So far, Rick and LJ were still alive. They had been brought to the old high security prison and were locked in one of the cells. All screaming didn't help – nobody came and nobody cared. For the whole day, nobody had come in, nobody had brought them anything or told them anything. The prison had not been used in many, many years, but unfortunately, the doors were still holding up. No matter how much Rick and LJ tried to open them, those were steel doors that could not be opened unless you either used the electronic system or just unlocked it.
„Nobody is going to find us here," LJ complained. It was cold in here and they only had a hard bench to sit and sleep on and some very old toilet and sink that were out of order. They were hungry and thirsty and very, very afraid. All the could do was to stare at the dirty walls and talk to each other.
„Don't be so sure," Rick replied. „My father will do everything in his power to find us, and so will your dad."
„Yeah, but they're probably thinking we're prisoners on Mongo," LJ replied. „After all, April saw us getting kidnapped by a Mingship."
Since they had nothing else to do, at least they got to know each other pretty well. They talked about their lives, their families, their schools, their interests and hobbies and the places they'd been to. But after a rough night, they didn't even feel like talking anymore.
„Maybe we're supposed to starve here," LJ sighed. „Maybe that's a new method of Ming to get rid of prisoners."
„I'm sure we're going to get rescued soon," Rick said, but he didn't feel as hopeful as yesterday anymore.
They stopped talking and just sat next to each other, staring at the wall at the other side of the room. But suddenly, Rick listened very hard.
„I think someone is coming," he whispered.
„Sounds like heavy footsteps," LJ agreed.
„Probably ice robots," Rick agreed. „A human would not make this sound while walking."
„Can we take them?" LJ asked. „My karate's pretty good. Maybe we can get out of here?"
„Well, we don't have any weapons and nothing to use here as a weapon either," Rick said. „But then again, we don't have anything to lose. Let's pretend to be asleep so they'll lower their guards, and then we'll take them out."
Both boys went to lie down somewhere near the door and pretended to be asleep. The door was unlocked and in stepped a few ice robots. One was carrying two bottles of water, one a tray of food. The others were armed.
„Food!" one called, when LJ suddenly jumped up and kicked the laser gun away from one of the ice robots. Rick tried to wrestle with the other.
„Stop that!" the third armed ice robot shouted and fired his gun. It went right over Rick's head who had been thrown to the floor by the robot he was wresting with.
LJ jumped at the robot who was shooting at Rick, causing him to blindly fire around and hitting one of the other ice robots. It was all chaos, with the boys trying to get to at least one of the guns.
„Rick, get the gun!" LJ shouted. He was busy wrestling with two ice robots.
But Rick was busy too and all he could do was to kick the gun away before another ice robot could get a hold of it.
„STOP!" a very mean and cold voice said.
Everyone froze – ice robots and prisoners alike. It was Garax who stood at the door, aiming a laser gun directly at Rick's head.
„You two, move to the back of the room or I'm going to shoot one of you. I don't care which one – after Flash Gordon arrives here, everyone will die anyone. And you, grab those guns and leave the cell!"
The ice robots got up and quickly collected their guns while Rick and LJ slowly moved to the back of the room. They did not want to risk Garax actually shooting one of them.
„Let's hope your father arrives here soon, young Rick Gordon," Garax said. „Because after all of this, there will be no more food for any of you!"
„My father will not..."
„Your father has no other choice," Garax laughed.
The ice robots had left the room by now and Garax went too, firmly locking the door behind him.
„Well, shit," LJ muttered.
„Yeah," Rick agreed. „I really hope our parents won't fall for Ming's trap."
They had some food and water now, but the thought of everyone getting killed off soon weighed heavily on them.
Flash, Lothar, Mandrake and the Phantom had reached the prison by now, carefully landing at a safe spot in the mountains and then having to hike all the way up to the prison. There really weren't many ways in, and since they were on foot now, only one way was possible. But the steel front doors were tightly locked. That was when the others first witnessed the Phantom calling upon the powers of ten tigers, which were part of his inheritance – with the strenght and agility of a jungle animal he was able to climb the steep walls now and open the door for them from the inside. They hurried in after him.
„Now that was very impressive, Phantom," Flash said.
Looking around the huge empty courtyard. Mandrake shook his head. „I don't know... it seems abandoned, but there's something strange going on here. It's just a feeling I can't quite put a finger on."
„Are those for electrocution?" Lothar asked, pointing at a platform that looked like it had been used for public execution many, many years ago.
„Somebody is here, or at least was here," the Phantom stated. „Those doors can only be opened with either a key – which I don't have – or by entering a code and then pressing a button. I just pressed the button and the doors opened."
„As if someone wanted us to come in," Mandrake remarked.
„Yeah, and someone's seemingly got the generator working, otherwise a key would have been the only option," Lothar agreed.
„We all knew it's a trap," Flash said, holding his gun and looking around carefully. „But we agreed to risk it for our sons. The only other way was to attack from above and land right in the courtyard. That would have been more risky for Rick and LJ."
„There's no welcoming commitee yet so let's see if we can sneak in," Lothar suggested.
But as soon as he had said that, the doors behind them swung closed. Ice robots came from all sides and a giant hologram of Ming the Merciless appeared in the middle of the courtyard.
„Don't bother to fight," he said. „I have your offspring and if you are making trouble for me, I will start with killing his friend. If you still bother me too much, I will kill him, too."
Flash and Lothar looked at each other, relieved. So that meant Rick and LJ were still alive! Sure, they were all in trouble now, but if they didn't hear from them in an hour or two, the Space Center would send more pilots to come after them, so not all was lost. Without that backup, Flash wouldn't have walked right into Ming's trap.
