Chapter 25
The unloading of the moving van was completed before noon. The conscripts took a moment to marvel at their achievement. They were filled with pride, more pride than what they felt from their first raid of Soho. They went over the loot they had snatched. Many long-time PRA members were surprised how technology advanced over the past fifteen years. Thinner laptops with more processing power, smaller camcorders with larger digital storage. A few savvy conscripts bust open the packaging and played around with the cameras and camcorders. They started taking pictures. First of themselves, then their friends. They laughed and giggled, having a blast.
The mood quickly changed when the prisoners arrived.
Three trainers, with black bags over their heads, were brought in, along with two other Pokémon. All activities ceased. Attention was diverted to the prisoners. There was a short one who looked no more than a kid, a tall one who looked like he was a gym leader, and a girl with big purple hair who sounded country. All three trainers were scared, whimpering to themselves. Smugleaf had a death grip on yet another Pikachu, while Woody kept his gun trained against the back of the Axew's head. Nobark casually approached. He wasn't smiling, nor was he talkative. An AK-47 was clamped to his hands, loaded, with the safety turned off. Several PRA fetched some guns as they cluster around the prisoners. They kept a far enough difference. They want to give Nobark space, no one want to get into the crossfire of his wrath.
"On your knees," he barked in human speech.
All three trainers got on the ground as they were commanded. Woody slammed the butt of his gun on the Axew's shoulder to force him down. Smugleaf simply pancaked the Pikachu, pressing his face into the grass.
Nobark said in Pokémon speech, "Empty their pockets!"
Two conscripts with nimble hands rushed up and started fishing into the prisoners' pants pockets. Poké balls were pulled out, along with a Unova Pokédex and medicinal ointments.
Without warning a Poké ball exploded in a flash of light, spawning an Oshawott. At first the Oshawott was angry, ready to fight a battle. Wotter growled, he pumped his shotgun and trained it on the Oshawott. The Sea Otter froze. His initial overconfidence deluded to terror.
"Get on the ground," Wotter barked.
No response, the Oshawott just stood there. His legs buckling under his weight.
"Oshawott," the shortest of the trainer cried.
Tendon jammed the butt her riot gun into the trainer's shoulder blade, the short trainer hunched over and yelped.
Wotter grew impatient. "I said on the ground!"
The Discipline Pokémon raised his gun to the air and fired. Birdshot boomed into the sky. All three trainers flinched. Axew and Pikachu jumped and shut their eyes. The Oshawott tumbled onto his rear and covered his face. Wotter stormed up to him and jammed the shotgun barrel into the meat of his thigh. Oshawott peaked through his fingers. "You don't get down when I tell you," Wotter warned. "I blow your kneecaps off! You hear me you f*cking runt!"
The Oshawott had never heard another Pokémon swore before, nor had he had his life threatened like this before. The shock was just too much. The Sea Otter simply nodded, then collapsed.
He had passed out.
Nobark waved at the capture party. "Take the tall guy and the girl to the human jail, but hang on with Ash for a moment. I wanna see what he looks like."
The tall guy and the girl was ushered to their feet and were taken away. The Pansage and the Axew's jaw dropped. They lurched forward toward their trainers but were held back. They squeezed their eyes shut and whimpered, mumbling about better times.
Nobark walked up to the short trainer and pulled his hood off. Black raven hair erupted from the bag. The trainer's eyes were big. Nobark leered at him for a moment, then asked. "You're Ash Ketchum?"
The short kid nodded. "Yes."
The PRA was silent. They tightened their grip on their guns, paranoid at whatever potential escape plan he might had in store. But there was no escape plan. Nobark could tell. Nobark always knows.
"My name's Nobark Westinghouse. The Snivy that just pulled you guys in here is Smugleaf Stucky, the Dewott is Wotter, that Patrat is Scout, and the Audino is Tendon. This is Fort Wernher, the headquarters of the Pokémon Resistance Army."
Ash looked around. The conscripts held up their guns, but didn't aim them. They don't need to. They were in control, not him. He turned back to Nobark and asked, "How can you guys talk?"
"My trainer taught me," said Nobark. "He wanted his Pokémon to be educated, that way they won't be taken advantage of."
"By who?"
"Bad folks. People like Team Rocket, Team Plasma, poachers, and corrupted trainers. I am in my sixties, I had seen what they did and what had happened to their victims," he held out his hand to the PRA. "These Pokémon here were their victims. Captured from the wild or born in captivity. They were abused, violated. These Pokémon made it out, but a lot more never saw the light of day."
