Chapter 46 The missing Children

The tour round the wildlife parks and Zoos had taken longer than Gaby had anticipated. It also took her mind off her forth coming coronation. She was having a chat with Beatrice when trouble arrived in the form of. Lyris and Lily who had returned home from school. At school in the main hall they had been praying for a little girl not much younger than them who had been missing for over 100 days.

Lyris, “Gaby I have her cousin in my class and she is crying a lot.”

Beatrice asked who was crying a lot. Lyris proceeded to tell the story as they had been told at school and how all the children prayed that the little girl was returned safely to her family.

Lily, “Lyris and I have decided the children’s prayers should be answered. We want to take the Hell hounds on a trip to Spain to find the girl.”

Beatrice, “In that case we had better go and get togged up for our ride. I will accompany you and the Valkaries on this ride.”

Rhine was waiting for them at the kennels, “Old and new Valkaries ride this night. For long enough I have been inside and this is the perfect excuse I need to say I am looking after you all.”

All too soon the hell hounds took to the night sky. One pilot coming into land at Lady Anne international saw them but thought he was hallucinating and so did not bother reporting what he saw. There was a police cordon round the area the child had gone missing from. Freya materialised herself into the building and retrieved a piece of clothing previously worn by the missing child.

Beatrice and the others soon found they were on the trail. Their first port of call was a house only a short distance away. There they discovered the missing girls clothing under a loose floorboard. As the two occupiers returned they found themselves trussed up like a turkey ready for a Christmas dinner. Frea sent a text to New Scotland Yard that they had missed vital evidence and two of the culprits awaited their arrival.

When the police eventually arrived the officers started to laugh. They read the note which said we have gone after their colleagues. Just show them your dog and they will sing merrily. As the British officers where reading the note a Spanish officer arrived with a tracker dog. Its hackles went up and it started to snarl at the two men. Both gave an immediate confession on their part in the abduction. You will not get her though she was spirited out through a port to Africa.”

Meanwhile the girls continued on their journey. A filling station near the Spanish boarder with Portugal was their next stop there they found further clues. Again a text was sent to the Officers who set off with sirens blazing. There a waitress remembered a young girl going into the toilet with blond hair here now coming out with Black hair. She told the officers the child was with a man and woman and they were heading for the ferry to Morocco.

Following this lead the officers also made for the port and the Ferry to Morocco. In Morocco Officers were waiting for them as they arrived and said the crew of a sister ship remembered the couple. Beatrice and the Hell Hounds though had traveled on to Tunisia as they travelled over the Atlas Mountains. Near Gaby they noticed a man and woman arguing with an Arab. The Arab pulled a gun on them and shot the man in his arm. Then he drove off at high speed.

Beatrice approached them. The woman, “Thank goodness help.” The woman was obviously American, “We made arrangements through an adoption agency in America to adopt an orphan child. We had already made payments in America and now they want extra because of additional costs. We arrived yesterday and received instructions to come here to collect the child and when we get here no child and they take our money and shot my husband.”

Beatrice again sent New Scotland Yard and Interpol a message. “Hi we have tracked the abductors to Gabes in Tunisia. They had an American couple as prospective parents but there were problems and they have shot the husband in his arm.” With that Beatrice and friends continued. The couple soon found they were surrounded by police. It was obvious to the police the couple had obviously been nothing more than irresponsible fools.

The Police officer was interested in who had called for help. The woman said, “Oh it was only a teenage girl with the biggest dog you ever saw.”
He pulled some photos out of his pocket at first the woman said “No then she said, “Like her but younger.”

“Thank you now at least we know who is helping us track the kidnappers. You might not realise it but you are going to help us break up a group specialising in abduction and then adopting the children with false identities.”

Meanwhile Lyris and the others where now over the ruins of the once great city of Carthage. Rhine, “Girls these men they are armed and dangerous although they are not a match for Valkaries.”

Beatrice, “Rhine time I opened a portal and went in that way.” Inside the building Beatrice found several children. Looking around she asked for Sandy and a little girl came to her.”

“I was told by my cousin she had asked for help and it was on its way. Are you one of the Angels I was told would come?”

Beatrice laughed, “I hunt down people who take little girls away from their mummies and daddies. They will all regret what they have done. Now though I have to get you and the others to a place of Safety. Now can you all please come through this door? The door opened directly to New Scotland Yard.

Beatrice, “I believe all these are on a missing person list.” With that she vanished.

When the officers asked the children who had brought them they all replied “The angel took us away from those men.”

The officers in Morocco got a message to return home. They brought with them the two Americans.

