Friday, December 23rd, 2016
D-JAK Prime
The Christmas Party
Mindy was about to explode, and Dave considered wrapping her in a bomb-proof explosive-cushioning blanket.
No, she wasn't angry, or threatening to hurt anybody – she was simply excited, so excited that Dave also considered that his wife might actually have a bladder-related accident. The pair of veteran vigilantes were standing in the enormous open space which had been thoroughly decorated. The entire space was beautiful, and there was a giant Christmas tree in one corner, decorated and lit from the broad base to the shiny star at the top. The place had never looked so beautiful, Mindy thought. A lot of work had gone into the planning for the party and Mindy wanted it to be very special for everybody, but extra-special for some. It would be the very first Christmas, in a long time, for the likes of Jamie and Abigail, as well as many others of their kind. That night was also to be very special for one person in particular, and probably another.
Food had been laid on by caterers with no expense spared and Mindy was concerned that she had ordered way too much food, but then Dave had reminded her that Predators, and teenagers in general, ate like a pack of wolves which had been starved of food for a month with manners to match. As Dave and Mindy moved around checking everything, Paige appeared. She was dressed in a beautiful, and very revealing, royal blue strapless dress which ended just above her ankles. Dave grinned. Paige was dressed to kill, and he figured that Marcus would have eyes only for his wife – which was probably the point, he figured. Mindy did not fully approve as Paige was technically her stepmother and Mindy thought that women of her age should be more reserved. Dave had laughed out loud at Mindy's whispered comment, much to Mindy's annoyance. Mindy herself was dressed in a very similar figure-hugging purple dress which was also strapless and covered her down to her ankles. Dave was very happy with what was revealed at the top Mindy's dress. Though she did not have a large cleavage, it was there, nonetheless. Dave wore a fairly standard, but expensive, Tuxedo. The event had rules and was 'by invitation' only.
Mindy had laid down the rules, earlier that week.
...+...
"There are rules for the party . . . rules that are inviolable – 'inviolable': cool word! Those born female – despite what you may think you are now (Abigail) – will behave as young ladies for the night and you will all dress to kill . . . and by that, I don't mean claws, Wildcat! I mean that I want you girls to dress like young ladies – no trousers allowed! You may show as much skin as you wish, but let's keep this decent . . . for the first few hours at least, eh, Chloe."
"I'm not exactly gonna turn up naked," Chloe complained.
"Shame," Marc commented, before he yelped as Shannon slapped him around the back of the head.
"Those born as boys – you will be young men for the evening and you will show your young ladies a good time. Boys, you will be expected to wear trousers and a tie."
There were a lot of groans from the boys.
"This night is intended to be a fun night – a chance for you all to let your hair down and have some fun – it is Christmas after all!"
...+...
Mindy had extended the invitation to the Marauders, figuring that they could do with a break, and they had all shown that they could be trusted – to a point.
As such, they had all had their explosive-laden ankle monitors swapped for the kind without explosives, much to their relief. They had all jumped at the chance to get out of their underground prison, and after a colourful lecture from Hit Girl on what might happen to them should they fuck up, they had been allowed out of their hellhole and allowed to prepare for the evening.
All but one.
Earlier that morning
Safehouse E
Level 8 – Detention Level
Despite coming out of her shell in Scotland, she had retreated back behind her protective shield on her return to Level 8.
"You coming to the party?" Lucy asked.
"Who would want me?"
"Willow – you've been through a lot; I know as I was there for most of it."
"I've nothing to wear but the clothes I stand up in."
"Look, would you let me go shopping for you – I promise to find you whatever you want. You want some stylish panties, you got it."
Willow's cheeks went very pink.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why are you helping me? I tried to. . ."
"Forget the past, Willow. You are just as much a victim as the rest of us. You've been sulking down here for almost two months. Besides, I think Joel wants to get into your panties."
"Joel?"
"He's always talking about you – he thinks a lot of you, you know."
Lucy saw the traces of an embarrassed grin and she settled for that as a beginning.
That evening
D-JAK Prime
At around seven, that evening, everybody began to arrive.
Marcus was one of the first to arrive, along with Megan and Curtis. Mindy gave Marcus a kiss on the cheek and he nodded approvingly at her dress before he caught sight of his wife and he headed off in her direction. Mindy turned her eyes onto Megan whose face was glowing approximately the same colour as her rose-coloured dress which barely reached her knees.
