A/N: More adult content! It's not too late to barricade the door!
Chapter 8
The Mark III stood parked on the deck of the ship. In the control room, DM and Kim poked their heads round the doorway to see a wildcat with a torn ear steering and a racoon extinguishing a cigarette in an ashtray.
"We need to catch them off-guard", murmured DM to Kim. "I'll catch the racoon and force the wildcat to surrender. Then we'll tie them up and turn the ship round".
Kim nodded. In her hands was a second bind of rope, hanging down in a loop.
"Let's get to work", whispered DM.
" 'Ere, Leon", said the racoon suddenly. "You got any idea what Duckula's gonna pay us?"
"Loads, I hope", replied the wildcat, his eyes still attentive on the sea. "But you know what he's like - when we assisted Frankenstoat with the Vampire-matic machine, he paid us in PEANUTS! All that work - for nothing! Has he no integrity? In fact, if I didn't need the money so badly I'd willingly quit! What kind of - "
"Er - Leon? You wanna shut up and give me a hand here?" Alex's voice was nervous. Leon blinked and turned around to see Alex bound in rope on the chair. Either side of him, there were two mice - one in green, one in white.
"Hey! How did you get on here?" Leon was flabbergasted.
"Never you mind how we got here", snapped the white mouse. "Surrender NOW".
Alex looked between them and then looked at Leon. Without warning, the racoon shifted backwards and his chair fell to the ground. Kim and DM turned around in puzzlement and while their backs were turned, Leon grabbed DM and brought a gun out of nowhere, holding it to the agent's head.
"W-w-well, well, well", smirked Duckula, as Woodruff staggered back. "Escaped, did you?"
Woodruff blinked. He hadn't been expecting this.
"Er – hi there", he said in a falsely cheerful voice. "Sorry, didn't mean to bump into you – I'll just go now".
But then Woodruff was seized from behind and Helen and Jack pinned him to the ground.
"N-n-nice try, collie". Duckula's voice was angry. "T-t-tell me, where is your f-f-friend, the W-w-witless White Wonder?"
"Witless eh? Look who's talking", muttered Woodruff, but not quietly enough.
Helen gave Woodruff a sharp cuff around the ears. Jack grabbed her wing as she raised it to cuff Woodruff again.
"Don't", he warned. "Otherwise he'll be in no condition to tell us anything".
Helen frowned but grudgingly took her colleague's advice. It was clear that Jack wasn't as violent as his colleague and with Helen's help, got Woodruff to his feet. Woodruff remained defiant.
"I'm not saying anything", he snarled. "And if you think acting all pretty- boy towards me is going to get you anywhere, think again", he added to Jack angrily. Jack raised his head and his mouth went taut.
"Ignore him". Helen addressed Jack curtly.
"So, w-w-what have you got to s-s-say, collie?" said Duckula.
Woodruff suddenly had an idea.
"Actually, I do have something to say", he said. "But tell your henchmen to let me go and I'll tell you all".
Duckula's voice became excited and he adopted the look of a little boy who had just received his first bike.
"R-r-release him", he ordered Jack and Helen, and they did so, Helen pushing Woodruff forwards roughly for his insult towards Jack.
"Can you get a bit closer?" asked Woodruff. "I don't want to take any chances with these two".
Duckula sighed but obliged. He moved closer to the collie and signalled for his henchmen to stand back. Woodruff moved his head to whisper in the duck's ear.
"See you around", he hissed. Then he pushed the duck backwards. He heard Jack and Helen yell behind him and did the only thing he could do.
He ran.
"DM!" Kim's voice was panicked. She looked between Leon, holding the gun to DM's head and DM, standing resolutely. The message was clear: Surrender or I fire.
"Kim, it's alright. Don't surrender", called DM. He too, could guess the henchmen's game. Kim looked at him, her heart filled with admiration for her friend. Her eyes met his own and she saw the pleading within that deep, passionate amber. She felt herself memorised. Then she remembered - she truly remembered...the way it felt...to have those eyes gazing at her - so many times - the one time, when he had truly looked upon her...her whole self...
And she came to a split-second decision. Those eyes had to keep staring on the world; Kim did not want the agony of seeing the beauty of that eye, glazed over, never again to look at her.
This could JUST work, she thought. Just by the slimmest chance...
"You know", she said in a loud voice, looking DM dead in the eye. "I COULD just RACE – and KNOCK. Get READY".
The wildcat looked at her. "What the heck are you talking about, redhead?"
DM, however, understood. He nodded at his assistant.
Kim ran forwards and rammed her full weight into Leon. He was so alarmed that he let go of DM. The gun went flying and a bang was heard as the intended bullet hit the ceiling.
