The sound of gunshots outside made everyone in the room panic and most of the guests were down on the floor covering their heads. A few screams were heard, here and there. The sound of gunshots continued outside and everyone inside was frightened. 

Rhénee knelt on the floor right next to Greta who crawled over to her trembling. Rhénee started wondering what was going on. Mrs Derrand seemed to have disappeared and who knows where. And why were the gunmen still outside when some of them would've come in already? Or were they planning something else?

Rhénee started to crawl on the floor planning to head upstairs where others seemed to be going to hide. But all of a sudden, Greta held her arm.

"Where are you going?" Greta asked. "Its dangerous to just wander off."

"We can't stay here, Greta," said Rhénee. 

"No, just stay. Don't leave."

"But we can't just stay here until the police arrive."

Greta's hand on Rhénee's arm  tightened. There was a look in her eyes that Rhénee couldn't describe.

"No. You've to trust me, okay? We've to stay put right here."

Rhénee agreed not willing to upset Greta. Maybe she was like this because she didn't want to be left alone. Greta's trembling body shook beside Rhénee violently. 

Many people were still on the floor, some whimpering, others screaming as the gunshots continued outside. Rhénee looked around and to her left, she saw Miguel and Eugene rushing towards Rhénee and Greta but ducking their heads in case a bullet came flying in the room.

Rhénee didn't know whether to feel relieved by their bravery or admit they were acting like idiots. She turned to her right and she saw Mrs Derrand with two bodyguards all dressed in black. They were also coming towards her and Greta.

Greta noticed her mother and trembled even more. Rhénee looked at her and saw that Greta's eyes were tightly closed as if she had seen her worst nightmare and praying that it would go away.

"Greta?" Rhénee called to her.

"Oh, oh my God!" Greta panicked, "whats going on? This is crazy!"

"Greta, you're overreacting. Calm down."

"I can't. I can't come down. I'm surly going to die for this."

Before Rhénee could figure out why Greta said all that, the lights suddenly went out.

Eugene stumbled over a chair and fell to the floor. The room had gone completely dark and everybody grew even more frightened. Miguel who was behind Eugene helped him up. 

"Hey man, are you okay?" Miguel asked.

"Ya, I'm okay, I'm not hurt though," replied Eugene. 

"Come on, we've to get to the girls and get out of here quickly."

Miguel and Eugene now had to be really careful not to step on anyone who was on the floor. Their progress was really slow, but they knew they were getting closer and closer. 

Then, the gunshots outside ceased completely and a few seconds later, the lights flew back on.

Everyone in the room felt a little relieved and one by one, they got up from the floor. 

When Eugene and Miguel got to the table where Rhénee and Greta were, they came face to face with Mrs Derrand and her two bodyguards.

"Rhénee? Greta? Have you seen them?" Mrs Derrand asked.

"Weren't they here a second ago?" Eugene asked. 

"They were. But they aren't here anymore," said Mrs Derrand. 

Eugene looked under the table. Nothing. His hand flew to his hair and he started to think of the worst.

***

Rhénee took a deep breath in as she sat at the back seat of a black Mercedes Benz. Greta who sat next to her was still trembling. The car drove away from the mansion and went on to the main road. Police patrol cars had appeared and were heading towards the mansion. The gunshots had ceased and the lights went back on. Rhénee leaned her head by the cool window trying to figure out what was going on.

"Rhénee, are you alright?"

Rhénee looked in front of her and saw Kevin staring at her from the passenger's seat looking concerned.

"I'm alright, Kevin. Thanks for asking," replied Rhénee dully.

Kevin gave her a little smile and turned to face the front again.

Rhénee began to replay what had happened in her mind. The lights at the mansion had gone out and all of the sudden, two men had appeared in the dark in front of Rhénee and Greta. At first Rhénee had thought it was Miguel and Eugene as the two men took them away from the ball room and into the hallway. With the moonlight coming in through the windows, the man who was holding Rhénee was none other than Kevin, who was dressed in a black tuxedo.

"Kevin? What are you doing here?" Rhénee had asked. 

"No time to explain," was all Kevin could say, "you're not safe here."

Rhénee had turned to see if Greta was fine. The person who had held Greta also had blonde hair and striking blue eyes. Rhénee had assumed that the man was Malcom.

"Follow me, we've no time left," Malcom had said as he had led the way along the way along the hall. They went through the kitchen and to Rhénee and Greta's surprise, it was empty. 

"Malcom, where are the cooks and the waiters?" Greta had asked as her voice shook. "Don't tell me you-"

"Shut up, Greta. Focus!" Malcom had insisted. "We have to get out of here quickly!"

The back door of the kitchen had led them outside. The sound of gunshots still continued at the front of the mansion. In the dark, there was the black Mercedes Benz. 

"Come on, we've to get in the car," said Kevin, until suddenly two men appeared from behind the car.

"Where do you think you're going?" one of the men had asked, "stick around and enjoy the party."

"I'm afraid the party is already over," Malcom had said with a cool tone.

Malcom and Kevin had stood in front of Greta and Rhénee as the two men approached them putting their hands in their pockets to retrieve their weapons. But then, Malcom already had a gun in his hand and shot both men. One in the chest and the other to the head. Greta had almost screamed out loud in horror, but Rhénee who had held her close, covered Greta's mouth with her hand. And she too was terrified.

The two men had dropped dead to the ground and Kevin, Malcom, Rhénee and Greta rushed to the car. Kevin had gotten in first.