"You look amazing, Megan," Mindy commented, and she was surprised to hear a giggle escape the girl's lips as Curtis grinned happily.
The boy wore a dark blue suit with a tie that matched Megan's dress in colour. He looked very handsome, Mindy thought, and it was very obvious that Megan thought so, too.
"Behave, you two," Dave commented as they both ran off towards the food. "Mindy!"
Mindy turned to see the next arrivals, and she grinned as she cast an eye over towards the Christmas tree where she could see somebody seated in a chair. She turned back to the next arrivals.
"Hello, Rachel," Dave said as Rachel Murphy approached with Brad and Abigail in tow.
"Very handsome, Dave," Rachel commented with a twinkle in her eye.
Rachel was dressed to kill in a stunning emerald gown which accented the woman's visible curves. Abigail wore a simple ruby red, knee-length dress which suited the eleven-year-old. Brad wore a dark blue suit and a navy tie, looking very smart, and much smarty than how he usually dressed. Mindy looked directly at Rachel who nodded back.
"Brad, Abigail, I think you might find something under the Christmas tree," Mindy suggested.
Brad looked over at the tree but then he performed a classic doubletake before Mindy saw the tears in his eyes and the boy hesitated for a moment before he bolted across the floor, closely followed by Abigail.
"Dad!"
..._...
Paul Murphy pulled himself up onto his feet, resting on a metal crutch.
"When did you get out?" Brad demanded as he hugged his father – gently.
"Just this afternoon," Paul replied as he hugged his son, then made room for his step-daughter.
"Hello, Abigail."
"Hi," Abigail replied, tears spilling down the girl's cheeks.
Paul and Abigail had bonded during the past few weeks while he had languished in a bed in the hospital. He studied his two kids and he felt very blessed – for being alive, and for having two wonderful kids.
"You look very beautiful, Abigail," he said as she stepped back.
He ignored the smudged makeup around the eleven-year-old's eyes, and on her cheeks.
"Thank you," Abigail replied, blushing furiously.
"You look very handsome, Brad," Paul said, checking out his son. "All dressed for a girl?"
"He can't wait until Lauren appears," Abigail said with a grimace.
"The girlfriend."
"He's got condoms in his jacket," Abigail whispered.
"I do not!" Brad responded as it was his turn to blush.
"Yes, he has," Abigail confirmed. "He and Lauren have fucked, you know."
"I know," Paul chuckled.
"Thank you for that crude explanation, Abigail," Rachel commented as she caught up.
"Isn't that Jamie, over there?" Brad commented, getting his own back as Abigail looked around, cagily.
"My makeup!" Abigail exclaimed, and she looked up at Rachel in horror.
"Come on – ladies' room," Rachel chuckled as she grabbed hold of Abigail's hand.
..._...
Stephanie had watched the family reunion, and she was very pleased for her friend.
Abigail deserved to have a family with people who loved her after all that she had been through. Stephanie had all that she wanted, so she was happy for others to benefit in just the same way. She grinned as she looked closer to home where her brother stood with the twins. Danny and Jamie both wore navy blue trousers and white shirts with purple ties while their sister wore a lilac dress and lilac pumps. Jamie had noticed Abigail's arrival, and he was fidgeting badly. That fidgeting only got worse once Abigail reappeared from the ladies' room, her makeup sorted out. The girl made a beeline for Jamie before pausing as she got close.
"You two behave, now," Stephanie teased.
"Oh, look, Stephanie," Abigail grinned. "Isn't that Tommy?"
Stephanie's heart skipped a beat as she turned to look at the door – it was not Tommy.
..._...
"Wow!" Dave exclaimed as he laid eyes on the next arrivals.
It was the Bennett/Williams clan and first in the door was Chloe. Dave could think of no other word, other than 'stunning'. Her blue dress showed off plenty of skin but would be classified as conservative, especially for Chloe. Her hair was braided up accentuating her neck.
"You look amazing, Chloe," Mindy said as she hugged her best friend.
As Dave watched the two young women talk, he was amazed at how much the two of them looked alike – they could have been sisters. As expected, Joshua was dressed in a Tuxedo and he appeared very imposing as he stood towering above Dave and Mindy. However, Mindy's eyes were drawn to a small patch of pale green which stood behind Joshua, trying to hide.
"Who's the little girl?" Mindy asked Joshua.
"No idea," Joshua replied with a chuckle.