Kim then saw her chance and pushed her full weight against Leon. He staggered backwards and then smashed the control room window. He stood, there, unbalanced for just a second, and then fell down onto the deck below.
"Let's get down there!" cried DM. He and Kim fled the room, leaving Alex tied up on the chair.
On the deck below, Leon lay, injured but alive, near the edge of the ship. He stood up drowsily, and when DM and Kim approached, he gave a snarl.
"Let's see if you'll be laughing when you rot in your watery graves", he hissed. "Do you know what happened to the gun? It got lodged in one of the levers and sooner of later the panels will press against the trigger. It will fire in the mechanics and this whole ship will explode!"
DM and Kim exchanged panicked looks. Then they both looked towards the control room.
"Buh-bye now", said Leon wickedly. Then he ran off around the corner. DM was torn between stopping him and getting off the ship.
At that moment, DM's question was answered for him - the control room exploded, and Kim and DM both ran for the Mark III.
"Kim, let's go!" cried DM. "There's no time for anything else!"
Kim nodded as DM started the Mark II's engines. They were halfway off the deck when a sudden blast sent the two passengers, Mark III and all, into the cold, dark water.
Woodruff slid out of the kitchen window and landed on his feet. He was hot and tired from running down so many flights of stairs, and the cold air felt quite warm. Not wasting a moment, Woodruff took off round the corner and started to search desperately for an exit.
Great Balto, I can't keep this all night! he thought.
Suddenly, he spotted the henchmen's car as he dodged round the corner. Sighing with relief, Woodruff jumped into the passenger seat. He planned to just catch his breath, and then drive round the castle, hoping to find Duckula and drag him into the car.
It wasn't that simple, however.
"OK – just got to get the feel of the controls, then I should be alright", he murmured to himself. He drove around the castle twice and then after a few shaky intervals, started driving more slowly past each window, trying to catch sight of the vampire duck or his henchmen.
"Hi there", said a familiar voice near Woodruff's ear.
The collie almost jumped out of his seat and then looked into the car mirror. Crouched in the backseat was Helen. Woodruff blinked, and then remembered something. He groaned.
"Yes, Woodruff", smiled Helen. "I'm a hawk. A hawk is a bird. And while my wings aren't that powerful, I can still FLY. So I got here before you". She took the collie's head in-between her wings, so he couldn't look around to drive.
Woodruff could have hit himself. Reality, however, did it for him. As Woodruff wasn't looking where he was going, the car had started speeding across the courtyard and was now headed for the wall! Helen jumped off with a cry of surprise. Woodruff quickly 'bailed out' as the car's wheels came to a grinding halt on the snowy ground. There was a cry of pain and Woodruff looked around in alarm.
He had hit Jack!
DM landed in the dark and immediately, his head broke the surface, gasping for air. He felt someone grab his paw.
"DM, it's me! It's Kim!" DM recognised his assistant's voice. He looked ahead of him and saw the beach. It looked so far away, but they had come this far...
"Swim!" he cried. "Swim with all your might!"
And they swam.
Danger Mouse had never felt so cold in his life. The mid-February chill was enough to make his teeth chatter.
If I don't catch pneumonia, I'll buy everyone drinks in the Cat and Mouse for a week, he thought desperately.
Kim wasn't having as much luck as DM. She was not as strong a swimmer, and had to contend with floating on her back and kicking for all she was worth. But she was scared of getting salt water into DM's eyes, and kept floating off course. On top of that, they had no idea of what had happened to the Mark III. She pushed herself to the limit, wanting to live, wanting to feel the solid ground...
The salty water made its way into their mouths, and both mice coughed and spluttered. Exhaustion threatened them: it pushed them down beneath the water and held them back from the welcome sight of the shore.
Still they plunged on. The hour passed, the minutes sneaked away, the tide became higher and they never gave up. DM's body was freezing, and within the sheer terror of the situation, he found himself thinking longingly of a fire and a warm bed. The thought spurred on, and he continued to swim.
Something limp suddenly fell against DM on the next wave. The mouse turned to see Kim's limp body floating in the water. She had passed out.
"Kim!" The agent reached out and grabbed her arm. He slung her across his shoulders, and then swam on. The shore was so much closer...so much...so MUCH...so CLOSE...
The tide brought the foam up on the beach. With it, it brought two limp bodies, one in white and one in green. Kim's arms were slung around DM, one arm on his chest, one behind his back. The agent's left arm was wrapped around Kim; the other was slung lifelessly in the sand.
They lay there in their own worlds. Far out to sea, broken bottles floated, once full of hate potion. They would be removed in time. Now, however, it was a quiet atmosphere.
