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For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
After someone shot at Carine and Brandy, Aari sent 3 of the guys after that shooter. They caught him coming down the back stairs and brought him back to Aari who was sitting in one of the vans out front. “Are you okay Brandy?” asked Carine. Brandy was just standing there looking at Carine. “Those bullets,” she said, “they hit you and fell to the sidewalk, and you’re not even hurt.”
“Well, that’s part of a, um, new invention that we are trying out on our team,” said Carine, “but I’m not really allowed to talk about it right now. It is supposed to be something secret.” “Oh, that makes more sense then,” said Brandy, “it’s just that with the way things are right now, well, I didn’t know what to think about that.”
“Yes, I can understand it wouldn’t be easy,” said Carine smiling, “I hope you will trust us, we can help to keep you safe from these people. They are a dangerous organization based in Minneapolis. We are a team of private investigators trying to stop these people.” They went over to the vans. “This guy doesn’t know how to open his mouth,” said Aari, “guess we will just let him go, without his rifle.”
He then put an envelope into the mans pocket and let him go. He quickly went back to his car where 2 of his friends were waiting. “Get her?” asked one of the men. “No, too many people around so I couldn’t get a clear shot,” he said. “Where’s your rifle?” asked the second man. “Those guys were after me, so I left it behind,” he said.
“And what is in here?” asked the second man as he took the envelope from the shooters pocket. “I don’t know, the one guy stuffed it in my pocket,” he said. The man looked in the envelope and there was $5,000 in it. “What did you tell them?” he asked. “Nothing at all,” he said nervously. “They gave you $5,000 for telling them nothing?” he asked.
“Yeah, that’s it, I don’t know why,” he said even more nervous now. The first man made a phone call to a Ms. Cameron and told her about the money. “Kill him, you and Brad keep the money,” she said, and hung up. Back to our team. “I saw that man several times going in and out of that photo studio,” said Brandy, “he always made me nervous.”
“Can you tell us where that studio is now?” asked Aari. “Yes, I can,” she said, “but please, don’t leave me alone. I’m terrified now.” “Do you mind coming with us?” asked Aari, “we promise to keep you safe. Do you have any family in the city?” “No, my family all live in Montana,” she said, “I moved down here to get away from those cold winters.
I have been living here for 4 years now and had some good friends, I thought, but when this problem with the studio happened, all my friends left me and won’t speak to me at all now.” “It doesn’t sound like they were good friends after all,” said John. “I know that now,” she said, “that Ms. Deborah Cameron has some real pull in this city.
She is the manager of that studio, and she has 4 women that are always with her. I think they are maybe bodyguards, or something. They always keep her surrounded when they are outside.” “Hmm, that is good to know,” said Carine, “I think you are correct in assuming they are bodyguards.” Aari told Brandy to stay close to Carine for protection.
It was rather open area around that old farm, so they couldn’t sneak in, which was unfortunate. Before getting out there Aari had phoned to let me know what was going on. I told Carine that her main job was to protect Brandy. They pulled up to the main building which was a large old house, they parked quickly and went running into the house! Rock, Bear and Oskar led the men inside where they were met with 6 rather large men.
They were about the size of John, Clarence and Burk. It was a rather short fight between those 6 against Rock and Bear. As they knocked out each one they tossed them to Oskar who stood at the large window in the main room. He then tossed them out the window. While they were busy, the other guys went into the studio room where guys were filming some videos of 4 kids and 3 adults.
Our guys knocked out the film crew quickly and then smashed everything in sight. While doing this, Ms. Cameron and her 4 bodyguards showed up. Carine gave Brandy to Aari and Alfred, then she attacked the other women with amazingly fast movements it was hard to keep track of her. All the women had dropped their guns, which were too hot, and they were no match for Carine’s speed and fighting ability.
Finally it was all over and they found a total of 8 kids, along with the 3 women who were also prisoners there. But, they didn’t find the kids they were looking for. According to the women, those children were taken someplace the day before our team arrived, but they had no idea where they were taken. Ms. Cameron just laughed at them when they asked her what happened to the kids.
Carine told Brandy to turn her head, which she did, and Carine then kicked Cameron once more, breaking some ribs. She screamed and said she would have Carine arrested! “You didn’t surrender,” said Carine, “so we were still legitimately fighting.”
