Author note: just letting you know there will be some strong language in this chapter, hope it doesn't offend anyone.
Chapter nineteen
The motorway
George led us out of town we drove down the motorway in the darkness of the early night, as we drove further and further away from the bright lights of the town the sky suddenly played host to millions of stars twinkling at us from the heavens urging us to keep going, to not give up.
"Wow." Said Jack at the side of me, she had lived in the countryside all her life (she had told us) and never got tired of the night sky. Other than the sudden outburst from Jack the van was silent everyone was pondering the events that were soon to come, we were walking willingly into Baxter clutches, this was surely a trap, everyone knew that. However that didn't matter we had to help Wendy.
You could have cut the atmosphere in the van with a knife it was that thick. George told John to pull off at the next exit and we readied ourselves.
"It's just up ahead." Said George pointing at an old factory a little way off in front of us, no longer in use the dismal building looked depressing and eerie, not the best place for a 12 year old girl to spend the night.
"Pull up here John." I said and he did so, this whole thing might be a trap but that didn't mean we have to play right into Baxter's hands. "We can't just walk in there; we need some sort of plan."
"Why have you got one?" asked George keeping to his tradition of questioning my every move.
"Actually yes." I said, my mind whirling a plan forming in my mind. "Mark you got your laptop?"
"Yeah." He said picking up his bag.
"Good, im gunna need you to find something for me." I said.
Ten minuets later we were set, Mark, having used his wireless laptop connection had found the design of the building on the internet, had found that the old factory had good sturdy, large vents running around the whole of the building perfect for crawling through , to say the managers office where a young girl was being held captive. Scanning the surrounding area with sets of telescopes (never should leave home without them) Jack and Will had spotted four different guards patrolling the outer wall and two more around the building itself. Now sat across the road, headlights off we pondered what to do next.
We had to do something soon Will couldn't keep still, sat at the side of me he was restless; it was obvious this whole thing was killing him.
"Ok guys time to get moving." I said conscious of my friend's current state; he seemed to brighten up at the prospect of getting a move on "the guards outside the actual building are constantly moving, it'll be easy to get to the wall where the vent is when it's unguarded. But with the outer wall the guards are stationary, we need a distraction. Any ideas?" I asked.
The others thought for a moment, there faces the picture of quiet concentration, well everyone except George. He smiled slyly at me, trying to catch my eye, at dinner earlier he had said he liked it when I talked like the boss, he liked independent women. Well he wasn't going to get anywhere like that; I ignored him still not happy with him.
Jacks face suddenly altered, she smiled and began to rummage in the bag she took everywhere with her. We all watched as she took out a test tube and an assortment of dangerous looking liquids. She began to mix some of them together in the test tube, stopped, put on the stopper and carried on rummaging. She found what she was looking for, a small bottle of bright blue liquid.
"This is a mixture of extremely flammable liquids" she said holding up the first test tube "this is an exceptionally sensitive substance; it will react with just about anything." She said holding up the second "but mix the two and you get not only a big bang but thick smoke, the perfect distraction." She finished putting it in laymen terms for the rest of us.
"Good" I said smiling at her "let's go then."
We got into position, leaving the van where it stood we split up, Mark, Will and John heading one way and waiting in the shadows, Me, Jack and George going the other. And I'll tell you now I wasn't best pleased about that, but since we were heading to the factory first George had to come with us.
We reached the ally across the road from the factory (we had decided to set Jack's safe explosion off there) and Jack began to pore out the first liquid. My eyes wondered from Jack to George, he was dressed in his Crusader clothes holding his mask in one hand, his muscled chest rising and falling from the run, his blond hair messy and wild curtained across his bright blue eyes, eyes lighting up the whole ally. His face was filled with an interesting mixture of excitement, dread and hope that I couldn't tare my gaze away from.
No! Stop right there Robin! I scolded myself, keep focused.
"Ready?" Asked Jack running to around the corner to where George and I stood.
"You guys ready?" I asked into my earpiece.
"Yeah." The others replied.
"Ready." I said.
Jack through the second bottle and shouted.
"Run."
