101 Dalmatians II
XXVI - Bad to Worse
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"That's everything," Patch said warily.
Brigadier General Dan, the Great Dane of Hampstead, frowned grimly. "I see. You and your siblings have been through a great deal haven't you?"
"You can say that again."
"And now a dear friend of yours is now in the clutches of that horrendous villain called Nero."
Patch looked downward. "Yes."
"Stiff upper lip my boy," Danny said confidently. "If I know Ryder, he'll rescue your Precious in no time."
Still looking downward, Patch smiled weakly. Then his eyes widened when he realized what the Great Dane just said.
"What do you mean 'my Precious'?" He asked.
"Pardon?"
"You just said 'my Precious.'"
Danny tilted his head. "Yes? What of it?"
Patch stared at the Brigadier General, his mind reeling at the Great Dane's obvliousness. He grumbled to himself. Honestly, she's just a...a...frie….a frie….
Patch shook his head as he tried to set his thoughts straight. What is she to me?
"Patch."
Patch stopped shaking his head. "Yes Penny?"
"Are you coming to eat?"
As a Brigadier General and as a friend to the Pongos, Danny saw it as his duty and his pleasure to safeguard these pups in light of the grim situation that had befallen them. Upon finding them in the sewer grate, Danny had the pups climb out and directed them into his home, for the time being.
It was most fortunate that his pet was out for the day. He would not have approved of six pups who have been drenched and riddled with sewer filth to mingle within the borders of his property.
Since he had coaxed the pups out of the sewer grate, Danny saw to it that the pups were given something to eat. Given his extended absence, his pet made sure to fill a few extra dishes, both for Danny and Reggie the grey Yorkie who also resided at Hampstead.
Seeing the sorry state the pups were in, Reggie was more than happy to share his food with the pups.
However, he was less pleased of the apparent danger the pups were in and by association, themselves as well.
Once the pups were eating quietly, Reggie took Danny off to the side so that they could talk in private.
"What are we going to do Danny?"
"We keep them safe until their parents come to pick them up."
The Yorkie scratched himself nervously. "And this-this-this Nero, Danny? What do we do if he comes here?" Reggie sputtered.
"As long as the children remain within the house grounds, they'll be fine. This Nero cannot penetrate the iron gate."
Reggie nodded. "Right then. We just need to keep the pups from leaving then."
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"Patch, aren't you going to eat?" Lucky said, his mouth half full with Kanine Krunchies
The elder pup continued to look through the iron gate of the estate in Hampstead. He had his nose in the air, sniffing the contents in hopes of picking up a trace of what he was looking for.
He found nothing.
"Patch!"
The elder pup wasn't startled. Without turning, he answered. "What is it Lucky?"
"Are you going to come and eat? If you don't hurry, Roly will eat your share."
"Hey!"
"You guys go ahead. I'm not hungry."
"Nonsense," Penny protested. "You need to keep your strength up."
Patch ignored his sister. "I got her scent, I just know it," he said. "It's close, very close."
Penny narrowed her eyes. "Don't even think about it."
Patch turned his head. "Think about what?"
"Going after Precious of course!" Penny snapped. "If you go, you're just going to get caught too."
"And both you and Precious will be as good as dead," Freckles said.
Penny groaned. Freckles' lack of thought for his words were starting to grate on her nerves. "I'm going to have to agree with Freckles," she said. "If you get caught, Nero will have no reason to keep Precious alive. And you'll get it too."
"I know. But I can't help it. I can't rest. I'm tired but I'm restless." Patch seemed to be shaking. "Until I know Precious is alright, I won't be able to rest."
"Patch?" Penny said. "Why are you shaking like that?"
"I don't know why, it's hard to explain, but it feels like something is being held over us."
"I felt it too," Cadpig said, as she approached the gate alongside her brother. "Like something really bad is coming."
"To us?" Penny asked.
"I don't know."
Freckles swallowed nervously. "Do you think those villains will try to attack the farm again?"
"After failing and killing one of their own?" Pepper said. "I doubt it."
Roly took another bite of the mix of Kanine Krunchies and meat before examining the other dishes that have yet to be finished.
He stared hungrily.
Penny didn't bother turning. "Don't even think about it Roly."
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A pair of sky blue eyes opened, but very gingerly as though it were painful.
And it was.
Streaks of pain dominated most to all of her entire being.
How long was I out?
Her vision cleared and she saw that she was in some kind of cage, but not like any cage she's ever seen before.
The walls and floor were white. The one wall in front of course appeared to be a metallic grey.
To her side, there seemed to be an empty silver food bowl.
Precious frowned. Didn't even bother to fill it. Then again, if they're going to kill me anyway, why would they feed me?
She looked forward and as her vision adjusted, Precious realized that the grey wall was in fact the wall outside of her cage. There appeared to be no wall keeping her from escaping.
They were stupid enough to leave the cage open.
In her gleeful excitement. Precious tried to stand but it caused a jolt of agony to shoot up her spine and into her brain.
She collapsed.
But then it occurred to her. It was too easy. Too lucky. Whoever put her in this cage would not be so stupid as to just leave her cage open. There had to be a catch.
Perhaps a trap?
Gradually, Precious stood up. Her legs felt like jelly. The physical pain started to subside. Now the back of her neck was simply sore and slightly hot as though it had a slight burn.
