It took a half an hour before the Bohemians reached the entrance to the bomb shelter.
"Well, guess this is it," Maureen chuckled. "Think we'll all get through this all right?"
"With the best of luck," Joanne replied.
"Might take more then luck," Collins pointed out, before glancing up at the heavens. "Watch over us, Angel, baby." Collin's words were met with a brief respectful silence.
"Yeah. You too, Zack," Emily finally added. "You watch over us tonight, too, okay?" Emily's contribution to Collin's prayer made the Bohemians stop for a moment. Even though they had always known it, it wasn't until this moment that they fully comprehended that fact that Emily had never known Angel. As if sensing their unease, Emily smiled. "Hey, don't you be walking on eggshells or anything like that just because she and I never got a chance to meet. I understand she meant a lot to you, just like how Zack meant a lot to me. At least I can say I'm able to relate. Now, how's about we start trying to get Penny back?" And so, after Roger and Mimi & Maureen and Joanne had shared their 'good luck' kisses, the group split into their designated teams. The plan to rescue Penny had begun.
"Officer Kurtz?" Joanne's voice called through the police radio within the squad car.
"Yes, Miss Jefferson," Officer Kurtz answered. "What's the news?"
"The others are moving in now. Roger, Collins and Maureen have entered the bomb shelter, and Mark, Mimi and Emily have left to reach their entry point."
"Thanks, Miss Jefferson. Keep me posted."
"Will do." The second Officer Kurtz returned the mouthpiece to the holder, a second call came through.
"Miss Jefferson?"
"No," the voice of one of Officer Kurtz's fellow cops answered. "It's Officer Stewarts. I just got off the phone with the Chief. That drug dealer, the one who told us where to find the Rat Fangs. He's gone."
"What do you mean, 'gone'?"
"I mean he's escaped."
"What? How?"
"We're still trying to figure out, sir."
"Never mind," Officer Kurtz groaned. "For now, let's just concentrate on the matter at hand. We can track him down again some other time." However, as Officer Kurtz returned his focus on the current mission, he could not shake the feeling that the news of the Man's escape was more serious then it seemed.
Penny crouched huddled in the dark closet where the Rat Fangs had placed her the moment she had arrived at the warehouse. She still could remember the sight of Emily running after the car, a panicked look on her face. Penny knew that Emily would be coming to find her, sooner or later. Emily had promised time and time again that she would always protect her, and Emily never broke her promises. In the dark, Penny hugged Mr. Twiggers closer. Try as she might, she couldn't help but feel scared all the same.
"I wanna go home," she whispered. "Emily, where are you?"
At that present time, Emily was closer then Penny might have thought.
"Okay, who wants to go up the hazardously old-looking ladder first?" Mark chuckled nervously, studying the ancient fixture, which was covered in a thick layer of rust.
"You don't have to go up if you're unsure, Mark," Emily stated. "I'd understand."
"No," Mark shook off any wariness, reminding himself that the life of his friend's daughter was at stake. "I said I was going to help, and I am."
"If it helps, just pretend you're climbing the fire escape back home," Mimi offered. In the end, Mimi was the one who led the way up the ladder, followed by Emily, with Mark taking up the rear. The journey up the ladder went surprisingly well. Right before Mark was able to join Mimi and Emily up on the roof, however, the rung he had been placing his weight on snapped off completely. For the briefest moment, he was seized by the instant sensation of falling, but then, with only a second to spare, Mimi and Emily grabbed hold of his arms and worked together to hoist the filmmaker up the rest of the way.
"Close one," Mimi laughed.
"Yeah. Thanks guys," Mark smiled.
"Hey, told you before, Mark," Emily replied. "I don't want anyone else dying for my sake."
Inside the warehouse, a hatch in the floor opened, and Collins scanned the room.
"Looks like it's an all clear," he announced, climbing out of the bomb shelter, Roger and Maureen close behind.
"Hey, looks like a normal warehouse," Maureen stated, looking around at the piles of boxes surrounding them. "Are you sure this is the right place?" As she spoke, she placed a hand on one of the boxes. However, she obviously pushed too hard, or the boxes were just unstable to begin with, for they fell over, spilling the contents onto the warehouse floor. Roger's eyes fell upon the large amount of white powder, recognizing it immediately. The second he identified it, he could instantly feel a sudden craving deep in his veins. Despite how long he'd been clean, the craving would always be there until the day he died. It was like poison ivy. It drove you crazy if you did not scratch, but you knew that scratching the itch would make it worse.
"Yes, Maureen," Roger replied roughly, tearing his eyes away, forcing himself to resist. "I think this is definitely the right place." With that, Roger started to walk off, Collins and Maureen soon following his example.
Mark, Mimi and Emily crouched down behind a box-filled metal shelf, momentarily shocked by what they saw. The entire room was filled with Rat Fang members. Some were stacking boxes on other shelves, while others were distributing drug-filled bags to waiting drug dealers.
"I wouldn't be surprised if every drug dealer in the city was here," Mark stared in wonderment.
"Ooh," Emily suddenly breathed.
"What is it?" Mimi blinked, seeing the stunned look on her face.
"It's just that… most of these people actually knew my dad. Rather weird thinking that, you know?"
"Ow," Mark hissed suddenly as something small and hard collided with his temple. Looking down, he noticed a bottle cap from a bottle of stoli.
"Hey, that's from the same brand Collins buys," Mimi mused on closer examination. In realization, the trio glanced over to see Roger, Collins and Maureen were hiding behind the stack of boxes nearby. After making sure the members of the Rat Fang Gang weren't looking, they quickly moved to join them.
