Chapter 8
Mokuba gasped as he was plunged into darkness. With the initial shock over, he began to panic. Something was wrong, Joey hadn't come down! He had closed the cover. Were the men back? Did he do this on purpose? Did he need help? What could he do if he did need help and he was down here? The whimper of Serenity beside him brought Mokuba out of his panicked thoughts.
"Serenity, you there?"
"Y-yes." There was another whimper. It was so dark, Serenity couldn't see. It was like being blind, and she was worried for her brother. Nothing was going right. "I-I can't see. I can't see you" fear was obvious in her voice.
"It's ok" Mokuba soothed. Joey was risking his life to save him, and Mokuba was going to do everything in his power to keep his friends only sister safe.
"Reach your hand out to me…can you touch me? No? Take a small step forwards with your hand out. There, that's my shoulder!"
Mokuba reached up and placed his hand over Serenity's. She wasn't shaking, and appeared to have calmed down.
"Right, the wall is on my right" continued Mokuba "move to that side, along the wall. Do you think you can get behind me?"
Serenity nodded, then, realizing Mokuba couldn't see it, she answered verbally.
"Yes"
"Good. Don't let go of my shoulder." They were quiet for a moment as they both moved with slow small steps, switching their positions in the tunnel. With Serenity behind him and holding on to his shoulder, Mokuba reached out to touch the ladder on the wall. Scrunching his nose at the feel of filth under his hand, he overcame his disgust and concentrated on the instructions that Joey had given him.
"Serenity, I'm going to start moving. Hold on to my shoulder. If we're turning, I'll tell you…and Serenity…don't be scared. We'll get out" Serenity smiled in the darkness at the boy she had barley known, and now considered one of her closest friends.
"I know. I won't let go. Don't go to fast! Ok?"
"Ok."
Mokuba set off slowly, Serenity's hand pulled slightly on his shoulder as she followed behind him. Keeping his hand on the wall, not bothering with the slimy and gritty feel, Mokuba started to count the ladders. Joey's words echoing in his head.
Six ladders straight, no turns. First turn after the sixth ladder. Four ladders turn to face left, there's a small walk way across the sewage. Go slow; you really don't want to fall in. At the other side, turn right again. Two ladders, the second turn. You'll be in a tunnel with no sewage and ladders on both sides. Keep your hand on the left side. Six ladders, first turning after. One ladder, then move to the other side of the tunnel. There should be an opening opposite the ladder. Take it. Eight ladders, left side, take the first opening after. Three ladders. Go up the ladder and push on the cover. It should open and you'll be in an area you recognize. Go to your house Mokuba. If the cover doesn't open, take the next ladder, ok? Don't forget!
They moved quickly and in silence, with Mokuba leading the way. There was no sense of time as they moved in the darkness. Mokuba's hands became filthy and grazed from dragging them along the gritty wall. Despite their carefulness Serenity still slipped on the small walkway across the sewage. Her knee dipped in the unspeakable filth, covering her light blue jeans. She didn't make a sound at the disgusting event, but simply allowed Mokuba to help her up and urge him to continue leading the way.
They were in the last part of their journey through the tunnels. They had passed the last two ladders and were making their way towards the third and last ladder before they emerged into the open air. The smell had become normal to the two, so they didn't notice the disgusting odours, but they could still feel the dirt of the place clinging to their skins in a sticky sweat. A shower would be heaven.
Mokuba felt his hand come across the familiar iron bars of a ladder.
"This is it." He whispered to Serenity in the darkness.
"What?"
"This is where Joey said we should come up. He said we should be in a place we recognize. We just have to go up the ladder and push on the cover."
"Wait!" Mokuba stopped mid-step from the vice like grip that Serenity had on his shoulder. "Where will we go? I only know Yugi's house and I'm not sure if I remember where he lives."
"Shhh, don't worry Serenity" Mokuba said, gently removing her hand. "We'll go to my house. Seto will look after you and keep you safe. He'll let you see Yugi and he'll do everything he can to get Joey back. Ok?"
"Ok." Serenity sighed, relived that her small panic attack had passed. She removed her hand from Mokuba's shoulder as he began to ascend the stairs.
Mokuba slowly griped the rung of the ladder, and made sure he knew where to put his feet before he pushed himself up to begin climbing. Last time he had been going down the ladder and he had had the light of the moon to see by. Although that had been very little, it was better than the complete darkness that in cased him now. He was afraid of slipping and hitting Serenity on the way down. Injuring one, or worse, both of them in the fall. Luckily for Mokuba this didn't happen.
Reaching up with his hand again, Mokuba found himself laying it flat out against the metal cover in the ceiling. With the hope of fresh air he pushed hard with one arm against the iron. It didn't move. Mokuba pushed harder. The same thing happened.
Stepping up some more rungs on the ladder, he held on with one hand, bent his head and lifted his shoulder to push against the cover again. Pushing, he was afraid when the cover still didn't move. He persisted though, panic giving him strength.