Meanwhile in Tunisia the Arab kidnapping gang where to get rather a shock. Two of the Arabs entered bringing food and drink for the children. As they entered the room the door slammed behind them. They looked around but could not see the children. What they did see was a very angry Valkerie called Rhine. One tried to get to the door but it had slammed shut. The second tried to go for his gun. He soon found out that was a mistake as a sword sliced it out of his hand.

Rhine spoke, “Now I have your attention I want to know what you intended doing with the children. Now we can do this the easy way or I can reduce you both piece by piece. You can both strip off completely. You there rip his shirt to bandage his hand. So far you both will live but you might need a bit of help to remember what I want to know.”

Rhine throws a rope across a beam. “You with the uninjured hand tie your colleague’s hands tight with this. The man did as he was told. Now you stand on this chair. Rhine tightens the rope so the man was stood on tiptoe on the chair. “I suppose I better do the same with you. Then I can start slicing pieces off you both bits by bit.” The second Arab was not sure how it happened but he was in the same predicament as his colleague.

One of the Arabs starts praying to Allah to save him. Rhine says, “That will do you no good guess who sent me to play with you. Now you both seem to have nasty growths between your legs. I will be considerate and start with them. Rhine brought the sword. Both men started to scream.

Rhine, “Nobody can hear you here as your friends sound proofed this place. Let’s see so far we have Two English men. Two Americans and you two. Now guess who is going to be the fall guys. Now my sisters should be giving your friends similar treatment. Now I wonder which of you will break first.

Back in London the police were wondering how the children had got there. Sandy said, “I have already told the policeman my cousin from Skipton in Yorkshire spoke to the angels and they released us.” The detective brought out some photos.

All the children said, “The angel had wings and was younger. That lady is too old. The detective scanned the photo in and then made it younger. Almost she had wings. Eventually all the children agreed on the wings. Lily was monitoring the police. The parents eventually were allowed to collect their children.

Gaby and Maddy giggled, “He is going to be very annoyed when he discovers I was in the company of the Yorkshire Chief Constable sorting out the coronation details.
Beatrice, Mother did you get that “We will have the remaining abductors to deal with. The two Rhine got hold of both sang with very little persuasion. The Tunisian government was very embarrassed. They arranged the transfer of their two nationals to the United Kingdom for their trial.

Meanwhile in America a joint CIA-FBI operation swooped on various addresses. In a couple of the sites they had a gun battle that resulted on the deaths of six of the gangsters. From the information gleaned from these raids further raids where organised.

In one of the raids the police discovered just who was involved in the issuing of false adoption papers. They realised that many people had been duped into giving homes to the kidnapped children. During the search the police discovered the fate of an English boy who went missing in Crete many years ago. They then realised that unless something was done there would be many custody battles over the children between the adoptive parents and the legal parents.

From what the experts gleaned from the computer the firm started out as a legal adoption agency. When they could not get enough children to fulfil all their orders they set up the kidnap arm of the company.

Back in England Sandy had been taken by her relieved parents to her cousin’s house in Yorkshire. There the little girls play quite happily.

The cousin said, “We have a welcome home party for you at my school. My friends have planned it all “Sandies parents were apprehensive about this party.

The cousin, “It is at my school which is just across the road so it is not far away.”

Sandies parents looked at each other and then the father said, “I suppose she will have to get used to mixing again with other children.”

They walked the 150 yards across the A65 to the primary school hall. Karta spoke, “It is mainly girls at my school and they have all being praying for your safe return.”

Sandy noticed Star and ran across to her. “You talked to me in my dreams and told me the Angel would come and save me. Then Sandy spotted Lyris, “You are friends with my cousin Karta. Mum this is Starr and Lyris friends of my cousin. Can I play with them?” The mother nodded her head.

Beatrice noticed the mother was on edge all the time and went across and spoke. “She is quite safe here. We all do things at times that we think will be ok. Take Ria over there she fell out with her parents and then she was informed they had died in Italy. She went across to bring their body’s home and was nearly killed herself.

“Italy you say. Did by any chance they visit Verona?”

Beatrice signalled Ria over. “This lady wants to know if you visited Verona.”

“Verona do not mention that place again to me. All I did was ask about my parents and where they were buried. The next instance they chased me to the Mayors house. It was locked shut against the town’s people. I was led along a tunnel to safety and warned not to return. A short while later the Mayor’s house was blown up. I returned home to discover my little sister had been adopted. I now live with those who adopted my sister.”

The locals when they saw me panicked and said “Desire again walks the streets of Verona.” I had no idea what they were going on about.”

