FOUNDLING: THE ARABIC ADVENTURES

BY CHRISTOPHER TOILKIEN

[ part 38 ]

As Nuage lay in the relative safety of her rescuer's closet, she knew that sleep was not going to come to her as long as her fellow classmate's were still missing. So putting her personal safety behind her, she quietly slipped out of the bedroom, and hearing Jennifer talking to someone else, probably on a phone as hers was the only voice she heard, gathered up her stolen Arabic female dress and slipped out of the apartment.

In the foyer before the elevator she burrowed herself into the all-encompassing outfit and wrapping the scarf across her face and the hood over her long black hair, waited for the elevator to ascend.

Once on the underground parking garage floor she scooped up a battered bag from a pile of trash someone was probably going to throw out and stuffed female clothes in it from plastic bags pilled around. She then reached under her cover and turned on her PDF, hoping it could be tracked even here.

Then balancing the bulging bag on her head with one hand headed out of the steel door and found herself in an alley between similar modern apartments. The sun was setting and, Nuage smiled, shadows were her best friend in this situation. A guard, seeing her exit the basement with the old bag, yelled at her, but as she sprinted away, she could hear him laughing at the little street rat that had the gumption to steel old clothes to sell in the market, and get away with it.

Nuage had been dropped off in a Paris, France alley behind a two star Restaurant, when she was just eight, and told to live there for six months by her Master. Nuage at that time spoke neither French, nor the Pharisee of the restaurant owners. She had survived by being the fastest street rat and first in and out of the Dumpster with the choices selection, were the restaurant had put its leftover food.

She also now spoke, read and could write, both Parisian French and Arabic Pharisee. The wives of the restaurant owing brothers had wanted to "Rescue" her, and when the her six months of city survival training in the alley had been up, her master had agreed to let her, for six months as a reward.

Tiny Covret Actions-R-Us

About half an hour later she was back in the bustling market. Nuage slipped up to a table pilled with old western clothes similar to those she had appropriated and listened as the old woman selling bartered with the young girls attempting to buy the faded American blue jeans she was holding on to.

"Twenty American dollars for these rags?" The girl whined. My poor father will have to slave at his stipend government job for a month to pay you for these" One girl said.

"Your father the Sultans chief of Police, spoiled little Delicia, spends more on an illicit alcohol drinks with his daily lunch than that" The older woman shot back.

The girl finding the used clothing seller knew she was rich and spoiled, reached under her covering blue outfit, revealing it concealed a schoolgirls uniform, exactly as the one Nuage's fellow classmates had worn. And ruefully handed the required money over.

Nuage was very surprised to observe her schools uniform on an Arab girl. She thought she had spotted Flame embroidered on the breast pocket, but she was not sure.

As the girl stomped off, Nuage slid up to the rear of the stall and whispered " Honored Aunt, are not the Son of our most beloved Sultans hired foreign mercenaries searching for a girl wearing a white blouse and a dark blue pleated skirt? And probably offering a reward for information leading up to her capture?"

"Yes, unknown to me child your are right. I will go and inform one of my lesser well liked grandsons to pass your information on. I do not believe she is the one, but do believe a little discord in her pampered life may teach her humility. But if you let me buy all those female clothes in your tattered bag, I will not mention that your dialect is not local, for such an obviously locally dressed little girl" She sweetly replied.

"Always willing to assist your growing retirement savings, honored Aunt" Nuage replied, proffering the bag to the waiting hands of the old woman. Just then a male dressed in a guard uniform walked up to the table.

"You should pay extra to keep this one around, honored Grandmother. She slipped past me and filled that bag with clothes, I myself would have eventually brought you for sale, for a handsome profit, of course" And laughing walked on.

The Old woman dumped the bag on her table, deftly sorting through the content, putting many into various bags both under the table and before her. Some went out, replacing others already their, but some going directly out for sale. She then slipped a worn weathered hand under her covering and came out with a wad of American money, peeling off a selection and slipping it into Nuage's hand.

"There is three hundred American, a much fairer price than I would have cursed myself for parting with to that worthless grandson of mine who was just here" She told Nuage. Slip it into your clothing for safe keeping"

"She then stood Nuage in front of her, instructing her how a local girl would walk, hold herself and dress. Female freedoms were gradually sifting into Bahrain, but only in the modern areas. Here in the old quarter it would be better if she keep to the traditional ways.

Nuage thanked the old woman and inquired how she might safely enter the younger Sheik's compound. "You are much too used to being free to have him add you to his collection" She chided.

