Power and Fury: Outflanked and Overmatched
by demented20
A violent gang finds out that they shouldn't have messed with the art teacher.

Date: February 2006


Alisha von Edder turned to shade her laptop screen from the sun, as she got some work done while her car got detailed. She was a regular customer for the mobile detailing crew who were set up in the parking lot of a slightly rundown shopping center. She sat on a retaining wall beneath a leafless tree with her long dark hair pulled into a pony tail and draped over her left shoulder where the ends rested against the tops of her magnificent breasts. One toned, tanned leg was crossed over the other with the laptop sitting against her thigh as she racked her brain trying to remember which asymmetric encryption algorithms she was using in this new program without having to pull out her notes. She glanced up a couple of times as the guys started cleaning the inside of her BMW 645ci, working the leather until it was as soft as a newborn. Not a single fancy carwash could do a better job on her car, and several of them had not even come close.

"She needs some wipers", she heard Reggie, the business owner say. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some money. "Run over across the street and grab a good pair", he told the youngest member of his team. Alisha grinned as she watched the teen dodge cars to make it to the parts store to get her wipers like it was most important thing in the world. Twenty minutes later she looked up when Reggie called, "We've got ya finished up. What do you think?", he asked as she closed the laptop and approached her gleaming ride.

"It's terrific as always", she replied and slipped into the driver's seat after paying for the detail and the new wipers. "I'll see you guys next time", she called and pulled off with her hair blowing in the wind. It was probably a little too cool to have the top down, but it was so beautiful out. She got plenty of looks on her way to the community center, but that was normal.

Many of her students were already in the room with their little easels set up, and that made Alisha swell with pride. Some of them were already painting. Those kids had already progressed to a place where they could follow their own ideas and create. Alisha knew that painting couldn't solve the world's problems, but for a little while it could take a person's mind off of the bad things around them. Alisha enjoyed computers, science, and math, but not the way she loved to paint. Art had kept her sane in her lowest moments, and she was seeing a bit of that in the students she taught. This was the by far the most rewarding thing Alisha had ever done for herself, she could only imagine what her students were getting out of their lessons.

She entered the room to fifteen greetings, ranging from "Sup Miss E" to "The Princess has arrived", to "Hey!" Alisha just smiled and grabbed her apron and got her easel set up. She glanced out of the windows, picking out her students as some more walked from the road down towards the community center. She looked to one side and saw DeSean standing beneath a tree with four bigger boys blocking his path. "Oh no", Alisha breathed, snatched off her apron and hurried out the door. The rest of the students stopped talking and turned quickly as their teacher headed out. It didn't take most of the kids in the class more than a glance to notice the gang members she was heading for.

"So this is where you been running off to", a guy about Alisha's age said. "You know Carlo don't like it when you don't show up."

"I ain't been runnin nowhere!", DeSean yelled. "Carlo's not my daddy!" DeSean was trying to play it tough, but Alisha could see the fear on his young face. She was sure the older boys could see it too.

"DeSean, who was it who set you up when your brother was about to get what he was due?"

"You Quest", DeSean said as his chin sank towards his chest.

"That's right me! Things been going real good until you started doin' this gay ass paintin' shit! There's no time for that DeSean. Now get your little ass in that car!", Quest, the ring leader yelled loudly enough to make DeSean flinch.

"Hey", Alisha called as she got closer. The four guys turned as she approached, all of them looking her up and down with lecherous thoughts jumping into their minds. They'd heard of the art teacher, but none of them had ever seen her until now. She had a body like one of those swimsuit models and her face was pretty as hell too. All the eyes ended up on her cleavage though, sending their hormones into overdrive. "DeSean! You come with me!"

"Damn, shorty! Can you teach me how to paint?", one of them teased and the group laughed. Alisha ignored them and reached out for DeSean. A guy tried to grab him, but grabbed only air as she pulled her student out of the way. "Stay out of this, art teacher", the head guy warned.

"You seem to know who I am, who the hell are you?"

The leader of the group looked around at his boys then back to Alisha. "You can call me Quest. Now while you're fine as hell, I'm not here for you, little mama. I'm here for him."

Alisha shook her head. "He's not going. All of you need to leave!"

"Sure we'll leave, fine ass art teacher, just as soon as that little man gets in the car and does what he's supposed to do."

"I already said that he's not going!"

"See, it don't matter what you say", Quest stepped up closer. His frustration was growing. "Ain't that right DeSean?"

"Miss E, you don't understand", DeSean said with tear filled eyes.

She gave his shoulders a squeeze before saying, "I understand completely. These assholes have been using you as a drug mule because cops don't usually stop little kids."

"You're smarter than you look", Quest said with a snicker. "Now I hope you're smart enough to know to get the hell out of the way. DeSean you better stop hiding behind this bitch's skirt, before you get her hurt. You belong to Carlo."

"The hell he does!", Alisha yelled defiantly.

Quest laughed. "Look at the little rich bitch art teacher thinking she can save the world. You can always run back and hide behind daddy's money. This is the grit, shorty. DeSean, this bitch don't give a damn about you. As soon as she gets tired of messin' round the little poor kids, she'll move on and you'll be stuck here. Life don't change, little man.

