side of the hallway. I don't have much time before someone comes, she thought. The elevator's my best bet. Dan said 'Under the hotel. Amy walked up to the elevator and pressed the 'down' button. The elevator opened. Amy walked in and looked at the buttons. Dan said they were under the hotel. But which level could he mean? Amy looked at all the buttons. Think, think! "Zai, I need help." she whispered. Back in the lobby, he heard her through his microphone in his tooth. "Amy? Whats wrong?" he asked. "I'm on an elevator. What floor should I go to?" "Just go to the lowest floor." he replied. "That's the most logical place for a secret Vesper stronghold." "Okay. Thanks." Then Amy pressed the '6' button. And the elevator went down.

Back in the lobby, Nellie had finished ranting to the poor receptionist, who was now gone to find the chef. "Okay," Zai told her, "Now's your chance. Go down the hall, and on your left, you'll see an elevator. Go to level 6." "Got it. Thanks!" said Nellie as she made her way to the big set of double doors.

Amy looked around her. She was standing in a hallway. The floor, walls, and ceiling were all bleached white. She walked down the hallway. It seemed to go on forever. She walked for fifteen minutes when she got to a big set of metal doors. There was a small fingerprint pad on the wall next to the door. She hesitated. If I scan my finger, I might set off the alarms. But Amy didn't know that there was a miniscule camera right next to the fingerprint scanner. And not just any camera. It was an Iris Scanner. Before Amy could take another step, a red light above the door started blaring. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Then the floor gave way beneath her feet.

Nellie was now walking down the same, long hallway that Amy had passed through minutes ago. When she got to the end, she came to the same big metal door that Amy did. But Nellie didn't walk close enough to the iris scanner to be identified as an intruder. Nellie looked around suspiciously. If Amy came through here, she would have had to scan her fingertips on that scanner. Obviously she didn't but there aren't any other ways through. Unless... Nellie dropped to the floor and crawled toward the door. She made sure to keep her eyes almost closed, just open enough to see. She looked down. There was a faint, hairline crack in the floor. She followed it around and realized the crack formed a circle shape. She pulled out her pocketknife and tried to wedge it into the crack, but even her thinnest blade couldn't fit. Well, she thoughr, Only one thing to do. She stood up in front of the fingerprint scanner. Just like it had done to Amy, the timy scanner scanned her iris and a shrill alarm sounded. Nellie jumped out of the way. The circle section of floor, about 5 feet wide, swung downward. Nellie peered down. There was a slide, that twisted out of view into complete blackness. Nellie took a deep breath, and jumped in.

Zai hurried down the same, long hall as the two before him. He knew all too well what was at the other side. He tried to supress the horrible thoughts that tried so hard to resurface. He ran down the hallway, looking only straight ahead. Soon he arrived at the huge metal doors. He walked right up to them. His retina registered with the scanner. The light above the door turned green and they opened. He went in. He found himself in a familliar setting: He was standing in a narrow room with pictures on the wall. They were pictures of Cahills and other people that had been eliminated by the Vespers. Zai saw Amy and Dan's parents, Hope and Arthur on the wall, with big, red Xs through their faces. Then, he froze. He saw someone else. Someone's picture, and when he saw it, he collapsed on the ground. He started groaning and his head fealt like it was being chewed away. Suddenly, he was not in the Vesper stronghold, but in a house, far away. There were armed men and women storming through the house, his house, breaking everything. He saw the men running toward them. "NOOOO!" he screamed, "ZACHI! ZADE!" then silence. Silence, and darkness, and emptiness. Zai's eyes flashed open. He looked around the room one more time, then passed out. He didn't hear them come in.

Nellie slid down the twisting slide into pure and utter blackness. After about 5 minutes, she slid to a stop. There was a faint red glow coming from somewhere in front of her. She reached into her pocket. Her hand brushed against the bag Zai had given her, identical to the one he gave Amy. She pulled out a small flashlight and shone it in front of her. It was an extremely long corridor, probably even longer than the one where the slide started. "Wow. These Vespers really like their hallways." she said out loud, to break the silence. She started walking.

Amy was already further along the hallway when she heard a voice echoing off the walls. She froze with fear, and decided to wait where she was and surprise whoever was following her. She flattened herself against the wall. A few minutes later, someone walked past. Amy jumped out and threw herself on her persuer, who wasn't that much taller than she was. They rolled around on the ground a few times, then her persuer turned on a flashlight. Amy was blinded for a minute, a prime for her follower to attack. "Amy? Is that you?" came Nellie's voice. Amy looked down. She was on top of Nellie. "Nellie!" she exclained with delight, jumpng off of her. Nellie stood up. "Where are we?" she asked. "And where's Zai?" Amy shrugged. Suddenly, a crackling noise came over their mouth-microphones. They heard the a brief thumping sound, then a groan. Nellie and Amy looked at each other. "Zai."

Sorry about that chapter, I know it kind of stunk. Not enough action. I got kinda rusty at writing, I need to get back into my writing groove. Well, comment and stay tuned!
"