The wheels had trapped Jack's leg as he had run out into the courtyard. He had not had time to get out of the way of the car. Helen, flying above, had not seen him.
Woodruff quickly ran forward. Enemy or not, Jack still needed help. Using all his strength, Woodruff lifted the bonnet of the car and the wheel was lifted from Jack's leg. Jack's eyes were watering in pain. He looked surprised when he saw his rescuer.
Woodruff was torn between helping Jack and running away. Helen was here – she could help him. But she had disappeared.
Probably gone to get Duckula, thought Woodruff. He turned back to the tiger.
"Jack – you're going to have to bear with me here", whispered Woodruff. "I'm doing this because you stopped Helen hitting me, though not because you felt sorry for me. I have to get Duckula – he poses a threat to everyone. I'm sorry. I promise I'll get you an ambulance".
Jack couldn't speak for the pain. Woodruff helped him lean against the bonnet of the car.
"Leave him!" Frankenstoat's voice cut through the air sharply.
Woodruff turned to him.
"He's hurt. The least you could do is get help", he snapped.
Frankenstoat was not impressed. "Let the fool moan. Stupid tiger". He glared at Jack.
"Jack? Jack!" Helen's voice rang out through the courtyard. She came over to inspect her collegue.
"You shouldn't have come onto the bonnet", snapped Woodruff. "Otherwise I wouldn't have hit him".
"No! You did this!" The hawk refused to take the blame. "Jack, get up, and stop moaning!" Helen glared at her collegue.
"His leg's broken!" snarled Woodruff. "Just leave him be. I'll get help for him".
"No, you won't". Helen was now in a foul mood. "You really won't. You're not leaving this castle alive, dog. That much I promise you".
"You honestly think I'm afraid?" snarled Woodruff. "You know, you really are pathetic. Your colleague can be saved – he's your partner".
"Jack needs to grow up", Helen replied aggressively as Duckula strode out. He looked at Jack, still leaning against the car. He looked at Woodruff, surrounded. And he looked at the car.
It was time to run.
"It's t-t-time to go!" he barked at Helen. "Grab Jack and l-l-let's get out of h-h-here!"
Helen didn't listen. She ran right past the vampire for the car and jumped into the driver's seat. The car raced backwards, and raced off through the gates. Woodruff growled, and then stopped as he saw something poking out of Duckula's robes. He suddenly had his last, crazy idea of the evening.
In one swift movement, Woodruff grabbed the gun from Duckula's robes and aimed at the tyres of the retreating car. The car slid on the road, and then fell on its side in the snow. Helen could be seen getting out and running off.
Woodruff shook his head. She wouldn't get far. He turned his attention to Duckula and Frankenstoat.
"Stay there", he ordered. "Don't move a muscle".
Then he got his telecomm, and put a call through to the agency and an ambulance for Jack.
Later, as he watched Jack being bundled into a police-van and the agency back-up escorting Count Duckula and Doctor Frankenstoat into a car, Woodruff thought he had done pretty well for himself. It had been one heck of a night – it had DEFINITELY been one heck of a night.
"Woodruff?" said a voice near the collie's ear. Woodruff turned to find himself face-to-face with a Beagle dressed in a blue jumpsuit.
"Hi, 57", he grinned.
"Are you alright?" asked the Master of Disguise. "That looks like a nasty cut on your head. We'd better get that seen to". "I'll be alright", assured Woodruff.
"Danger Mouse had better watch out", grinned Agent 57. "You could give him a run for his money!"
Woodruff chuckled; then his eyes suddenly went wide as he remembered something.
"Holy Smoke!" he cried. "DM! Kim! They're at the beach – they're trying to stop the smuggling!"
"Smuggling? Where?" Agent 57 was immediately on the alert.
"Count Duckula was smuggling hate potion over to a beach nearby", said Woodruff.
"The nearest beach is Shackle Beach", offered 57. "It's normally locked for the night. Let's get down there! Come in my car!"
"It's a good job it didn't sink".
"It'll need some weeks in the garage, but it should be alright".
DM and Kim were walking around a wet, damaged, sea-weed-covered, but nevertheless saved, Mark III. It had washed up a few minutes after they both came round and they could not believe it hadn't sunk.
"Looks like we've no transport for a few weeks", said Kim lightly, slipping an arm around DM's waist. Since waking up fifteen minutes ago to find their arms around each other, they had become a little more intimate.
DM smiled ruefully, and then turned as a car's motors were heard. Striding up over the sand-bank, they saw Agent 57 and a half-dead looking Woodruff getting out of an agency car.