Until the cover moved, releasing just a slither, from the rust and soil that had glued it to the ground. Lifting his right foot to another rung on the ladder, he added his lower body strength to the effort to lift the iron circle. This time, it moved.
Continuing to push until his legs straightened, Mokuba managed to move the cover a couple of inches up, relishing in the feel of fresh air rushing against his face. Moving the cover to the left, Mokuba hooked his fingers round the iron circle and pushed it slowly to the side. Taking great gulps of air as he exited the underground and climbing on all fours onto the pavement.
Looking down, Mokuba smiled at Serenity and motioned her to join him. She was smiling just as widely as him, and taking in the fresh air herself as she climbed out. Lying on the pavement, both of them relaxed from the freedom of total darkness, into the greyish light just before the first signs of dawn.
"I'm so glad we're out of there. I never knew air could taste so good." Stated serenity.
"Me neither." Replied Mokuba. The brief happiness passed soon for Serenity, as she realized that her one and only brother wasn't with them.
He could be on the run? They could have captured him? They could be hurting him and she didn't know! Serenity didn't believe he was dead, her mind just refused to think about the concept. Stealing her emotions and swallowing her panic, Serenity concentrated on doing what she could. Staying safe and being strong for her brother.
"So, where are we? I don't know this street."
"Well…" Mokuba looked around for the first time. Standing up, he headed for a cross section further down the pavement. Serenity followed without comment. "There's the McDonalds, and this looks like Main Street so…" Mokuba thought for a moment, assessing his knowledge of where things were in the city, a habit he had picked up from older brother. Smiling and taking Serenity's hand in his own, he started moving with speed down the street.
"Come on, we're close to my house. I know the way. Come on! Seto will be waiting. I want to see my brother." Either Mokuba noticed what he had said, or he saw the look of utter sadness and depression on Serenity's face. Thoroughly regretting what he said, he stopped to look her in the face and apologize.
"I'm…I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" he started. Serenity stopped him by smiling sadly.
"It's ok; I know you didn't mean it. I would be looking forward to seeing my brother to… Now, can we get to your house? I want…oh god, I want…" she trailed off, tears threatening to form in her eyes.
"It's ok, it'll be ok." Mokuba reassured, squeezing her hand, as much for his own comfort as for Serenity's. Beginning to move again, they headed at a fast run to Kaiba mansion.
It was late, very late, or very early depending on how you looked at it. Rowland had somehow managed to convince Seto to try and sleep, seeing that for some reason the kidnappers hadn't called again. Explaining to the young CEO that he would only be compromising his health and his ability to help with the investigation into his little brothers kidnap finally convinced the teen to try and get some hours of sleep.
Rowland still had his men working in shifts, but there really was little they could do. Sighing, he too decided to get some hours of sleep, closing the door on the people still working and sound proofing the room. Thanks to this, it was only Seto himself that herd the door-bell and rapid knocking. Tossing it off, he turned in his bed, not willing to come up from the half doze he had slipped into. The knocking and ringing continued, growing more frantic.
Angry, Seto tossed off the covers and began to stomp out of his room (he had gone to bed in his clothes), as mad as a raging bull.
Mokuba and Serenity had been knocking for a few minutes. The fact that they were so close to safety and warmth and were not going to be spending another night in fear of the men was getting to them. It was especially nerve wrecking for Mokuba, the desperation to see his brother was causing tears to begin to fill his eyes, and his ringing of the bell to become more frantic. Why wouldn't someone open the damn door?
Seto all but charged down the stairs. The rage at whoever was at the door growing with every step. How dare they call when he was getting to sleep! How dare they make a bad day worse! How dare they not understand his worrying about his little brother and friends. How dare…how dare…how dare they come here at three in the fucking morning. By the time he did reach the door, he was ready to strangle the callers.
All of his rage immediately fled however, when he saw the two small figures standing before him.
When Mokuba saw his brother all but pull the door of its hinges, he lost it. Launching himself at his older brother's waist, he burst into tears. Serenity too started to cry, just from the extremity of what she had been through. Not caring about being awkward, she too attached herself to the 18 year old and cried.
Seto stood still when Mokuba locked himself onto his waist and began to cry. He still didn't grasp the enormity of what was happening when Serenity followed Mokuba and locked herself on to his waist, crying her little eyes out. Seto simply stood there, with his missing brother and the younger Wheeler sibling clinging to him.
Finally getting it through his head (after a good three minutes) that his supposed kidnapped brother was standing right in front of him, the stony eyed, cold-hearted businessman broke down.
Falling to his knees, he gathered the two filthy, crying eleven year olds in his wide embrace and let tears run freely down his own face.
