by Celine Yorke
"Can I get my men over here and set up a connection to your phone?"
"Yes of course you can." He would do anything to help find Serena.
Four men arrived an hour later to set up the equipment to connect to Tom's phone. Franco contacted Victor, the commander of the SIS headquarters in South America. "I just want to let you in on what's going on over here. The crocks kidnapped Tom's girlfriend. They want Carlos Fontana freed from jail in exchange for letting her go," Franco confirmed.
"Fucking bastards. Is there no end to what they'll do?" Victor said. Franco let Victor in on what had been going on and why they might want to take revenge by kidnapping Serena.
"It sounds right. Do you have any plans yet on what to do about the situation?" Victor asked.
"Maxi and his team are helping, but we are waiting for further contact from the kidnappers," Franco told him.
"We will question Carlos Fontana and see what we can find out down here. I'll keep in contact; let me know if there is anything we can do to help." Victor hung up.
"I promised to call Jock Lassalle when Serena came home from work," Tom said. He paused to pick up the phone and dialed with shaking hands. "Hello, Jock, I've got some bad news. Serena has been kidnapped," Tom said.
"Oh no, you are kidding?" Jock said
"I wish I was, but I'm not. We found out where she is being held prisoner, and I have got the police involved now, so hopefully we will get her out soon."
"That's terrible. Has that got anything to do with the same crooks who gave you a hard time down in South America?" Jock asked.
"Yes, I'm afraid Carlos Fontana is behind it all. He is probably hoping to get out of jail or wanting revenge," Tom said.
"Please let me know if I can help in any way at all."
"Thank you, I will keep you informed," Tom said, hanging up.
Tom called Philippe and told him about the situation. He came right over to support Tom. The doorbell rang, and one of the team let Philippe in.
"Oh, Tom that is a terrible! Poor Serena, she must be so frightened," Philippe said.
"Yes, I'm so worried about her. She has no idea of how to defend herself," Tom said.
"I wish Chan was here. He would soon tune in on where they're keeping her," Philippe said.
Serena woke up lying on a bed, with a hood over her head, and her hands tied behind her back and her feet tied together. She had no idea where she was. Her head ached, and she was frightened. She started to scream for help; someone came into the room. They helped her of the bed to sit on a chair, and pulled the hood off her head. Serena wished they had kept the hood on. When she saw the two bull-faced thugs, she got so scared she started to shake all over. "Why am I here? What do you want with me?" Serena said in a shaky voice.
"We want Carlos Fontana released from prison," one of the men said.
"But what has that got to do with me?" Serena said.
"Tom helped put him in prison," the man said.
"Well, his daughter kidnapped Tom and kept him as a prisoner out in the jungle because he didn't want to flirt with her," Serena shot back.
"We have orders from Carlos Fontana to keep you here until he is released from prison," the uglier of the two men said.
Serena started to kick and screamed, trying to wriggle out of the rope, but one of the men punched her in the head so she lost consciousness.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Everything was peaceful in the den at the Golden Valley. Chan sat up on the dais next to Gonzo, contemplating. Romina was teaching little Thomas to walk on his two feet, but he seemed to prefer to crawl on all fours.
Romina laughed and kept encouraging him to walk. He took a few steps, and then stood there on his two legs trying to keep his balance. He was a happy little fellow, and laughed and clapped his hands when he took a few more steps. "Good boy, Thomas," Romina said. He had thick black hair just like his parents, and brown eyes, a handsome little boy. He was everybody's favorite. They sometimes gave him a ride on the back of one of the jaguars; he loved that, but they were all very protective of him.
"I sense trouble around Tom again. He seems unhappy. I get visions of a young woman with blond hair. She is tied up and being held prisoner in an old farm house," Chan said to Gonzo suddenly.
"I know; I get images of them too. I think it's his girlfriend who is in trouble. Tom and Philippe has been helping the police catch some crooks, and now they are taking revenge on Tom. How can we help?"
"The farmhouse is out of town somewhere. It's hard to find if you don't know where to look. Tom and Philippe might find it if they pay attention and do their meditation. But that is going to be too hard for Tom, because he is too worried."
"Do you want to go over and help Tom find her?" Gonzo said.
"Yes, do you think I should?"
"We have plenty of money for the flight, so that is no problem. You can take some of the warriors with you to help you get safely through the jungle. If you are all in your jaguar forms, then it shouldn't take you long," Gonzo said.
"I should go and help them. I better talk to Romina first and hear how she feels," he said with a faraway look in his eyes.
He crawled down from the dais and trotted over to her. Thomas, excited to see his dad, clapped his hands and sang out "Dadada!"
Chan picked him up and swung him around. Thomas was thrilled, and laughed.
"Romina, Gonzo and I both had visions that Tom is in trouble. His girlfriend has been kidnapped and is being held prisoner in an old farmhouse. What do you think, should I go over there and help them find her?"
"Oh, poor Tom, you must go and help him. I know you will be safe and come back soon again. I'll be here waiting for you."
"Are you sure you won't mind?" He looked worriedly at her.
"I'll miss you, but you must help Tom or they might kill his girlfriend," Romina assured him.