"It's me: Rebecca!" Becky announced with a cheeky grin.
"It can't be – you're wearing clothes for a start," Mindy replied with a wink.
"I decided that it would be better to wear clothing in such a public setting," Becky replied, and Mindy chuckled; the girl could never just use three words when she could use seventeen instead.
"You look beautiful," Dave said.
Becky but her bottom lip and she blushed wildly as she giggled. Her long, dark brown hair had been styled and was up on the top of her head. The dress was typical of that for an eight-year-old and she wore green pumps in deference to her age.
"She was naked until about an hour or so ago," Chloe commented.
"So were you," Becky retorted.
"Go and play!" Chloe ordered, and Becky ran off towards Anne-Marie and Danny.
..._...
Mindy hated favouritism, but of all the Predators who had come their way, Abigail was probably her favourite – after Stephanie and Jamie, of course.
Mindy enjoyed having Abigail around, and she knew Stephanie and Jamie did too, both for very different reasons. Mindy also knew that Abigail and Stephanie were thick as thieves, but she sincerely hoped that each would be the conscience of the other. Indeed, Mindy had ensured that Abigail was close by when Stephanie had been electro-shocked by the armoury access control system during said daughter's latest five-finger-discount shopping trip. To a point, Stephanie would listen to Abigail, and Abigail to Stephanie, but sometimes both girls would head off together in the worst possible direction. The two girls were very independent spirits, and both had a yearning for life, and a deep desire to put their past behind them. They had been bitter enemies, at one point, but they now relied on one another for continued life. The youngsters were like sisters and when one got into trouble, the other was not usually all that far behind. Just in case the dubious duo was unable to cause enough trouble on their own, they were more recently joined by Lizzie making them a female trio from hell who was usually the centre of anything disruptive occurring within Fusion.
As Mindy watched, Stephanie was talking with Abigail and Jamie, all three of them laughing.
..._...
Mindy had begun to regret her 'rules' for that evening.
The girls had gone all out and there were many fancy dresses – Mindy had allowed the senior members of Fusion to use their 'emergency' credit cards to buy outfits for themselves and for the others, including the boys. Mindy had cringed at the amount spent but she saw it as well worth it – besides, after Christmas, she could easily replenish the money spent in a couple of evenings when some drug dealers kindly donated their income to Fusion. Mindy was pulled from her thoughts as Emily Edwards arrived with her two wayward charges.
"Hello, Emily!"
"Hello, Mindy – the place looks amazing!" Emily replied.
"Thank you. How are the girls?"
"What a saga! I thought we were never going to get out of the house."
"Hi, Mindy!" Lauren called out and Lizzie waved, blushing slightly.
"You look very nice, Lizzie," Dave commented. "You too, Lauren."
Lauren was looking around the room, then her expression brightened as she laid eyes on Brad. The teenager was gone in a flash. Lizzie was also looking around and she spied her friends, vanishing just as fast as her sister.
"Looks like I get a nice, quiet evening," Emily said.
..._...
The next arrivals included a blushing Saoirse on the arm of Ethan Anderson.
She was accompanied by her sister, Morgan, on the arm of Mike Taylor. Both girls were dressed to kill, wearing dresses which complimented one another, showing off the cleavage of both girls and leaving very little to the imagination. Saoirse was still leaning on a crutch, but it did not detract from her hair and makeup which made the young woman very desirable to all the boys present. They were followed by Sarah, Marc, and a stunningly beautiful Shannon. Not far behind, came Taylor and Patrick Millar with Iain and Annabelle.
"I owe you a big thank you, Mindy," Patrick said. "Without your intervention, I might not have my daughter back for her first Christmas since she was nine."
"I was happy to help," Mindy replied, and it was her turn to blush.
Dave smiled at his wife, knowing that she hated being thanked, especially in public. Mindy always gave with little thought as to reward. She would never ask for a reward either, and that was one of the things which attracted Dave to his wayward wife.
"Hi, Dave!"
Kelly and Rachel had arrived, and with them, most of the remaining Marauders.
..._...
All chatter stopped, a few minutes later, as Lucy arrived with Willow.