We did clearing the area and hiding behind the van just as the chemicals reacted, a huge boom erupted from the ally, and as we'd hoped the four guards went to check it out, they obviously hadn't heard of distractions. We ran through the factory gates and hid in the shadow of the wall looking up at the factory.
"Ok now." I said into my earpiece instructing the others to join us.
The other three now stood with us, we waited for the right moment. It came when the two guards stopped to talk and watch there colleagues trying to figure out what had caused the bang and the smoke. We kept low until we reached the wall, once there we straightened up our backs to the wall. The vent sat loftily up the factory wall; no one was tall enough to reach that. John knotted his hands and gave me then Jack a boost up, once inside the cramped, rusted vent just big enough for a few teens to crawl through, we stuck Marks electronic rope dispenser (I think I've said it before but he has way too much time on his hands) to the vent roof, the rope was dropped and the others climbed up.
Slowly we crawled through the vent, not sure really where we were going it was difficult not to get lost, meeting a fare few dead ends trying to make our way through the confined, sticky vent was frustrating.
"Dead end." Said Mark, as we sat face to face with another sheet of metal.
"Again?" asked Jhon "couldn't you just pull up a map or somat on your laptop?"
"I would but I left it in the car." Replied Mark.
"Oh great, we'll never get to Wendy at this rate" said Will aggravated "we'll be stuck in this stupid vent for the rest of our lives!"
I turned away from the wall and my arguing friends blowing my fringe off my face, in mid turn I accidentally hit George.
"Ouch!" He winged "that's the fourth time you've kicked me in here!"
"Well that time it was an accident." I snapped back, I have no comment on the other three times.
"Yeah, right." He mumbled thinking I couldn't hear him.
"What did you just say?!" I snapped glairing at him.
"Nothing." He said trying to avoid another argument.
"Yeah whatever nothing, im not bloody death you know!" Between me, George and the others the volume was well and truly rising, everyone hot and bothered stuck in a vent while our friend's sister was in the hands of our enemy, and tempers were rising.
"Hey you guys I think I can hear something." Said Jack but no one heard her, we were too busy arguing.
"Guys?" she asked trying to get our attention, but still no one heard her.
"Shut up!" She shouted, that got our attention "for crying out loud, shut up I think I can hear something."
We stopped and listened, only momentarily taken a back by Jacks sudden out burst. She was right, faint muttering could be heard through the vent.
"Follow the noise." I instructed then put my finger on my lips, we had to do it quietly. Five minuets later we arrived at the source of the noise, looking through vent door we could make out two men, they moved around and talked quietly to themselves, also we could see a third figure sat down this (we assumed) was Wendy.
I looked at the others and raised three fingers, we go on three.
One. I put down one finger; the others took out their weapons.
Two. The talking on the other side grew louder, we readied ourselves.
Three. I kicked open the vent and we jumped out.
I landed on my feet and took my fight stance the others landed beside me.
"Let her go!" I demanded pausing to survey the scene, I couldn't see Wendy anywhere. In front of me stood Conner and a member of the 'elite' fighter's squad, I'd thought as much. But what took us all by surprise was the man sat in the chair, Robert Baxter.
I felt George stiffen beside me; I could practically smell the fear radiating from him. At that point I knew George wasn't working for his dad (as I had previously thought), I could tell George was just as scared and surprised as we were to see the dastardly mayor sat watching us.
He stood up, no one spoke, and he walked to stand with Conner and his squad guy in front of us. We waited still ready for action.
"Well it would appear you've found my little hide away" said Baxter slowly "I wonder how." He said this dryly and with no real conviction, did he know? Had he realised who George really was? I could tell George was thinking exactly the same thing; he was just as scared of being found out as we were. Suddenly feeling warmly for him I grabbed his hand, he was shaking, and who would have thought that of the brave Crusader or the cocky George Baxter. Squeezing his hand reassuringly I returned to the task at hand.
"Where is she?!" I directed at Baxter, a little nervous for us to be having our first face to face encounter with him.
"Steady on there girl, we'll get to that" he said and behind my mask a glow red "we haven't been formally introduced, as im sure you are aware im mayor Baxter, and you are?"
