Chapter Fourteen
Filling a glass with water for Alice, Hatter stood in an unfamiliar room that was cold and damp, next to a tiny sink the size of a mixing bowl. She wasn't awake yet, but he wanted to make sure she was kept hydrated. After being put through everything she had, Hatter was worried about her health. She didn't look good. She was white as a sheet. If you cut her open she probably wouldn't bleed a drop.
The bed she slept on was made for one, but seemed moderately comfortable. He figured he'd let her rest maybe an hour more, max; then they needed to be on their way. If they were to reach the others by morning they'd have to move quickly. There was no telling who followed them into the tunnels and Hatter didn't want to wait around to find out. The Cheshire cat claimed only one other person had known about this secret passage and he was no threat to them. It had been a no win situation at the time. It was either trust the cat—who hasn't lied to them yet—and follow the purple fluff ball into the tunnels or wait for the train to return and probably get caught by guards or the Red Knight himself. Not much of a choice if you asked Hatter.
And there was no way in hell, he'd let the knight anywhere near Alice again. It made Hatter's skin crawl and blood boil to searing just thinking of what he did to her. The last image he had of the Red Knight was him plastered to Alice like a leech, forcing his hands over her…after that it was just a red, murderous haze. Hatter didn't even remember attacking the knight from behind. His thoughts were blank; it was nothing but complete instinctive reaction to protect the woman he loved. Well, never again would he let it come to that. Hatter would die before finding Alice in that situation again.
The knight had been too close. If Hatter had been just a few minutes later… He didn't want to think about it. Every time he did, Hatter had to get up and pace around the damp dirt floor until the adrenaline subsided.
He heard a soft moan and glanced quickly over at Alice. She seemed fine; still asleep, but fine. Hatter went back to pacing. After his knuckles had quit aching from clamping his fists so tightly, he went to find something for them to eat. The cat said there was some human food in the cabinets. And food would be good for Alice too. She probably hadn't eaten in over a day. He knew because he himself hadn't had anything either. As if it were agreeing with him, his stomach rumbled loud enough for the worms in the tunnel walls to hear outside the door, which was nothing but a flap of animal hide. It was hard to see with only a couple lanterns, but the cabinet whined as he opened it finding a couple loafs of bread and a basket of apples. It kind of surprised him that they were fresh. Someone had been down here recently, he thought. He didn't know whether it was a good thing since they had food to eat or a bad thing because someone else might have been planning a trip down here and soon. He hoped they'd be gone when that time came.
There was shuffling coming from across the room. Alice started moaning again only this time a few short screams followed with her struggling under the covers. She must have been having a nightmare. Hatter raced to her side and tried to wake her. "Alice. It's okay. Everything's okay." She struggled some more and swung a few times towards Hatter, "Can you hear me? You're dreaming. Wake up, honey."
He shook her shoulders as gently as he could, but with enough force to jerk her awake. Her eyes fluttered a moment and then she looked at Hatter. Tears erupted down her cheeks at once and she threw herself into his arms. His hand rubbed her warm back before he tried coaxing her to drink some water. She didn't need coaxing. As soon as he mentioned the water, the next thing Hatter knew the glass was empty. "I'll get you some more," he said and started to get up.
"No! Please don't leave me!"
Hatter plopped back down on the blanket from her scrounging to get him back on the bed. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."
She made a chuckle that ended in more like a groan, "I'm sorry, it's just…the nightmare was so real. I thought I was back with…"
Hatter lifted her chin to see her strained face, "You are far away from him now. Nothing's going to hurt you."
"Yes, I know. I know you won't let anything happen. I'm okay now," she said sniffing and wiping her wet cheeks with her palms. "It was just a dream."
"Do you want some more water now? I have a little food too."
"That would be great," Alice said.
oo
As soon as they had finished eating their portions of bread and an apple, Hatter heard a soft grumble coming from one of the tunnels. His heart leapt into his throat. "That damn cat!" he cursed.
"What? What is it?" Alice asked jumping up beside Hatter.
"Someone's coming. If it's…" he paused before finishing his sentence and watched Alice wince. He could kick himself for making her worry. The Red Knight couldn't be down here. He didn't even know this tunnel existed unless the cat had set them up. Hatter was now vibrating in a disturbing fury. That cat was dead if this was a set up, he fumed to himself. Hatter tried not to let Alice see where his thoughts were. If she knew how worried and upset he was, she would be frightened for sure.
