Alex Bishop and The Elusive Dorian Brown

                                                                                       Chapter 14

                                                                                         Surprises

     "So what does everyone think happened to the agents that were guarding this house?"  Alex said, asking his question again, now that Annie was back at the table.  "The agent in charge of Dad's detail said that he called the Bureau Chief at the top of the mountain and he said that he hadn't called his agents away from the ranch," Haley said.

     "So, the agents either left on their own because they're working for Dorian or they were kidnapped like my father was," Alex ended.  "But I think the agents here were the kidnappers," Haley said.  "They knew we were going to the mountains," she added.  "That works for me," Amanda agreed.  "No matter whether they were good or bad, the fact is, we need to make a rescue plan for Mr. Kincaid as soon as we're all done with lunch," Christian said firmly.  Everyone agreed.

     Annie had been watching T.V. while listening to the conversation.  Suddenly she burst out, "Nothing.  Just nothing," she said in disgust.  Everyone gave her confused looks.  "Well, I thought...., but well, I guess no one knows Mr. Kincaid's missing besides us and the bad guys, so there would be no news about it."  Everyone just stared at her.

     "I'll make more sense when I'm fully awake," she said as an excuse for her babbling.  "None of us got much sleep last night," Annie said, ending in a huff.  "Well, wake up quickly Annie.  We need your brain full functioning," Christian told her with a big grin.  "Where did Helga go?" Galen asked, looking around.  "Oh," Justin suddenly said, pointing outside through one of the pained windows in the front doors.

     Everyone was looking to see what he was seeing.  Then suddenly Justin jumped up as though he'd been shot out of a cannon and ran outside.  The others, including Miss Tibbs ran after him.  When they arrived at the edge of the driveway, there was Justin trying to wrestle something out of Helga's hands.

     The other boys rushed over to where Justin was grappling with her.  Then Alex saw something shinning in Helga's clenched fist.  It was a set of keys.  Alex figured it fit a land Rover that sat in the driveway.  He knew they weren't Mr. Kincaid's car keys because they were still in his pocket.   Josh was standing beside Justin, holding a pistol that he'd just pick up from the ground beside Helga's flailing body.

     Alex was trying to prevent Helga from escaping by twisting her arm behind her back.  John picked up a gray wig which had fallen off of her head in the struggle.  The lack of it revealed a short spiked hair cut.  The housekeeper Bridget came running outside after hearing the yelling coming from Helga and the boys.

     Bridget covered her mouth in distress when she reached Haley after seeing the scene before her.  Given the situation at hand, Miss Tibbs and the other girls, all except for Annie, gave the housekeeper suspicious looks.  Annie knew Bridget well, being Haley's best friend and having grown up with her living next door, through she and Haley's childhoods.  Haley quickly came to Bridget defense.  "This lady has been my Nanny since I was born.  She was my Mom's best friend.  And I assure you is completely innocent of any wrong doing."

     "Sorry Bridget," Miss Tibbs said immediately.  The other girls said the same.  "I understand," she told them.  I would probably react the same way, if I were in your place."  The boys had Helga subdued now.  Justin took a pair of cuffs from his pocket and clipped them on her wrists.  The guys looked at him curiously.