"You've got no future", Alisha spoke with authority. "None of you do. I'm here showing these kids that there's a different way to see life itself."

"Ain't no other way!", Quest growled, his brow gathering as his anger grew. "I've got nothing against you teach, that's why we're conversatin' instead knocking your teeth out, but what you're sayin' ain't real." He lifted his shirt showing her the grip of the pistol he had tucked in his belt. "This is real."

Alisha snickered. This guy had no idea what was real. She controlled the reality around her. She could turn day into night or dry land into a raging white water. The possibilities of reality were as endless as her imagination. "Wow, you're a big man", she said with a smirk. "Gonna pull a gun on a woman and a little kid. Your mother must be proud."

Quest frowned and stepped up to Alisha, towering over her. "Bitch, I've told you how it is! Now you better get your tight little ass and them big ole titties back in there and teach those kids your bullshit before it's too late", he warned.

"I'm not going anywhere without DeSean!", she declared.

Quest snatched the gun from his waistband. The staff inside the community center gasped as the sun glinted off the nickel plated slide. The students tried to get out the doors, but the staff was more determined than ever to keep the rest of the kids safe. To Quest's surprise though, the teacher didn't shrink away. She stepped forward.

"You think that gun scares me!", Alisha shouted. "I've been shot before and the bastard that did it is dead. You better put that gun back where you got it from before I stick it up your ass and pull the trigger until my fucking finger gets tired. I'm done talking. Get your sorry asses back in that car!"

DeSean looked as shocked as the gangbangers then the tears really began to flow. He just knew that his favorite teach in the world was about to die right in front of his eyes. Quest laughed and looked back to his boys. "I guess I'm gonna have to explain to Carlo why there's a dead bitch in his territory", he said.

"You wanna tell Carlo something! Tell him to go fuck himself!", Alisha screamed. DeSean gasped.

Quest shook his head. "This bitch has to be fuckin' crazy", he exclaimed and raised his gun as the other three reached for their pistols.

Alisha let out a long breath then lunged forward, lifting her knee as she moved and driving it right between Quest's legs. He doubled over and she punched with her right hand, knocking the gun from Quest's hands. The goon to her left had his hand on his pistol, but she stomped hard on his foot then punched him in the neck as hard and fast as she could. He gagged and stumbled backwards. Alisha made one small step towards him and snatched the gun from his pants. She instantly pointed it at the two guys who had almost gotten their guns free.

"If you think you can finish pulling your guns faster than I can pull this trigger, go ahead and try it. I'm actually kinda wishing one of you would. It's been like four months since I've shot anybody."

"Bitch you probably can't even…" The sharp report of a gunshot shut Quest up as dirt from the bullet hitting the ground an inch from his right foot covered his shoes.

"If I hear one more bitch the next bullet is going down your fucking throat, even if somebody else says it! Now pull your guns with your thumbs and index fingers and set them on the grass. Anybody using three fingers will win an all expenses paid trip to the morgue." The two still armed men split their stares between Alisha and DeSean's smiling face. They felt utterly humiliated as she instructed them to get back in their car. "Now you guys can run along with your tails tucked, or wait here and get arrested."

Alisha figured that there were more guns in the car, but by this point she wasn't even worried about being shot. She was able to use her gift and had those guys so turned around that they would been firing at the sky if they'd tried to shoot at her or DeSean. They didn't bother though because everyone began to hear a convoy of police sirens approaching.

The car started moving and Quest leaned his head out of the window, his face serious and his eyes raging. He pointed at Alisha then, formed his fingers into the shape of the gun and let his thumb fall. Alisha smiled and pointed the real gun back at him. He didn't seem scared. "We'll see ya soon!", he threatened. The police lights were reflecting off of car windshields by the time the guys drove off. Alisha exhaled and dropped the gun near the other four just before the first cop car pulled up.

The employees of the community center couldn't hold back her students any longer and they rushed out to meet their victorious teacher. "Oh my God, Miss E that was amazing. The way you fuckin punked those guys!", DeSean yelled.

"Watch your language!", she scolded him as the first cop got out of his car.

"But… but you cussed."

"Yeah, well I'm an adult and I'm trying to be better about it anyway. Those guys just got on my nerves."

A police officer gathered the guns and another took her statement. "The gun must have accidentally gone off", Alisha fibbed. "I took self defense and it worked. I had the gun, but I wasn't trying to shoot anybody with it." That last part was mostly true.

"So, you ran off four gangbangers by yourself?", a sergeant asked several minutes later.

"They were trying to take one my students. I couldn't just let them."

"You teach an after school art class."

"Exactly… I teach. What kind of example would I have shown if I let those assholes take DeSean?"

"Well you might have put yourself in the middle of something, but we'll have some extra patrols in the area just in case they come back", the officer said as they were about to leave.

Alisha grimaced as she headed back into the community center realizing that her time was already up for today's class. She was disappointed, but the kids didn't seem to mind. They had plenty to talk about. "Have you really been shot, Miss E?"

