In the armoury, Snap was looking nervous, “You want what, again?”

“Its all on the list Snap, read it again”

“I don’t need to! I can’t give you all this, what are doing, going to war?”

“Give me the items on the list, or I will come in there and take them myself, if you don’t like it, take it up with Brandy.”

“Brandy? Brandy said you can have this? Fuck off, Nox, you’re taking the piss.”

“’Brandy’ said he could have it Snap”, the armoury mare’s jaws hung open when the dappled silvery coated senior agent walked up to her booth, “I would appreciate you giving agent Nox what he needs to accomplish his mission, is that clear?”

“Yes sir!”, she snapped a salute and disappeared into the bowels of the armoury.

Brandy spoke to me quietly, “Nox, I don’t know what you’ve got planned, but try not to destroy half of Manehattan eh?”

“No sir, I’ll be very selective.”

He cocked an eyebrow at me and laughed quietly, “I like you Nox, I like your style. By the way, what happened to that little foal you brought in here? I never saw him”

“Oh, your namesake? He’s with one of the team in the guest quarters, we’re keeping him here until we get news of the whereabouts of his family. Poor guy.”

Brandy stopped and stared ahead of him, “What? My namesake?”

“Yeah, his names Brandy Snap”

“Brandy Snap? What…whats he look like?”

“like his name, a caramel coloured foal with…”

“With a white mane, like cream…”

“I thought you hadn’t met him sir?”

“Oh, I would say so agent Nox, he’s my son”

“What!”

“My wife and I split up some time ago, Carnation couldn’t handle all the hours I worked in the agency. Work comes first eh?”, he sighed, “Flax, my daughter, was due to start school soon…”

He span round, taking me by surprise and put both of his front hooves on my shoulders, “Fairlight, I beg you, find my family…please. The Mistress trusts you and so I trust you. I can see it in your eyes, you can do this, I know you can. Look, If you need anything, let me know, we’ll be standing by.”

Brandy stepped away, “Are sure though, absolutely sure you don’t need somepony to go with you on this?”

“I am, sir”, I replied, “Tingles is still too weak and when the time comes, I don’t want to be worried about anypony getting caught in the crossfire. I’m going to need all my focus to do what needs to be done.”

“Collateral damage?” he asked winking.

“Collateral damage”

The silver dappled stallion clapped me on the shoulder, “Good luck Nox, goddesses bless you. I’ll have the backup a heartbeat away.”

“Thank you sir” I replied as he trotted off.

There was a clatter and bang of equipment, followed by heavy breathing emanating from the armoury door. Snap, sweat dripping from her forehead, held up my list, pointing to it.

“Here! Its all ‘bloody’ here! Good luck lugging this lot around with you, are you plumb crazy?”

I gave her my broadest grin, “Oh hell yeah, you better believe it”

On reflection, maybe Snap had a point. Despite all my bravado, the harness and equipment straps, packs and gear, it was damned heavy. Still, I had no intention of using it all in one go. No, I had planned this down to the last detail, factored in contingencies and prepared myself mentally. Luna had also come through for me in spades.

My pilot, ‘Loofa’ as he was known to the agency ponies, hooked himself into the cockpit and stretched his wings. The stallions goggles made him look a bit like some bizarre giant bug, but the guy came well recommended by Brandy so I was confident I’d get there in one piece. My gear loaded, I settle back for the journey, patting the pannier with a full load of thermos flasks. There was well more than I needed, and kindly donated by citizens of Equestria apparently, very thoughtful of them. I wondered if they knew? Probably best to dispense with that chain of thought…

We soared out over the Manehattan skyline, it was 2:00am, we’d be there in around twenty minutes, and then it was showtime.

Eleventh and Mane was a bog standard street in a bog standard area. The sort of ponies out at this time of night, or morning I suppose, were your typical bog standard piss heads. Too much wheat beer and brandies for these night owls. Fortunately for me, they were three sheets to the wind and didn’t bother me. In truth, I don’t think they even saw me, my special operations gear, black and figure hugging, my rubber shoe covers muffling any sound, it was like the old days.

