Author's Note: Hello, readers! Here is chapter 9! Hope you enjoy, and for all of you who like my fanfictions, I've already come up with what I think is a pretty good idea for my next one when this is finished! Yay! Well, enough blabbing, enjoy chapter 9 and please review!
Kim's POV
We had all just realized the same thing: this little rescue mission was going to be harder than we had initially thought, and I could see Jack was mentally beating himself up over it. I crouch closer to him and whisper, "Don't worry, Jack, we can still pull this off!" To be honest, I wasn't as confident as I was playing myself off to be, but I couldn't stand to see Jack upset; he had been through enough in the past few days. He gives me a little smile, but I can see he is still worried, and I don't blame him. We sit there for another minute, just watching and waiting. I can feel the tension and nervousness from each person in our group. Finally, jack speaks up. "Does everyone remember what they have to do?" he asks. We all nod our heads "yes." He looks at us all individually and then says, "Okay, let's get moving." We all creep from our hiding place in the bushes and start moving silently up to the fortress. We don't even whisper to each other; we are too afraid that the slightest noise will give us away and get us all killed. After all, these were killers we were dealing with. I look at Jack; he looks so determined, but I can also see some fear set into his face. He looks at me, and I guess he can tell I'm a little worried (which I hate, because it must make me look weak), because he takes my hand in his. I don't object; it makes me feel safer, feeling his touch and knowing he is right there with me.
Jack's POV
After seeing that Kim looks a little worried, I reach for her hand and hold it, and I feel slightly better when I see her relax a little and she doesn't push my hand away. I like knowing she is right there with me. When I pull my thoughts away from Kim, I see that we are right up next to the wooden structure behind a tree; it was now or never. "Jerry, Eddie, Rudy, go knock on the front door," I say. I can see the fear in their eyes, but they do as I say. As soon as they knock, I hear footsteps and see the same figures that had just walked by the window come back and go to the front door. We were close enough where I could see the confusion on their faces. It made me chuckle a little silently. Kim looks at me a little weirdly and I stop. As soon as they open the door, I hear Jerry scream and then him, Eddie, and Rudy run past our hiding spot with the Maniacs in tow. Good, the plan was working so far. I just prayed that they wouldn't get caught. Once I see them disappear, I motion to Kim, Skylar, and Milton and we rush towards the window, Kim and I still holding on to each other's hands. I quickly peak inside, and when I see that the hallway is empty, I tell them and one by one we climb in, first Milton, then Skylar, then Kim, and finally me. I wince a little from the pain that shoots through my injury as I fall onto a hard floor for the second time that day. "Are you okay Jack?' Kim whispers extremely quietly, helping me up. "Yeah, I'm fine, let's move," I whisper back equally quiet, taking her hand again. If anyone hears us, we're in big trouble. We race through the hallways as quickly as we can, looking in windows and quietly opening doors a crack to see if anyone was in the rooms. I just hoped that if there was anyone in them, it would be Mr. Larks. I know we could move a lot quicker if I hadn't been injured, because they were all matching my slower pace, and that aggravated me a little bit, but I had to push the feeling aside so I could focus on us finding Skylar's dad and getting out alive. There were a couple of times where I was sure we would get caught when one or more people came down the hallway we were in, but we somehow managed to hide safely each time. Then I heard footsteps again, this time coming from both directions. We would have to duck into a room to avoid being caught. I hurriedly whisper to Milton and Skylar to follow me into the closest room, already heading there and dragging Kim with me. We make it into the room just as two people come from both directions. Unfortunately, the room we had ducked into was occupied by three others. They stare at us for a second, dumbfounded, and we stare back for the moment, shocked. Then they seem to gather their wits and come at us. I go to push Kim behind me, but instead she pushes me behind her, and I fall backwards onto the floor. She manages to knock one of them out before I get back up and move to help. "Jack, stay back, I don't want you fighting while you're injured! It'll only hurt you!" she yells, going to help Skylar and Milton. "No way, Kim," I say, kicking one of the other guys. I regret it as pain flashes through my stomach, and again I wince. She turns briefly around and gives me a look that can only mean "I told you so," then goes back to fighting. I know that she's right; I can't fight while I'm hurt, so I reluctantly stand back and watch. The one guy Kim knocked out gets back up and re-joins the fight. It lasts for about another minute; and we aren't the ones who win. The three Maniacs have restrained my three friends, I am restrained by fourth one that came in when he was passing by and heard the commotion. "Well, thank you, little pests, for bringing us Skylar!" the one holding Skylar says evilly. "This makes our job easier; now we don't have to go out and find her ourselves, and you even brought the little brat that helped her escape!" the same one continues, now looking at me. "You'll be killed along with them; we'll ask the boss what to do with blondie and scrawny," the one restraining me says, looking at Kim and Milton. I try to break free from his grasp, but he's strong, and right now, I'm weak.
"Nice try," he says, punching me in the stomach right where my wound is. The pain is too much for me to handle, and I pass out.
Kim's POV
"JACK!" I scream as the person holding him punches his injury and he passes out. I struggle to free myself from my captor and go to help him, but he is too strong. I kick, thrash, anything I think might work, but he continues to hold onto me with an iron grip. I watch helplessly as Jack's guy picks him up and carries him out of the room, then my hands are pulled behind my back and I am shoved forward, and looking beside me I see that Milton and Skylar are having the same process done to them. We are forced to follow behind the first man holding Jack and are lead into another room farther down the hallway. Milton and I are both tied up and thrown against a wall where we are pushed up into a sitting position, while Jack and Skylar are taken into another room within the room we are in. I catch a brief glimpse inside before the door closes and see a middle-aged man with graying brown hair tied up in the corner. I assume this man is Skylar's father. We're so close but, so far! I think to myself angrily. I try desperately to untie myself, but it's no use. Our only hope now, even though I hate to say it, is Jerry, Eddie, and Rudy.
Author's Note: What did everyone think? Review!