Chapter Twenty-One:
Elvis' vision blurred in and out. He mustered enough strength to try and drag himself further. He felt his strength leaving him. His heart pulsated in his chest. His body completely numb from the cold. He couldn't feel his body anymore. His vision started developing black spots. Each spot grew bigger and bigger until it blocked out the light. His hand weakly reached towards the entrance. He blacked out again.
Elvis' vision came back into view an hour later, he felt his body being dragged through the ice. Figures rose over him. He gasped. His brain commanded his body to move but to no avail. He heard the figures talking to each other in Russian. Elvis kept trying to struggle. His vision went dark once more.
His captures soon arrived at a cabin. They dragged Elvis off into a room. They chained him up by his wrists. "there. Now he shouldn't be of any trouble." sneers one of the figures.
"be careful. Kora doesn't want us to ruin the merchandise." cautioned the other.
"yeah but that doesn't mean we can't have any fun." The soldier looked at Elvis. A wicked smile played at his lips.
-2 months pass-
Winds roughly rocked the small plane Penny, Sam, Ellie, and Leon were on. Ellie grunted. She gripped her seat. "you picked a hell of a time to fly, Sam." remarked Ellie.
"Sorry. I want to find Elvis as soon as possible." countered Sam. He looked out the window. The vast seascape sprawled out below them. Heavy clouds hung just above the plane. Small ice chunks floated in the water. He placed his hand on the glass.
Leon climbed into Ellie's lap. She wrapped an arm around him. Ellie had decided to tag along seeing as she didn't want to be away from Penny for more than a week. She adjusted herself so Leon could rest comfortably on her.
The plane landed at Novo Airbase. Mountains rose in the background. Penny opened the cargo bay door. She climbed out first. Sam and Ellie both got changed out of their mountain rescue uniforms. They both changed into their hunter forms. Ellie lowered herself to the ground so her mate and Leon could climb onto her. Penny smiled. She gave Ellie a small pat on the neck. Sam took off for the mountains first. Ellie followed in behind them.
Snow swirled around them. Penny couldn't really see much in front of her. She held her arm up to block the snow from reaching her eyes. Leon held on tightly to his mother. "are we really going to be able to find, Elvis?" asked Leon.
"I hope so, Leo. I really hope so," replied Penny. She kept her hands on Ellie's scuff. She could hear Ellie's labored breathing as she ran to keep up with Sam. Her booming heartbeat thundered underneath Penny's legs.
The winds picked up. A wall made of blowing snow blew around them. Sam shivered. Ice plastered his body. It made his fur stick to his body. He put his nose to the air. All he could detect was coldness. He kept going. The four of them traveled for miles. Mountains rose over them. Leon cuddled close to his mom. "mommy, I'm cold." he whispered.
Penny unclipped her mountain rescue jacket. She placed it around Leon to keep him warm. Ellie looked up at the two of them. She huffed at Sam. Sam paused. He flicked his ears in reply. He motioned for them to wait with his tail. He ran on ahead. Ellie laid down. She carefully took both Penny and Leon off her back. She wrapped her furred body around him. She licks Penny's cheek. She presses her forehead against hers. Penny smiled. "thank you." She wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's neck.
Sam came back after a while. He chuffed at them. Ellie nodded in understanding. She helped Penny and Leon climb back on her. She followed Sam into a cave. Sam smelled something rotten near the entrance. He noticed a body laying a few inches from it. He smelled it. It was a seal body that had been slaughtered at least 2 months prior. He could see bullet holes in it. Alarms went off in his head. His hackles rose. He padded into the cave. The cave looked to have been used by somebody. He noticed personal items laid around in the cave. He smelled each of them. A familiar scent hit the roof of his nose. He purred softly. These are Elvis' things but... He takes a whiff again. The scent was old. He hasn't been here for ages. Something has happened. He heard Ellie enter the cave. Leon slid off her. "wow there's a lot of old things in here." he commented.