There were only a few steps up from the street to the front door and my target beyond. There were no identifying marks, no names, no trace. Plausible deniability if this all went to shit, so tonight, it was just me.

Moving like a ghost through the shadows, I glided up to the front door and tried the handle…locked. Sensible. A quick tap with my telekinesis and the lock clicked open, a handle little trick Mitre had taught me years earlier. Goddesses, if he could see me now, he’d think I’d lost the plot completely.

The door opened with a swish, only the soft sound of the bottom edge brushing against the deep pile carpet and my breathing could be heard in the house. I pushed the door to and slipped around a corner checking each room, all dark, except…Damn, the kitchen light was on. Right…plan ‘B’ it was then.

I sidled up to the edge of the door, the light inside was uncomfortable against my now night time adjusted eyes, but I could make out a chocolate coloured filly stuffing herself with goodies from the fridge. She was probably just starting middle school judging by her age, it was hard to tell from this distance. A little pudgy thing too, and boy, could she eat! Sandwiches and cakes were consumed in short order, the girl almost grunting as she troughed through the fridges contents.

She never heard me enter the room, “Nopony ever tell you, you could end up with diabetes from eating all that?”

The girl choked and sputtered, cake and sandwich components spraying out like a furry firehose. I’d timed the scream perfectly and magicked a piece of tape over her mouth, her forelegs and hind legs. Trussed up like a chicken, smashing. Now for phase two…

I heard the landing light come on and hoofsteps coming closer and closer. My visitor sounded a little flustered too, “Cocoa? Where are you girl? Why aren’t you in bed, goddess dammit, if you’re stuffing your face again, I swear…”

The voice stopped by the kitchen door. “Why’s the light off? Are you sleep eating again?”, she flicked on the switch and took in the sight of her daughter bound up and seated on the kitchen table.

“Oh my feathers! What the…!” She stopped when I pressed the pistol to the back of her head and froze.

“Good evening citizen, I’d like to have a little word with you if I may”

She turned to look at me, taking one look at my eyes and shrank back in fear, “D…d…Demon!”, she squeaked.

“Yeah, I get that a lot”, I said taking a bite of the sweet oak cake that I salvaged from the chocolate coated piglet, “Mmmm hmmm! That’s some good eatin’ there, miss?”

She coughed and kept looking between the girl and myself, “Ma…my name?”

“Yeah, you do have one don’t you? I mean, it would be a first to not have one I suppose, but i’m guessing your folks followed convention right? So…”, I examined my pistol, clicking the safety on and off for effect before leaning towards her grinning, “What your fucking name?”.

“Cinder!”, she gasped, “my names Cinder.”

“Thanks Cinder, that’s very good of you to tell me so nicely.”

“What do you want? Please, I don’t have anything, just don’t hurt us…please”

“Now why would I want to hurt you Cinder? I mean, a mare who can make such good pies and all? No, I tell you what, I want you to use this here and call Jingo. Tell her to come here…please…”

I hoofed her the comms device, i’d recovered from the fillies pocket and hoofed it to her. “Here you go Cinder, Cocoa has a hotline to the watch doesn’t she? Isn’t that clever!” I leaned over and mussed the filly’s hair. She started crying in fright and I saw Cinder take an instinctual step forward to console her.

“Ah, ah, ah!”, I admonished waving the pistol, “Lets all keep calm and keep this cool. Mother Cinder, do call Jingo and ask her to come here will you, tell her Cocoa can’t sleep and wants to see her sister, there’s a dear.” I copied the line from a play I’d heard on the radio, the ‘Sinister Butler’, it came across quite well I thought. Cinder certainly thought so.

She picked up the device which Tingles had told me she’d seen Cocoa use. I guessed it wouldn’t be on the same frequency as the one the watch generally operated. Blaze was a stickler for protocol, even if she was a crooked cop now. Her suck up pal would want to keep conversations with her family private and certainly wouldn’t want to piss off the boss.

