Chapter 100: Eve Of The Escape
For going on nearly four weeks, almost every night Computer was let out of his cage to at first walk, and eventually run, the route between Charon's warehouse and the abandoned factory.
It seemed that one of the perks of being in Charon's elite guard was that nobody below you dared to question why you were taking a prisoner away every night under 'Charon's orders'. The only days Bruno did not show up to bring Computer to Dena was when he was off doing business with Charon outside of the warehouse.
It had surprised Computer how quickly he had managed to gain back his strength. The first week had been sheer agony, but he had pushed through it out of pure determination. His legs and feet had ached horribly in the cage afterwords, almost unbearably so, but soon that all faded away. He was now as fit as he had been before Charon had locked him up, if not even more so. He certainly wasn't going to be winning any Olympic medals any time soon, but he could now run the route through the storm system multiple times in a single night without even breaking a sweat.
It certainly helped that Dena had made a mission out of hiding food for him and so he always had something to eat or drink before and after he was done running the tunnels. For the first few days though, he had to be careful. After a month of nothing but moldy scraps, his dog body was not exactly used to eating full meals anymore. His first real meal in a month had left him with a terrible stomachache that lasted for hours, and more than once he nearly lost the food that his body so badly needed to function.
He saw nothing of the 'nurse' dog during this time. Apparently she was still meeting with Dena and Bruno on a fairly regular basis to discuss how their plans were coming along, but Computer never seemed to catch her while she was around. Not that he minded it, since he was more than happy to keep his distance from that freaky dog who was so very good at unnerving him in more ways than one.
It seemed that Bruno was using his higher authority to help out in more ways than one as well. Not once during the near four weeks that followed their first meeting was Computer forced to pair up with another dog in one of those awful rooms. He did not have to deal with the nurse dog or his inability to help the other downtrodden dogs who ended up sharing that room with him. It did have one downside in that he was left with no way to talk to Lily's mom and let her know about what was going on. He didn't want to risk asking for her in case that would bring attention to the guards that he was not being scheduled like he was supposed to be, and even though he knew he could trust Lily's mom, he wasn't really supposed to be telling anyone about the escape plan anyway. Regardless, he'd only caught sight of her once during the usual morning routine and humiliation, and that was it.
While he had made it a point not to willfully think about Courage too much nowadays, simply out of a desperate need to avoid the pain that thinking about him caused, some fragment of hope was starting to worm its way back into his heart in spite of that. Maybe the nurse dog really would come through for him. If they survived this, he'd have many more companions around to help him, and after Charon, anything seemed possible.
After a missed day due to Bruno not being in the warehouse that night, Computer was relived when he did show up the next night. Becoming more active had caused him to start feeling way more restless on the days he was stuck in that cage without a reprieve.
He was handed off to Dena without any issues, and while Bruno's attitude seemed to be about as normal as ever, she appeared far more solemn.
Before Computer could even ask her what was up, she simply said, "Tomorrow."
He didn't need any more of a confirmation than that.
"Well," She quickly amended. "Unless something unexpected pops up at the last second and we have to hold off for a little while longer..."
"All the pieces are in place now, correct?" Computer asked.
"Everything is ready. We just have to find a few hidden spaces throughout this warehouse to put the bombs in. Bruno and his 'explosives' friend will be doing that tomorrow just before we start breaking people out. We can't set them down too soon or else someone might find them."
"We're still planning on arming them to go off after four hours, right?"
"Yes. Think you can handle it?"
"I still think that's cutting it a little too close. While I can travel back and forth through the tunnels fairly quickly now, we are going to be dealing with a lot of dogs who will be in even worse health than I was when Bruno first brought me here. We're looking at each trip taking around fifteen to twenty minutes, if not longer. I can't exactly force a malnourished dog to hurry along."
"Even if it takes that long for each group, there should still be plenty of time. Remember, we can't just leave the bombs sitting there for too long or else someone is inevitably going to run into one of them and alert Charon. This will all be for nothing if he gets away."
Computer inhaled sharply, feeling a little nervous about all of this. "I happen to know a thing or two about bad luck, and if something goes wrong or we're delayed even just a little too long during the breakout..."
"Well, the original plan was to arm the bombs to go off after three hours, so we've already adjusted it to make up for possible delays."
"Alright," Computer relented. "I'll put my trust in you guys and your judgment. You have been planning this out for far longer than I've been here, after all."
Dena smiled. "With how much of a marathon runner you've become? I know you can get those dogs to safety in time."
Computer couldn't help but smile slightly too. "I can't wait to see the look on Lily's face once I get her mom back to her. It's a reunion neither of them thought would happen. Talk about small miracles."
