Yikes! Sorry, guys...........I'm a little late with the next chapter! Keep reviewing, I appreciate it heaps. If you want updates regarding chapters, check out Yahoo Groups CPC (Captain Planet Club). I occasionally post info about upcoming stuff eg. if i'm running late etc.
You know what.....I've yet to do the copyright 'thang'!! Captain Planet and the characters belong to Ted Turner/Cartoon Network. Terrible, patchy story and bad grammar and spelling belong's to moi. Not that anyone would want it......
The Tunnel
Chapter Four
The sounds of drilling and coarse voices were the first to invade her senses. The second sensation was of pain: her hand and shoulder were throbbing intensely. Momentary disorientation and panic flooded through Linka's body as she realised they were moving at a steady pace and that she was hoisted uncomfortably over someone's shoulder. Linka's upside-down view of the surroundings were further confused by the bouncing gait of the man carrying her. Trying to focus, she could dimly make out earth-moving equipment, dozens of filthy workers peering curiously at them and a well dressed man wearing a brimmed hat trailing the unusual group, barking out orders to a huge, heavily-muscled bald man.
Weaving their way through the endless maze of passages, Linka suddenly felt dizzy and nauseous. Struggling desperately against her captor, she was dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes and promptly threw up violently in the corner. By now, the smartly-attired man had caught up and with a flick of his hand had dismissed the others, leaving her alone with him. Exhausted and scared, she stood unsteadily and stumbled several metres away from him, before her legs gave way and she collapsed in a heap. Smiling gently, the man approached the frightened girl and sat in front of her, legs crossed and palms upwards in a gesture of peace.
"A side effect of the chloroform, I'm afraid. I apologise for the method, but I didn't want you blowing my acquaintances into oblivion." The man reached out and touched Linka's shoulder gently. Shrinking back from his hand, she watched him warily; fists clenched and ready to lash out since she no longer had her ring to rely on. "Looks painful," the man went on. "I'll get my people to look at that: you've lost a fair amount of blood, Linka." She continued to regard him sullenly, silently wondering how he knew her name. The man stood quickly and grasped her good arm, pulling Linka to her feet and leading her deeper underground. Fright gave way to horror as the ex-Planeteer watched a female worker electracute herself whilst attempting to hang wires from the dirt walls. "Boshe moi....." Linka whispered in disbelief as she realised the 'electrician' was the mother of an old school friend from days gone by.
As other stunned workers were ordered to move the still-smoking body, Linka was again gently led away, tripping over the steel tracks on the ground that transported the tonnes of earth being moved at an ever increasing rate. Helping Linka to her feet, he walked her through an archway leading into a small, comfortably furnished room with a bed and wash basin. She sat on the bed quietly, sighed and turned her back to him, leaning against the bed-head for support.
"My name's William. You can stay here for the moment. I'll get someone in to treat your wounds. You should get some rest." He waited for a response but none came. "I saved your life, you know. Everyone from your town is here working on the tunnel......." He sat down on the bed beside her, observing her tangled hair, tear-stained face, scuffed jeans and bloody singlet top. Linka remained motionless- mouth closed, eyes staring blankly at nothing.
The silence was interrupted when another two men entered the room. Linka recognised the voice of one of the intruders immediately who spoke in a loud voice to William. "The Planet Brats have been taken care of, Cheyla hasn't called in yet but she's due to any minute."
"I told you not to mark her." William seethed, pointing in Linka's direction who was now sobbing with shock as she processed this information. Looten Plunder jumped to his own defense. "We had to take the brother out, he put up too much of a fight: she tripped and fell, wasn't our fault......why are we keeping her anyway, she's trouble........."
"Ba'ra wanted the family members alive to work and as a means of controlling her, you dimwit." William explained, annoyed. Plunder shook his head: "The Yankee would have been a better option, pity he's in a million pieces, though..." The Eco-Villian smirked arrogantly. "Bet he never knew what hit....."
Before he could finish the sentence, Plunder was knocked violently to the ground by a screaming, distressed Linka, who'd heard everything and was now pummeling him with her fists, scratching his face and tearing out his hair. "GETEROFMEEE!" He bellowed as the other two pulled Linka off with extreme difficulty, still sobbing hysterically and swearing. As she felt the chloroform clamped over her mouth again, Plunder had pulled himself up and flounced out, knocking workers over violently in the process. As Plunder's friend followed him, amused at the events that had occurred, William momentarily removed the cloth and whispered harshly in her ear.
