Mission 15 – Caged

Leon laughed at the two captured captains in front of him, Samuel Tintorreto and Lorenzo Harding. It only took Leon less than one week to find them, and a few hours to capture them. Using a few police officers who he infected with his cerebral impulse interceptors, the two captains barely resisted, foolishly believing that the officers were merely "investigating." Unfortunately, they soon found themselves unconscious and kidnapped, straight from their own homes. Although Leon initially planned to kill them, the twisted lizard had decided to torture them first, to satisfy his morbid needs.

Tintorreto was the first to wake from his unnatural sleep with a faint headache. The bulldog was stripped to the waist, his arms and legs shackled to a metal rack behind him. Next to him was Harding, bonded and treated in the same manner. The room was dark and cool, with constant dripping of water. They were in an underground cave, in the lair of Great Leon.

"Ah, the little puppy is awake!" Leon's outline emerged from the shadows. His metallic eye illuminated the surroundings with an eerie glow. "How do you like my home, Captain Tintorreto?"

"It reeks, and you should spend a few bucks on lighting." Tintorreto glared at the chameleon, rattling against his bonds. "What are you going to do with us?"

"Is little puppy scared? Or is he just curious?" Leon slowly stepped up, until he was face to face with the bulldog. "Let me go ahead and tell you my plans. First, I'll torture you. Then, I'll torture you more. After that, when you won't scream for me, I'll kill you."

"That's very nice of you, Leon Powalski." Tintorreto said with sarcasm, "Why don't you just kill me and save the trouble?"

"Now, what fun would that be?" Leon chuckled, "I should have done the same thing with your beloved Commander Bill. Oh well, I guess he is lucky to die the way he did, eh?"

"Shut up you son of a b-!" The bulldog screamed in pain, as the chameleon jammed a high powered taser in his stomach. The excruciating pain lasted for a few long seconds. Then Leon withdrew his weapon and left the bulldog panting in pain.

"That is just the beginning, my little pup." Leon said with a smile, patting the bulldog on the head, slowly replacing his taser back into its sheath. "I have a feeling I am going to have tons of fun with the two of you. Too bad Harding is not awake yet."

The lizard eyed the unconscious husky next to Sam, smiling to himself. Captain Lorenzo should be happy that he was still sleeping. Soon enough both of them would wish they had never lived. The lizard turned, and disappeared into the shadows.

Shortly after Leon left, Lorenzo Harding stirred. The husky gazed around the room and noticed that he was shackled to a series of metal bars, next to his friend. "Hello Sam, where are we?"

"Somewhere . . . underground." Sam replied, still recovering from Leon's assault. A small burn mark appeared on this abdomen where the taser struck.

"What happened to you?" asked the husky, turning his head towards the bulldog as far as he could. Lorenzo could smell the odor of burnt fur, but he couldn't tell where it came from due to the lack of light.

"Leon zapped me." Sam replied with a faint smile. "I'm fine for now, worry about yourself."

"It's cold in here." The husky gazed around in the darkness. Wit his bare torso stuck against a grid of cold steel, the damp chamber felt cooler than it should feel.

"Stop complaining, at least you have long fur." Tintorreto teased. The unlucky bulldog had to suffer more from the cold, due to his shorter fur. Leon certainly knew how to torture people.

"So what's going on?" Harding asked. "Shouldn't we be dead if Leon got to us?" It was quite strange for Leon to keep anyone alive, especially the ones he had chosen to die.

"Leon decided that he wants to torture us first, before killing us." Sam's voice was slightly quivering due to the cold temperature. "Do you think we can get out of here before he does that?"

"I doubt it . . ." Harding replied grimly, "But I won't mind if I die trying." The husky struggled against his bands, causing the rack to rattle. The clanking of steel against steel echoed throughout the cave. To escape from these bonds was impossible, unless someone would release them from their bonds. Unfortunately only Leon held the keys.

A maniacal laughter marked Leon's return. This time Andrew and Pigma were also present. Pigma and Leon were grinning, as each of them devised their own plans to torture the two captains, while Andrew stood there with his arms crossed.

"Finally, both of you are awake!" Leon grinned and pulled out a small key. The lizard signaled his friends to raise their blasters, while he unlocked the two captains, and then quickly backed away. "Now we can have some real fun."

"Oh great, real fun." Tintorreto said sarcastically. However, he was glad to be freed. When the right moment comes, he would attack the lizard and hopefully escape. The chance of that succeeding was slim, but it was worth a try.

