Thanks for the reviews! I took me a couple of days before I was able to read them, since there was a problem with the site. But thankfully, today I could finally read them. :)
Next chapter, and again.. A little tense one...
Chapter twenty six
Vinnie was lying on his belly on the ground of his cell. He couldn't lay on his back. The pain was immens. Everytime he moved a muscle, the pain jolted through his whole body. He gritted his teeth. He was so angry. He felt so humiliated. The fact that he was helpless made him even more angry. There was nothing he could do. He suddenly realized that he was probably gonna die in here. Nobody knew where he was. Heck, even he didn't know. At least Violet was safe. That was the most important. His stomach roared, reminding him how hungry he was. His throat was dry as a bone. Swallowing was difficult. He punched his fist on the ground in anger. His knuckles started to bleed but he didn't care. It was nothing compared to the pain in his back. Dammit. He hated it to feel so helpless. The only thing he could do right now was hope, no, pray that his bro's were gonna find hem before it is too late.
Violet and the rest of the group arrived close by Mortem. It was a weird looking building, with towers and half hidden in a cave. It didn't have a fence like the previous building they had attacked, but security was high. Heavily armed guards were walking around. Violet looked at all this and felt her hope fading away. How on Mars were they gonna get Vinnie out of there? She looked desperately at Throttle. He had the same look of despair on his face.
"Please tell me it's gonna work. Please tell me there is a way to get him out..", Violet begged, tears streaming over her face. Throttle sighed. "I… I don't know Violet. We can't just burst in. It would kill us all… including Vinnie. We need to think about this."
Carbine had a thoughtful frown on her face. "Guys! The virus! We could use the virus!"
Everybody looked at her. "And how are we gonna do that?", Modo asked.
"Listen. When you are infected with the virus, you got sick, right? So that will weaken the guards and will not be able to stop us. We go in and grab Vinnie", Carbine said, thinking out loud. But when she was saying the words, she felt there were to many buts in this plan. The others felt it too.
"And how do you plan to infect the guards?", Throttle asked.
"We need to put in a sedation arrow. We shoot it and viola, they are infected. Then we'll wait till it works."
"And how long is that gonna take? It's not like Vinnie is in some spa resort. He doesn't have that much time!", Violet said with frustration in her voice.
"And what about the guards inside?", Gaya asked.
Carbine sighed. "Violet, I know that alright? I know we need to be quick. I'm just trying to find a way to get in. And Gaya, good question… Maybe we can threaten them with infecting them with the virus if they don't cooperate."
Stoker shook his head. "Sorry Carbine, but it's too dangerous. We don't know how many fish are inside. This plan have too many holes in it."
Jake rubbed his chin. "You know, maybe the virus takes too long before it works, but what about a tranquilizer? One that works fast? If we can shoot it from a distant, they are out cold fast. We can do the same inside. It's quit, no explosions…"
Stoker patted him on the back. "Jake, you keep surprising me. That's a great idea! I think the nurses on the base have those tranquilizers. I can transform our guns, so we can shoot with the arrows. Also build a damper on it, so they don't hear us."
Carbine and Throttle nodded. "Okay, back to base to prepare", Throttle said. But Violet shook her head. "No. That's gonna take to much time. What if we are too late?"
To everybody's surprise, Carbine took Violet's hands.
"Listen Vi, I know how you feel. I would feel the same way if it was Throttle who was in that building. But you need to trust us. We can think about this more rational than you. You are overwhelmed by emotions. And I understand that. But if we act out of emotion, we are gonna make mistakes. Mistakes that will take lives. Like Vinnie's. Just trust us, okay?" and she pulled Violet into a tight hug. Violet held her tightly. "Thank you, Carbine. And okay, I'll trust you."
Carbine let her go and smiled. "Good. Well, back to base to regroup. And then we will get Vinnie out of here! Let's ride!"
Meanwhile in the dark and cold dungeon from Mortem, Vinnie was finally able to get some sleep. It took him a lot of strength to ignore the pain and relax a little. But just when he had finally drifted off, the door slammed again. Vinnie woke up again with a startl. Buddy stood for his cell. "Wakey wakey! Time for round two, tough one!"
Vinnie growled. "Leave me alone, I have nothing to say to you."
Buddy clapped in his hands. "Guards, get him."