"I know. I wonder who it belongs to." Penny ruffles Leon's hair gently. She noticed Sam was nuzzling one of the blankets. He was purring loudly. "what's that you have there, Sam?" she asked. Sam only rolled around in the blanket in reply. Penny raised an eyebrow. "Sam?" Sam carried the blanket over to her. He had a hopeful look on his face. He nuzzled it in her lap. She then got the hint. "Elvis has been here, hasn't he?" Sam nodded. She smiled. "alright. Go and find him. We'll stay here." Sam took another whiff on the blanket. He took off running.
Penny sighed as she watched him leave. She only hoped that he would be okay on his own. Ellie grabbed her clothes out of Penny's bag. She shifted back. She quickly tossed her jacket and pants on. She sat by Penny. "he'll be okay." she comforted.
"I know. I'm just surprised we were able to find Elvis this quickly." Penny leaned against Ellie.
"Sam is a better tracker than I am. He could smell Elvis from 40 feet away." Ellie wrapped an arm around Penny's shoulder. "those two are inseparable."
The winds battered up against the sides of the cabin. The walls were encased in layers of ice. Elvis laid in the center of the room. His body battered, broken, and starved. His arm rested across his now empty womb. His breath came in raspy. He swallowed back a painful lump. He was a man who had lost everything. He wanted nothing more than to wait his time out. His hollow gaze focused on the window. He watched the snow blow around outside. Blood leaked out the corner of his eyes. He licked his parched lips. His bone showed through his skin. He looked like a skeleton. He sniffed. He winced. The movement caused a small bolt of pain to shoot through him.
The inside of the cabin was empty. It once had a month's worth of torture being played out within its walls. Elvis' endless screams still echoed off the wood. A haunting memory of the fight for his life. Elvis saw the dark spots in his vision beginning to grow. He soon gave into the darkness.
Sam followed Elvis' scent trail. The storm slowly subsided. Brilliant green lights filled the air. His heart pounded in his chest. He paused when a sudden wave of dizziness hit him. He gripped the snow. He swayed. I have to hurry. He pressed on. The scent took him to a cabin in an isolated part of the landscape near the Southern Shelf. Tracks in the snow indicated that the cabin had been already emptied. Elvis' scent grew stronger as did the sudden wave of dizziness. He scratched on the door. His claws scraped against the metal painfully. He then backed up. Blue flames surrounded his body as he lunged at the door. He hit with enough force to send the door flying further into the cabin. The flames petered out.
The cabin was empty. Sam could tell that it had been lived in recently. Purrs tumbled out of his chest. He got to the room where Elvis was being held. He let out a small meow. He ran his paw underneath the doorframe. The purring stopped when he was meant by a foul stench. Panic settled in. He backed up. He ran at the door full blast before sending it flying further into the room. He landed on top of it. His heart sank. He went over to his lover. He softly whined into his ear. He nudged his hand gently. Oh, gods Elvis, what have those bastards done to you? Don't you worry? I'll get you out of here. Sam found a blanket from one of the storage closets. He wrapped Elvis up in it. He placed Elvis onto his back as he ran out of the cabin.
Penny got a fire going for the three of them. Leon had long since fallen asleep in front of them. Penny held her arms. She shivered. "cold?" asked Ellie.
Penny nods. "yeah, just a little bit."
Ellie scooted closer to her. She took off her jacket. She placed it around Penny's shoulders. "now that I have Hunter Genetics, I don't have to worry about being cold."
"Thanks, Ellie." Penny pulled the jacket tighter around her.
"Penny, how old were you when you found out you were pregnant with Leo?" questioned Ellie.
Penny searched her mind. "29. I used to date a guy from my college days." That's when Penny saddened. "I thought he was the one. He used to spoil me rotten each day when we were together." Penny smiled. She held her arms. "we had a one night stand and 3 days afterward, I found I was pregnant with Leon." Tears stream down Penny's face. "he left without another word. Told me he didn't remember getting me knocked up."
Ellie sensed Penny's distress. She held her mate close. "When I finally joined the fire service, I had to leave Leon with my sister. There wasn't a day that didn't go by where I wanted to be with him. I feel like I've failed him some days."