"I know exactly what you are thinking." Leon said casually, pulling out his taser. "But don't even bother trying, unless you want to die. One false move and my two friends will blast your brains out."

"But what's the fun in that?" Tintorreto teased slowly approaching the lizard, "I thought you wanted to hear us scream."

Exactly," the lizard smiled, and moved further back against a rocky wall, leaving the two captains standing side by side. The lizard pressed a small button on the wall, activating some unknown mechanism. Beams of laser surrounded the two captains, trapping them inside. "A cage is always better than metal racks."

"I agree." Sam rubbed his wrists. "If this is your so-called torture, I would love to see you try to make us scream."

"Looks like you enjoy being zapped, Captain Tintorreto." The bulldog's attitude was starting to annoy Leon, but his anger did not surface yet. Smiling, he threw his taser into the cage, in front of Lorenzo Harding. "You, my good Captain, have ten seconds to zap your bulldog friend, before Andrew and Pigma fire their blasters." Nothing entertained Leon more than watching friends hurting and killing each other.

Lorenzo eyed the taser, but he was reluctant to pick it up. The husky simply stood there and waited for the lasers to fire. Leon on the other hand began to count. "Ten . . . Nine . . . Eight . . ."

"Lorenzo! What are you doing?" Sam ran and picked the taser up, forcing it into the husky's grip. "Do whatever he tells you!"

Captain Harding looked at his friend sadly, his grip quivering on the taser. His death meant absolutely nothing to Leon; therefore there was no reason for Pigma or Andrew to spare him if he disobeyed.

Leon continued to count, "Five . . . Four . . ."

"Do it Lorenzo! Don't be an idiot!" Sam grabbed the husky's hand and pressed the taser onto his stomach. "Press the button!"

"Two . . . One" Pigma and Andrew raised their blasters at the husky. But before the word 'zero' left Leon's lips, Tintorreto screamed in pain and keeled over onto his knees.

"Excellent job Harding!" Leon said sarcastically, "Now you have ten seconds to do it again! This is music to my ears." The lizard started to count again, chuckling in between each count.

Lorenzo knelt down next to Sam, who was still shuddering from the pain. The husky pressed the taser on the bulldog's side, but he was reluctant to harm his friend anymore.

Sam raised a trembling hand and held Lorenzo's hand. "Do . . . Do it!"

A scream of pain echoed through the cave. Leon laughed in delight. He knew the bulldog would eventually die, but he assumed a few more zaps would not kill him yet. "Do it again! You have five seconds!"

Another scream, this one was weaker than the first. Tears streamed down Captain Harding's face. Leon was controlling him, not physically, but psychologically.

"More! Three seconds!" Leon began to laugh with a tone that even Pigma and Andrew feared. "Three! Two!"
Yet another scream rang out, this one weaker than the prior one. Tintorreto's body was singed in several places. The bulldog continued to shake, trying to bear the pain. His muscles were beginning to twitch uncontrollably doe to the electric surges. He was slipping into unconsciousness.

"Again! I want to hear him SCREAM!" Leon commanded. He couldn't stop laughing, as two best friends turned against each other in the face of death. "Three! Two!"

The taser buzzed again, but Sam's body only jerked, without admitting a scream. He was too weak, and his mind already slipped away, leaving his body twitching involuntarily.

"Stop Leon, please, I am begging you!" Lorenzo said through his sobs, "Stop, you are killing him." The husky embraced his friends crumpled form, trying to protect him from more harm.

"Hmm. . ." Leon pondered on that matter. He would be happy to kill the bulldog now, but it would be less entertaining. The chameleon signaled to his friends. "All right, I'll give him a break. I'll be back in a few hours. Be prepared. Andrew, you can watch my puppies."

"My pleasure." The monkey replied. He on the other hand was not particularly impressed with what Leon was doing to the two captured soldiers. The monkey would be happier to end their misery quickly, rather than torturing them. However even he had to obey Leon's orders, just as Leon had to obey Wolf's during the war. Wolf had made the team infamous, but Leon was starting to make the team more and more nefarious since their escape. When Leon and Pigma left, the monkey quietly knelt next to the cage. "Hey, is he alright?"

Harding glared at Andrew angrily, still holding his comrade's unconscious body. "Does he look alright to you?"

"I would advise you to keep it down, Harding." Andrew said coldly. The monkey drew his blaster and aimed it at the bulldog's head. "You know, I can just kill him right now and end all the pain and suffering. All I have to do is pull this trigger, then tell Leon he wasn't cooperating."