"Yeah, and it sucked. I really don't recommend it."

The kids laughed. "I haven't seen a scar", another of her students said.

"You won't", Alisha began thinking back to that night in Oklahoma when a rifle bullet had nearly killed her. "I had a really good doctor."


The sun had long since set and Sara was so tired after practice that she wanted to collapse, but she leaned against the fence chugging water as she watching her teammates kid around. Discus throwers were running 100m sprints, slowly. Steve, the smallest guy on the team was trying not to hit his own foot in the shotput circle. People tried to get Sara to try something, but she was more than happy just watching. LaShaunta seemed to be enjoying herself though.

"Higher!", she yelled and motioned with her arm for them to raise the high jump bar to 1.8m. LaShaunta's smile fell away and she stared at that bar like it was her mortal enemy. She took long loping strides, copying the motions she seen high jumpers use over the years. Tripp, the conference high jump champ for the guys had put a mark on the ground for LaShaunta to hit and without marking out her strides, she hit it perfectly. The muscles of her plant leg flexed with discrete detail. The lower heads of her quad bulged like works of art, her striations fanning out like brushstrokes. The upper heads flexed up like a mighty spike along the front of her leg, pushing its way to prominence in the tightly packed area. Little veins and capillaries branched out from the arteries running along the inside of her thigh, beneath her mahogany skin as her knee bent. Her calves flared until the inner head looked like an arrow head as the ball of her foot pressed into the ground. She was in the air for what seemed like forever. Her shoulders cleared the bar and then that perfect ass of hers did too. She threw her legs up and came crashing down to the cushions. "Take that!", she yelled.

Sara just chuckled and headed towards the cooler for more water. It was starting to get chilly out, but she was still thirsty. She'd pushed it pretty hard today in an effort to her secure her spot as the second best mile runner on the team. She was bent down with her bottle half full when she saw a shadow coming closer and looked up with a smile. "Sorry I'm late", her boyfriend said with a shrug. "I'm glad you're still here."

"I'm too tired to walk to the locker room", she lamented and held her arms up and Armen walked into them. She closed her arms around his neck and stretched up to kiss him. "I feel better now though."

"You want me to carry you?", he asked with a sideways grin.

"With these arms?", she teased and gave his 'biceps' a squeeze.

"Just because I don't have he-man arms like you…"

"Really!", Sara exclaimed and backed up. "If I'm not mistaken, the memory of my biceps was enough to make you go catatonic on top of a horse."

"Not exactly", he began, but didn't get to finish. He watched as Sara pulled her sleeve up, raised her right arm and flex her hard peaked bicep a foot from his face.  He felt a tingle go threw him and his entire body flushed at the sight. Anything else that had been on his mind fell away instantly.  She straightened her arm only to curl it and flex again. Her bicep pumped up higher and her triceps dropped down like  dugout canoes. It was both the clearest display of strength and the cutest muscles he'd ever seen. Armen reached out and brushed the hard little peak with the tips of his fingers while running his thumb along the rock hard sweep of her tricep. He was about to give it a squeeze when Sara dropped her arm to the side.

"See", Sara said and Armen gave a nervous chuckle. "And I'm exhausted. Imagine what my arm could have done to you if I'd put something into the flex." He smiled and she kissed him again.

Just then LaShaunta came running across the track. "Hey, did you see that?", she asked in a breathless voice and grabbed her own water bottle.  "I almost hit 1.85."

"You were pretty awesome", Sara called back. "Are you sure you've never done high jump?"

"Of course I'm sure. Look I'm not above giving myself an advantage, but I won't just lie." She came through the gate before looking up to see Armen. "Hey", she greeted him with a little wave. He waved back tentatively. There was a moment when no one moved or said a word, but then LaShaunta came closer. "So where you been hiding yourself?"

"I'm not hiding. That project's been kicking my butt. I already told Sara about it", Armen spilled about twice as fast as he usually talked.

"Even when I didn't want to hear it", Sara confirmed.

"Well, I'll see you guys later", LaShaunta said and started towards the locker room.

"Hey Shaunie are you riding back with me?", Sara asked, knowing that they'd ridden to campus together that morning.

LaShaunta looked at Armen's face and felt some pity. "Nah. I've got to talk to someone before I head back."

"Well don't be too late. I'm cooking my roast tonight. I don't usually pat myself on the back, but it's pretty good."


"You know Jan", LaShaunta called from her bedroom, still basking in her high jump glory. "You should join the track team. We'd win a national title if you came out."

Jan rolled her eyes. "Is Coach Berger still talking about me on the track team? That's why I haven't been around at all this year."

"No", LaShaunta assured her. "This is from me. You could pretty much do whatever event you wanted. Well, except for the 400 of course."

"Or the 1500", Sara yelled from the kitchen as she checked on her roast.

"I thought Armen was coming over", Jan said.

"He couldn't. He and Brian are working on something. I don't know what", Sara replied.

