Chapter Twenty One
The gushing blood that had veiled most of Drew's forehead and down his right cheek had lessened to a now sticky consistency. He'd heard head wounds always seemed much worse than they really were, but when Samuel had rammed the butt of his knife on Drew's crown and all that blood started pouring down his face, he damn near had a heart attack. At first the pain was so piercing, he thought the man had sliced his brain right in two, but realized—after coming to face down in the ground a few minutes later—it was only a bad gash. The blood was already on the verge of drying without even putting pressure on it like Carol would have made him do. But he didn't have time to play doctor. He had a war to win.
It was expected of his father to be a no show. That was his approach to any situation…make others do the dirty work for you. Drew had been doing some of that dirty work himself for years. Well, enough was enough. After what the knight made him do to poor, sweet Carol, he would have no more of it. He'd washed his hands of his father the day he killed his mother and he washed himself of him now.
There was only one thing left to do and that was, kill the Red Knight and Drew's nightmare of a life would be finished. He'd be free to do as he pleased, which would constitute as a historic change long been prepared for. He knew Hatter and Jack felt the same about killing his father. Drew could see it in Hatter's eyes as he swung his sword in an almost mindless state, gutting and gashing flesh with every strike.
Even though they were outnumbered, they weren't exactly losing. However, they weren't exactly winning either. Both sides had taken significant hits to their throng of men and a foray of scattered bodies, some dead, some barely living, littered the grass. Groans of pain or shrieks prior to that fatal blow before slumping to the ground, echoed over the hills reaching the contours of the outer woods. Mother Nature's hazed breath carrying over to settle around them as they fought, drinking vehemently the seeping bloodshed down to her roots.
Drew had hoped it wouldn't be a massacre. Some of these men he'd practically grown up with. The last thing he wanted to do was kill familiar faces. Many of them didn't reflect the same views as his father did, but only conceded to follow out of fear for their own lives. If they thought they had a choice, they wouldn't be here fighting.
They needed to be saved just as any catch in the clutches of the Red Knight. Drew wasn't an idiot though. He was aware of the handful of men that agreed and relished alongside his father's violence he sought after. But the only way he knew to free these people, the ones he'd call his friends, was to leave. And find the knight.
Drew dashed out of the way when a man named Larry came running past him with his sword over his head and mouth gaped open like a dead fish, crying out. He'd apparently recognized Drew and was ticked he'd switched sides on them. Larry was one of the firm believers in the knight's cause. And was also unaware of the martial training Drew had had from childhood into adulthood…a necessity when expected to take the place as future Red Knight. Or had been before the knight realized he had no intention of taking that place.
Drew kicked Larry's knees from behind, dropping him to a crawling position. "Larry, don't make me do this."
"You betrayed your father. You aren't worthy!" His head snapped up and the man lunged for Drew.
Drew didn't wait. Begrudgingly, he reached for the man's skull sprinkled with graying coarse curls and snapped it quick and painlessly to an awkward angle. Drew's stomach turned squeamish at the feel of popping bones under his fingers. The man instantly became heavy deadweight in Drew's arms. He laid him down gently, sending a quick prayer of forgiveness to the heavens and turned to find Hatter and Jack. They needed to know he was leaving to search for his father. Drew refused to kill any more of his own brainwashed people.
oo
It wasn't until Hatter stopped his punching fists, took a deep breath and steadied his temper when he heard Drew yelling for Jack. It didn't take long after finding out he was leaving to decide Hatter was going with him. He couldn't understand why it had taken this long to realize the knight had probably gone after the women. For Alice? He didn't know, but he'd been lucky the first time finding her just before the knight could do any permanent damage. Hatter didn't want to be late this time either.
The prickles on the back of his neck told him that Alice was in trouble. And this time he'd decided to listen to those instincts, which is why he was standing in front of the manor now with Drew.
"I don't have a good feeling about this," Hatter said bursting through the doors behind Drew.
"Neither do I. Where are Jack's men?" he asked tossing his gaze this way and that around the room. Not even the bodies of his men were around. It was mind boggling.
"Maybe they're up on the top floor?"
Drew nodded his head as they raced around the corner to the elevator. It would be much quicker, but Hatter hoped they wouldn't miss anyone important taking the stairs.