He turned back to Ash. "I don't know what you went through, boy. But don't expect a happy ending coming out of this. This is a new game with a new set of rules. There's not going to be any Pokémon battles. If you managed to break out of here and use your Pokémon against us. We'll attack you head on. Are your Pokémon loyal to you?"
Ash nodded. "Yes, I cared for them and loved them dearly."
Nobark smiled. "So did my trainer, a lot more than you could possibly imagine. Unfortunately he didn't secure our future in his will after he passed away. He was a Pokémon Master, you know, a very popular person. Do you know how many people wanted to get a hold of his Pokémon? Get a hold of me? Get a hold of Tesla?"
Ash said nothing.
"A lot. I've seen my friends self-destruct. Some friends such as Tesla defected. I defected. We all scattered across our island. I made my way over here, but Tesla stayed, where you later pulled his head out of his ass."
Ash said, "Where's Tesla?"
"He's in the command bunker right there, but don't expect him to save you. That Pikachu had been my mentor for a long time, but he was more of a friend than a teacher. Tesla's a prefect. He has power, influence. I don't know about you, but everything you had heard of the PRA so far pales in comparison with what Tesla can do. We worship him, and we fear him. And that's why you're here. You're going to make sure he won't take over. I know what is his true intentions are and I know I'm going to be a goner no matter what happens, but I'm not going to let the PRA die with me."
Ash blinked, then said, "He talks about you a lot. Every time I see him, he tells stories about his experience with you."
"The stories are true," said Nobark. "He never lies about past events. Never had and never will. Had he filled you in on what happened when you first went into Soho?"
"I got the brief history of what you did. It was wrong, you shouldn't have all that to those people and their Pokémon."
Nobark shrugged. "He told you about my, uh," he pointed to his head. "Condition?"
"Yes."
"Then you know what I have to deal with. I'm not in control with myself, never really had since I was born. All those personalities in my head have their own secret agenda, what happened so far is just the tip of the iceberg. I bet Tesla told you that I might blow up and go on a mad killing spree."
Ash said nothing.
Nobark leaned forward. "You better pray to Arceus that would never happen."
Suddenly Pikachu burst into fanatic screaming. He squirmed and kicked, fighting to break through Smugleaf's vines. "Ash," he screamed. "Ash, help!"
Ash gasped. "Pikachu!"
Nobark walked up to Pikachu and grabbed one of his ears, then thrust his head up. "Another Pikachu," he said. "Great, more Pikachus. No wonder Tesla liked you."
"Don't hurt him," Ash cried, "Leave my Pikachu alone!"
Nobark ignored him, he simply turned to the crowd and called out. "Joltik, get over here!"
The Joltik emerged from the crowd, its legs skittered across the ground toward Nobark. He held out his good hand. The Joltik leaped up and landed it on it. "I'm here!"
"Got a present for you."
Nobark turned to Pikachu. The Mouse Pokémon was angry. He growled, his cheeks sparkling. "You are angry, I see."
Pikachu just growled.
"Do you have the heart to take the life of someone you love?"
Pikachu's cheeks stopped sparkling. He blinked with confusion.
"Tesla has such a heart. He lost a lot of people and Pokémon he loved. Have you seen what he had become?"
Pikachu said nothing.
Nobark tossed the Joltik onto Pikachu.
It latched onto the back of his head and shocked him. Pikachu squealed and squirmed, then went limp. He panted hard. Slowly by surely, he became more exhausted with each passing second.
"No!" cried Ash.
Tendon slammed the butt of her riot gun into his back again. Ash yelped dropped. Nobark walked up to him and kicked him with his foot, turning Ash over onto his back and yelped. "You figure it all out now, genius?" Nobark asked. "If you thought you had been in deep sh*t before, well this here is absolute deep sh*t! If it comes to it, I will kill you, then break down your Pokémon piece by piece. You won't recognize them by the end of the week!"
He turned to the PRA and ordered in Pokémon speech. "Wotter, take Ash to the human jail. Tendon, Smugleaf, haul his Pokémon to the Pokémon jail. But don't toy with them, not just yet. I need you back at the command center for one more thing."
