-Chapter Fourteen-
At the gates
Sam stopped next to a rotten tree trunk and gazed through the vegetation. He could finally see the white walls of the labs, but he didn't hurry up. There was no point.
They had once again walked all night. Without sleeping, without talking. Sam's face hurt where Tom had punched him, but instead of anger at his twin, he only felt shame and regret. He totally deserved the pain.
Tom was still walking with a slight limp, probably due to the kicks in the ribs and the one in the chest. Sam couldn't believe he'd actually hit Tom while he was down and defenseless. Before all this madness had started, he wouldn't have considered hitting an enemy who was down, let alone his own brother.
Tom hadn't looked at him or Angie once since escaping the pueblo. Sam still wondered why Angie had jumped to his aid, because he'd clearly provoked Tom. Hurting Angie was Tom's weakness and Sam had known that. He'd done it on purpose.
Kyle hadn't said a word to him, either, since he'd firmly refused to make up with Tom, and Sam felt miserable about that, too. He'd been so mean to everyone, pushing their buttons, feeding on their doubts and weaknesses.
Jerry was the only one still talking to him properly, as if he could somehow understand and justify Sam's crazy actions. Jimmy talked too, but curtly and as little as possible. Sam still wondered how Jimmy had managed to not beat the crap out of him, because the hit he had aimed at Tom and which Jimmy had blocked had been hard.
Sam snapped out of his miserable thoughts as soon as they reached the chain-link fence surrounding the lab compound. He looked inside blankly. It was the break of dawn and no one stirred.
"How do we get in?" Jim asked quietly.
"We don't. We were supposed to go in to save Angie. But now that she's here, we can go around and climb to those caves," Sam answered absently.
"No can't do. The only ramp leading to the caves is inside the compound. Believe me, I should know."
Sam frowned slightly and turned towards Jim. "How did you get there before, then?"
"There was a torn up portion in the fence, but they surely covered it," Jim answered.
"Okay, what's stopping us from simply climbing the fence and getting on the other side?" Jimmy asked, measuring the fence.
"There must be something." Billy bit his lip. "Why would we need William if it was that easy?"
"Then let's ask William," Jerry suggested, turning to him. "William, how do we get in?"
"The only gate is heavily guarded, since they're sure there's no other way in. They don't know about my secret entrance." William glanced from left to right, panic making its way on his face. "But I can't tell where it is."
Something seemed to crack inside Sam's tired brain. "What do you mean you can't remember where it is? You were brought here to get us in. Don't tell us you're useless!"
"I'm not useless! I just can't remember right now," William said, holding his head desperately.
"Back off! I'm this close to losing my patience with you," Kyle said the moment Sam opened his mouth.
Sam clamped his mouth shut at once and watched Kyle who walked up to the fence.
"I know I should take out a pair of pliers and start cutting the wire, but I'm feeling rather frustrated right now, so I think I'll just tear it apart with my bare hands," he said quietly.
"No, Kyle, we shouldn't hurry. We should analyze all our possibilities," Jerry said wringing his hands.
"I actually think we should hurry up," Jimmy said, looking over his shoulder.
Sam followed his gaze and noticed a patrol of Snitch Gravel's men staring at them dumbstruck.
"It's just a hand full of them. Let's leave them flat," Kyle said waving his hand impatiently.
"I think you should reformulate that," Sam said.
What looked like a whole regiment made its way towards them. Sam and the others turned with their backs against the fence and stepped away from the mass of henchmen who were gathering around them like wolves. Von Crooken and Eye Patch walked to the front.
"Looky here! They're making this too easy." Von Crooken sniggered, snapping his fingers so that four men appeared by his side.
"Should we try climbing over the fence?" Tom asked no one in particular, but William got in front of them.
"Whatever you do, don't touch the fence!" he said, stretching out his arms as if he wanted to protect the group from Snitch Gravel's men.
"Why?" Jimmy asked.
William opened his mouth, but Von Crooken shoved him away. William stumbled and fell to the ground.
"No one touch that fence!" Sam ordered, stepping back warily. He didn't like the satisfied grin on Von Crooken's face.
"Get them men!"
Out of the corner of his eye, Sam saw Jerry and Billy pulling Angie away and Jim grabbing William and dragging him to safety. He, Kyle, Jimmy and Tom were left with their backs to the fence. At Von Crooken's order, the four men he had called forward charged forward.