"Take this bolt of silk cloth and carry it over your left shoulder. I will give you a note informing anyone you are my niece and I have instructed you to carry this newly acquired cloth to my sister, the Sheiks dressmaker" The older lady informed her.

"Thank you grandmother" Nuage told her, rising up on her toes and kissing the Arabic lady on her cheek. The old Arab woman had risked offending the Royal House by assisting Nuage and for no reason Nuage could discern.

"May Allah be with you" The used clothing seller said as Nuage walked off with the bolt of silk on her shoulder.

"Trembling as she approached the guards stationed before the gate of the compound she had escaped from just that morning. Nuage nevertheless walked directly up to the one stationed in front of the man door set in one leaf and keeping her eyes diverted to his feet, proffered the note that the used clothing saleswoman had given her. She felt it taken from her hand, along with the twenty-dollar American bill under it.

She then heard the door open and as she slowly walked towards it, saw the guards hand thrust in front of her face holding the note, minus the bribe. Nuage gradually letting her breath out, took the note and walked into the compound.

Nuage walked across the large cobbled open courtyard she found inside towards the big doors on the other side. Once there she halted, wondering how to enter. Then she saw a girl about her own size and age, dressed in all encompassing covering, walking from her right side towards the same entrance. She was carrying a whip on a loop at her hip and walked as one who was comfortable with her place in the scheme of things.

Nuage kept her eyes averted and held out the note again as the girl approached. She snatched it from Nuage's hand without even a glance. Read it and thrust it back under Nuage's down turned face.

"It is a good thing you are already owned little one, my master has a predilection for acquiring little girls such as us. But annoying the Sultan his father's seamstress by kidnapping her sister's assistant, even he is not that stupid"

Nuage heard a whistle and saw one leaf of the doors swing open and the girl walked in, followed by Nuage, her eyes on her feet. Nuage followed the girl through a very impressive garden, a large pool area and then a pale blue marbled room full of little girls dressed in transparent colorful silk harem outfits nestling in a rainbow of large colored pillows and soft looking sofas. But then the walls became just plain white plaster and after transiting a few more corridors and rooms ended up in an obviously dressmakers workshop.

"Your sister has sent her helper with a new bolt of silk, Honored dressmaker," The whip-carrying girl said to the older woman working at a table and left Nuage alone with her.

"I did not know my sister even had either an apprentice or a helper: The new woman said, not even looking up.

"Put the bolt over with the others and make your way back out. The guards will be closing this place up at dusk and I do not want you risking a permanent stay here if the young Sultan comes across you. He just might be arrogant enough to piss his father and me, off by adding you to his collection. Now scoot"

She ordered and without saying anything Nuage placed the bolt of silk that had provided her cover, where she told her, and slipped out of the room.

Nuage wandered around the white corridors, avoiding the few people she saw easily and eventually found herself in a long corridor running down the entire back wall of the building she prayed held his new additions to his Harem of underage girls. As there was a door every ten feet down the corridor, she surmised either he was a closet freak or this is were the new little girls were stored at night.

Nuage traced her route back to an empty kitchen and picked up a few large strong looking items to work on the doors with. But once back, Nuage was very surprised to find a meat cleaver easily damaged the first door she tried, as they were only cheep interior hollow cores. On the third she found a young girl standing at the back of a ten-foot square closet, frightened.

"I am looking for the three new girls" She told her, but as the girl was deeply tanned and possibly Egyptian, they were unable to understand each other. But apparently someone risking their life to free you has a universal language and the girl started to splinter other doors a few further on.

Just then the whip-carrying girl ran down the corridor whip in hand and yelling for them to stop, but she made the mistake of attacking Nuage with the whip first. When it struck out to wrap around her body, Nuage dodged and as the girl's momentum carried her right up to her, Nuage reached out a hand to stop her. The girl bumped into Nuage's hand and she simply froze in place.

The other girl glanced at her once and kept on attacking doors. Within a few minutes she had discovered three girls, including Mitsui and Flame. But Mary Ann was missing from where new girls were kept until the young rake had time to try them out for the first time. Nuage smiled, as one of the chained nude little girls was Delicia from the used American clothing seller's table.

"I am the daughter of the Sheiks chief of police, not a harem slave" she wailed.

"Move your new status as a slave ass along with us or stay here to receive the young Sheiks tender mercies" Flame yelled in her face. The distraught girl's shoulders slumped and Delicia meekly followed Flame from then on.

Nuage had stood guard at the entrance to the corridor and now there were five frozen statues in various posses rushing up to the corridor in response to the sounds of splintering doors. And the second to last made the whole search easier when Nuage threw Flame a ring of keys and they opened all the doors, but they found that no more little girls were imprisoned there.

