Our new listening devices certainly work better than the old ones and they cannot be detected, which is perfect. Cristy is already looking up this Brooks House that Deborah had mentioned for their new meeting spot, something that I don’t know anything about yet, but I will soon. Angel was lying on the bed reading, still, and I was looking out the windows watching Dawn’s team competing with Misty’s team. Both of them are doing remarkably well. The weather is just perfect out there this morning and I have the windows open to try and get some of that morning freshness into my office. It’s not working so good though since there is no wind today. Oh well.

Finally I decided to lie down beside Angel and talk for a bit. I talked. She kept reading. “Um, it would help a lot if you joined the conversation,” I said, “makes it more interesting that way.” “Sorry, but this book is interesting,” she said, “but I heard everything you said.” Then Frisky rejoined us with some fresh, hot coffee and muffins. “No donuts left,” she said sadly, “but these are good too. Oh, Cristy found that Brooks House as well, that didn’t take her long.” “Um, what is this Brooks House?” I asked. “That’s where they are having the next meeting,” she replied, “I thought you knew.”

“Who is having a meeting?” I asked again. “Deborah and her friends,” replied Friskie, “you should keep up with what is going on Steve.” “How can I keep up with things when no one tells me what is happening?” I asked, “Wait, never mind, don’t answer. As long as Kat and Jennifer know what is going on, that’s all that is important.” I then got up to drink my coffee and watch the girls a bit more. “Angel, go tell the girls to take a break,” I said. She got up and stood beside me at the window. “Steve says to take a break and go to the pool!” she yelled out the window. The girls cheered and ran for the door.

Then Angel got herself some coffee and a muffin. “I could have done that myself,” I said to Angel. “They never would have heard you with all the noise they were making,” she replied. “That’s true,” said Friskie, ‘your voice is not loud enough for that.” Sigh. She’s right though, I can’t yell loud enough. I then called Samantha for an update on our two patients. “Roxanne didn’t make it,” she said, “I thought Lily told you that already.” “Not a word about either of them,” I said, “she was probably distracted by someone else, or by donuts.” “Oh,” she said, “I don’t like that, she disobeyed me, that’s 5 demerits for her.”

“No, let it go this time please,” I said, “it wasn’t an emergency. No one else informs me about things lately either and I can’t give everyone demerits.” “Why not?” she said, “Patient 1 is recovering nicely, but it will be a while yet.” “That’s good to hear,” I said. I then called Celestine to come and see me and once she arrived I asked my ghost guards to leave us alone since this was a counseling session. I said they can lock the door from the outside now since Jennifer put a lock there to keep me in here if necessary. Sigh. “I was wondering why that lock was there,” said Celestine.

The ghosts left and locked the door. “How come we never noticed that lock?” asked Angel. “Hush, he might be able to hear us still,” said Friskie. “This isn’t our normal counseling time Steve,” said Celestine,” what’s wrong?” Down in the library Angel and Friskie met Steffie. “Steffie honey,” asked Friskie, “is there a secret exit from daddy’s office?” Steffie just smiled and nodded. “That sneak!” exclaimed Friskie, “He escaped Angel!” “What?!” said Angel, “No, that can’t be!” “But I not tell daddy about it yet,” said Steffie, “I not tell nobody.” “Are you sure?” asked Friskie. “Yep, I sure and double sure,” she said smiling.

“That was close,” said Angel. Later that day Jennifer, Sky and the Bad Girls arrived back home and Jennifer came up to my office. “Jennifer’s back!” exclaimed Angel and Friskie, “Babysitting is over!” Then they ran down those stairs remarkably fast! “Wow!” said Jennifer, “What did you do to them?” “I think they were bored,” I said, “there isn’t a lot to do in this office. We did go downstairs for a while though, but there was nothing for me to do, so I came back here.” “Why not go to the pool?” she asked. “I mentioned that, but they reminded me what day it is for the pool,” I said.

“Oh, that’s right,” she said, “I must remember to cancel that when I go away.” “They did get an hour off during my counseling session,” I said, “but they locked the door like you said to do.” “Good. Wait, you didn’t have a counseling session booked for today,” she reminded me. So I told her. “No.” she said, “Things are going to change around here after this, I mean, this is crazy, you’re still our leader.” “Well, right now I’m leader in name only,” I told her, “you and Kat are the real leaders. But I’m glad the team has learned so well that they can function perfectly without me, it makes me feel better about…”

“NO!” she said again, “I think the teams have gotten too overconfident so that we think we don’t need you anymore and that is not good. You don’t even know what’s going on anymore.” “Jazzy and Dawn still talk to me and give me reports,” I said, “even though no one else does.”

Meanwhile, at 21:00, a meeting was getting started at the Brooks House. “Good idea meeting out here Deborah,” said the Mayor. “Yes, and with my security people down the road,” she said, “no one else can come in and surprise us.” Back to our team. “They are likely going to have some early warning guards along the road Kat,” said Aari. “You leave them to us,” she replied, “I will let you know when we have cleared the way for you.”

“Okay, we’re all set for our part,” he said. Kat and Carolyn have developed a new type of radar that is fitted on our vans which scans a long distance ahead, seeing through trees and other things and picking out people. “There, stop,” said Kat. She then sent some of her Wildcats out to get the four men, two on each side of the road. They walked quietly through the trees and then jumped the men! It was only a brief struggle and it was all over, so the vans kept driving. They turned down a side road and soon, “There’s two more of them,” said Kat.

Some different girls went out this time and were soon picked up by the van. That was all they found and they didn’t want to drive further until the Black Wolves arrived which they did very quickly and kept on going past the Wildcats. The meeting should be in full swing by now, a perfect time to break up the party. The Wildcats were now in position all around the old house, just in case some of them tried to escape when the Wolves entered the house.

Hopefully there are no secret tunnels or underground rooms where they might hide. Just as Rock was about to smash the front door, Kitty noticed a wire near the bottom of the door, so Catalina was called in to check things. “Yep, they have the door booby-trapped,” she said, “smash it and the door goes boom. This will take care of it though.” She set a small package by the door and they all stood well back. There was a big explosion and the ghosts went in first, followed by Rock and the other Wolves…

To Be Continued. ©2026 Steve McLeod.