Summary:

Tina Alice, sporting an injured ankle, makes a series of phone calls eliciting the help of various supernatural beings in the rescue of hostages held inside Milton Middle School. Once she's finished, she rests her head upon her hands. Just as she's falling asleep, Tina hears the distant sound of a horn blast.

And now the story continues at the school.

Most people remember where they were and what they were doing when significant events occurred in the world; when man first landed on the moon, when JFK was killed in Dallas, or when the space shuttle blew up upon reentry to our atmosphere.

For the people of Miltonville, it was the moment the battle horn sounded outside Milton Middle School. On this day, they realized there really are supernatural beings, and that they lived all around them. It was the day Miltonville went to war.

Tabby and Elizabeth had been holding a lofty vigil in the attic space above the 7th grade wing. They listened to the sounds of children eating breakfast provided on carts, and the occasional grunts of the man-beasts who guarded them.

The two women were patient as cats on a hunt. They didn't know what they were waiting for, perhaps some advantage allowed by the captors, a tipping of the scale in their direction... anything that gave them the chance to attack and retrieve. And then came the blast.

A sudden and unexpected boom emanated from the front of the school, vibrated throughout every square inch of the premises, and quelled many hearts... others it stirred into action.

Tabby pulled away a corner of the tile over the room housing the Daredevil Girl Supporters. She watched as the two werewolves, Truman and Theo, snapped to attention, and then strode out of the classroom, barking orders to the kids to, "stay put or die."

The kids grew silent and alert, looking to each other for answers. Billy, their assumed leader, shrugged his shoulders, and held a finger to his lips to indicate silence. He knew they had an escape plan. The kids had whispered the details around the room half the night, but he wasn't sure the time was right to spring it.

Allowing herself a few precious seconds to make sure all was clear, Elizabeth sprang into action. She dropped to the floor outside the room and motioned for Tabby to follow. Tabby shrugged her shoulders and landed beside her friend. She wasn't sure why Elizabeth didn't understand caution, but it was her greatest hallmark.

Together they leaned against the door to the room full of Daredevil Girl Supporters and listened. On signal, they eased it open.

"Duck," Elizabeth said, just as a fire extinguisher sailed by her head. Tabby snaked a hand out and caught it before it made contact with her face.

"What the heck was that for?" Elizabeth asked. She looked around the room, and spotted Rasha with her hands still raised from launching her bulky red missile.

"We thought you were a werewolf," Rasha explained.

"Okay, well, good work," Elizabeth said, "but if you're through trying to knock us out, can you kids help move the teacher's desk against the front door? We've a couple of werewolves to keep at bay."

"The Daredevil Girls have arrived!" Billy exclaimed. "I knew you'd come for us."

"I was the one who said they would," Belle said. "Just sayin'."

Billy motioned with his hand to the others, and they joined in barricading the door against a possible return of their werewolf captors. Not only did they push the teacher's desk against it, but added several students' desks as well.

"Now what?" Julie asked.

"We'll take you out in the stockroom and lift you into the attic space we just came from," Tabby said. "Once we're all up there, we can crawl to the front of the building and slip out the front door."

"Won't the front be well-guarded?" Billy asked.

"Possibly," Elizabeth said, "but we have to take a chance. We can't wait here."

"I have another idea," Belle said, finishing her twin brother's thought. "I left a bathroom window open at the end of the hall. It leads to the back of the school. We might have a better chance of getting away there."

"You're very clever," Tabby said. "Much better idea, but we'd better hurry. I'm not sure how long your guards will be gone, nor how effective the barricade will be to keep them out."

"We have weapons," Julia said. "I got a knife from the teacher's desk last night."

"And I have the fire extinguisher I threw at you," Rasha added.

"Take the knife, it might come in handy," Elizabeth said, "but leave the fire extinguisher, it'll be too bulky. Nice planning."

"Thank you," several muttered.

Elizabeth nodded, then she and Tabby led the kids into the stockroom. One-by-one the Girls helped the kids climb into the attic on top of stacked boxes, and then followed. With instructions to keep to the narrow beam, the Daredevil Girls and their charges headed toward the girls' bathroom at the far end of the hall. They would go back for the other students later.

*****

The horn blast also found Bruce and his sister, Becky, waiting for a reason to strike. They knelt on a similar beam above the 8th-grade hall. They were stationed somewhere between the front opening to the main corridor, and a large room, apparently empty of human occupants, at the far end. On either side were classrooms brimming with traumatized students and their assigned guards.

Right after the blast, they watched through a cracked tile as the werewolves mysteriously vacated room after room, then marched off down the hall. Bruce and Becky eased out of the ceiling and dropped catlike to the floor. Carefully, they opened the first door and looked inside. Rows of terrified eyes stared back.

"Don't be scared, we're here to get you out," Bruce said.

"Bruce!" one of the kids exclaimed. "You're a Daredevil Guy. Hey guys, it's Bruce."

"Yes, it's me, and I need you to tell me what the large room is at the end of the hall."

"It's the band room," a smaller boy answered.

"Well, it doesn't have anyone in it, and I think it's a great place to go hide."

"It has a door leading to the back parking lot of the school," the boy, who introduced himself as Timmy, said. "Maybe we can do more than hide."

"Perfect. Come on, we'll gather all the kids on this hall and head that way." The students were more than happy to follow the Daredevil Guy and Girl toward freedom.

*****

Sally and her mother Emily were outside when the horn sounded, and the only ones not surprised by its roar. They had been sent to go get help when everyone received their mission earlier. They had no idea whether Tina had made it out, and the team needed to make sure the message about the bomb was shared with authorities.

The mother-daughter pair sat in a police car and prayed for the best.

*****

The last team of Daredevils in the school was Nancy and her friend Victor. They were in the attic space in the front of the cafeteria.

From where they crouched, the duo could hear the usual breakfast chatter, sometimes in the form of distinct voices, and at other times, just a mixture of sounds. They said nothing to each other, but held hands for mutual comfort.

And then the blast of the horn tore through the cafeteria, silencing all noise, and nearly knocking Nancy and Victor off their beam.

"What was that?" Nancy whispered.

"I don't know," Victor said. "I guess it's some sort of signal."

"Yes, but from which side?"

"I don't know, but look."

Nancy gazed through the piece of tile they had tilted earlier. Her nerves were raw and her heart raced. It had been her desire to leave this type of lifestyle behind, but the familiar rush of adrenaline worked on her like a narcotic. She was ready for action.

Victor leaned in beside her. His anxious breath on her neck both thrilled and distracted her. She leaned away to help keep focus. This wasn't the time for fantasies... maybe after everyone was rescued.

"Look," she whispered, pointing downward.

Below, the four witches strode in the front of a parade of werewolf marionettes. As they walked, the man-beasts began to morph to human form.

Nancy heard a sharp intake of breath. "Tell me this doesn't seem normal to you."

"Not normal, but all too familiar," Nancy replied. "Come on, we've got to follow them."

"To where?"

"I'm guessing back to the auditorium."

"Do you think they're going to move forward with their media blitz? There's obviously people on the outside ready to fight."

"I don't know who's outside," Nancy answered, "but the witches have the advantage at the moment. Let's go see if we can help mess that up."

"To the auditorium, then." Victor dropped noiselessly to the floor, Nancy right behind. There was no need to conceal their presence in the attic any longer. The line of marching werewolves had left the hallway empty and unguarded.