CHAPTER ELEVEN

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Timmy couldn't help but chuckle over Francis' cluelessness.

"Well," said Timmy, "they do say he's quite the sexy one, don't they Remy."

Remy glared at Timmy and said, "Oh you think that's funny do you Turner? You won't be laughing when I hack your friends up into pieces and mail the parts to their parents ."

Timmy looked sick when Remy said that. Even Francis looked a little disturbed over the macabre comment.

"You're insane, Buxaplenty," Timmy.

"That's right," said Remy, "and if you don't want that to happen to the bald brain and the McBrace Face, you'll do what I say."

Timmy glared at Remy.

"Fine," Timmy said, "I'll do what you want. Just don't hurt Chester and A.J."

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Wanda looked around in sheer terror. How did this butterfly net get here. And how did it capture her at exactly the right moment. There was a television screen inside the net with her. The monitor cut on.

Remy Buxaplenty appeared on the screen and he started to speak.

"Hello, Wanda," he said, "I know it's you. I figured you'd be the one to try to save Timmy even if you didn't have your magic. You compassionate types are SO pathetically predictable. And compassion is excatly what's going to kill your godson, Timmy Turner.

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"Good," said Remy, "keep an eye on Turner, Francis. I have to make some contacts so that none of this will lead back to me." And with that, Remy left.

Timmy looked toward Francis who was standing there with no discernable expression. He didn't trust Remy, and he didn't know what to make of the story he had just told him. He didn't want his best friends brutally murdered but he began to think Remy just might be unstable enough to do it. He had to try something; something he never thought he'd do.

"Francis," said Timmy.

"Yes, Turner,"said the grey skinned thirteen year old.

"Look, I know you hate my guts."

Francis seemed to wince a bit.

"I don't hate you Turner."

"Well,"said the brown haired boy, "I know I'm not your favorite person, but I get the feeling that Buxaplenty isn't either."

When Francis didn't respond, Timmy continued.

"I don't trust Remy, and I get the feeling you don't either."

"So," said Francis, keeping his poker face, "he's paying me so it doesn't matter what I think."

"I think it does. You looked as sick as I did when Remy said what he was going to do to Chester and A.J." He paused. "Look, I don't care what you do to me,but please if you know where my friends are, help me to release them. You can even pretend that I escaped and released them,and then caught me and beat the crap out of me. I'm used to it. But please, Chester and A.J. don't deserve to be murdered because of an issue that Remy and I have."

Francis drew in a breath and said, "You would do that for them?"

"Yes," said Timmy, "those guys are like my brothers. I couldn't bear it if anything happened to them."

Francis turned to Timmy and said "Sorry, Turner. I can't."

Timmy hung his head discouarged, but then Francis continued.

"Look,Timmy, just do what Buxaplenty says, I'm sure your friends will be fine."

Timmy was a bit taken aback. Francis NEVER called him by his first name. Perhaps this bully was finally begin to develop a conscious. The question was whether it would grow in time to save Chester and A.J.

"I hope you're right," Timmy said, glumly.

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A.J. finally reached the end of the passageway, and it was about time. It had taken nearly an hour to get there. The tunnel came out near the abandoned gold mine, just as A.J. suspected. He looked down on the ground, noticed there was another set of footprints. Had Timmy recovered enough to start walking.

No, those footprints were nearly as big as the first set and they were much bigger than Timmy's shoe size. Now, A.J. was starting to get worried. His friend was hurt and two very large individuals had taken him.

"I've got to find him," said A.J., "I just hope he's not seriously hurt, because going all that time without medical attention,.....,.

A.J. stopped himself. Worrying would not get him any closer to where Timmy might be. He had to trudge on.