The Investigators, Inc. The Mystery of Mandar’s Family. Chapter 6. Chemist Shop.

After I was finally asleep, with Milena lying beside me, Dawn came over to talk with Milena. “That was truly amazing Milena,” said Dawn quietly so she wouldn’t wake me, “how did you manage to stay so calm and cool?” “I used to work for Hoffman, remember?” she said, “I learned quickly that the best thing to do was just stay calm and try to forget what was going on. Sometimes I would pretend I was on some secret mission and got caught, so the enemy was torturing me in different ways.

I would always remain calm and cool in the face of danger or whatever was happening. It was the only way I could survive. Guess it gave me some basic training for situations like this. By the way, what is going on with Steve? Or am I not allowed to ask such questions?” Dawn explained what it was all about and that we had been trying to find an antidote, but we needed a certain rare drug which we haven’t found yet.

“And if we don’t find it soon, Steve will always be in a nowhere state,” she said, “he would have to learn who he is and basically just about everything. It would be very hard on Steve, and on Sky, even though we have things ready to help him know we are not lying to him, but that he really is Steve. But it would still be hard.” “Yeah, I can see how that would be hard on everyone,” said Milena.

Meanwhile, at the country mansion, Kat and her Wildcats were ready to enter the mansion from the back. Matt and his Knight Riders were ready to attack the mansion from the front to keep attention away from the back. But first, Jennifer needed to get TJ, if possible, out of the mansion and away to safety. Providing that she even wanted to be rescued. I guess it will depend on how deeply she was involved in this kidnapping/ransom caper that Jimmy came up with.

Suddenly there was a knock at the bedroom door of TJ and Jimmy. “It’s me, Kendra, open up,” she said. Jimmy opened the door right away, but then he tried to shut it even faster. It didn’t work though. Jennifer was too strong for him and pushed her way inside the room. She immediately went over to TJ. “My friends and I are here to rescue you,” said Jennifer, “do you wish to come, or stay here and fight us?” “She doesn’t want to go with anyone like you!” exclaimed Jimmy, “We are partners in this and we stay together!”

“Is that what you want TJ?” asked Jennifer, “You don’t have to worry about Jimmy, I will protect you from him.” “I want out!” she screamed, “But I’m afraid of Jimmy, he will kill me like he killed mom! He just strangled her with his bare hands. I’m scared, please help me if you can.” “You traitor!” yelled Jimmy, “For that you die!

I should have killed you when I killed our mother, you’re just a useless girl anyway, totally useless! Do you hear me TJ? You are useless and worthless, always have been and always will be!” He then grabbed a gun he had that was sitting on a small table next to him, and tried to shoot. But nothing happened. “Useless gun!” he shouted. “And now it’s too hot for you to hold onto,” said Jennifer. He yelled and dropped the gun. “That thing is hot like fire!” he yelled, “Hey, where did you go?”

“We are right here,” said Jennifer, “isn’t that right TJ?” “Yeah, where’s your eyes little brother?” she asked Jimmy. That sent him into a real rage, he hated when she called him ‘little brother’, but she was born first after all. “I will kill you with my bare hands, just like I killed mother!” he yelled angrily and ran toward TJ who was now visible again. But as soon as he was close enough, Jennifer kicked him in the stomach, then a kick to his head and he fell flat on his back, dead.

“We need to go quickly,” said Jennifer. She went to the window and waved and suddenly the whole window blew apart into tiny pieces. We have a new weapon now which can be shot from a type of gun, or even thrown, at a window and it will shatter that window completely. That surprises the enemy and makes it easier to gain access to any building. “Hold onto me,” said Jennifer and they jumped out the window, landing softly on the ground.

“Can you run fast?” asked Jennifer. “I can outrun you I bet,” she said. “Then I will race you to those trees,” said Jennifer. TJ took off running as fast as she could and when she arrived at the trees she came to an abrupt stop. Jennifer was already there leaning on a tree. “How, how did you do that?” asked TJ. “That is a secret for now,” said Jennifer smiling, “okay Jewel, onto my backpack.” TJ frowned, not seeing any animals around. But suddenly an orange cat jumped onto Jennifer’s backpack.

“Uh, where did you get the backpack?” asked TJ. “Another secret, but I had it with me all the time,” said Jennifer, “now, our car is over here.” “This is a car?” asked TJ. “Well, okay, it’s a jeep, sort of,” said Jennifer, and off they went. Back at the hotel Jennifer found me still asleep and Dawn told her what happened. “That nowhere drug you mentioned, sounds like the drug Kendra has,” said TJ, “she wanted to give another shot to some PI named Steve.

Seems her mom gave that PI a shot before but it wasn’t strong enough to work fully, so she wanted to give a second shot. Um, that PI, is it your guy on the bed?” “Yes, it is,” said Jennifer, “and we are looking for a rare drug to make an antidote for it, but so far we haven’t found it.” TJ asked the name and said that there was an old style chemist shop in town that had the drug they wanted. She had gone with Kendra to that shop a week ago and he had some.

“He keeps his best stuff in the attic, the rare drugs and herbs,” said TJ, “and the Indigenous people here say there is none left growing in the wild, so this guy has the only stock of it left. Kendra was going to come back and buy it all and then burn down the chemist shop.” “Where does this guy live?” asked Dawn. “At the back of his chemist shop,” said TJ, “it is only 4 buildings down the street.” TJ took Jennifer and a couple other girls to the chemist shop.

Midnight picked the lock for them and in they went and woke up the older man that owned the place. He reluctantly took them upstairs even though he said he did not have anything like they asked for. But, there it was on a shelf. The girls started filling up empty boxes with everything they could find in that attic. The man just watched and slowly reached into a drawer and quickly pulled out a gun.

Midnight and Jewel screeched and Jennifer turned around. The man aimed his gun at TJ who was away from Jennifer and therefore unprotected. “Now, you die!” yelled Jennifer, and the man fell to the floor, dead. Poor TJ was somewhat terrified by this, not knowing what was going on. “Don’t worry,” said Cynthia, “we will explain things to you.”

“I hope so, because some things don’t add up,” she said. After they got back to the hotel Kat contacted Jennifer and told her that Kendra had escaped so she needed to watch TJ carefully. However, Kendra wasn’t concerned about TJ, she wanted something else. Soon that chemist shop was full of flames…

To Be Continued.

©2024 Steve McLeod.