I do not own any characters or ideas created by Eoin Colfer
A/N I'm back! I'm going to try and make this chapter as good as possible. I'm glad you're enjoying my story so far:) People are reading my first FF! Whooooo! Well… I didn't mean to say that but… ummm… on with the story!
Chapter 9- Haven's Price
Mulch Diggums was more bored than he usually was at Police Plaza. Everyone was bored except they didn't show it as much as him.
"I'm BOOOOORED!" Mulch shouted around the table for the fifth time.
"You'll be more bored in jail, Diggums so shut up!" Sool shouted back. They were in the Ops. Booth, waiting. Sool had sent a "crack team" of officers to spy on the factory. With the cave blocked, they had had had to take the long way to the factory. Mulch surveyed everyone. They were definitely bored. Then he couldn't take it.
"I'll be outside," he said grumpily as he picked up his suit.
"I don't think it would be smart to waste the filters, Mulch," Foaly said for the first time. He hadn't spoken since their narrow escape.
"Fine, then I'll be somewhere in the building," Mulch responded.
"You're not going to be walking around the LEP building unsupervised! You're a part of the rebel gang and you have escaped from jail and been in jail many times!" Sool exploded. However, Mulch wasn't listening. He walked out the doors and disappeared around the corner.
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Johnson was sitting in a comfy chair inside his factory. Actually, it was Gordon's factory because he had worked a lot to rebuild it and it was time he got some more responsibility.
"There! I got it Gordon! I know how to get the Fowl kid!" Johnson suddenly screamed in triumph. Gordon jumped up in surprise because of the sudden noise.
"Yes sir?" he asked casually. Johnson turned his swivel chair to face Gordon. He told him his idea. "I don't know sir… I think they would cook up a plan to counterattack our demand."
"You worry to much, Gordon. There's no way they're getting in here. Contact me to that idiot commander Sool," Johnson said assuring.
"Yes sir," Gordon said sighing. I don't think we're going to get away with this without a bloodbath.
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Sool looked on at Mulch until he disappeared around the corner. I'm going to go all buzz baton on your ass when you're in jail, Diggums. They sat around the holographic projector in silence. Suddenly, the screen flickered to life.
"Hello fairies, Fowl," Johnson, said in the screen as he nodded at them. Artemis had had no time to hide.
"Hello, Johnson," Artemis said with such ice in his voice that even Sool was surprised.
"What the hell do you want, Johnson?" Sool said angrily. Johnson smiled his evil grin.
"I'm here to announce Haven's price."
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Mulch walked down the hall. He sat down thinking of somewhere to go. Then he heard a flicker and voices. Mulch knew when a TV or in this case a communicator screen turned on, even down the hall. Mulch ran down the hallway. Finally a report! He stopped at the doorway and didn't see the LEP officers. Instead he saw a smiling, old man in shades.
"I'm here to announce Haven's price," the man, which Mulch knew was Johnson, said. Everyone including him tensed. It wasn't going to be good and they all knew it.
"I want Artemis Fowl, his associates, and two metric tons of gold," Johnson spoke the last five words mockingly at Artemis. Everyone turned to him. Artemis didn't think about the deamnd for a second.
"Of course. I'm in." Butler and Juliet nodded just a split second behind. Johnson couldn't help looking annoyed. Mulch thought that Johnson's look of annoyance was because of the acceptance of Artemis, Butler, and Juliet.
"Meet me in the dessert," Johnson spat. The screen changed to the coordinates of the arrest.
"Write it down," Sool told Trouble. The screen went dead.
"OK" Trouble said shakily. Holly and Mulch tried saying something but Butler stopped them.
"I don't think we're going in peacefully. Do you?"
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The LEP cruiser was coming closer to the coordinates. A troll stood there, on its hind legs. The cruiser stopped and the group of officers, rebels, and humans walked out. The light over the troll's head was green- at the moment. He made a gesture with his hand that meant they needed to follow. Foaly grimaced. This was going to be slightly problematic if they were going to go through with their plan. Yet they had a backup plan, and it was going to work. Artemis, Butler, Juliet, Holly, Sool, Trouble, Foaly, Lenz, and Sotter walked toward a now visible speeder "tweaked to hold more people. Three more trolls stood there, some kind of blasters at the ready. When the group got closer, the leading troll took out electrocuffs. Holly suddenly jumped up to Artemis.
"Don't go! It's not fair! That Johnson bastard! We can give him lots of gold just don't go!" she wailed at Artemis.
"I must do this, Ms. Short. Now don't let them see you cry," Artemis rehearsed. Johnson walked out of the speeder.
