Inside the Shadow City (35 page)

3. The attacker may grab your wrist as you're trying to escape. There are plenty of ways to break free in such situations, but one of the easiest is to take the man's pinky
finger and snap it back. The attacker will let go, and you should be able to run to safety.

Of course, there are many effective techniques you can use, and any good martial arts instructor can teach them to you. But don't forget that in many situations, a bad attitude may help as much as a black belt.

One Fu-Tsang guard dragged me across the warehouse while another carried Oona kicking and screaming into the hidden opium den. It took three more guards to subdue Kiki Strike, who landed a few good punches before someone pummeled her with the heel of a counterfeit shoe. Kiki's tiny body crumpled and blood trickled down the side of her face. One of the assailants—a goon whose skin was speckled with warts— spat two teeth onto the floorboards before tossing Kiki over his shoulder. For one dreadful moment, all hope deserted me. The girl I'd believed was invincible had finally been beaten.

Inside the opium den, the three of us were tied to chairs with the same duct tape we had used to bind Jacob Harcott and Thomas Vandervoort. A mold-flavored gag was thrust into my mouth, and I had to summon my powers of concentration to avoid throwing up. When the urge subsided, I searched my surroundings for any
means of escape. I wanted out—and every brain cell I possessed was dedicated to finding a way.

Naomi and the other members of The Five flitted about the room like murderous butterflies. One of the girls arranged six martini glasses and a pitcher filled with a milky blue liquid on the table in the center of the room, while Jacob Harcott and Thomas Vandervoort remained wrapped like mummies on the floor.

“Shouldn't we untie Jacob and Thomas?” one of The Five asked Naomi.

“Not yet. Sidonia said to wait,” Naomi responded in a businesslike fashion. Hearing this, the two boys grunted loudly in protest, and thumped their heads against the floor. But nothing could entice the girls to disobey the Princess and come to their rescue.

Naomi glided across the room to where Kiki was strapped to her chair. Leaning over, she slapped Kiki's injured cheek.

“Wake up, sleepyhead,” she sang. “This is your big day—you don't want to miss any of it!”

Kiki's eyes flickered open. She stared at Naomi, showing no sign of fear. Then she lowered her head and peered down at the floor. I followed the path of her gaze and realized that my chair sat just inches from the edge of the trapdoor that led to the Shadow City. Kiki's head snapped up and our eyes met. I knew she had seen something, and I wished I could read her mind. If she had a plan, I had no idea what it might be. She arched an eyebrow, gave me a wink, and turned to face Naomi.

“I wouldn't start celebrating, Naomi. You're in as much danger as we are,” Kiki whispered in a raspy voice.

“If you let us go, we can help you escape before it's too late.”

“Danger?” giggled Naomi. “Look around you, Thumbelina. This is my boyfriend's warehouse. I don't see any danger here, do you? And even if I did, why on earth would I let you go?”

“You're out of your league, Naomi,” Kiki warned. “Sidonia's more dangerous than you know. This is a stupid way to stay popular.”

“Oh, shush,” said Naomi playfully. “You're talking about my best friend.”

“Don't tell me you're taunting the prisoners, Naomi.” The Princess's voice echoed through the opium den. She was slinking down the ladder from the warehouse, her movements as graceful as a cat's.

“Sorry, Your Highness,” said Naomi. “The albino doesn't know when to shut up.”

“She'll be quiet now,” the Princess said in a cool, confident voice as she stepped off the ladder. Her eyes took in everything in the room. “I have a feeling she wants to hear what I have to say. Tell the guards to leave us.”

Naomi nodded to the Fu-Tsang, and they climbed up the ladder to the warehouse and shut the trapdoor behind them.

Once they were gone, the Princess crossed the room, her eyes glinting like gold and her long black mane swaying behind her. Her perfect posture and confident stride were as regal as any queen's. She stopped in front of us and peered down at her captive with a self-satisfied smile.

“Kiki Strike … that is what you're calling yourself
these days, isn't it?” the Princess asked. “I suppose it's not a bad choice. Your real name is a bit of a mouthful.”

