I'm on a bit of a writing binge at the moment so i have two chapters for you this week. I do not own sonic the hedgehog or any of the characters from the games, movies or comics but I do own this story and the other characters, I hope you enjoy it.
Things Only Whispered In The Shadows
Ch20. The Road To Hell
The world passed by in slow motion as Tails sped along in Sonics trail. I grimaced every time we hit a bump or changed directions, but I wasn't about to say anything. I was focused on one singular thing, we had to get Amy back. I felt responsible for her getting kidnapped and even if I wasn't any good in a fight, I would at the very least make sure she was unharmed.
If Tails hadn't been in constant contact with Sonic then we would have trailed the kidnappers in total silence. Apparently I wasn't the only one who was worried about this whole situation. I had briefed them on the entire situation, up until they left with her, while we chased them down. Now we were all razor focused on catching up with the caravan of vans that held so many people hostage, Amy amung them. We were close enough to see the dust ahead of us in the distance and Sonic was already circling around to cut them off. Another bump jostled my already sore body, Gritting my teeth against the pain I prayed silently that things went according to plan as they so rarely did. Another bump and another flash of pain as we sped down the dwindling road.
Sonic gave the word and we were suddenly catching up to them. A few seconds later and Tails brought the Bike skidding to a sudden stop as Knuckles leapt out of the ground and landed on the front of a car full of wolves. "Lets see you drive off now!" They however didn't seem interested in getting away anymore. Five of them filed out of the car and began fighting with the echidna as Sonic dropped henchmen right and left, almost a dozen large panel vans, and an equal number of cars had been escorting them. Three men to a van and five to a car, 96 men and who knows how many innocent hostages. Sonic was fast and Knuckles was strong but that was a lot of wolves. Knuckles was on his third batch as Sonic took out another dozen on his own but we wouldn't be alone for long. I had been in enough fights to know when things weren't going well.
"Sonic, look out!" Tails pointed to something in the sky and jumed off of the bike to rush over to help as a familiar hissing sound came from the airbound vehical.
My eyes went wide as I identified the sound, "GET DOWN!" I reached back for my emerald only to find I had left it with the others. No, no i couldnt lose anyone else. I launched myself out of my seat in the sidecar and loosed my scarf. "Silver Sleeve!" Launching myself at the missile heading straight toward the vans near Sonic I deflected it just enough to miss its intended target and hitting an empty car instead only to find myself falling with no way to catch myself as another stab of pain ripped through my back. I opened my eyes as the pain subsided expecting to hit the ground, only I hadn't.
"You really should think before you go jumping at everything." I found myself floating in the air in the arms of one Shadow the hedgehog.
Looking down he was definitely floating. "How are you..."
That damned eyebrow again. I blushed as he set me down on Terra-firma and crossed his arms as I stepped away. "You get into a lot more trouble than most don't you." It was more of an observation than a question.
"What happened to call you when were ready to leave?" His perpetual scowl deepens at the question.
"Tails said Amy got kidnapped and you were injured again. You aren't much use to anyone dead and Amy is a friend." good to know where I ranked on his list of importance.
I winced again as more pain shot through my back, I had to have pulled something with that last attack. "I'll be fine and we just stopped the convoy."
Sonic and Kuckles had finished off the remaining henchmen as Tails took control of the flying ones. Shadow gave me an odd look before opening the vans up to find them crammed full of unconscious people all tied up and gagged just in case. By the tenth van we still hadn't found her. There were far more people than just the cafe had and after emptying the last two we realized that they had taken her ahead of the others.
I walked up to the biggest, baddest wolf of the lot and picked him up by the scruff on his neck with one hand, ignoring the protest of my aching back. "Where. did. they. take. her." Making sure to emphasize every word slowly so he would understand the weight my words carried.
Sweat trickled down his face as he bit back a reply and swallowed hard before opening his mouth again, glancing from me to the others and back again. "I dunno, they found out who she was and made us transfer her to another car. I swear I don't know where they take the special ones."
I tightened my grip on him and raised him up a bit higher. "What do you mean by the special ones?"
He gulped again looking even more nervous than before. "The bosses, they take the ones that mean a something to important people and use em for leverage or something. I dunno much, they don't pay me enough to know these things."
"Then think harder mutt." Shadow had stepped up beside me and now held the red emerald in one hand casually as he stared the wolf down as if he did this everyday.
"I swear I dunno where they go or what they do with em after! I only know that they go into the swamp and they don't come back out! All we hear out here is rumors n such nothing but speculation! Please!"
"Well would you look at that, he does have some manners after all." My voice was dry as the words slipped out.
Shadow scoffed and turned to walk away, "We got what we needed."
A dark look crossed over Sonics face as he nodded and Sped off in the direction I assumed was the swamp and Knuckles followed after him diving into the ground again.
"You coming Whisper?" Tails was already getting his bike going when Shadow turned back to me. Dark fury was still burning in my eyes as I decided what to do with the mangy thing I held in my hands shivering with fear. They had treated people like toys to be discarded and played with on a whim. Deciding who was important and who was disposable. A gentle hand rested on my shoulder and I snapped back to reality like a rubber band. I dropped the wolf and took a step back, nearly bumping into Shadow. The wolf crawled backward until he hit the ruined car he had come from and clambered inside locking the door and looking at me terrified. What was wrong with me? I looked at my hands shaking in fear of what I had almost done. "Are you going to be alright?" He nearly whispered the words they were so gentle. Not a hint of his normal bluster and arrogance.
Taking a shuddering breath I nod, then another as I try to calm my nerves. I was here for a reason. "I will be." He steps back before Tails has a chance to notice what had happened, the sudden empty space a void behind me as I collect myself and head back to the bike climbing in and buckling in.
I was afraid. Afraid of what might happen to Amy. Afraid we might not be in time. Afraid I might be losing it. Afraid that I might be missing something.
