Chapter 10: As Daylight Dies
(A/N: alright I gave fair warning, after this do not expect any updates for awhile. Chapter 12 is complete only problem is chapter 11 and the rest are not. )
Night had finally fallen on the weary travelers but they trudged on knowing that they were close to the source of the smoke. Despite their will to carry on, Brock knew they would soon have to stop for the night. He was just about to suggest it when a sudden noise tore through the silence.
Brock and Dawn squat down for cover, fearful of being seen by what they knew was hunter J's men returned once again. Brock raised his fingers to his lips indicating for them to be quite as he carefully crawled through the brush. Not far away sat two vehicles circled around Salamence and Hunter J herself. Good thing they had stopped or they might have run straight into the hunter. Brock carefully examined the hunter's appearance. She looked a little disheveled; her usual clean cut jacket a little muddied, and her hair a mess, but none the worse for wear as smug smile lined her lips as she walked over towards her men.
Dawn crawled her way next to Brock and stuck her head out to observe them. She scanned the area carefully when she noticed Salamence was blocking another figure from her view. She was about to point it out to Brock when she was cut off by a loud grinding noise as the doors began to open to the vehicle.
They all watched straining to hear the conversation, but were too far away to make anything out. Hunter J pressed a few buttons on her arm device as a disk came hovering out and over to the figure blocked by Salamence. A deep sinking feeling overwhelmed them as they watched the scene before them.
Even though they could not see the figure, they all knew deep down who it was. It should have been no surprise really and yet the shock of seeing it firsthand slapped them hard.
"Brock!" Dawn exclaimed when the figure raised clear of Salamence. New feelings flooded her as she recognized the figure now encased in her special case being transported to the six wheeled vehicle.
"Brock!" She cried out again panicking as she darted towards the hunting party.
"Pikapi!" the little pokémon cried out in anger as sparks began to emit from its cheeks.
Brock's eyes widen upon seeing who exactly was encased in the barrier. "Dawn wait!" He hissed as he grabbed her arm stopping her in her tracks. "Pikachu." He called out in a warning tone trying to calm the electric rodent.
"There are too many of them right now, we can't just barge in on them." He pointed out.
"Pika!" Pikachu cried out angrily in response.
"But Brock they have Ash, we have to do something!" Dawn hissed back just as angrily.
"Don't you think I already know that?" Brock retaliated, his expression hard causing Dawn to flinch at his sudden outburst. "He's my friend too!" he continued, a fact Dawn did not to be reminded of as she turned her attention back to Ash's frozen form locked in stone.
"What are we going to do?" Dawn asked worriedly as the hatch began to close blocking the view from within.
Brock thought about the situation as he watched the scene before him. This really wasn't his strong suit, but more of Ash's thing, ironically that was exactly who they needed to save. Brock watched as the hunter climbed back on salamence and took off, leaving the party behind.
What would Ash do? Brock thought to himself as he watched the last huntsmen climb into the ATV, when suddenly he remembered exactly what Ash did. "Dawn come on!" He said as he dashed out from their hiding spot and crawled underneath the vehicle.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Dawn exclaimed before Brock pulled her underneath beside him. All four of them latched onto the underside of the vehicle as the engine kicked on.
"Brock this is crazy!" Dawn exclaimed as she held on tightly.
"Of course it is." Brock nodded in agreement, "After all, it was Ash's idea."
Dawn was about to protest again when suddenly the vehicle took off. Dawn squeezed her eyes shut too afraid to watch what she was actually doing, but the determination to help her friend allowed her to hold on as the ATV zoomed through the forest.
After a bumpy ride through the forest the vehicle had slowed to a stop as a grinding noise filled the air once again. Brock glanced out to see Hunter J's Ship opening its cargo doors. He gulped as fear consumed him, hoping beyond hope they would not get caught.
The vehicle inched its way up the ramp until it was well within the belly of the ship. The door began to grind again as it was slowly pulled close. The men from within the vehicle piled out, their cheerful voices echoing off the metal walls as they laughed and joked about various things.
Dawn looked at Brock, Her face drained of all color, as the fear of being caught consumed her as the men walked about the ship oblivious to their presence. The loud grinding noise reverberated through the vehicle as the doors opened once again.
Suddenly the happy atmosphere changed as boots clicked loudly on the metal floor, and the men dropped to a dead silence.
"Take the target to the bridge, I'll contact the client to set up a rendezvous." the hunter commanded. "Sir" The men responded as they scrambled to unload Ash from the six wheel.
"Client?" Brock mouthed to Dawn to which she shrugged in confusion. This entire time, they had assumed that hunter J had merely wanted Ash out of the way. The fact that a client had actually hired her to get their hands on Ash was troubling to say the least.