Real name? I looked over at Kiki, who was staring at the Princess defiantly, refusing to speak.

“Try not to look so glum, Kiki. You should feel flattered!” exclaimed the Princess. “I planned all of this for
you.
The kidnappings, the robberies—even the parties. All of it just to get
your
attention. Oh, look,” she said, pointing at Naomi. “You've hurt Naomi's feelings. You have to admit she's a wonderful actress. She's given the performance of a lifetime hosting my Bannerman Balls.”

Kiki Strike showed no interest in the Princess's performance. Instead, she was staring at the pink diamond ring on her captor's hand.

“I see that you like my ring,” the Princess said, with a nasty smile. She held the diamond up to the light and sprayed Kiki's face with tiny rainbows. “They say the diamond's cursed. Most people who've worn it have met with a terrible fate. But I consider it my personal good luck charm. After all, it's what brought the two of us together.”

The Princess pulled a chair toward us and sat down across from Kiki.

“It's a remarkable story,” she said, crossing her long legs and toying with the diamond on her finger. “Two years ago, this ring was stolen. As you might imagine, I was terribly upset. It's a family heirloom, and I thought it was gone forever. Then suddenly it reappeared—under
very
mysterious circumstances. Just as I was about to punish the wrong person, I received a letter that told me where to find the missing ring. When Naomi described
the strange girl who had written the note, I knew it could only be
you
.

“You see, my mother had always warned me that one day a sickly child and an old woman might try to kill us and steal our jewels. Do you know how terrifying it is to believe you might be murdered at any moment? My mother couldn't tell me what you looked like, of course, but she told me to keep an eye out for anyone unusual. And the white-haired ghost girl who told me where to find the ring was nothing if not
unusual
.

“It's funny, though,” the Princess laughed. “I might never have known you were in New York if you had only let Naomi keep the ring.”

“Me? Keep the ring?” Naomi squealed. “What are you talking about, Sidonia? I didn't steal your ring.”

“Oh, shut up, Naomi,” said the Princess pleasantly. “I always knew it was you. You'd robbed half the lockers at Atalanta before you finally got round to mine.”

I stopped searching for escape routes and tried to make sense of it all. Kiki had been after the Princess all along? And Sidonia was responsible for the kidnappings and robberies? Were there any good guys in this story?

The Princess stood up and began to pace the room.

“I waited for you to come back to school,” she continued, “but you must have known I'd identified you. If you were smart, you would have disappeared for good. But you just couldn't bear to leave me alone. The night my house was flooded, I knew you had caused the explosion. I insisted that my mother's men search the neighborhood. One of them found that dismal little shack where you and Verushka Kozlova were living. But somehow you
both escaped. That's when I knew I had to come up with a plan of my own. I had to kill
you
before you could kill
me
. Thank goodness I found
this
.”

I gasped when the Princess held up a disk with my own handwriting on the front. It was the CD with the maps.

“I was dying to know more about you,” said the Princess, “so I dropped by the house where you had been hiding. My mother's men had left the place in an awful mess. I found pillows ripped open, bullet holes in the walls—and this CD lying on the floor. I had just picked it up when your friends arrived. I'm afraid I ran off without saying hello.

“When I got home, I took a look at the files on the disk. The minute I saw it, I could tell the map of the tunnels was important. It explained how you had gotten under my house. But there was a second map on the CD that didn't seem terribly interesting. All it showed were water pipes and subway stations.

“If it hadn't been for Mitzi Mulligan, I might never have realized how important the NYCMap map really was. I suppose I should thank the little brown-noser. Without Mitzi, none of us would be here today.”

I remembered Mitzi's strange behavior at the hospital. She had known something after all. I promised myself I'd make her pay if I ever got out alive.

“For ages, Mitzi had been bragging about a top-secret map that her father had developed,” the Princess continued. “At first I couldn't have cared less. Who needs maps when you have a chauffeur? But then I realized that she was talking about the map on your disk. Of course, Mitzi
had told me how dangerous the NYCMap could be. She said that anyone with all three layers could destroy New York. That's when I came up with my plan. I knew the NYCMap would make the perfect bait. If someone were to steal it, you'd come out of hiding to find it. Then I'd be able to get you out of the way once and for all.