Wotter kicked Ash in his rear and forced him back up. As he was hauled to the human jail, the rest of the capture party gathered up the Poké balls. Scout and Woody moved the Pansage and Axew along, while Smugleaf personally carried the weakening Pikachu in her vines to the Pokémon jail. The PRA bystanders simply watched as Nobark marched back to the command center. His good hand clamped on his AK-47, his bad hand shaking like an earthquake. He argued with himself. This time he didn't whisper. Everyone heard different voices coming out of Nobark's mouth. They were becoming less rational, more insane.
The PRA departed back to their activities, like nothing even happened.
. . .
It was a dreamless sleep. Sometimes he woke up with aches and pains. Sometimes he woke up feeling grumpy. On occasion he would wake up feeling somewhat okay, relaxed, with no concern gripping his mind. There were times where he was rudely awaken, roughly around once a month. And each time he threw a temper. A bad one. Among the top ten things he hated folks doing was rudely waking him, regardless of the reason.
Once again he was rudely waken by the door kicking open, but this time it was different. When Tesla opened his eyes he saw Smugleaf holding her machete to his throat.
She had a smug of her face, pure confidence, as if she was saying, I can do whatever I want and you have to do whatever I say. Tesla said nothing. His temper didn't flare, his emotions stayed quiet. He just sat there. Nobark was behind Smugleaf, and Wotter. Both were holding guns, pointed at him. Tendon and Woody stood by the door. Both were also armed, but their guns were lowered. Safeties on, fingers off the trigger. Technically speaking it was foolish to hold a gun at Tesla in the first place. He can electrocute anyone before they could pull the trigger, regardless on distance. Nobark knew this well, but he had his AK-47 aimed at him. Never before had another Westinghouse Pokémon threatened a gun at him. Never before his subordinates ever ganged up on him. Nobark knew this as well, he also knew no Westinghouse Pokémon would ever be willing to do so.
Which means he had a card up his sleeve, something to influence Tesla. But what was it? Couldn't be Mark, he himself had him thrown in jail. Sleep still flooded Tesla's mind, he wasn't ready to think just yet.
He held up his hands.
There was a flash, spots flooded his vision. Cabot's Emolga checked the camera, liked what he saw, and walked passed Tendon and Woody out of the room.
Emolga, the Cheering Pokémon duo, and his great-granddaughter stirred. Their eyes popped open. Emolga cradled Plusle and Minun while Mark's Pikachu hugged Tesla for comfort. He just sat there, unintimidated.
"Get up, Tes," Nobark ordered.
Tesla said nothing, nor nodded. He pushed Mark's Pikachu off of him and got down from the couch. Smugleaf kept her knife fixed over his throat, almost touching.
Nobark waved his gun toward the door. "Move."
Nobark marched Tesla outside. Laying on the grass before him were five Poké balls, all were enlarged and empty. Sitting in the middle was a Pikachu, a Joltik latched to its head. The Mouse Pokémon looked sick, weak. Its eyes were gray and puffy with fatigue. It laid on its belly in the casualty position. Its soft eyes looked up at Tesla, begging for mercy.
Tesla showed no response.
"I have Ash and his friends in the pen," said Nobark. "It was easy bringing them in. They're so goody two-shoes. All I had to do was fake a Pokémon to be injured. They took the bait without feeling doubt. Stupid people they are, they were told we roam this forest."
Tesla said nothing.
"This is my PRA, Tesla. Mine. I know you're here to put me down. So far you haven't lied to me, but you are good at holding back some information. You lie by telling the truth, I praise you for that."
Tesla said nothing.
"I know I might be a dead Pokémon after this, but my cause will not die with me. You are going to make sure of that, Tesla. I believe in you, and still do. I need you to get your hands dirty for once, really dirty."
Tesla said nothing.
"What, you've gone soft?"
No response.
"Tes?"
Nothing.
Nobark scoffed. He walked up to Ash's Pikachu and grabbed him by the tail. The Mouse Pokémon yelped, it thrashed its arms and legs but had no energy for much resistance. "Please, Tesla," Pikachu pleaded. "Help me."
Still no response.
Nobark held Pikachu up and asked, "Is this the Pikachu you nearly killed, Tesla? With your electric fence? What did he ever do to you to feel your wrath?"
Still nothing.
The Hoodlum Pokémon dropped Pikachu on the ground, then storm right up to Tesla. Their noses nearly touching. "Irvin trained you to do horrible things, things you don't want to do. But a part of you do, because of what happened a long time ago in Pallet Town."
