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Chapter 29: To The Rescue

I would have found him ducking around amusing if it wasn't for the seriousness of the situation at hand. Actually the longer I stood there pondering the shiny object in Palmer's hand and the situation I couldn't sit still any longer and started to follow off in the direction Willy had disappeared too. "He can lecture me later." I paused behind a patch of candy crème pumpkins watching him observe the scene inside the Bucket house with a very noticeable annoyed expression. "Whatever is going on in there is not a good thing." I stood making my way around behind a candy tree with what I assumed appeared to be a candied fruit and watched him disappear around the back of the house. I heard a familiar startled sound and peered over around the house as cautiously as possible, to my horror Willy was cornered by Maxine of all people and was casually talking his way through the situation. Without even giving him a warning Maxine's fist connected with his jaw sending him sideways into the house, I then saw something small glint in the chocolate room light watching his violet gaze narrow but he followed her hesitant moves toward the Bucket house and inside. "He's caught…now what?" I stood there for a long moment trying to think and as silently as possible went around to the front of the house listening for any signs of movement. I peeked around the corner seeing Allen was still lying unconscious outside the house now bound and gagged, I as quietly as possible grasped his bound legs and started pulling him as fast as I could around the side of the house and managing to make it safely into the pumpkin patch out of sight.

I untied Allen and sat there lightly tapping at his face, Doris had managed to sneak up on me without warning and being wise to my usual reaction tossed something in my mouth before I could let out a cry. "Doris." I whispered smiling at the taste of peppermint. "Is there anyway to clean him up and wake him?" I noticed blood seeping slightly around his collar and sighed irritated with all the violence around me at the moment. She disappeared and re-appeared moment later with a bandage of sorts and water to take care of Allen.

While Doris was nursing Allen I studied the Bucket house wondering what was going on inside and if Willy was alright. The thoughts and images running through my head about what would happen to any of them were far from pleasant and having an overactive imagination really didn't help matters much.

"What happened?" I turned regarding Allen who had come to and was silently reading over a note that Doris had given him. "They have Willy?" his voice was almost one of horror.

"Yes." He jumped startled by my voice and turned studying me. "I dragged you over here…need your help. Doris get all the help you can find." She nodded but paused when Allen caught her arm.

"He locked the village. Delaine remembered the village and used Charlie to lock the Oompa Loompa tribe up." Doris took a breath and glanced at me almost hesitantly.

"Doris…Willy isn't the only one with keys other then Charlie is he?" she glanced back and forth a minute and sighed. "Oh great." I muttered crossly. She offered me a secretive smile which made me think a minute and then I smiled. "Go get the help then."

Doris disappeared quickly from the room. "I thought…

"It's a big secret with them, don't ask how I read them…Willy's rubbing off on me." I paused turning to the sound of voices and saw Maxine talking avidly with a woman next to the house in annoyed tones. "Delaine?" Allen nodded in confirmation, I frowned slightly but studied her from our hiding spot. She was tall resembling Maxine in height but had knee length almost white blonde hair and from what I could gather at the distance dark eyes, she wore a black shirt and jeans and was waving her hands avidly in annoyance. "They know you're gone…Maxine is probably talking about me right now."

Allen thought about that for a long moment and finally asked. "Are you the one Maxine was ranting handed her ass to her?" I smirked at that and nodded. "Remind me to stay on your good side."

"I don't have a good side." I noticed his curious look before he shrugged disregarding the comment. "Doris." I smiled seeing the room was starting to fill with hundreds of the little Oompa Loompa's and all of them were wearing the strange bullet proof suits. "We can't do anything until the others are safe and out of harms way." She nodded in agreement and with a mischievous twinkle motioned for us to follow her.

Allen nearly fell over several of the candy plants on our way after the small woman and I somehow managed to stay on my feet both of us pausing at an underground tunnel entrance. I was puzzled and took the note offered to my by her reading it to myself. "Mr. Cocoa Bean had these installed in case of emergencies, also in case the river were to ever flood. There's one leading right into the Bucket's house, Mr. and Mrs. Buckets room to be precise, be careful…if anything were to happen to you, Mr. Cocoa Bean would go over the edge." I nodded handing the note back to her and jumped down into the tunnel landing smack on my bum and groaning in annoyance. Allen landed more gracefully and stifled laughter watching me stand and brush myself off. I slowly led the way through the tunnel and glanced up thanks to one of Willy's luminous candies Doris had given me to light the way with and saw the door labeled Bucket's room. I started up the ladder and opened the hatch carefully staring around the room noticing it was clear. Allen paused staring around the room and spotting only a double bed and simple dresser before hearing voice outside the room and halting.

I carefully stepped over to the door and listened to the muffled voices identifying them one at a time.

"You aren't going to find her Delaine, she left the factory not long after Maxie announced my less then successful relationships." Willy's voice was full of venom and I could hear Charlie gasp in the background in surprise, Willy had them all fooled for the moment.

"That's too bad for your little protégée then Willy…I find it amusing Maxine chased her off so easily." Delaine's voice sounded like soft velvet thick with a Spanish accent. "You were adorable but not the best lover." I could just see the dark look in Willy's eyes in my minds eye, you never take on the male ego without invoking some sort of wrath.