Sam crossed his arms in front of his torso to protect himself from any hits, but it became obvious pretty fast that those men weren't there to punch them. Just shove them into the fence. Sam's back hit the chain-link, and for one wild moment, he thought he'd just bounce back. But then it came. Pain ran through him numbing him as his heart started beating much faster than he thought possible. After a few agonizing second, he was blasted off his feet and smashed against a nearby tree.
Tom groaned next to him, trying to roll into a sitting position. Sam looked over his shoulder. Kyle and Jimmy were on their knees, trying to get back to their feet. They finally managed it and took fighting position, their legs shaky. Sam pushed himself off the ground, too and managed to get to his knees. Von Crooken's mad laughter rang in his ears, barely audible over his drumming heart.
Tom didn't even try to stand. He kicked Von Crooken's legs from under him. The man fell with dull thud. Sam scrambled to his feet, but Tom was faster. He jumped to his feet, grabbed Von Crooken by the collar and shoved him into the fence. The man grabbed Tom's wrists right before he hit the fence, sending them both into a trembling fit.
"Tom, let go!" Sam said desperately.
Von Crooken fell over and broke contact with the fence. Tom dropped to the ground, too, moaning in pain, barely conscious.
"Tare them apart!" Von Crooken ordered, pushing himself into a sitting position on shaky hands.
Jimmy and Kyle stepped in front of Tom, knees bent, fists raised, as though daring anyone to approach him. Sam rushed around them, grabbed Tom under the arms and tried raising him to his feet.
"Oh, no, you don't!" Von Crooken seemed to have materialized out of thin air.
He kicking Tom away from Sam, grabbed Sam's shoulders and pushed him back towards the fence again. Sam tried to stop, to sink his heels in the ground, but was weakened, taken by surprise and paralyzed by dread. He could hear the ominous buzzing of electricity behind him and wondered how he'd never heard it before since now it filled his ears, blocking out all other sounds. His entire body tensed as it anticipated the torture.
"No!"
Tom leaped from the ground onto Von Crooken's back, tightening his arms around his neck. The man released Sam's shoulders.
"Sam, run!" Tom yelled.
With a snarl, Von Crooken grabbed Tom, bent over, and threw him over Sam's head, right into the high voltage fence.
"You're turn," Von Crooken growled, heading for Sam again.
Jim came out of nowhere and rammed himself into him, sending him into the fence. He grabbed Sam and pulled him towards the trees, aided by the cover Kyle and Jimmy provided.
"No, we have to get Tom out of here!" Sam moaned, trying to escape Jim's grip.
He only tightened his hold and pulled on. "We'll save everyone, but for that, we need you, Einstein."
Sam stopped struggling, trying to catch glimpses of the others between the trees, praying to any god who would listen that Tom was still alive.
*
Kyle nudged Jimmy towards Tom and fought his way through the mass of men, trying to get their attention and keep it on him. It seemed to work. In a matter of seconds, he was surrounded. He only hoped that Jimmy and Tom could get away. He'd figure something out eventually.
He kept dodging and parrying hits when Von Crooken's voice broke through the sounds of battle.
"Guess what I'm about to do now," he said in a sing-song voice. "I'm about to kill two rabbits with one fence. Or was it two birds with one stone? Oh, well, a fence must be involved."
Kyle punched a random henchman out of the way to see Von Crooken heading for Jimmy and Tom. Jimmy had draped one of Tom's arms over his shoulders and was holding him up, while Tom appeared to be unconscious.
The rest of the fight forgotten, Kyle charged forward through the mass of men. "Kill this, asshole!" he kicked Von Crooken in the back, ramming him into the fence again. "Let's go!"
He dodged an incoming crony and rushed towards the forest.
"Um, Kyle?"
Kyle skid to a halt and turned around. He was immediately grabbed and pushed forward to where Eye Patch had a rifle pointe at Jimmy's head.
"Drop him," he said and Jimmy complied, eyeing the gun warily.
Von Crooken crawled towards Tom and dropped over him as if to prevent Jimmy from picking him up again.
"Get next to your brother," Eye Patch ordered Jimmy, motioning with the rifle.
The men holding Kyle let him go, foolishly believing that the gun was enough to stop him from fighting. Unfortunately, he saw no way out of this. Not for all three of them, at least. He hated it, but he had to think in numbers. If he and Jimmy got away, they could rescue Tom much easier. And there was only one way out.
