Chapter Ten: Behind Closed Doors

Cass's lips were chapped. She cursed herself - she had lip balm in her trusty backpack, but those thuggish men had taken it from her as she struggled. A pain uttered gutturally from her stomach - she hadn't eaten since that morning. "Hey," she croaked, eyes struggling to adjust to the dimness of the room in which she had been thrown into, "Max-Ernest. Yo-Yoji. Where are you?"

A groan from across the room answered her question. "Here," moaned Yo-Yoji, voice cracking as he spoke. "Man, that guy twisted my neck hard. I have the worst cramp now thanks to him. How you doing, Cass? Did they rough you up too?"

Cass instantaneously put her trembling hand to her bruised left shoulder. "No...not really. Where's Max-Ernest? Is he with you?" She tried to move, but her body ached so much she felt like she had fitfully slept for a thousand years, and gave up. Undaunted, Cass squinted, wondering where that dim light was coming from.

"No way, man. Before I blacked out I saw him for a few seconds, but the guy put a blindfold and gag on me before I could do anything. Ugh, I can still taste that dirty rag."

"You're sure he's not with you?" Cassandra struggled to move her arm to grope the space beside her, but felt only air. Panic began to set in - until Yo-Yoji reassured her.

"Oh, man! Sorry, he's here. Still knocked out though." Cass's heart stopped thumping so fast, and she gave a sigh of relief.

"Good. The last thing we need is one of us going missing."

"Well," asked Yo-Yoji, "what are we gonna do now? It's too dark to see if the door is unlocked."

Cass thought. If we try to wake up, maybe our sight will accumulate to the dark more. "Try to wiggle your arms, or stand, or something active," she ordered commandingly. "It'll wake us up and get us to think clearer. Then we'll wake Max-Ernest up and figure out what to do."

It only take a few long moments to wake their heavy limbs and fogged heads, but not to wake their shortest friend. "Max-Ernest?" Cass called to him while Yo-Yoji gently shook his shoulder - he was slumped against a darkly lit wall. The spiky-haired boy didn't move a muscle. Yo-Yoji shook him a little more roughly. His head lolled a bit, but then settled again. He didn't even snore.

"Let me," commanded Cass, sweat drops trickling down her forehead, though her whole body was cold and clammy. She grabbed Max-Ernest's hand and pulled. "Wake...up...!" she grunted, pulling with all her might. Yo-Yoji flitted around her for a few seconds.

"Here, that won't work - stop - " he said, tugging Cassandra's fingers free from Max-Ernest's pale hand. After a few awkward seconds Cass realized Yo-Yoji was clutching her hand again, and stared at him questioningly. Meanwhile, Max-Ernest's hand flopped, forgotten, to the tiled floor.

Yo-Yoji's face was alert. Cass was confused, until her pointed ears suddenly perked up, detecting another voice, though muffled. "It's coming from behind the door," Yo-Yoji breathed, and the two adolescents scrambled to press their ears against the door many feet away.

"It'll take a few hours for it to settle in, doctor," said a muffled female voice. It sounded like the woman they had encountered, rather unpleasantly, in the waiting room - Dr. Yufredo had called her Noah-Ann.

"Thank you, Noah-Ann," murmured Dr. Yufredo's distinctly warm voice, "I'll see to them later. Their minds are decidedly uncomplicated for Secret keepers - what a disappointment. You'll release them later, won't you?"

"Yes...if you'd like, doctor."

"I would like it. And make sure they've got enough novocaine in their systems - the last thing we need is them waking while you're getting done with it."

"Yes, doctor."

Muffled footsteps...and then they were gone. What did he mean by 'It'll take a few hours to settle in'? wondered Cass. And then the colors exploded in front of her eyes.

Author's Note: CLIFFHANGER, MWA HA HA HA HA!
Signed,

PancakesWithMilk ;^)