London Calling Ch 13

Above, two of the green suits were in conference.
“We’re still waiting for confirmation from Agent Gamma.  His last report stated full surveilance at the main gate to the Tower of London.”
The suit with the feather on his cap nodded.  “And Delta?”
“He’s doing a full sweep of the surrounding blocks.  Scanning for any trace of the doctor.”
“Call him back, Beta.”
“Sure?”
“Yes.”  The man with the feather pounded the table.  “Do it already.”
“Sir, what about the other girl?  The fellow’s fiancé?”  Beta asked.
“I guess we’ll have to abandon the station.  Unless you’d love to go collect a dead body?”
“Not so much,” Beta replied.
The feather in the cap bobbed as the man nodded his head.  “Very well then.  You know your orders.”
“What about the genie girl?  Is she still part of our plans?”
The man fingered the leather loop in his belt, still empty from where it held the lamp previously.  “Go carry out your orders.”
“Sir?”
“Do it.”  The order was direct - the kind of order where if you didn’t obey it immediately, your head could be in danger.
Beta bowed.  “Yes sir.”

Summer drove us past the hotel before realizing where we were.  
“Hey, that was Southlands… there’s the hotel.”  I pointed it out.
“Oh, right.”  Summer turned down the road towards the Hammersmith bus terminal and found the loading dock for the hotel, close to the nook where Dr. Sorensen and the real Shelly had last parted ways.
“Can I ask you both something before we go into the hotel?” Dr. Sorensen asked.
“Sure.”  I turned around in my seat.   “Anything,” Summer replied at about the same time I spoke.
“In the event that we become separated, I will do my best to get back to you both.  But I need to know your cellphone numbers first.”
“Yeah, of course.”  I provided her with mine, as well as Michelle’s.  “Anabelle, do you have a cellphone?”
“No, I’m afraid not,” she replied.
I nodded.  “I’ll do my best to keep you close, then.  Rubbing your lamp should summon you to me, right?”
She nodded.  “You know a lot about us genies.”
“Jeanette’s a great teacher,” Summer answered for me.
“Agreed.”  I detached my seat belt and pushed Summer’s door open.  “Might want to step out now, girls.”  Dr. Sorensen slid out through my side as Summer moved her driver’s seat ahead, while Anabelle exited on her side.  
Summer then closed her doors.  “Anytime, Greg.”
I waved my hand over her hood, and stopped when I saw frost on her fender.
“Don’t overdo it!” she gasped.
“Sorry.”  I stood back when she began to shrink.  Fenders faded to arms and hips, fiberglass changed back into clothing and skin, and lastly while mostly human, her tires were the last to change into hands and shoes as always.  “Now then.  Can you call Dr. Chase?”
Michelle moved to her feet.  “Once we get to the room.”
“Rightio.”
Dr. Sorensen made herself invisible again.  “I’m right beside you, Greg, so don’t bump into me.”
“Got it.”
A moment or two later, we were back upstairs and went straight to 637, the room that Michelle and I had been sharing.  Our room had been cleaned, but thankfully the luggage had not been disturbed.  I might’ve bumped into the doctor once along the walk, but she hadn’t said anything.
Dr. Sorensen, now visible, headed into the restroom while Anabelle sat on the nearest bed, which was mine.  “Greg, may I ask a question?”
“Sure.”  I pulled the folder of documents which contained contact information and laid it open on the bed.  “What’s up?”
“When you go to America, may I accompany you?”
I pulled out the document that had a number for Agent #339.  “Overseas?  Sure.”
“I mean, may I come to live with you for awhile?  I’ve… you know that I only have my son and my lamp, right?”
I might’ve muttered something.  Until she got settled probably wouldn’t be an issue, but I wasn’t ready to commit just yet.
“Greg, can’t we just set up something with Secrelia?  Like they did for Jean?” Michelle asked from the recliner.
“Probably.  I’ll discuss it with the detective.  There’s a guest room for one…”
“My son may sleep on the bed, and I will sleep on the floor next to him.  He is four years old, does not take up much space…”
“If it’s a temporary thing, maybe.”  I retrieved my phone and dialed the number.
“I have nothing, they took everything from me.  I dare not even go home, unless they find my family, who are also genies.” Anabelle teared up.  “I would owe you so much for so little.”
“I don’t see it being a problem, Anabelle, but give us a chance to work it out, okay?” Michelle must’ve wanted a distraction as well, for she dialed up Dr. Chase.
