Martin cocked his empty gun again, checking the empty chamber. He was getting impatient. His men were playing cards, looking at their watches and yawning from time to time. He stood up looked at one of his men. “Let’s go check up on our guys, Jimmy.” He said in a coarse voice.

“Yes, sir!” The man replied, jumping off the stool. They went outside and sat in the SUV. “Where to?” The BSS operative asked.

“Let’s check up on the private eye first.” Martin replied, “Then we’ll check the supermarket.”

“Got it.” Said Jimmy, starting the ignition.

-----------------

“Damn it! I don’t think anybody lives here anymore.” Tony cursed, kicking at the patrol car’s tire. He pushed the police officer out of his way and reached for the file on the dash board, sticking his hand through the window.

“Let’s see what else we’ve got here.” He muttered angrily as he was skimming through all the information he had managed to gather on Emilia Moore.

“There!” He shouted triumphantly at the confused policeman. ”Her step dad is listed on the employee’s list of a supermarket! Let’s go there!.”

-----------------

As Aura was washing her foot in the bathroom to get rid of John’s remains, on the other side of the town, the BSS operative in front of the supermarket noticed a patrol car parking in front of the super market, and its two passengers soon walked inside quickly. He took out his phone as he walked at a normal pace toward the supermarket’s entrance.

He texted: police came by. Going in to check. Will report soon.

Martin read the text immediately. “This should be interesting.” He said, looking out the window again. “How long before we reach the motel?” he asked Jimmy.

“About ten more minutes, sir.”

“Step on it.”

-----------------

Tony got of the car and went inside the supermarket. The uniformed policeman followed, and neither him nor Tony noticed the man wearing a grey hoodie, who had crossed the street and was now walking toward them. Tony walked directly toward the manager who was standing next to a cashier, talking to two customers.

“Excuse me.” Tony said, interrupting their conversation.

“Just a minute, sir.” The manager replied, he turned back and resumed his conversation.

“I don’t have a minute.” Tony interrupted again, this time showing his badge.

The manager stepped away from the customers, and walked to a corner, followed by Tony and his uniformed college. “How can I help you, officers?”

“I’m looking for one of your Employees. His name is John Moore.”

“Could you tell me what John has done? Is he in trouble?” asked the manager, he now looked a little nervous.

“We just need to ask him some questions.” The detective replied.

“Well, I told the people who came before you. John works the evening shift, and he’s…”

“The people before us?” Tony interrupted abruptly, looking at the officer next to him.

“Yes, a man asked for John just a couple of hours ago.” The manager replied, his eyes moving between Tony and the officer quickly.

“Okay, tell me where his home is.” Tony said, taking his notebook out of his pocket.

“He lives at no. 23, Maroon St.” The manager said quickly.

“Thanks, you’ve been very helpful.” Said tony, walking toward the entrance before the manager could say anything.

Just as Tony and his driver walked out of the supermarket, a man in a grey hoodie, who was browsing the magazine stand next to the corner where the manager was still standing, picked up a magazine and went to the cashier. He then proceeded to walk out of the supermarket. Outside, the police car was still parked, and he could hear the faint voice of its radio, and the plain clothes man, talking to the driver.

“I don’t like this. Let me check with the lieutenant first….”

The already faint voice became inaudible as the man walked past the car at a steady pace. He crossed the street carefully, and disappeared from sight around the first corner. He then stopped, and took out his cellphone.

----------------------

Tony and the uniformed officer sat in the car. The windows were rolled down a little to let the fresh air in. Tony looked at the driver.

“Another person has been asking around for the Moores?” Tony said, frowning.  “I don’t like this. Whoever he was, he wasn’t a cop.”

“Do you want me to go to the address?” The officer said.

“No, we’re probably facing murders here. Let me check with the lieutenant first.” Tony said, picking up the radio. “We’d better get some back up and a warrant, we can’t lose this lead. It’s all I’ve got.” he continued, before pressing the button.

-----------------------

Martin sat on the bench next to the man in a suit, who was drinking coffee and reading a newspaper. “Any news?” He said, stretching his arm toward the man with a smile.

The man nodded and gave him the back pages of his newspaper. “No, they haven’t come out of their room.” The man in the suit replied.

“Where did you get the coffee?” martin said, pretending to read the article on the local school’s new play.

“There’s a café around the corner.” The man replied, still looking at his newspaper. “Tastes like piss, though.”

Even the coffee is tasteless in this city. Martin thought, looking at the picture of five kids, wearing their mothers’ curtains like Roman robes. His thoughts were interrupted by the vibration of his cellphone. He took it out of his pocket, the text message read: Cops going to dad’s place. 23 Maroon St. you have a head start.

Martin deleted the message immediatly, andthen  quickly pictured the city map in his mind. The cops must have been near the supermarket, which was a couple of blocks away from where he was. It was likely that he and the cops would arrive around the same time, which would mean disaster. The safe house however, was much closer to Maroon Street. His men would arrive at least 15 minutes sooner than the cops, even if the cops moved from the supermarket right away, and 15 minutes was all the time his men would need. He texted one of his men at the safe house:

 Go to no. 23 Maroon St. and grab the father ASAP before cops show up. You have a 15 minute head start.

