Winter in Chi-Town- Chapter 2

January 2nd, 2008

By: RocknRide

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. You're surprised, aren't ya?

Notes: I am too lazy to get a beta so I apologize for any and all spelling and/or grammar problems

The first thing that Charley felt as she blinked her eyes open was that her head hurt. A lot. She felt disoriented, sore, and completely off balanced. She shook her head and in a blink, reality was back.

She realized belatedly, that she had been knocked out sometime during the earlier fight with Limburgers' goons back at her garage.

Now she was being propped up, held by each arm, by two other goons and apparently had been taken back to the tower. Their grip on her was painful and held with such force that her feet barely skimmed the hard floor of the nondescript hallway she was being marched down.

Charley had the unfortunate pleasure of finding herself in Limburger tower enough times that she was beginning to know her way around but from what she could see presently, nothing looked familiar.

That in itself was a haunting thought.

How was she going to find a way out when she didn't even know where the hell she was?

And Vinnie. Where was Vinnie? When her head completely cleared and feeling came back into her tired limbs she struggled, craning her neck around searching for the white mouse. The only way she would be here was if something happened to Vinnie. He wouldn't have let them lay a finger on her if he could help it.

Charley closed her eyes and searched through her scrambled memories of the past few...hours? Hell, it could be next week for all she knew. She remembered Modo and Throttle leaving, to start work on the bikes. A crash upstairs, the ambush, Vinnie yelling her name with fear painting his voice, and the visual of her mouse desperately fighting a swarm of Limburgers men. And now here she was- alone.

Tears flooded her eyes at the mere thought of it. God, she hoped he was alright.

If the thugs holding her realized she was back in the world of the living, they didn't show it. They didn't even blink when she tried to pull an arm free, but simply kept marching her down the long hallway.

Charley glanced at the slimy guy with a bald head holding her right arm and picked up her foot, bringing the hard heel of her boot down onto the goons toes.

"Ow! You bitch!" the thug yelled and he stumbled a step but unfortunately, he didn't let go. He snarled at her and tightened his already painful grip, halting, for the moment, all further attempts to wiggle free.

They rounded a corner and she blinked, her eyes adjusting from the dark hallway to the bright, large room they entered. It looked like one of the labs in the bottom of the tower but Charley couldn't decide if she had been here before.

There was movement from across the room and she gasped with relief when she saw that Vinnie was being walked into the same big room from a different hallway across from her. He looked a little roughed up and pissed as all hell but otherwise he still in one piece. His bandanna was torn and his bandoleers empty. Heavy metal shackles clamped around his wrists and four goons with blasters stood on either side of the tall white mouse.

"Vinnie?" Charley called out.

Vinnie looked up and jumped forward. "Charley!", he yelled, relief flooding over him but then he grunted when the goon to his left brought the butt of his blaster down hard across Vinnies shoulders.

Before she realized it, Charley cried out when the mouse crashed to his knees.

Vinnie stumbled and Charley saw the hard clench of his jaw. "You're gonna pay for this." He broke his gaze from Charley just long enough to snarl at the demented doctor then to the thugs at his sides. "Especially when my bros get here."

The goon to his left didn't answer him but looked over to the hideous creature, Dr. Karbunkle. "Where do you want him, boss?"

Karbunkle gestured to one of the holding cells that lined the back of the room. "The girl in a room and the rat in the chair." He wheezed.

"Aww…can't we keep this one for a little while?" the goon with the bruised toes asked with a sick smile.

"Don't touch her!" he growled and tried to leap forward again.

More goons ran over, helping to hold the enraged mouse.

"Yeah, we'll take good care of her," the other goon said. His eyes caught Vinnies who struggled against those doing their best to restrain him.

Charley was tugged tighter to the slime ball with the ponytail, her stomach turning when the dirty, sweaty stench of him hit her. He chuckled when she trembled and made sure he had Vinnies gaze before continuing. His hand ran the length of her arm, dancing over her waistline and darting under the hem of her shirt.

Vinnie roared his fury but even as furious as he was, he white mouse was exceedingly outnumbered. It didn't stop his fight or the litany of curses and threats that echoed throughout the laboratory.

The cold hand drifted up the expanse of her stomach and absolute revulsion coursed through her, fueling her with anger that brought life back to her strained and tired limbs.

She brought her elbow up sharply, connecting with the goons nose with a sickening crunch. He staggered back slightly, yelling and holding his bloody nose with both hands. The other goon still had her other arm but that didn't stop her from throwing herself in Vinnies direction.

If she could just reach him…

She didn't get far. Charley managed to rush forward only to be yanked back again at almost the same moment Vinnie somehow shook loose. The biker managed to take two running steps towards her before there was a loud sound, a burst of light, and he was knocked completely off his feet. He was motionless when he fell back onto the hard floor, the smell of burnt hair filling the air.

A scream reverberated off the walls. A scream Charley belatedly realized was painted in her voice.

"You idiot!" Karbunkle shouted.

They shot him…

Charley instantly when deathly pale. She stared in utter disbelief and her stomach dropped. Reality slowed and all she heard with the pounding of her heart beat rushing through her ears.

Before she knew what was happening, the goon next to Charley, who still held a smoking blaster, quickly drug her into the nearest holding cell.

She was shoved into the cold room and the heavy door slammed behind her. Her legs tingled and then her knees gave way, her mind racing.

It didn't take long for time to catch up and she gasped for air.

No! God, no. Not when I finally realized what he means to me!

Charley slumped to the ground and dropped her head into her hands, hard sobs crashing their way through her chest.

Time stood still and she was helplessly alone.