“It would mean everything… so much would depend on the welfare of my Han…”
“Han, like Han Solo?  That’s so cool.”  There was a series of clicks.  Just when I thought I had been hung up on, someone answered.  “Hello?”
“Gregory, sorry about that, we had to verify your number.  Agent #339 here, it’s about four AM.  What’s your status?”
“Forgot about the time issue I guess-”
“Not a problem.  Your emergency?”
“It’s not an emergency,” I paused.  “But I am ready to request a pickup or a flight back to the States.”
“Is that right?  Excellent.  Give me your report.”  Agent #339 typed a few things into a computer.  “This line is secured.  Go ahead when you’re ready.”
That is one of the coolest things ever, being able to secure a cellphone signal.  Anyways, I delivered my report to the detective, starting with how we met Dr. Sorensen at Dr. Green’s office and earned her trust.  I ended with the event at the Tower of London this morning, describing the situation with Shelly and Anabelle.
“You’ve procured a genie from the Emerald Tide?  You must do whatever you can to keep her lamp safe.  Is it on your person and not sitting in the hotel room?” Agent #339 asked.
“It is tied to my belt,” I replied.
“Do not forget that a lamp that is secured to a person’s clothing is a magically enhanced bond.  If it is in your hands, it can be stolen by a wish - you said you used a wish to collect it, right?”
“Yes, I did.”
“You were very lucky, then.  I cannot say for certain, but there’s a good chance that the previous owner of the lamp was planning on summing Anabelle back to his side right as you made the wish.”
“I wished the lamp out of his hands?” I asked with a stifling chuckle.
“Essentially, yes, you did.”
“If I were him, I’d probably want bad things for the person who took it,” I speculated.
“Yes indeed, but here’s the good news.  A person who is in the possession of a genie’s lamp cannot be harmed by that genie, no matter who makes the wish.  What that means is that even if Agent Alpha were to make a wish that would result in your injury, the genie would be unable to grant it because you are wearing the lamp.”
“Can he steal the lamp from me by physical contact?” I asked.  “Like, if we wrestle for it?”
“That’s another neat thing about genie lamps.  If you untie the lamp, then you are essentially freeing the genie who is bound to it.  But if he tried to cut the bond that held the lamp to your belt, he would be injured by way of a painful shock.  With each successive attempt, the charge would increase.  On the fourth shock, he would most likely die from the attempt.”
“Then I won’t let it leave my body, not even to sleep.”
“Yes, about that.  We would like to extract your group as soon as possible, but we won’t be able to get a plane into Heathrow until early tomarrow morning.”
“Passenger jet or cargo?” I asked.
“Probably a cargo jet, those are much easier to secure.  I will contact you an hour before it is on the tarmac.”
“Okay, great.  We’ll be there.”
“Well, there’s more.  You won’t be entering the airport through the terminal, after all.  No, we’ll have to get you in to the secured zone another way.”  She typed into the computer for a moment.  “I have ordered Agent #277 to dispatch to the United Kingdom immediately, and he should arrive within a few hours.”
“Where from?”
“He’s in Europe, but I can’t tell you where.”
I nodded.  “Fair enough.”
“Is your entire party accounted for?”
“No, Megan doesn’t seem to want to come back, plus I have to extract Anabelle as well as find Shelly.  When they made the switch, they brought Shelly to an abandoned tube station somewhere… and I have to find her or she’ll kill me for leaving her behind.”
“And I wouldn’t blame her,” Agent #339 chuckled.  “Though you are taking a rather lax attitude towards her capture.”
“I am doing my best to save my anger for… who was it?  Agent Alpha?”
“He’s not the leader of the Emerald Tide, as far as we know, but each of the members have names based on the Latin alphabet.  Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, and so forth.”
“Personally, I’d rather just find Shelly and go home.  But if I have to, I won’t hold back.”
“And neither will he,” Agent #339 stressed.  “Regardless, we do not want to risk losing Anabelle or Dr. Sorensen in this mission.”
“I’m currently waiting for Megan to come back to the hotel.  Do you want me to do anything before we extract tomarrow morning?”
“As soon as your group is ready, use Anabelle to wish your luggage to Chase Labs, because that is your destination with Dr. Sorensen.  Then, go find Shelly and be ready to rendevous with the plane by…” She clicked the computer a few times.  “By one hundred hours Grennwich Main time.  One AM.”
“One AM… that’s a long time to wait.”
“We’ll do our best to secure something sooner.  But for now, consider that your absolute deadline.”
“Understood.  Any other instructions?” I asked.