"Leave him alone! What do you want from us?" Harding replied softly, eyeing Andrew's blaster. The monkey was right; they were completely at his disposal.

Andrew chuckled softly, keeping the muzzle of his blaster trained on the bulldog's head. Smiling, he replaced the blaster and ended his threat. "Maybe I shouldn't kill him yet. Is there anything I can get for you?"

"Yeah, get us out of here." Harding was unsure of Andrew's true intentions, but at the moment the monkey seemed to have a soft spot for the two captains.

"Ha, good try." Andrew chuckled, "By getting you something I meant food, and possibly a blanket. I don't want to end up with a hole in my head."

"Well . . . something to eat will be fine, as long as it's not poisoned or something." Harding replied softly. Tintorreto had just stopped quivering, but now he was shuddering from the cold. "And my friend really needs a blanket."

Andrew nodded at the husky's request, and faded into the darkness. Soon, he returned with some biscuits, a glass of water, and a blanket. Perhaps he was feeling generous today, or perhaps he had his own reasons. The monkey slipped the food and the blanket through the laser beams. "Aren't you supposed to say something?"

"Err . . .Thank you?" Lorenzo said as he wrapped his friend in the ragged blanket. "Why are you doing this?"

"I haven't heard "thank you" for eight years." Andrew replied with a faint smile, "It is always nice to hear it from someone."

Harding merely nodded at Andrew's explanation. If a small "thank you" could get them food and water, perhaps other words could get them freedom. The husky took one of the biscuits Andrew gave them and slowly chewed on it, savoring its flavor. He then lay down on the cold ground next to Sam, trying to think of ways to escape.
Lorenzo woke up, losing his sense of time in the cave. The husky reached next to him, assuming Sam was still there. Unfortunately, the bulldog was missing, leaving Harding with nothing but a cold damp blanket. Lorenzo bolted up, searching frantically in the darkness.

"He's gone." Andrew's voice echoed softly. The monkey's visor obviously enabled night vision.

"What? Gone? Where?" Harding asked, only hoping Andrew's answer didn't mean what he feared the most: Death.

"Leon has him." The answer came coldly, "If I were you I'd start praying. Leon doesn't like to keep his toys around for too long."

"What is that freak going to do with Sam?" Harding gripped angrily at the laser beams, only burning his hands. The husky only saw Andrew standing there quietly, watching him. "Tell me!"

"Torture, maim and kill." Andrew simply replied, "One or all of those, I don't really know. That lizard is quite creative when it comes to things like that. Don't worry though; your friend will be back soon."

"How long was he gone for?" Harding asked, apparently in distress. The thought of losing his best friend and comrade was unbearable. Leon already murdered his commander and his entire crew. Killing Sam was unnecessary. "What do you mean by he'll be back soon?"

"He was gone for about half an hour." Andrew replied, "Saying that he will be back soon is to keep you quiet. It obviously doesn't work that way. Just know that Leon will be done with him soon, and don't worry about it. Worry about yourself."

"What am I supposed to do? Sit here and wait while my best friend is being tortured, maimed or killed?" Lorenzo charged at the laser beams again, and was knocked down by a paralyzing surge of energy. "Get me out of here!"

"I can't do that!" Andrew's voice was getting significantly louder as his anger blazed. He couldn't help but pity the hopeless husky, "You'll just have to wait."

Lorenzo sat down and waited, defeated by Andrew's words. Soon enough Leon and Pigma returned, dragging a limp bulldog between them. Both were chuckling profusely. They dragged Tintorreto up to the laser cage and threw him harshly onto the ground. The bulldog laid face down, his fur soaking wet. He wasn't breathing either.

"We found out how long your friend could hold his breath for, Captain Harding." Leon was the first to speak, "Three minutes wasn't too bad."

"I liked the part when he started to make funny noises." Pigma added, resulting in a cacophony of laughter. "Hopefully you can still save him, if they taught you how to do CPR properly in the air force."

Leon pressed the small button on the wall, deactivating the lasers, allowing Harding to reach Tintorreto. Pigma on the other hand drew his blaster and aimed it at the husky. "You better hurry, time is running out."

