It was official. Oak and I had missed the last day of the fall semester. Winter break was officially upon us. It came at a price though. Me being abducted had changed me.
"Hey, Vi. Ya okay, darlin'." Oak asked me, concern in his voice.
"Yeah. I'm fine." I said, snapping me out of a daze.
"Yer not fine. Yer broodin'" he replied.
"Fine. I'm not fine. I don't know where I would be now if it weren't for you chasing us and me doing what I did. I threatened a man, Oak, and the funny thing is, I liked it. What have I become." I said, breaking down again.
"You did what you needed to in order to survive." the chief of police, Captain Tirek, said.
"But still. I've never threatened anyone, ever." I said, stubbornly refusing to accept that what I did was necessary.
"Come on, Vi. Chin up. You survived, and that is all Ah need." Oak said. Suddenly, his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket, and we saw that it was Bright Mac calling. He answered the call, putting it on speaker so that we could both hear him.
"Howdy, Mac. What's up?"
"Howdy, Oak. I'm worried about you an' Vi. Y'all weren't at school today." Bright Mac said.
"Were both fine. We had a bit of an issue, but we'll explain tomorrow. Make sure everyone is at your place tomorrow, Celestia and Luna included." I said, Oak nodding in agreement.
"Alright, see y'all tomorrow." Mac replied.
"Alright, see ya then." Oak said and ended the call. Just then, my parents walked into the police station. They saw me and ran over to me.
"Mother, father. I'm alright." I said when they approached me. They both wrapped me in a tight embrace, not wanting to let me go just yet.
"We know, dear. Tell us what happened." my mother said.
"I can tell you," Captain Tirek said. "This girl beat the odds and did the impossible. She made a man twice her size bend to her will, using only a knife originally. Then finding his gun and using it on him instead of the knife. He is in custody now, but he is wanted for multiple homicides as well as your daughter's abduction and your attempted homicide. We are questioning him now."
"That's my girl." my dad said. "I know I don't have jurisdiction over this case, but would it be okay for me to question the guy?"
"About that. I called the department heads for the Cloudsdale and Canterlot offices of the FBI and DEA. As of today, the two of you have full reinstatement as senior agents, for the Canterlot departments." Captain Tirek said. "They are on their way here now."
"Do you hear that, you have your job back, father." I said with glee. Finally things were turning around for us.
"Yes, Vi. I hear it." my father said in disbelief.
"So mother. Are you gonna go back to the DEA or are you gonna join father in the FBI?" I asked.
"I think I'm gonna join the FBI. Try to keep your father out of trouble." my mother said with a wink. She looked up in time to see the head of the Canterlot FBI walk in. He summoned my mother and father to the chief's office. They asked if I could join them. He first shook his head, then my parents told him about what had transpired today. The agent looked at me skeptically, but then nodded. I got up and joined them.
__________________________________________
We were in the chief's office, the chief accompanying us. The agent nodded at the chief, signalling that this was sensitive information. The chief took the hint and left us.
"Right. First things first. Introductions. My name is Agent Shadow Strike." the agent said. "When the operation was blown three years ago, the cartel moved here. We've been monitoring the properties bought by the cartel boss ever since." he said, taking out a manilla folder from his briefcase. He took out a stack of photographs. He pointed to one specific photograph, an aerial shot of a factory in the industrial area on the west end of town.
"We believe that this is where they moved their operation too. We have been casing the place since it was first opened. Note the name printed on the roof." Agent Strike said.
"Yes. Solomon and Co." my father said. "The exact same name used on the other factory. So their cover is still a candy factory."
"Yes." Agent Strike said. "Though they have many around the country now. We believe the man who abducted your daughter and tried to put you out of commission was hired by Solomon himself. He is a cheap rent-a-hood playing assassin, but he may be our ticket into the place. We may need your daughter as well."
"Hell no." I said. "I am not playing the kidnap victim. No way in hell." I looked to my father. He had a thoughtful look on his face.
"You're not seriously considering this, are you?" I asked him.
"It's the only way, Vi." my father said.
"Don't worry, Violet. We will have the place surrounded, and your father will be the driver. We just have to count on the fact that maybe Scissor and Solomon haven't met in person. We'll question him soon." Agent Strike said, trying to comfort me.
"Mother. You can't let them." I plead.
"I'm sorry, Vi. My hands are tied." she replied.
"Right. If there are no other protests, we have a scumbag to interrogate." Agent Strike said. We all nodded, there was no use arguing. We all got up and exited the office, my parents leaving me with Oak.
__________________________________________
I was sitting with Oak, barely able to keep it together. Oak must have noticed, because he hugged me tighter.
"Hey, ya good?" he asked softly.
"No, I'm not. My parents get their jobs back, and the first thing they do is put me back in a situation I don't want to be in again for as long as I live." I replied.
"What? They're makin' ya play victim." he asked, utterly dumbfounded at the idea.
"Yep. Don't know how it's gonna play out though." I replied. Just then, my parents and Agent Strike rejoined us.
"Right. Violet, they haven't met in person, but today is the only day we can get to Solomon and his partner Smith. They are supposed to be in the factory today to await your arrival. We leave in five minutes. You pull through for us, and I'll personally make sure your license, university and any other application for the next twenty years gets fast tracked." Agent Strike said.
"Vi, don't do it." Oak said.
"I got to, Oak. It's the only way." I replied.
"Please. It feels like Ah'm never gonna see you again." Oak said. I kissed him deeply and passionately, and took off the pearl necklace he bought me a few weeks back. I put it in his hand.
"I'll be back for that." I said, looking him deeply in the eyes. "I love you, Burnt Oak."
"Ah love ya too, Violet Enigma. You make sure to come back to me." he said. I nodded and joined my father and Agent Strike heading to the equipment room.