Tesla said nothing.
"I have some things I need you to do, and I expect you to do it. You fail one, I'll be sure it would be the end of one of Ash's Pokémon. You fail another, same thing. I got a big list, you better not disappoint me."
Silence.
Nobark looked up. "Take Pikachu back to the cell. Joltik, you stay on him. Make sure he doesn't get up when you take breaks."
"Yes, sir!" said the Attaching Pokémon.
Nobark turned back to Tesla. "Come see me when you're ready."
The Hoodlum Pokémon turned back to the command bunker and disappeared through the door. Smugleaf withdrew her knife and stepped away. She turned to Pikachu and scooped him up with her Vine Whip. Wotter picked up the Poké balls and head inside the command bunker. Tendon simply walked away without interest. Only Woody stayed behind. He blinked, he walked up to Tesla and said, "I'm sorry, Tesla."
Tesla said nothing.
"It was Nobark's idea the whole way, Smugleaf executed it."
"And you played along?" Tesla asked.
"I don't know what is on until Nobark talked about his fate. I didn't know, Tesla. I swear, I didn't know. I held up a gun at them for crying out loud," he sighed. "I saw how bad it really is way too late."
Then he asked, "Is Nobark really going to die, Tesla?"
"We're all going to die eventually," said Tesla. "But for Nobark, it's soon. Not today, not tomorrow. But I can bet it would happen next week."
"Saturday's tomorrow," said Woody.
"So it is," said Tesla. "Which means things are about to get a little crazy from here on out."
Woody sighed and nodded. "Here, I'll take you to Ash. The kid's getting ready to breakdown. He's been asking for you."
Tesla turned to the command bunker. Mark's Pokémon stood at the door. Their marble eyes glazed with tears. The old Pikachu turned back to Tesla and nodded. "Okay, let's go see how he's holding up."
. . .
Tesla followed Woody into the human jail. He could smell Ash's scent, and Iris's, and Cilan's. It was strong, thick with fear. No doubt they were locked in this concrete prison. The Muscular Pokémon pointed out Ash's cell. It was next to Mark's. How convenient. Woody stood by as he watched Tesla opened the door to Ash's cell. It creaked open.
Sitting on the concrete bench was the trainer himself. He was stripped to his underwear, wearing nothing but a black t-shirt and navy blue boxers. His eyes were flooding with tears. Tesla turned to Woody and asked him to go get a box of tissues and a bottle of water. The Muscular Pokémon nodded and ran out of the human jail to fetch them.
Ash looked up, saw Tesla, his spirits lifting somewhat. "Tesla!"
Tesla didn't run up to him for a hug, he just stood by the door. He asked, "Did Nobark hurt you?"
"They beat me up a bit but didn't break anything, but they stuck a Joltik on Pikachu." Then he asked, "Did you see him, is my buddy okay?"
"Nobark held him up like a worm on a hook. The Joltik had drained most of his electricity."
Ash gripped his head and groaned. "I blew it Tesla. I fell right into their trap. I should have seen it coming."
"What did they lure you with?" Tesla asked.
"An Emolga."
"That was Cabot's Emolga, the PRA wind him up like a toy and set him loose."
Ash's face dropped. "Did you see Volta?"
"Volta's not here, she never was."
Ash got up and scooped Tesla in his arms. He hugged him tight. Tesla felt a little irritated, but he couldn't make himself angry. After all the grief that had happened in the past ten minutes, he needed affection. So Tesla took it with ease.
"What about Mark and his Pokémon?" Ash asked.
"Mark's in the cell next to yours, he has no idea what happened yet. His Pokémon are free to wander the base, but they stay inside the command bunker. They're too scared to mingle with the other Pokémon here."
Ash sat Tesla next to him on the concrete bed, he sighed. "I was worried. We haven't heard from you in days. Rex is asking around trying to figure out what happened to you."
"What happened back at Soho?" Tesla asked.
"Hattricks kicked us out, worried about a potential bombing from the PRA."
"I looked around and found no bombs or grenades or anything, but they now have more weapons and ammunition than before."
Ash asked, "What were you doing all this time?"
Tesla shrugged. "I had the PRA clean up the entire base. Their living conditions are poor Ash. No running water, no heat, and barely enough food to eat. Nobark isn't taking good care of them, he took whatever resources that he had and concentrated it to his elite. The Pokémon with names. They're his inner circle. " He added, "Last night I had the PRA raided the nearby town of Springfield. They stripped it with whatever goods they needed and brought it back here. They just had a party last night."
