Losing You pt. 2
By Sheryl Nantus
"Ron, let's go home." Kim wiped her forehead, letting the staple gun in her hand drop to the ground. "We've put up at least two hundred of these flyers."
"Not enough." The blond teenager looked down the suburban street, his eyes narrowing as he studied row upon row of trees emblazoned with color pictures of his friend. "Not enough."
"You've got to have something to eat." The redhead took his hand, gently dislodging the staple gun. She frowned at the red ridges across his knuckles and palm. "It's time for dinner. Come on home and we'll take a break. Get an update from Wade."
"It's all my fault, Kim." Ron sighed, his eyes on the ground. "I told him to leave us alone." Sitting down on the sidewalk he let out another sigh. "I shouldn't have told him to do that. Now I might never see him again."
"Ron, it's not anyone's fault." Kneeling down beside him she put her hand on his shoulder. "Whoever grabbed Rufus was a professional; he waited until the right moment to take him." Her emerald eyes flashed with anger. "And he must have been following us for some time to know where we'd be and take advantage of the situation." Her expression softened as she squeezed his shoulder. "Come on, let's go to my place. You know Wade's going to do all he can."
"I know." Getting to his feet he picked up the knapsack, dropping in the staple guns and flyers. "I just feel sick."
"Me too." She took his hand. "But we'll get him back."
The plexiglass cage was huge, almost as large as Ron's bedroom. The floor was littered with small shaved wood chips with a few fluffy pillows piled up in one corner. A Rufus-sized desk sat in another corner with a pad of paper and a minute pencil waiting to be used. Underneath him the strips of warm fabric vibrated slightly, reminding him of the pocket he had spent so much time in.
"Ah, you're awake. Good. I was beginning to fear I had made you sick." The voice came from the darkness outside of the cage.
Rufus scurried to the nearest point towards the voice, raising his fist and chattering angrily.
"I understand your fear and anger. Believe me, I understand. I've seen it before." Stepping out of the darkness he approached the transparent cage, leaning heavily on the wooden cane. "But you'll come to understand why I had to save you." He gestured towards the desk. "And if you wish to work, fine. If not, then sit back and enjoy your surroundings. Your dinner will be by soon enough."
Rufus squinted at the man's face, memorizing the features. Short grey hair, blue eyes and a grey moustache. Could have been anyone in the world, but this was the man who had kidnapped him.
And he was going to pay.
"Mom, can Ron stay here tonight?" Kim walked into the kitchen, carrying her plate. "He's really upset about Rufus."
"I can understand that." Dr. Possible tossed her pizza crusts into the garbage. "It's also set him off his appetite. I've never had that much pizza left over before." She smiled. "The den. And don't worry about your father, I'll run interference on that one."
"Thanks, Mom." Rising up on her toes Kim kissed her cheek.
"Thanks, nothing." She pointed at the ceiling. "The twins are already working on a naked mole rat location sensor. Anything that keeps them away from rocket fuel is a bonus."
Kim walked back into the living room. Ron sat in front of the television set, his eyes staring at the screen without much interest.
"Mom says you can stay here tonight. Just drop your parents a call and let them know."
His eyes moved to meet hers, dark circles startling her. "What if Rufus comes home?"
"Then your mom will call here." Sitting down beside him she took his hand, squeezing it gently. "Wade's going to call here the second he gets a lead so it's best we stay together." The redhead smiled. "Already got you the couch in the den. And the tweebs are working on how to find him as well." She wagged a finger at the ceiling. "If anyone can do it, they can."
"Okay." Ron yawned. "I'm tired. Can we watch television in the den instead?" He got to his feet, still holding her hand.
"Don't see why not. Let Mom and Dad watch some of that scientific stuff for a change with us all in the house but not in the same room." She took the lead, heading towards the doorway.
Rufus pounded on the plexiglass, squinting through the dim light at the other cages in the large room. Chittering loudly he gestured at the other shadowy creatures, urging them closer so he could see them.
One large dark animal crept towards his own glass wall, reaching up to place a single palm against the invisible shield. Rufus drew back, shocked at the familiar sight. Recovering quickly he began to chatter excitely to his friend, tapping the plexiglass with a claw.
Kim looked down at the blond mop in her lap, her fingers running back and forth through the hair. The television set provided the only illumination in the entire room, sending eerie shadows over the two teenagers.
"Do you think we should call Wade again?" Ron mumbled, his hands curled up on his chest.
"We called an hour ago. He'll call when he gets something, promise." She continued her gentle motions over his head and neck. "Just relax. We'll have enough work to do soon enough."
"I can't believe this." He sighed. "I shouldn't have ever told him to leave us alone."
