Glad ta see that no one thinks any of the characters are OC. here's chapter 3!
Chapter 3
Captured!
After a half-hour of resting, stretching, eating and drinking, the Quest team was off once again. Navigating the treacherous slope of the mountain road was hard; the snow-covered trees made the road a tight fit. Every now and then, either Gregory or Sean would have to back the truck up because it got caught on a tree branch, or nearly slid into the ditch on either side of the road. Inside the teenagers' truck, Sean cursed loudly as the truck slid into the ditch.
"DAMN IT! I hate this damn road!" Sean shouted, banging the steering wheel with both hands.
The three Quest members looked on as Sean threw the truck into reverse and stomped on the gas pedal, which only accomplished in getting the truck stuck in the ditch on the other side of the road. A loud crack was heard as the truck settled. Sean smacked the wheel again and cursed again. He turned to the three teenagers, an angry expression on his face.
"Stay here. I gotta get out and see what the hell that sound was." Sean said as he opened the door, slamming it shut as he got out. "Damn this road…damn this truck…"
Sean looked ahead and saw that the other truck had stopped as well. Gregory poked his head out the window.
"You need help?" He asked in his heavily Russian accented voice.
Sean waved at his partner, telling him to go on ahead. Gregory saluted him and wrenched the truck into gear. Sean watched as the truck drove slowly around the bend, disappearing within seconds. Sean sighed and walked around to the back of the truck, intent on seeing what cracked.
JQ THE OTHER TRUCK JQ"Are you sure they'll be safe back there alone, Gregory?" Race asked, looking back at the bend.
"They will be fine, Mr. Bannon. The Rebels will not harm them, I assure you." The large Russian replied.
"And how do you know that?" Race asked, his face narrowing in suspicion.
Gregory sighed and stopped the truck. Turning and looking at Race, he replied: "Because Mr. Bannon, they work for me!"
Before Race or either of the other doctors could make a move, the heard the sound of several guns being cocked all around the truck.
"You see, Mr. Bannon, they will not harm your children. Unless of course, I tell them to. And I shall, unless you comply without hesitation or complaint."
Benton was the first to answer. "Of course we will! We would never endanger the lives of our children! We'll do whatever you say."
"Never endanger your children? HA! Dr. Quest, you endangered them the moment you said they could come along on this trip. It was just an added bonus that they came along! You should have left them in America, where they belong." Gregory said, laughing. "Now, would you be so kind as to get out of my truck?"
"Wait, do you mean Sean is also in on this?" Race asked, opening the door.
Gregory smiled. "It certainly is amazing what a person will do when their loved ones are in danger."
JQ SEAN'S TRUCK JQ"DAMMIT!" Sean yelled, throwing down the wrench he was using. "Useless, piece of shit!"
Jessie sighed and got out of the truck, intent on seeing what was wrong.
"What's wrong? We've been here for nearly an hour." Jessie said, stepping out of the truck.
"Damn axle's snapped. This truck ain't goin nowhere. We gotta start up on foot."
"We have to walk all the way up the mountain? Wouldn't it be easier do just walk back down?" Jessie asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
By now, Jonny and Hadji had gotten out of the truck as well, and were standing behind their female companion.
"Yeah, it would. But that's not what we're doing." Sean said harshly, his hands dropping down to the butts of his guns.
"Whoa, wait a sec Sean, no need to get violent!" Jonny said, holding his hands out in front of him.
"Oh but there is, Mr. Quest. You'd better start running." Sean answered, drawing the guns and aiming them at the three teens.
Before they even had a chance to react, Sean fired. The bullets whizzed past them and hit something behind them. The three friends turned and gasped, as one of the creatures fell to its knees, then onto its chest.
"Don't be stupid! RUN!" Sean shouted, turning to his left and firing again.
By the now the creatures were swarming, coming out of the trees, chasing the three Quest Team members. They could hear gunshots in the distance. Jonny took the lead and ran into the trees. He could hear not only Hadji and Jessie following, but many of the creatures as well. Jonny spotted an opening in the trees that led to a small open field. The moment the three friends ran into the field, creatures emerged from every side, surrounding them. Each of the creatures was holding what appeared to be a rifle.
Jonny, Jessie and Hadji faced the creatures, back to back to back. Jessie and Hadji had their guns drawn, and Jonny held his knife out in front of him.
"Well, this is a crappy way to die, isn't it?" Jessie said.
"Well, like they say, it ain't over till it's over." Jonny replied.
"Yes, at least we will not go down without a fight." Hadji put in, aiming his revolver.
The Creatures stopped hissing and moving towards the three companions when they heard a loud voice boom out.
"That's enough!"
The Creatures stopped and turned towards the direction of the voice. The three friends turned and saw Sean stepping out from between two of the creatures.
"I am sorry, my friends. Those weapons, with the exception of Jonny's, are useless. Please, set them down and come with us quietly." Sean said, leveling his guns at the three friends.
"Sean? What the hell are you doing? They'll kill you!" Jessie yelled.
"I don't think so, Jessie. But they will, however, kill you if you don't put down your weapons. Now, PUT DOWN YOUR WEAPONS!"
"I don't think so, Sean." Jessie said calmly, aiming her guns at Sean.
Sean flinched when she pulled the triggers; loud cracks came from both barrels, but ultimately, doing nothing. Jessie stared at the guns, a confused look on her face.
"I told you, those weapons are useless. Filled with nothin' but blanks. Same with yours, Hadji. Now, you have three seconds to put down the weapons before they open fire." Sean said, nodding towards the creatures.