Chan held a meeting with everyone in the den and told them about Tom's situation. "I need a few of you to come with me so I can make it safely through the jungle. Would any of you like to volunteer to come with me?"
Six jaguars volunteered to come with him. The next morning, they got ready to leave. He packed a canvas bag with a set of clothes for him to wear when he changed back into his human form, and his knife. They strapped the bag around him. Gonzo had given him plenty of money for the trip, so there would be no problem getting a flight to Paris.
Chan came to the edge of the jungle, changed into his human form, and put on the clothes he brought with him. He said goodbye to his friends and thanked them for their help. "I'll be back again soon," he said.
Chan walked a few kilometers up the road until he came to a bus stop. It didn't take long before a bus pulled up and he hopped on. The bus took him into town, where he caught a taxi out to the airport. He went up to one of the many counters and found out about the schedule of the planes connected to Paris. It would mean waiting a few places. He relaxed in the lounge chairs and made himself comfortable in the different airports while he waited for the next flight.
Chan had never been in Paris before, when he finally landed, he was surprised to see all the light everywhere. When Philippe and Candela left, they had given him a mobile phone with Philippe's number in it. He pulled it out and dialed their number. There was no connection, apparently the battery was flat. He found a public phone and made the call from there.
"Hello Candela, this is Chan."
"Chan! Oh my God, where are you?"
"I have just arrived in Paris, I'm here to help find Tom's girlfriend."
"Stay right where you are; we will come and get you. Wait inside the main entrance and we won't be long," Candela said. They arrived at the airport half an hour later and found Chan waiting for them.
"Hello, my friend, what a wonderful surprise to see you here!" They both gave him a big hug.
"We need you here to help us find Serena; she has been kidnapped," Candela told him.
"Nice to see you guys again. I hope I can be of some help." Ch
an said.
"We will take you straight to Tom's house. He doesn't know you are here," Philippe said. They drove to Tom's place and rang the doorbell. Tom opened the door, looking serious.
"We have a surprise for you." Philippe said as Chan came out from behind him.
"CHAN! I can't believe my eyes! How did you get here? Did you know we were in trouble?" Tom said, overjoyed, and wiped his tearful eyes.
"Yeah, I tuned in on your problems. Let's put our heads together and find out where she is held prisoner."
They started to make plans, and Chan told them of his visions.
"I keep getting an old farmhouse somewhere out of town, with lots of trees around the house. It is surrounded by a large area where I think they grow grapevines. I get a vision of lots of rows of neatly planted bushes. An old scruffy run-down farmhouse is in the back of this vineyard. No one is living in the house; it is well hidden in between the trees."
"Maybe it is out where they are building the new mansion. It is surrounded by lots of vineyards. The crooks involved with Carlos Fontana hang out around that area," Tom said.
"We better act as soon as possible. Can we drive out there and take a look?" Chan suggested.
"Yes, let's all hop in the car. I'll take you out there right away to check it out," Philippe offered.
Franco and one of the phone technicians stayed back at the house to answer any incoming phone calls.
They parked a distance from the property and worked their way up between the rows of grapevines. Chan and Philippe left their cloth with Tom and Candela. They shifted to their jaguar forms and ran in long strides ahead. Chan ran in front; he seemed to sense where he needed to go. After some time, they spotted a group of trees and trotted over there, but then stopped. They didn't see any buildings. They shifted and waited for Tom and Candela to catch up.
"I don't see any old farmhouse here, but I get a strong sense that we're on the right track," Chan said in a low voice. "We will have to go further on. I feel it's here somewhere." They looked around and could only see lots of rows of grapevines growing everywhere. Tom's hopes sank. When he saw Chan, he was sure he would be able to find her, and lead them to where the kidnappers kept her. They all went back to the car and decided to drive a little further up to the road. They drove along large fields with rows and rows of grapevine bushes, but there were no trees.
"Let's drive up this little track here on the left and see what we can find," Chan suggested.
Philippe turned up a little bumpy dirt road. A good ways up the road, they saw a cluster of trees surrounded by bushes. They stopped the car near the trees as they glimpsed an old, run-down farmhouse between the trees. Philippe and Chan jumped out of the car shifted into their jaguar forms, sprinting towards the trees. When they reached the trees, they had to be very careful now, so they shifted and quietly made their way towards the house. A couple of guards walked around outside the house.
"This is the place," Chan whispered to Philippe. "Wait here, and I will sneak around the back and try to get a look in through the windows." He got safely to the window and saw several men sitting playing cards and drinking. He went to another window and saw a young woman with long blond hair laying on the bed, with her hands and legs tied up. He went back to Philippe and told him what he had seen.
"We need backup. There are too many of them. We have to go back and let Franco know so he can arrange help," Chan said.
"Yes, we better do that. They'll come as soon as we tell them we found her. Great work, Chan, what would we do without you?" Philippe said.
CHAPTER TWELVE
"Hello Franco, Tom here. We found out where they're keeping Serena. We need back up. So you think you could arrange that for us?"
"Hi Tom, good work. Give me the details and I will contact Maxi. Keep your phone close to you in case I need to contact you," Franco said.
