Chapter 6
They entered Allan's rooms to find him sitting at a table, Venice's blueprints spread out in front of him. Nemo entered not long after them and began discussing. Layla sat down in a chair while Sawyer stood behind her.
"So, it's clear. With da Vinci's blueprints and enough explosives he could set a bomb that would blow Venice's foundations to rubble." said Nemo.
"He's gonna sink the whole city." said Sawyer.
"Yes, and, uh, spark off his world war." said Allan.
"I'm afraid that's not the sum of our problems."
Everyone looked to see Henry walk into the room.
"Skinner, he's taken a vial of my formula." he continued.
"Are you sure?" asked Allan.
"Who else?" asked Henry. "You've seen the way the sneaky blackguard operates."
"Wonderful." mumbled Layla.
They had arrived in Venice an hour later and were trying to find somewhere to stop. They passed the carnival where people were dancing and laughing away.
"We must locate that bomb." said Nemo.
They sailed through the waters, finally getting stuck on an overpass.
"We can go no further, Captain." said Ishmael.
"All ahead stop." said Nemo.
The engines were cut and the ship stopped slowly. The doors on the side of the ship were opened, men bringing out ramps. Divers walked out along with the League.
"Deploy the divers beneath the city." said Nemo. "The explosives must be found."
The League walked down the ramp and over to Nemo.
"This city is vast. He could be anywhere." said Mina.
"What about Skinner?" asked Sawyer.
"Well, I'd be alert for his treachery." said Dorian.
Fireworks went off in the night sky, scaring everyone. They could hear cheering from the carnival.
"Bloody carnival." mumbled Allan.
"God I feared the worst." said Mina.
"It's all right, we still have-" but Sawyer was cut off by an explosion.
All of the bombs beneath the city went off, causing the entire ground to shake, making everyone try and keep their balance.
"We're too late." said Mina.
Allan ran to a corner of a building and looked within the city to see many buildings falling to the ground.
"There must be more than one bomb." he said. "Nemo. The bombs are at the city center, we must take out one key building."
"Yes! Get ahead of the collapse and destroy the next building!" shouted Nemo.
"We could interrupt the chain of destruction!" shouted Sawyer.
"With a beacon placed for the exact coordinates I could launch a rocket and take out the domino." said Nemo.
Sawyer ran off into the ship, Layla watching him go with curiosity. But her attention was turned back to Dorian.
"Well, that's ridiculous! We'd never get there in time." he said.
"There would be no room for error, but it could work." said Nemo.
"What are you talking about? Gray's right!" shouted Henry.
"I'm an immortal sir, not a gazelle." said Dorian. "How can we outrun this?"
Everyone heard an engine roar to life and turned to see Sawyer peel off the ship and stop right in front of them in Nemo's car.
"Care for a spin?" asked Sawyer.
"My hero." said Layla with a smile.
She hopped into the back seat along with Mina and Dorian while her father got into the front seat.
"Come on, Jekyll. Get in." said Allan.
"I'll need coordinates." said Nemo.
"Can you track this thing?" asked Allan.
"Of course." said Nemo.
"Then the car will be your target." said Allan. "Launch when you see the flare."
"Right." said Nemo.
"Jekyll, come on! We'll need Hyde." said Allan.
"No. Hyde will never use me again." said Henry.
"Then what good are you?" asked Dorian with a smirk.
Sawyer stepped on the gas, and the car flew forwards. Allan pulled out a map.
"Straight ahead, then turn left." he said.
"No. No. Take a right after the canal forks." said Mina.
"We must turn left to get ahead of the-" started Allan but was shut up by gunfire.
Sawyer turned the car towards the right.
"Snipers!" yelled Dorian. "Damn Skinner! He must have told them we were coming."
Dorian jumped out of the moving car and onto the pavement. About 20 men were before them shooting. Sawyer took the car off to the right to try and get away from them. Mina turned around to see Dorian running in to kill them all.