"don't say that. You know that's not true. Leon really loves you. I'm sure he understands why you did what you did." argued Ellie.
"that's why I'm trying so hard to take care of him now. I want to make sure he has everything he needs in life." Penny leaned against Ellie. She felt exhaustion take hold of her. "get some rest. I'll watch him." Penny nodded. She fell asleep in her mate's arms.
The blizzard pounded Sam hard. He could barely keep his paws on the ground. His joints ached and pleaded with every step he took. He glanced over his shoulder at the passed out Elvis on his back. We aren't going to last for much longer. I need to get Elvis to safety. I hope there's a town nearby or some sort of shelter. I shouldn't have left that cabin. We're both going to die out here. Elvis' wounds weren't helping Sam any. Elvis' blood called to him. Sam's throat burned harshly. He continued to trudge onwards.
The mountain valley appeared amongst the snowy clouds. Sam padded towards it. Maybe the place would offer them shelter from the winds? Sam didn't know how much longer he could hold on for. Wooden walkways dangled in the cross-breeze. There were village houses that look like they hadn't been used for months. Torn banners with a tribal bear hung from the tops of the cliffs. Sam went into one of the huts. He laid Elvis down on top of an old pile of straw. He grunted as he laid down next to him. Elvis still hadn't moved which concerned him. He let out a tired sigh as he fell asleep.
Kora placed her face in her hands. "it's so hard to find good help nowadays." She turns around. "You two fools have cost me a couple of bodies I could have used!" She slammed her fist down on the table.
One of the soldiers gulped. "we're sorry your highness. Perhaps we may have taken our torture thing a bit too far?"
Kora's eyes narrowed. A sudden grin flashed across her face. "you know what fellas? Maybe I was wrong. It was an honest mistake after all."
The soldier's eyes lit up. "here, allow me to reward you." She waves her hand. The soldiers cried out in pain. They slumped over. Kora lowered her hand. The others gulped. They dropped their gaze. "now." She put her fingertips together. "are we going to have another incident?" They shook their heads in reply. "good. Carry out your tasks. I want the last two footholds heavily guarded." The soldiers left the room.
Kora walked over to a shadowed part of the room. Poor Mandy had been chained to the wall. She had dark vines growing on her. "soon, you'll be one of us. I appreciate all the things you and your friend have done. Hopefully, this returns the favor."
Bright lights shined in the darkness. Hoshi turned his headlights down as they entered Cardiff. His tinted glass kept the glare from being too much. He looked to Finley who had fallen asleep during the trip. Her hood covered her face. "babe." he whispered.
Finley snapped awake. "hm?"
"we're here." Finley stretched. "good. That means once morning comes, you and I can do some detective work." She rested her arms under her head. "right now I could really use a shower, some hot food, and a nice long rest."
Hoshi smirked. "feeling a bit lazy today?"
"kiss my ass," muttered Finley.
Hoshi pulled up outside of the Cardiff Marriott Hotel. He parked the car. He got out and walked over to the other side. He helped Finley out of it. She smiled. She took his arm as the two of them walked inside. The receptionist counter was located right next to the door. The interior walls were colored a soft beige. The floor reflected the lights in the ceiling. A rather bored-looking Tauren stood behind it. She glanced up once the two of them approached. "hello and welcome to the Marriott Hotel, can I have a name please?"
"we didn't book a reservation. I was wondering if we could maybe get a room for a couple of days?" asked Hoshi.
"sure." She checked the computer. "it's 71 per night."
Hoshi shrugged. He did the math quietly in his head. He stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small wad. He gave the Tauren the exact amount. "here ya are." The Tauren smiled. She gave Hoshi their room key. "room 308A. Just take the elevator up to the 3rd floor, 3rd room down." Hoshi nodded. He took Finley's hand. He leads her over to the elevator. Finley lofted an eyebrow. "dude. Where did you get that much cash?"
"you forget that I am a workaholic with sugar momma issues." replied Hoshi smugly. "so I have money set aside."
