The next chapter is here! Enjoy :)
To say Alan and Galen were disappointed, was understatement of the year. They were downright pissed.
They thought for sure Pete would be in the main jail. They went through all that effort to get in there only to find out otherwise for themselves that he wasn't there at all.
They quickly left the place and headed back to his parents in low spirits.
It felt like they were back to square one all over again, with no clue on where Pete could be. Galen did have one thought in mind though, and that was confiding in his father again.
He still believes that he may have an idea of where else they could be holding their friend.
As soon as he and Alan got in, they saw Ann and Kristin on the couch conversing with each other. Though they stood up when they saw the two come in.
"Hey, did you find Pete?" Kristin asked them.
Though the look of disappointment on their faces kind of said it all.
"No, he wasn't there." Galen said, disappointment etched into his tone.
Then he turned to his mother, "Where's father?"
"Back in his study. I'll go get him." His mother said.
Then she left to do just that leaving the three of them alone briefly.
While they waited, Galen shifted his gaze to Kristin and approached her.
"How you feeling?" He asks, while he reaches up to rub her arms.
She was silent for a moment, before answering.
"Fine but..." She trailed off.
He furrowed his eye ridges, "But what?"
Before she could come up with what to say, his father came walking out, followed by his mother.
Then they went to sit at the table in the large living area. Galen frowned as he and the others followed his parents to the table. Alan and Kristin took a seat, while Galen remained standing.
"So, why didn't you tell us that Burke wasn't in the main jail?" Galen questioned his father.
"I didn't know. I have no idea of where he's being kept. Only Urko, and Zaius know." He confirmed.
Though Galen was still skeptical of his father's response. It was almost like he was unsure whether to believe him or not.
"It's not like you to doubt your father, Galen. If your father says he doesn't know, he doesn't know." His mother said.
He looked at her but didn't answer her.
"Does Urko have any other place where he keeps prisoners?" Alan inquired.
"None that I know of." Yalu tells him.
"But Urko knows." Alan surmised.
That is when Galen shot up to his feet and turned to face them.
"And he keeps records! That's the place to look." Galen says.
Alan got up to, they shared a look, before turning their attention back to his parents.
"You'll never get away with it." His father told him.
"Still, we have to look in Urko's office." Galen replied.
He then paused and turned his attention to Kristin, who was still sitting down.
Galen was unsure if he wanted her to come along with them. Not with all these troopers crawling around the city.
"Do you mind staying here a little longer?" He asks her.
Normally, she would argue with him and want to go with them to help.
But now, she was thinking about the new stakes involved, plus the fact they were practically right in the middle of one large lion's den being within this city with all of Urko's men scouring the place and looking for them.
"Yeah, sure. Just...be careful, alright?" Kristin says.
"Will do." He told her.
They shared one last look, before he and Alan turned around to leave to go sneak into Urko's office.
Alan and Galen made their way through the dark and found themselves at Urko's office. They got in through the window. Though they did noticed a couple guards were right outside his door. So, they had to be very quiet while in there going through his things.
They started pulling out all kinds of books and documents after they lit a candle to see what they were doing.
At one point, something fell off the desk. The two guards heard it and came running in through the door. But by the time, they came in, Alan and Galen were well hidden.
Back in interrogation...
The gorilla guards were still spinning the table that poor Pete was still strapped down to.
It's a miracle he hasn't hurled yet. Or that he was not passed out. While Wanda stood by and kept reading passages from the book trying to gain new ideas on what to do with Pete next.
She figures she could try to manipulate his mind and memory with a friendly face from his past.
Wanda started smooth talking the semi-coherent human. At first, Pete tried to fight it. But he was just so mentally exhausted from what they have been putting him through, that his mind eventually did slip into a past memory from back home.
His mind went back to a woman he fancied and dated for a while back home. They were at the park on a picnic talking with each other.
At some point, the image of her and the image of Wanda started to blur together until he was almost unsure of what was real and what wasn't.
It wasn't until Wanda came in very close to him to give him what appeared to be a kiss, did he finally snap out of it.