While Lucy looked breaking in her blue dress, Willow stole the show. Willow's dress was off the shoulder and above the knee, showing off the sixteen-year-old's ample breasts and thighs. As with the other ex-Marauders, the hair was a minor problem; it was growing back slowly but steadily and thickening, but it was a long way from the length that most of the girls desired. The girl in question was blushing furiously. Joel, resplendent in a dark blue suit walked over and he held out his hand for his fellow Predator. The pair of them had both been part of the First Intake and they had grown up together. Willow had been one of the last First Intake girls to develop breasts and the rest, which had, more often than not, resulted in a lot of teasing, but Joel would often defend her, not that Willow had ever said thank you.
"Thank you, Joel."
"You're welcome, Willow."
..._...
Team San Diego soon made their appearance.
Guinevere looked decidedly unhappy as she was welcomed by Mindy. Guinevere was acutely aware that she had tried to kill Mindy's daughter.
"Guinevere, you look amazing in that dress," Mindy said, loudly, before lowering her voice. "All is forgiven, so enjoy your evening."
The fifteen-year-old grinned as Nicholas held out his arm for her. The boy was smartly decked out in dark grey slacks, and a smart navy-blue blazer, with an emerald green tie which matched Guinevere's dress. Juno stood out in a royal blue dress which did not extend much past her knees. As for Logan, he appeared a little awkward and he kept fiddling with his tie which he obviously was not overly keen with wearing. Mindy grinned at the team – they had been through a lot, and they deserved some fun. Mindy suddenly cringed as she heard a scream from only a couple of yards away.
"Tommy!"
Mindy had forgotten how loudly her eldest daughter could scream – and how high-pitched and piercing it was. Mindy turned to see Tommy almost flattened as Stephanie wrapped him in a bearhug.
"Where have you been?" Stephanie demanded.
"We got stuck in traffic," Tommy tried to explain.
"Lame excuse. You'd better make it up to me."
Mindy laughed as Tommy was hauled off towards the table laden with food.
..._...
It was a good evening to celebrate Marcus and Paige's first wedding anniversary which had actually been that past Monday.
Mindy had ensured that there was a supply of champagne (for the adults), to celebrate that day, one year ago. Mindy was very happy that Marcus had found someone to share his life with. She knew what it felt like to live alone, and she knew what it felt like to have somebody close. On the downside, Mindy and Marcus had gained a step-sister who was a little too much like Mindy when it came to obnoxious behaviour. From that point of view, Mindy did feel a little sorry for Marcus. Beyond that, Marcus had gained Curtis, who now lived with them. Mindy had laughed at the twin beds (Megan had demanded a double) which Marcus had installed – and firmly screwed to the floor. Megan had made a good effort at unscrewing the beds, but Marcus kept a very close eye on the beds, even to the point of using a tape measure to ensure their separation.
Marcus gave a little speech, thanking everyone for their congratulations – embarrassing Mindy and Megan while he was at it. Both girls cringed as Marcus then kissed Paige very, very passionately. Paige appeared to become very weak all of a sudden as Marcus kissed her and her legs appeared to buckle beneath her. Curtis, who was standing behind Megan, chuckling at his girlfriend's humiliation, then decided to follow suit, and he grabbed Megan, pulled her downwards and he kissed her, full on the lips, for all to see. The whistling and whooping for Marcus and Paige soon changed to the same for Megan and Curtis.
"Get that tongue in there, cousin!" Chloe called out to general laughter.
By the time both kids separated for air, they were both breathing heavily, and Megan's face was a deep red, but she looked very pleased with herself – and Curtis.
..._...
Hailee was talking with her date for the night, Adam Stockdale.
They had been together for a while to that point, and he had been present when Hailee had returned battered and bruised from Europe. Though he had had no idea how or why his girlfriend had been in such a bad way, he had stuck with her as she had healed. The relationship had been kept quiet, with only a few knowing about them. Hailee preferred the privacy while she had healed physically and battled with the mental trauma resulting from her beating. Adam had no idea that his girlfriend was the famed vigilante known only as Petra, but on the other hand, Hailee had no idea that Adam also moonlighted periodically as the not-so-famed vigilante known as Apollo.
From a distance, Vicky Richards watched her nineteen-year-old daughter but trying not to be too obvious about it. Hailee was all that Vicky had left, since her husband had died, years before. The battering the youngster had taken in Europe had scared Vicky and it had been a long road for the girl to recover but there were still nights where she would wake up screaming after a violent nightmare. That evening was the first time that Hailee had worn a short dress since her return from Europe. Hailee had always loved to show plenty of skin – mostly to tease the boys. However, Adam had been a settling influence on Hailee and Vicky approved of the boy. Mindy had provided a complete and detailed file on the boy which Vicky had kept secret from Hailee, as she knew that her daughter would not approve of the invasion of Adam's privacy.