Evita looked at Elvera and then said, “We were both born near there but moved away. Desire was a person who lived long ago. Some of the villagers consider her a witch. For centuries they have hunted down any they consider related to Desire. Show us your hands. No wonder they went after you and your parents. That is not the sign of Desire but it is similar.”

Ria giggled, “It is only since returning I discovered why they were scared. I have to go to a special school for those who bear this sign or similar.”

The two females looked at each other and then Evita spoke, Sandy and her cousin might one day bear a sign. It usually appears once a child reaches their teens. We do not carry it but our children might. We moved away from that area because we feared what might happen to us. Had we inherited the powers of Desire then the kidnappers would not have taken the child.

Beatrice, “I and others here know that last part was incorrect you both inherited skills from Desire although you may not know how to use them correctly. You two though have learned to communicate with each other without speaking.”

“Elvera you are currently thinking oh god how does she know. You Evita are thinking of Verona and what you witnessed there. You where thinking why has Desire not come to help her. Help did eventually come and those imprisoned freed”

“You are reading our minds.”

Beatrice, “Actually you both are broadcasting to all in this room. It is also why you both will have to go to a special school to learn how to shield your thoughts. Just here though is not the place to discuss what you must do.”

Sandy came running back, “Mummy, Mummy, Mummy my new friends have been telling me I will have to go to school with them in future. They say you are going to move into the house next door to Katra.” Sandy went back to play with her friends.

“But then that also means if we have inherited skills from Desire then we can also pass on the curse.”

Beatrice, “Rather than worry perhaps you should come round after this party with your family and you all can be checked out.” The party went on for three hours and then the children and adults left. “Now if you care to follow me we will go and get you checked out.”

Sandy clutched hold of Beatrice hand, “Are you not going to do this with your hand like the last time and open the door?” As Sandy made the sign a doorway appeared.

Beatrice, “There is no need as you have already opened it.”

They entered what seemed to be like a court room. Sandy ran to a female who was sat down and climed on her knee.

Gaby, “Greetings decedents of Desire. First the doctor here needs to take swabs from your mouth and also she needs a little bit of blood. The amount of blood needed is miniscule.”

The doctor left the room and then returned a short time later. They are not descended from Desire. They do though have genes similar to Oral. Their line appears to have been diluted or there is something stopping their changes.”

Mercury, “Oral obtained quite a few mitral bands off me. If I am allowed I will check the children first. On Sandy four where found the same with Katra and the remaining children. Apparently it has not inhibited your telepathically ability. Now you took these as your husbands and their DNA has been slowly changing. Once I remove the bands off you two your husbands will change fast... It might be better if the children stay here tonight and each couple go home and I will release the bands during the night.”

The following morning both Elvira and Evita awoke to find they were in bed with a twin sister. Their husbands said, “You were warned we would change rapidly. Elvira went for a soak in the bath and then started to scream. Her partner went to see what the problem was. He started to laugh at least I know why our babies liked the water. I married a mermaid.

Neptune called for Oral. “What is this I hear about I have more grandchildren. It is time I was presented with them as all mermaids should be presented to me. I also might just send Verona a little gift from me as a reminder of what could happen if they again harm my children. As Neptune spoke the remains of the Mayors house and garden vanished and in their place was a lake.

Gaby, “Neptune that was done nicely although I thought you might have gone after the kidnappers.”

“Oh that bit was not told to me so please enlighten me.”

Gaby proceeded to inform Neptune what had transpired. He started to laugh. “I would not want to contend with an angry Rhine. Only Draco would be daft enough to tackle her she is angry.”

Gaby, “Fighting Justice was how they created the Golden Pixies. Now Justice is Grandma to all the pixies.”

Rhine popped her head in. Neptune will you give me a hug for doing your work for you?”

Neptune without a second thought gave Rhine a hug. He then noticed his wives all laughing. “What is wrong I was thanking Rhine for saving my grandchildren?”

Pegi shook her head, “It is a wonder you have not caused more pregnancies than you have. Rhine will by now be pregnant and by her smile she knows it.”

Gaby, “Neptune you do realise I will be getting lots more Mermaid-Valkaries. Fighting Mermaids is all I needed.”

Pegi clipped a bracelet on to Rhine. “Like us you are one of his companions and come under his protection although I doubt you need it.”

Rhine grabbed hold of Neptune. “Not so fast Neptune as Pegi has made me one of your Legal companions you have a lot of making up to do.” The two of them plunge into the water.

Draco was laughing, “She might have fought me but she only had eyes for Neptune and now they are one.” He looked at Pegi and her sisters rounded bellies. “She will soon be in the same state as you all are.”