“I already had the bottom layer of the map, but I knew kidnapping Mitzi would get your attention. Her father would have given me anything in exchange for his little girl. But when you didn't take the bait I realized I'd have to kidnap two more people to get the other layers. Unfortunately, I was a little short on cash. I hadn't anticipated how expensive the first Bannerman Ball would be. So I used your map of the tunnels to rob the Chinatown Savings and Loan. By the way, I'm impressed that you made it past the rats in the tunnels tonight. Five members of the Fu-Tsang gang were eaten alive during the Chinatown Savings and Loan robbery alone. Perhaps you'll be kind enough to tell us how you did it?”

Kiki Strike arched an eyebrow and shook her head.

“It doesn't matter,” said the Princess with a shrug. “I already have what I want.”

“How did you know I'd come after the NYCMap?” asked Kiki.

“She speaks!” exclaimed the Princess, clapping her hands together with excitement. “I'm
so
glad you asked. I was beginning to think you were deaf as well as dumb. You see, your problem is that you're terribly predictable. Think about it. You followed my mother and me all the way to New York, but once you were here, you couldn't stop yourself from helping every little nobody who crossed
your path. So I knew you wouldn't be able to sleep at night if someone stole the NYCMap. You'd have to go after them. All I had to do to get your attention was kidnap a few silly girls. Then, to make sure no one suspected
me,
I simply kidnapped myself. I'm still surprised by how easy it's been.

The Princess sauntered over to Naomi and threw an arm around her friend's shoulder.

“But what am I saying? It must sound like I'm taking all the credit. I could never have done this alone. Thanks to all your noble deeds, there was no shortage of people who were willing to help me. Naomi, Mr. Harcott, and Mr. Vandervoort were all dying to lend a hand. And when Jacob told his father we were going to punish the person who'd tipped off the police about the counterfeit shoes in his warehouse, the Harcotts even put this wonderful room at our disposal. Of course, the Fu-Tsang gang didn't want to miss out on the fun, either. They lost a
fortune
when the warehouse was raided. We have them to thank for the Devil's Apple. They'll be delighted when you're dead. And I must say, I'll find it a bit of a relief myself.”

“It's a brilliant plan, Sidonia,” admitted Kiki. “But you're wrong about one thing. I never wanted to kill you,” said Kiki.

“No? Well you must have wanted
something
badly,” said Sidonia. “Wait a second. It can't be
this
old thing, can it?” Her dimples flashed as she held up the diamond ring.

“That ring was my mother's,” Kiki stated calmly. “I will get it back.”

“Why would I let
you
have it, when my own mother went to such trouble to take it?” asked the Princess. “Do
you have any idea how risky it is to poison an entire royal family? Particularly when one of them is your own sister? Things like that can get a girl hanged.”

The Princess glanced over at Oona and me and laughed. “Just look at your little friends. Their eyes almost popped out of their heads. I suppose you never told them they were in the presence of royalty. That's right,” she said, addressing us, “the midget is my cousin. Her mother was Princess Sophia, my mother's older sister.”

“Your mother is a murderer and a thief,” snarled Kiki. “She poisoned my parents so she could be queen. Every penny you have, every single thing you own, she stole from us.”

“Yes, Mother's an amazing woman, isn't she? Someday, I hope to follow in her footsteps. But first I have to clean up one of the loose ends that she left. You see, Mother made one dreadful mistake. She let a lowly servant escape with the littlest member of the royal family.”

“Verushka's no servant,” Kiki said as if stating a simple fact. “She was a member of the Pokrovian royal guard. And if I don't return home by morning, she'll hunt you down.”

“A crippled old woman is hardly a challenge. From what I hear, she couldn't even dodge a bullet when she was still in her prime. But your point is well taken. Once I watch you die, she'll be next on my list. That little house of yours should be easy to reach by helicopter.”