Vicky grimaced slightly as the pair kissed and she saw her daughter's knees buckle slightly.
..._...
"Do ya think they're gonna do it?"
Abigail giggled as she and Jamie spied on Stephanie and Tommy. As far as they knew, Stephanie and Tommy had exchanged small kisses, on the cheeks and the odd quick kiss on the lips. Abigail and Jamie wanted to see a proper kiss - tongue and all. The exact kiss they expected was currently underway a few feet from them as Shannon and Marc checked out each other's tonsils with their own tongues.
"Those two are so disgusting!" Annabelle growled as she stalked past her sister.
Abigail and Tommy ignored Annabelle as they watched Stephanie. Tommy's hands were exploring his girlfriend's body and surprisingly, Stephanie was not stopping the boy's hands as they moved over her backside and then moved up her body to where her boobs protruded. Jamie giggled as Tommy openly squeezed a boob and Stephanie groaned loudly enough that Shannon turned away from Marc to check out the what was going on. After a few moments, Shannon turned her attentions onto Stephanie and Tommy, leaving a very unhappy looking Marc who sat sulking.
"Are they about to . . . you know?" Shannon asked her friends.
"I hope so," Jamie replied.
Tommy kissed Stephanie on the lips, but instead of pulling away, Stephanie pulled his head closer to her own and Stephanie's jaw was seen to open and then as Tommy took a breath. . .
"We . . . have . . . tongue!" Abigail exclaimed with a giggle.
"Cool!" Jamie added.
"She's good," Shannon commented.
..._...
As was fairly usual at those events, nobody was dancing, just sitting around the edges, some kissing, others eating.
"Hello – you guys okay?" Mindy asked.
"Yes, thanks," little Isaac replied as he drank from a glass of Coke.
"This is amazing," MacKenzie commented.
Both kids were dressed smartly, although Isaac had removed his tie within seconds of walking in the door. Lily sat with them, a little unsure of herself. Lara approached, and she sat down next to Lily.
"Hi, I'm Lara."
"Lily. These are MacKenzie and . . ."
"I'm Isaac!" the boy interjected.
"Hello, Isaac," Lara responded with a laugh.
"You're nice," Isaac said with a smile.
"Thank you," Lara replied. "Why don't you take your sister for a dance, Isaac?"
The boy grimaced.
"Yuck!" Isaac exclaimed as he looked up at Lily.
Lily nodded, and she took the youngster onto the area designated as a dance floor. Lara held out her hand for MacKenzie who shrugged and grasped the outstretched hand. The music increased in volume once the DJs for the night noticed some dancers. Marty and Abby were sharing the responsibility for the music, with input from Joshua. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee soon rang out and as Lily and Isaac danced, Lara and MacKenzie joined them. Then came Stephanie and Tommy, when Mindy shoved both in the direction of the dancefloor, disrupting the show for Abigail, Jamie, and Shannon. Jamie surprised Abigail by hauling her onto the dancefloor, ignoring all her attempts to run away. That broke the ice, and other couples began to dance.
Brad and Lauren were not far behind.
..._...
"Hi, Shannon."
"Hello, Nicholas."
"You've been ignoring me since I arrived."
"Have I?" Shannon replied, somewhat unconvincingly.
"I know why," Nicholas replied. "I was a real bastard to you and I humiliated you."
"Nicholas, you humiliated me, you peed on me, and you made crude comments about my body – all in my first damn week!"
"I was out of line, and I was a dick."
"Finally, he sees the light," Guinevere commented as she joined the pair.
"Thanks, Guinny," Nicholas replied. "I wronged you girls, and I'm sorry. For a ten-year-old boy, seeing all that naked girl flesh, it was awesome. To be honest, before I was taken, I don't think I had actually ever seen a real girl naked before and it was kind of difficult not to stare when you girls walked about naked. I know I made comments about your body, Shannon – and that was not fair as you were only nine."
"I shouldn't be avoiding you, Nicholas, but you were the one that stripped me naked on my first day, and you humiliated me. It's difficult seeing you and not remembering that day and the days which followed. I don't resent you – far from it. I'm still struggling with getting my life back on track, with my Dad, and my family. Even seeing my Dad, and remembering what he used to be, and that he was the reason I was taken, is very difficult."