His eyes widened, and with a loud grunt, he lightly pushed away from the female chimp, turned away and curled in on himself. His eyes were closed, and he was trying not to look at anything at this time.
"Guard!" Wanda called out.
A couple of guards came rushing in when she called them.
"Lieutenant, is it day or nighttime outside?" She inquires.
"The sun is about to rise, Wanda." He replied.
She looked back and forth a couple times between the Lieutenant and Pete.
"Well, you may inform Chief of Security, Urko, that the prisoner now belongs to him." She says, in a dejected tone, feeling a little defeated.
Afterwards, she leaves in a huff leaving Pete alone with the guards now.
Back in Urko's office...
Alan and Pete have been at it for hours looking for anything that could tell them where else Pete could be. They didn't realize how long they were in there until the sun started coming up and peeking through the window.
Both males were blinking rapidly and shook their heads a few times, trying to wake themselves up.
then Alan looked up in the glass cabinet and spotted a rolled up piece of parchment paper. He took it out and unrolled it then went by the window and started reading it.
Galen stared at him, wondering what he had. Then he got up and joined his friend by the window that was filtering in light.
"Five special guards sent to the crystal cavern." Galen read out as he pointed a finger at the words and read them.
"Crystal Cavern. Does that mean something?" Alan inquired.
"Why would they send five guards to a cavern outside of the city where nothing valuable is stored?" Galen wondered.
"Of course, Galen, that's it." Alan said, as a light bulb went off in his head.
Then they heard Urko's voice beyond the door.
They quickly put the papers back while Urko spoke with the guards outside his door and told them to get ahold of the doctor and to tell him to meet him at the hospital.
Alan quickly grabbed his jacket, then he and then Galen jumped out the window. Not a few moments after, Urko walked into his office.
The gorilla chief walked in and paused, he thought for a moment that something was off. Then he just shrugged it off.
While Alan and Galen ran out of the city to find this cavern that they believed Pete may be at. Or so they hoped. It turned out it wasn't to far outside city limits, like they initially thought, fortunately.
They ducked down behind a fallen tree just as a couple gorillas came riding up. They saw them stop at the entrance of a cave that also had a carriage out front of it.
"Any other entrance?" Alan asked.
"No." Galen replied.
They looked around, before moving their position.
As they did, that is when the guards came walking out with a clearly disoriented Pete. He was practically stumbling over his own feet as they marched him to the horsedrawn carriage out front.
"What have they done to him?" Alan harshly whispered.
"That's a hospital wagon." Galen pointed out.
They dragged Pete into the back then tied his bound hands to the side of the inside of the wagon.
"There's no way to get to him. Not with that mob around him." Alan surmised.
Then the two watched as they started leaving.
Galen turned to Alan, "Our only chance is the hospital."
They watched as they rode off with Pete, most likely on their way to the hospital back in the city.
At the hospital...
The doctor had just arrived to meet up with Urko there. When Urko started telling him about what was expected, the doctor informed him that with this specific operation, a lot can go wrong.
But in the end, Urko didn't really care what happened to Pete during this procedure.
Pete was rolled in on a gurney not long afterwards. He was strapped down to it and looked to be unconscious or asleep.
Back at Galen's parents' house...
Galen and Alan headed back to his parents.
When they got in, Kristin was seated at the table eating some breakfast while his mother was sitting off to the side, shelling corn.
Though upon seeing them, Kristin got up and went over to them.
"What took you guys? I almost thought you two were caught when you didn't come back last night." She said, with clear frustration and worry on her face.
Galen grasped her hands, "I'm so sorry, but we did find where Urko was keeping Pete. bad news is, by the time we got there, they were loading him onto a hospital wagon and taking him back here to the hospital."
Dread sunk into the pit of her stomach.
"Is he...?" She couldn't get the rest out.
"From what we can see, he's still alive. For now, at least." Alan assured her.
Galen then turned his attention to his mother.
"Mother, need to ask you for a favor." He said, walking over to her.
He then started explaining to her that they needed to borrow her carriage.