"Worry about getting her out of here first though. If something goes wrong tomorrow and Charon captures us before we can get everyone out..."
Computer crossed his arms. "We're looking at a fate worse than death, huh?"
Dena shook her head. "As long as the bombs aren't discovered, it'll all be over long before Charon can do anything to us."
Computer blinked. "T-that's true."
It was a grim prospect, but that was certainly better than living long enough for Charon to make them wish they were dead. Computer hadn't understood up until this very moment that as long as the bombs remained in play, Charon was doomed even if he managed to stop their escape attempt. Dena was going to get her revenge, even if it meant the end of her own life, but if they couldn't get dogs like Lily's mom out first...
Computer shook his head at that thought, silently vowing to make sure that didn't happen.
Eager to get down into the tunnels, he climbed through the hole in the wall and tried not to think about the fact that this could be his last night alive. Despite his many attempts not to think about Courage, he suddenly found himself missing the dog more deeply than ever. If this was the end, he would have given anything for one last chance to see him again. Well, if things worked out, maybe there was hope that they'd be reunited. If he was making the impossible happen for Lily...
He thought of Spot too. It had been so long since he'd last seen the pup. Only the nurse dog was talking with him on a regular basis, and he only knew that fact though the second hand accounts Dena was giving him. All he could do now was hope that the girl dog would be able to free Spot before the explosion.
Rather than run, he had taken to pacing himself as he moved through the tunnels. He was trying to estimate how long it might take to get the far slower dogs to the factory. There were just too many variables involved for him to get a good idea of how long it would take to guide them all through within the four hour deadline.
He soon found himself standing before the pile of rubble that led up into the abandoned factory above. He had never actually bothered to take a look up there, even after Bruno had offered to show him around. Well, now was as good of a time as any to explore a little. Anything to keep his mind off of tomorrow and all the ways their plan could fail.
He climbed the hill of rubble and pulled himself up into the eerily empty basement of the factory. Other than where it had collapsed into the tunnel below, the rest of the concrete floor appeared to be stable with no noticeable cracks or dips.
It turned out that exploring the old factory wasn't as much of an adventure as he had been hoping for. There wasn't really anything to see. All but the biggest pieces of machinery had long since been removed or stripped of parts. Most of the place was completely empty aside from a few dangerous looking rusted-out catwalks and a few equally empty administration and employee rooms. The only thing he found of note was a decently sized stash of food, water, and medical supplies. All of it was far too new to have been left behind when the factory was abandoned, so either Dena or Bruno had been bring these things here on a regular basis to prepare for the upcoming day of reckoning.
It was only when Computer was on his way back toward the basement, deciding that this place was far too boring to keep exploring, that he caught sight of something that struck him far more profoundly than he ever could have expected.
There was nothing special to it. It was just the loading area where several massive, rusted metal doors stood. Where trucks would have backed their trailers up to when this place was still in operation. All of those doors still stood aside from one. At some point it had collapsed to the floor leaving a large opening to...the outside.
Computer moved in closer, strangely awed by the sight of it. For the first time in nearly two months he felt a wintery breeze touch his fur and he breathed the fresh air in. The night sky was spread out before him and it had never looked so beautiful.
He jumped out of the open doorway and onto the broken concrete of the parking lot below.
He was out.
He was free.
There was not much to see. Dead plant life surrounded him, having grown up through the untended cracks in the parking lot. Rusted fencing surrounded the property, but so much of it was bent or broken that it barely counted for much anymore.
It felt like a dream, like it was just too surreal to be reality. He was out. There was nothing stopping him from just...going. He did not need to go back. He did not need to subject himself to that cage one last time, or risk his life tomorrow. Nobody, absolutely nobody who had been subjected to Charon's hell would blame him for running. Most would not walk away from this opportunity to escape.
But...that was not who he was. If he fled now, he would never forgive himself. He would not abandon his companions, not on his life. Even if it meant he might be giving up his only chance to escape this nightmare alive.
"Sorry, Courage." He said into the night. "I can't leave them behind, no matter what might become of us tomorrow. I think you'd understand. No, I know you'd understand. If...if I don't happen to end up a smoldering crater tomorrow, just wait for me a little longer. I'll find a way to get back to you. Just think of this as a...small detour."
He turned back around toward the doorway, fully aware of what he was risking and possibly giving up...
Already the stagnate air felt stifling once more. He'd nearly made it back to the basement when the loud, growl-y sound of someone clearing their throat nearly gave him a heart attack.