"I've been the cause of a lot of crap, and I know there are people resent me for what I was, but I am changing, I promise."
"I know, Nicholas. It'll all come together," Shannon replied, giving the boy a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
Nicholas looked over at Guinevere, expecting to be slapped for allowing the kiss, but Guinevere only smiled.
"You are changing, Nicholas," she said. "Keep doing what you're doing."
"She's right," Shannon admitted.
"She always is," Nicholas replied.
..._...
Lauren and Brad were putting on a show.
"Maybe we should point out that this is a Christmas party," Jennifer commented. "Not a scene from Dirty Dancing."
"Maybe somebody should mention that to Josh and Chloe," Dave replied with a chuckle.
Indeed, Joshua and Chloe were dancing very close and it was obvious that the both of them were deeply in love.
"It really is so disgusting how adults carry on," Becky commented to Danny. "Come on, let's dance."
The very reluctant Danny found himself dragged onto the dancefloor by the rebellious girl. Shannon was on her way onto the dancefloor with a grimacing Marc when she stopped. There was something familiar about the girl who was being mauled by a boy.
"Annabelle?"
Shannon's younger twelve-year-old sister appeared from under a Marauder – Jesse Dolan who was thirteen-years-old. The boy was obviously excited as there was a small bulge in his trousers which Shannon noticed had Annabelle's hand resting on it.
"His dick hard enough for you, Annabelle?" Shannon asked.
"I'm sure I'll survive," Annabelle responded wickedly before returning to her kissing.
"She spies on us while we're having sex," Shannon said to Marc.
"You knew, but never stopped her?" Marc asked as they began to dance.
"I liked it."
"Kinky!"
..._...
The dancing kind of degenerated from there as Abby and Marty put on a selection of tracks, some very dubious and obviously from Joshua's collection.
Then came the Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Time Warp. Joshua and Chloe were obviously fans of the movie, and apparently, Becky had watched the movie too, so the three of them led the dance moves which everybody got involved with and there was a lot of laughter:
It's astounding
Time is fleeting
Madness takes its toll
But listen closely...
(Not for very much longer)
I've got to keep control
I remember doing the Time Warp
Drinking those moments when
The blackness would hit me
And the void would be calling
Let's do the Time Warp again
Let's do the Time Warp again
Then the chaos really began:
It's just a jump to the left
And then a step to the right
With your hands on your hips
You bring your knees in tight
But it's the pelvic thrust
That really drives you insane
Naturally, the Predators took things way too far, but that just added to the fun as everybody joined in with the actions. Even Jennifer had pulled her husband, Rodney, into the throng along with their two girls. Rodney was very unsure about the evening's activities and he had been very cautious over the buffet.
"Does this chicken have lemon in it?" he had demanded of the server.
"It's lemon chicken, sir."
"That doesn't answer my question."
"Here, have some of this," Jennifer had suggested, smiling politely at the server and pulling her husband away from the buffet.
..._...
"That was really cool!" Stephanie announced to her friends as they scampered back to their seats.
"I have never heard that song before," Abigail replied. "But, it was awesome!"
"I have," Saoirse commented. "I've seen the entire movie."
"It sounds like the sort of thing a depraved girl like you would watch," Stephanie laughed.
"True," Saoirse admitted with a grin.
"Hey!"
"Hi, Lily – what's up?" Abigail asked.
"I can't find Isaac – I think he's wandered off."
..._...
The five-year-old boy was naturally inquisitive.
Despite his ordeal, he was fully capable of behaving just like any other boy his age. The party was a little boring as it was intended for kids much older than himself. The building was huge – well, most things were huge to a boy not even four feet in height – and to him, it was amazing. He had given up on dancing with Lily and gone looking for something exciting. As such, he started wondering around the edges of the large open space. He grimaced as he squeezed past more than one pair of kids glued together at the mouth – kissing was beyond disgusting as far as he was concerned.
He grabbed some 'supplies' from the buffet as he crawled past and he saw a door which appeared interesting. As he watched, a pair of legs attached to a woman swept out of the door and Isaac scrambled forwards, vanishing through the door just before it clicked shut behind him. As he stood up, he found himself in a short corridor with various doors leading off it. He peered through glass windows into each room – he had to stand on the very tips of his toes, but he managed it – they were boring offices. The door to one was open and the boy pushed it open. Inside, he found a desk in one corner facing into the office. The décor in the room was mainly based around a single colour – purple – although there was a little pink in evidence.