The phone vibrated almost instantly. The message simply read: got it.

Martin could picture his men’s happiness as they checked their pistols, and ran for the car. He gently put the newspaper on the bench between himself and the man in the suit. “Remain until relieved.” He said, smiling. He then walked on the sidewalk toward the closest alley, where Jimmy was waiting for him.

-----------------------------

Having washed her foot clean of John’s remains, Aura had nothing else to do but sit behind a window and watch the street through the thin white curtain. She had locked both the front and the back doors, and was now in the living room. She had put a safe distance between herself and the three traps, but still, she would touch her necklace from time to time nervously. She had never had the chance to actually try her traps, and couldn’t help but wonder what she would happen if they failed. She knew she had no chance against even the blond in normal size,  let alone the tall man. Even with all I’ve achieved, my physique is still my weakness, she thought to herself with great sadness. She didn’t have much time to revel in her thoughts though, as she noticed a car with tinted windows stopping in front of the house. It was clear that the driver was in a hurry.

They’re here already! She thought, feeling shocked. She wasn’t sure whether she was ready for the encounter. Her surprise and stress turned into sheer fear as soon as she saw the four large men stepping out of the vehicle. What? Who the hell are they? FOUR MEN? She thought nervously. She froze for a second, hearing her heart pounding in her chest. As two of the men ran out of her view around the house, she got a hold of herself, and ran toward her room. She stood there in the living room just two steps away from the nylon line in her room, waiting. Her heart was beating faster than ever in anticipation, and her toes and finger tips were getting cold.

--------------------

The four BSS personnel stepped out of their car and scanned the house in the suburban neighborhood. It was an old, one story house. It was good news to them, because it meant that they had less ground to cover. The street was almost empty, everybody was still either at work or at school that time of the day. Even better, the house on the left of their target was boarded up, and there was an empty lot on its other side. This meant that they could enter by force.

The driver and one of the men who had a scar on his chin went around to see if there was a back door to use, as they’d planned on the way, while the other two men walked toward the front door at a fast pace. They paused on the porch for a moment, each taking cover on either side of the door. Their friends didn’t appear around the other corner, which meant that they’d found another point of entry. The bald man nodded at his friend and then stepped away from the wall, and kicked the front door. With a loud bang, the front door was opened, and the short muscular man stepped in, aiming straight toward the living room with his Glock pistol, scanning for the father. The bald man followed him, holding his pistol.

Around back, the driver heard the front door getting kicked open, and he took position behind the backdoor, and kicked it right next to the knob as hard as he could. The wooden door snapped open, its upper hinge was now out of place. The man with a scar on his chin, who was leaning against the wall beside the backdoor, rushed inside holding his Glock. The driver was just about to follow him inside when he heard a loud BANG coming from the opposite side. He tighten his grip of his silenced FiveSeven pistol, as he took a step toward the back door. He hadn’t crossed the threshold yet when he heard a second loud BANG, and then the man with the scar who was in front of him disappeared in a mixture of smoke, fire and a strange blue color. His training kicked in, and he jumped back for cover on an instinct. He landed on the dusty back yard on his back, his pistol still in his hand, aimed at the back door. He paused there for several seconds, then got on his feet, still aiming at the door, and walked toward it.

---------------------

Aura heard a loud bang, followed by the sound of wood creaking. She jumped over the nylon line and went inside her old room. Adrenaline had kicked in and her sharp mind was now analyzing the sounds that were coming from the living room at an accelerated speed. Soon after the first sound, which must’ve been a door getting kicked, she heard a second similar sound of wood getting hit. It came from the back door. They’re in. She thought in terror.

She heard some heavy steps, but the sound was soon overwhelmed by a very loud BANG, it was from the front door. The first trap. She thought, hoping that it was enough for the two men. Even a few drops are enough, it must be… her thoughts were interrupted by a second loud BANG, this one coming from the back. That’s it! That’s the second one. She thought, listening for the slightest sound of footsteps. It was quite. She stepped out into the living room despite her deep desire to remain hidden in her room, her body was shaking from fear.  

She quickly scanned for intruders, there was some smoke in the room, but she managed to distinguish the two heaps of clothes on the ground just a few feet from the open front door. She looked back and saw some other clothes lying on the ground there. She impulsively walked toward the closest heap of clothing, which was near the back door, and jumped on the clothes, stomping with all her strength, her TOMS thumping against them. She stepped as hard as she could on the khaki pants, the black sweater, and even the running shoes. After about a few short seconds, her right foot landed on something bulging from the clothes, and she heard a crunching sound, mixed with a faint shout. She raised her right foot, and then stomped it as hard as she could on the same spot on the shirt. She heard a second, louder snap. Got you, you bastard, she thought, stomping again and again with all the muscle strength she had in her leg as well as her full weight. Each time her foot landed on that red spot, she heard more snapping sounds, and the bulge in the shirt was getting more flat. Suddenly, she sensed movement in front of her, and raised her head. A large man holding a pistol was standing there, his mouth half open, staring at her.

