Over the next week we came up with a plan. We were going to strike back at the Tangents so they would back off a little. The Tangents were pushing their lines outward and leaving there home area venerable to strike. Grandmother, Carol, Dan and I worked all night coming up with the plan. It was simple one of my safe houses was now behind enemy lines so we use that to slip in and hit them hard where they live! We will hit them in three spots at once. They wont know where to look for us! The strike is just a diversion to keep them looking away while Sera slips a few spy bugs into there HQ. We hit and pull out. We will only use three people for the strike, volunteers only. This will be a hard one to pull off. I thought long and hard how to get them in and out safely. In was easy, the safe house, out not so easy. They would be looking for portals going out after the attack so we don't use that. The Strike team will just fade into the woodwork and not come back to Wind Haven. This is something the Tangents will not expect. I hate the idea of sending three people on a one way strike but it needs to be done.

The preparations did not take long. We had our three volunteers ready to disappear into the night just after they strike at there targets. Grandmother and Sera rigged magic decoys to place at the strike sights to confuse the hunters. The decoys would mimic large portals making the Tangents think they were being invaded. That should make them come running. A magic bomb will go off when more than 10 people came in the target area changing all the peoples gender for 24 hours. That should confuse them to the point of distraction. Meanwhile our people will be making their getaway. Since all of our agents are trained to vanish into city streets I have no worries about them getting away.

Sera (short for Serenity) was in a tizzy getting the decoys and bombs ready. She had the spy bugs set to go through micro portals in the Tangent HQ when the strike happens. The Tangents should not notice the micro portals with all the magic from the decoys in the area. That will give us a leg up on knowing what they are doing so we can plan ahead. Well I guess it is fitting we 'Bug' them for once they have Bugged us with their tactics long enough. The gender bomb was Grandmothers idea. It is totally non-lethal but funny at the same time. I did not want to kill a whole lot of people so this works.

At 11 pm I opened the portal to the safe house. We sent the three through and I sent a shatter spell after they had passed through. That house was now burned so I would never use it again. That only left me with one safe house in the city to bolt to if I have to. I will have to go into the city by a back way and set up more safe houses if I can. The strike was set for midnight.

I was having trouble with this strike. My trouble was simple, I was not going on the strike. I have never been very good at sitting and waiting for others to do what I believe was my job. This is why I never took jobs that would put me in that position. Of course I was stuck in just such a job now and I did not like it! I am the Countess now that means delegating jobs out sometimes. Why did Grandmother give me that title? By rights it should be her giving orders here but she defers to me now why? I am not suited to being a leader just a agent out there living on the edge. Why did I let world push me into a place where I can't be me? I guess it is time to grow up and take the world by the horns. I am the Countess now so I should start acting like it!

I looked at my watch 11:30 pm half hour to go. I went to find Dan, neither of us have any thing to do at this point so we should spend it together. The trouble is we wont even know if the strikes are successful till tomorrow at least. Damn I hate waiting like this. Where is that old bear Dan? I found him in the room at the top of the old tower. He was looking out at the stars. I could feel his restlessness but he did not move just stared. I think he was feeling the same way I was not being in the thick of things. Since he came here he had pretty much been sidelined. For a man of action that would be hard to take. I slid up to him thinking of a way we both could take our minds off this whole thing. It had been quite awhile since I had held anyone in my arms. I placed my hand on his arm and he slowly turned to me. From that things proceeded nicely to dancing with no music to just starting the kissing stage when Lily came in. Dang it!

She smiled "Sorry to interrupt Grand Aunt Eve sent me to find you two. Results from the strike are in." I hated to be interrupted and this was the second time she had stopped my play! She was smiling so big I wanted to smack the grin right off her. Oh well she is just a kid so I will forgive her this time.

I sighed "All right we will be right there." I looked at Dan "We will pick this up later big boy." I took his hand and led the way to the meeting hall. Lily skipped ahead. It did not take long to get there and when we did everyone was waiting on us. "All right we are here lets hear it."

Grandmother grinded "Sera was able to get three spy bugs into their HQ as we planed. The real party was at the strike sites! They went for the decoys like candy they sent 45 troops to each from the HQ instead of the front lines like we thought they would. The HQ was nearly empty so Sera had an easy time getting the bugs into place. The Bombs went off when all of the troops moved in. The troops were all male till the bomb went off. The more male they were the more female they became and these were all macho guys! It distracted them to say the least. The spy bug at each site showed us the whole thing." Grandmother nodded and Sera projected a image up on the wall. It was total panic and mayhem. The bombs did their jobs and then some. As more and more images were shown the breakdown of all order was easy to see.