The boy scrambled up into the seat behind the desk. The seat was remarkably comfortable, and the boy swung it from side to side as he looked around the office. Underneath the desk, something caught his eye. He slipped off the chair and sank to his knees. The box was made of metal, a few inches in width, and a bit longer in depth, and it was bolted to the desk. There was a keypad with six digits on the front. The inquisitive boy began to prod the buttons on the box which actually turned out to be a fun game – until the box suddenly popped open before the boy. His amazed face peered into the box for a moment before temptation and curiosity took over. He reached inside with both hands and he brought out several items.
The first was a gun, but the boy had no way of recognising a Glock 23 pistol, nor the two magazines which accompanied the weapon. He did, however, recognise the copper-jacketed bullets in each magazine. He tried to insert one of the magazines into the butt of the gun, but he could not line it up correctly (it was back to front, but he was not to know that). He gave up and placed the gun and magazines on the chair before checking out the remaining item. It was a small card – blue with a small white square in the left bottom corner with many black dots within it. To the right, there was a very recognisable symbol – Fusion. No other markings were visible on the card.
Isaac had seen people using access cards, swiping them against objects and doors opening. Therefore, he walked around the office, randomly swiping the card – nothing happened, so he ventured back out into the corridor and swiped the cards around – again, nothing happened. Then, Isaac hit the jackpot as he swiped the card beside a bare door at the far end of the corridor, a little to the right and out of sight. The door clicked open with a hiss and Isaac grinned as he saw lights snapping on to illuminate a long corridor which sloped downwards. The boy's curiosity overtook any form of hesitance and he stepped through the door which hissed closed of its own accord.
The boy ran down the slope, before stopping at another door – the door was made of metal (actually, reinforced steel, not that the boy would have any idea about that) and a swipe of the card had the door hissing open.
"Wow!" the boy exclaimed as he found himself at the top of a steel staircase which appeared to descend into the very depths of the earth.
..._..
"He's not here," Chloe told Mindy after she had scoured the main floor of D-JAK.
"He has to be – nobody has left, and the front doors have been locked for a while.
"We've just recovered the boy, and now we've lost him!" Mindy growled.
"Where is my brother?" MacKenzie asked with tears in her eyes.
"He cannot have gotten far," Joshua pointed out. "What about the offices?"
"You need an access card," Chloe pointed out.
"He's small enough to slip through, I suppose," Mindy said. "Is your brother curious, MacKenzie?"
"Very."
"Let's go check out the offices – we can also check the CCTV," Mindy directed as she swiped her way into the secure corridor.
Once in her office, she logged onto her laptop and she brought up the CCTV feed.
"There!" Chloe called out as she saw a small shape crawling along behind Stephanie and Tommy who were kissing together on a chair – Stephanie in Tommy's lap.
Mindy simply shook her head as she ignored the youngsters.
"Got him – he passed through into the secure corridor," Chloe said. "Little bugger!"
"Err, Mindy," Joshua said, and Mindy found him and Lily looking down at Mindy's chair.
Mindy followed their eyes down to her chair and she recognised her pistol. She quickly checked the gun-safe bolted underneath her desk and she groaned.
"He has my spare access card," Mindy revealed.
"Access card – to where?"
Everybody turned to see MacKenzie standing at the door.
"Where is my brother?"
"A very good question," Mindy replied.
A distance below and a little to the left
The staircase had kept going on forever – at least, the young boy's imaginative mind had thought so.
His legs were a little tired from the descent, but he had significant stamina – something which his sister always complained about. At the bottom of the steel staircase, a large white number '2' was painted on the wall. The card released a steel door and the boy stepped out into a steel walkway.
"Oh, wow!" the boy exclaimed as he looked up and down into blackness.
Isaac followed the walkway around the edges of the shaft before reaching another steel door set into concrete.
Not too far behind
"It's called Safehouse Zulu and it is – was – a secret," Mindy said as she ran down the steel staircase, closely followed by the group which had somehow grown.
As well as Mindy, the group included Chloe, Joshua, Lily, MacKenzie, and Lara. Mindy's dress flowed as she ran – Joshua thought that Mindy looked very, very desirable as she jumped from level to level. However, Chloe was just as beautiful as she pursued her mentor.