"Don't you change the subject", LaShaunta scolded Jan. "And don't give me any crap about your gift. You can control it completely. I learned that when I was kicking your tail all around the gym the other day."

"Kicking my tail huh? I remember Bradley saying that I landed more power shots."

Shaunie laughed. "Yeah well, that's because he couldn't count as fast as my hands were moving!" Jan laughed too.

Alisha closed her car door and didn't remember to set the security before rushing up the stairs to the apartment. She was usually back much earlier, but she'd taken time to make sure each of her students had gotten home before heading back to Sandy Springs. She unlocked the door with a surprisingly steady hand considering how she felt. She closed the door and leaned against it, letting out a long sigh. Sara walked out of the kitchen drying her hands and glanced towards the door and did a double take when she saw Alisha's face. "What's wrong?", she asked with instant concern. Jan and LaShaunta heard Sara's tone and stuck their heads out of their respective doors, their faces asking the same question as Sara.

"Guys, I think I screwed up this afternoon."


Detective Marcus Jennings hadn't heard from Jan in quite a while before she'd called his cell a couple of hours earlier. Now he was staking out the stash house of a known drug kingpin in a beat up Ford he'd checked out from the department motor pool. He looked at his watch wondering where the narcotics detective was. Just as the thought entered his mind there was a tap at the passenger window. Jennings turned to see a shabby looking guy reaching for the door handle. "I'm Cotes. You must be Jennings."

"Yep. Nice to meet you."

"Me and my guys have had eyes on this gang for years, but Carlo Timmons keeps his operation tight and his security tighter. We've got enough for an indictment, but we were ordered to wait for DEA to act to minimize possible collateral damage."

"You won't have to worry about that tonight. A special team's going in. You just have to do two things to get the collar of a lifetime."

"What's that?"

"Get your groups assembled, but don't send them to the addresses until I tell you to, and this", Jennings held out a thumb drive, "will be the report you turn in after the operation's over."

"What? How can you already have a report finished on something that hasn't happened yet?"

"Because, you won't actually be able to tell anybody what's going to happen here tonight. If you can't handle the arrangement, I'll call some other vice detectives and give them this bust."

"You know this doesn't make any sense."

Marcus smirked. "Nothing you're about to see is going to make any sense. Deal or not?"

"Deal", Cotes reluctantly agreed.

"Oh here comes the team now."

Cotes looked through small binoculars and shook his head. "Four girls… four hot girls are going to take down Carlo!"

"Without breaking a sweat", Jennings replied then grinned. "The poor bastard's already beaten. Just doesn't know it yet."


"That's the first address", Jan said as the four of them stood on the sidewalk down the block from the target. "I can see five guys in the front yard, and at least four in the back. Sara how many inside?"

"Nine."

"Ok, we have to go in quickly. Give them no time to react. We don't want a single gun to fire if we can help it", Jan didn't smile as she spoke, but it felt great planning a mission like the old Special Program days. "Alisha and I are going in the front. Sara, you and Shaunie take the back. This whole house should take us thirty-five seconds to clear."

"Maybe less", LaShaunta said with a smile.

"Are you ready?", Jan asked. She'd been on missions with Sara and Alisha, but she'd only sparred LaShaunta. This was a lot different than that.

LaShaunta almost boasted that she'd been on jobs all around the world for the Broker and for Morgen Stern. She'd broken into some of the most secure facilities on the planet. She'd almost told Jan that she had helped plan and successfully execute a mission with the world's best assassin, but instead she just replied, "Yeah, I'm ready."

"Let's do it then."

Jan and Alisha walked down the street glancing side to side to see if people were on their porches or pruning their perennials, but the only people they saw were the gangbangers walking around the yard of the target house. "In position", Sara told Jan and Alisha with a thought.

"Making contact now", Jan thought back, as she approached the gate. A guy with a submachine gun hidden under his coat approached the fence. He never saw Jan coming. Alisha didn't break her illusion until Jan's fist hit the man's jaw. The punch sounded like something in his face broke, but Jan didn't care. She leapt over the chain link and lunged towards the next guy. His head turned towards her, but he hadn't even reached for his gun when Jan attacked, a punch to his gut felt like she'd punched a hole through him. Snot and blood bubbled out of his nose as he doubled over. Jan grabbed him by the belt and swung him around just to throw him into the guard farthest away. A single long jumping stride put her there. She stretched her out her long fingers and palmed both men's heads like basketballs and lifted the struggling, twitching men off the ground just high enough to bash their heads together. She had to be careful not to do it too hard because for the first time in weeks, real power was flowing through her. Feeling that strength was like a drug, but she couldn't kill these men even though the rage inside her loved the blood and the combat. Jan dropped the two men before she crashed them together again. She spun and saw Alisha dispatching a guard and rolling him over. The last man wasn't fully awake yet, but he moved his three hundred pound bulk from the chair he'd been in and was turning towards Alisha while reaching for the gun under his coat. Alisha saw him, but didn't even bother to move from where she was. That guy wouldn't be able to shoot at her.