"May I ask, why you need the carriage?" She inquired.
"Well, you see, we have found out that Burke is in the hospital." Galen confessed.
His mom nodded in understanding.
"They're going to operate on him." Alan added.
"It's that operation that Urko favors." Galen stated, grimly.
"What operation would that be?" Kristin asks.
"I believe they call it lobotomy." He told her.
Her eyes widened in horror.
"The carriage, Galen. Why the carriage?" She asks again.
"Mother...if I told you and father found out...he'd be very angry." Galen reasoned.
"You haven't answered my question." She repeated impatiently.
Alan and Galen shared a look.
"We're going to break into the hospital, grab Burke, and run. We wouldn't stand a chance with Urko's mounted patrol." Alan hastily replied.
"Without my carriage?" She stated.
Alan nodded.
"Right." He said.
Her gaze shifted to her son.
"Yes." Galen confirmed.
"You wouldn't stand a chance with my carriage." She surmised.
"Maybe not. But we thought of every other possibility, but this is the best we could come up with." Alan informed her.
"If you fail...Urko will kill you. You realize that?" She stated, in a very worried tone.
"Yes." Galen said.
Ann then got up and approached him.
"Son, you insist on attempting this impossible rescue?" She questioned.
"We have to." He replied.
"Then you leave me no choice." His mother said, as she rounded him and started walking away.
They watched her go.
"You guys sure... there really isn't another more safer option?" Kristin asked them.
Galen approached her, then he reached up and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
"Unfortunately, no. This maybe the only way." He told her.
They knew this would be extremely risky. But they had to try.
Even Kristin could no longer sit and wait anymore. She felt like she had to go with them this time and help them.
"Let's go then." She said.
Galen gave her a look.
"Kristin, it's too dangerous. I think you should..."
"No, Galen. Not this time. I'm coming too, whether you like it or not." She said, with finality.
He opened his mouth and closed it a few times. The chimp knew there really was no way of changing her mind. His love was just too stubborn like that.
With a sigh, he nodded.
"Alright, but you stay close to us the entire time. Understood?" He insisted.
"Fine with me." She replied.
"Alright then, it's settled. Let's go." Alan said.
Then the three headed out.
Ann was able to hitch her carriage and called her servant Loomis out to drive them to the hospital. Before they did though, Alan changed into some hospital scrubs he still had from when Galen snatched a couple pairs from the medical center so they could sneak in when Kristin was shot and injured.
While Ann gave Kristin some 'servant' clothes to change into. She then put something that looked like blood on a white rag and wrapped it around her son's head.
Alan then quickly made his way to the hospital on foot, while Ann, Galen, and Kristin hopped into the back of the small carriage. She told her servant to go and they took off for the hospital.
They got there within several minutes. The carriage pulled in and stopped not too far from the entrance. Also, not far from where Alan was idling about with a hoe, pretending to do some work right outside the hospital in the courtyard there.
"Open my door!" Ann ordered.
"Human, come and help this ape." Ann added, gesturing to Alan.
He dropped the hoe and walked over to assist her.
Alan saw Galen sitting on the floor of the carriage, pretending to be injured. He reached in to haul him up and pulled his arm over his shoulder.
Kristin who was sitting on the other bench inside, got out and took Galen's other arm and put it around her shoulders and the two of them went to walk him in together, with his mother leading the way.
Once she was there, a guard who was standing by placed himself in front of her and informed her that he cannot allow anyone in at this time.
"I'm not anyone. I'm council member Yalu's wife." She stated.
"But only the Lieutenant..."
"Then get him." She replied, cutting him off.
The guard gave her an inquisitive look, before he turned around and headed inside the hospital.
While Alan, Galen, and Kristin hung back, still supporting him. Then she started heading in herself and they followed her in through the front doors.
They made their way past the front desk, just as the Lieutenant came walking out to address them.
"I'm sorry, the hospital is closed." He informed Ann.
"Well, how can that be? I have this badly wounded ape here." She told them, while gesturing behind her to Galen and his fake head wound.