"Stay here," he ordered and ducked out beneath the hanging hide, vaguely aware of Alice calling for him to wait.
Hatter noticed the lights strung overhead were now on, which they hadn't been during their trip down here. Hell. Who had followed them? Whoever it was knew where the switch had been. Cheshire had not remembered forcing them to drive in the dark, which hadn't been too bad considering all you had to do was stay to your left the whole way. Never take a right in this place or you'd never make it out, the cat had said. It seemed simple enough; almost too simple. Maybe this was a trap, Hatter mused. But they had made it halfway to the underground room. It had been dug out, because the trip through the tunnels was a long one and it was a good stopping point to rest for a little while. Not to mention the huge battery packs needed to be changed out in the Wondercycles.
The rumbling had increased to an almost roar. They were close. Yeah, it's definitely another cycle and Hatter would be ready for him when he stopped for a battery charge. As Hatter slipped down another tunnel path, he made sure he'd be out of sight when the cycle got here, but he could still keep an eye on the entrance to the room Alice was in. It was pretty well disguised by crumbles of dirt and rocks the same color as the hide, shadowed in a corner, but if this person knew how to get this far in the tunnels, than surely they'd know where the concealed entrance was. But he was not about to let anyone wanting to harm them get near Alice. Not one.
oo
Alice was feeling much better now. Well, had been until Hatter dashed out of the place, diving head first into more danger. She was upset and a little traumatized by what happened, but she wasn't dead. She could have helped him stop whoever was out there. Men, she thought. Alice wasn't quit the delicate flower Hatter made her out to be, but she definitely understood his position. If their situations had been in reverse, Alice was positive she would be overprotective too. Also, she had just woke up a few minutes ago screaming and crying hysterically, so…he really had a right to act this way.
The loud motor rumbled just outside and abruptly cut off. Alice walked up to the flap and tried to peak out the side crack to see who it was. She really wanted to bust through it and find Hatter, but what if the knight was out there? A shiver ran the length of her spine as she dropped the flap in place and stepped back towards the bed.
No! The Red Knight would not do this to her. She couldn't…wouldn't cower from him every time he popped into her mind. If she was ever going to recover from this, she had to keep a strong, sensible mind and fight even his presence in her head.
Just as Alice had decided she would face her fears and force her help upon Hatter whether he wanted it or not, the flap rose up and three people walked into the room. The first being the last person she'd ever expected. "Carol!"
"Alice! You're alright!" Carol gathered her up into a comforting hug that Alice hadn't realized she needed. Carol was like her mother in ways, so confident and strong. Then Alice began laughing uncontrollably through fresh tears as she released the woman.
"What is it?" she asked.
Alice smiled and shook her head, "It's really not that funny, but after all that time we spent together in the cell and now…I just realized you and my mother have the same name. I guess all this excitement made it slip my mind."
"Oh. Well, are you sure you're alright?"
"See, you remind me of her. Worrisome. I'm okay." Alice tacked on knowing Carol would understand, "He didn't."
Carol let out a relieved heavy breath, "Thank God. I wasn't sure Hatter would make it to you in time."
"You weren't sure? How did you and Hatter meet?"
"In the cells," Hatter answered for her. "I apologize for leaving you down there in the dark. I wasn't thinking straight."
"Of course you weren't. Not with Alice in trouble. I wouldn't have done any different," she assured him. Carol walked over towards the bed and sat down. "I'm sorry that ride down here was brutal on my back."
"Please, lay down," Alice helped her adjust on the small bed, which was a major step up from the lousy cot Carol had been using. And the stone floor for that matter, Alice thought of her time spent in the cell. Drew was grabbing a blanket to drape over her body, cocooning her in, that's when Alice realized he was the third person. She'd been so overwhelmed seeing her cellmate again, he'd escaped her notice.
"Drew. I should have guessed you'd be the other person that knew about the tunnels."
He smirked. "It was a family secret, well kept."
Alice was a little confused. "Family? Your father knows too? But the cat said…"
"The knight is not my family. He may be blood, but that is as far as our connection goes," Drew sat at the end of the bed with Carol's feet in his lap, massaging the bottoms. She had her eyes closed, almost purring in satisfaction.
