NEW PLAN

"It doesn't make any sense," Max said in a voice so quiet. So quiet that the rest of his team almost didn't hear him.

They were in the basement of Maxwell's villa. The basement was designed with high technology. The walls were not just soundproofed but bulletproofed as well. There was a warbrobe filled with different types of arms. Shawn was standing in front of it, running his fingers through one gun to the next.

"What doesn't make sense?" Amy asked. She was standing beside Maxwell, looking at the plan drawn by the director, on a big paper spread across the table. Maxwell was tracing something in the plan with his fingers.

"The terrorists know we are coming," he declared.

"What?" Shawn asked, leaving the guns and moving to the table to stand with the rest. He raised an eyebrow at Maxwell.

"The vandals know how big of a request they are making by asking for that USB drive and they sure know that the senator would call for help from us. In fact, I would say that they are counting on us to try and rescue the girl..."

Maxwell paused and turned to observe the faces of his teammates.

"But how do you know?" Shawn asked.

"Think about it Shawn," Max said.

"He is right," Amy said to Shawn, and then turned back to face Max.

"What do we do now?" she asked him.

"We come up with a new plan... To ensure we have the upper hand," was Max's reply.

*****

When the lady returned, Shirley was surprisingly pleased. She had been bored out of her mind. Although they had untied her hands and removed the gag from her mouth when they had brought food to her, they had tied her hands and gagged her mouth right back, as soon she finished eating. She had taken the lady's advice and eaten to her fill. A plan was already formulating in her head. An escape plan.

"Did I tell you my name?" the lady started, sitting back on the chair she had sat on before. In the same manner.

"My name is Linda..." she paused to peer into Shirley's face.

"As for my last name, I don't have one... I have never had a last name," Linda stood up as she spoke and took light steps towards Shirley. When she reached her, she took out the gag in Shirley's mouth in one swift move.

"You have no idea how lucky you are Shirley Blakes. You see my siblings and I don't have what you have," Linda said, trailing back to her seat.

A smirk curved her lips when she sat back down, facing Shirley but Shirley didn't fail to notice the sadness in her green eyes. It was barely there. But it was there.

 Shirley knew about The Vandals. Although no one knew what any of them looked like as they always wore a mask, hearing the lady call the rest of her gang her siblings, Shirley instantly knew that she was in the custody of The Vandals. It wasn't like the Vandals were blood siblings or anything but they had one thing in common, they were orphans.

"The government took everything from me. My parents. A chance to a happy life," she paused as a short laughter escaped her throat. A bitter laughter.

"You wouldn't understand," she paused again, scoffing.

"Try me," Shirley said and Linda smiled, surprise shining in her eyes.

"Well, I never knew my parents but I got to learn about them. And most importantly, I got to learn about how they died." Linda stood up and started to take calculated steps towards Shirley's chair.

"They were murdered in cold blood by the government," she said, bending to squat over Shirley's chair.

Linda reached into her pocket as a smirk spread across her lips. She dialed a number, put it in loud speaker and placed it on the floor.

"Hello," Shirley's breath hitched as her father's voice sounded from the other line.

Linda's lips curved even more upwards. She curved her hand to a fist and before Shirley could even comprehend what Linda was doing, she felt a throbbing pain on her left cheek. Linda had punched her. An involuntary scream escaped Shirley's throat.

"Shirley! No Shirley! Look don't hurt my baby, I beg you!" her father's voice rang out and Linda let out an amused laughter before picking up the phone from the floor, but that wasn't the only thing she picked up. She switched the call to a video call and held the phone over Shirley's face. The knife she had fished out from her boot when she had picked up her phone, inched closer to Shirley's face until it was pressing against her cheek.

"Please!" Shirley pleaded.

"You f*king think I am joking! I would kill your daughter without as much as a blink of the eye, if you don't get me what I want in 24 hours..."

Linda pressed the knife closer, slicing through Shirley's cheek until it started to bleed. Another scream left Shirley's throat.

"Please don't do this! She is all I have! I will get you want you want I swear!" Mr Blakes voice pleaded from the other line.

"Of course you will, I know you will and that's not the only thing I know... I know that you have already double crossed me... But it's okay," Linda stepped back, taking the knife away from Shirley's cheek. A sigh of relief escaped Shirley's throat as Linda stepped away from her.

She switched the call back to voice call and took it off loud speaker, and then she placed it on her ear.

"What do you mean by it's okay? What do you mean by I double-crossed you?" Mr Blakes voice shook as he asked.

"Well, what can I say, I am not stupid. It works for me, either way, I still get the USB drive, but sadly, your daughter dies. That is the price you would pay for your foolishness," Linda muttered and ended the call. She immediately opened up the phone, took the simcard and destroyed it, and then she smashed the floor on the floor. To pieces.

"You!" Linda said in a quiet voice and started to approach Shirley. Shirley started to pant knowing that she wouldn't like whatever was coming.

When she reached the chair, she turned swiftly, kicking both Shirley and the chair to the floor.

"Ahhhh!" Shirley let out, ending with a gasp.

"Your dad has no idea what the USB drive in his possession even contain or why I want it yet he is willing to risk your life to protect it, how stupid!" 

Linda kicked Shirley again, this time the kick landed directly on Shirley's stomach and she screamed as she tasted blood.