I turned seeing Allen was studying what I presumed to be a very scary look on my face. "I don't like her already." My voice was barely audible.

"Toss him in the bedroom for now, we'll deal with the machine shortly." Allen and I both exchanged startled looks and quickly shut the trap door hiding under the bed, which was currently the only safe place to do so at the moment. "Let's keep the children for the moment, I want the others locked in there…Willy and I have some business to attend to." I watched from the bed as Mr. and Mrs. Bucket were led into the room along with the grandparents, Lexie's mom and grandmother. The door slammed behind them with a clicking sound.

"Get them out of here." Allen gave me a very irritated look. "You want to experience Maxine's encounter first hand?" he climb from under the bed both of us hushing the families and sending them with him down the tunnel.

"Be careful." I nodded seeing Allen wasn't entirely convinced I could handle things on my own, but he did start leading them down the hidden hatch.

I turned to the door and tested the handle as cautiously as I could and realized the clicking sound hadn't been a lock but a gun being loaded instead. "Great." I sighed leaning against the cool wood listening to the other side of the door hoping for some sign of Willy, Charlie and Lexie's safety. I heard a startled sound from both kids and a defined groan from Willy.

"That's for being such an egotistical prick." I heard Maxine's voice very close to the door and then the sound of shifting off to the side of it.

"You still can't hit, Odette did fairly good at handing your bum to you as I recall." I stifled my giggle and smiled realizing Willy was basically taunting Maxine, I heard the sound of a slap and realized it must have come from Delaine because Maxine's steps hadn't shifted from her current position.

"Stop." I heard the soft voice of Lexie in a pleading tone and hesitated hearing a startled sound followed by a warning, I knew Charlie had threatened whomever had went for Lexie.

"If you touch either of them or him once more…I'll rip you both apart." I heard noise behind me and saw Allen had returned looking a bit worse for wear. We both stood back as the door opened and Charlie followed by Lexie came flying in, Allen caught them both before they hit the floor. I clamped a hand over both there mouths shaking my head. Charlie once release hugged me tightly along with Lexie before I motioned them both down the hole and saw Doris waiting to lead them away. Reluctantly both kids followed after her but Charlie knew I had something up my sleeve and reassured Lexie all the way.

"What do you plan on doing?" Allen whispered thoughtfully before I turned allowing a very dangerous smile on my face.

"Ricardo is the only one that has a gun right?" He nodded in response. "Iris and Doris have a plan to get him out…is York out there?" I couldn't believe in all the commotion I forgot him. Allen shook his head. "How did Delaine get out if York didn't?" I couldn't help but wonder.

"Shove him in with the rest." Delaine hissed before Allen or I could react at this the door flew open and in come Willy landing smack on top of me. Luckily no one had noticed our presence in the room for the time being.

I groaned faintly but smiled up at the surprised violet eyes peering down at me. "She's violent." I frowned noticed a trail of blood on his lip and a faint tint of bruising at the side of his face. "You alright love?" he nodded slowly removing himself from me and helping me to my feet. "I never do what I'm told just so you know…Doris is very helpful by the way." I pointed to the hatch in the floor and saw him smirk at this.

"You never listen dear." I shook my head with an amused smile seeing Allen stare up at the ceiling and shake his head at our banter.

"Are you two lovebirds done…we have three problems out there and she kindly pointed out York is still missing." Willy turned regarding Allen for a moment but instead of the usual hardness gave him an amused smile instead.

"Still pushy." Allen shrugged leading the way to the tunnel.

"Still cocky." He pointed to Willy's injuries and offered a curt nod.

"Both boys." I rolled my eyes and followed after them wrapping my arm around Willy's waist. "Who killed York?" both paused in the tunnel and turned to regard me curiously. "It stands to reason since he was the one that started the mess, one of them did away with him. He didn't strike me as a team player." Willy tightened his hold around me and glanced at Allen.

Allen felt his mouth close after the initial shock wore off. "Does she always come up with randomness like that?" Willy nodded instantly in response to that.

"She's an artist, has to think on her feet." I glanced back and forth swearing something other then hate was among the two then, something resembling almost respect. "Which one though is the question?" Allen and Willy both paused staring back and forth at one another and then I felt my heart drop realizing whom they were suspecting.

"She wouldn't be that stupid." Allen remarked apparently both coming to the same conclusion.

"She can buy her way out of a murder conviction, she's far nastier then I recall too." Willy rubbed his bruising cheek in thought.

"She's going to see everyone's gone…she come to under prepared for the army of little people waiting outside." Allen noticed Willy's brow rise at this and saw him glance at me. "She's very resourceful…Doris seems to be very cooperative with her too."

"What…she's his right hand Oompa Loompa…she would set up a whole army and then some to keep him safe." I heard an amused chuckle at this and saw that strange look in his violet gaze again before he nodded in agreement. "You and I really need to talk after this mess."

"Yes dear." Willy pointed to the opening watching Allen exit and then helped me out standing there glancing around the chocolate room. "Army would be understatement." He regarded me from my current position on the candy grass glancing around at the hundreds of little people.

"Doris took me too literally." I noticed his amused look and noticed the little people quickly take over the Bucket house.