“Do whatever it takes to keep Anabelle’s powers under your control.  Don’t do anything to break up your team further.  Also, keep Dr. Sorensen’s trust as best as you can.  I will contact you one hour before the plane is ready, and Agent #279 will have your phone number and meet up with you by midnight tonight.  He will then escort you into Heathrow Airport, through the secured zone, and onto the plane and out of the country.  Do you have any other questions?”
“Should we make any effort to engage the Emerald Tide?”
“Absolutely not.  Do what you must to find your fiance, but nothing more.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll talk to you soon.  Good luck.”  Click.
Dr. Sorensen had already returned from the restroom.  “Well?”
“Yeah Greg, what’s the situation?” Michelle asked.
Anabelle gave me a similar look of worry.
I hated it when these gals looked to me for advice.  “Do we have the key to Megan and Shelly’s room next door?”
Michelle shook her head.  “No, we’ll have to wait for them to return.”
“So that’s your plan?” Dr. Sorensen asked.  “Hurry up and wait?”
“Not exactly…”
For the next few moments, I explained what Agent #339 and I had already discussed with Anabelle, Michelle and Dr. Sorensen.  Though I could tell that Cherise didn’t want to wait that long, at least Michelle was happy to explain a little of it to the doctor.
“Our orders were to scout London for up to a week, and yet we found you much sooner than expected,” Michelle explained.  “So we’ve been fairly efficient thus far.”
“Yes, agreed,” I said.  “Shelly and I hadn’t planned on finding you at Dr. Green’s - in fact, I might’ve expected a dead end.”
“Perhaps I haven’t been trying to run as everyone suggests,” Dr. Sorensen said as she got comfortable on the bed, perhaps too comfortable as she seemed to fade into the wall behind her.  “I’ve been on the run for a week, trying to get here to find someone who can help me.  It’s scary, losing sight of yourself…”
“Would you like to wish it away?” Anabelle asked.
“No.”  Dr. Sorensen was adamant.  “I don’t think I can just wish something like this away so quickly… I know now what you mean, Greg… there is no quick answer for this.”
“Actually, there is-” Anabelle began.
“No, there isn’t.”  Michelle stood up.  “Anabelle, may I ask you a question?”
The genie nodded.
“You told Greg earlier that you have to have your genie powers to save your son, right?”
“Absolutely… they’re all I have.”
“If I told you there was a way for us to help you find your son without making any wishes, would you believe me?” Michelle asked.
Anabelle bit her lip slightly.
“You’ve seen what we can do thus far, haven’t you?” I asked.
“Greg, don’t push her,” Michelle said.
I nodded.
Anabele thought it over, and eventually gave her answer.  “I would believe you, Michelle, because you can do something that you seem to cherish.”
Michelle held Anabelle’s hands tightly.  “I do.  Summer is a part of me.  And I wouldn’t have her any other way.”
“Cherise… do you enjoy being invisible?” Anabelle asked.
Dr. Sorensen nodded.  “It’s a neat side effect, even if it does scare me.”  She turned to Michelle.  “Surely transforming as you do, Michelle, it scared you once?”
“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Michelle began.  “The first few times it happened, I  watched my hands turning into a foreign object… I lost control of my senses, my feeling, my body.  But then, I woke up as if from a dream and see where I’m going.  I move fast, free, with raw power… and I feel the wind on my face, and I know I’m going forwards… it’s an incredible feeling.”
“Greg, did you feel anything like that when you first used your Neptune Pearl?” Anabelle asked.
“This is like some big crying talk show…” I muttered.
“Greg, play nice or I’ll kick your ass,” Michelle groaned.
“Yeah, okay.  I did feel a little worried at first,” I confessed.  “Worried that I might not have the same control over that power I discovered that Michelle or Shelly also shared.  As I continued to hone my skills, I felt better about what I had learned… but there’s a part of me that I always worry about.”
“And that is?” Dr. Sorensen asked.
“That I may go too far and really regret something.  That I may hurt those closest to me.”
It’s true.  I love the feeling of playing Emperor Palpaltine and zapping stuff, but at the same time, it’s a power that scares me beyond belief.  Will I be using my power for justice or for revenge?  It’s a delicate balance that I simply fear to abuse.
“How long have you been Summer, Michelle?” Dr. Sorensen asked.
“Nearly 13 years, since high school,” she replied.  “Greg has had his pearl for about seven years, almost as long as he’s known Shelly, who has been able to become human for eight.”