Jan came from the man's right, moving so quickly she was nothing but a blur at the corner of his vision. Her hand reached around his thick neck and the tendons on the back of her hand stood out as she squeezed. His hands went to his throat then both of them grabbed her unmoving arm. He clawed at her as she steadily increased the pressure until the man's hands fell away and he began to spasm. Jan's face was neutral as she stared at this man's suffering. She didn't think of herself as cruel, but there was a part of her that wanted to keep squeezing and put this criminal out of his misery. People like him preyed on the weak and exploited people never thinking that they might gain the attention of someone more powerful than them.

"Finished", Alisha announced after disarming and zip-tying the last unconscious gang member.

Jan nodded and walked up the stairs with her three hundred pound captive still suspended from her hand. She grabbed the iron security door and waited. "In position", Sara told Jan and Alisha with a thought.

"Stand by to breech", Jan thought back then pulled her left arm back taking the iron door and half the door frame with it. She threw the two hundred pound door off the porch then sent her right arm forward. The big banger crashed through the front door. Jan rushed in right behind him as he kept rolling and tumbling deeper into the house knocking over tables, chairs, and people. A guy with a gun dodged the flying door, but couldn't react fast enough to move away from Jan. She snatched the gun away, tossing it to Alisha then pushed the man to the floor and put her boot on his throat. A man sitting at a card table tried to grab his gun, but Jan moved far too quickly for him to react. She pressed off of the man's neck beneath her foot and slammed a punch into the side of the other gang member's head. He flew out of the chair and crashed against the wall next to the fireplace. One woman put her hands up when Alisha pointed the gun at her while the other reached for a pistol on a table behind her. She had the gun in her hand before Jan punched her just as hard as any of the men. Blood splattered against the wall as the woman landed on the other side of the room.

Everybody's attention was on the front of the house where the commotion was when the back of the house exploded inward like it had been hit by a tornado. Chunks of wood, shards of glass, flecks of paint, and plaster went everywhere. Two men had shielded themselves from the debris and were heading towards the front room with guns raised. LaShaunta was sure Jan and Alisha could handle them, but it was time for her to join the fun. She went from standing next to Sara to standing just behind the two creeping men. She reached between them and grabbed their guns and snatched them out of their hands. Both men turned quickly enough to see LaShaunta back up a few steps. They came towards her just as she sprang off the floor. Her sprinters legs split fully as she kicked both men in the face hard enough to make them stagger backwards. A spinning kick to the one on the left put him down. She really wound up and put some effort into the spinning back kick that knocked teeth from the other man's mouth, and put him down. She tossed the guns to the back of the hall and pulled out the restraints.

Just then a door off to her left came open and two armed men rushed out. They only made it half a step before they were stopped cold. Their only movement was their pained facial twitches, as Sara crushed the air from their lungs until the men looked like they were drowning. Tears dropped from their eyes but hung suspended in mid air as Sara stepped past them. She glanced at the two men as she slowly squeezed the life out of them feeling much like Jan had earlier. These people had Alisha so worried about her students that she'd been near tears as she'd told her friends what had happened outside of the community center. These gangbangers didn't know that Sara would have killed them all to save one of those kids or one of their family members. They were lucky that she didn't feel like she had to. "Clear back", she shouted just before dropping the two men and allowing LaShaunta to bind their wrists. They were conscious, and so happy to be alive that they didn't resist.

"Clear front", Jan called out after restraining the last of their captives.

"Forty seconds!", LaShaunta called out with some disappointment.

"Damn it", Jan said and stepped towards the hallway. "Well do better at the next place."

"Bingo", Sara called out and pointed at the kitchen. Drugs were stacked all over the place, the floor and countertops. To show just how little they feared a police raid, the drugs weren't even hidden. Money was all over the place too, wrapped and organized. Jan pulled out her cell phone and texted Jennings. "Time to go guys", she said and started for had been the back door.

Det. Jennings was slightly amused as two dozen cops spread out and assaulted the already secured house. The only people they saw were gift wrapped. Cotes walked in ahead of Jennings looking around at the destruction. It was like a bomb had gone off inside the place. All the hardened gang bangers looked like they'd been hit by something from outer space. Some of them couldn't even answer questions like their name because they were in shock. Their minds couldn't made heads or tails of what had just happened to them. One big guy just kept repeating, "Her eyes, her eyes", over and over again. Cotes had no idea what that meant, but Jennings did. Jan's eyes were striking normally, but when she was doing her super powered thing they looked supernatural.

Cotes didn't realize it, but the look on his face wasn't all that different from the expressions on the rounded up gang member's faces. He had seen the girls enter the house. He'd seen that tall one rip an iron door off the hinges with one hand and throw it to the grass.

"Are they taking that strength serum I've heard about?", Cotes asked Jennings with a whisper.

He laughed. "No man. Why would I use drug users to bust drug pushers?"

"Then how did they do all of this?"

Jennings chuckled and motioned for Cotes to follow him out to the yard. "You wish they were on the strength serum. That would make some sense at least, but I told you tonight wouldn't make any sense at all. Now get yourself together. I just got a text. They're at the second place."

