Nani had been at home for around 10 minutes, but that time had been spent endlessly refilling and drinking glasses of water, to constantly keep herself hydrated and focused. She had also gone through a good number of tissues, always wiping tearstains from her eyes and face, and had remained anxiously staring out her kitchen window for Kolobos to arrive home.
Pulling his car up behind Nani's, Kolobos rushed into the house and immediately hugged Nani. She held onto her adopted father with such a force that neither would want to break apart for about a minute or so, and continued to quietly sob on his shoulder.
"Thank goodness you're home!" Nani said tearfully.
"It's all right, Nani," Kolobos assured her. "It's all right. I can see that you're scared. I'm scared. Jumba and Pleakley are scared. Even Stitch is scared for her. But I know a way to track her." Breaking apart, Nani followed Kolobos up to Jumba and Pleakley's room, where they switched on Jumba's computer and Kolobos immediately ran a search. He had almost a gift for rapid typing abilities, and within a matter of seconds, the computer screen had a digitally created design of the entire island of Kauai, being processed and scanned.
"Knowing the processor speed installed on the hard drive, this should only take about half a minute," Kolobos said.
"Scanning complete," the computer voice answered. "No results were found." Surprised at this, Kolobos immediately phoned Jumba again. Now with Stitch, Sparky, Yaarp, and Finder in hand, Jumba and Pleakley pulled the car to a stop to answer.
"Hello, this is Jumba Jookiba."
"Jumba, it's Kolobos. Any luck?"
"Not as such with any of us. We have Experiments 221, 613 and 458 in hand with us now. And you?"
"No, nothing. I've even used one of your computer programs to track Lilo's last whereabouts but it's not returning any results. I've got a feeling that she's not missing on any flat part of this island. I think the abductors may have taken her underground somewhere."
Jumba sighed deeply. "Kidnappers admire irritable cleverness, always find ways to reroute evil genius programming."
"They always do," Kolobos replied. "No matter what kind of harsh punishments they have to endure, no matter what anybody tells them, or you, about what goes on in a correctional facility, prisoners never do their time thinking about what they've done. The only thing they're thinking about, is what to do next."
"Is so very truthful, I sincerely concur!" Jumba said.
"I thought you would!" said Kolobos. Both he and Jumba were smiling, a little livelier but still all the more concerned. "Anyway, where are you guys?"
"Still at beach where 458 works."
Grabbing their car keys, Nani and Kolobos both walked out the house together, Kolobos still talking to Jumba on his phone.
"OK, Jumba, Nani and I are on our way now, you guys just stay where you are. We will regroup with you when we… WHOA!"
There, upon unlocking his car using the small device, Kolobos's car suddenly and furiously exploded, with Nani's immediately following! Both stunned and aghast, Kolobos stumbled back on the stairway, grabbing Nani firmly in his arms as they both experienced their vehicles go up in massive flames. Kolobos instantly shielded his and Nani's faces as parts set aflame continued to fly off in countless different directions, narrowly missing them but blasting holes in the house and stairway.
"HELLO?" Jumba shouted from Kolobos's phone. "KOLOBOS, ARE YOU HEARING ME? KOLOBOS, WHAT WAS THAT?" Still trying to recuperate themselves from their sudden adrenaline rush, Kolobos slowly brought his phone back up to his ear, with Nani not letting go of him.
"Jumba…" he started whispering, still trying to catch his breath. "Jumba, we're gonna need a lift... an-and-and-a-a-a a fire brigade." Kolobos then hung up his phone, and Jumba pursued to driving back to the house. Kolobos now couldn't draw his eyes away from the explosion. He stood eyeing the destruction with a horrific look on his face and thought in his mind. Before he was scared for Lilo's safety. Now he was absolutely terrified for himself and his entire family.
"This wasn't an accident, Nani," he finally said. "Someone tried to kill us."
"Do you think…" Nani started shuddering, her eyes welling up again. "… this has something to do with Lilo?"