Aura darted back toward her room, with the large man following her with afraction of a second delay. She managed to jump over the nylon line as she entered her room at the last moment and dived on her bed, then rolled over it and took cover on the other side of the bed on the ground. Just as she dived for the bed, she heard the sound of an explosion from her back, and she could swear she felt the heat in her feet. She quickly crouched behind the bed, fearing she would see the large man standing in the room, but instead, she saw smoke, and another pile of clothing on the floor, right next to the sooty mark on the wall. A shrinking figure was in the shirt, struggling hysterically.

Aura checked her legs and hands, she was still in her normal size. Suddenly, all her fear vanished, and her devilish smile was back.

----------------------------

Tony managed to get the lieutenant to dispatch two patrol cars to the step father’s house. He had also agreed to get him a warrant. Now he leaned back on the front passenger seat of the patrol car as it moved through the traffic, its sirens on. He was more relaxed now that he knew his only lead was in the bag.

----------------------------

Aura quickly searched the clothes for the tiny men. She had no intention of giving them the chance to clear their head and vanish among the furniture. They had made a lot of noise, and she was afraid someone would call the cops. She began with the man who had followed her into the room. It didn’t take her long to find him under his beltbuckle, because she had seen exactly where he had shrunk down. She held the naked man in her fist, gripping him tightly. Even at this size, it was clear that he was in shape. It only made Aura squeeze him even more tightly, enjoying how useless his muscles were against her small, tender hand.

She walked fast across the living room and dropped the naked, confused man in her purse. She then walked as fast as she could toward the two heaps of clothing next to the front door. She looked outside as she stood next to a pair of jeans. There was nobody in the street. She quickly began searching inside the navy hoodie and soon found the naked man in the left sleeve. “Where do you think you’re going?” she said to the scared miniature man, as she held him from both his hands, squatting on his jeans. The man was dangling from her index finger and her thumb, this one’s muscles were even larger than the first man, but it seemed that he was shorter than the her previous captives. “Guess you are used to being a shorty, huh?” she said laughing in his face. He only blinked, looking like an idiot, without any other expressions.

She turned her wrist so the man’s body was now on her palm, while she was still holding his hands. She closed her hand, holding the muscular man firmly between her fingers. Still squatting, she took a look at the other clothes that were scattered on the floor farther toward the front door. A small, naked man was standing there, staring at her. His mouth was open in surprise. The miniature man and the giant girl stared at eachother for a moment, and then the miniature man turned around, and began to run toward the open door. Oh shit, Aura thought, diving toward the running man, her left arm stretched out. She didn’t reach him, and he was now about a foot away from the threshold. If he reaches the yard, It's done! She thought, standing up as fast as she could. There was little hope of finding the tiny man in the front yard among the bushes and plants. She ran toward the threshold.

The tiny bald man was almost on the porch, and he was only a bit away from its edge. If I make it to edge and jump off in the bushes, she won’t be able to get me. The bald man thought, running as fast as he could. He heard a very loud thump behind him, and the ground beneath his feet shook. He looked back, and saw the giant girl lying on the ground on her stomach, staring at him. Her expression was a mixture of anger and fear. Oh shit, she’s pissed! The bald man thought, running faster. He jumped and was now running on the wooden porch. Just a little bit farther, he thought, hopeful. That’s when he heard loud foot steps behind him, with every sound the wooden ground would shake beneath him. He felt a shadow over him as he was desperately trying to run even faster. Then a very large blue shoe with colorful patterns appeared from the sky in front of him. Its inner side was toward him, and the shoe came toward his face at the speed of light. He felt the fabric surface of the shoe hit his entire body, and then he was flying in the air. That was the last thing he felt.

Aura stood on the porch to catch her breath. She’d just managed to reach the tiny man and kick him back inside the house. He’d hit the wall and was now motionless on the ground. Shit, I think I killed him. She thought to herself. She suddenly felt something moving in her right fist, and then she opened it. The short muscular man’s miniature body was soaked in her hand’s sweat, and the man was breathing fast, his muscular chest going up and down frantically. “Oh…I….Must’ve squeezed you….pretty hard tough guy…” Aura managed to say between her gasps for air. “I’m sure… a big guy like you can handle it though….” She continued, as she walked inside the house. She squatted over the bald man’s body, and put her index finger on his chest. She felt a faint heartbeat in the man’s chest, and picked him up. She then proceeded toward the kitchen counter, and dropped the unconscious man and the muscular one in her purse. She then zipped her purse close. It was at this time when she hear a distant siren. “Oh shit, the cops!” she said, snatching her purse. She rushed toward the back door.

On her way out, she stepped on the red mark on the shirt. She tooke three more steps toward the back door before turning back and walking to the red mark. Damn it, I can’t make the same mistake again. She thought, squatting down. She slid her hand inside the shirt through the collar, and felt her finger tips coming in contact with a wet goo. She cupped her hand and scrapped off all the goo she could feel, and took her hand out of the shirt. “Ewwww” she almost shouted as she saw the mashed body of the man with a scar in her cupped hand. She ignored her disgust and stood up. The sirens were getting closer. She ran through the backdoor and into the back yard and kept running as fast as she could toward her car which was parked in the nearby alley, still clutching her purse.