"Leave him. Someone will take care of him." The Lieutenant said.
"Are you a doctor?" She questioned.
He gave her a funny look.
"No, no, I'm a Lieutenant." He stated.
"Well, why am I talking to you? I need a doctor. What other doctors are available?" She pressed.
"I don't know." The Lieutenant answered, starting to get a little impatient.
She then started to spin an elaborate story how she was on her way to visit a sick friend when she came upon the badly wounded ape. Who was clearly the victim of some accident she told them convincingly.
The Lieutenant apologized to her.
Ann then tried to push through the guards insisting they must proceed. But they stopped her.
"While we are arguing, this poor victim could die. Do you want to have that on your record." She quipped.
Galen continued letting his head lull from side to side with his eyes half closed as if he were barely staying conscious on his feet while Alan and Kristin continued holding him up.
"No, no." He said.
"Come, humans!" She ordered to the two behind her and hastily pushed through the gorilla guards.
They didn't stop her this time and just allowed her and the small group through. But they did continue to stare at them the whole way until they disappeared around a corner.
Meanwhile, the doctor was looking at a rather crude drawing of a man's profile with the brain and its labels inside.
They were just about to get ready and start when Ann came barging in with the others right behind her.
"Ah, doctor. I am Ann the wife of councilor, Yalu." She said, introducing herself.
The doctor gave her a small bow in greeting.
"And I'm Dr. Malthus. But you shouldn't be here." He told her.
"I need you to take care of this wounded ape right away." She said, while gesturing to Galen, who was now sitting with his head pressed against Kristin's front and a hand gripping her shirt.
She kept a hand on his upper back and gave it a couple comforting pats. While he let out a few pitiful whines.
"I'm about to start surgery in ten minutes." The doctor informed her.
"Do you mean, that a human patient is more important to you than an ape?!" She asks, incredulously.
"Those are Urko's orders." He replied, in a stern tone.
"Must be a very special human." She explained as she walked over to Pete's prone form.
"Looks ordinary to me." She added, while turning to the doctor.
Then when no one was looking, she grabbed a scalpel and a knife off the tray and hid them behind her.
"As if nothing were really wrong with him." She said.
"Not yet." A gorilla guard stated.
"I insist you find a bed and capable medical care." Ann insisted, as she walked over the group.
She turned her back to them and Galen and Alan took the offered items.
"Very well, Ann. I'll see what I can do." The doctor told her.
"Oh, and you, tell Chief Urko I wish to see him right away." She said, addressing one of the guards.
"Are you frightened of an elderly female and a wounded ape?" She asks, when she noted their hesitance.
They grumbled and shook their heads.
"Do you believe that an armed gorilla is no match for a mere human?" She asked, with a chuckle.
The two gorillas shared a look then finally agreed to do as she asked.
When they got to the door, Pete quickly started to undo his binds. While Alan and Galen went for the guards, holding the scalpel and knife to their throats.
At the same time Ann screamed, twirled around and fell to the floor.
Galen gave her a funny look and made a small sound of surprise. While Kristin ran over to pretend to help her up. But Ann screamed again and lightly waved her hands out at Kristin as if to tell her to get away.
The young woman backed off to give her space and let her run out.
While she ran out, Alan and Galen ushered the gorillas to the back. Kristin went over to see if she could help Pete with his binds.
"Help! Help!" Ann started screaming once she got to the front desk.
Then the guards came rushing in and she started pointing to the room she had just come out of down the hall.
Meanwhile, Alan and Galen started putting a hospital bed with an injured gorilla on it against the door to barricade it. But the gorilla guards shoved their way through the door and went after them.
A small scuffle ensued right there in the hospital room. Alan started fighting with one guard while Galen started throwing things at the other guard coming at him.
The guard then had Galen cornered against the wall and leaned in to grab him.
Kristin grabbed a heavy counterweight that wasn't being used, lifted it up and slammed it over the guard's head. With a pained grunt, he dropped to the floor and didn't get back up.
"Thanks." Galen told her as he got out of the corner.
"Anytime." She replied.
