Kayo
I know the timings well in my head. Rigby may be a little lacking in… imagination...among other things, but he is an outstandingly good soldier. He knows how to follow instructions to the letter.
In theory, I leave the fighting to Rigby and his men. I cannot afford to become distracted. If I do, it could mean John's life. So, I listen carefully to the fighting going on outside this door, but I stay hidden, here with John.
I have not tried it to see if it is locked. That is really not important right now.
I wonder if John has been kept in this room for the whole time he has been missing? There are no facilities here aside from a bucket placed in the corner of the yard outside, it's purpose obvious. The room is grimy and has an underlying smell of neglect about it.
John too looks neglected and uncared for, and his wound is stinking. He needs medical help beyond urgently! At least he is still alive at the moment. He won't be for much longer if he doesn't get treatment for that wound. He must surely have sepsis by now. That gives him little, or no time left.
The door bursts open, and at first, I assume it is Parker, but it isn't. It's a man wearing a stripy apron and carrying a stubby revolver. He is a short, ugly man with a crew cut. I hear him cock the gun.
Without a second thought, I raise my right fist and give him a hefty punch in the head. His gun lowers in response, and he turns to face me, snarling. Before he is able to get himself together, I follow up with a swift kick in the groin. He drops to the ground, groaning, and I kick the gun out of his reach. Standing over him, I place the heel of my boot against his ear.
"Make one sound or one movement, and I will stamp on you, mister!"
The man freezes in fright, and a moment later Parker comes in. He holds his finger to his lips to stop me speaking aloud and gives the man a quick clout to knock him out. Then he grins at me.
"If 'e 'eard me talk, 'e'd know I was a spy." He whispers, hurrying to John's side and lifting him gently in his arms. I see him sniff gently at the wound on John's shoulder, and he frowns.
"'E's a goner if we don't get him to a doctor fast!"
Parker gestures to me with his head to follow, and we leave the room and walk along a corridor until we reach the main square hallway where Rigby is waiting.
"Goliath is here. Parker, give John to me. I'll run."
Parker reluctantly nods and allows Rigby to take John from his arms. I watch my friend actually run with my brother out of the door and up the outer ramp of the Goliath, where the colonel is just coming outside. I make to hurry after him, but Parker grabs my arm.
"You know I'm gonna 'ave ter be arrested wiv' the rest of 'em, right?"
I sigh in resignation.
"Some got away, huh?"
He shrugged.
"We've got everyone 'oo was 'ere in the 'ouse all tied up outside, unconscious. Seven blokes and an old woman out there, an' now this bloke 'ere. There are four blokes missin' along wiv' the boss…the one wot recruited me ain't ere. I dunno where they went, or how they went. No one told me nuthin'. I don't even know wot 'is real name is. 'e called isself Bob."
If the leader of this gang and some of his men are away somewhere, then Parker will certainly have to be treated the same as the rest of the gang, if he is going to keep his cover intact. I don't like it, and I know Penny won't like it either, but we all knew that there was a good chance that this would happen before we started this.
It was the quickest way to find John, after all. Even then it took two weeks. Two, long, stupid weeks!
"Kayo, you need to arrest me. You 'ave to stun me or I might lose my cover. We'll never catch the boss or the uvver blokes. We need to find the evidence they keep, wotever it is. I don't fink they keep anything 'ere, but you and Milady will need to search anyway, just in case."
I shrug him off.
"I don't have a stun gun Parker. Get Rigby to do it, or the colonel. That's her job anyway. I have to be with John!"
I leave him behind, running as fast as I can after my big brother, John. He has to survive, he has to. I can't…we can't lose Johnny. We can't, or what is the point of anything?