The big beige mares eyes were staring at me as she spoke into the comm, “Jingo…Jingo its mum, can you hear me?”

A moment later, “Yeah…mum? what are you doing up this early, is something wrong?”

“It…its…” Cinder looked at me with terrified eyes. I finished another sandwich, waving my other hoof at her to continue, “Cocoa can’t sleep, she’s having nightmares, can you come home darling? Please?”

Jingo’s voice sounded resigned, “Ok Mum, look, I’ll be about ten minutes. I’m off duty shortly so I’ll round then, okay?”

I smiled at Cinder, nodding.

Her eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head, “Sure baby, don’t be long okay?”

“Okay mum, see you soon.”

Cinder put down the comms device and opened her mouth to speak. I moved over and stuck a piece of tape over her mouth, trussing her up like Cocoa. A few moments later, they were locked in the bathroom and sleeping peacefully courtesy of one of the agencies little knock-out sprays. Wouldn’t want to use that on a windy day!

Bang on time, the front door opened and Jingo trotted in. She noticed the light on in the kitchen and headed straight in,

“Who the fuck are you? Wheres my mum and sister?”

“Oh, Jingo, Jingo, Jingo…you really do have a bad memory don’t you?”, I waved my pistol at her, “pull up a seat and lets have a nice chat. Your mum and sister have already told me soooo much about you!”

“You fucker! Where are they? What have you done with them? If you’ve hurt them…”

“Yeah, yeah, I get the idea…bloody vengeance and all that jazz. No…I want to speak to you Jingo. Cocoa and Cinder are safe and unharmed, don’t worry. Mind you,” I said picking my teeth with a bit of card off the table, “I imagine you want to see them again…sooner rather than later. Don’t you?”

“You fucking cunt! What do you want?”

I leaned across and pushed Jingo into the chair, keeping the pistol trained on her, “I’ll tell you what Jingo, I want answers, answers to questions. I don’t like what I hear and maybe…maybe Cocoa goes away…maybe mummy too eh? How’s that?”

“You don’t scare me! Is this some sort of stupid game to you? I don’t even know who you are!”

I smiled and bowed sarcastically before her, “Allow me to introduce myself my dear. Perhaps you will recall a certain young stallion, looked rather like me I suppose, fit, lean, a budding officer in the Manehattan watch. Imagine his surprise when his wife is raped and murdered before his very eyes, quite the shocker wouldn’t you think? But wait, theres more! Oh yes, his friend and comrade, shot dead, and for added effect, the young hero is shot down too!”

I leaned toward her and snarled, narrowing my blue eyes at her, I was genuinely starting to feel the power bubble within me now.

“Am I ringing any bells now, you bitch?”

Jingo looked like she’s seen a ghost, the colour draining from her indigo face. Her eyes were a lovely shade of violet, hard to equate to the things she’d done somehow.

“Captain…Fairlight? But…you’re dead…we…we buried you!”

“Yeah well, death isn’t what it was anymore, sometimes when things get boring in the afterlife, you have to come back and take care of things here. Speaking of which Jingo, you’ve been a busy girl haven’t you?”

“I…you can’t be him! You’re…he’s dead! You don’t look like him either, so I don’t know what your fucking game is pal but…”

I released a little of the power and felt it sweep through me. The mares fear was tingeing the air with its scent and was tantalising my taste buds, I was so hungry and all I had to do was lean forward and take this mare. She looked…delicious.

Jingo looked like she was going to pass out, my wings broke from my back and stretched out across the kitchen before settling back down on my flanks. My eyes burned blue, my teeth elongating into razor sharp fangs and the white mist began to form around my hooves. I smiled, my tongue running over my teeth as I salivated, staring at her with a hunger I knew she could sense.

The mare lifted her hooves off the kitchen floor and out of the mist. She opened her mouth, pointing at me, ‘go on’, I thought to myself, ‘say it’…”Demon!”, she shrieked, “Demon from hell!”.

