9. Rescue And Escape
"No, I'm dead, because you're here, Skipper. You´re dead too." Kowalski muttered weakly and groaned as the leader put him gently on the floor. "No, Kowalski. I'm alive. I'm back." Skipper said, hoping that the scientists believed him. "How is that possible?" Kowalski said in a faint voice. "I don´t know why I'm alive again. I think I was sent back to help you." said the leader, who was thinking about this possibility for longer now.
"Skipper, they´ll soon break the door!" Private cried nervously and looked at the quivering door on the wall. Bada and Bing hammered with all their strength against it and tried to break the door. "Yeah, we must quickly get out of here. Kowalski can you walk?" Skipper asked, looking at his hurt friend. "Sure." murmured the scientist and the leader helped him getting up. But after two seconds Kowalski fell on the ground and his left leg was bending in an odd angle. "Kowalski, your foot!" cried Private frightened and Skipper bent down to him. "Looks as if it is broken. Then I'll probably have to carry you back to the HQ." Skipper murmured thoughtfully. He slowly lifted Kowalski from the ground and the scientist wrapped his flippers around Skippers neckt to hold tight.
"Private, take the knife and go ahead!" Skipper said, nodding at the little penguin. Private walked quickly to the stairs and looked if the coast was clear. "Come on, Skipper." said the little penguin, and the three walked up the stairs out of the basement, where still Bada and Bings screames echoed. Skipper tried to be as gently as possible, but Kowalski was in terrible pain. "Hold on, we are soon at home." Skipper murmured softly, stroking his back.
Kowalski gave only an affirmative groan and clutched tightly on Skippers neck and like a wet bag he hung in the wings of his leader. Skipper was very worried and hoped that the scientist was not wounded as badly as it looked. Once at the top, Private quickly opened the door and the penguins were scurrying into the main room of the house where the black candles cast an eerie light back to the blood-red walls.
"I hope that no one notices us, otherwise it might be difficult to escape." Private murmured anxiously, looking around, but he could not see anyone other than Skipper and Kowalski. "Quick, Private. We gotta get out of here." said the leader and tried to ignore the uneasy feeling that wanted to take possession of him. The penguins quickly ran to the door that led out into the hallway and opened it quickly. A terrible howling moved through the house like a wind that they wanted to prevent the escape.
Skipper was sure that he heard a sinister chuckle from one of the dark corners, but he tried to keep a clear head. Carefully they crept down the hall, who seemed to be getting longer and longer. It was like the door would always get further away from them, but Private knew that this was only in their imagination and went on bravely. Skipper could just move slowly under the weight of Kowalski. Again and again he had to take special care that the scientist didn´t slid from his flippers, because Kowalski had lost consciousness and couldn´t hold on anymore.
It seemed to last an eternity, until the Penguins finally reached the front door. Private stretched the flipper, to open it, but then he noticed that the door knob was missing. A wave of icy shudder ran down his spine and he turned to Skipper. "Skipper, the door, I can´t open it. The door knob is gone." Private stammered in fear, hoping that the leader had a plan how they would get out of the house. But that even the brave Skipper had not expected this obstacle. "What?" asked the leader frightened and stepped closer to the door to take a look on it. But the door was closed and separated the three penguins from the outside world.
Skipper was thinking, but he was too nervous to even take a clear idea. He was from the beginning occurred at odd that they could escape so easily, but he wasn´t prepared for something like this. In panic, the leader looked around, but here there was not a single window, and so they were caught. "What should we do now." Private whimpered and looked anxiously at Skipper, who also struggles with his fear.
"You need a password" muttered Kowalski, who was regaining consciousness. "Oh yes, and what? Open sesame?" Skipper asked sarcastically and Private sighed. "No, not that. Its Bloody Mary." Kowalski whispered softly, and a loud crack echoed through the hall. The Penguins took a few steps back and the door opened up immediately. Ice-cold wind moved in and the three quickly ran outside, through the garden, whose branches were whispering in the wind, out into the street.
Now they could finally breathe a sigh of ease. But something worried Skipper and left a strange feeling in his stomach. Kowalski knew the password. Was it all a trap? Was that the real Kowalski? These thoughts gave Skipper no rest and he lapsed into a pensive silence. "Kowalski, how did you know the password." Private asked who was just as suspicious as Skipper. "Well, where do you think I know. I was trapped in this hell long enough. And even if Bada and Bing have become monsters now, they are still stupid morons." murmured the scientist and convinced his friends.
