Chapter 14:-Trapped

Tramp and Rita walked down a busy street, weaving in, out and around peoples legs, who occasionally let out a gasp or an insult. After the fight in the alleyway the night before they put a safe distance between themselves and the area, before settling down late into nigh in a dead end alley. They slept in till mid day, after waking up, continued on with the search. Rita suggested they should search the area from yesterday again, saying they might get lucky. However this was hopeful thinking, and nothing came from it. So they decided to head back to the diner and regroup, despite Tramps reluctance. About half way back, they bumped into Annie. "Rita! Tramp! Oh good, I found you" the white husk said between pants, clearly she'd been in a rush. "What's going on Annie?" Tramp asked eagerly.
"I've been keeping my ear to the ground, as I said I would, and heard about two kidnaped puppies." Tramp looked at her with concern, Rita with confusion. "Wait- Kidnaped! By who?"
Annie gulped, unwilling to answer the question. "Oh, I'm sorry Tramp," she sighed. "Where are they, Annie?" Rita pressed. "The mafia's got them," she spilled out. Tramps face dropped, eyes widened in horror. "The Sykes?" Rita asked. Annie nodded silently. "What do the Mafia want with my children?" Tramp gasped. "I don't know," Annie interjected, "But I know where there keeping them." They both looked at her. "Docks in Hells Kitchen."
"Oh god," mumbled Rita. "What?" Tramp asked.
"I know it. Been there before."
"Then you need to take me there," Tramp demanded.
"We're going to need a plan. We can't just burst in there."
"We'll think of something on then way over there. How long will it take us?"
Rita looked up at the sky, "We can get there before night time." Tramp nodded. Rita turned to the husky, "Annie. Can you go back to the diner and let everyone know about the update?" Anny nodded. "Sure can."
"OK. Good. Tramp, follow me."
***

Collette and Scamp were scared and exhausted. After their kidnap, they were take to an abandoned building at a docks, it looked old and decrepit, beaten down by the natural elements and neglect. Once inside, they were pushed into what looked like a storage room and shoved into a crate on its side, so the opening was horizontal. They were forced inside this crate, with two dogs sat either side of it, with their backs facing the pups, on sentinel guard duty. "You better stay in that box now," One of the dogs, a Staff mix, threatened with a growl. There wasn't much room in the box, and despite not yet being fully grown, there was very little space for the both of them, making the box very cramped .
They both crashed down to the floor, kicking and fidgeting for space. They soon lost track of time and after an unknown amount had passed, Scamp and Collette started whispering to each other. "Why are we here Scamp," Collette sighed. "It's something to do with Dodger, by the sounds of it. Like they said, they don't want us. We're just bait."
Tears started to drip from Collette's eyes, despite her best efforts. "Hey. Common Collette," Scamp said as he tried to comfort his sister. "This isn't so bad. You got to stay strong. Like you did in the thunderstorm." Collette sniffed back some tears, "you're right," she tried to sound confidant, but her voice wavered a little bit.
"Quiet!" barked one of the dogs, making both the pups jump. "Or what?" Scamp confronted him with confidence, stepping his two front paws out the box. "You're not aloud to hurt us." The Staff turned to face the pup. "You're a mouthy little chew toy aren't you," the dog growled. "I'll say this one more time. I'm being more than fair. Get. In. The. Box." Scamp stepped completely out of the box, squaring up to the Staff. "Make-" He was cut off by the dog lifting a paw and whacking him in the side, sending his body skidding along the ground, kicking up dust. "Hey! That's my brother!" Collette growled in defence, rising up. "Shut it!" the Staff said as he raised his paw into the air, ready to strike again.
"Spike!" the other dog, a Pit bull, commanded, finally turning round. "Leave them alone. We can't touch them," he scolded. Reluctantly, the Staff backed off as the Put bull went over to Scamps limp body, sniffed him, and picked him up by the scruff to take him back to the box, dropping him at the entrance. Collette laid down besides him, looking him over. "Scamp, Scamp. Are you ok?" She nuzzled into Scamps face, getting a grown in response. His fur was all dirty, matted and scruffy (more than usual). He had a fresh cut on the side where the Staff hit him.
"I showed him didn't I," Scamp mumbled, a small smile spreading. "Why did you do a silly thing like that?" she gently shunned him. "I thought it's what Dodger would do," he shrugged. "You shouldn't go on thinking like that," Collette said, "look at how much trouble he's got us in." Scamp looked at her with hazed eyes, "But he'll come. He'll come and save us."
"Maybe. It could be dad though." Doubt crossed Scamps face, "How? He doesn't even know where we are. And its not like he can do anything Dodger can't." Collette shook her head, "I think you underestimate him Scamp. Besides, He promised me." Collette looked up to the sky through one of the shattered windows around the room. "He said he'd always find me," She sighed under her breath.