I shrugged and breathed out a fined mist which made her huddle in the chair for warmth, it wasn’t enough though and her teeth began to chatter. I advanced on her.

“Jingo, my dear, dear Jingo. You want to see mummy and sis again don’t you? You want me to go away don’t you?”

“Y…yes…please…don’t hurt me…please…”

“Then tell me Jingo, what did you do with the foal and the mare you kidnapped from the waterfront?”

“I don’t know what you’re…”

I released a blast of cold, just enough to make ice form on her fur. She cried out in fright and tried to jam herself between the table and the wall.

“Don’t lie to me Jingo, if you do, I may bring Cocoa in here for us to…’play’ together. You haven’t seen me when I feed have you my dear girl, it’s not pretty I’m afraid. Your sister is such a small life, so frail…I suspect she’s tender too, succulent…barely a mouthful”

It was probably the thick mist dripping from between my teeth that did it, but whatever it was, the effect was instant. The smell of urine hit my nose full on. Crying silently, Jingo pissed herself in terror.

“I’ll ask again…last chance, Jingo…where are they?”

“Oh Celestia, Luna, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry…”

“Jingo? I’m getting hungry now, I won’t ask again.”

“They’re in the statue, the statue in the bay”

I hissed in anger, “You’re lying! Why would they be there?”

She was barely coherent, “Gates takes them there until night time, then they’re taken by barge up river to a warehouse in New Baltimare. There’s a portal there where they send the merchandise through for…for sale.”

“When are they planning to move them?”

Jingo was turning paler by the minute, I’d have to ease off on the magic before there was any lasting damage.

“B…before dawn…they’ll be taking the…them…up river…”

“Jingo, who was the unicorn with you when you kidnapped the ponies?”

“I…I don’t know…she never said her name, she came…through the portal from the other side. She was…probably a…hu…human…”

She was going to black out any second, “One last thing Jingo…Who is behind all this? You know don’t you?”

“Blaze…Blaze is…Bl…Blaze…in charge…she”

That was enough. I pulled the magic back in and used my normal magic to warm her up. I wanted to frighten her, not kill her. She just sat there and shook feebly. Part of me felt sorry for her, but after what she’d done, the other part thought she could freeze to death for all I cared.

Blaze wasn’t in charge however, she was a puppet, and where there was a puppet, there was a puppet master. All I could do for now was cut the strings and follow them to their source.

I pulled on my TED, “Team windfall, mission complete. One to pick up, two for tidy up.”

“Received, moving in, ETA, sixty seconds.”

Good enough. I slipped out the shocker from my pocket and leaned forward, looking Jingo in the eyes, “You wont remember me, but I’ll remember you, you fucking traitor.”

A bolt of blue lightning flashed up and down the mare, making her shake violently before collapsing on the floor. For good measure I taped her mouth and legs together. The agency ponies would be here any moment and I would need to be on my way. Pausing for a quick swig from my flask, I patted the unconscious Jingo on the head, “Nighty night Jingo…don’t have any nightmares.”

Brandy was racing up the steps as I was leaving. “Any news Nox?”, he asked breathlessly. I nodded, “ She’s a gold mine sir, have a chat with her, you’ll find she’s quite compliant. Theres two more in the bath, don’t think they’ll know too much though.”

“My daughter? What about her and Carnation?”

“They’re being kept in the statue on liberty island, I’m on my way there now.”

“I’d ask if you wanted backup Nox, but I already know the answer. Goddess speed to you.”

“Thanks sir, oh, and try the pie. Jingo’s mum makes belting pastry”

Okay, so that may have been a bit thoughtless, Brandy’s family were facing horror’s beyond imagining and here I was making wise cracks. I despaired with myself at times, but I hoped my making light of the seriousness of the situation would help him in some way to feel confident I would have his family, estranged as they may be, back soon. Ah, bollocks to it…

I leapt into the sky carriage and Loofa shot up into the air like a firework on nightmare night. Tonight though, I would be bringing the nightmare to the bastards on the island and, I hoped, light and hope to a little foal called Brandy Snap.