I'm back with Chapter 14, and an even bigger case of writer's block than before. Chapter 13 may have been decent, but it was just a throw-away chapter. However, as I type, the gears in my head are beginning to turn once more; so we're met with the same dilemma as last time. Write and Pray! (That's gonna be the name of a band one day. HAHAHA!)
A/N: I do not own Bolt or any of its characters. All characters are the property of Disney and its subsidiaries.
Execution
The endless night eventually gave into the rising sun of the early morning, and even with the little sleep they had achieved the night before, today was the day of reckoning. Turning back and making sudden changes was no longer an option. Bolt, Eli, Preston, and Beverly were sitting on the back porch for one last talk before the mission was to be carried out.
"Well, the last time we did this, the conditions were somewhat similar. But now, we're fighting one of our own." Beverly said
"He doesn't belong to this company anymore." Preston said openly.
"Yeah. His decision to throw away his life on the good side was his own. It's just gonna be sweet watching him die." Eli said getting a little carried away.
"Eli, please! He may have gone rogue, but he still did great things for our team." Beverly said interrupting her mate.
"Like I said, the second he decided to kidnap my kids, his life was over… And it WILL be soon enough." Eli said standing his ground before walking back inside the house. His parental instincts were kicking in, only making staying calm that much harder for him. Bolt watched as his friend walked through the door, before turning his head slowly back towards the front. His eyes felt heavy; not from lack of sleep, but from lack of focus. Beverly was fairly quick to notice the emotions on the shepherd's face.
"Bolt." Beverly said instantly grabbing his attention.
"Um, yeah." Bolt said somewhat out of it.
"Are you feeling okay?"
"Not… really." Bolt said blatantly. As Beverly prepared to speak, Kelly walked out to the porch.
"The van is stocked and ready to go. What about you guys?" Kelly asked
"Uh, yeah. We'll be ready in a few." Preston said. As Kelly nodded and returned to the house, Preston followed her step for step.
"I'll give you guys some time." Preston said before disappearing into the house himself. Beverly looked over at Bolt, who was now walking slowly towards the steps that led to the yard. The malamute walked up to his side and stopped him from going any further.
"What's going on, Bolt?" Beverly asked. She waited for a response for at least 30 seconds before he looked up at her, on the verge of tears.
"I'm scared."
"But you've done this before."
"Before, I didn't really know what I was doing. I joined the team to take your place, and even with all of the training, I don't know if I can do it." Bolt said trying his best not to shake in fear. Beverly walked up to him and pulled his head towards hers in a short hug.
"Bolt, before I joined GGE, I used to live in an airport with three other dogs in Vancouver. We lived in this secret room no one ever went into, and I thought they would support me if any danger ever came our way… but I was wrong. One day, one of the janitors opened the door unexpectedly, and found us all huddled together in fear. Within a half an hour, animal control was called and we were taken through the airport for everyone to see. They all hid behind me like a bunch of cowards, when I thought we would stand together and fight if something like that ever happened… They let me down. But your situation is different. You have Mittens, Seth, Rhino, Preston, Eli, Simone, Kelly, and I to stick with you when you're scared. I don't want anyone to depend on me if I can't help them, and I'm determined not to leave you hanging like those three did to me. I don't make promises I can't keep, but I CAN promise you this… I promise I will fight by your side every second that you need it. And I know everyone else will do the same thing." Beverly said truthfully. Bolt looked at her and wondered how someone so brilliant could come from such a hard life, and become something bigger than herself… a secret agent.
"This is a shared battle, Bolt. And we… are your fellow troops." Beverly said smiling. His confidence began to soar as the seconds continued to pass. The inner strength he had to step in for Beverly last year had returned, and he was ready. And he knew it!
"Okay!" Bolt said quietly, but it was just the right tone for Beverly to pick up on the thoughts sprinting through his mind. She smiled in response as they embraced in an even tighter hug than before.
"Let's do this!" Bolt said ready for action.
(30 minutes later: 8:35 am)
"Okay, so we'll leave the note at the front gate of the house, telling them where the designated drop-off zone is, and explain to them what our end of the deal consists of." Bolt began before looking up at the group to make sure they were following him.
"Where are we leaving the money?" Eli asked
"Regal Park. It's a public ground, which means that they can't try anything funny in front of a bunch of people." Bolt answered
"That's… actually a really good idea." Simone said complimenting Bolt on his idea.
"And Rhino will be inside the bag?" Preston asked
"Yep. When you set me down, please don't drop the bag." Rhino said making sure his voice was heard, to which everyone only chuckled at his order.
"And the kids are gonna do what exactly?" Eli asked once again.
"Rhino will tell them that we've made the first payment, and when we make the second one, they will all be meeting us for an even trade. That's when we strike!" Bolt explained in more detail.
"Strike?" Beverly asked hoping he would clarify some more.
"Yes. We jump them all when the kids are within sight. If we blitz them all at once, we save the kids and everyone goes home alive."