Nuage led the four rescued little girls back through the white rooms and corridors towards the only entrance of the Harem, those two large doors leading into the courtyard. It was obvious all the rest of the girls must be expected to simply stay in the pillow room. And any servants or handlers involved with them slept elsewhere.

The escaping girls spread out among the existing girls questioning them about Mary Ann's whereabouts.

A few minutes later they met back in the center of the room. Luckily between them they spoke many of the languages of the girls in the room. Delicia, her wrist and ankle cuffs still clinking as she moved eagerly trying to help as translator. It appeared she had a gift for languages.

But the news was not good. Mary Ann had been literally carried kicking and screaming through the bronze door and into the courtyard beyond where the Sheik had metal torture devises he liked to use on little girls.

Nuage then led her group towards the door and looked it over. It was a very solid cast bronze door set in a bronze doorframe. Flame stood back and Nuage knew if she asked the door would be soon melted.

But that first girl Nuage had freed stepped up shooing the others back. From inside her top she withdrew a long thin pin and kneeling down before the door put one hand near the lock and the other, holding the pin just in front of the locking mechanism. They saw her hand holding the pin move searchingly, and finally deftly, then heard a loud click.

She then pushed on the door and it swung open. Beyond was a plain room and beyond could be seen a torch lit courtyard. Then a scream torn from probably Alice's mouth echoed through the first room.

The girls rushed forward to see a nude young adult male holding a white hot branding iron in his right hand and advancing on a terrified Mary Ann stretched out on a metal rack. He turned as the four girls advanced and they saw Alice's scream had aroused his obviously bruised maleness.

"Bastard" Flame and Nuage cried out. "Come and try to take on an unfettered girl, or aren't you man enough?"

The young Sheik was obviously not used to females talking back to him, never, mind cursing him out. He started to walk towards them, but as he reached the large passageway between the room they were in and the torture courtyard, stopped, reaching down to something on the table near the doorway. And when he continued, the girls could see he was holding an automatic pistol in his other hand.

He raised the pistol and pointing it at the obvious leader of the insurrection, Nuage. She saw his finger squeezing the trigger and then a loud crack.

But when she opened her eyes, his body lay sprawled across the room in front of her. His head partially missing and his blood splattered all around, including on her. The branding iron was searing the flesh of his chest as he had fallen on it.

An adult female Valkyrie dressed in ever changing chameleon body armor was standing right ahead of her, holding a large smoking pistol on one hand and an even larger machete in the other. Similarly clad female warriors flooded the room past her, and hearing the little girls screaming behind her, must be in the pillow room as well.

"All secure" Another female said from behind Nuage.

"Then get all the girls into our transport" The first Valkyrie ordered walking up to Nuage, as she slipped the machete into its scabbard on her back and the pistol into its holster on her chest.

"My name is Mavis and I am very glad to meet you Nuage" She said. I have heard of all your exploits and hope we can have a chat when all this is over"

A larger female came walking up holding little Mary Ann in her arms as a mother holds her injured child.

"We must get this one back ASP she said in a commanding tone and as four other Valkyrie closed ranks around her strode off back the way they had come.

"Move everyone, to the insertion point for retrieval, Mavis said, reaching down and pulling Nuage off to one side.

"Can you handle Flame or should I sedate her with this" She said proffering a small dart pistol.

"No, it is my life’s duty to control her" Nuage said to Mavis, who seemed to accept this, what should seem as rather bizarre to anyone else, statement.

Mavis then walked back to were Flame stood watching carefully all the military types moving purposefully around her. Flames hair was starting to move on its own until Nuage reached out her hand to lead her away. She smiled at Nuage, and licking her lips, let herself be led into the courtyard were poor Mary had been tortured.

"He chose her because she was just a plain little girl, and therefore dispensable" Mitsui sobbed. Flame and the new Ethiopian girl hugged her tight and all four newly freed girls started to cry, Delelecia included.

"Let's see if we can get on the evac transport with her" Nuage suggested and walked into the torture courtyard. With Mitsui, Flame, Delicia, and the Ethiopian girl Nuage had freed first trailing behind.

A Fatal Mistake 101

But then the statatico of automatic weapons fire rang out, followed by the whoosh of a shoulder held rocket launcher firing and an instant later the roar as it impacted on the great doors protecting the harem.

"Who?" Inquired Mavis as the rescued girls ducked, or froze. Screams and whales of terror echoed from all around, quickly followed by the comforting, but attempting to nevertheless instill urgency voices of adult rescuing females.

