Chapter 6

"And then we went to the kiddies pool but Sally won't let me take a dip cos I didn't bring my swim suit along but I insisted and she gave in," the small girl narrated in an excited happy tone as her mother's car parked in front of their driveway.

Linda laughed at her daughter's enthusiasm.

"Settle down Betty," she chided as she turned off the engine.

Soon enough they made their way inside. Linda unlocked the door while Betty pushed her doll stroller inside the house rather cheerfully.

"Well, well, well," came a rather cold voice from the middle of the room.

A curtain was raised and light flooded into the small apartment.

Betty stepped near her mum who clutched her shoulder with a protective hand and she held her phone on the other hand in a tight grasp.

"Who are you?" Linda asked, a bit tensed.

Ryan whirled his chair that had wheels to face Linda.

He gave the small girl a rather stern look.

"Tsk," Andrew snorted from the single couch he sat on as he lifted his eyes from his laptop which rested on a small stool beside the couch.

"Too dramatic, Ryan," he muttered.

He stood up and faced Linda, whose grip had tightened on her small daughter.

She took a cautious step back, pulling Betty along gradually but the door was slammed shut and Suzanne leaned on it. She had on a stern business look on her face. "You might want to take a seat," she said in a not so friendly tone to Linda. Ethan stood beside a window with his hands on his hip.

"I have the cops on speed dial so you'd  better--" Linda started telling them but Ashley cut in smoothly as she came from the interior of the house and stood beside Andrew.

"That won't be necessary, we're with the Hero League," she said as she brought out her ID card.

Linda looked at all of them and they also flashed out their ID cards.

She visibly calmed down and crossed her arms.

"What do you E-ranks want?" she asked as she sighted Ashley's crest.

"That would be explained in due time but please, take a seat," Andrew nodded towards an empty space on the sofa.

"You too, Betty," Ashley gave the little girl a charming smile. "You can sit by me," She patted the space beside Linda as she sat on the other end of the chair.

"And look, I have cookies too....," Ashley said and brought out a huge box of them.

Betty's mouth wasn't the only one that was watering; Ethan's was also watering at the sight of the cookies.

"Sure!" Betty beamed and quickly settled beside Ashley. "I'm Ashley," Ashley introduced herself as she offered Betty a strawberry-flavoured cookie. Betty readily accepted it.

Linda eyes softened when they landed on her daughter but she then faced Andrew who sat in the couch facing the sofa they sat on.

"We're looking for a missing puppy and we think you might lead us to it," Andrew said in a stiff tone, his eyes were trained on Betty who froze while holding her cookie when she heard 'missing puppy.'

Linda was a bit curious.

"Really? What's the poor thing's name?" she enquired.

"I believe it's Patches," Ryan replied a bit coldly, giving Betty a rather harsh look.

At once Betty started coughing as she chocked on her cookie. Ashley patted her back while Linda rushed to get her a drink of water.

"Bingo," Ethan smirked as he and Suzanne shared knowing looks.

Andrew leaned back on his seat.

Linda shook her head when she was seated again. "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Course you don't, the girl is who we want to question," Ethan gave her a small smile. Betty turned her mouth in a sour twisted way at him and looked away in a childish pout.

"Where's the puppy?" Ryan demanded.

"I dunno," Betty lied and shrugged like she was unconcerned about the matter.

Ethan angrily took a step towards her.

"Look, little rat! I know a thousand ways to make kids like you talk, so don't think I won't involve torture if need be. I won't go easy on you," he threatened her rather roughly.

At once Betty took advantage of the situation and started crying fake tears.

"Geez! Quiet, Ethan!" Suzanne thumped him hard on his head. He winced at the impact and gave Betty an evil glare as she shot him a sneaky evil smile.

Linda stood up.

"I think it's nice of you to stop by and break into my house and also threaten my daughter but it's time for you to leave!" she said with a note of finality.

Ryan shot Betty a hard look.

He hated liars.

Andrew came to squat in front of Betty while Ashley talked in a soft tone of reasoning to Linda.

What a horrid little snake.  Suzanne thought as she stared at Betty who had reduced her fake sobs.

Andrew kept his laptop on a stool in front of Betty.

"I have a movie you should watch," he said in a nonchalant tone. Betty nodded eagerly as she came towards him.

Andrew pushed the 'play' button.

"Get up Betty, Sally's baby sitting you today, I have a meeting today." Linda called as she entered her daughter's room.

All the eagerness wiped away from Betty's face. Ethan hid a contented smile, she knew what was coming to her.

After a while Mother and daughter were on the way to Sally's house.

"You be good, okay?" Linda said as she kissed Betty's forehead.

Sally answered the door when the bell was rung.

"Bye, Mrs Gunn!" She waved as Linda drove away. "Are you ready?" Sally turned to Betty who grinned widely.

"Which dog should we take today?" Sally asked Betty.

"I like your neighbor's puppy!" Betty decided with glee.

"You mean Mrs Paulina's?" Sally was a bit amused. "Yes! Yes!! Yes!!!" Betty nodded vigourously. "Alright, but she must've gone to the park, so let's hurry," Sally held Betty's small hand and they both left.