"I think it has to," said Kolobos, also welling up again. "God knows what might've happened to her." Moving slightly away from their burning vehicles, Nani and Kolobos sat down and waited for an anxious and nerve-racking 8 minutes before both the fire brigade and Jumba showed up simultaneously. But each minute that went by felt like feeling a horrific nightmare wide awake, as neither of them could get Lilo out of their heads. They both feared the worst, but were unaware of what the definition of "worst" actually meant in this case.
"What happened here?" Jumba asked, observing the flames. Nani stepped into the back of Jumba's car after Kolobos, who was holding his spear.
"It was an assassination attempt," Kolobos replied.
"Finder, help us find Lilo," Nani said. Upon this request, Finder jumped out and started running back out at a gentle pace, with Jumba driving right behind. Fear was still open around the entire family though. They all knew that with Finder in hand, they would eventually find Lilo. But would they find her tonight, and more importantly, would they find her alive?
It was a relatively short 10-minute ride until Finder came to a stop. They came to an area surrounded with huge and heavy rocks, all molded together to make a clear path. As Jumba stepped out with a tracking device in hand, Stitch, Kolobos and Nani all jumped out and knelt down beside Finder, who was trying to signal something.
"What is it, Finder?" Kolobos asked. "Is she in here?" Finder positively nodded his head, and then stepped back as Kolobos and Nani crawled forward slightly. As soon as Jumba tracked Lilo was practically next to the right of Kolobos and Nani, Stitch moved a few more inches to the right, and proceeded to attacking the rocks, trying to break them apart and make a hole.
"LILO!" Kolobos shouted into the rocks. "LILO, CAN YOU HEAR ME?"
"LILO!" Nani shouted. "LILO!"
"It's no good, she won't hear us," said Kolobos, sighing. He then noticed Stitch was straining himself to scratch and punch through the rocks, but even with his strength, he wasn't prevailing. Kolobos had to step in and help.
"Pleakley! Spear and flashlight!" Pleakley took no hesitation in his request, tossing the items to him one at a time. Kolobos first grabbed the flashlight by the cord and shoved it into his pocket, before reaching his arm right out to catch his spear, in the stylish style he always would do. He would grasp hold of the end of his spear and twirl it a couple of times. It was his personal way of giving his mind extra feeling of control and focus. Spear in hand, Kolobos stepped over to the same spot Stitch was, leaving Stitch to step back as Kolobos started striking his spear into the ground with all his force, straining himself as he slowly started to penetrate through. After a good number of around 25 quick, strong strikes, Kolobos had managed to break a small hole through the rocks, and could feel them crumpling. Filled with aggression and determination, he threw his spear behind him, leaving Jumba to pick it up. Then, glaring at his target, he let out an angry scream as he charged at the rocks and thumpingly elbowed his way through, sending his scream with him on his fall.
"KOLOBOS!" Nani shouted, rushing over to the hole herself, with the others shortly following. Deep underground, Kolobos landed with a powerful thud, which immediately sent him screaming in pain, clinging onto his right arm that he indeed landed on.
"Kolobos, are you all right?" Nani asked from above.
"I think I broke my arm!" he replied, still inhaling heavily from the critical pain. He immediately used his left arm to pull the flashlight out of his left pocket and switch it on. Shining it forward, he could see a blue pair of flip-flops a few feet away, and could just about see an orange piece of clothing he would recognise anywhere.
"I see Lilo!" Kolobos shouted, which echoed above. Abandoning the flashlight but leaving it switched on, Kolobos used his good arm to crawl across to her, and gently nudge her a little.
"Lilo?" he whispered. "Lilo, it's Kolobos. Can you hear me?" Lilo then woke up with a little confused mumble, and took easy breaths. "Can you open your eyes?" Lilo's black eyes flickered repeatedly for a few seconds, before she was able to open them up. She could now see the light, and she could now see Kolobos at her side.
"Kolobos," she said quietly and gently. "This isn't a dream?"
"No, Lilo, it's really me. I'm here now. And you're very lucky to be alive."
"I never thought you'd find me," Lilo said. Both of them shared a smile of relief.
"She's alive!" Kolobos called upward. "But she's hurt badly. Jumba, send a crane down."
"Jumba's here?" Lilo asked.