Then they went to help Alan who was still struggling with the other guard.
Galen grabbed a crutch and swung it like a baseball bat, nailing the gorilla across the back. While Pete watched on while still trying to get loose.
Alan then threw the guard up on a table and the three of them rushed to the hospital bed that was in front of the door and finished shoving it more firmly against the door and affectively closing it.
Urko and some of his men tried to get the door open. Then he turned to some of the others and told them to go block off any other exits.
With the two guards inside fumbling over each other and a couple patients, Alan and Galen grabbed the stretcher Pete was on and the three of them quickly rushed out of there with their friend.
They made it out into the hall and stopped. Then they helped Pete off the stretcher and went through another door.
Eventually, Urko and some of him men were able to push through the barricaded door and went inside. He looked around for them but didn't see them.
Then the Lieutenant popped his head in through the door.
"Urko, they have escaped from the hospital!" He told him.
Then they heard a commotion outside. They ran to the window and saw a horsedrawn carriage taking off.
Thinking they were in there, Urko told the others to follow it. They all ran out of the hospital to get to their horses. Once they did leave the building, Alan peaked his head out to look.
They watched as Urko, and his men mounted their horses and quickly took off after what was an empty carriage.
Afterwards, the others came out while still supporting Pete. He was still a little weak and out of it.
"I don't know how you three made it in here but..."
"We're not out of this yet." Alan said, cutting him off.
Then they all left the hospital and went out the front gate to where Galen's mother was still waiting for them.
Once they were all together again, they ran across the main road and headed into the safety of the woods. Alan was helping Pete along up front.
While the others trailed behind. Galen had his mother's hand in one hand and Kristin's hand in the other as he led them safely to the woods after their friends.
They made it back to the house safely afterwards.
The group spent a little time there recuperating. Especially, Pete. The poor guy looked like he been through hell and back, literally. So, they let him lay down on the bed in Galen's old bedroom. While the others went out to the living area to sit on the couch and relax a little.
While there, Kristin sat there silently for a little bit. She was trying to figure out the best way to tell Galen the news. And not just him, but the others too.
As the Alan and Galen conversed, at some point he turned his attention to Kristin. He noted how quiet she was despite giving him a smile. The chimp wondered why that was.
She should be happy; they were able to get Pete out and they all made it out unscathed.
"What's wrong? You seem nervous about something." Galen told her.
Kristin sighed and her gaze shifted to his mother, who sat a little further down on the couch. Ann gave the young woman and encouraging smile.
She smiled back, before shifting her gaze back to Galen.
"While you guys were digging around in Urko's office last night, Ann called a doctor over to check me out." Kristin admitted to them.
Galen and Alan shared a quick look before turning their attention back to her.
"And, what? Are you ok?" He asks, a little worried.
"Yeah just...still a little surprised...is all." She said.
Galen furrowed his eye ridges in slight confusion.
"Surprised? About what?" He inquired.
'Guess it's now or never.' She thought.
"Galen I'm...I'm pregnant." Kristin finally confessed.
The young woman watched as his mouth dropped open and his eyes widened. If it weren't for the situation, she would've found the look on his face comical.
He closed his mouth then his eyes traveled down her front and landed on her lower abdomen. Before his eyes went back up to her face.
"Truly?" He asked, barely above a whisper.
She gave him a soft smile, "Yeah."
At that point, he didn't care who was watching. Galen pulled her in close and quickly pressed his lips to hers.
Kristin smiled into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. The kiss was short lived but deep and filled with passion. When they pulled away, he rested his forehead against hers.
Then one of his hands reached up and he gently pressed his palm to her lower abdomen.
There was a very minute swell there, that he was almost sure wasn't there before.
"Congratulations, you two." Alan said with a smile.
"Yes, we're so happy for you both." Ann added excitedly.
Eventually, they pulled back. Galen went to grasp her hand in his while he kept his other hand on her lower stomach.
A father, he was going to be a father. He almost couldn't believe it. It all seemed so surreal.
"You two best be sure to inform me now, when the little one is on the way." Ann informed them.