"No problems getting in, I hope?" Emily whispered.
"Nope. Angel and Zack must really be looking out for us," Maureen grinned. At that moment, a door opened across the room, and a six-foot-tall man walked in. He was of mixed heritage, so no one could accurately place him under any racial category, but there was a jagged scar beneath his right eye, which were blue-gray in color. The moment he entered the warehouse, the other Rat Fangs stopped what they were doing. This man was most definitely their leader.
"Welcome back, boss," One gang member, the one who had posed as Colmillo, greeted Kingpin.
"Did your mission go well?" Kingpin asked.
"Yes. We have the child. I can fetch her, if you wish."
"If I didn't want you to fetch her, I wouldn't have asked." Colmillo immediately hurried off, returning soon afterward with a seven year old child who as clutching a stuffed bunny like a security blanket.
"Penny," Emily moaned, seeing the small girl being pushed down in front of Kingpin.
"Hey there, cutie," Kingpin spoke in mock concern. "There's no need to be scared. No one here will hurt you. Once Miss Goodhall delivers the formula, then you can go skipping off on your merry way."
"Emily told me all about you people," Penny replied. "You're wasting your time. She'd never help you."
"If she values your well-being, I really think she will," Kingpin bent down so his face was an inch from Penny's. "Between you and me, I really hope she comes through. I'd hate to have to hurt my biological daughter." From their hiding place, the Bohemians all froze on hearing this.
"His biological daughter?" Mark gasped.
"What... do you mean?" Penny blinked.
"Look closely," Kingpin grinned deviously. "You've got my eyes." Penny glanced up at Kingpin's eyes and saw they were the same shade of blue-gray as hers. "My condolences about your mother, my poor child," Kingpin continued to taunt, this time taking a hold of Penny's chin between his thumb and index finger. "She was one of the best wenches I've ever had between the legs." Even though Penny didn't fully understand what Kingpin meant by what he said, she could tell by his tone that it wasn't pleasant. In retaliation, she bit down into Kingpin's index finger- hard.
"AHH!" Kingpin snarled. "YOU LITTLE…" Kingpin snatched a chain from a gang member who was standing nearby. From the Bohemian's hiding place, Collins felt something brush up against his shoulder hard, almost as if a rampaging rhino had charged past him. The next second, he realized what it was. Emily had abandoned their hiding place, and in a flash, she was between Kingpin and Penny, where she used her left arm as a shield. As a result, instead of coming down on Penny, the chain Kingpin was using like a whip wrapped itself around Emily's arm. The force of the blow caused the chain's links to cut into Emily's skin, drawing a slight flow of blood. However, so great was Emily's adrenaline-fueled rage, her brain failed to register pain.
"No…one…hurts…my…daughter," Emily snarled, shaking in absolute fury.
"What?" Kingpin was momentarily startled by Emily's sudden appearance.
"Guys!" Emily shot out an order to her friends. "Take Penny! Go!" Mark, acting on instinct, dashed out to get to Penny. But as soon as he got to her, he found they were surrounded by gang members. One of them tried to bring a switchblade down on them, but Penny suddenly used Mr. Twiggers as an improvised weapon, and swung the stuffed bunny in an arc. The switchblade sliced into the toy's belly, leaving an inch-and-a-half-long slash. In an instant, Collins and Roger had appeared and started holding the gang members off.
"Hey, Mark! You heard Emily!" Collins demanded. "Get the kid out of here." Obediently, Mark led Penny to the entryway to the bomb shelter. Once they reached it, Mark lowered the girl into the opening.
"Penny, listen to me. Follow this passage to get out. Take the first exit you come to. Joanne's waiting for you there."
"What about Emily and you guys?" Penny questioned in concern.
"We'll be fine. Now hurry before we're caught," Penny turned and hurried off with Mr. Twiggers in tow. No sooner that she was out of sight, a random gang member grabbed Mark from behind and dragged him back to the middle of the warehouse, where the filmmaker immediately saw that the others had all been captured.
"Mark, where's Penny?" Emily asked the second she saw him.
"She got out," Emily sighed in relief.
"At least she's safe." Kingpin suddenly cuffed the back of her head roughly.
"Too bad the same can't be said for you," he snarled.
Joanne looked up instantly as the door to the bomb shelter opened and Penny emerged.
"Oh, Penny!"
"Hi, Miss Joanne!" The girl grinned at seeing a familiar face.
"Where's everyone else?" Penny's smile disappeared instantly.
"They got caught," For almost a minute, Joanne was frozen. Then she went for the radio.
"Officer Kurtz, there's a problem."
"What sort of problem?"
"Penny's gotten out okay, but the others are still inside! The Rat Fangs got them." It took Officer Kurtz a while to respond.
"Da-n it!" he growled. Then, as an afterthought, "Penny, don't repeat that."
"I won't."
"What are we going to do?" Joanne asked the cop.
"We have no choice now. We have to move in, and hope that they're all still…. Miss Jefferson, you and Penny just stay there. And try to stay hopeful."
"I… I understand," Joanne whispered as the tears of worry and anguish began to fall. "Oh, Maureen, you guys. Please be all right."
AN: I'm sorry if anyone thinks this chapter jumped around too much. Many times, I was trying to find a way to tie scenes together. Hope it didn't hurt the story too much.
A little warning in advance. The next chapter might cause the rating for this fic to increase. It depends on your opinion on where the line between T and M resides.
Also, there are only two chapters left to be posted, plus an epilogue. They may be up tonight or tomorrow. Can't say for sure. Until next time...