"We're all here, Lilo," said Kolobos. "And we're gonna get you out of here." Lilo just keep breathing gently, determined to hold on, while Kolobos fully noticed the horrible state her beaten body was in.
"Oh, Lilo, I can't believe they did this to you," Kolobos said. "I'm sorry I can't untie you, I only have one good arm. But Jumba is sending a crane down now, Pleakley, Nani and Stitch are all up there, even some of the experiments are up there, everyone's there, we're gonna get you out right now."
"The crane!" Lilo said, and she and Kolobos saw it lowering down.
"All right, let's go," said Kolobos, gently grabbing one of Lilo's ropes. Back on his feet, he managed to hold Lilo by the ropes binding her and also hold on to his damaged arm as he walked over to the crane. In a difficult maneuver, Kolobos placed Lilo back down, and used his good arm to hoist himself aboard the crane, and cross his legs around the chain securely. Then by carefully leaning his bad arm around the chain, he used his good one to reach one and pick Lilo back up. Kolobos laid Lilo down on his lap, lowered his broken arm down beside her, and kept a firm grip on the chain.
"OK, Jumba!" Kolobos called upwards. "Send us back up." Upon hearing this, Jumba immediately proceeded. The lift up felt sluggish but as it turned out, the two quickly returned to higher ground, where all four stood anxiously around the hole on their return.
"LILO!" Nani and Stitch cried together, the first to show immediate signs on relief. They approached her and Kolobos with caution, knowing they were both in pain.
"Untie her and get her some water!" said Kolobos. Nani carefully took a still bound Lilo into her own arms, as Kolobos leaped off the crane himself. On landing, he immediately clenched hold of his arm, moaning in pain again. Pleakley was standing right at his side, as Jumba was still pulling the crane back in.
"My goodness, how badly does it hurt?" Pleakley concernedly asked.
"Don't worry about me right now," Kolobos replied. "Just get Lilo some water!" Pleakley followed orders, grabbing a fresh bottle of water he'd been carrying with him the way over. Laying Lilo on her back, Stitch used his claws to pierce the ropes, and then toss them away. Once she was fully untied, Lilo took a collapsing breath of exhaustion, spacing her shattered arms and legs out.
"Oh, you poor thing," Nani said, stroking her sister's battered and bruised face, welling up again at the sight.
"Who?" Nani asked, talking to Stitch now. "Who could've done this?"
"Stitch… Nani…" Lilo spoke quietly with a croaky voice. "Don't ever leave me… please…"
"Oh, naga!" Stitch firmly said. "Not leaving your side… ever."
"Me neither, sweetie," said Nani. "Your ohana is here for you now. We're gonna get you to a hospital right now."
"Here, take this," Pleakley said, coming over with a bottle of water. Using both hands, he carefully lent Lilo forward slightly, and then held the back of her head with his right hand. Using his left, he grabbed hold of the bottle, and as Lilo opened her mouth, he slowly poured some water inside her. She took the gulp of water and then breathed out with a cool, refreshed feeling.
"More?"
"Please!" Lilo rapidly answered. Pleakley repeated the procedure as before, getting Lilo more and more refreshed.
"Just take as much as you need, OK," said Pleakley.
"Thanks," replied Lilo.
"Now come on, let's get you to the hospital," Pleakley said, as he gently picked her up, and put her in Nani's arms. Pleakley jumped in the front seat with Jumba driving again, with Nani, Stitch, and Kolobos all climbing into the back. Yaarp grabbed Kolobos's spear and stored it with him, Finder and Sparky in the boot of the car. On the journey back, all three experiments leaned over the back seats, looking down on Lilo with all their hands tightly shut together, and worried expressions on their faces, all hoping she would be fine. Lilo rested on Nani's lap, but never shut her eyes. She feared that if she did, she would fall asleep and may possibly die of her injuries in her sleep.
"Kolobos," Nani started. "Can you be sure if she'll make it?"
"A lot of damage has been done to her body," said Kolobos. "She's very weak, but so strong-willed. She'll make it until we get to the hospital. From there, she'll be in good hands."