"His personal guards appear to have quite a bit of illicit heavy weaponry" Mary replied. We have four from "B down. They are being brought back to the insertion point"

Another launch and impact shook the walls.

"Mary, have the Praetorians use their implanted weaponry to create larger doorways leading towards the pickup point"

Mavis ordered and crouching low moved through the dust towards the marble walled room full of little girls hiding behind shields of pillows. Nuage, covering the other three with her body saw Mavis raise her left arm and point it towards the small bronze doorway. For an instant something bridged the distance between her hand and the wall. Then a hole about ten feet in diameter was were the thick stone walls and doorway had been. Nuage heard no explosion, flash of neither light nor anything else. The wall and floor about five meters across was simply gone. The two who were obviously her bodyguards did not even flinch when it happened.

As Flame appeared calmed by Nuage's hand, she told her to join the trickle of transparent silk clad little girls being escorted by more of the Valkyrie through the torture courtyard and the pickup area beyond.

Then still in her black all encompassing Arabic outfit, Nuage followed the Valkyrie leader back into the harem room. It proved to be a perfect camouflage in the smoke filled rooms beyond

A fire was consuming pillows along the archway leading to the pool area. Many of the female warriors were searching and literally dragging out from under piles of pillows and from behind couches, little terrified girls they had come here to rescue. They had to pick them up and sling them across their shoulders, little legs and arms flailing as they carried them past Nuage and towards the pick up are.

"That is the reason they being pushed back, most of them are rescuing the girls, and not involved in the firefight," Nuage thought.

Another rocket impacted close outside and a resulting dense cloud of smoke billowed into the room, hiding activity and causing Nuage to choke. Three warriors supporting three more wounded warriors came through the smoke and towards the now enlarged entrance to the escape route.

Nuage slipped across the room, kicking piles of pillows as she went. Two little creatures she discovered sent packing towards the big round doorway by Nuage's pointing arm.

"They probably think I am one of the two young girls I froze as they came to stop me knocking down those doors earlier" Nuage remembered.

At the archway leading to the pool a cloud of smoke wafted back and forth from a tangle of burning canvass shades along one wall. Nuage saw a line of Valkyrie just standing on the side of the pool closest to the Harem room. Others dressed identically filtered past, occasionally firing towards the far garden.

Then one carrying another across her shoulders, with a third blazing away with a belt fed machine gun to their rear as they retreated inside.

Those three ran past Nuage crouching in the shadow of the door.

Then from her position she slipped out and looked between the legs of the eight standing as rear guard.

A horde of camo clad warriors came surging out of the garden and positioned them selves just across the pool. No one fired, but Nuage could see there were dozens of them, and a few held those green rocket launchers.

From the back a voice, first in Arabic and then switching to English ordered"

"Drop your weapons, and we might let you live, as our slaves of course. The British are on their way, but you will all be dead or in our hands by then"

Nuage heard Mavis's voice ring out: "You are out of a job, as I killed your pay master as he tried to rape a little American girl tied to a torture rack. I am offering you your lives, and a safe trip to your far homes if you drop your weapons and leave right now"

"Bitch, we will kill you all and loot the idiots palace then" He yelled and then in another languages must have ordered his men forward.

As the edges of their group began rushing around the pool, the main body poured fire into the line of warrior females across the pool. Nuage gasped as tiny sparks blossomed by the hundreds a few feet in front of them. And then two rockets instantly bridged the gap. To follow the bullets into oblivion with just a larger twinkle of light.

The fire died off from the soldiers across the pool as the females raised their left arms.

"Just Do It" Mavis's voice rang out. And as before a something bridged the distance between the Valkyrie and there target and all the men across the pool simple vanished. The dozen or so who were circumventing the pool dropped their weapons and ran heedlessly back the way they had come, but just vanished when they reached were their companions had been.

Then the Valkyrie turned as one and walked back through the doorway where Nuage was slumped up against the doorway.

Each with a puzzled expression on their smudged faces, except the last, Mavis with a worried one.

As Mavis stepped through, she turned to where Nuage was crouched, looked down and said;

"Tell no one of what you just saw, Absolutely No One, Sister Foundling" She emphasized. That is not a Foundling power, at least not mine. It is both a gift and a curse I wish I had not saddled my best friends with"

Mavis reached down and lifted up the exhausted Nuage effortlessly. She then turned as helicopters filled with Red Beret British Special Forces, started to descend into the wide courtyard beyond the blasted entrance doors.

"I think this is how that movie "Commando" ends. Mavis laughed as she carried Nuage over her shoulder into the waiting Phoenix.