All of the small details seemed to pan out perfectly, and the plan was worth a shot: even if they only had one. Even though they didn't need to listen in, Mittens and Seth felt as though if they paid some attention, it might be beneficial. The van was started and ready to go, and within another 2 hours, so was everyone else. Mittens, Seth, and Kelly were staying back at the house with Kelly watching the cameras from their home station. Mittens and Seth couldn't do much except pray. Beverly, Eli, Rhino and Simone were already in the van, buckled and ready to take off. Preston was waiting for Bolt to say good-bye to Mittens and Seth before he stepped in to have a few words with them himself.
"Is everything okay?" Mittens asked as Preston walked up to the two felines.
"Yeah, I just wanted to know how you two are feeling." Preston began
"Well, I've had to deal with this before, but I'm not sure how HE is feeling." Mittens said motioning her attention over to Seth.
"Well?" Preston asked waiting for a response.
"Are you kidding? I get to watch my dad take out bad guys. Granted, I have to watch from a computer screen, but a TV screen isn't that much different. And this time, it's real." Seth said, somehow managing to keep his cool, even though he knew how epic this moment was. His father was fighting crime… for real.
"He's a good agent." Preston commented
"No… he's my hero." Seth said looking at Bolt. Mittens smiled hearing those words come from her son's mouth.
"Well, wish us luck!" Preston said walking away.
"Good luck!" Mittens and Seth said simultaneously as they waved from a distance. Bolt let out one last wave before the back door to the van shut, and the group was off.
"Whoa, déjà vu!" Mittens said turning around to head back into the house.
"Wait, what?" Seth said catching on to her comment.
"Oh, I'll tell you later." Mittens said shaking her head as the two of the walked back through the pet door at the front of the house, where all they could do now was be patient.
(The Kids)
Trigger was jolted from his sleep by horns honking right outside the house. As he tried to catch his breath from the brief scare, Nova began to squirm, still wrapped in Trigger's arms.
"Oh, sorry." Trigger said letting go of her and letting her move freely.
"You're fine. You shouldn't have let go; now I'm cold." Nova said somewhat jokingly, to which Trigger only smiled and pulled her back towards his body. Nova brushed her chin against Trigger's neck, trying to gain the body heat she had recently lost from him loosening his grip.
"Has anyone ever told you that you're extremely warm?" Nova asked, causing Trigger to smile and snicker once more.
"Not until now." Trigger said happily. Nova pulled her head out of the crook in his neck slowly, and gazed at his dark brown eyes, and moved even closer, meeting him muzzle to muzzle before falling into a deep, passionate kiss. The kiss the night before was nothing compared to the fireworks of the lip lock they were sharing at the moment. Another 30 seconds had gone by before the kiss was broken and looks of shock plastered their faces.
"Whoa!" Trigger said breathily, to which Nova nodded her head slowly. It wasn't long before Nova began to shed a few tears.
"Nova, what's wrong?" Trigger asked noticing this.
"Nothing. I've just never been this close to anyone before, and I don't want this feeling to leave. Trigger, you're the only person I've felt safe around lately; even my own father can give it off the same way you can. Don't get me wrong; I love him, but not like this."
"Nova…" Trigger began before being cut off by his inability to speak. It was as if someone had stolen his voice… or his heart.
"Trigger, I love you." Nova said before breaking down in his arms and burying her face in his neck once again, and crying tears of complete joy. Even though their present situation wasn't all that it could have been, still being trapped in a cage in a basement, the couple felt happier and happier just being in each other's company.
"I love you too, Nova." Trigger whispered near her ear. His angelic voice seemed to have returned, much to Nova's pleasure, as more tears continued to pour from her eyes.
"It's okay, Nova. I'm right here." Trigger said quietly.
"I thank God for that." Nova said; her voice thick from crying.
"Awww, this is so cute!" Levi said from the far cage. As Trigger and Nova looked up, they noticed that each of her siblings was looking at them with huge smiles covering their faces. Nova began to blush as she turned her face away and buried back into Trigger's chest as fast as she could. She may have been embarrassed, but her smile was just as wide as those of her brothers and sisters, even if it was hidden.
"Nova, it's okay!" Carmen said from the cage right next to theirs.
"Oh, I know. My head is just spinning a little, that's all!" Nova explained to the rest of the group.
"That's how it's supposed to feel, Nova." Carmen said
"How do you know?" Nova asked
"She never told you about Gabe, did she?" Nichole asked from the cage next to Carmen's.
CAGE SETTINGS
Valerie
Levi
Nichole
Jack
Carmen
Trigger and Nova
"Who's Gabe?" Nova asked
"That's what I thought!" Nichole said priding herself in knowing the answer.
"Shut up!" Carmen said in a hushed tone.
"Who is he?" Nova asked devoting all of her attention to what Carmen had to say.
"He's a neighbor dog that lives two houses down from us. Carmen has been hanging all over him the last 2 months like a tick you just can't seem to break free from." Nichole explained in more detail, with Carmen taking the initiative to blush wildly.
"And you love him?" Nova asked
"I… I do. He's such a sweetheart." Carmen said smiling.
"That's awesome!" Nova said complimenting her sister, before looking up at Trigger and smiling as he nuzzled her.
"Well, now you have another reason to bust out of here." Nova said looking back at Carmen.