"How cute! The fairy "wuvs" the human!" he cried triumphantly.
"What the hell do you want!" Holly shouted back.
"I want the kid," he said as if he was asking for a pillow at a sleepover. Mission success. Artemis and Holly were only supposed to draw out Johnson if he was in the speeder. He wanted to gloat and sneer so he revealed himself. Butler looked at his watch. Artemis knew he was thinking the same thing. Holly's stalled them long enough. He should be here soon.
"Hey, where's the other one? You were all supposed to come!" he snarled. Everyone just grinned.
An engine roared near them. Everyone looked around, and saw their speeder driving toward them from the other side of Johnson's speeder. Mulch had gone all around the perimeter. With the cannons ready, Mulch fired at the other speeder. About another four trolls managed to scramble out before the speeder they were once in exploded. Metal flew everywhere.
"Artemis, drop!" Butler shouted as he tackled Artemis. Most of the metal hit Butler. Just tiny scraps fell on Artemis. But everyone got showered with the remains of Johnson's speeder.
"Oh, crap!" Johnson shouted to no one in particular. "My freakin' speeder! You blew it up!" Johnson shouted. Mulch continued driving like a mad-dwarf, trying to run Johnson and the trolls over. The group took out Neutrinos (Holly had been given the new version by Foaly!) and began to fire. The trolls returned the fire. Johnson took out a pistol modified with fairy technology. When he shot, a plasma bullet came rushing out toward the target that was Sool. He just barely managed to duck behind a boulder. Artemis, Butler, and Juliet ran across the hot dessert, avoiding getting shot as much as possible, which was quite easy considering there were only about ten shooters. Foaly was armed with a small electric pistol (courtesy of Mulch) but he was hiding behind a boulder, peeking across at the battle and squeezing off a couple of shots every so often.
"Juliet, you take care of Artemis, OK?" Butler told her once they were safe behind a boulder. She accepted reluctantly. This is my one chance to get Johnson myself. Artemis was angled perfectly so that Johnson would have to turn the whole way around to spot Artemis.
"If you're going to take care of me, you have a big job ahead of you," Artemis said through gritted teeth.
"Don't you dare…" Juliet started, but it was to late. Artemis was sneaking toward Johnson in a crouch like position. Then he broke into a sprint. Juliet followed. She tried tackling him as Butler had, but Artemis proved quite elusive.
"What the…" Johnson didn't have time to finish because next thing he knew, he was tumbling down the little hill he was on with Artemis clinging to his back. Johnson turned around in the floor to face Artemis. You saw it in a movie. You can do it too. WHACK! Artemis punched Johnson right across the face. He hurt his hand, but other than that, he felt good. He punched Johnson several more times until he grabbed Artemis by the throat and threw him off. Damien, bloody nosed and angry, charged for Artemis. His white-hot fury seemed to gush out of him. Just before he could reach Artemis, Juliet came from behind and kicked his back. He collapsed instantly. Artemis and Johnson scrambled to their feet. They both charged at each other but Juliet tore in the middle and punched Johnson hard. He fell back, his face bleeding and landed on the feet of one of his trolls.
"Kill them!" he shouted angrily at the trolls. They charged, but this gave the opposing team an advantage. The others spun and shot the trolls from behind them while they charged for Artemis and Juliet. All the trolls lay scattered on the dust. Johnson was just stunned. The sand flew around everyone quite violently.
"Can there be sand storms in the underground?" Artemis asked. The question was answered instantly. The dust filled the air and they almost couldn't breath. One incredibly strong puff of wind knocked Artemis back so that he hit a boulder. Another, sleeker and smaller speeder appeared. Johnson climbed on and it flew away.
"They can't get far in that little thing!" Foaly shouted at the group. Mulch opened the door and they followed. The speeder moved through a cluster of rocks. It was like a maze of giant and small rocks and boulders in there! This was where the small speeder had an advantage. It dove in and out of the boulders. The rocks protected them from the storm, so they were safe. Finally, Johnson lost them.
"Johnson escaped!" Sool said angrily and hopelessly.
"But Artemis got away to," Foaly reminded him.
They were all still safe and not in clutches of a madman. For now. It took several minutes to get out of the maze. They then fought the storm back into Haven. The air was thick with smoke. It seemed like all hope was gone. But it wasn't. There was still some hope. But that hope was to capture Johnson, and that seemed quite a difficult task.
A/N I hope you liked the chapter! I can't honestly say I'm almost done the story, but that's the way I like it. Nice and long! I hope you do too ;; I might be away in the Big Apple for some time so; I'll try to post the next chapter quickly! Thanks for reading my story. Until next time! REVIEW!