“I’ve been a genie all my life, and though I love helping people, most of my power has been spent helping those who only mean to hurt me,” Anabelle replied.  “But the knowledge that there are free genies in this world means a lot.”
“And I can see that so long as Michelle can manage something as large as a car wherever she goes, I can find a way to deal with my looks, especially my own visibility,” Dr. Sorensen said.
“Wonderful.”  Michelle turned to Anabelle.  “That is why none of us want to simply wish ourselves normal, Anabelle.  It’d be no different than you forfeiting your abilities.”
Anabelle nodded.
“They say power corrupts those who can’t manage it,” I said.  “And the people you’ve been captive to?  They cannot handle it, because they crave more power.  They’re the ones who are corrupted.”
“Yes… they are very corrupt,” Anabelle smiled.
Dr. Sorensen picked up a nearby menu.  “I think we all understand each other a lot better now.”
“What’s with the menu?” I asked.
“It’s one in the afternoon, and we’re all in for a long evening, right?  Why don’t you find out how long Megan will be.  In the meantime, I feel like I haven’t eaten in a week.”  She read the room service menu.  “Even an invisible gal’s gotta eat.”
“Can’t argue with that logic,” Michelle agreed.
I nodded, even knowing that this whole talk had felt a little too Dr. Phil for me.  

We all put in orders for a little lunch before I tried calling Megan and Eva again.  She flat out refused to leave the country unless she had her necklace back.  I guess I hadn’t realized how much it meant to her.
At least they agreed that they had to eat something before waging war with the Emerald Tide.  Around 2:30, Megan and Eva had finally arrived at the hotel and all seven of us ate lunch in the room.  Our peace was not destined to last, however, and our time was up.
Just as I finished packing my luggage and ensuring that everything I didn’t need immediately was secured, I heard a soft tapping noise outside.
“Is everyone’s luggage gathered here?” Michelle asked.
Megan nodded.  “Except for my necklace.”
“Which necklace, Megan?” Dr. Sorensen asked.
“It is a glass shell, blue to pink in color, on a silver chain.  I love that necklace… it reminds me that I’m more than myself now, and connects me to the sea,” she explained.
“That necklace does mean a lot to you,” I said with a nod.
Megan nodded back, fighting back a tear.
“Then perhaps I shouldn’t hold onto it any longer,” Dr. Sorensen said.  “The clasp might’ve came off accidently, but I admit a small part of me imagined that it was the source of your mermaid power.”
“That’s ridiculous!” Megan jumped up.  “Give me my necklace!”
“Didn’t I tell you stealing was wrong?” I asked the doctor.
“You did.”  Dr. Sorensen reached into her trench coat and removed the necklace.  “Perhaps it was better that I had it instead of the Emeralds, right?”
Megan practically attacked Dr. Sorensen for it, but there was no reason as the doctor handed it carefully over.  Megan put it on immediately, making sure the clasp was tight.  “I’m so glad to have it back…”
“I’m sorry for thinking it was anything but a treasure, Megan.  I truly am.”
Megan hesitated a moment, but offered a handshake to the doctor, and the two women shook hands.  
“Here’s hoping we understand each other as well,” Dr. Sorensen said.
“Thank you for keeping it safe,” Megan replied.
“May wee go find Shellee now?” Eva asked.  “She must be quite bored!”
“And maybe a little upset.  Yeah, let’s do this.”  I stood up and pushed all of our luggage into a pile.  I took the bottle of form maintainer pills as a precaution.  “This might be usefull.  Okay, go ahead, Megan.”
“Anabelle, you ready?” Megan asked.
Anabelle nodded.
“I wish that all of our luggage will be waiting for us in Dr. Chase’s lab in Diego City, California,” Megan said.
Anabelle bowed as she waved her hands over the pile of luggage, encasing them in a dark cloud of blue smoke.  “Wish granted.”
Just then, none of us noticed that someone had been rappelling down the hotel.  Someone smashed through the window and began to attack.  Just as Anabelle finished granting the wish and ensuring that our luggage was safe, Michelle was the closest to one of the ninja-like men from the day before and received the first attack.
“Ya!” he cried as he used a little kung fu on Michelle, who grabbed the nearest weapon - a lamp - and broke it on his head, though he fought on.  She had to hold herself back before she became close to sweating.
Dr. Sorensen and I tag teamed the fellow, though I came closer to hitting Dr. Sorensen as she faded in and out of visibility.  To make for it, I became invisible myself sporatically, but that didn’t stop the ninja from going after Anabelle or Megan.