Two miles away Jennings pulled the beat up Ford to a parking spot next to a house for sale and waited. This time LaShaunta and Sara took the front. Cotes looked on as instead of seeing a girl manhandle steel with her bare hands, he saw people flying around the yard like they were being punched by huge invisible fists. Other people dangled in the air clutching their throats like they were being strangled by hands that he couldn't see. The other girl was barely in one place long enough for him to keep track of her. In just a few seconds she'd disarmed every person in the front yard and laid their guns out. A few more seconds later all the guards were lying on the ground with their hands bound.

The two girls walked up the steps to the porch of the normal looking house, being careful not to make any noise as they approached another security door. The two of them of them stood there for a moment then Cotes' mouth fell completely open. The front of the house blasted inward although nothing at all had seemed to touch it. Siding became impaling splinters while flying glass became little lances. Then the other girl just disappeared before reappearing inside the house near three men. She proceeded to kick and punch each of the much larger men until they were on their knees. The other girl just walked into the house slowly and carefully. One guy was hanging inside a collapsing bubble while another man few across the room and crashed through a window and through the exterior bars to land in the yard with several broken bones.

"How in the hell!?", Cotes yelled inside the car.

"Shhh", Jennings said and pressed his binoculars against the window to get a better view.

A few moments later Jan yelled, "Clear back!"

"Clear front", Sara yelled and LaShaunta clapped her hands together.

"Twenty-nine freaking seconds!", she exclaimed and gave Alisha a high five as they looked at an even bigger pile of drugs and money in this kitchen. Once again Jan texted Jennings and the four roommates walked out the back of the house. They'd captured a bunch of little scurrying mice, but it was time to see if they could corral the big rat.


Carlo Timmons sat on a plush divan inside the house he called his world headquarters listening to Quest explain how some bimbo after school art teacher had punked him. Quest was one of his most tactful lieutenants, a man so reliable that Carlo had thought that picking up some kid was beneath him. It turned out that the task was actually above his head.

"Stop", he said while Quest was trying to explain how the art teacher had gotten a gun. He didn't want to hear the end of it. "That boy's brother owes me big time and we made a deal. His little brother moves my shit or they both catch bullets. So if the little bro don't want to work for us no more, fine. I have to hold up my end of the agreement. I can't run a business if people thing they can grow fucking balls. Any of you know where the boy and his people live?"

"Yeah", one of the goons standing around the wall spoke up. "Street over from my auntie's place."

"Alright then. Hell I wish I knew where that little art teacher bitch lives, but it don't matter. She'll show up and we cap her then."

No sooner had the words come from his mouth than the front door of his world headquarters exploded into his face. A chunk of ceiling fell down on top of him. Dust filled the room like billowing smoke and stung his eyes as he tried to gather himself. He heard grunts and the shuffling of feet followed by the sharp crack of a breaking jaw as a big fist slammed into the side of a goon's head. Guns were pulled, but nobody got a shot off. To his right he saw one of his men frozen like somebody had pushed pause on a dvd. The gun was stuck half raised and only the man's eyes could move in his head. Goosebumps covered his skin and a chill went up Carlo's spine as he reached for his own gun. He had his hand on the carved bone handle of his 45 when another hand covered his and squeezed so hard he screamed. He looked up through the dissipating dust and saw two incredibly blue eyes staring back at him. Her face was revealed in the next moments and he realized that she was perhaps the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, but his mind was more concerned with the bones of his hand. She used her other hand to grab the gun before releasing her squeeze. He cradled his hand and looked around. All of his men stood back against the wall, hands raised, even his most serious enforcers. They'd been caught by surprise and now they were unarmed.

The disappointment and betrayal must have showed on Carlo's face because one of his oldest friends lowered his hands and charged at the tall one with the eyes. She didn't seem like she was going to react in time as he closed the short distance, but then her arm shot out. The charging man's body practically folded around her outstretched hand as she completely absorbed all of his built up energy. Jan's muscles barely flexed even when she flicked her wrist and sent the big man flying across the room like an arrow shot from a huge bow. He was just a big smear in the air until he hit something solid enough to slow him down. He crashed through the wall with a tremendous boom. Drywall and broken bits of wood scattered across the floor and a bright blue flash made most people blink as the electrical wires were severed and fuses blew. That tall one looked at the motionless man for an instant before looking to the rest of the people against the wall. She didn't have to say a word to convey her message. They were used to be big and in charge, but they were no threat to her. They were like bugs to be flicked, but if another person stepped out of line, they might get squashed.

Another girl came into view then, stepping through the dust while holding a Glock by her hip. The two other girls followed her with their eyes as she came in and Carlo realized that she was the star of this particular show. He looked at his remaining henchmen and noticed that several guys recognized this one. She looked over at Quest and his crew. "You guys were right. You would see me soon. I bet you wish you hadn't though?" She smiled at them again, but just like the first time, there was no amusement in the look. It was the coldest smile either of them had ever seen.

"You must be the art teacher", Carlo spat.