Linda was so shocked she didn't know when she sat down on the sofa. Betty was already shivering where she sat. Ryan scoffed.

Andrew fast forwarded it until they reached the park.

"The dog's fur should make a great fur coat," Sally comented as they watched Mrs Paulina walking towards the fountain.

Betty pulled her hand away.

"I want to keep the puppy," she told Sally in a mean tone.

"We'll discuss that later, look, there's a chance to grab it!" Sally shushed her quickly as soon as Mrs Paulina started conversing with someone.

Betty crawled to the shrub nearest  the place where Patches was standing.

"Here doggy, stay still," She poured small dog snacks on the ground and as Patches ate the snacks, she unhooked the leash from the puppy's neck.

Some seconds later Patches slept off as the effect of the medicine in the snack began to take effect.  

She dragged it into the bushes, out of  sight. Luckily for her, the park wasn't too crowded that morning.

Sally quickly hid the small puppy in Betty's small empty doll stroller. She threw some mini-sized blankets over the puppy and fitted in a very thin doll and made the doll's head pop out of the covers.

"Let's go!" she hissed sharply at Betty and they both hurriedly left the scene.

"I want the puppy!" Betty demanded once they were alone.

"No! I'll sell it and use your share of the money to buy you sweets!" Sally refused. "I want the puppy!!" Betty screamed at her.

"Your mum will get suspicious!" Sally snapped at her and glanced at her wrist watch.

"Crap, we're supposed to meet your mum now! Best act natural," Sally said and they both left.

The film ended but Linda kept on looking at the blank screen.

"Still think we should leave?" Ashley asked in a soft tone.

Linda just didn't know how to react. She slowly looked up at Andrew.

"W...what--what was that?"

Andrew closed his laptop and packed all his things. He started walking towards door and paused. "That's your daughter's true colors, that's who she really is, a sneak thief, a greedy eight year old who has eyes on other people's properties. Don't be fooled by her innocent looks."

He then went outside.

"Never mind him," Ashley waved him off.

Real tears rolled off Betty's eyes. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!!" she sobbed bitterly. "Please don't take me to jail, I really am sorry, I'll never do it again!"

"I've texted CIN asking for the next step to take," Ryan informed his mates. Ashley felt sympathetic towards Betty and soothed her calmly.

Suzanne toppled the stroller.

Just then the dog was waking up. It whined softly.

"C'mere Patches," she said as she scooped the small golden retriever up in her arms. It licked her cheeks and gave a happy bark.

Ethan held Suzanne's shoulders gently.

"Let's get her home," he suggested with a smile and Suzanne nodded while Ethan ruffled Patches on the head.

"Okay let's go, CIN said some C-ranks are on the way, seems like this is a case of Dog-napping. Sally and her illegal buyers have been picked up," Ryan informed them all.

"It's gonna be okay, I assure you she's too small to be put in jail," Ashley comforted Linda, who was worried about her little daughter's fate.

"Probably Juvenile," Ryan said in a cold tone and went out.

Suzanne went out also, carrying Patches and Ethan followed her. Ashley sighed and went after them.

Soon the door was flung open.

Some heroes in their youth came in. They were only three.

"Hero League," the tallest that stood in the middle flashed his ID card. The guy and girl that stood beside him also flashed theirs.

"Mrs Linda Gunn? I'd like you and your daughter to accompany us, we're going to have a little chat with your daughter." He looked at Betty who shuddered and hid behind her mum's leg.

"Don't worry, she's too young to be jailed," the girl assured the worried looking Linda, "The worst that can happen is you signing an undertaking to extremely monitor her or she'll be taken from you by the state to be kept in a children's home. That's all."

Linda looked mildly relieved.

She shot Betty a stern look and Betty winced when her mother nodded at them.

"We'd like you to come with us in your vehicle or you could ride with us. Anyhow, it's your choice," the first youth stated.

"I'll follow you," Linda decided, holding on to her daughter.

"I'd like to warn you that if you try any funny movement on the way, the situation will turn ugly," he warned Linda who nodded and gripped Betty a little tighter.

Seeing he had made his point, he nodded and left the house.

"We just want to talk, ask a few questions, that's all," the girl added softly then left with the other older kid.

"Keep up the good work, Squad 10!" The girl nodded at them where they stood when she got outside.

Linda hurriedly locked the house and got into her car with her daughter and started the engine and quickly followed them.

"Well?" Ashley turned to face her teammates.

"Let's go," Ryan nodded.

"I've contacted LIN, he's at school, we should go there," Andrew told them. They all started walking to the bus stop.

"I have to admit, it was not as boring as I thought it would be," Ethan laughed.

"It was pretty tough; we'd never have solved it without Andrew," Suzanne commented, giving him an appreciative smile.

Ryan rolled his eyes, "You're exaggerating. I would've solved it."

Ethan snorted, "Yeah, right!"

"How did you figure it out anyway, Andrew?" Ashley asked curiously as they all got to the bus stop.

"Well.....," he started in a bored tone just as the bus zoomed in.