„Ming!" he growled. „You will not win this, you hear me! You are a monster!"
„I do not care what you think of me, Flash Gordon. In fact, very soon, nobody will care about you for you will be gone!" Ming laughed.
The ice robots took their weapons and forced them to walk onto the podium. To their horror, they were each tied to one of the electric chairs.
„Be reasonable," Mandrake tried to argue. „There is no need to spill blood today. We walk away with the boys and you remain on Mongo."
„Oh, but there will be blood spilled today – yours, Magician!" Ming laughed. „And don't even think about trying one of your magic tricks. One of those stupid boys will most certainly pay for it."
„We need to stall," Lothar whispered. „Let's try to stall until backup arrives."
But at the same time, LJ and Rick were already dragged out of their cell by ice robots. They were fighting for their lives even though they did not know what was about to happen. But whatever it was, it wasn't going to be anything good.
„Were are you taking us!?" LJ demanded to know, struggeling against the two ice robots that were holding him.
„You, my boy, were chosen to press the button that will electrocute your parents," the ice robot laughed.
„WHAT?! No! No, no, no!" LJ screamed, throwing himself on the floor and kicking left and right. He didn't care if they shot him now, but he would and could never do something like that.
„STOP IT! STOP IT!" the ice robots shouted and nearly all of them tried to restrain LJ. Only two were still holding Rick, who had grown very pale – but was still brave enough to take his chance. He pushed one of the ice robots, who were distracted by the others trying to hold LJ, and shoved him into the crowd, and then kicked the other one off – and then ran down the dark corridor as fast as he could. He knew he could not help LJ right now but he had to find a way to help the others!
Somehow, after blindly running through empty corridor after empty corridor, he found himself in the control room. Or at the very least that's what he thought it was. There were computers everywhere and a lot of electronic devices were lining the walls. It wouldn't have made much sense to most people, but Rick took one look around and started tearing out cables and using an old chair to smash device after device. In what seemed like a blind rage, he went through the room. Screen after screen went dark – even the one that had scared Rick the most, the screen showing his father and the other three adults standing on the execution podium in the courtyard. But he had no time to check if what he had attempted to do was actually successful. When he heard noises in the distance, he went outside and led the ice robots coming after him away from the control room – until the bumped straight into Garax who grabbed him and forced him to walk along with him.
„I hope you have enjoyed your last minutes of freedom, young Gordon," the ice robot giant announced. „Because it all will end now."
„Rick! LJ!" their parents cried when both boys were brought out in the courtyard.
„Dad! Pops!"
„Silence!" Ming's hologram roared. He pointed to an electronic device near the wall. „See this little red button over there? The boy called LJ will press it – and you scumbags will finally be taken care of!"
„NO!" Lothar cried out.
„Never will I do such a thing! Never!" LJ shouted. „I'd rather be killed instead!"
„Oh, but you will do so...," Ming said, laughing his evil laugh. „Otherwise Garax over there will shoot young Richard Gordon in the head."
Everyone was silent and horrified. How much longer could they stall? They Space Center pilots would not be there in time. And one way or the other, everyone would soon be dead.
Jedda and April were standing next to the space ship out on the lawn, both being very worried. Kshin and Amy were safely inside with Kisa. After being very careful around the panther first, they now were starting to feel more comfortable around her.
„We should have heard something by now," April said, looking at her phone again – which she was doing every two minutes even though she had the volume turned up and would not have missed a call or message anyway.
„I agree," Jedda stated. „I have a strange feeling, like my father is in danger. Which... I know he is, because it's a dangerous mission, but... the feeling is getting more intense."
„That might be you worrying," April said. „I have the same feeling though. And honestly, I can't just sit around waiting anymore. We need to do something."
„I wish we could," Jedda agreed. „I don't think Kshin and Amy need protection if Ming is busy with our parents. Besides, Kisa can protect them and they can hide in the tunnels if necessary."
„Well, I've had flying lessons with Dad before," April said. „I'm not a trained pilot but... I know the basics of flying a spaceship. I bet I could get us to the Rocky Mountains. And we can google the exact coordinates of this prison."
„Whatever that means, I'm in," Jedda said. „I don't wish to be sidelined like a child. If I can help my father, I will. How fast can we be there?"
„If I fly at full speed, it won't take very long," April promised.
The girls went inside to tell the other two kids what they were planning to do.
„I want to come with you!" Kshin said.
„We're supposed to wait here," Amy reminded them.
„You will wait here," April instructed. „You know what to do in case of an emergency. Amy, you're in charge. Kisa will protect you. Stay inside, lock the door, don't let anyone in. Here's my grandfather's number, just in case."
„But..."
„Let's go," Jedda interrupted, and off they went.
April managed to get the huge ship of the ground. It was different from the small training shuttles she'd had her flying lessons in. Suddenly she didn't feel so confident anymore.
„Why are you not going full speed?" Jedda asked. She felt a bit uneasy. She'd flown with her father in a helicopter before but this was only her second ride in a spaceship.
„I need to gain height first," April replied through gritted teeth. „We need to be higher up to fly at full speed. You're my co-pilot now, Jedda. Can you type in the coordinates we've found, please?"
While Jedda was busy at the control panel, April went as high as she dared. She'd never flown a spaceship at full speed – and suddenly she was scared of her own courage. What if they could crash? What if she would kill herself and Jedda? … But what if her father and brother would die because she was too scared to act?
„Are you alright?" Jedda asked.
„I will be once we're all back home safely," April replied, grabbing the steering wheel hard. „Okay... here goes nothing... hold on tight, Jedda. We're on our way!"