"Awesome!" Lara commented as she followed along at the back of the group.
MacKenzie was not happy when they reached the lift shaft and she hugged the concrete walls as she navigated the steel walkway – heights were not her thing. However, her eyes went wide as they passed through a thick steel door into a well-lit passageway. Mindy placed her palm against a clear section of wall and a screen lit up followed by an auditory prompt: 'Security Authorization Required'. Mindy entered a code into the screen and she was rewarded with another auditory response: 'Security Authorization Accepted'. Mindy pressed several more functions before a warning screen flashed up and A loud beeping sound came from the screen along with a blue animated warning: 'INTRUDER ALERT'. That was closely followed by another distinctly familiar auditory warning: 'Intruder Alert on Level 2 . . . Intruder Alert on Level 2'.
"Was that the computer from Star Trek Voyager?" Joshua asked Mindy.
"Maybe. . . the boy came in here and never left the level," Mindy announced, ignoring the smirks coming from Chloe and Joshua.
It did not take long to search the level as only a single door had been activated, and that was the Medical Facility. As Chloe released the door with her palmprint, she pushed open the door and then grinned.
"Found him."
Everybody gathered around the door and Lara chuckled. The boy lay on the treatment bed, fast asleep, Mindy's missing access card held tightly in his left hand.
Back at the party
Nobody had missed the small group who had vanished.
The music kept playing. People kept eating and drinking. The youngsters kept kissing and petting and fondling. Joshua had carried the little boy back up top and laid him down on a couch in the main area. Chloe had covered him in a blanket and MacKenzie had apologised to Mindy so many times, that Mindy had forced a smile and made MacKenzie sit with her brother.
"You have nothing to apologise for, MacKenzie. You love your brother, but it is not your fault he wandered off – he's only five," Mindy said.
"Thanks, Mindy."
On her way to find Dave, Mindy walked past Stephanie and Tommy, still entwined, and with Tommy's left hand firmly gripping Stephanie's left breast – what there was of it.
"Get her pregnant, and I slit your throat," Mindy hissed as she passed by.
Stephanie snapped her head around, her mouth hanging open, and her face glowing red.
"Mum!"
..._...
"All good?" Dave asked.
"Yeah – the little brat found his way down to Zulu. We'll need to improve security a tad."
"Hit Girl's security breached by a five-year-old," Dave chuckled.
"Tell me about it!"
"You fancy a dance, oh beautiful wife?"
"Hell, yeah."
A few moments later, there was a small cheer as Dave and Mindy stepped onto the dancefloor for the first time that night. Many eyes gazed at the stunning young woman as Abby slowly dimmed the lights, leaving just the dancefloor lit, but with a more subdued and romantic atmosphere. However, the track Marty played was not quite what Mindy had expected:
I Gotta Dance,
I Gotta Dance,
I Gotta Dance.
"Yeah, cool!" Anne-Marie announced.
"Sorry," Marty grinned as he absorbed Mindy's glare. "Try this."
I don't want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
And I don't care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas
Is you
Mindy leaned into her husband as they slowly danced together, ignoring Anne-Marie's sour expression – she had wanted Mack Z – as Mariah Carey had rung out. It wasn't all that often that Dave and Mindy were able to spend quality time together. Mindy also enjoyed being able to kiss Dave in public – it embarrassed her, but she wanted everyone to know that Dave was hers.
"Ewww!" Jamie and Danny exclaimed as they watched their parents kissing. "You two are so embarrassing!"
"Bite me!" Mindy hissed at the boys and they ran off laughing.
"Wonderful evening, Mindy," Paige said as she danced with Marcus.
"Perfect," Marcus added before he slyly kissed Paige on the lips.
"Ewww!" Mindy growled.
"Bite me!" Marcus chuckled as he moved away with Paige.
Mindy giggled into Dave's chest as they continued to hold each other tightly. As far as Mindy was concerned she felt like the happiest woman on the planet with everything that she could ever want. She was in the arms of her husband, and she could see all four of her kids a few feet away on the dancefloor. One was draped over a boy, her head resting on Tommy's shoulder with a dreamy expression on her face, but Mindy glossed over that. The other three were dancing together as a group, all smiling and laughing. Everybody was having fun – even Willow and Joel were on the dancefloor and Willow was smiling for the first time in weeks.
Everything was working out perfectly, Mindy decided.