Okay, remember chapter sixteen what happened? Well, Dominic, Mickey, Tom, Ax and Tobias investigate the tunnel after the catastrophe. Can you guess what they find? (em, was that a stupid question or what?)
Chapter Eighteen
"Down there!" Tom immediately followed Dominic's lead; he skidded down the steep hill and almost tripped over a corroded pipe. As Tom reached the bottom he noticed that the environment was badly polluted, there was a large stream that disappeared in a huge tunnel, this tunnel's entrance was in the steep hill side itself, the soil was red and dry, the tree's leaves a rotten yellow and the sky wasn't as blue as the forests'.
They were in the industrial outskirts of town, not far away Tom could see two columns of white smoke pumping out of two large chimneys, one was thin and long, the other thicker and rounder. Turning even more, he could see the cooling towers and a dirty river meandering from the industrial territory, it was the same river that offered them this stream that led into the tunnel.
"Right in here -if what's on Roger's note is accurate. It looked like they left in a hurry. The note was nothing more than a few scribbles." Dominic paused, he glanced back at Tom then at the Andalite –a nervous glance- "Roger's note didn't say what they were doing. This could be some elaborate Yeerk trap."
We know the risks. The Andalite said, We may proceed as you wish.
"Sure." Dominic nodded. He glanced at the darkening sky, "We better go in now."
The wolf that was with them took the lead, it stopped for a few seconds to allow the Andalite to pass in front of it, glancing back it said, Tom, be careful, it's dark in here.
"Got a torch. Mate." Mickey said, retrieving two torches from his backpack, he handed one to Dominic and another to Tom. Then he stepped back and jammed his fists in his pockets.
Dominic raised an eyebrow at him.
Mickey sniffed and then pulled out a cigarette, he lit it, "I'm staying out here."
Dominic raised his eyebrow higher and continued staring.
"Backup."
Dominic looked at Tom. Tom looked at the wolf. The wolf glanced at the Andalite then said, We have backup.
"Oh, there are more of you?" Mickey said nonchalantly, "I'll keep them entertained." Mickey blew a flawless smoke ring in the air; an art he mastered after spending way too many hours on surveillance.
"But you're supposed to be coming with us." Dominic objected cocking his head at him.
"Oi, French boy. I said, I'm staying out here," Mickey took a long drag, and drawling in his Australia English he said, "You fetch Victor and Roger so we could get out of this miserable place, okay?"
Dominic shook his head he turned to Tom and walked to the entrance of the tunnel, "let's go. Mickey mouse will enjoy the chilly night."
Mickey formed a rude gesture with the help of his arms and hands, "Piss off! Dominos!"
Dominic laughed in amusement and took off down the tunnel, true to the wolf's word; the tunnel was dark. Really, really dark.
"You know," Dominic said to break the silence, "Would you mind telling me your names? Like incase we're in a fight and I have to shout something, I can't say 'the human wolf' or 'blue Andalite'."
True, I'm Tobias, my buddy here is Ax. The wolf replied, I guess that settles any confusions. And between you and me, don't ever say 'human wolf' that's something the Yeerks shouldn't find out.
"Sorry, I forgot," Dominic stopped walking suddenly. The wolf turned, What? Ax stopped walking.
"I think I heard something." Dominic looked worried.
The wolf laughed, I don't think you heard anything, I'd have heard it before you. Wolf ears are far more sharper than human ears, hey, I do know the difference.
Dominic nodded but he looked troubled, he played his flashlight across the stream.
"What is it?" Tom asked.
Dominic shook his head, "I don't know, just a feeling."
Tom stopped him, "A feeling is good enough for me, what's bothering you?"
Dominic sighed, "I really don't know, it's just that…well, it's not something the Yeerks would do."
Tom looked puzzled, "Then what are we dealing with then?"
"I don't know." Dominic muttered, "I just don't know."
They pressed deeper into the tunnel. Again, Dominic stopped. "Look."
"What?" Tom asked.
"The feathers."
Yeah, I smelt that, but I couldn't figure out what they were doing in here. Tobias wandered over to one of the floating feathers. Tom could you hold one of them up to the light?
Tom did as Tobias ordered, Tobias stared at the feather intently, It belongs to some sort of pigeon, I think, maybe some gull, but I'd put my money on a pigeon.
Is that important? Ax wondered out loud.
Could be.
"Look!" Domenic's flashlight caught a group of birds resting on something in the water. He splashed over towards them. They took flight in panic, flying towards the entrance of the tunnel. Batting at the air, Dominic mumbled "Jesus!"
What? What did you find? Tobias's silent voice was in Domenic's head, he gave it not attention.
Dominic knelt down towards the floating blob, it was a body, hesitantly he flipped it over.
"Yaaaah!" Dominic stumbled backwards and splashed into the water, he staggered up to his feet, stared at the face like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
You know this human? Ax demanded. The human's cause of death was obvious; the face was a mixture of blue and white, the ink-dark eyes stared glassily at the ceiling and in the flashlight the blond hair loked white.
Dominic turned away and heaved. He wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve then pressed his head against the side of the tunnel. He groaned loudly, "Roger."
"That's Roger?" Tom –aside from looking pale since he never saw a dead body before- sounded concerned, "He's Abby's friend right?"
