152 Rescue Operation Commenced

Diane followed Dennis who brought her out from the room. They walked to a small empty room at the end of the hall.

"Diane, I'll explain later but I need you to change into these clothes first." Diane looked up and Dennis understood. "This is the storage area. It is safe here. There's no camera too."

He pulled clothes from a closet and make her change into those behind a curtain.

"Sorry, I need to cut your hair," he said as she stepped out from the bathroom.

"Wait, explain first," Diane said, reluctant to cut her hair which took her a long time to grow.

"Those women staying here can't get out from here unless someone bought them with a hefty sum. I can't pay for you so you need to disguise as a man."

Dennis cut her hair and he gave her a brimmed hat left by a customer before. Dennis felt sorry for her hair but she did not wince. Her escape was important.

"Walk like a man and act as if nothing at all out of the ordinary is going on. Don't swing your hips, it might give you away. Walk naturally. You were a good actress back in school, you can do it."

Dennis went out and Diane followed. Diane's heart was beating fast and her hands were sweaty but she had to do it. They reached the heavily guarded door. Dennis knocked four times and the door opened.

"This man here from #10 wished to change room." He lifted the number card. The guards let them out. Dennis thoughtlessly placed his arms on Diane's shoulders. "Sir, we have an excellent massage room here. Do you want that instead?" He whispered, "talk."

Diane cupped her mouth and coughed a little.

"Sure, if that is better than that girl." She said in a low voice. Dennis pinched her on the shoulder and whispered, "don't talk more, you still sound like a girl."

The guard from the door eyed them. Dennis saw his reaction and walked faster.

"Don't worry, Sir. Our massage girls have good hands. You'll enjoy it." They walked together until they reached another door. Then he heard the bidding started in the big hall. He hurriedly brought her in and ran to the lift. He pushed the open button but it won't open.

The guard outside received a call from the security room telling him that the girl from room #9 was gone. The guard went into room #9 and saw no one inside. Another guard assisted him and ran after Dennis.

"Stop," the two guards shouted.

The lift opened before the guard reached them. Dennis shoved Diane in. "Go, Diane." Dennis stood on their path. Diane shouted, "Dennis," but the door closed on its own. The lift moved up but when it opened, Gallante was there and his presence stopped her from moving.

Down below, a guard pinned Dennis on the floor. The lift came back and opened, Gallante pushed Diane out.

"Walk," Gallante said.

"Send the two to the dungeon until further notice," Gallante said as he glared at Dennis, who waited to be released. "Shameful." He walked past them and out the door.

Later, Diane and Dennis walked in a cave where escapees and offenders were imprisoned. There were six empty cells inside. The guard shoved Diane on the prison cell's soil ground. Then Diane heard Dennis' screams while two men held his two hands and a man struck his face and abdomen with heavy blows.

"Stop it. Let him go," Diane vehemently yelled as she shook the steel bars.

His face was bruised black and blue when they threw him in with Diane. Blood oozing at his right temple running down to his face.

"Dennis," Diane was shaken as she knelt beside him and lifted his head. Dennis gave her a vague smile, "I'm okay as long as you're okay," then fainted.

6:00 p.m.

Leonard and Jenna and the whole agency team were in three choppers. A dump truck was also on the way full of their men. Two more choppers from the Interpol was also flying from the south. SWAT[1] team rode in a military truck from another place. Their stop points were different from each other but they have one goal in mind, attack Panther's Den.

While John, Paul, and Richard rode in a Maserati Quattroporte all the way to an ordinary bread and breakfast Inn up in the hills of Toledo City.

As a tall American, Paul was prominent among them. He attracted furtive glances as a gentleman wearing a Brioni Vanquish suit and his Aubercy shoes. Pieces of jewelry of various kinds adorned Richard's body, making him looked like a Hollywood celebrity. Unknown to the naked eye, those were of deadly weapons. John wore a Tom Ford suit and a Luis Vuitton pair of shoes.

People looked their way as they walked into the simple Inn but this was not new to them. In fact, this was a daily occurrence.

They checked in and asked for the in house personnel. The man behind the table understood and gave them the key to room #4. They went into the room and a petite lady welcomed them inside. The lady asked them to wear the blindfolds. She brought them to another door and to another building behind the Inn.

They traveled inside an armored car all the way to a house within the mountains where the den was situated. She opened the car door and led them inside the house and to a lift. The lift went down 30 meters all the way underground. Paul's watch, which was connected to basement three, counted for them. His watch also strengthened the signal from Diane's earrings. They were able to locate her but the audio was still barred.

Clarence, Ronald, and some of the staff monitored the whole operation in basement three.

Somewhere in the forest area near the garage, Leonard and the team waited for Paul's signal. The Interpol and SWAT team were in different spots where Lisa indicated as special entry points of the den's personnel.

Paul and team, found themselves in a thinly lighted hallway when they were asked to take off their blindfolds. They were ushered to a door at the end of the hall. When the door opened, the den's lobby welcomed them. Their first impression was the same as Diane's, entering an elegant hotel lobby.

They were brought to the huge hall before the most expensive girls' bidding would start.

Inside the prison, Dennis woke up, his head resting on Diane's lap.

"Hi," Dennis said.

"Don't speak, it might hurt a lot," Diane said, wiping his face with her hanky.

"I can speak. Don't worry. These are all external bruises. Nothing serious." He slowly sat up and leaned his back on the dirt wall. His face winced in pain as he sat and Diane saw it.

"Are you sure?" She tried to support his back.

"Diane don't be too kind to me, please. I don't deserve it."

"I'm not being too kind. I really care."

"That man in the car, is he your lover?"

"Yes."

"What's his name?" He breathed and winced from time to time.

"John. Hmm, good name, like Jesus favorite disciple's name."

"Don't be religious here. But ...," Dennis interrupted her. She was about to ask something.

"I'm not. I really mean it. I really believe he is a good man, better than me."

Diane ignored his words and waited. Dennis understood her silence.

"I assumed you're waiting for me to tell you why I'm here and what really happened years ago?"

Diane nodded. "Yes."

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SWAT team- Special Weapons and Tactics team.