Jimmy stepped away from Tom, his frightened eyes on Kyle. Kyle nodded towards the ground and joined his hands, inviting Jimmy to take the way out.
"You know what to do," he said calmly.
"But Tom..." Jimmy's voice was strangely thick, as if he were on the verge of tears.
"There's nothing we can do about it now," Kyle replied.
"But you..." Jimmy went on and started walking towards him slowly.
"I'll be just fine. Come on."
Jimmy frowned, his face set in concentration, then suddenly sprinted towards him. Eye Patch stared, but didn't make a move to shoot at them. Jimmy reached Kyle, put his foot in Kyle's joined hands, and Kyle boosted him as hard as he could. Jimmy flew up into the nearest tree and scrambled across the branches, disappearing from sight.
"Boss, should we—" One of the men started and Eye Patch tore his eye from the tree to look at him.
Kyle elbowed him in the face. The rifle fell to the ground and unloaded at random. Most of the men ducked and Kyle tore towards the trees, knocking over anyone in his path. He could hear the men following him, screaming to each other, and he changed direction, running to his right, then back towards the fence. Finally, he found a good tree, put his foot on the trunk, caught on to a lower branch, and climbed until he was completely hidden in the foliage.
Several men ran under him, screaming to each other, but none looked up. Kyle made his way as close as possible to the scene of the fight, just in time to hear Von Crooken.
"No, don't all go following him," he said, his voice hoarse.
Kyle peeked between the leaves, trying to get a look at the scene. Von Crooken sat on the ground, panting while most of his men surrounded him and Tom.
"Send a few men out. They're exhausted, they shouldn't pose any threat."
Yeah, right! Sure, the whole electric shock hurt like hell, but Kyle was almost completely recovered from that. If there weren't so many men, he'd have a go at rescuing Tom. But his brother was surrounded, and Von Crooken seemed to be waiting to see if he could capture him and Jimmy as well before heading out. Kyle hoped Jimmy had found a good hiding place.
Nothing happened for what seemed to be a half an hour. Men kept hurrying under his tree without actually searching, while the ones next to the fence kept their ground. Finally, what seemed to be the last of the men came back from the forest empty handed.
"We couldn't find them boss. Not surprising considering that there are hundreds of places for them to hide," one of the said.
"No matter." Von Crooken stood, helped by Eye Patch. "We have one of them and he is a guarantee that the others will show up. Take him out."
The men looked down at Tom, but didn't move, as if unsure whether he was really unconscious or just pretending. Like a given, Tom moaned and turned over. Everyone pulled away from him, Von Crooken included.
"Faster, you morons, before he escapes, too!" he yelled and eyed Tom apprehensively.
Three men came out of the crowd and headed for Tom. They didn't get to reach him before more men showed up. Kyle squinted and could make out Ron's flaming hair in the lead.
Ron looked around, spotted Tom on the ground, then turned to Von Crooken, seeming furious. Eye Patch dropped his boss and backed away when Ron charged towards him. Von Crooken stumbled on his feet, but before he fell over, Ron grabbed him by the collar.
"Who gave you the order to attack?" he yelled in Von Crooken's face.
"I didn't attack! I just saved the patrol. Would you have rather had the brats inside undetected?" Von Crooken replied, breaking loose. "And you have no right to order me around. I don't care that you and Snitch Gravel are best buds, you're not my superior and I can order my men to finish you off," he added spitefully.
Ron didn't answer, but looked at him through narrowed eyes after which he squatted in front of Tom to have a better look at him.
"At least he's still alive," Ron mumbled, getting up. "Take him to base, and don't any of you touch him on the way. You've messed him up enough already."
The army shifted and headedalong the fence, most likely towards the gate. Kyle sighed and moved from hisposition. His legs were numb after crouching in a tree for so long, but it paidoff. At least they now knew Tom was alive and that Ron had him.
Hi there!
I know the breaking point is kinda crappy, but so was the chapter length, so I did what I could. The next part will be pretty short.
So, things are heating up. Finally, right? Thanks so much for reading!
Also, I'm going to assume that the people who have come this far and read this chapter have read TY and the rest of FB.
Seeing as my updates are maybe not satisfactory since it's basically once a week, but randomly, if you want more of the characters while you wait, you could check out Right in front of you.
Thanks again for reading and do leave me a vote or comment so I know you were here ;)