Artemis Fowl: A Call for Help

Chapter 26

Outside of Tara, Ireland
Jade heard a loud bang and the squeal of breaks. Mother is home, she thought. And yet another set of trash bins to replace. Every time her mother returned, she hit the trash bins in front of the house. Jade had considered moving them, but they would not fit anywhere else. She knew from looking at the space.
The door swung open. Her mother appeared in the doorway. Her eyes looked terrible. Her pupils were ragged and she had dark circles under her eyes.
"Hello, mother." Jade said cautiously.
Her mother glared at her. "Hi, Jade. How are you?" Something about the way she looked made Jade uneasy.
"Fine. How are you?" Jade asked sliding her hand into her pocket. She always kept a knife with her.
"Not bad." her mother replied. A smile that looked more like a grimace spread across her face. Jade tightened her grip on the knife.
"Good. How long will you be staying?"
"Oh, I don't know. How about as long as it takes to kill you?" Lana pulled a gun out from behind her back, aiming it directly at Jade.

Meanwhile
Artemis stepped out of the car, straightening his tie.
"Ready, Artemis?" Butler asked.
"I always am." Artemis said with a smirk. Butler rolled his eyes. Artemis started at a brisk pace towards the house. Butler was right beside him, a hand on his gun.
Artemis heard raised voices inside the house. Whatever was going on in there was not good. Artemis held up a hand, signaling Butler to stop. "New plan. It appears that the girl's mother is home. From what I can hear, they are not too happy to see each other. We should consider Lana dangerous, and make sure the girl is safe. I have a plan, but you just need to make sure nobody gets hurt."
"Alright, Artemis, I can do that." Butler agreed.
"Good. When we knock, be on high alert." The pair started down the walkway, preparing for battle.