Chapter Four

Meg: Leigh just wrecked our car, so I'm not in the best mood. No, she's not hurt. She ran it into a concrete pole because she was being careless and dented the bumper. And she begged me to not tell our parents, so when our parents find out they'll most likely blame it on me.

Rahle and Igor approached the guard at Lower 221B Baker Street. "We are here to see Monsieur Basil and Doctor Dawson." The Frenchmouse announced.

The guard folded his arms. Rahle was not pleased to see that it was the same one who had threatened him before. "They just left."

"WHAT? They can not have left! I want to see Monsieur Liang!"

The guard stepped into the house. A moment later Liang appeared. "Rahle? Back so soon?"

"Oui. Basil is not in?"

"No, you just missed him. He's going on a more thorough search."

"When will he be back?"

"Probably not for a while, Rahle. I'll have him speak to you when he comes back."

"Fine!" Rahle stormed off, Igor following close behind.

At the corner Rahle whirled upon Igor.

"You know the way through the sewers?" he asked.

"Yes."

"You will show me, and we are going to get the femmes ourselves!"

I paced the length of the small cell repeatedly, trying to make the sick feeling in my stomach go away. "We have to get out, we must!"

The others watched me dully. They had tried to comfort me before, but I shot down every single phrase of comfort they had offered.

"Mr. Basil will find a way, my dear," Mrs. Judson tried one last time.

"No he won't. Ratigan's going to kill him! Oh, I wish I had taken better care of everyone. This is all my fault!"

"No it isn't!" Isabelle snapped. "You have to realize that Ratigan would have found a way. From what I have read of him in the papers, he is brilliant. No wonder they call him the Napoleon of Crime. You're giving yourself too much credit for our capture!"

Olivia tried her hardest to stifle a giggle.

We heard voices outside the cell. I instinctively moved behind everyone else as if to protect myself. There was a gasp and a thud, then the metallic click of the lock. The door opened.

"Mr. Rahle?" Mrs. Judson exclaimed.

Rahle came into the room with another mouse. "Good, but we're not done yet Igor. Et bonjour, Madame Judson. Perhaps now you will let me smoke my cigars in your lovely home?"

"Oh, of course!" she cried as she embraced him. Olivia started to laugh.

"Madame, let go of me! I can't breathe!" the Frenchmouse cried.

Mrs. Judson let go of him. "See Meg? We have hope!"

"This is enough. Let's go!" Igor said nervously.

As we exited, I asked Rahle, "Where's Basil?"

"He is still searching for you. He has no clue, but I found one," he said proudly, motioning to Igor.

We hurried out of the hideout and into the sewers.

"Keep close," the Transylvanian said, holding up a lantern.

We made off at a brisk pace. After a few minutes it was apparent that Mrs. Judson could not keep up with the rest of us. Igor took her arm and tried to lead her on as quickly as possible.

"How long will it take us to get to safety?" she asked him.

"I would say about one hour."

"That long?" was Olivia's protest.

"It is a long way."

"We'll never make it!"

"Then stay here and wait for them to come," was Igor's curt reply.

Halfway through our flight we heard echoing voices behind us.

Igor glanced behind us. "It's them. Run!"

We raced along the passage, the sounds of pursuit getting closer by the minute. By this time Li Yan was lagging along with Mrs. Judson. Since Igor was already occupied with Mrs. Judson I took the Chinese girl's hand and pulled her along, feeling extremely worn out as well.

Ten minutes later we were just barely ahead. "The light, you fool!" Rahle snarled to Igor. "Turn it off!"

Igor stopped as the rest of us moved on ahead. I stopped too, suddenly inspired by an idea. I ran back and snatched the lantern out of Igor's hands. "Go, lead them out. They want me."

"What? Young lady, this is no time for games!" he protested, as I headed in the opposite direction.

"Only you can get them out!" I called back. I took the first turn I saw and continued running.

Igor caught up with the group. "Come on. Take my hand, Mrs. Judson. Take the person's next to you. We go now in darkness."

No one else noticed that one of their number was missing.

I leaned against the wall, breathing heavily, vigorously trying to rub the side-stitch away. The echoing footsteps nearby sounded more like an army than a few thugs. I inhaled a few more breaths before continuing away from the noise.

I could tell that they were getting closer. I staggered but forced myself to keep going. I felt dizzy and nauseous. My side was going to burst.

"There they are! Get them!" Ratigan's voice screeched, bouncing off and amplified by the pipes.

I dropped the lantern. They could not be allowed to see that I was alone. The lights from the lamps of Ratigan's lackeys still lit up the passage fairly well, so I stumbled along.