"Trying to help a friend!" I snapped, like it was going to be that easy, I wasn't about to just sprout out my name just because he asked nicely.
"Now, now my dear" He said, couldn't these people just drop the fact that im a girl? "Lets not be like that, it's those kinds of hostilities that got your friends charming little sister into this situation."
I didn't get a chance to respond, Will started forward brandishing his fist and demanding.
"What have you done with her?!" He had to be held back by John; Baxter found this amusing and chuckled to himself. I shook my head at Will and he calmed down. Only slightly.
"Im gunna ask again, where is she?" I said looking Baxter straight in the eyes; he spoke as if I hadn't said a word.
"You know we've been at this cat and mouse chase so long I feel like I actually know you" He said "like you are a long lost friend or something."
"Hardly." I said.
"and because of that im willing to make a deal with you" he said slyly " I'll let all of you, and poor sweet Wendy, go free on the provision that you, and everyone who works for you, stop what you do. No more helping people, no more opposing to me, no more Robin Hood."
I didn't even need to think about my answer, I didn't trust this guy to keep his word.
"What and let you turn the Southside into a car park? Somehow I don't think so." I said and everyone spoke out in agreement, well everyone except George who nodded terrified his dad would recognise his voice.
Baxter's face changed, a shadow crossed his face bringing with it an expression of hate and disgust. He looked like he was sucking on a lemon.
"Too bad" He said and clicked his finger and the TV screen switched on behind him "Looks like poor Wendy is going to have to suffer for your bad decision."
The blank screen was replaced by Wendy strapped to a chair her dark hair (like her brothers) covering her face her head bowed, she jumped up as a door slammed. Judging by the sound of locking doors someone had just left to room, in the background was a furnace, she was in the basement.
Suddenly the furnace spluttered to life, the fire it held growing. A thermometer appeared at the side of Wendy on the screen (computer imaging) it showed the room's temperature and it was on the rise.
"Wendy!" Shouted Will, looking up painfully at his beloved sister.
"You sick monster!" Spat Jack, it was killing her to see Will this way.
"And don't you forget it!" He laughed watching us looking on in horror. "Pitiful." He commented.
"What is this going to achieve?" asked Mark sickened.
"It'll teach you and people like you to stay in your place, this is my town and I can do whatever I want and there's not one thing you can do about it!" He said addressing me even though it was Mark who had spoken. "Deal with it!"
I reached boiling point, but before I could erupt something snapped in Will and he ran from John slackened grip and took a swing for Baxter. He didn't even get close as he was knocked to the ground by Conner's squad guy. The others ran to Will but I stood firm, I knew Will was fine, he was tough.
"I don't see how any of this is going to help you build you super shopping centre" I said "what's the point?"
"Hum what's the point?" He said putting his finger on his chin in mock thought "keeping you busy while I pay a visit to a farm."
"What do you mean by that?" I asked alarm bells ringing.
"I made a mistake last time, burning down the barn, what good did that do me?" he said and he and the others stepped back towards the door an behind a thick white line I hadn't noticed before " now this time I'll do it right, I'll burn down the house instead." He said it with a look of satisfaction on his face.
I couldn't speak, my family, he was going to kill my family and he didn't even know it. Suddenly words formed in my mouth.
"Bastard!" I shouted and ran at him. Over my dead body he was going to hurt my family.
He smiled and pulled out a remote, laughing he pushed the button and everyone behind the white line received a powerful electric shock. I let out a cry and crumbled to the ground, I soon felt George's arms around my shoulders even though he had been shocked as well he was still worried about me. Baxter laughed.
"You should have given in while you had the chance Hood" He said "now choose, young innocent Wendy or the poor unsuspecting Hudson family, there's no way you can save them all, oh and you might want to hurry things are really heating up in the basement."
Wendy was almost unconscious from the heat, I heard Will whimper.
"Well that is assuming you ever get out of hear." He laughed and he, Conner and the squad (who looked like he was going to throw up) guy exited the room, the door was shut and locked and the lights went out along with the TV. We sat in darkness, desperate to find a way out of this do or die situation.