Jessie sighed and tossed down the useless weapons, Hadji and Jonny following suit.
"Good kids. Now, follow me and you won't get hurt." Sean said, turning and walking back towards the truck. "Grab them and take'em with us. Knock'em out if they give you any trouble." He added to the large swarm of creatures.
The creatures swarmed in on the three Quest members, viscously clubbing them unconscious, even though they had not offered resistance. Several of the creatures slung their weapons and picked up the three teens by their arms, dragging them unceremoniously through the trees.
JQ DR. QUEST AND COMPANY JQ
"Where are our children?" Benton asked, as he was pushed into the back of the truck by a swarm of rebels.
"You shall see them soon enough, Dr. Quest. For now, you, Dr. Carter and Mr. Bannon shall come with us. I trust that you will not be…uncomfortable if some of my companions join you back there?" Gregory said, motioning for several of the armed rebels to jump into the back.
Gregory gave the three men an evil smile and got into the truck. Soon, the rebels and the three Quest Team members were bouncing along the narrow road of the mountain. After an hour or so of driving, they arrived at a seemingly normal section of the mountain. Gregory honked three times and the mountainside opened. The three men looked around in awe as they drove into the open mountain. Inside was a huge laboratory, several large tanks housed some strange green liquid, and as Gregory drove along, they gasped as they saw several tubes that held a few of the Demon creatures that they had seen back at the village.
"So they aren't Demons, just genetic experiments! A perverse bunch of experiments…" Benton said, turning away from the vile creatures.
"Perverse they may be, Dr. Quest, but they do their job well. And now that we have you and your doctor partners, they will be even better!" Gregory said through the open window of the truck.
"What makes you think I would ever help YOU with enhancing these sick creatures?" Benton asked, staring at the back of the large Russian's head.
"Ah, but it is not me you will be working for, Dr. Quest, but for a different doctor…I believe you two have met several times." Gregory replied. "The last time I believe you nearly killed him."
Benton thought back to all of his previous adventure until he reached a safe conclusion.
"You don't mean…"
Gregory stopped the truck before Benton had a chance to finish the sentence. The place where he stopped was in front of a large computer, a small bald man flanked by two of the laser-totting creatures stood in front of the truck.
"That's right, Dr. Quest! You arrive at the right conclusion as always!" The small bald man said.
Race and Benton stared in awe, before Benton broke the silence.
"Dr. Zin! I thought you were-"
"Dead? Of course I'm dead! Or, my original host is dead, to be more precise. I am but a clone of Zin, I am like him in every way possible!" (A/N, see the movie, Jonny's Golden Quest to see what I'm talking about.) Zin said, walking towards the truck. The creatures followed behind him, a blank stare in their eyes. "I already have your companion, Dr. Sudeki in my possession. The three of you doctors shall be of most use to my plan."
"Oh really? And why would we help you?" Race said, trying to move but being restrained by several of the rebels.
"I do not need YOUR help, Bannon. But since you are so interested in why you are going to help me, let me show you." Zin replied, turning towards the large computer monitor and pushing a button on the panel.
The monitor turned on, showing Jonny, Jessie and Hadji being dragged along the mountain road by the creatures, Sean in the lead.
"They are not dead, so do not worry. But I can quickly change that, if you so desire to resist assisting me in my plan." Zin said, turning back towards the three men.
Benton sighed deeply, knowing in his heart that helping this man was wrong, but he would do anything to insure that both of his own sons and Jessie's lives would be safe.
"Alright, Zin. We'll help you." Benton said.
"Whoa whoa whoa! I'm not helping this…this freak!" Dr. Carter said, holding his hands out in front of him, trying to get off of the truck. He was restrained by several of the rebels.
"Oh but I think you will, Dr. Carter." Zin said, again pushing a button on the control panel.
This time, a young woman was shown, chained to a wall, several bruises adorned her face.
"Melina! Don't hurt her! I'll do whatever you want!" Dr. Carter shouted, straining against the rebel guards.
"I know you will. Get them settled for now. I shall explain everything that you need to do in good time." Zin said. "And split them into different cells. They are to dangerous to be together."
The rebel guards grabbed the three men and hauled them off to three separate cells, slamming the doors shut.
JQ MOUNTAINSIDE JQ
Sean stopped at the top of the road, huffing and puffing. He bent down, his hands on his knees. He turned as he heard the creatures coming up behind him. By now, the three teenagers had regained consciousness and were staring at him.
"What's the matter Sean? Tired already?" Jessie taunted.
Sean stood back up, staring at the redheaded girl, a scowl on his face.
"Shut it, Bannon. You've had the luxury of being carried. But since you seem to be in such a good mood, you three can walk now."
"I take it if you can, Mr. Thompson." Jessie replied, venom lacing her voice.
Sean turned away and motioned for the creatures to follow him. He stopped after a few feet and turned back. None of the creatures had acknowledged his motion. Sean sighed.
"Let's go you ugly beasts. Let them walk, and make sure none of them get away, understood?"
Sean received a bunch of nods and ugly-sounding grunts as a reply. Sean sighed again and took the lead.
About two hours later, the large group of creatures and four humans arrived at the same place that Gregory had taken the rest of the Quest team just a few hours ago. Sean motioned with his hand and after waiting a few seconds, the mountain moved, revealing an opening. Sean turned to the three teens.
"Move. Now." He said, pointing his guns at the teens.
Jessie was the first to move, followed by Jonny, then Hadji. None of them knew what was awaiting them in the strange, hollowed out mountain laboratory.