"Mokuba, Mokuba, Mokuba…" he continued to repeat his beloved younger brother's name, pressing his face into the boy's long mess of familiar ebony hair. Longing for the physical contact and wishing for this not to be a dream, Seto continued to hold the two kids. When their cries started to die down into the occasional hiccup Seto pulled away to look at his brother and Serenity, still kneeling on the floor.
"Mokuba?...How?...What?...Are you?..." It was at this time, with the CEO still trying to form a coherent sentence that Rowland walked in. Taking in the situation, his professional mind set to work immediately.
"Master Mokuba!" The two kids turned to the body guard. Rowland took in their appearance. Their long hair was greasy and matted, both had dark circles under their eyes, Mokuba's hands were filthy and seemed to be scabbed, Serenity's hands were ok but her entire right leg was soaked in something brown, the two of them looked like they could use a bath. Seto was still holding on to their shoulders as they turned to look at his head bodyguard. He too had noticed their appearance, he also noticed that they were both smelling fowl, but both he and Rowland were relieved that they couldn't find any injuries on the two children.
"Why don't we go and sit down? I'll tell the men your here and we'll get you both something to eat and drink. Ok?" Rowland calmly said as he helped Seto from his kneeling position and urged them gently into the sitting room. Both of the kids nodded to the idea of food and something to drink.
Rowland sat both of the Kaiba brothers and Serenity down, before rushing to the kitchen and filling three glasses of water and grabbing some quick snacks, before hastily making his way back to the living room. Stopping at the make shift control room, he told the men what had happened, but stopped them from going to question the kids, saying they needed to be taken care of first.
Back in the sitting room, the children inhaled the snacks and the water immediately gulped down. Seto simply sipped at his water, trying to stop the tears from running down his face again and fighting to control his emotions. Once the two kids seemed to of calmed down somewhat and had finished their food, Rowland took the chance to ask the most important questions.
"Did the men injure you? Tell us if they did, you may need to see a doctor." Both kids shock their heads.
"They didn't hurt us" said Mokuba "but they hurt Joey." Serenity's eyes welled up and she began to cry silent tears. Hiding her head in her hands, her shoulders shook as she quietly sobbed. Seto and Rowland both looked to the girl with concern.
"What did they do to Mr. Wheeler? And where is he now? How did you escape, but not him?" continued Rowland, he knew this must be hard for the kids but he needed to know the answers. Mokuba glanced at Serenity, and then answered for both of them.
"They broke his arm, possibly in two places and hit Joey badly. He did it to protect me…" Mokuba stopped to wipe away the tears before they fell, remembering how his friend had protected and saved them from the men.
"I don't know where Joey is. He came up with this plan to escape and get us out from the warehouse. It worked. He then told us to go down the sewers and gave us directions to get to Main Street; apparently he had worked as an inspector for a time. We got down the ladder and he was going to follow, but something happened. I think he heard something, maybe the men came back? He told us to run and follow his instruction and then closed the lid on us. That's how we got here, but…we don't know where he is. What if the men did come back? They could have seen him? They could have caught him? They could have hurt him…he could be dead?"
"NO!" Serenity screamed, everyone turned to her. The eleven year old had jumped up and was facing Mokuba. Tears still ran down her face, but her eyes were burning.
"HE IS NOT DEAD!" She continued to scream. "My brother is strong, don't even think that. You said that your brother would find him, that it would be ok, so don't you dare say he's dead. Even if they did get him, Joey wouldn't die that easy. He'd live…for me."
Serenity's chest was heaving from the exertion of her outburst. An accusing finger pointed at Mokuba.
"Just…don't say he's dead, ok." She finished, sitting back down and staring at her hands cupped in her lap. A silence descended over the room. Mokuba stared off into space while Rowland and Seto both stared at the two kids.
"That's enough for tonight." Seto broke the silence quietly "Mokuba, Serenity why don't you take a bath and go to bed. Serenity, you can use one of the spare rooms and borrow some of Mokuba's clothes, alright?"
Both children nodded and got up to follow the teen out the room. Seto led Serenity to a guest room near his and Mokuba's. He set the shower temperature and gave her a towel. Telling her to leave her clothes by the bathroom door as he exited the room, returning to place some of Mokuba's pajamas on the queen size bed.
Exiting again and moving down the hallway, he entered his brother's room and waited for him to finish showering. When he did, Seto rushed over to embrace his brother. Both Kaiba's cried for a while, until Mokuba fell asleep in Seto's embrace. The older Kaiba put his brother to bed and went to check on their guest. Seeing her asleep, he went to his own room. Falling onto the bed, it was seconds before his eyes closed and he too was asleep.
Joey slept also, though not of his own free will. The men had chloroformed him to stop him from waking up. His arm was twisted, but the wound on his leg had clogged and stop bleeding. He was still bleeding slowly from his shoulder as the wound had not quite clogged yet. Joey legs were tied and a gag was strung tightly in his mouth. The van moved with Joey being thrown around in the back and hitting his head several times. He would not see dawn for a while.
