KND Operation: B.A.B.Y.S.I.T.T.E.R

Chapter 6

Jacey felt her eyes bulge. What was that supposed to mean?

"Father? That's not Dad, or am I missing something?" she muttered into her brother's ear.

"No, he's the Father of the Delightful's, he just gets everyone to call him Father."

Jacey eyed their shadowed captor and scoffed, "Seriously, That's just stupid...I mean who would named a villain?"

Father shuddered in anger, "Why, the stubborn nature seems to run in the family, doesn't it? I should know... But enough of this, let's get down to business!" he turned to the group of children behind him, "Children, would you like to start the preparations for your birthday surprise?"

The group smiled gleefully and clasped their hands together in time with one another. They all nodded eagerly and each put a hand on a lever on the wall behind them.

"Yes, Father, we would very much like to..." as they snapped the lever down

There was a low hiss from inside the darkness. The two braced themselves inside the glass cage, but nothing came. They waited, hearts pumping harshly against their chests. Slowly, they noticed a strange green smog snaking its way inside, curling around them. Jacey pulled the neck of her top over her mouth and uncurled Nigel's turtle-neck so that it covered his.

"So you're going to poison us?" she cried, hitting her fist against the glass wall.

"Oh no, dearie, this is just for insurance, the real plan will be revealed tomorrow, at the party." Father sneered, chewing his pipe mockingly.

"You won't get away with this!" Numbuh 1 declared, pointing an accusing finger at the outsiders.

"Oh please, Father, can't you give us a clue as to what our birthday surprise is?" the Delightful's asked, widening their eyes hopefully.

"Good things come to those who wait, children, and we've been waiting for this for a long time..." he cackled.

The prisoners started to sway, their vision darkening. Numbuh 777 was the first to go down; she was taller. Her body crumpled to the ground in a heap next to her brother. He clamped a hand over his already covered mouth to try and hold on a little longer, his other hand violently shaking Jacey, trying to wake her up. His hands suddenly felt numb and the hung loosely from his jumper sleeves. He couldn't hold his breath any longer. He took a gasp of air, falling onto his front. As he drifted into darkness, a clear bellowing laughter echoed around them...

"AGH!" Nigel cried out, shivering and spluttering as something icy cold and wet pored over them.

They looked up to see the group of Delightful's smiling eagerly down on them, each with an empty glass in their hands, "Good morning, aren't you going to wish us a happy birthday?"

Numbuh 1 looked down to see that he was strapped to a chair, his ankles strapped to the legs and his hands trapped behind, he could feel a heavy pad-lock nudging against his wrists.

Next to him, Jacey was also tied into position. Her hair hung limply in its side bobble, dripping wet. The room they were in looked like the great hall that he had been taken to before, only now it was overthrown with birthday decorations. She looked around in confusion; she checked her watch. She eyed it and shook her head. That couldn't be right, it said that it was ten o'clock, but the last she'd checked, it was around eleven...

"It's very rude to oversleep in the mornings, especially on your hosts birthday." They chanted, pointing at a calendar on the wall.

It was true then, they had been unconscious through the night. Jacey fought the urge to panic, she had to be back with Wally in a number of hours before his parents came home! No, that wasn't the main problem here, she told herself, focus Jacey, you've got to get the two of you out of here.