Part 21: Sisters of Green, Red and Yellow

The jet had just touched tarmac and as its body jostled my insides felt uneasy. Festus has brought me my favorite Italian messenger Bag. In it was my passport. My name would be Stephanie Pembroke. I first refused and asked for my real passport, but he assured me that this was how I must travel to the Rogue Islands. My father, uncle, and grandfather all traveled there under assumed names. There were a lot of people on those Islands that would love nothing more than kidnapping a billionaire industrialist. Also in the bag were several $10,000 rolls; it seems that American currency greases the wheels rather well in the Islands. He had already called ahead and arranged the families regular driver/security in Cap au Diable. He was a personal friend of Festus' and someone I could trust. He implored I listened to the drivers instructions and paid whoever needed paid the rest I leave for him. I asked Festus why he arranged so much for me since he didn't even know why I was going. He stated it didn't matter but if I wanted to be safe and return to Paragon City that I needed to take these precautions. Festus isn't just the family butler, he's also a "specialist": versed in organization, planning and security. He arranges all official travel, security details, pretty much anything the family doesn't want to do. Since its just me now he attends the monthly board meetings and reports back to me so I only have to go to the big yearly meeting. I hate those meetings. So did Daddy.

I wasn't surprised when the in-flight phone rang and it was Smitty. Festus called as soon as the jet left Paragon City airspace. I had asked (well told) him not to call Smitty and him letting me get on the plane first showed his loyalty to me (letting me get on) and to my father (calling the man who took his place). And I didn't mind, in fact I laughed when Smitty said hello, even if he sounded a bit displeased. I tried apologizing for the expense of the trip and he told me it was my money and I can do whatever I like with it. Except get myself killed.

After a few minutes of how my father entrusted him with my health and how next to Tess he loved me more than any other person on Earth, he told me," No matter what you do, do not use your powers. You are traveling as a civilian who works for a construction conglomerate. If they know you are a hero from Paragon they will jail you or kill you. The Arachnos usually have Fortunatas in most groups you encounter. They are powerful psychics, use your concentration exercises to block out your powers and your intentions on the islands. Can you do that?"

"Yes, of course."

"Good just come back in one piece." and he hung up.

I waited in the G-4 for my driver Mr. Wolfe. He was a large man with a scarred face and a noticeable limp. He's been through it all but it was obvious that he was more than competent.

"Ms. Cambridge, its a pleasure. From this point on I will refer to you as your alias for this trip. Miss. Pembroke correct?" I nodded "Now the Arachnos Visitors Liaison is outside, Arbiter Freeman, I will hand him $20,000 and he won't even look at you funny. But if asked by anyone you represent a northeastern construction group looking into steel from the islands. Got it?" I nodded again. "Let's go." he winked and he grabbed my arm with his beefy hand. I would be safe with him, I could tell.

We got past the Visitors Liaison easily, though I did notice the Fortunata playing around in my brain. She was no match for Mother Mental's techniques. Her hard training has always paid me well. When we got to the limo he scanned for bugs and once clear he asked me what I needed in the Islands and motioned to a pad of paper to write just to be safe. I had indicated that I wanted to find Dr. dier Schepper that he worked out of a secret Longbow lab and that I thought it was in the Nerva Archipelago. He made a few stops at some local taverns each time carrying one of the $10,000 rolls. After a few hours of traveling around to a few of the other islands by ferry we were on our way to the location.

"This is a hard man to find, ma'am. But with the right price you can buy anything here." he laughed. "We'll be in Nerva in twenty minutes the location in 35. Do I need to go in armed or anything?"

"No, Mr. Wolf that won't be necessary, he's just an old man. The meeting is informative not confrontational anyway. You should be able to stay in the car and relax. You've worked hard today." I smiled.

Once in Nerva we parked the limo and boarded an old house boat and sailed for about 5 minutes to a remote island with a single wooden shack and two trees. A lab. Here?

I left him on the boat and approached the shack a little nervous. What exactly was I going to do when I found the old man. Is he guarded. Will he even talk to me? Will they shoot me?

The door was padlocked. Great! Now what?

"Scuse me ma'am." the large man had sidled up to me completely undetected. In his large hands were a pair of bolt cutters and before I could say thank you he'd ripped the lock from the shack's door.

"Sure you don't want me to come?"

"No Mr. Wolfe. I don't want there to be any misunderstandings. And I afraid your presence may come off.......um....Intimidating."

He nodded. "I'll be on the boat. Any trouble just yell." I smiled back and went inside. The shack was merely a facade. Inside the shack was a stairwell down. This must have been an escape exit. The stairs and the very long tunnel that followed aimed right toward the Longbow base on the next island over.

After a quarter mile of walking I came to a lab door. A very heavy locked door. What now? I started to rapidly bang on the door. "Anyone there? Anyone? I lost my keycard and I can't access. Anyone?"

Within seconds I heard the electric bolt open on the door and was face to face with the very man I came to find. He looked startled and tried to shut the door but I had beaten him and was already half in the door.

"Doctor please don't. I just have some questions for your. Please, it won't be a minute."

He ran as best his old legs could take him towards a cluttered desk. He grabbed a file, my file, from his desk and shook it at me. "I looked at it again young lady. I looked at it again....."

"You said you knew me. Did you do something to me? Just please tell me."

"I was mistaken, you merely looked familiar."

"But do you know what happened to me?" I said right before a rifle butt hit me in my back knocking me to the ground. He'd tripped an alarm; the crafty old man. The wind was knocked from me as I was greeted by six longbow officers who didn't look too happy I'd made it into their lab.

"You are under arrest for trespassing. I recommend you cooperate, Miranda rights don't mean much here. Not much does honestly"

"But please I just wanted to ask the doctor a few questions..."

"Tell that to Warden Nelson." he said as he grabbed my arm and placed it behind my back. I could hear the handcuffs jingle behind me as the door I'd entered flew from its hinges and hit my captor in the head. Flames filled the doorway as a pulsing jet black orb landed at our feet exploding into a pool of negative energy. Suddenly my head was spinning feeling completely disoriented and nauseated. I turned and saw the other people in the room were also reeling around unaware of what was happening. Then as my head cleared I heard a voice.

"Sister, secure them!" I turned towards the door and saw the outline of three women and felt something tighten around my feet. Suddenly I couldn't move my arms. I turned my head and saw the Longbow covered in heavy vines creeping from the floor. I felt the vines tighten on me. I looked forward and saw my captors.

Three women stood just inside the doorway each dressed in the same mini dress (each a different color) , fishnets, combat boots, and identical red marking on the right sides of their faces. The one to my left (the one that seemed to be controlling the vines) was reed thin and tall; she wore a yellow dress. The one to my right was covered in flames and smoke was Amazonian in stature (she's obviously broken the door in); she wore red. The one in the middle seemed to be the one giving orders. She was slighter of build but carried herself like a battlefield general. She wore green.

"We mean you no harm. But if you try to make a move toward us, we will kill you. This can be over quickly or painfully. Your choice. I'd choose wisely though; we are threat level 50. And if you think of calling in reinforcements, trust me so can we. We just want the scientist and we'll be on our way." she looked over at Red. "Singe get the Doctor."

The flames disappeared on Red and she picked up the doctor (still unconscious) ripping the vines from their fresh roots on the floor. She carried him to the door. Green looked at the Dr. dier Schepper and grabbed half a handful of hair and vine. She looked into his still dazed eyes, "Hello, father. Your little girls have come for you. Sister's let's go!" As they walked out the door Green turned to us again and lobbed another ball of negative energy into the room. Everything went black. Just before I blacked out I thought "Mr. Wolfe, what happened to......."