"Ron, it wasn't your fault. If this thief hadn't snatched Rufus in the theater he would have waited for the next time he was vulnerable." Now it was her turn to sigh. "I never thought of Rufus as a target, though. It just seems so wrong."
"What's wrong is him out there somewhere without me." The blond young man sighed again. "I can't figure out who would take him. Drakken's too stupid to put one over on the little guy."
"And he hasn't made bail yet. Shego did, but I think she's too busy trying to manipulate her bank account to get her boss out. And it's not her style." Kim shook her head. "It's no one's style, really. Monkey Fist might have it in for him 'cause of the Monkey Kung Fu thing, but that's usually your department."
"Exactly." The words were soft. "I don't know what to do."
"Well, right now you need to sleep." She bent over and kissed him lightly on the lips. "I'm heading upstairs. First beep I get, you'll know it. Promise."
"Okay." He squeezed her hand as she got up, sliding out from under his head. "'Night."
"'Night." She paused in the doorway, looking back at the upset teenager. The expression on his face reminded her of when he had headed off for Camp Wannaweep without her for the summer.
The cage was sealed perfectly without even the slightest crack for a claw to dig into. The air came in through a series of small holes set in the roof, way too small for even Rufus to slip through. And the water and food trays were filled from below, giving no easy exit.
This wasn't going to be an easy one.
He tapped on the glass again, waiting for the reply. They had decided on Morse Code as the best way to communicate without giving away any details to their captor. Hopefully he didn't think that his new pets would be that smart.
Suddenly the door slid open, admitting their new owner. The grey-haired man strolled around the two cages, nodding his head up and down.
"I see you're both adjusting nicely. A bit off your feed, but that's to be expected." Leaning down he tapped on Rufus's cage, not far from the simulated pocket bed. "You've no idea of how hard it was for me to figure out how to get you to safety."
The mole rat tilted his head to one side, a confused look on his face.
"Oh, yes. I know you think you were having a good life there, but you were in such danger." His hands waved in the air, adding a dramatic flourish to his words. "I mean, you were living on borrowed time! That man, he had no idea of the dangers he kept putting you in. And that Possible woman…" He scoffed. "Let's not get me started on her."
Rufus leapt at the glass, claws scratching wildly as he slid down into the shaved wood scraps.
"And as for you, well…" He turned towards the second occupant of the room. "I'm sure you'll agree that it's a lot better here than some fancy Florida resort for a few days and then back to work at the Space Center. You'll realise how lucky you are in time." Walking to the doorway he pushed the button.
The door slid shut, leaving them in a twilight setting. Rufus began to rap frantically on the glass, waiting for a response.
The simian fingers tapped back their response, timidly at first but then with greater enthusiasm as they continued to correspond back and forth.
Kim awoke with a start. Sitting up quickly she glanced around her bedroom, her eyes seeking out any perceived threat; her hands clenched and ready to react. Even in light pyjamas decorated with small moons and stars she could still take any intruders.
Except there was nothing there.
She frowned, then lay back down on the soft mattress clutching her Pandaroo to her chest.
Then she heard it. The faintest of noises and yet enough for her senses to detect, recognise and react to it.
The television was still on in the den, the flickering lights of the overnight infomercials casting odd shadows around the room. She paused at the doorway, listening.
There it was again.
Clutching Pandaroo she walked towards the couch, stepping behind it. The thin blanket covering her boyfriend rose and fell once, twice.
Then shook for a second as a loud sniffle came out from under it. Another sniffle and then a low whimper.
The redhead's lower lip quivered as she moved around to the front of the sofa, putting her hand on where she figured his shoulder would be.
Ron jumped up at her touch, swiping at his wet face with his sleeve. "Hey, KP. Anything?"
"Nothing yet." She sat down beside him. His eyes were bloodshot, his nose a dark red. "You okay?"
"Oh, sure." He smiled. "Just catching up on the rest of the world. That little gadget there makes some mean coleslaw."
"Sure does." Kim sat quietly for a minute beside him. "Actually, I'm not sleeping well at all. Been tossing and turning all night." She tugged at the blanket. "Mind if I join you?"
"Your dad's not gonna freak?"
"Probably." She smiled. "But he'll survive."
Wrapping the bedding around his shoulders she snuggled into his side. "Thanks. I'll feel better now."
"Anytime." His arm went around her shoulders, pulling her close. "And I see you brought Pandaroo."
"Sure." She tucked the stuffed animal inbetween them. "There. We can say he was a chaperone."
"Works for me." He closed his eyes and laid back, head resting on her shoulder. A few minutes later Kim looked over, her hand on the remote control as she flipped through the channels.
Ron was fast asleep, a light snoring escaping his mouth as he drooled profusely onto her shoulder and onto Pandaroo.