"Amongst other things", Alisha confirmed. "And you must be the asshole who sent those idiots after my student. Your people should have left DeSean alone. He wants to be a real person, not a piece of trash like you."

"That's what this shit is about?!?", Carlo screamed. "Some fuckin mule boy!"

Alisha slapped the former drug kingpin across his face hard enough to make his head turn. The henchmen gasped, but looked at Jan and didn't move. Carlo wanted to jump up from his seat, but she raised the gun into his field of view. "That boy's the reason your whole operation is finished. I know you heard the sirens a few minutes ago. Those were ambulances taking a few of your crew to the emergency room after we busted your stash houses." Carlo looked away and Alisha grabbed him by the chin. "Look at me you piece of breathing shit!"

LaShaunta chuckled all while keeping her gun trained on her section of the room. Alisha didn't seem to hear it because she was just as intense. "Your operation is finished! Over! We rolled it up into a neat little package for the cops. They'll be here too, as soon as we call them."

She exhaled and looked around the room. Every eye was on her and she had their complete attention. "You're all really fuckin' lucky you hadn't had hurt DeSean or his family yet! Really fuckin lucky that we got here first. Because I swear that if anything had happened to any of my students every single fucking one of you would have died tonight. And you", she growled and spun to Carlo. "I'd have made the pain last and last until you begged me to kill you. I'd have taken my fucking time."

"I'll be out in a few days!", Carlo yelled defiantly, trying to regain the control he'd enjoyed for years. Alisha put the gun to his left eye and pressed hard enough to force his head back to the dust covered cushion. That defiance disappeared while everything around him disappeared too. His eyes darted in all directions and his breathing became short gasps as he floated in a cold black nothingness alone, until she appeared. Her voice boomed at him from every direction, too powerful to ignore and hissing like a massive snake.

"You're done one way or another, Carlo. Look around you!" He did and became more freaked out with each passing glance. "I made this little place just for you, and I can bring you back here any time I want. I'm going to keep my eye on your trial. If I think you might get off, then we'll return to this little spot and I'll take my time killing you Carlo."

He screamed for somebody to come stop this crazy woman, but no sound came out of his mouth.

Alisha's laugh rumbled his body and thumped in his chest. "There's nobody who can save you from me Carlo. And the rules here are whatever I say they are." The gun disappeared from her hand and a knife formed in its place. The blade began to glow red hot and she brought it close to his face. He tried to pull away but there was nowhere to go. "Just a taste Carlo", Alisha's booming voice hissed and she sliced the blade down his cheek cutting and burning the flesh all at the same time. Carlo screamed silently. She held the blade up so he could see his blood sizzle and so that he could feel the heat as he drew the blade closer and closer to his terrified looking left eye. She plunged the blade into his eye and his scream grew shrill, almost inhuman.

Then the world rushed back and he heard his own screams filling the room, only the knife wasn't there; his face was intact. Alisha had allowed Carlo's henchmen to see his reactions and to hear his wails. The former kingpin barely saw their faces when he curled up slightly as Alisha stepped back. Her eyes never left him and her jaw was set as she debated going at him again, only harder. She wondered if she should let him go to trial or if she should just keep at it until his heart exploded in his chest. She turned to Jan. The look on her tall friend's face said that she'd made her point. Jan reached into her pocket and pulled out her cellphone.

Every available cop not at the other two scenes descended on the last location. By the time they got there, every person was face down on the floor and restrained, except Carlo. He was still in the same place looking like a beaten man, realizing that the little empire he'd spent eleven years building was gone in the space of an hour. He saw the flashing lights approaching, but two men walked in through the broken down front door and surveyed the destruction first. One of them looked like a drug addict, but they could tell that he was undercover. He walked across the room to stand above Carlo.

"I've waited years for this", Detective Cotes said and pulled out the handcuffs he'd borrowed from Jennings. "Carlo Timmons stand up and put your hands on top of your head. You are under arrest for drug trafficking, felonious drug distribution…"

"Nice work ladies", Jennings said after passing the police tape to the alley.

"Ah it was nothing", Jan said with a chuckle. "Oh hey, this is our friend LaShaunta."

"Marcus Jennings", he said and the two shook hands.

"Oh no!", Sara exclaimed after looking at the time on Jan's phone. "My roast!"

Jan and LaShaunta laughed. "Hey, we've got to get back before Sara sets our place on fire. But thanks for setting this up."

"Getting a bum like Carlo off the street is why I joined the force in the first place. Besides, I'm sure there're at least a few murderers in that group. I'll probably be able to close a case or ten", the homicide detective said with a chuckle.

"I still owe you one anyway", Jan said while Sara was literally pulling her arm.

"I accept free stuff, Jan. My wife does too and Valentine's Day is coming up… hint, hint."

Jan just laughed as the four of them walked down the alley to a spot behind an overgrown thicket. The next instant they were at their apartment 25 miles away. Sara sprinted to the kitchen.

A short while later the roommates were around the table dining on Sara's roast, but not speaking much until Jan said, "You were worried, but this is good, better than last time even."