Vinnie didn't resisted. He couldn't. The pain in his back was killing him. They cuffed him again and brought him to the 'playroom'. This time there was a table in the middle of the room. They threw Vinnie on his back on the table and Vinnie moaned in pain. The guards tied him to the table with leather belts. When they were done, Vinnie wasn't able to move his hands and feet. But he noticed they had forgotten to chain his tail. He lay his tail next to his leg, to make it look like it was also chained. Buddy came in and smiled. "Well, well, well. Look who is all ready and excited?"
"Yeah… sure… Never been so excited in my entire life. Whoopidoo", Vinnie responded sarcastic.
"You see, I figured something out. You're a tough, good looking mouse. You also have an ego bigger as this building. But what are you hiding behind that mask on your face?", he asked and grinned evil when Vinnie immediately started to struggle.
"No way man, don't you dare to touch it. You keep your filthy hands of it, you hear me?", Vinnie yelled, feeling panic. He knew he had to play cool, but he couldn't. If Buddy would take off his mask, expose him, he was going crazy.
Buddy ignored him. He walked to Vinnie's head and lay a hand on the mask.
"Then tell me, where is the virus?"
Vinnie struggled. "I don't know! The plan was to destroy it! That's everything I know, alright!?"
Buddy shook his head. "Wrong answer… again!" and he pulled a finger under Vinnie's mask.
"NO!" Vinnie's tail lashed through the air and hit Buddy right in the face. The ugly fish stumbled back and when he looked up, a red stripe was visible on his face.
"You are so gonna regret that!" and he grabbed Vinnie's tail with two hands. In one movement, he broke it, like he was breaking a stick. *KNACK*
Vinnie screamed in pain and anger. "You fucking son of a bitch!"
Buddy chained the broken tail with Vinnie's feet. Vinnie was breathing heavily and tears from pain filled his eyes. My pride and joy…
"Well, where were we? Ooohh, I remember!" and he pulled of Vinnie's mask. The right side of the face from the white mouse was full with scars. The hair almost completely gone, but on some places small stripes off white fur.
"Oh my… I understand why you are hiding it. If everybody could see what kind of monster you are… Well, I guess you didn't had such a beautiful girlfriend then! Who would want you?" and Buddy smiled.
Vinnie went ballistic. The feeling alone from the air touching the bare skin on his face, was enough for him to crack. He felt naked. Humiliated. Ugly. A monster. He tried to get loose, struggling so hard that he could feel the wounds on his back were starting to bleed again, but he didn't care. He needed to get free, to hide his face. To get away from this horrible place. To hide in the shadows. He screamed until his throat was raw. He struggled until the leather belts were cutting in his flesh. But it was no use.
Buddy waited till the mouse calmed down. "Hmmm, must have hit a sore spot. Are you done?"
Vinnie spit in his face. "You wait! Wait until I'm free again and I will destroy you! End your miserable life! Mark my words, you are gonna pay for this! One way or another! You are messing with the wrong mouse!"
Buddy wiped off his face and grabbed the white mouse by his throat. He squeezed so hard, that Vinnie wasn't able to breathe. "You still don't understand it, right? So stubborn. You are gonna DIE in here. Eventually."
Vinnie struggled to get air, but right before he passed out, Buddy let him go. Vinnie gasped for air, coughing loud. He suddenly didn't have the energy anymore to fight back. Buddy was right. He was gonna die in here… He saw the image of Violet. Her sparkling eyes, her happy face.
"I think I love you, Vincent van Wham".
He heard her husky voice in his head, saying those words. He couldn't give up. He must keep fighting. He didn't want to leave Violet. He loved her too much. Vinnie gritted his teeth. Maybe he was gonna die in here. Maybe. But not without a fight. He would do anything to have her in his arms again.
"This is getting boring, but again. Where is the virus?" Buddy asked. Vinnie shook his head, hating the naked feeling it gave him without his mask.
"How many times do I need to say it?! Are you stupid?! Do I need to spell it out for you? I DON'T KNOW! And even if I did, I would never tell you!"
Buddy sighed, acting like he was feeling sorry for what he was about to do. "Okay, your choice." He grabbed a sharp looking scalpel and made a deep cut in Vinnie's face, right through the scars. Vinnie moaned. This was too much. His body had enough. There was only that much he could take. He felt he was fading away and the world became black.
Oh my, poor Vinnie. Please review! :)