"Dorian!" she yelled.
Allan took his rifle and went to shoot the snipers. Layla was in the back seat prepping her guns for fire.
"Can't get a clear shot." said Allan.
"Then take the wheel." said Sawyer.
At the same time, Sawyer and Layla began firing at the snipers above the buildings while Allan grabbed the wheel.
"Sit down, you buffoon! I don't know hot to drive this bloody thing!" yelled Allan.
"I always told you should learn!" yelled Layla.
"Sit down!" yelled Allan again.
They both sat back down, Sawyer regaining control of the car.
"Got it." said Sawyer.
"Save your bullets. These men are mine!" said Mina.
She flew from the car and climbed up the side of the building. Layla and Sawyer both looked up amazed.
"Did you see that?" they both said in unison.
"Did you see what she just did?" he asked.
"Keep your eyes on the bloody road!" yelled Allan.
Pieces of building were falling and Sawyer rammed right into one. They drove through an alley way where above them were shooting.
"It's a gauntlet!" yelled Sawyer.
"The vampire lady has us covered." said Allan.
They all looked up to see Mina taking care of the men above the rooftops.
The car was still driving through the streets as they passed a tanker. The Fantom was getting ready to leave when Allan spoke.
"Remember the flare. I'm off. Layla, come on!" he shouted.
"What?" said Sawyer.
"Don't forget. You're the target!" yelled Layla as she kissed Sawyer on the cheek.
Allan and Layla jumped from the car and landed on the pavement. They began running after the Fantom through the streets. The civilians were running away, trying to find somewhere safe to hide from the buildings. Layla stopped in the street when she saw the flare go up in the air.
"Bravo, boy." said her father.
The buildings stopped collapsing and everyone stood around, not believing their eyes.
"Layla, go back to the ship and make sure everyone is safe. If no one is back yet, go look for them." said Allan.
"All right." she said.
She made her trek back to the ship, but it wasn't an easy one. She had to take more detours seeing as how half the city was now in ruins.
Layla made it back to the docks to see many men on cots. She decided to help in any way she could. She was fixing up a young man when she heard her father.
"The Fantom is M." he said. "And the hunt is still on."
"What are you talking about?" asked Henry.
"The Fantom is M. The very man who recruited us." said Allan as he rubbed his shoulder.
"Let me see." said Layla as she walked up towards her father.
"No." he said.
"But how?" asked Nemo.
"We'll get our answers. Where are the others?" asked Allan.
"Dorian's missing in action." said Mina. "And Mr. Skinner must have fled when he realized we knew."
Allan looked around the rest of the people, looking for someone.
"And Sawyer?" he asked.
Layla went to reply that he wasn't back yet when a voice spoke up.
"He'll live to fight another day." said Sawyer.
He walked towards the rest of the people when Mina stepped in front of him. She put her finger towards his bleeding head and Sawyer looked a bit scared.
"Don't worry. I've had my fill of throats for this evening." said Mina.
Layla looked at the two with jealousy in her eyes. She looked away and saw Ishmael threatening to fall over his own feet.
"Ishmael!" she yelled, running towards him.
"Captain." he said. Layla helped lower him to the ground as Nemo, Allan, and Henry ran up. "It was Gray. Not Skinner. Gray's tricked us all."
Ishmael exhaled his last breathe, dying in Layla's arms. She gently laid him down on the ramp as clanging metal was heard. Everyone stood and looked up to where the sound was coming from.
"What is it?" asked Sawyer.
"The sound of treachery!" yelled Nemo.
Everyone ran on deck as a small metal ball fell from the ship and into the water. They went to the other side of the ship to see Dorian in the small vessel.
"What is that thing?" asked Sawyer.
"My exploration pod." said Nemo.
Dorian blew a kiss to everyone as he swam away.
"We can track it." said Allan.
"I intend to catch it!" said Nemo.
Another chapter for everyone!!