DM made his way slowly down with Kim behind him. Woodruff, spotting them, ran to them, and met them half-way up the bank.
"The ship?" the collie asked.
"Destroyed", said DM. "Duckula?"
Woodruff shrugged. "Jail-bound".
DM watched him for a minute. Then his face broke out into the first real smile all night. Woodruff grinned back and the three then threw their arms around each other, lapping up the warmth and safety that had been denied them all night.
It was over.
A week later, on VALENTINE'S DAY!
"Hello, everyone!" Penfold came striding into the pillar-box wearing a sling and with a small bag at his feet.
"Penfold!" Kim got up out of her seat, threw her book down and went to meet him. She kneeled down and hugged the hamster as Danger Mouse came in laden down under bags of Valentine cards and presents.
"Hi, mate!" grinned Woodruff, going to take a bag from DM. "It's good to see you!"
"You wouldn't have seen him at all if it weren't for Sister", warned DM. "There were so many nurses clamering round that I might not have been able to get him out!"
Woodruff laughed as Kim took Penfold to the couch. She retrieved something from the table – a bag of cookies.
"Your aunt sent them", she grinned. "You deserve them after all".
"Just don't eat them all at once", warned DM, smiling.
Penfold looked at Kim, wide-eyed.
"You didn't tell him about the pancakes?"
"No, Penfold!" said Kim.
"What are you two talking about?" asked DM, confused.
Kim and Penfold exchanged a glance.
"Nothing", Kim replied, grinning. "Don't worry about it".
Later on, when Woodruff had left and Penfold was in bed, Kim and DM stood next to the window in the lounge, talking quietly.
"It's good that Woodruff's made up with his Dad", smiled Kim.
"Yes. He can meet his step-mother-to-be and attend the wedding. His father wants him to give the bride away – her own father has passed away, apparantly".
"Funny, isn't it?" smiled Kim. "Acting the father for his step-mother!"
They both chuckled. Then DM took Kim's hands.
"We've been through a lot together", he said gently. "Can I show you something?"
"Sure", she said.
He gestured to her to follow him to the kitchen. He let her through first. She saw the table set for two, with a candle and two wine-glasses. On the stove, a pan of spaghetti was boiling.
Kim turned to DM. "This is for ME?"
DM nodded. "You're worth it". He pulled one chair out for Kim to sit down and then he sat down opposite.
"DM – why did you - ?" DM took Kim's hand before she could finish her question.
"Because you're the most beautiful woman I've ever come across". DM said the words firmly, and ignored the fact that his cheeks were going crimson.
Kim smiled, and then went round to his side of the table. She kneeled down and put a hand to the agent's cheek.
"And you", she replied, "are the most handsome man that I could ever hope of meeting. And you saved my life in that sea. You could have left me".
DM touched the hand on his cheek.
"I didn't", he said I would never leave you. And you – you helped me. You saved me from that gun. It was almost ruined - but we overcame it".
"We can overcome anything", smiled Kim. "If we just stick together, we can do it".
That night was one to be remembered. They ate the spaghetti and DM opened a bottle of red wine. For dessert, he produced two pieces of chocolate cake, and couldn't help laughing at the way Kim's eyes lit up when she saw it.
Finally, at two in the morning, the kitchen lay with a pile of washing up, and Penfold came out of his room, bleary-eyed, needing a drink. Shuffling sleepily along to the kitchen, he was surprised when he passed the lounge to see the lights on and Kim and DM on the sofa, both sleeping soundly. Penfold blinked, and then entered the kitchen. The first thing he saw was the mountain of washing-up, and he blinked. Then, guessing what had been going on, he smiled to himself as he helped himself to a juice.
Shuffling back along the corridor, he shut the lights off and fetched a blanket from the airing-cupboard, covering his friends with it. He stood back and smiled at them. Then he went off to bed.
Helen stood in the shadows as she watched the back of the chair. Suddenly, it swung round and she was faced with an ugly toad. He held a caterpillar in his arms.
"Welcome", croaked the toad. "Helen, isn't it?"
Helen nodded. She was a fierce bird, but even she felt nervous of this toad.
"And you used to work for Count Duckula – correct?"
Helen nodded again.
"Speak", commanded the toad. "Baron Greenback cannot promote you onto his team if you do not speak".
"Yeah", said Helen. "Yeah – I used to word for Duckula. And I want to join your team".
"Well, of course Stiletto and Leatherhead will show you the ropes", said the Baron. He pointed to the corner where two crows stood, one short and one tall. Helen looked at them for a moment and then turned back to the Baron.
"But you cannot back out", warned the Baron. "Your first task is this – help me to destroy Danger Mouse! He must be eliminated!"
The End (?)