"My grandfather was the first knight. The true Red Knight," Drew continued. "He was a power hungry man, which got him in the trouble that started all this, but he wasn't psychotic like my father. My father only adopted the name, believing he was more deserving of its title."
Hatter came to stand beside Alice and draped his arm around her protectively, supporting her. "So he just started calling himself that one day?" he asked him.
Drew clinched his jaw and answered, "No, the Red Knight killed my grandfather when I was twelve. Pushed him out his bedroom window and took up his place as ruler of the island."
"That's awful." Then, it dawned on Alice why the knight's room had been so dark and eerie, "Is that why he has no windows in his own room?"
"Yes, I guess you could say he fears I might get the same idea," Drew laughed. "Not a bad one at that."
Hatter raised a finger, "Wait, where does the purple cat come in? How did he know the way through the tunnels?"
"He was my grandfather's cat. The knight thinks he's only loyal to him, but Cheshire belongs to no one. He does what he wishes and makes people think they can control him, but really they are the ones being controlled."
"Right you are!" They heard a soft meow. Alice wished he wouldn't pop in and out the way he does. Scares the crap out of her every time.
The Cheshire cat dropped down from above the cabinets where he'd been listening in and trotted over towards Drew. He leapt up on his lap competing for attention with Carol's feet. Alice figured, even though the beast had creepy human like features, he still was a normal, needy cat to the core. Drew gave him a few scratches behind his ears, before the cat rippled with pleasure and then jumped back down. He stopped in front of Hatter this time, "The rest of the way through the tunnels, make sure you take only rights this time."
"I thought you said we'd get lost if we went right?"
"Yes, well…that was the first half of the trip. The second is the opposite. If you don't believe me, I'll come back later next week and see if you're still here. Maybe the mice will have gotten to you by then," he chuckled and trotted away. Alice watched as the little furry butt began to disappear to nothing. It was still weird to see him do that.
"He's right," Drew said. "Take the right tunnels from here on out." He paused a moment, "It's funny you know. Cheshire must really trust you to bring you down here. He's never been like that to anyone, but me and my grandfather. I think I trust you too."
Alice nodded her head and smiled. She was beginning to trust him too, but there was always a tiny bit of doubt considering he and the knight were related, but like he said blood only went so far.
Hatter pulled out a pocket watch glancing at the time, "Well, have you rested enough to make it back to Wonderland?" he asked Carol.
She peeked open her drowsy eyes. "Let's get her something to eat first," Drew said.
"Maybe let her take a quick nap too, Hatter," Alice contributed. He grumbled, but agreed. "She does look exhausted."
Drew was pulling the rest of the bread apart, "And a little flushed. Her cheeks are pink. I wonder if little pinky is coming down with something?" he said.
"Little pinky can hear you and I'm just hungry and tired. Now get your butt over here with that food." Alice cupped her hand over her mouth to impede the giggle before it reached her lips.
He studied her a moment before walking the bread over to her, "Hmm, moody too."
"Drew!" Her eyes were fully open now, "I'm warning you…"
"As soon as you are rested, we'll leave," Hatter exclaimed.
Alice agreed, "Yea, I hate to be a buzz kill, but we still need to warn Jack, the knight will probably be there soon with reinforcements. This is not going to be pretty. We pissed him off royally."
Carol swallowed the bread she'd been chewing on. "I don't want to be around when he blows up. That man is a ticking time bomb full of crazies."
"Yes and I want Jack prepared when he does blow," Hatter grimaced, pulling Alice closer to his side. "We all should be." He planted a swift kiss in her hair. It made Alice wonder if Hatter was planning on keeping her far from the knight's grasp when he does come for them. She wanted to be fighting alongside him when all hell broke loose; he was going to need all the reinforcements he could get as well. Alice wasn't sure if the suits of Jack's would be enough to get them out of this mess and bring the Red Knight down. But she guessed they would just have to wait and take it one moment at a time.
AN/ this was an awkward chapter for me. I don't know why; it was just one of those things lol. I hope it didn't come thru. If you hate it that's fine, I've got some good stuff coming. Although, I'm happy with the encouraging reviews. I appreciate them! :) Rue Mo, duchessfaleen, Aliel Yevrah, Rhonda, Kittyinaz and bluetoads...you guys are great!