Casually strolling into the garden of the last house on the row, Sidney ducked behind the hedge. Her focus narrowed to take in only the three siofra minds. Her eyesight sharpened. Her hearing singled out the sound of their heartbeats. The steady rhythm increased in tempo; their excitement building in readiness for an ambush.

She was a predator. She loved this, loved the feel of adrenaline as it coursed through her veins in preparation for a fight. Picking one that seemed to be the leader, she looked through his eyes as he watched two women approach, hurrying and casting nervous glances behind them.

The deochfola was old, older than her at any rate. Sidney could see in her mind too and it raced, searching for any option that would save not her but the human. Her friend.

Sidney sent a silent message to her. There are three siofra ahead waiting in ambush behind a fence in the car park. My associate will take care of the one behind you. Protect your friend and stay out of my way.

Not waiting for any acknowledgment, she moved swiftly and silently through the trees that separated the garden from the car park; jumping easily over the waist-high, wire fence then crept along behind the parked cars until she reached the one behind the men.

The leader turned and sniffed the air. "Behind us!" he shouted in warning to the others a second too late.

The firsts head smashed through the driver side window as she threw him to the side. The second came at her from the front, while the third went round behind her.

Second's technique was a little clumsy and no match for her in the close confines between the cars. He managed to block several of her punches and kicks until he moved in with his own, and left himself open as he rounded with a kick to her mid-section. Grabbing his foot, she held it up to expose his family jewels to her boot. He crumpled, clutching himself as she let go. She leapt on him, grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and hit him square on the nose with her forehead - cartilage crunched. One more punch to his face was all it took to knock him out.

While Sidney had been busy, the deochfola had pulled the third by the hair as he made his move. She swung him around, struck him with several jabs to his face and stomach, finishing him off with an uppercut. He lay sprawled over the bonnet of a black convertible. She dusted her hands then bowed to Sidney. "I'm in your debt. I couldn't have taken all three and protected Susan at the same time. My name's Emily," she introduced herself, holding out her hand for Sidney to shake. "Thank you for your assistance."

"Sidney," Sidney responded. "And this is my associate Dainton." She added as they were joined by the deochfola in question, who was chatting casually with the human as they approached.

"We should probably take advantage of their unconsciousness and feed from them," Dainton suggested. "It'll be a long night otherwise."

"Fair point. The big one's mine though," Sidney claimed, rolling the biggest shifter over onto his back. "I have a hankering for bear blood."

Susan kept watch at the entrance of the car park while the others fed.

"So what now? As much fun as that was they'll only be out for a short time," Emily asked a short while later, shooting worried, yet satisfied, glances at the three men.

"Hmm...I'll be right back." Sidney ran back to the three prone figures, pulling them beyond the tree line to sit them against a fallen tree. She spoke to their foggy minds, Sleep... Sleep until the sun rises.

"We'll have no trouble from those three before morning, and I plan to be long gone by then."

"I suggest you head south as most of the surrounding towns and villages are now under the control of Micah of Kells," Emily suggested. "They're no longer safe for any deochfola and he seems to be moving his campaign north."

"Just my luck. We've no choice but to go north if I'm to get home again."

"Where's home?" asked Susan.

"Long story, let's just say not local. But first things first, time to go rescue my people from the jail cells."

"Now this I can help with," Susan offered. "I worked as the desk clerk there for several years and I know the place like the back of my hand. How about we head to my place? It's far enough out of the village and I can draw out a floor plan for you."

The four got into Susan's car and travelled the five miles to her country cottage, west of the village. They left the forest behind about a half mile before they pulled into the long lane, leading to an enclosed yard of a small farm holding. Sidney could smell the cattle and chickens Susan had mentioned she kept.

The sitting room of the tiny thatched cottage was roomier than it appeared which afforded enough space to seat them all comfortably. Susan left them to gather paper and pens she needed to draw out a floor plan of the police station and its adjoining cells. She returned a few minutes later, balancing a tray with the pens, a cup of coffee and a few sandwiches in one hand and a drawing pad tucked under her arm.

*****

Susan blew the crumbs that had fallen from her sandwich off the finished drawing. "That's about all I can tell you on the layout. There should only be two officers on duty at night, but the cells have never been so full before so there could be another one. Their weapons include stun poles with enough electrical power to take down an elephant."

Sidney rose from her seat, followed by Dainton and Emily. "Thanks for your help," she addressed both Susan and Emily. "Good luck in finding a safe place."

"We'd like to come with you, if we may?" Emily asked, apprehensively. "I know who you are and I'd like to help in any way I can."

Sidney sighed, reading Emily's mind. "I'm not the Deliverer, just an unfortunate victim of some sort of wormhole between our worlds. All I want is to go home, and if I can bring the others of my world with me then all the better... Dainton stop nodding, it's just a coincidence nothing more."

"Whatever you say," Dainton placated. "Now shall we go rescue your friends? It's already past midnight."

"You've become very brave all of a sudden," Sidney observed, rolling up the drawing in preparation for leaving. She turned to Susan. "It might be best if you stay here out of sight until we return."

"Well, I was thinking," Susan interrupted. "You'll need a getaway driver and a bus to stand any chance of pulling this off. I just happen to know where I can get my hands on a bus."

"Okay, I can see what you're thinking, and that's a pretty good plan," She agreed. "Fine, you get the bus and meet us in the same car park as earlier. Everyone ready?"

^%zx'