The passage turned sharply ahead, and all in front of me was cast in impenetrable darkness. Suddenly I was no longer touching solid ground. I twisted as I fell, managing to grab the edge of the pipe I had been running through. There had been a small stream running water in the pipe, so now it was pouring on me. I spit some of it out of my mouth and screamed for help. Even the hope of Ratigan coming to my aid was welcoming at that moment.

The first one there was Rafael. "This is just too easy," he sneered. "I could just step on your hands and-" he stopped as another thug bumped into him, almost knocking him over.

"Someone help me!" I screamed again, spitting out more of the disgusting water. "For God's sake, help me!"

To my great relief, Ratigan appeared. He shoved the two thugs out of the way and lifted me up as if I weighed no more than a feather. He placed me next to him so that now he was closer to the edge. Snatching a lantern from Rafael, he leaned over the pipe and held it out, looking into the darkness below. I could push him, and we would all be rid of him. Just one push...

Instead I stood there and stared dumbly into the void, and the opportunity passed as Ratigan finished his inspection of the drop below and turned towards me.

"Where are the others?" said Ratigan.

I pressed my lips together, offering no answer.

"Where are they?" he repeated, leaning over me, ire sparking his yellow eyes.

I smiled smugly at him. "Far away from you!"

He grabbed me and lifted me up over the edge of the pipe. He violently shook me like a rag doll. "Tell me! Did they fall?"

I shrieked. He was actually going to kill me! I had always thought that I would meet death eagerly if ever he were to kill me, but now I feared for and wanted my life.

I began to sob. "Don't hurt me!"

When he saw my cowardice, Ratigan became crueler. "You will tell me, or I will let go. Where are they?"

"I... I took the lantern, and... ran in another direction. They did not know. I don't know where they are, what direction they went. They were only going to get us out!"

"They? Who are 'they?'" When I did not answer he shook me again. "Tell me!"

"Rahle! Rahle and... someone else. I do not remember his name. God, don't let me fall!"

"What did he look like, this other mouse?"

"He was black from head to foot, with part of his left ear torn off."

"What else?"

"Don't drop me!"

"What else? Was there a gray birthmark on his chest?"

My breaths came in irregular gasps. "I... don't remember. I didn't get a good look at him!"

"Was his name Igor?" My answer was a series of choking sobs. "Think! Was his name Christopher Igor?"

I nodded dumbly. Satisfied, Ratigan brought me back to solid ground. Rafael and Charlie shoved me back, Ratigan following.

"Retrace your steps. The others can't be far off," Ratigan said to the thugs.

Then, seeing as my front was covered in water from the pipe, Ratigan took off his cape and wrapped it around me. He handed Charles a small bottle.

"Make sure she drinks all of that."

Then he left.

I took the drink without a fight, wondering how Ratigan's mood could change so rapidly. One minute he had been threatening my life, the next he had given me his cape so I would not catch cold.

I looked at the label on the bottle. Laudanum. I leaned against the interior of the pipe, feeling dizzy and disoriented. Before long I slid down onto the wet floor of the pipe and started to fall off into sleep.

Rahle, Igor, Mrs. Judson, Olivia and Li Yan ran to the door at Baker Street. The guard held out his arm.

"Oh no, not you again! Mr. Basil's not back yet, so go away!"

"Idiot! You, monsieur, cannot even recognize the victims of last night's kidnapping, right before your very eyes?" Rahle said indignantly, motioning to the group.

The guard was speechless. "Where... what the... how?"

"Hah! Now you see, you should have let me in the first time, eh?"

"There goes the ego," Olivia said, rolling her eyes.

"You! You are under arrest for the abduction of these women!" the guard announced, handcuffing Rahle.

"WHAT? No! I saved them, not abducted them! Igor! Help me!"

"We're telling the truth, sir," Igor said.

"I can vouch for that!" Mrs. Judson said earnestly. "They came into Ratigan's lair and rescued us!"

The guard laughed. "Without getting killed? Then you are a member of Ratigan's organization!" he said to Rahle.

"Witnesses!" Rahle cried, pointing to the group.

"Well sir, there are only four women here, and if I can remember correctly, there were five taken. So we must detain you until the fifth girl shows up."

"No! We have all five! See, one, two three, four..." Rahle stopped, and counted again. He then swore under his breath. "Where is Mademoiselle Havers?"

"I can explain..." Igor began.

But the guard had already blown his whistle to call for backup. "You too, you're coming with us," he said to Igor.

"You incompetent person, you are making a big mistake!" Rahle protested as policemen came into sight."

"Yeah, yeah, tell it to the jury."

RAEB: Poor Rahle.

Emma: And he's innocent!

Sarah: When is Basil coming into the picture? We haven't seen much of him.

Meg: I don't know. And I am going to kill Leigh. It's weird, though. This chapter was written right after she wrecked the car, so maybe anger is good for my writing and the speed in which I write.