"He was a friend to all of us." Dominic said bitterly, he stared at the water.
"I'm sorry." Tom said, he couldn't look away from the face. "But we have to move on, Victor is still unaccounted for."
Dominic shook his head, "He's dead too then."
Tom helped Dominic to his feet. "How can you be so sure?"
"I have a bad feeling about this." Dominic whispered. "Hey, that was why Mickey didn't what to come down here. I bet he knows what happened."
"Mickey's a coward. He wouldn't come down here even if he didn't know what happened."
Dominic shoved Tom off him, "hey, don't say that about my friend."
Tom fumed, "Sorry."
Dominic stood up on his own, "Let's get this over with."
This time Dominic took the lead, "Did you notice the blood on the walls?" he played his flashlight across the curved surface, "There must have been some sort of fight."
The feathers too. Tobias added, I'm going to try and catch one of these pigeons, there's something tied to their feet and-
"GET OUT OF HERE!"
"What the…?" Dominic jumped a foot into the air. There was someone shouting ahead of them, he seemed to be walking in circles in the dark tunnel, above the loud splashing the boy screamed frantically again. "GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"
The sound was familiar to Domenic, but he couldn't figure out to whom it belonged, it was sounded tired and hysterical at the same time, whoever that person was he was either talking to himself or them. "ARRGHHH! LEAVE. ME. ALONE! NOOOO!"
"VIC!?" Dominic yelled, ""Hey is that you?"
The boy paid no attention to them, he continued screaming and shouting, as they hurried towards him. The boy walked further into the tunnel and disappeared into the gloom.
"Was that Victor?" Tom asked.
"I don't know," Dominic sounded worried, "Could be, let's g-"
Domenic stopped mid-sentence. He froze. They all did. Slowly, Dominic swung his torch back towards the spot it flashed over. It was a cage. Something was inside it.
In silence he approached it cautiously, his breathing became short and ragged. The beam trembled as he stared at what hung tied on a crossed beam inside, if not for the light metal chain around the neck he would never have realized who it was.
"Mark."
Dominic sat down on the elevated steps, he gave the cage his back and stared dumbly ahead. To say the least he was shocked; he buried his head into his hands.
"You're joking right?"
The Andalite had stiffened on seeing the body, the wolf's fur had bristled, immediately identifying that the body was in fact a human carcass. It hadn't been left out long, most of the blood was fresh.
"First Roger, now Mark." Dominic's voice was muffled and flat, "I didn't like the guy but he doesn't…no one deserves that."
"How do you think it happened?" Tom wondered fearfully, he didn't take a close look at the body, he didn't want to. "How…who would do this?"
Dominic stood up, he looked annoyed, he stared at them for a few seconds. "I don't know." He lied.
"What about Victor." Tom said, "Is he here?"
"I don't know that either." Dominic sounded angrier, his voice colder, "Why don't you find out."
We should ask him what happened. Tobias suggested.
"I for one am not interested."
You do not want to know who did this to your comrades? Ax wondered he glanced at his friends.
Dominic turned away, he started heading out of the tunnel, "I don't care, I don't want to know and I'm not going to try to find out what happened; this is crazy. I'm not going to have anything to do with it, if you want to, well, that's your problem."
Tom, Tobias and Ax looked at each other. Tom turned around, "Dominic, wait!"
Dominic didn't stop, he continued walking down the tunnel.
Tom shrugged, "They're a weird bunch."
He's probably shaken up. Tobias said, he cautiously trotted up the steps; These are his friends you know.
"According to Abby, Dominic wasn't ever attached to any of them, but he was found of Mickey, sort of anyway. He has his own respect to Victor."
He appeared genuinely shocked on seeing Roger's body. Ax frowned, Something about this is odd.
Oh yeah, Ax-man, you think?
For one thing I do not believe that Dominic doesn't know who is behind all this. Ax continued looking at Tom, his stalk eyes were pointed in Tobias's direction. What do you think Tom?
"I agree with you on that. Something just doesn't add up." Tom sighed, "We'll get no where on this, the only person who'd be wiling to help us isn't here."
I assure you Tom. Cassie, Marco and Rachel are highly capable of tracking down Yeerk movements –with the help of Erek of course. I am in no doubt that they will find a way of getting your friend back to you.
"I hope so." Tom said, "I'm just praying Abby didn't tell them anything."
Or get infested. Tobias pointed out, Look guys, I found someone, Tom, can you come up here? I think it was that guy who was screaming at us.
Tom did as Tobias asked, he walked up the steps and tried not to glance at the cage as he did so –the corner of his eye caught a flash of a raw body and a blood stained floor.
"What is it Tobias?" Tom asked, he couldn't keep the nervousness out of his voice.
But Tobias didn't need to tell him what he had found. Tom saw it just fine. It was Victor. And he didn't look so good.
In fact, he didn't look good at all.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
You guessed right, Mickey is an absolute coward, or at least, as bad as they go, there's more to what Mickey's about, he isn't really willing to sacrifice anything to anybody. Dominic is shaken up, he started acting weird for his own standards and oh, by the way, they took Victor in, they didn't just leave him sitting there, although no one wanted to have anything to do with poor Mark.