They watched the movement of feet as their friend was unloaded causing anger to stir within. Ash was nothing more than a profit to these people. Brock's grip tightened until his knuckles were white as he watched the hunter's boots disappeared down a long winding corridor. Soon after the other men followed behind with Ash in tow.
"Brock." Dawn whispered as she nudged to the disappearing figure hauling away their friend. "Don't be so hasty." Brock whispered warningly to her, pulling her back into the shadows. "Wait." he mouthed as he brought his fingers up to his lips motioning for her to be quite.
They only had one shot at this, if they were caught they may never be able to help Ash, they had to wait for this to play out. They had no idea who else was involved in this, and had no idea how deep this went. If they freed Ash now they would run the risk of the client coming after him again, but if they could figure out whom the client was, that would be really saving Ash. They had to wait, as much as it pained Brock knowing that his best friend was sealed in stone on a notorious hunter's ship.
Their footsteps echoed down the hallway until the room sank into an uncomfortable silence. Brock waited a moment longer to make sure the room was empty then released his hold on the vehicle.
"Wait here." He told Dawn and Pikachu still clinging to the underside of the vehicle. Slowly and carefully he crawled out from beneath the vehicle scanning the area for any signs of the occupants. The ship gave a giant shudder as he felt the force of takeoff shaking him to his core. He grasped the vehicle next to him until it had stopped. The humming of the engines filled the air, as Brock once again scanned the cargo hold.
Three vehicles sat in the bay with plenty of space to spare. The walls were lined with many boxes and crates of various sizes. The room contained three doors which led to narrow corridor. Brock figured it would be very easy to get lost in this ship and he did not like that idea. As much as he wanted to run off and search for Ash, Brock knew his best bet would be to let the hunter make the transaction, and free Ash from the Client.
He had seen it before, once hunter J was paid and the transaction made she would be out of the way. The more he thought about it the more it made sense to wait for things to play out. Now he just needed a place to hide, he thought as he called out to the others to come out and help him search.
Meanwhile, down the long twisting corridors of the ship Hunter J pulled up the bridge monitor as the huntsmen placed the subject in the background leaving the hunter to attend to business.
"Gareth." The hunter greeted with no emotion as she casually sat down in her chair as the door closed behind her.
"Awe hunter J." Gareth greeted her, that stupid smile spreading across his face. "I was beginning to wonder if I would ever hear from you, or if the task was too much." Gareth continued.
Hunter J scuffed at Gareth's remark as she casually crossed her legs, staring down the man on her monitor. "I take it then you do not wish to obtain the target?" The hunter asked as she turned the camera to show the frozen form of Ash, "I guess I will just have to find some other client to take the boy off my hands." She finished as her finger lingered over the switch to end the transmission.
"Ahh!" Gareth cried out in delight, the surprise evident on his face the hunter had actually succeeded. "Good, Hunter J. Very good." He commended her as he applauded her efforts. "No doubt your efforts will be rewarded, and your reputation restored." Gareth continued that stupid smile overwhelming his expression. Hunter J rolled her eyes at the annoying little man as he continued.
"I trust the task wasn't too much trouble." Gareth continued upon seeing the bruise now forming on the hunter's brow.
Gareth paused a moment waiting for the hunter's reply, but her icy glare told him the boy was more trouble then she would care to admit. "Alright," Gareth continued abandoning his efforts to get a conversation out of the Hunter, "Always straight to business with you. I will meet you at this disclosed location which I am sending you now. There we will exchange the subject for the rest of your absurd payment. "
"Good." the hunter replied as she smiled upon hearing the word payment. The computer gave a beep as the location came up on her screen. "Location received." The hunter confirmed.
"Excellent." Gareth replied, "We shall meet here at precisely 03:00 hours to make the exchange, and Hunter J," Gareth paused a moment catching the hunter's full attention, "If I should find the authorities knocking on my door," He paused for a greater affect as he dropped the smile from his face, his insanity burning clearly in his eyes. "This will be the very last business transaction you will ever make."
Hunter J stood staring at the man unaffected by his words. "Understood." she merely said as she hit the switch to cut the transmission. She turned her attention back to the frozen form of the boy behind her locked in suspension. His face masking the confused expression she had put there with her words only hours ago when he learned of the client.
"What did you get yourself into kid?" She asked him curiously wondering for the first time since the meeting what kind of plans Gareth had for the Brat.
(A/N: I had considered breaking this up into two stories since after the transaction Hunter J would no longer be a part of the story and the title Drag Hunting would seem pointless, and making the second part of the story all about the client, but in the end I decided against it for now. I still have much of Gareth's stuff to write and depending on the length I still might take that path but we shall see.)