Haunting Innocence VI

Chapter VI: Waiting game

Kowalski held tightly onto the struggling man, making sure there was not even the slightest chance for an escape. His scarred companion had a serious look on his face as he tied their captive's hands together and knocked him out. The scientist sighed.

"I wish we did not have to tie him up but he won't stay calm if we don't. Now let's get this guy to Skipper, he seems pretty worried." He spoke to Rico as he shifted their prisoner so that his companion could grab him and lay him over his shoulder. The explosive expert nodded solemnly.

Skipper was pacing back and forth through their HQ, watching the monitors that showed him different views of the city. Somewhere in the back of his mind he considered the possibility of actually leaving a trench if he continued pacing like this. The leader shook his head clear, focusing on the matter at hand instead. He had just gotten rid of the pain in his face from the hit he took during training, when they were shaken up by their alarm. Turned out that there was an attack going on where several people tried to get to a rather small boy. Skipper's pain returned but this time in his whole head… for he saw that the small boy was his boy, his son.

Skipper glanced at the door every so often, hoping it would swing open, revealing his teammates. But it had been half an hour and no such luck. Right when he was about to sit down, giving up part of his hope, the door flung open and Kowalski and Rico walked in… a man over Rico's shoulder. The leader jumped up and switched to his leader mode.

"Put him in the chair. We're going to interrogate him a little bit."

In Blowhole's lair, said villain watched his monitors intently, breathing calmly. His hands folded behind his back in the dark room. His eyes were used to this kind of surrounding, he didn't care that the light produced by the computers could do damage to his eyes… or eye. He had enough stuff to repair any damage done.

A knock on the door woke the evil doctor from his thoughts. He moved his head to the side, so he could at the door without turning his body away from the monitors.

"Come in." He spoke. The door opened, revealing one of his fellow villains. In fact, it was the Danish villain that Skipper hated so much. The guy walking in was smaller than Blowhole himself was, with neatly combed black hair which almost had a blue tint on it.

"Any news?" The Dane asked, stopping at a safe distance from the mad scientist. Blowhole turned his attention back to the screens.

"No change. Is that all you came here for?" He asked, knowing well enough that there was something else was up. Hans shuffled over the floor, a bit closer, after closing the door.

"Ah, no, I came here for something else." He started before clearing his throat. "Have you gone mad?" This surprised Blowhole a great deal, making him turn around to face the other villain with an eyebrow raised.

"Why this sudden question about my mental health? I feel just fine." He said, confusing ringing through his voice. Hans refused looking at the floor, and instead looked right into Blowhole's eye(s).

"Ever since our failed, yes I said failed, mission at the palace, you've been obsessing with capturing that new team member of Skipper. You spend all the time in this work room, coming up with the most complicated traps to accomplish your goal… we've been talking about it. Me and the other villains. We don't understand why you are so obsessed, and more importantly, why capture the weakest and most inexperienced one of the team? It does not make sense." The Dane explained to his friend. Yes, Hans and Blowhole were considered friends for they have worked together many times and get along quite well.

"I figured you would all think that.." Blowhole sighed. "Fact is, I indeed have taken a personal interest in this guy. I believe that we are underestimating him, and that he's quite strong, not to mention smart. Probably not as smart as their scientist, but not stupid either. He's definitely the most down to earth. I want to study his behavior and he may be a great addition to our group after we brainwash him." Hans blinked at this.

"You.. have a brainwasher?" He asked, wondering why he had never seen it then. Blowhole frowned at the monitors.

"Not yet.. the plans are ready, I just need to build it." The mad doctor explained. Hans nodded slowly.

"Have you met that boy before?" he asked after some time. Blowhole tensed up, not tearing his eyes away from the screen so Hans couldn't see they widened.

"No.. why would you assume that?"

"You were shocked to see his face, which hardly happens when one sees a total stranger." Hans said studying Blowhole's reaction. Said villain turned around, a stern look on his face.

"You are wrong. I don't know him, never met him before. That was the first time. Can we drop the subject?" He asked getting annoyed by all the questions. Hans sighed, not convinced by Blowhole and feeling that it is an act.

"Fine then. What's for dinner tonight?" Hans asked, folding his arms. Blowhole snorted, looking back at the screens.

"How should I know? I don't cook around here."

Skipper and his men had left their captive in a chair, his hands tied so he wouldn't break stuff if he freaked out. Skipper stared at the man in the chair, his thoughts wondering off. The leader was, however, waken up from his trail of thoughts by a hand in front of his face.

"Skipper, are you listening?" Kowalski asked, annoyance leaking through his voice. The leader shook his head clear when he noticed the questioning looks.

"Sorry men, I need to focus. Tell me again, Kowalski, what exactly happened?" He spook, making sure this time he was focused. Kowalski sighed.

"Right… Private was chased by a number of people, the number is yet unknown to us, and he escaped them, using Marlene's house as a safety hole. Clever as the boy is, he slipped through our secret escape/entrance in her basement."

"Any traces on the culprits?"

"None found."

"Marlene?"

"Confused but fine."

"And Private?" Skipper finally asked. Kowalski looked at the man in the chair, his expression changing slightly to worried.

"They got him. They were waiting in our secret escape route, caught him and tied him up."

Skipper looked at the floor, feeling depressed because that deranged villain had his son, feeling worried for the boy's fate and feeling angry for not being able to do anything. He had purposely chosen to stay behind on this mission. They all knew he would be more violent than other times. Kowalski and Rico would be more determined too, because it considered one of their team, their family, but they knew that they had to hold back just a little bit. And that's how they got this man tied to the chair, dressed in cowboy style. His sand brown hair hung next to his face. The unconscious man was no other than the Amarillo Kid.

Private woke up with a splitting headache. Opening his eyes, he groaned softly. As his vision slowly cleared, he carefully checked his surroundings. He was lying on a stone floor, which was warm under his body now so that would indicate he had been there quite some time. The room he was in was build of the same cold stone as the floor, there was a simple single bed with dark green sheets, a toilet and a sink. For some reason there was a dark red rug on the floor. The young soldier managed to push himself up to a sitting position. He clumsily made his way over to the rug, greedily accepting the comfort of the soft fabric. It felt good on his sore body, sore from the hard ground he had been lying on. He was just about to find a way to get his hands untied, when footsteps echoed through the room. The young man's eyes widened as he held his breath, staring at the door fearfully. At that moment, everything seemed to go in slow-motion; the echo of the footsteps, the beating of his own heart moving similar to those very footsteps.

As the owner of the feet stopped, Private could swear his heart stopped too… even if it was for just one beat. The steel door opened a crack, allowing some dim light into the room. The boy gulped lightly as the door opened further, and further, and a tall figure stepped in.

"Well, look what we have here…"