Megan might’ve attempted to grab the telephone and the cord to use as a choke hold on the ninja, but he was too fast.  
Fortunately, we outnumbered him.  Michelle was the one to hold him down, allowing me to zap him in the chest that burned a hole in his jumpsuit.  The thick burns on his chest were enough to knock him down for the count.
“Are there others?  Where are the others?” I asked.
“I told you… I dodge lightning…”
“Dodge this.”  I zapped him again, holding the charge for several seconds.
“Greg!” Michelle stood back from the broken window as two more ninja types were flying in on ropes that suspended from above.
Quickly, I left the ninja to be restrained by Dr. Sorensen and Eva as I fired two quick lightning blasts towards the ropes, severing them and sending the two ninjas to their deaths.  I might’ve had a pang of regret, before I realized I probably just saved someone’s life - the life of one of my friends in the room.
A moment or two later, there were a flurry of knocks at the door.  Megan checked the peephole.  “It’s Scotland Yard!”
“Do we let them in?” Eva asked.
“I’m not here.”  Dr. Sorensen slid off the bed between the inner bed and the wall before becoming invisible.
Megan then answered the door, where Detective Hasselbeck, Agent Drangel and a few other officers rushed inside.  “We tracked them all the way here… are all of you okay?” Drangel asked.
“Fine, now that you folks are here,” I said.
Michelle was catching her breath and wiping her forehead.  “Greg, help me.”
“What’s with her?” one of the agents asked.
“None of your business.”  Hasselbeck walked into the hotel room and looked over the ninja that Eva and Anabelle were pinning to the floor.  “Boys, remove this offender from the scene.”
Anabelle and Eva moved aside as the men from Scotland Yard picked up the largely unconscious ninja with the red jumpsuit, dragging him into the hallway.
“Remind me who they were?” Michelle asked me as I gave her a dose of cold air.
“Shelly and I encountered them the first time we met the doctor.  The Brotherhood of the Severed Hand,” I explained.
“And because of your efforts and our assistance, three of them have found the ground quicker than they’d have liked while the fourth had his internal organs microwaved,” Hasselbeck said.  “Good work, Claxion.”
I shrugged.  I’m no license to kill.
“You say you’ve met the doctor… is she here?”  Hasselbeck looked at Anabelle and Eva.  “Either of you?”
“My name is Eva Dupont, detective, I live in West Ham.”
“I am Anabelle Jhos, from Morocco, sir.”
“Dupont and Jhos… all right.”  Hasselbeck nodded to Drangel, who recorded their names.  “Did you lose your luggage, Claxion?”
“It’s in the other room, detective.”
He gave a mysterious nod.  “Why don’t you and your group head downstairs, Claxion… I’m sure you all have other business to attend to.  In the meantime, we’ll take care of the hotel for you.”
“And the damaged window and everything?” Megan asked.
“All of it, sweetheart,” Hasselbeck replied.  “Just answer me this.  The doctor… how did your meeting with her go today?”
“She said she would try to head home, detective.  Said she was tired of running,” I replied.  “Maybe you’d have better luck finding her in Copenhagen.”
“Or the airport.”  Drangel gave Hasselbeck a knowing look.  “Shall we start in Heathrow?”
“Or Gatwick, or Midway, or Northlands…” Hasselbeck trailed off.  “All right, Claxion, we’ll take it from here.  I’ll call you after a while.”
“You heard the man, gang.  Come on.”  I gave Megan the nod, and she went out first.  Anabelle and Eva were next, and after a brief gap, Michelle and I exited the room last.

Once the seven of us were in the elevator, Dr. Sorensen held my hand and became visible, giving me a kiss on the cheek.  “That’s for directing them off of my trail.”
“You’re welcome,” I said.
“Any idea where we can find Shelly?” Michelle asked Anabelle.
“I have never been there, but I know where the Emeralds had their headquarters,” Anabelle said.  “Would you like me to take you there?”
“But you have to show us the way, not just teleport us there,” Michelle said.  “No more wishing.”
“I think I can find it… but allow me to grant just one wish.”  Anabelle whispered something to Eva quietly.
“I wish you would know where to direct us,” Eva said.
Blue smoke filled the lift for a moment, causing a few of us to cough.
Anabelle giggled.  “Your wish is my command.  I know exactly where to go.  But Michelle, I am afraid you will have to drive.”
“It’ll be a full load,” Michelle said.
“We can pack in pretty tightly,” Megan said.  “Eva, you’re a gymnast, right?”
Eva nodded.  “Oui!”
“No problem!” Megan cried.