Ash blinked. "Why did you have them do that?"
"Cause they needed supplies, that's why. They needed food, water, medicine. No town would spare any generosity to lend out supplies, not with their track record. I did what I have to do, and it was successful."
Ash shook his head, trying to process what he had just heard. He looked like he was ready to berate Tesla for his actions. Instead, he simply turned to him and asked, "So what is happening now?"
"Nobark no longer has to worry about feeding the PRA, they have enough food to last for months. That's why he sent a team to capture you and your friends, he was ready to put his own plan to action."
"What is he planning, Tesla?"
"He wants to be sure his PRA won't die with him. He's on his last legs, old age and stress had broken him. He's holding you and your friend's hostage to make sure I do his tasks and don't take him down outright."
Woody came back with a box of tissues and a bottle of water. Tesla took it and dismissed him, then handed it to Ash. He took a tissue and blew his nose, wadded it up, and tossed it into the concrete toilet. "I'm scared, Tesla. I had been in tight cells before, but this is different. Nobark beat me in front of the PRA and they just watched, like it was for sport."
"That's the whole point, Ash. For sport. These Pokémon were victims from Team Rocket affiliates and abusive trainers in the past. They don't wanna go back to their lives from before. No matter how they are treated, they'll still be at the bottom of the barrel. Humans built and run the world as we know it, and they see themselves more as tools than actual beings with rights. That is what's going on, Ash. These Pokémon don't want to go back into this system, being trained to do things that they had no choice in."
"But there's good people in the world," said Ash. "They take care of their Pokémon."
"Yes, they do. But that doesn't mean Pokémon get any more rights than those who have trainers who are abusive," Tesla took a deep breath. "Irvin created a sub-culture where we had rights, where we had a say in things. It was a democracy. Of course, Irvin was the boss and he has the final decision on things, but he treated his Pokémon like human beings, like kids. Nobark wanted to recreate the system, but he failed, he accomplished the opposite, and now he's stuck between a rock and a hard place. When I came along, he figures I could fix his problems before his health breaks down. So when I resupplied the PRA, I basically gave him the incentive to go bag you and your friends to further his agenda. But now everything's falling apart for all parties involved, cause Nobark's getting ready to blow up, and it's happening at the worst possible time."
The room went silent for a moment. Ash reached up and stroke Tesla's ears. "I was afraid, Ash. This is why I didn't wanna follow you around after you got me out of Faraday Island. I came from this harsh twisted world that society practically lives next to. I didn't want you to see it."
"You were trying to protect me."
"Yes, you and your Pikachu. It's bad, believe me, so bad that they censor it on the media. They might give a few details, sure, but everything else is censored. I'm amazed they even put what happened to Volta on the Vegas City newspaper. There's a hefty fine for publishing blackout stories," Tesla stared at the floor for a second. "I'm sorry, Ash. I'm so sorry. I didn't want you to see what Irvin left behind. He gave us so much hope, but nothing to back it up. His death was a surprise, it has been eating me ever since."
"What do you need to do?" Ash asked.
"I'm going to do whatever Nobark wants me to do and hope for the best."
Tesla didn't add that if he were to fail, one of Ash's Pokémon might be killed. He also didn't add that he might do assassination work. Ash didn't need to know all that. All he needed to know was there was still hope. "It's all on me now," said Tesla. "We're on a giant chessboard, Ash. Every move will be high risk and the slightest error might destabilize Nobark and nuke the playing field. We're getting close to the end."
"I hope so," said Ash."
Tesla got up from the concrete bed, then turned to Ash. "I owe you a big favor ever since you set my life back on tract at Faraday Island. I'm going to pay you back, I'll try my hardest to get you and your friends out of this forsaken place."
"Is there anything I need to know about Nobark and his inner circle?" Ash asked.
"Smugleaf is handling your Pokémon, while Wotter his handing you and your friends. If Nobark decides to have you or your Pokémon executed, it would be Smugleaf and Wotter respectively. If any Pokémon other than the Dewott comes to see you. Don't fear for your life. Woody, the Timburr, is feeling guilty about all this, so you'll find more than enough mercy from him. But be careful if Nobark comes in to talk to you. He is unpredictable. In his mind, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. He might not remember putting you in here or what he had done to you himself. He might be grief-stricken one moment and in bitter rage the next."