Rufus paced back and forth around the containment unit, his forehead even more wrinkled than usual. Across the way his ally continued to pick at a bare patch of skin on his arm; wincing as a drop of blood appeared.
A soft tone announced meal time for the pair. The mole rat looked over at the empty food dish, eyes wide.
An orange mixture began to fill the steel bowl from underneath, small pellets floating in the mix. Striding over to the dish Rufus frowned before dipping a single finger into the melted mass.
A gagging fit sent the mouthful across the cage, smashing into the glass and sliding down in a gelatinous mass. Pulling his tongue out Rufus splashed water on it over and over again, trying to remove the taste.
"Much better for you than that melted cheese mess that you ate before." The voice came over the single speaker mounted in the far corner. "Soybased, actually. You'll get used to it, I'm sure. Much healthier in the long run."
The camera set on the opposite wall rotated back and forth between the two inhabitants, recording their every move. Whenever it remained on Rufus it wasn't on the other cage, allowing the plan to slowly get underway.
The pink rodent stuck his tongue out at the camera, forcing it to stay on him longer than usual. Turning around he wagged his tail as well as performing the rodent equivalent of "mooning" the camera.
"Feisty one, aren't you?" The voice crooned. "I like that. I like to see you happy and cared for. And I'm the man for the job."
Rufus glanced over at the thin trail of blood being artfully hidden under a blanket or rubbed into the remaining fur on his friend's arm. Then he turned and shook his fist at the camera, detailing the entire genetic line of his captor.
"Kimmie…" The soft voice brought Kim out of a sound sleep. She opened her eyes quickly, feeling a sharp pain begin to run up and down her arm.
"Wha…" The redhead focused in on her mother, standing over the two of them. The older woman put a finger to her lips, shushing her daughter.
"I'm taking your dad and the twins out for breakfast and detouring him away from the den." She sighed, ruffling Ron's hair as he lay across her daughter's lap, snoring softly. "You owe me bigtime for this one."
"You're the best, Mom." Kim whispered.
"Totally. Just take care of him." Dr. Possible disappeared around the corner.
Kim shifted her arm slightly, feeling the annoying pins and needles running back and forth that signalled a definite lack of blood circulation. Her right arm had gotten trapped under Ron's body and wriggling it out took every ounce of skill she had. Then she had to slide out from under the sleeping teenager who had wrapped his arms around Pandaroo in a death grip, holding it so tightly to his chest that she wondered if she would have something else to worry about in the future.
Walking into the kitchen she yawned, opening the refridgerator door. Pulling out the pitcher of orange juice she listened as the car pulled out of the driveway, confirming her mother's wishes.
Suddenly the Kimmunicator beeped from where she had left it in the bedroom. The sound carried through the house like a fire alarm, sending her dashing for the stairs.
"Wade." Gasping for air she stared at the screen. "Tell me you've got something."
"I've got something all right. Something very weird." The young boy looked back and forth. "Where's Ron?"
"Right here." The blond teenager gasped, clutching Pandaroo in one hand and leaning on the steps with the other. "What's up?"
"I just received the strangest transmission. Well, not me, exactly. It's sort of a general thing that…"
"What?" Both Kim and Ron yelled. They looked at each other with a wan smile, neither one wanting to say the usual.
"Ever hear of a guy called The Collector?" Wade tapped on his keyboard with precision strokes. "I'm sending data to your desktop right now."
"On it." Kim walked over to the monitor. "So who's this supervillain?"
"That's the interesting part." Wade's voice came over the small speaker as the Kimmunicator shut off. "He's not a supervillain. Not the usual one by our definition."
"And his definition is…" Kim stared at the picture of an elderly man, sitting comfortably in a chair for the camera. A wooden cane in one hand and a drink in the other he looked like a thousand other seniors that she had seen.
"Let's back up a minute." The pictures rotated. "About an hour ago the Space Center reported an annoying mechanical problem with one of their bio chips. Kept turning on and off."
"What's a bio chip?" Ron sat down on the bed, rubbing the back of his head.
"It's something they place in every animal in the program. That way they can monitor the physical condition during missions."
"Like a tracking chip, then." The redhead winced as she stood up.
"Yes and no. It's not made to give a location, just send back general information such as heartbeat, respiration functions and so forth."
"Okay." Kim tilted her head to one side. "So what does this have to do with Rufus?"
"The Center's concerned because this particular chip belongs to someone who disappeared a few weeks ago out of a special vacation resort in Florida. He was there resting after a long stay at the Space Station." Wade continued to tap on the keyboard. "I think you'll remember him."
Kim and Ron both gasped as a picture of a monkey flashed onto the screen, the simian proudly holding a space helmet under one arm.