"Thanks", Sara replied. "I thought I might have left it on too long, but sometimes it works out I guess."

"Look at you", LaShaunta said with a big smile on her face. "The new modern woman", she began in a voice like a 50's commercial voice over. "She can look fabulous, fight crime, and still make a healthy scrumptious dinner!" Everybody around the able laughed, including Sara who reached out and playfully slapped Alisha on the arm.

"Ouch", she exclaimed with an exaggerated shocked face and rubbed her arm.

"You were all worried. You knew we were going to do something about those guys messing with DeSean. I mean what's the point of having all these abilities if we can't use them to help the people we care about?"

"So true", Jan agreed. "Nice job everybody. You know, it was actually fun getting out there and beating up on regular people for a change."

"You are so terrible!", Sara exclaimed.

"What", Jan said, her blush growing redder. "Come on! This time there were no big huge metal robots with glowing eyes. No super soldiers either! Tonight, I could punch somebody and it actually hurt them way more than it hurt my fist. Come on Sara, you know you liked it. No buildings to split open or telepaths trying to rip your mind to pieces... come on... admit it."

"Okay", Sara allowed with a chuckle. "It was kinda nice."

"It's so true, we're complete badasses", LaShaunta exclaimed and everyone around the table laughed.



An ocean away, Sebastian fidgeted in his off the rack suit as he walked up to the front door of a tidy little house just outside Jelling, Denmark. Part of him wished that he could have worn his own clothes, but a bespoke outfit from a Savile Row tailor wouldn't fit the character he was playing. He wore this ill fitting suit and carried a battered looking attaché case as he knocked on the door and waited. A pregnant woman answered it and Sebastian gave a tight smile. "Excuse me for bothering you Madam. My name is Sebastian Gunty.  I work for Interpol investigating missing children." He reached into his pocket and handed her a very real business card for this fake person.

"Your son's case came across my desk and I've taken quite an interest in bringing him home. May I come in and ask you some questions about young Mathias?"

"Of course", the woman said in accented English. She led Sebastian through her home to a sitting room near the back. "Would you like anything to drink?"

"Oh no madam.  I had my fill on the flight."

"Okay. Let me get my husband", she said pleasantly. She went upstairs and came down a couple of minutes later with a thin man in his middle thirties. Worry and stress were all over his face and his mannerisms as he stood across from Sebastian. "I'm Silke by the way", the woman introduced herself. "And this is my husband Anders."

"Nice to meet you both", Sebastian said and sat back down. "I do wish it were under cheerful circumstances however." Both parents sat on a loveseat opposite him.

"Yes of course, but can we first dispense with some things", Anders said in a no nonsense tone of voice. Silke gave him a look, but looked away when she realized that his mind was made up. "Explain to him what you told me."

Silke sighed and looked at Sebastian. "You're lying."

"Beg your pardon", Sebastian exclaimed with a frown.

"Don't get alarmed", she said to calm him. "Your name is Sebastian, but your last name's not Gunty. You don't work for Interpol. You don't normally investigate missing children. Those aren't your clothes. You would actually like some drink, tea perhaps but you are probably unsure if a Dane could make a proper cup. I could go on with your deceptions, but you are genuinely interested in our son. That's why I let you in."

Another man might have been nervous and out of his element, but Sebastian just grinned. "You are specially gifted I see. Human plus, some are calling it. I'm not one to brag but my fieldcraft is always spot on, especially to amateurs. You must have the power to discern truth from fiction."

"Among other things", Silke assured him.

"You know about people with special powers?", Anders asked.

"I am familiar with the phenomenon, yes sir."

"Then you'd best tell us the truth, or be on your way. We're in a fragile state, Silke and I." Sebastian knew a threat when he heard one, but he came here to complete a task, and he was going to do it.

"I'm actually Captain Sebastian Howell, British Defense Intelligence", he said knowing that this was his only play. "I came here with the cover story so I wouldn't alarm you, plus there is the matter of secret operations going on, you understand?"

"We understand fully", Anders assured him. "Now why are you here?"

"In a way, you've already answered my first question. I wanted to know what anyone would want with a young boy if it wasn't ransom. It's safe to assume that Mathias is gifted like you."

The two parents looked at each other again, before turning back to Sebastian. "Not like us", the mother replied gravely.

"Mathias can do what we do and so much more", Anders answered.

"Please, Mr. and Mrs. Ekholm, explain everything."


to be continued....

Recent Chapters

1. The Femme Soldiers: Awakened 5. A Show of Power 9.  The Hidden Killers pt. 1
13. Power and Fury: Do Overs
2. Power in Disguise 6. A Show of Power pt2 & Shadow Soldier 10. The Hidden Killers pt 2
14. Things You Wish You Knew
3. The Femme Soldiers: Sneak Attack 7. The Controller 11. The Unexpected 15. Double Down
4. Strong - Stronger 8. Blood and Destruction
12. Attitude Adjustment


There are plenty of others where this story came from.  Please check out the bookshelf for all the past chapters of Power and Fury and my other series.

comments and criticisms welcome: dem2@hotmail.com