It was just after nightfall when Dodger and Nancy finally made it to the docks. Dodger didn't like the fact that Nancy joined him, but short of forcing her, he couldn't stop her from tagging along. Thanks to Dodgers injuries, it took longer for him to get to the docks (he couldn't car surf or run, he was just relegated to a fast limp). This also meant it would be harder for him to do a daring rescue/escape, so having Nancy with him ended up being more of a good idea than a bad one.
They laid on the outskirts of the docks at first, observing for any guards or lookouts. They moved in the shadows and cracks of the decrepit buildings. They approached a old warehouse like building, two stories tall, with rusted metal work and half the roof collapsed in and shattered windows. The building was also worryingly slanted, giving a comical, almost cartoonish look. "That's where they must be," Dodger whispered. "Now how are we going to play this," he wondered out loud. "We should look around, see if there's any holes or other ways in?" said Nancy. Dodger nodded. Suddenly they heard steps a bit further down the dock. "Patrol, Quick," Nancy whispered, before shoving Dodger into an old rowing boat, before jumping down themselves, Nancy then quickly pulled a tarp over their heads, hiding them from the world.
"I hate the docks," a dogs voice exclaimed. " What wrong with it?" another asked curiously. "I don't like the smell of sea. Its too salty," complained the first dog. "Well you could always hold you breath," the other one sniggered, as the voices drifted off into the distance. Nancy and Dodger, who held their breath while the dogs passed, let out a sigh of relief. "That was too close," Nancy mumbled, shaking the tarp off them. "Yeah," Dodger agreed, before wincing as a bolt of pain shot through his left side of his body, collapsing on the deck. "Oh dear. Are you alright," Nancy asked. "The landing was a bit rough," Dodger remarked with sarcasm. "Sorry about that," Nancy muttered with a hint of guilt. "You rest up. I'll go and check out the building and be back in about five, ten minuets max," she said.
Dodger nodded in agreement and she hopped onto the dock and padded effortlessly along into the shadows and around the corner. Dodger sat and let out a big sigh. He hated sitting out like this, and putting his friend in danger, but there wasn't many other options. He breathed in and out slowly, but could feel his emotions clouding round him. Visions of the night Fagin's house boat burned, drifted into his mind, like an unwelcome rain cloud on a sunny day. Fear began to take over him, replacing the pain. The fire dancing chaotically in the night, floating above water in an unnatural way. The sharp crackling of wood burning, the smell filling his nostrils. Roxett's wicked cackle echoing in his mind. Dodgers breathing has increased to the stage of hyperventilation, all awareness of his surroundings gone, replaced by the horrors of the worst night in Dodgers life.
Finally, Dodger was snapped out of this vision by a hard tackle into his back. Crashing to the floor, the pain took over again, followed by the shock and surprise of this attack. Dodger yelped out loudly, eyes closed, head spinning. His vision was blurred, but he could make out a large, fuzzy grey figure. Dodger then felt an uncomfortable pressure pushing down on his throat, not stopping him from breathing, but restricting it, painfully. "You know," Dodger managed to wheeze between stolen gasps, "Roxett's gonna be pissed if you kill me instead of her." The grey, fuzzy shapes response was not what Dodger had expected, "Where are my kids?"

Tramp looked down at the dog beneath his paws with crushing guilt, this dog was clearly injured beyond defence and Tramp just tackled him onto the floor. What made it worse was the fact that Tramp was willing to take it further. "All for my children" he kept saying in his head. "I'll ask one more time, where are you keeping my children?" he growled deeply. The mutt on the floor looked up at him with confusion, "What type of trick are you playing? I'm here like you asked."
"You can't talk your way out of this," Tramp warned, increasing pressure on the mutts throat, causing his breathing to become laboured. "Wh- What are yo- talki- about?" the mutt asked between struggling gasps. Tramp was starting to get confused, why was this dog playing dumb with him? His thoughts were interrupted by a ore slamming into the right side of his face, causing him to loose grip on the mutt and fall to the ground. Looking up he saw a black Labrador standing over the scruffy mutt, ore in mouth.
"Hey!" came a female voice from the fog, before Rita appeared by Tramps side as he got up. "We got trouble big guy?" Rita asked, eyeing up the Lab and the mutt on the floor, ready to fight. Before Tramp could answer, the mutt spoke. "I know that voice," it crocked. Rita's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "No... It can't..." she stammered, slowly approaching the scruffy mop of fur on the floor. "It is," the voice strained again as the figure got up. Now Rita recognised the dog instantly. The shaggy mop of dirty white, brown and grey; the smile that, despite the pain he was in, was still cocky and mischievous. The sarcastic tone of voice. "Dodger?" The mutt smiled, "You know it baby."
Rita was over come with joy, it flooded through her like a tsunami, She rushed over to her old friend, nudging into him in a friendly way, licking him with excitement. Dodger clearly felt pain from this action of love, but tried to hide it. Finally stepping back they looked at each over. "Well, at least I know you missed me," Dodger laughed. Rita's eyes started to water, "I thought you were dead," her voice wavered. "I thought the same about you," Dodger whispered as they stared longingly into each others eyes, before gently pressing their heads together, like they used to in their younger days. "So, you two know each other?" Tramp asked, confused, as him and Nancy were standing on the side. "Yeah," Rita smiled, "this is Dodger." Tramps eyes widened at the name. "Dodger? As in Oliver's friend?"
"You know Oliver?" Dodger asked. "Guards approaching," Nancy whispered urgently. All the dogs scattered to cover. Dodger and Tramp collapsing behind a sail. The two guards walked past, oblivious, and when they were sure they were gone, broke cover. "Look, this catch up is all well and good," Nancy said slightly annoyed, "but we can't hand around here all night." Rita looked at the Lab, "Sorry, sister, but who are you?"
"She's an old friend," Dodger cut in, "and she's right. So you're Tramp, the kids father? Good, so how are we going to get them out?"
"Why does she have them and what's it to do with you?" asked Tramp. "she kidnapped them to get to me," Dodger sighed, avoiding eye contact with everyone. "But don't worry. I won't let them get hurt. I'm going to turn myself in and they'll be let go."
"But they'll kill you Dodger," Rita whispered. "Is there no way to get out of this?"
Dodge shook his head solemnly. "I think I have an idea," Nancy announced.