Certain Demolitions
Chapter 48: Vexed to Nightmare
Trucy burst in through the door of the Wright Law Office, breathing hard. Phoenix, Edgeworth, and Kay were sitting on the couch in the outer office.
"Trucy!" Phoenix said, looking alarmed. "What's wrong?!"
Trucy was gasping for breath. She held out Apollo's bracelet.
Now Phoenix looked more alarmed. "What happened?"
"We were going to meet with Klavier and Ema out by the ocean. But Ema said that there were Nazi soldiers who came and took Klavier away." Trucy explained, holding her side. She had gotten a stitch from running as hard as she had.
Now she had everyone's attention. Phoenix was on his feet. Edgeworth's teacup clattered back to the table. Kay looked alarmed.
"Trucy, what else can you tell us?" Edgeworth asked.
"I don't know anything else." Trucy said, still holding her side. "Ema said there were three soldiers."
"But you don't know where they went?" Edgeworth asked.
"No."
"We have to go find them." Phoenix said. Edgeworth had gotten up and gone to pick up the phone.
"We will." Edgeworth told him. "But we can't rush into this blind."
"Does this have something to do with the man I saw the other day?" Kay asked.
"I don't know. But I think we're going to find out." Edgeworth said. Then he was ignoring them and talking into the phone. At the same time, he took a sheet of paper from the desk and began to write on it. "Detective Gumshoe. I want you to get seven or eight policemen and meet me at the sign for the Cornill Woodland Park. Make sure all the men you bring with you are armed. Yes…yes, there might be trouble. Wright and I will meet you there. This is of the utmost importance, detective, so hurry." He hung up the phone. "Kay, I've written down the number for Federal Prosecutor Simon Blackquill. I need you to call him and tell him what's going on."
Kay nodded.
"What about me?" Trucy asked.
"You need to stay here with Kay." Phoenix told her.
"But Daddy...!"
"No, Trucy! This is extremely dangerous."
"He's right." Edgeworth added, coming out from behind the desk. "I know you want to help but you've got to stay here with Kay."
Trucy looked disappointed.
"Cheer up Trucy!" Kay said firmly. "We have to call Prosecutor Blackquill! And that's pretty important too!"
Trucy nodded.
Phoenix and Edgeworth looked at each other. "Let's go, Wright." Edgeworth said.
Phoenix gave one brief nod, and both men headed for the door.
(-)
Apollo and Ema were both tied to a tree, with ropes that wrapped around their chests and then around the tree. Apollo was trying to think of a way out of the new predicament they were in. Nothing was coming to mind, and that was a worrying thought.
He was also starting to worry about the fact that Klavier had not stirred since he had been struck in the head by the officer. From where he and Ema were tied up, almost across from the blond, he had been keeping watch on Klavier as best as he could. What he had not seen – movement – had worried him.
I hope Trucy's back with Phoenix and telling him what's happened. Apollo thought. Then he straightened up. Klavier had stirred. Just slightly, but it was still movement.
"Klavier!" He hissed. "Klavier!" The German stirred again but still wasn't completely awake. "Klavier!"
This time the blond's eyes fluttered open. He straightened up in his bonds as best as he could. "Herr Forehead?" He asked quietly.
"Welcome back. You had us pretty worried." Apollo said, casting a glance at the two Nazis standing guard. Both were standing still, keeping a grip on their guns, and keeping a disinterested eye on the prisoners.
Klavier let his head hang forward again.
"Don't go to sleep!" Apollo said urgently.
"I'm tired." Klavier muttered.
Apollo looked at Ema, who shook her head. "Okay, that's fine," Apollo said. "Just keep talking."
"You've got to stay awake, Klavier." Ema added.
"Alright." Klavier replied. But he sounded like; he was starting to drift again.
Apollo glanced at the guards. "Hey Klavier, how do I say 'I hope America wins the war' in German?"
His question had the desired effect: reaction. Klavier chuckled. The guards didn't look nearly as amused.
"According to Larry's most recent article, it sounds like the war is going well for us." Ema added cheerfully.
Klavier seemed to rally himself. "I hope America will be generous when the war is over. Forgiving, too."
"I think I read that the President said that we weren't going to be cruel if we won. We're not looking for an empire." Apollo said.
The first guard said something to Apollo.
"How do I tell this guy I don't speak German?" Apollo asked.
"He does not speak German." Klavier told the guard.
"Then you tell him to shut his animalistic gob if he doesn't want to get shot!" The guard snapped.
"He wants you to stop talking." Klavier translated.
"I'm tied up, I can't do anything else." Apollo noted.
Leitz reappeared a moment later. "Don't be rude to our guests." He ordered. Then he looked at Apollo. "What were you saying?"
"Just relaying the good news that America's doing great in war. Maybe even better than Germany."
Leitz gave him a cool smile. "The war isn't over yet." Then he turned and started giving orders. "The U-boat will be here in a few minutes. Get our guest ready to leave."
"What do you want us to do with the two meddlers?" Schmidt asked.
"Leave them. I don't care what happens to them. We need only Gavin." He said, giving Klavier an appraising look. Then he turned to the soldiers. "Get him ready to go."
Schmidt saluted and went to cut Klavier's hands free from their bonds.
(-)
The first problem Edgeworth and Phoenix had was, where had the attack on Ema and Klavier taken place?
That was pinpointed to some degree by the discovery of the basket of food that Klavier had dropped. When the attorneys arrived, the food that had spilled out of it was being enjoyed by a flock of sparrows, which retreated to the trees and chirruped angrily at Edgeworth, Phoenix, and the entourage they'd brought with them for interrupting their fun.
"This area near the water is pretty large, Pal," Detective Gumshoe said. "We might be searching here for a long time."
"Are we sure that they came in by ship?" Phoenix asked.
"Well, there were no German soldiers parachuting in." Edgeworth said. "We would have heard about that by now."
"Yeah, even Prosecutor Debeste would have noticed that." Phoenix replied.
Edgeworth snorted. "Let's get closer to the water. If they came, it must have been by U-boat. Maybe we can head them off."
Phoenix put a hand to his chin. "They might hole up somewhere, wait for the heat to die down." He suggested.
"Not in this town they won't, Pal." Gumshoe told him. "Look at the way this place keeps an eye on Klavier, and he's been here so long he's practically an American."
Practically an American? "That depends on how you describe 'American.'" Phoenix said, thinking about the schnitzel they had had for dinner last night.
"Nevertheless," Edgeworth said, "We need to get moving." He turned to the police. "Four of you follow the shoreline. The rest of you stay with Wright and I." He looked at Phoenix. "Let's go back towards the road and head the same direction as the other police officers. Hopefully we can cover more of the land that way.
"What about that way?" Phoenix asked, pointing down the beach.
"That way runs into private property, Pal!" Gumshoe told him.
"So we can reasonably think that if there had been a problem we would have heard about it." Edgeworth finished.
Phoenix nodded, and the group split up.
There wasn't a moment to lose.
[A/N:] Klavier is engaged in diplomatic translation here. Obviously.
With no present medical help, and no way of knowing how seriously Klavier was hurt, Apollo and Ema trying to keep him awake and talking is probably the best plan at this point. But I am not a doctor, and as I said, the trio has no medical help at this point, so Ema and Apollo are doing the best they can.
Chapter title comes from The Second Coming.
I think that's it for this round. Of course, if you have questions, as always, let me know.
Please review!