"How do I know if he blows up?"
Tesla just stared at him. "Believe me, you'll know."
The old Pikachu handed Ash the bottle of water and he took it. "Stay safe, Ash. I'm doing what I can to help you."
Ash nodded. "I know you will, I can see it in your aura."
Tesla stepped out of the cell and locked the door behind him. He pressed his head against the door and pinched his nose. One part of him felt ashamed for what happened to Ash, another part of him felt distraught. His worse fears had come true. Ash got a window opportunity to see what his world was like, how he sees other Pokémon, and how he sees other people. The only hope now was to shut that window before Ash sees too much. What he'd just saw was just the tip of the iceberg, there was more yet to come. The old Pikachu lifted his head and took a deep breath. He pressed his hand against the iron door. Tesla always had tiny hands. All Pikachu had tiny hands. Despite their size, they helped him function in a human world. He had typed on keyboards and wrote with all kinds of writing utensils. He also brandished guns with them, most of whom were a size too big. Tesla had to use two fingers for a 9mm and had to use both hands.
And Nobark wanted him to get them dirty.
The old Pikachu walked up to Mark's cell and opened it. He was sitting on the toilet, leaning his head against the wall, sleeping away. Tesla whistled. Mark stirred, he blinked and sat up. "I heard a lot of noise and a gunshot," he said. "Is my Pokémon alright?"
"They're fine," said Tesla. "But the game has changed."
Whatever anger Mark had was gone. Almost a week of imprisonment had taken its toll. He had lost weight. His cheeks were hollow and his skin was ghastly pale. However his will hadn't broke, his eyes still hold strength. He stretched his arms and popped stiff joints. "What's going on?"
"Nobark captured Ash and his friends."
Mark's eyes bulged open. "F*ck. Where were you when it happened?"
"Sleeping, with your Pokémon. We were all busy last night."
Mark stared at him, suspecting funny business. Then he asked, "Where's Ash?"
"In the cell next to yours. I had just spoken with him. The only outside help we now have is Rex, who is shuffling back and forth between Carbondale and Springfield."
Mark shook his head. "Why did Ash leave Soho?"
"Chief Hattricks kicked him out. 'Security risk,' he says."
"Bastard," then Mark asked. "How did Nobark bagged Ash?"
"He played with his heart. They lure him into a clearing where they drew guns."
"And you'd just learned this?"
Tesla said, "Nobark held a gun to my head and told me all this."
Mark ran his hands through his buzz cut hair. "I see what is going on," he says. "Friends are turning against each other. He wants to divide us. F*ck, how come we hadn't seen this coming?"
"Cause Nobark is unpredictable. He himself is divided since the day he was born. I don't know if Nobark is even Nobark anymore. All I see is that the monster within him is taking over my longtime best-friend. I shouldn't have defended him when Irvin decided to put him down, I shouldn't have protected him."
"He wants you to do it, Tesla," said Mark. "Does he still have faith in you?"
"Yes, he does, but it is in doubt."
"Then he wants you perform a mercy kill. I know this because I had been in military school. History classes I took said that soldiers would rather die in battle than anything else, mostly because of honor and duty. There was one case where a soldier was sentenced to be executed by a firing squad. He had a plea agreement where he would give the order to fire. He didn't even accept the blindfold, he just pressed his back against the wall, with his eyes open, and gave the order to fire."
An interesting tale, Tesla thought. "How are you holding up, Mark?"
"Still waiting, for you to get me out of here."
"It's going to be soon," said Tesla. "When the moment comes where I let you out, I need you to do one thing."
"Name it."
"Can you capture Nobark's inner circle?"
Mark thought for a moment. "Who makes up his inner circle?"
"Smugleaf, Wotter, Tendon, and Woody. They're a Snivy, Dewott, Audino, and Timburr in that order."
"You want to take prisoners? Why?"
"Same reason why Nobark captured Ash: Insurance. He is quite close to his inner circle. Wotter knew Nobark the longest, while Smugleaf has a closer bond with him. Can you do that, Mark?"
Mark nodded. "I was trained to take prisoners, I know what to do."
"Sit tight, I'll be back."
Tesla shuts and locks the door, then stepped out of the human jail. Woody was outside waiting for him, still clutching his riot gun. "You're done?" he asked.
"Yup," said Tesla.
"Nobark needs to see you, pronto."
TO BE CONTINUED. . .