Looking this way and that, he finally caught sight of Bruno standing inside one of those administrator rooms with a flashlight in his paw, although it was currently not illuminated.
"There you are." The bulldog rumbled. "I came lookin' for ya because you were takin' so long getting back. I know you can run those tunnels at least a couple of times in the amount of time you've been gone, so when you never showed up on Dena's end, I started to wonder."
Computer swallowed, trying to quell the rapid beating of his heart. "I just wanted to get a look at this factory, since I never bothered to do so before."
Bruno crossed his arms. "Saw you standin' out there in the parking lot..."
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Got a funny feelin' you were gonna run."
"Would you have stopped me?"
"Well, it would have sucked to have you bail on us at the last second, but then I figured if you were gonna go, you would have left back when I first started bringing you to Dena's every night. You feel the same way I do. We can't leave the others to their fate."
"You can't seriously tell me that Charon would just let you quit if you asked."
"Nah, but we end up travelin' a lot, and there's been more than a few times I could have slipped away without Charon ever knowing where I went. I couldn't do that though. I feel like I owe it to the dogs I've hurt to do what I can to help 'em."
Computer eyed the bulldog sceptically. "Just how long were you watching me anyway?"
"Long enough to say that while I've always taken you for a bit of a weird dude, I didn't think you were one to go around talkin' to yourself like that."
Computer gave a start. "I-I was just in the moment!"
Bruno chuckled. "Hey, if I was being cooped up in a cage like that all day everyday, I'd probably go a little crazy too."
"I-I am not crazy! I just...oh, who am I kidding?" He shook his head and let out a defeated sigh. "I gave up trying to pretend like I have even a modicum of sanity left ages ago."
"Well, I may have somethin' that might help a little. In fact, that's the reason why I was lookin' for you. I set up a little surprise for you guys back at Dena's."
"Surprise? S-should I be afraid?"
"I even got 'her' to show up."
"Oh, great." Computer groaned. "I should be afraid."
Bruno stepped forward and gave him one of those painful thumps on his back. "You'll have a great time, trust me. If tomorrow doesn't go well, I want to make sure I don't go wastin' this night worryin' about something I can't change. There's only one way I know to fix a nervous brain, so c'mon, let's get back to Dena."
Computer could not have been less thrilled to find out what this 'surprise' was. As long as the girl dog was involved, it probably was going to end with her prodding him near endlessly about Courage, and he'd already had more than enough of that...
Bruno no longer needed the flashlight on the way back through the tunnels. Computer's glow, as always, did an adequate job to light the way. Surprisingly though, Dena was waiting for them at the end of the route. It was the first time Computer had seen her in the tunnels.
"There you guys are." She said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I was starting to wonder what was taking so long. I certainly don't need you two disappearing on me the night before our plan finally comes together."
It was becoming obvious that even she was nervous about tomorrow.
Bruno let out a gruff laugh. "Our glow stick friend needed a little fresh air, it seems. Although, I coulda sworn you are supposed to stick someone like him in the freezer to stop the glow from fading."
Computer rolled his eyes at the bulldog's attempt at a joke. "Look, whatever sort of shenanigans you have planned with 'her' up there to make what might be my last night alive thoroughly annoying, I suggest you tell me now."
All of a sudden a voice carried down through the hole. "Am I being summoned?"
Computer's face screwed up into an incomprehensible expression. "NO! Stay up there!"
"Stop bein' all weird and go!" Bruno demanded, shoving Computer forward.
"I swear, if this is some attempt to mess with me, you are all going to wish we get blown up tomorrow!" He threatened as Bruno all but shoved him up through the makeshift tunnel.
In spite of his fears that the group was going to pull some sort of prank on him, he was surprised to find that there was actually not much of a difference to Dena's room, all aside from the nurse dog's presence and a fairly normal looking cooler sitting in the middle of the room.
Dena was next to re-appear out of the hole, and eventually Bruno managed to squeeze his way through too.
"So, what's the big surprise then?" Computer asked, placing his paws onto his hips.
Dena shrugged dismissively. "I don't know why Bruno is making such a big deal out of this. It's nothing special, really."
"Says you." The bulldog grunted, brushing himself off after the close squeeze.
"I'm only here because I knew he would freak out." The girl dog laughed, giving Computer one of her ever so annoyingly mischievous grins.
Bruno tromped over to the cooler and opened it with a kick.
Computer stared. "Oh, uh-"
Inside was enough alcohol to kill a small elephant, or at least kill its liver.
"Look," Bruno rumbled. "If tonight ends up bein' my last night alive, I sure as hell ain't spendin' it sober, and neither are you fine folk."
End Of Chapter