"Okay, I will. Let me know when you are ready to come out here," Tom said.
Franco got busy on the phone and explained the situation to Maxi. "Good. We should have her out of there in no time. I'll get on the phone to the police right away."
It was early morning, a little before dawn, when they all arrived. All the cars were parked some distance away from the old farmhouse. Chan explained the set up inside the farmhouse to Franco and Maxi. A big black van with several police men parked further down the road. More police cars arrived on the scene. The police surrounded the whole place outside the trees.
Chan told them it is too dangerous to move in on them just like that. They might use Serena as a hostage and endanger her life.
"So how do you suggest we handle the situation?" Tom said.
"It's an old farmhouse; there's bound to be some loose tiles in the roof I can get in through and get to the room Serena is in. Everybody is asleep now, so it should be easy to sneak in. I can untie her and get her out through the window," Chan said.
"Let us talk to Maxi and hear what he thinks," Tom said. They went over to Maxi and told them of Chan's plan.
"Okay, that could work, but let us sneak around the back of the house and check things out."
There was one guard, but they could easily attack him from behind and knock him unconscious. They went back to the others and Maxi told them of their plan. "We have to get ready to attack the house as soon as we see Chan in the room where Serena is kept prisoner. We will sneak up on the guard and knock him out. Someone will wait outside Serena's room and help Chan and her out to safety. The rest of us will attack the house and take the unsuspecting criminals prisoners."
Tom, Franco, and Philippe helped Chan up the roof after the guard was taken care of. He sneaked around on the roof as quietly as a cat and soon disappeared in through the roof. Maxie and the police had formed a line around the house. They stood behind the trees, waiting for the signal from Tom to start the attack. Tom moved quietly over to the window of Serena's room and waited for Chan to appear in the room.
Suddenly, the guard came around the corner of the house and see Tom. He pointed his gun at him and said, "What are you doing here?" Franco quickly sneaked up behind the guard and knocked him out.
"Thanks Franco," Tom whispered. He turned around and looked in through the window, only to see Chan in there.
"He is in," he whispered to Franco, who went over and told Maxi. Soon the whole line knew, and started to move in on the house. Most of the men were lying around sleeping on a couch, bed, or wherever they could to make themselves comfortable.
"Wake up, everybody, the police are here!" one of the men yelled.
Chan quietly came into Serena's room "I'm Chan, Tom's friend, I'm here to help you get out," he whispered.
One man rushed into the room and saw Chan about to open the window to let her out. He turned and came flying through the air with a kick that hit the thug right in his jaw. The man fell to the floor and struggled to get up. Chan send another blow to his head, and he collapsed on the floor.
The big bulldog-ugly man entered the room, looking for Serena. Chan, who looked like he was no match for this big fellow, covered Serena. She was crunched down in the corner of the room, shivering and paralyzed with fear.
"Get away from her if you know what is good for you," the brute said.
Chan put his hands in front of him and said in a calm voice, "Take it easy, or you'll finish up next to your friend on the floor."
The man laughed and moved towards Chan, but he was too fast for the big brute. He jumped up in the air and kicked him in the stomach so the man retreated a few steps backwards. That gave Chan enough time to come flying through the air and push him over with a kick to his head. He fell over and got another blow to his head, and down he went, out cold.
"Come on, Serena, let's get out of here," Chan said, and helped her over to the window, where Tom was waiting to help her out.
Tom took her in his arms and held her tight. "I'm so sorry you had to go through this experience," he whispered, kissing her pale face.
Chan came over to them and
hugged the two of them. "You're safe now; we've got you away from all those crooks," Chan said in a calm voice.
Serena turned around. "I'm so pleased to meet you Chan, I've heard so much about you. Thank you so much for rescuing me from them," she said in a shaking voice as she wiped the tears off her face. "It was a scary experience."
They walked around to the others in front of the house. The doors were open and the police were busy handcuffing the crooks.
"Serena, could you give us a statement later on how you got into this situation please?" Maxi said.
"Yes, I can do that," she said, still in a state of shock after the ordeal she had been through.
"We better get you out of here and take you home," Tom said.
Philippe came over and gave her a hug. "I'm glad you are safe out of there."
"So am I. It was pretty scary."
"I'll take you all home. And Chan, are you going back right away? I would like to show you my den," Philippe asked.
"I can't stay too long. I promised Romina to come back soon. But I would like to see your den before I go back. I could spend a couple of days with Tom; I'd like to get to know Serena a bit better," Chan said.
"Okay, I'll pick you up around seven PM," Philippe said.
Serena relaxed in the bath, relieved she was back home again. Tom had made a pot of tea and some breakfast for her when she got out of the bath.
Later in the morning, she rang Jock Lassalle. "Hello. Jock, I just want to let you know I'm home safe again, but I'm not quite up to come into work today."
"Oh Serena, you're home. It is so good to hear your voice. I've been so worried about you. That was an awful experience for you. Are you okay?"
"I'm still a bit shaken, so I might need a few days to recover," Serena said.
"Of course; all the orders are done now. Why don't you take a couple of weeks off? You and Tom can go for a holiday back to Sweden to visit your family. You worked hard, and I think you deserve a holiday."