"Move men, let´s go home." said Skipper and Kowalski wrapped his flippers around Skippers neck again. The city hadn´t changed during their helltrip at all. Still there was an icy wind that moved like a wolf howling through the streets and devastation was present everywhere. But this time the penguins moved forward quickly because they knew the way back. As fast as they could, they crept through the streets, looking always behind to make sure that no one followed them.
Private went still ahead with uplifted knife, because he knew he had to defend Skipper and Kowalski in an emergency. Skipper looked carefully in every nook and corner, which seemed somehow suspect, or from whom he thought he saw a shadow. But this time his paranoia was completely unnecessary, because the three penguins were all alone. It was not long when they arrived back in Privates hideaway.
Quickly the little penguin pushed the box in front of the entrance aside so Skipper and Kowalski could walk through. The lemurs were waiting impatiently for them and were amazed that they actually found Kowalski alive. "Skipper, we thought that they had caught you. When Private has gone after you, we have heard a few voices from outside." Maurice said excitedly.
But the leader was busy putting Kowalski on Privates bed and paid no attention to the lemur. After Private finally was inside, he locked the entrance again and they were finally safe. Skipper went to work in order to provide Kowalski's wounds. "Private, do you have something here so I can provide his injuries." asked the leader looked worried at the little penguin. "Here, Skipper." Private said, holding out a small black box that was once an old first aid kit. Skipper smiled and took the box, where he took out some bandages and wipes.
"Kowalski, how do you feel?" Skipper asked, worried. "Everything hurts, but I'll survive it." gasped the scientists weak and moaned as Skipper wiped the blood from his body. Gently the leader wrapped a couple of bandages around Kowalski's body to doctor the deepest injuies. "So now we'll see after your foot." Skipper muttered concentrated. Kowalski's foot was pretty swollen and had a bump on one side. "The bones have moved out, Skipper. You have to straighten them again." gasped the scientists and prepared to the unbearable pain he would feel when the leader treated him he told him to.
Skipper looked puzzeled at him. He had no medical experience and Kowalski asked him just to straighten his bones again. "How am I supposed to do that?" asked the leader, and swallowed. "You take my foot and press firmly with the other flipper on the bump. Then you have to pull vigorously." stammered the scientists and felt sharp pain now. "But that means I´m going to cause you more pain you already have. I don´t want to hurt you even more." muttered Skipper and hesitated.
"You have to, if you want me to walk properly ever again." Kowalski urged and looked serious at the leader. Skipper sighed, because he had no choice. He just hoped that he made no mistake. The leader grabbed Kowalski's foot and the scientist cried out loud. Carefully the penguin enclosed the bump and grabbed it tight. "Are you sure?" asked the leader again and Kowalski nodded. Skipper took a deep breath and counted to three. He pulled hard on Kowalskis food, and a grinding noise shot through the room like a gunshot. The scientist screamed in pain, but shortly afterwards he felt relief when Skipper quickly wrapped his foot with a bandage.
Panting, Kowalski turned on the bed and closed his eyes. Even Skipper was exhausted after this action. He sat on the floor and felt his heart pounding. "So that would be done. Now, tell us Kowalski. What happened to you and the others?" Private asked curiously, but he got no answer. A gentle snoring filled the room, as Kowalski had curled on the bed and fell asleep.
No surprise at all, because the scientists had to endure so much torment and pain for months. This was the first time that he could sleep soundly and Skipper was sympathetic. "Let him sleep, Private. Tomorrow we have enough time to pierce him with questions. Let him rest for now." Skipper mumbled and yawned, because the leader was very tired too. At his last attempt to sleep he actually had a terrible nightmare.
"Maybe you should also lie down, Skipper?" Private asked, shaking the blanket of the bed. Skipper rubbed his eyes wearily, he just could not keep them open any longer. "What about you? You must be tired too." yawned the leader and Private nodded. "We can stay awake all night!" Morts squeaky voice sounded. "Yes, Mort is right. You need your sleep, Skipper. We were here all the time and you have been out there risking your life to save Kowalski. Just lie down, we´ll take care." said Maurice and Skipper gave him a grateful smile.
With great effort the leader got up from the floor and waddled to the bed where he lay down next Kowalski, who was sleeping soundly. Private also urged between them, because there was hardly any room in the bed. "Private, slip closer to me so that Kowalski does not fall out of bed." Skipper whispered softly.
The little penguin followed his command immediately, and pressed tightly on his leader, who wrapped a flipper around his son. All three snuggled close together and Skipper and Private slipped into sleep in a matter of minutes, leaving the night watch to the bright eyes of the lemurs. The next morning there would be plenty of time for questions.