"You monsters. . ." Harding flipped Tintorreto on his back and started to perform CPR, hoping it was not too late to save his life. The husky began to sob as the body of his friend grew colder and colder. However, Lorenzo refused to give up, and continued to press the bulldog's chest rhythmically. Five minutes passed by. . . Six minutes passed by. . . By the end of the seventh minutes, Harding was fatigued.

"Sam . . . Don't go . . . Don't leave me." He said through his sobs, trying his hardest to save his friend. Leon and Pigma already left the chamber, leaving Andrew to watch the husky, assuming Tintorreto was dead.

"He is dead, Harding." Andrew said a moment later. The husky continued to try, as if he didn't hear the monkey. "Think about it! No one can survive underwater for thirty minutes! Stop wasting your efforts!"

Lorenzo simply refused to listen. He ha heard of stories of people waking up after they have been submerged for over an hour. Why couldn't Sam be one of those people? The husky sobbed, still trying after ten minutes. Sam could not die like this. Soldiers were supposed to die in battle, not murdered by some insane criminals. "Come on Sam . . . don't die . . . Please . . . don't die."

"Your best bet is to try with a taser, but I doubt it would even make him jerk." Andrew said idly. The bulldog looked quit dead to the monkey. Even if Tintorreto survived this one, Leon would think of another way to kill him sooner or later. It was unfortunate; no one could ever escape Leon's wrath. It was only a matter of time until the husky would join his friend. "Zap him in the stomach and see if he would cough."

Lorenzo's ears perked up at the monkey's suggestion. Grabbing the taser, the husky pressed it on the bulldog's stomach. However, he was unable to pull the trigger. The husky knelt there, unsure of what to do. Soon enough he found himself knocked to the ground by Andrew. The monkey angrily snatched the taser from the husky's hands and quickly fired a surge into the bulldog's body. The effects were instant and effective. A paroxysm of coughs filled the air, as Sam emptied the water in his lungs. The bulldog continued to cough, attempting to catch his breath. Although Leon had taken him for half an hour, the lizard did not submerge him for more than five minutes. Filling up a water tank took longer than the lizard originally thought. Slowly, the bulldog regained a steadier breath. "Why . . . did you save me?"

"Your friend is starting to annoy me." Andrew replied coldly, walking away. Lorenzo smiled and rushed to Sam's side, embracing his friend. The husky looked over to Andrew, who was watching them in a corner of the chamber. "Thank you for saving his life."

"Don't thank me." Andrew turned away, "You are both going to die eventually." The monkey tried his best not to smile at the pair. He was amused by the two dogs, but in a different way. They were foolish and stubborn, but their friendship was genuine, not formed out of fear, but out of respect. It was something Andrew always wanted, but he'd never get it.

Lorenzo eyed his surroundings as he softly stroke Sam's back. The cage was turned off, and nothing separated him from Andrew. He also had a weapon on the ground not far from him. If they were going to escape, now would be the best and only time. He waited for Tintorreto's coughs to die down, "Sam, how are you feeling."

"I feel like I've just been drowned by a pair of lunatics." The bulldog coughed again, slightly bewildered by Lorenzo's question. The bulldog had no idea that was the husky's attempt to avoid suspicion.

Andrew's shadow loomed over the two captains. Today he understood what true friendship meant. A thought flashed across the monkey's mind. He could allow the two to escape, against Leon's will. He could purposefully allow Lorenzo to attack him with the taser, allow them to take his blaster and escape. In return, perhaps he could get a lighter sentence if he was captured. The monkey pressed his blaster on the back of Lorenzo's head, wondering if this deal was worth the price. He knew Leon would be furious with him once the lizard found out. "Lorenzo Harding, Samuel Tintorreto, do you want to die?"

"No." Lorenzo replied, feeling Andrew's blaster at the back of his head. The chance of them escaping was just eliminated. Andrew already knew about what they were planning.

"If you want to live, then use the taser on me." Andrew said after a long stall. If the two were found by Leon before they managed to leave the cave, the lizard would certainly kill them. They would have to fight their way out. "Once I am unconscious, take my blaster and head upwards towards the exit, understand?"

"Why are you doing this?" Harding asked in disbelief. The husky scrambled for the taser, then held it against the monkey's neck hesitantly. "Is there anything you want from us?"

"Once you get out, wait for twenty four hours before contacting the authorities. After that, you may tell them how you escaped. I also strongly suggest you to protect your loved ones, family and friends, since they will be in great danger." Andrew said with a small smile. The monkey closed his eyes behind the visor. "If we ever meet again, I will kill you. Now . . . press the trigger, and good luck."