Chapter Four-In and out
Across the mall from where Coal and Kagu were shopping, two others were also getting some work done.
"It's a cute dress, but I don't think pink is my color." Samus said, holding up the dress so that Torina could see it.
"It is cute, but, I agree: no pink."
"Are they still in line?" Sam asked.
"No, they're at the cash register. Kagu's pushing the buttons at the bottom of the card slider randomly."
Samus giggled quietly. "What's Coal doing?"
"He looks exasperated. And pushed the button on the touch screen."
Sam giggled again. "Those two need to get together."
The prickle on the back of Coal's neck wouldn't go away. He had to keep telling himself not to look back, to act normal, to say something, to pretend indifference. He envied Kagu, who acted as if nothing was wrong in the world. Though in her eyes, he could see fear and caution; eyes constantly roving the crowd.
"-but, really, I don't think this necklace matches the sweater." Kagu held up the sweater and necklace.
"It doesn't." Coal said bluntly.
Somebody hit him in the back of the head and Coal tumbled to the floor, out.
Kagu dealt the security guard a smile, and, pulling out her cell phone, she walked out of the store. "Hey, Nickie…Yeah, it's done. Your man is bringing him in now…O.K…. Thanks, Nickie." Kagu snapped the phone shut and strode confidently out of sight of the federation agent.
Coal felt like he was waking up for the second time that day. His headache was back. But he was not comfortable. A rope around his chest prevented him from falling on his face. As Coal's senses gradually returned, he became more aware of the rope cutting into his ankles as well as the rope that bound his wrists to a pole. Furious, he began straining against the cords.
"They're too strong, kid. It takes a key to get out of these." A grandfatherly voice whispered.
Craning his neck, Coal saw somebody he had only seen before from a distance. "Admiral Dane?"
"Yup. Who are you? How did you end up here?"
"I'm Coal, I work for you. And I don't know. How did you end up here?"
The admiral shrugged. "I came to Earth to interview a young lady that wanted a job. But I told everybody else I came here for some rest."
"Looks like you got it." Coal commented.
Admiral Dane looked at him as best he could through a black eye. "I've felt a lot worse, believe me. As a matter of fact, I think these people have dealings with Space Pirates and a big traitor in the Federation."
"Do you mean General Hoggard?" Coal asked, leaning against the pole.
Dane frowned. "I thought it might've been him. But I didn't think he would dare-"
"Hey you! Stop chatting!" A guard in pieces of armor pretended to hit Coal with the butt of his gun as he passed.
"Of course not. How could you expect two…grand…people to not get reacquainted?" Coal replied.
The guard swerved around and leaned into Coal's face. "I don't. I expect them to get hit before they understand: no talking between prisoners!" The guard straightened up and kicked Coal in the stomach before stomping off.
"Jerk." Coal muttered.
"Moran."
"I like mine better." Coal grumbled again.
Of a sudden, alarms began blaring and guards began running.
"What's happening?" Coal asked.
"Intruders." Dane said, his voice low.
"Could we over poser a guard and get the keys to these ropes?" Coal asked eagerly.
"No. We don't have a way of getting out of the ropes first."
"Hey. Hey you." a female voice echoed over the loudspeaker. "I'm talking to you, Admiral Dane."
"This chick reminds me of Kagu." Coal complained to the old doffer next to him.
"This is Kagu. ("Oh, great!") If you really, really need to get out of those hi-tech, old fashioned cuffs, ask for some-oh shoot!"
"Kagu, did you forget the keyword, again?"
"That sounds like Torina." The admiral mused.
"No, I did not! I always remember something like that!"
"Guys, we need to go." ("And that is Samus.") Get to your positions and don't mess up!"
The microphone was dropped to the floor, echoing the clunk throughout the warehouse. Orders were yelled out to guard the prisoners and make-shift, half armored young people began to line up in front of Coal and Dane, facing away from them.
"What do we do?" Coal mouthed.
Dane just shrugged.
"Is it me, or am I getting warmer?" a ragtag guard whispered to his friend. An orange light reflected off the walls, and through the crowd, Coal could hear the cackle of fire. He and the admiral looked at each other, eyebrows raised.
"Who's that?"
"Not likely anyone we know."
"What're you doing gawking?"
"She's hot!"
"You're not here to flirt, fire at the female!"
"Oh, shoot!" Coal cried out and the ropes slackened with mechanical whirring. "So, that's how it works!"
Come on! Let's help!" Dane cried, throwing himself on the guards in front of him.
Coal, on the other hand, looked up helplessly to a row of guns pointed at his face. "Would you mind putting those guns away? My wife doesn't care, but I'm a very timid fellow."
"You idiot." Somebody behind the guards said fondly.
As the guards began to turn, they also began to fall, blood gushing from deep slashes. At the center of the fallen Crows, Torina stood, sword and pistol in hands.
"Stand on up, we have to get out here. Admiral, come on, let's go!"
"Hand on a sec!" The admiral yelled back, breaking a guard's neck.
"Dane, come on!" Kagu appeared out of nowhere, grabbed the admiral by a torn sleeve and almost literally dragged him around the corner; Torina and Coal following close behind.
"What happens now?" Coal asked, racing after the others through the door into a dark hallway.
"We go out into the alleyway." Kagu panted lightly, all joking demeanor gone.
"And then?" Coal asked as they veered the corner bursting through another door to sunlight.
"We keep running; we're too near enemy territory!" Torina called over her shoulder as she and Admiral Dane took the lead. "You guys see Sam?" Torina asked, shoving the admiral into a side alley as some rag tag guards appeared ahead of them and fired.
Coal and Kagu swerved after them, glancing over their shoulders. "I do not see her, Rina." Kagu called up to her.
"That is alright, we will just-"
"Halack!" A cord wrapped around Dane's chest and yanked into another side alley. A man in a black, hooded cloak wrapped his arm around the admiral, jumped to the top of the buildings and ran on the roof tops.
Kagu snarled, ran up the side of the wall, jumped, and landed on the roof, immediately giving chase.
Torina skidded to a stop and turned to Coal. "Stay here, and if Samus comes, tell her what happened."
"And if she doesn't?" Coal called after her as she also ran up the wall; landing lightly on the roof.
"Start praying!" Torina yelled over her shoulder as she raced after Kagu.