"Sugar momma issues?" asked Finley.
"Oh, you know, the whole thing with Mandy." Hoshi folded his arms over his chest.
"wouldn't that make you her Sugar Daddy?"
"maybe." Hoshi moved his head to the side. He had a smug look on his face. "why? Are you jealous?"
Finley punched him in the shoulder. "I don't think lying to my boyfriend in court and then causing him to commit suicide is a reason to get jealous."
"fair enough." He tucked his hands into his pocket. Finley leaned up against him. The elevator door finally opened. Hoshi stepped out onto the floor. The walls were a purplish-white color. The room doors were set up to where they would face each other at a 30-degree angle. Hoshi slid the key into the lock of the door marked 308A. The lock beeped at them. Hoshi pushed open the door.
The room had a bathroom close to the door. There didn't seem to be a cooking area though which was fine. The bed sat in the center of the room with the dresser right in front of it. The TV sat on top of the dresser. Hoshi set his bag down on top of the bed. He flopped down face first into the sheets. Finley sat on the other side of it.
The two of them stayed like that for a while. "man, I'm starving." muttered Hoshi. He took his phone out of his pocket. He turned over onto his back so he can view it. "what do you feel like having?"
"you pick," muttered Finley.
Hoshi pulled up an app on his phone. He put in an order for hot wings and fries at Nariax's Wing Shop which was just up the road. He tucked his phone back into his pocket. "would you be cool if I went down the street to pick up dinner?"
Finley waved him off. "go. Do what you have to do babe." She reached over to kiss him. He brought his lips up to hers. "I'll be back." He crawled out of bed. Finley heard the door close. Her phone buzzed quietly in her pocket. She looked down to see a call coming in from Donovan. She rolled her eyes.
Finley: What do you want, Donny?
Donovan: Still using pet names are we? That's nice of you Fin-Fin.
Finley: Save the cute chatter. Do you have an update on our next three targets?
Donovan: Yes I do. Helen is holding in there. She hasn't moved from her spot...yet. However, there is talk about moving her soon. I do hope you and that otter you have running around with you can get to her in time. As for Bronwyn, I don't know. I haven't heard anything from my contact yet. I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything.
Finley: and what about Elvis?
Donovan: Fraid' you were going to ask that. Elvis has lost their kids sadly. I don't know of his condition yet but I can safely tell you that your little hunting party found them.
Finley: thank you, Donny. I..I'll be sure to update Anika.
-She goes to hang up-
Donovan: Um Finley, how about you and I have dinner sometime?
Finley: I'm going to have to decline, Donny. I'm sorry. I just have too much on my plate right now.
Donovan: Oh..I see. Well when you change your mind, my offer is on the table. Good night Mi Amor.
-Donovan hangs up-
Finley set her phone down in her lap. She leaned back against the headboard.
It took an hour for Hoshi to come back. He knocked on the door. Finley got up from the bed. She answered the door for him. Hoshi trudged past her. "sorry about the wait. I caught them as they were closing." He set the bags of food down on the dresser next to the TV. He took the boxes out of their bags. He set the plates down on the dresser. He handed Finley an empty plate.
Finley joined Hoshi on the bed once she got her food. He had his sitting in his lap. He picked up the remote which was sitting on the small oak nightstand. He turned the TV on. He found a movie for them to watch. Finley scooted close to him. She leaned up against him as she ate her food.
"so what's your deal with that Donny guy?"
The question snapped Finley to her senses. "who?"
"Donovan or whoever it is you have helping us."
"oh...him. Just a friend. He was my former guild master." She hugs her knees gently. "I was just never fond of him."
Hoshi wrapped an arm around her. He pulled her close. "you seem to get creeped out every time he talks to you."
"well, that's because he's a creep. I don't like him but he's our best shot at finding the other three." She rests her head on his stomach. Hoshi checked the clock. "well I suppose we should get some rest." He settled down to rest. "good night Fin-Fin."
Finley felt a chill go down her spine. "good night Hoshi." The two of them drifted off to sleep.