Sera was looking at her laptop "I think you should see this" She changed the image to one inside there base. In a cell was five women ranging in age from 12ish to 50ish nearby the cell was a mirror. I used the image to lock onto that mirror with a seeker spell. Sera handed me one of her bugs "This will open any normal lock."

I smiled "Thanks" Before I could open the portal Dan was at my side checking his gun ready to go with me. I smiled more and opened the portal. Stepping through I rushed to the cell and placed the bug on the lock. There was a loud click then I used a unlock spell to finish off the lock. "Quickly before the mayhem wears off." They followed me to the mirror and I sent them through. "Dan lets go!" he rushed over and we passed through the portal. As I closed the portal I sent a shatter spell. A Rescue right from under there noses, I love it!

Grandmother looked at the five women and asked "Who are you and why were you in that cell?"

The eldest said "I am Eleanor Rain. My daughters Elli and Eve as well as their daughters Emily and Erica. We are the head family of a mage clan. They killed our husbands and imprisoned us to control the clan. They drained our magic till we were too weak to escape on our own." She turned to me "Thank you for freeing us we owe you a great deal. How can we repay you?"

I smiled "It is simple, Take back you clan from the Tangents! If you can not do that take your clan away from the city." I leaned into Dan. I was flush with the success and feeling good. Dan put his hands around my waist an held me softly.

Eleanor smiled "We will do that. The Tangents are our enemy we will do anything to put them out of this city for good. We will go underground and strike at them as we can. We have many families that are part of our clan so they will know when we hit them!" She shook her head "Killing our men was a mistake on their part! We will call in favors from all the clans in the city. When we go to war they will find we don't hold back!"

I sighed "This is a dangerous time. We will do what we can to help but we are too few to hurt them outright. We will transport you to the place you ask for as soon as you have recovered a bit. Lily will show you to some guest rooms. Rest and recover you are safe here. We will talk later." I smiled and waved Lily to show them the way. I turned to Sera "Do they know about the escape?"

She shook her head "They are having too much trouble keeping control of what's going on at the strike sites! Their command structure is falling apart. Their leader was at site 2 when the bomb went off. He freaked when he was turned into a woman. He killed himself and half the troops in that room! Others have also freaked so not many of the top of their group are left. there is a power struggle going on right now. No one is in charge over there!" She chuckled "They are having computer problems as well as communications problems. My bugs can do more than watch. Their group is falling apart."

I smiled "Now would be the time to push them over the edge. Right now I just don't know how. Any thoughts?" I looked at Grandmother.

Grandmother smiled "Time to put our hidden troops into play. I will send out the order." She walked away. OK I did not know we had hidden troops? Hopefully this will put the Tangents down for good in this city.

Dan pulled me closer "We need to get some sleep. Sera will you let us know if anything else happens?" Sera nodded without taking her eyes off of her laptop. Carol took charge and Dan guided me out of the room. He led me to my room and he came in with me. We were about to finish what we started in the tower when the door opened and Grandmother entered. What is this did everyone not want Dan and I to get together?

I frowned "Yes Grandmother what do you need?" I don't know how I sounded so calm inside I was seething.

She smiled "Sorry to interrupt but we have work to do if we are going to take out the Tangents in this city. Sera has found the front runner for the new leader. I want you two to take him! We need to move he wont be alone for long!"

I sighed "How we getting in and out?" I was giving in to fate for now. Dan and I were still in our work clothes so that was no problem. Time to go to work.

Grandmother said "One of our troops have set up two mirrors, one to get you in one to get you out. The house the leader is in is right between them. Should be a simple run if all goes well." I sighed again those are the ones that go wrong most of the time.

We went to the mirror room. All was in readiness so off we went. We came out in a cul-de-sac the house right in front of us is the one we want. The mirror behind us shattered silently. Well only way to go is forward. I slipped from shadow to shadow Dan right behind me. I hope he liked the view from back there. No time for that keep focused. I tried the back door and found it open. We slipped in and to the back bedroom where our target should be sleeping. From the sounds coming from that room he was not sleeping! I peaked in the room and found our target alone and doing things to a blow-up sex doll that was wearing a strap on. I wish I had not looked but we needed to get the job done. I burst into the room and hit the target knocking him out. I turned off the video camera and pocked the tape. Dan through a robe over the nightgown the target was wearing. We dragged the target out of the back door and to the second mirror. I pushed him through the target through the portal I opened and Dan passed through. I was about to pass through when the mirror cracked closing the portal. Damn it I needed another mirror fast! The sun was coming up and I was lost in suburbia!