That mad dog must've struck me harder than I thought. Her heart sank. I just hope Patch is ok.
Precious strode forward and she was just about to make a turn when her nose hit something that wasn't there.
Eyes clenching from the pain in her nose and her head, Precious rubbed her nose with her paw.
"What the?" She tried to go further again only for her head to hit the same invisible wall.
She looked hard at what was in front of her and realized, by the minor reflective surface of it, that it was actually a transparent glass wall.
Precious looked through the glass and saw that the metallic grey surface she mistook for the fourth wall was in fact a table of some sort. She couldn't see what was on top of it, but there was a white sheet draped over it.
Where am I? What is this place?
"I was wondering if you would wake up."
Precious nearly jumped. She knew that voice.
"Nero?"
"In the flesh."
Precious looked about the room. She couldn't tell where the voice was coming from. It was as if the voice was all around her.
"Where are you?" Precious called out.
"Where I am is of no importance brat." Nero laughed menacingly. "You should be more worried about yourself...and your little boyfriend."
Precious choked. "He's not my boyfriend!"
"Whatever."
Once it clicked what the Rottweiler had just said, Precious began to panic. "What did you do to Patch?!"
Nero laughed mockingly. "Not a thing, not yet anyway. But make no mistake girl, once I get my paws on that insolent piece of vermin, I'll make him pay for humiliating me."
Humiliating him? What is he-? Precious' eyes widened. Then she adopted a sly knowing look. "Oh. He outfoxed you did he? You tried to catch him and he got the drop on you? And now you don't even have the courage to show yourself because you're either too ashamed or you can't bear to show the scars of your failed attempt."
Precious laughed.
And Nero laughed with her.
It was a dreadful sound that cut through her own laughter and silenced her immediately.
Nero's laugh was deep, resonant and mirthless.
But above all, it was malevolent as though the spilling of innocent blood amused Nero.
It was a sound that chilled Precious to the bone.
And then it suddenly stopped.
A moment's silence was followed by the sound of soft footsteps.
Suddenly more frightened than she had ever been in her entire life, Precious backed away until she was pressed up against the wall opposite to the glass.
And then Nero showed himself. Slowly he turned to his head.
Precious almost gawked.
Nero's right eye was gone.
Despite the horrid mess of whatever had been done to his face, Precious could clearly see that it had been scratched.
"P-Patch did that?"
Nero shook his head. "Hardly. This was the result of my failure to do a job."
"Job?"
Nero gave a cruel, thin grin. "Since you don't have long to live, I'll tell you what's going to happen. Me and my lads are not here of our own accord. We're just following the orders of our master."
Precious' mind was in turmoil. "I...I don't understand."
Nero scoffed. "Have you ever heard of Black Umbrella?"
Precious didn't answer. She just stared.
"I didn't think so. The long short of it is that they were once a remarkable scientific group that worked for the Royal Family, beyond top secret of course. Their specialty was comparative psychology. That means they tested how certain animals reacted to certain testings."
Precious gulped.
Nero's smile became wider, taking pleasure in the girl's growing fear.
"They've made some rather excellent breakthroughs, that is until they delved into certain projects that were a bit...messy. Too...unethical. They were terminated, disbanded, and outlawed at once. The head scientist behind it all went into hiding, fled away so that he may conduct his research in private. Without the money needed for the projects, his progress was slow and doomed to fail. Until certain developments came about. The plight of a certain relative made it simple for him to secure the fortune of a family that ostracized him. And now here we are, at the pinnacle of greatness. Me and my brother are stronger than ever, thanks to the good doctor's experiments. We could've continued growing stronger too, if you hadn't gotten in the way."
Nero showed his teeth in a vicious, savage snarl.
Precious trembled.
"My brother is dead. I was crushed by a trophy case. I lost my eye. You all humiliated me. So you understand why I can't let any of you live."
Precious stopped trembling. She looked defiantly at the Rottweiler. "Are you going to kill me?"
Nero looked down for a moment, as though considering the idea. "No," he said disappointed. "Not yet anyway. The good doctor has plans for you…" He chuckled. "And for the remaining 92 siblings of that wretched Patch."
Precious felt cold. "What are you talking about?"
"We tried to capture them yesterday. We failed. But I just got word that the doctor's boys have just picked them up less than an hour ago. They're on their way here right now."
Precious felt the blood drain from her face. "You're lying!"
Nero smiled. "It's possible, little pig. I might be lying. But you'll see soon enough." His right ear twitched. "Ah, that must be them now. Listen carefully, you'll hear the barking any second now."
Precious sat still as she lifted her head so that she could hear better.
At first she heard nothing.
Then a sound that was too muffled to make out.
Then it got louder.
The sound of distressing barking, yipping and whining. The sound of many, many pups crying out in fear.
"Oh no," Precious whispered despairingly.
"Oh yes," Nero said, relishing the fear of the many pups at the mercy of their captors.
"What are you going to do to them?!" Precious shouted.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
Nero turned to leave. "Don't worry though, you'll be joining them soon enough. But not Patch, oh no, I got special plans for him."
Precious collapsed to the floor and cried.
The sound of her sobs were drowned out by the panicked cries of the pups who were about to be added to her captivity.
Patch, I know that I didn't want you to come after me...but now...now I don't want...just please...save me...save us.
To be continued…
Sorry this took so long.