Galen shifted his gaze to his mother with a smile.
"Of course, we will, mother." He assured her.
"And you better not leave me out too." Came a voice from across the room.
They quickly turned to see Galen's father leaning against the open door to his study.
"Yes, father." Galen replied.
A smile slowly crept onto the older chimp's face.
"Good." He said.
About a half hour later, Urko came banging on their door insisting to talk with Yalu and his wife.
Urko told them what had transpired at the hospital. He was very certain that the injured ape was Galen. But Ann and Yalu didn't believe him.
"And I assure you, it wasn't Galen. After all, a mother should know her own son." She stated to Urko.
"And I was told that it was Galen." Urko insisted.
"You are being insolent." She told him.
"Not at all. I'm doing my job." He stated.
Urko studied the pair for a moment, before speaking again.
"Let me ask you a question. If it wasn't Galen, how do you account for that ape's actions?" The gorilla chief inquired.
"It wasn't and I don't. I was horrified by his actions. It is why I hid in the corridor and called for help. You saw me." She said, pointing to him.
"Well, I'm afraid that doesn't prove..."
"Oh, use your head, Chief Urko. If I had any brains, would I ruin my husband's career? And risk disgrace by helping mere humans? Of course, not." She stated, as a matter of fact.
Meanwhile, her husband who was sitting there quietly through the whole conversation finally spoke up.
"May I take it that this matter is now closed, Chief Urko?" Yalu asks.
"Well..."
"If you disbelieve my wife, I insist that you arrest both of us immediately. Arrest or total innocence. One or the other." Yalu demanded.
"I am not going to arrest you, councilor Yalu. Or your wife. But..."
"No buts. Produce proof or shut up." Yalu snapped.
Urko grumbled in displeasure, "Alright." He mumbled.
Then he stomped towards the front door.
"Well, now that that is settled, would you have something to drink, Chief Urko?" Ann cheekily asks.
Urko didn't answer, just swung the door open and stomped out of there in a huff.
The pair shared a look and then Yalu got up to shut and lock the door. Not long after did Galen open the door to one of the other rooms he and the others ducked into.
He and Kristin came out.
"Oh, you were magnificent, both of you." Galen said, while grasping his mother's hands.
He then shifted his gaze to his father.
"Father?" He says.
"I couldn't very well let them find you here." Yalu hastily said.
"Urko didn't even ask to search the house. He assumed we were long gone." Galen stated.
"Perhaps. In any event, I was defending your mother." He replied.
That was when Ann walked over to him.
"And very well too." She said as she reached up and placed her hand on his chest.
"Father, you helped us. Now, admit it, and allow me to be grateful." Galen told him, as he walked over to him.
"You're my son. I don't pretend to understand the friendships between you and those humans. Or why you have decided to court one. But I do understand friendship. And I understand principles. Sometimes, I'm a little slow. Without your mother, I might not have realized the son that we have." Yalu stated.
"I have had more contact with Galen and his friends than you have." She said with a smirk.
"It's heartwarming to not only know that our son is only loving and intelligent. But also principled. I'm proud of you." Yalu told him.
Galen smiled at him, then he walked over to his father and stood before him. Then his father quickly pulled him in for a hug. One that his son quickly returned.
Kristin smiled at the display, happy that things finally made a turn for the better between Galen and his dad. She then felt a hand on her shoulder and shifted her gaze to the warm, smiling face of Ann.
She pulled Kristin in for a hug.
"Take good care of my grandchild." Ann whispered in her ear as she hugged the young woman.
Kristin tightened her hold on her.
"I will. And we'll definitely let you know when they come." She promised.
When they pulled ways, Galen approached them.
He smiled at them, then his gaze shifted to the woman he loved. He placed a hand around her waist.
"You ready to go?" He asks.
"Yeah." She said.
Then the pair went back in the other room to collect Alan and Pete.
They all left his parents' home and headed out into the nearby woods and away from the city. Eager to see where this journey takes them. Especially, now with a baby on the way.
Until Next Time ;)