It was necessary to call the police who came right away and arrested those who were alive. The 6 men at the beginning and the 4 bodyguards were all dead. But, where are the kids we are looking for?
To Be Continued.
©2025 Steve McLeod.
Talking with Emerald was certainly easier and more productive than talking to Martin. We definitely should have done this first, but really, Martin seemed like he would be easy to scare into talking. I was wrong in that assumption. Among the other things that Emerald told us, she gave us some numbers. “I have no idea what these numbers are for,” she said, “but Mr. Haugen said they were important so I better not forget them.”
They didn’t mean much to me, but Mac was still with us, so I let him take a look. “These two are for modern safes, with electronic locking system,” he said, “likely for large walk-in types. This one is for a bank account in Switzerland, but is only half the number. This one is for a very expensive electronic alarm system, something a very large business would have, or possibly a bank.
This one is for a large safety deposit box, with an extra safety number. It must hold something very important. These two are incomplete, but they have something to do with government locks of some kind. This last one, well, seems like it might be incomplete too, or it’s for something odd.” “Wow,” said Emerald, “you can tell all that from numbers?”
Mac then went back to his room and we talked to Emerald some more. Sherry and Tracy were playing with Fluffy on one of the beds at the time and doing a lot of giggling. That’s when Emerald put her head down and stopped talking. I told the girls to keep it quiet while we were talking. “That’s not it,” said Emerald, “it’s just, well, the women that work for you are always so happy.
Girls like them get the good employers while girls like me get the dregs at the bottom of the barrel because no one else will hire us. We’re just garbage to most people. Drug addicts, alcoholics, working girls, thieves…it doesn’t matter, I’m sorry.” “Tracy, who are you?” I asked. “I was a drug addict, seller, thief,” she said, “I spent 2 years in prison in Mexico.”
“Sherry, what about you?” I asked. “I was a drug addict and working girl,” she answered. “But Steve gave us a chance,” said Tracy, “and we were not going to disappoint him.” “I worked in a large criminal organization,” said Jennifer. “So did I,” said Kat. “I was probably the worst of these girls,” said Sky, “but Steve was willing to give us all a chance. My team is called Bad Girls for a reason, but all of us have changed and Steve helped us with that.”
“Would you give me a chance too?” asked Emerald. “If you’re willing to change,” I said, “then yes, I will give you a chance, gladly.” “I have already changed Steve,” she said, “I just need a chance.” “Are you sure this is the kind of job you want?” I asked. She smiled. “Yes, I’m completely sure about that,” she said. “It’s nice to see you smile for a change,” I said.
“I haven’t had much to smile about the last few years,” she said, “but maybe I can smile more now.” Kat and Jennifer took her back to her room and stayed with her and Cindy. Sky, Angel, Dawn, Melanie and Chloe stayed with me. But just before going to bed, Mac returned. “What’s wrong Mac?” I asked. “One of those numbers,” he said, “remember that Emerald said her family disappeared about 6 months ago?
Those numbers are cryptic, spell out Greene Fam, from one of the cemeteries in the area I would imagine.” “That would be her parents and 2 siblings,” I said, “I will send some of the girls around to check tomorrow.” “If you don’t need me,” he said, “I can check. Easy for me.” “Okay, thanks Mac,” I said. He then went back to his room.
Meanwhile, Aari and his team have arrived in Dallas and are looking for that photo studio. When they went to the location they had for the place, it was just an empty building. They asked around, but no one seemed to know anything about the studio. Finally a woman came out of a florist shop next door. It had been closed all day due to renovations being done.
Carine went up to her and asked about the photo studio. The woman, Brandy, was glad the studio moved to another area of the city. She felt there was more going on than taking innocent photos at kids birthday parties. She even called the police once, but they found nothing. The next day she received a letter in the mail telling her to mind her own business or people would be buying flowers for her.
She called the police again who investigated and told her it was just some neighborhood kids playing a joke on her and not to worry about it. But she has received 3 more letters, including one to her apartment, so now she is scared and quit her job. But she still doesn’t know what to do or where to go.
While they were talking on the sidewalk in front of the florist shop, Carine noticed an open window on the third floor of a building directly across the street. She nodded to Aari. Just then a rifle appeared and there were four shots. But Carine had her hand on Brandy’s arm, keeping her safe…
To Be Continued.
©2025 Steve McLeod.
Steve`s Country 