"Speaking of which, does anyone know what time it is?" Levi asked jumping into the conversation.
"Judging by the sun placement, I'd say it's about 10:30-11:00am." Trigger said looking out the window.
"Great, now we just have to wait until we hear footsteps coming from the 1st floor and heading downstairs." Levi said
"Yep. Don't forget, I'll give you guys the signal when to jump. Use as much power as you can. I wanna make sure we all make it out of here." Trigger said giving the orders.
"Got it!" Levi said nodding his head.
"The nearest window should be right in front of us once we reach the first floor. Right off of that window should be the street. Remember to find the nearest car and follow it until everyone catches up." Trigger said giving once last heads-up to each person.
(Upstairs)
"The second shipment just came in yesterday, Pedro." Carson said over his headset. He was on the phone with his manager down in Guatemala.
"Who would you like me to put you in touch with up north, señor?" Pedro asked from the other line.
"I've made contact with Mr. Billingham in Fort Collins, Colorado. See if you can find someone in Montana; the crime rate is growing rapidly in that state, which could mean big business for us." Carson ordered
"Si, señor!" Pedro said once more before hanging up the phone. Carson walked towards the largest monitor set up in the living room and watched the possible growth rate of his arms company, smiling as he did so.
"Do you want me to feed them now?" one of his men asked as he walked up behind him.
"Yeah, go ahead. Watch that 'Trigger' character. I don't trust him." Carson said bitterly.
"Yes, sir!" The man said before heading for the kitchen to grab the food and bowls.
"Hey, take Allen with you too. More people means less of a chance he'll try something funny." Carson ordered.
"You really hate him that much?" The man asked
"He's an idiot. For having genetic enhancement, he sure doesn't use it like a pro."
"Maybe he isn't." the man said before calling out to 'Allen' to carry the rest of the bowls down to the basement while he carried the food bag.
(Basement)
"I hear footsteps." Levi said jumping to his feet.
"I do too. Is everyone ready?" Trigger asked
"Ready!" the group said in sync.
"Are you ready, baby?" Trigger asked Nova.
"Yeah. By the way, I could get used to you calling me that." Nova said as she gave Trigger a light push in his side. The black lab looked over at his love and smiled, happy that she was now an even bigger part of his life than before.
"I think they're in the hallway." Jack said openly, causing Trigger to snap out of his daydream and get into position.
"Okay guys, here we go… 1,2,3! Now!" Trigger shouted. All at once, the group of 7 dogs jumped as hard and high as they could, breaking through the ceiling and on to the 1st floor. Jack accidently jumped so hard that he busted through the rooftop as well, landing on the street they were heading for.
"What the hell?" Carson asked himself silently as he saw each of the dogs standing before him about to make a break for it. Carmen, Nichole and Nova broke through the window and met up with Jack who was following a while minivan down the street. Trigger, Levi and Valerie each gave one of the guards a hard head-butt, knocking each of them to the ground in agony.
"Allen, Randall! Get them!" Carson shouted as they both ran up the stairs covered in sheetrock dust from falling debris from the basement.
"Think fast!" Trigger said before letting out a signature 'super bark', blowing both of them back down the stairs.
"You little bastard!" Carson shouted as he pounced on Trigger, and knocking him against the wall of computers.
"Valerie, go find the others!" Levi ordered
"I'm not leaving without you."
"Val, don't argue with me, okay. Just go!" Levi said, knowing her heart was beginning to break. After a few more seconds of reluctant waiting, Valerie turned around to find the rest of the group. With Valerie to safety, Levi pounced into the squabble and took one swift paw to Carson's side. Trigger finally broke free and locked his jaws onto Carson's left hind leg. Carson let out one wild howl in pain before two guards snared Levi from behind, causing Trigger to let go to help the young husky.
"Gotcha!" Allen said throwing a lasso around Trigger's neck with the knot tightening after each tug and pull.
"You guys have some guts! Too bad it won't save you! Throw them in sub-basement 2. AND MAKE SURE THEY STAY THERE!" Carson ordered forcefully, almost snarling as the words exited his mouth.
"Yes, sir!" Allen and Randall said simultaneously as they drug Trigger and Levi down one level further underground.
"The rest of you: Clean up this mess, and get the operating systems back up and running. If we miss even one call from a possible buyer, we could lose a sale." Carson ordered the rest of his guards that had regained their breath after being hit in the stomach. While the men got to work, Carson readjusted his headset in preparation to make a call.
"OPEN PHONE REGISTRY!" Carson ordered the phone.
"COMMAND CONFIRMED! INSERT CONTACT!" said the computer waiting for Carson to give a number to call.
"ELI MONTOYA!"
**End of Chapter**
Uh oh! 5 to safety, but 7 was the number they needed. Hopefully, Trigger and Levi will be okay. However, one question I'm sure has popped into your minds: Why is Carson calling Eli? What purpose does this serve? What will happen to Jack, Nichole, Carmen, Valerie, and Nova? All of these questions will hopefully be answered in the next update. I figured you guys would enjoy some action, so there you go! See ya next time!
Adios!