"Get in, Greta," Rhénee had opened the door to the back seat, but Greta looked at the dead bodies on the ground.

"Come on, Greta, get in!"Rhénee had insisted. 

Malcom who had stood by the door of the driver's seat, held up the gun in the air and shot three times. Greta had suddenly jumped and dived in the back seat. Rhénee had quickly followed and Malcom had got in the driver's seat, started the car and drove off.

Rhénee turned to look at Greta who seemed to be back to her normal self again. 

"Well, isn't anyone going to ask me how I am?" asked Greta. 

Malcom chuckled. "And why should we?"

"Because I almost died of a heart attack. What took you so long?"

"Sorry, mum's men were everywhere. "

"And she was coming for us. You tripped the lights just in time."

"Wait, you had this all planned out?" Rhénee asked.

"Yes, we did," answered Malcom, "but just so you know, it was for your own protection."

"Ya. 'For Rhénee's protection'," mimicked Greta in a huge voice like her brother's. "But what about me? I had to put up with all that and mum would've ruined everything if she had caught us."

"You're the one who volunteered to be in the plan in the first place," said Malcom. 

"But you didn't say anything about guns and killing. You got us terrified."

"I had no choice. I had to kill them. If I didn't, they would've reported to mum that you and I had taken Rhénee out of that place."

"I agree with Malcom," said Kevin, "we had to take precautions. Besides, the police will think they were shot due to the shoot-out."

"Does this mean that Mrs Derrand wants to kill me or something?" Rhénee asked. 

There was silence in the car as no one answered Rhénee's question. Greta had turned to look outside of the window on her side, Kevin and Malcom kept looking forward on the road. Rhénee slumped down on her seat and after what seemed like a minute or two, she released a frustrating sigh.

Malcom looked at the rear view mirror where he could see Rhénee's face. "Rhénee, are you alright?"

"Seriously! Why are you asking the same question Kevin had asked her?" Greta blurted out. 

"Greta, just shut up," said Malcom almost harshly. "I'm not talking to you."

Greta folded her arms, scowling at her brother. Rhénee looked at the rear view mirror and Malcom's blue eyes stared right back at her through it. 

"Well, you haven't answered my question," said Rhénee, replying to Malcom's question. 

"Its pretty hard to say," said Malcom, "but yes. We think my mother is planning to harm you."

"But why should she?"

"That we still have to find out," answered Kevin, "we've a hunch that it has something to do with your late grandmother."

Rhénee paused for a moment. "Do you think she killed her?"

"That we can't tell for sure," replied Malcom, "but all we know is that if she really does want to kill you, then she isn't working alone."

"There is a secret organisation or something that mum is involved in," said Greta, "we don't know what it is, who runs it or what they do."

"But how do you know Mrs Derrand wants to hurt me?" Rhénee asked.

"There is plenty of time to tell you," said Kevin, "but if we didn't get you out of there, you wouldn't be here by now."

"How? By the gunshots or what?"

"Just to be clear," said Malcom calmly, "the light tripping and gunfire were all planned by us. Remember the chocolate mousse? "

"Ya. What about it?"

"It was drugged. They would've sedated you and taken you somewhere or you would've died in that mansion. But I think they would've gone for the first one. Thats why we had the gunfire. To get you distracted."

"But how did you know that my chocolate mousse was drugged?"

"We've time to tell you all that later," said Kevin, "we have to take you home first."

"And we also have to face mum when we get back and pretend we were there the whole time," said Malcom. 

"Ya, but what about Rhénee?" Greta asked. "Mum will know that there was something fishy going on."

"I got it all covered, sis," replied Malcom with a smile, "don't worry about it."

"Just because you got everything covered, doesn't mean you're so smart."

"I am actually smart, sis. I really am."

"All I want to do is just go home and forget about this night," said Rhénee, "I can't believe all this happening."

"Well, you better believe it because it's about to get a whole lot worse," said Malcom. "We first have to be sure that my mother had planned all this alone or maybe the organisation has something to do with it."

"Oh, please, Malcom," said Greta, "I know we could be wrong about judging mum, but its quite clear that she is involved in all this."

"Well, we can't tell for sure," said Kevin.

A few minutes later, Rhénee realised that the car had packed at the gate of her manison. She was so absorbed in the conversation that she hadn't realised that she was finally home.

"Here we're," said Malcom, "Kevin, you take her inside and make sure you don't leave the mansion, for now."

"Since when did you start giving orders?" Greta asked. 

Malcom turned to face Greta and his look was all it took to shut Greta up completely. He then turned to face Rhénee. 

"You don't have to worry about a thing, Rhénee," said Malcom, "you just go inside and don't get out till morning."

"Kevin will make sure that I don't," said Rhénee. 

"Okay," said Malcom with a smile. 

"Why are you helping me out, anyway?"

"Because I've to."

"No. He thinks he is superman and has to do good for the sake of humanity," blurted out Greta. 

Kevin, Malcom and Rhénee all gave Greta a startling look. Greta shrugged her shoulders and looked away from them.

"Um, anyway, thanks for everything," said Rhénee. 

"You don't have to say that, you know?" Malcom smirked.

Rhénee didn't answer as her cheeks blushed. Kevin got out of the car and opened the door at the passenger's side for Rhénee. She quickly got out and Kevin closed the door behind her. The car drove off and Rhénee and Kevin were left all alone by the gate.

Kevin took Rhénee by the hand as he led her up to the mansion.