As soon as they reached the top, Hatter practically ran straight for the door where they'd left the women locked inside. No guards here either, Hatter ground his teeth. This didn't look good at all. Something was amiss. Without hesitating or knocking Hatter pulled the door wide open and wasn't really surprised to find it unlocked, but what did surprise him put Drew in hysterics.
"Carol! Oh god!" he screamed running and dropping to the floor. The tiny woman was curled on her side passed out on the carpet, one arm draped over her rounded stomach as if to protect it as she fell. Her legs were pointed towards a small hole in the wall room that had been hidden behind a drape. The woman must have been hiding in there.
"Is she alright?" Hatter quickly glanced into the room to make sure it was empty before coming to kneel beside Drew. His heart was completely lodged in his throat. There was no one else in the room.
"I don't know," he snapped at him. "Carol, baby? Come on now, wake up." He patted her flushed cheeks and nearly cried with relief when she moaned and whispered his name.
"Drew? Is that you?" It was a pitiful excuse for a voice. It was more like an airy sigh.
"I'm here darling. Please wake up for me." Hatter could see the man's nerves were returning to a more controlled level. His on the other hand were nowhere near normal and wouldn't be until they found Alice and Duchess. "Tell me what happened," Drew gently demanded as he sat her up.
"I was…t-taking a nap in that room. My back was hurting and I needed to rest." She made a little cough, shaping her slight hand in the shape of an "o" to block it. She was so unbelievably frail looking, Hatter was afraid if he helped her up she'd crumble to pieces in his hands.
"Go on," Drew urged. After getting her to a standing position, which wasn't really true, considering Drew had to hold most of her weight until he got her to a chair and sat her down.
She leaned back massaging her brow. "I heard voices. Male voices," she corrected herself. "I knew it couldn't have been the guards cause they hadn't been at the door for awhile. Or we thought they hadn't."
"I didn't open the door, just in case. I knew if it was safe, Duchess wouldn't have closed it to begin with." Carol's eyes began to water, making Drew frantic to console her.
"It's okay honey. What happened next?"
She took a deep breath and continued, "I stood up and pressed my ear against the door hoping to hear what they were saying. There were two of them and one I recognized immediately. It was him…" Carol burst into freely flowing tears now as Hatter's worst fears were realized. "He took them! The Red Knight took them and I couldn't stop him. I was afraid."
Drew held her to his chest, rubbing her arm soothingly, "You did good Carol. Everything will be fine. Don't you worry babydoll, we'll get them back." When she'd somewhat contained her sobbing, Drew asked how'd she end up on the floor.
Carol gave a humorless chuckle, "Shows you how brave I am. When the voices were gone, I came out and saw an empty room and the door slowly closing back in place. I wanted to run after them, but I freaked out. I felt like I was back in that dark cell all by myself." Carol shuddered. "I don't really remember much after that. Just you calling my name." She buried her face in Drew's shoulder and breathed a shaky breath.
Hatter was glad she wasn't hurt, but he had to know where the knight took Alice. "Carol, did you hear where they were going?"
She peeked out from under Drew and studied the carpet a minute. Her eyes popped open and said, "Something about a White Kingdom."
Of course. He knew they hadn't gone back to the train yards because he and Drew would have run into them. The knight must be taking them to Charlie. "Why would he go see Charlie? He wouldn't want to kill him just for being the only living White Knight…would he?"
Drew pondered the notion and shook his head, "I don't think so. When my father sets his mind to something, he doesn't deviate. Charlie must have something he wants. My guess would be the stone of Wonderland."
"That's why he took Duchess too. She's the one who gave it to him and probably knows where it is," Hatter concluded and jumped up, heading for the door. "Come on! If we hurry maybe we can catch them before he gets the ring."
"I can't leave Carol. You go, I'll get word to Jack what's going on." Drew stood a moment leaving a trembling Carol in the chair. "Good luck." He shook his hand.
"Thanks, I fear I might not have it this time."
"You better hurry then." Hatter watched him return Carol in his arms as he whipped around and raced out of the room.
He got the horrid sense of déjà vu as he prayed he'd get to Alice before anything bad happened to her or Duchess for that matter. It seemed like every time he turned around, the Red Knight had his claws on his woman. Well, this was going to be the last time, because the Red Knight's future lies six feet under before Hatter lets that happen again.
AN/ I've had a few small details to work out, and I may have more chapters left to write then I originally thought. So, good news for you guys! :) Thanks for reading! ~Eisac