"Now you listen to me. Ba'ra is taking over. Your beloved Gaia and friends are gone, and I'm the only reason you're still here. The leader will destroy everything you and your people ever took for granted and these tunnel systems will be the only place safe to live. You're gunna' be a queen, Linka.....I chose you, so get used to it and move on." With that, the cloth was replaced over her nose and mouth and she was dragged to the bed, flung onto the matress unceramoniously and left blissfully alone and unconsciouss.
Opening his eyes, Wheeler could just make out an old model Honda with an indiscernible bumper sticker. Squinting his eyes from the spot he'd landed some 10 metres from the car, he tried harder to focus. Realising it was written in Russian, he jumped to his feet in surprise. An old, yellowing farmhouse stood before him, sunlight streaming down through the trees, casting eerie shadows on the crumbling front verandah. Noticing the front door open and familiar-looking luggage strewn carelessly about, he moved quickly and quietly towards the house. About 3 sets of footprints ran in all directions around the house, mud and dirt leading inside as well.
Stepping inside, he was startled to find Linka's family's belongings scattered and broken all over the floor. Furniture had been up-ended, glass shelves containing china and figurines were smashed and the walls had boot-sized marks and impressions on them. "Must have made a shit-load of noise..." Wheeler thought, hoping strongly that Linka hadn't arrived in the midst of the chaos.
Wheeler was suddenly aware of another noise coming from the house.......laboured breathing from another room. His pulse now racing, he moved up the hallway, realising with mounting horror that he was stepping over broken glass and that blood was visible on the floors and the walls. A leg came into view, followed by a torso and finally the rest of a body, propped up against the wall and fighting a losing battle to stay upright. A deep wound was visible on his forehead, pieces of glass embedded within it. Entering the room, Wheeler knelt beside Mishka, amazed that he was still conscious.
"They took them both......find them, please....." Mishka gasped. Nodding, the American helped Linka's brother up and half dragged, half carried him out of the house. "Everybody's gone, whole town..... no one here......" Mishka murmured, falling into a cane chair on the porch as Wheeler noticed a car driving erratically through the trees. Moving protectively in front of Mishka, Wheeler noticed the driver waving a long object over someone in the backseat. Peering closer, he watched as the car slowed, stopping completely when it came into contact with an old elm tree. The driver's door opened and the person jumped out, raving and cursing in Chinese as she pulled the other occupant out forcefully and flung the bound, snarling, curly-haired woman to the ground. The driver rounded the car and paced quickly towards Wheeler, still raving in her native language and waving her hands around blindly.
"I can't understand a word you're saying, Gi" Wheeler said, shaking his head.
"I'LL TELL YOU WHAT SHE DID: SHE WALKED US INTO A TRAP, THE LYING, PSYCHO BITCH!" Gi screeched, grabbing Wheeler by the shirt and pulling him towards Cheyla who was now sitting upright and glaring defiantly at them.
"You've chosen the wrong team, Wheeler....." Cheyla whispered with venom. "He'll take over soon and all this will be gone, you stupid...."
"Where's Ma-Ti?" Gi interrupted, grabbing Cheyla by the throat. "Linka's gone, too." Wheeler added. Closing her eyes, Gi strengthened her grip on Cheyla's neck. "Ow, OK, OK, you'll never get in anyway.......there's an old Iron Ore mine not far from here, just follow the dirt road past the town. You'll be too late, anyway.....they'll be dead by the time....."
"SMACK!" Gi had punched her hard in the nose before she'd had time to finish. Looking on amazed, Wheeler silently wondered where the old, quiet-natured Gi had gone as she moved towards the house, again talking Chinese in a high-pitched voice. Grabbing Mishka, she helped him to the car and placed him in the back seat. "Are we gunna' leave her lying there?" asked Wheeler, jumping into the passenger seat. "Yep", Gi responded. "We'll drop him at the hospital and go find this place." she said firmly, reversing out from the tree and peeling out of the front yard at top speed. With that, Gi started explaining what had happened to her during the past 6 hours.
New chapter next weekend. We'll meet that naughty Ba'ra, run into some more old Eco Villians, find out what the hell happened to Gi and the others, Adrian gets a little frisky and who the hell is the bald muscle-man?