Chapter VII

Escape

Alan walked through the corridors of the manor as fast as his metal leg would allow. He knew that he was right and not losing his mind, but in order to continue with his mission he would need help. Vernon and Charlie would almost certainly want him in the medical lab for his own protection, whilst they continued to run tests. So, he needed to act fast.

Limping down the bedroom corridor he reached Dave’s bedroom door. Knocking and hoping to the gods that his second son was inside. There was however no answer. He knocked again. No answer. Alan sighed and opened the door, finding to his delight that it was unlocked. Hurrying inside he found a piece of paper and wrote his message before exiting the room.

He had at least done his task, he felt sorry for dragging his son into this mess, but at the moment he needed someone who was a rule breaker. Halfway down the stairs he encountered Charlie and Vernon walking up them.

“Ah Mr Wolfrick. May I ask that you spend the night in the medical lab. Just so we can run some tests.” Vernon said. Alan sighed in mock exasperation but secretly thanking whatever gods there were, that he had managed to get his distress call out.

“Fine.” Alan said and followed them down the stairs towards the medical lab.

Completely unaware of what had just happened, Dave walked back through the manor front doors, looking completely worn out, he hoped to get up to his room before anyone noticed him. But like everything that had happened during this shitty week, things were not to be so lucky.

He at any rate needed to clean out the still open cut on his cheek. Not that it was supposed to be there anymore. Some kid by the name of Howard Godfrey had somehow gotten offended when Dave referred to him as a primate had taken every opportunity to beat him up. Which included trying to keep the cut open. Today’s attempt included but was not limited to shovelling gravel into the wound, among other things. Dave had responded by ditching out of school and wandering the city instead. Apart from today when he had gotten caught on top of the fence. Resulting in Gregory, the schools head, sending a message to the manor and promising to keep a close eye on him. Which had meant he had been unable to avoid the situation with Howard. He checked the phone to see if there were any messages on it, seeing the number one on the machine he quickly deleted without checking if it was about him and rushed up to his room.

Once inside his room, Dave closed the door, and sat leaning up against the door. He was too exhausted to get up, until he saw a small note on his desk. Getting up he went over and read it, his heart plummeting.

‘Please meet me in medical lab ASAP. We need to talk. Dad.’

Dave sighed and guessed that he had gotten to the phone to late, cursing himself he thought for a minute that he could just wait up here. On second thought that would just make his dad angry. So, he walked out of his room, to go and get the hounding of his life.

Alan lays down on the medical bed, feeling a lot better than he had in days, now that he had proper answers, he could start to form a plan in his mind, but he was also cautious and didn't fail to notice two of Dmitri's bots standing by the entrance to the medical lab like guards. Alan was then brought out of his thoughts by Charlie talking to him.

"I'm prescribing you nothing but bed rest for now Alan." Charlie said as Dave walks into the room looking slightly confused as to why he had been called down here by his father, but not so much so that he alerted anything about his plans. "I will leave you two alone." Charlie finished, exiting the room as Dave walked up to bed looking around the clinical room with apprehension.

"You asked to see me." Dave said, waiting for the shouting and raging to begin, but to his surprise there was none. His father only sat up in his bed and gestured him to come forward.

"Yes." Alan said smiling and checking that they were alone before he continued. "You have a choice to make. And I'm worried for you." Alan finished looking up at his second son, the rule breaker the only one reckless enough to go along with this mission. Or so he hoped. But hope had got him a long way so far, he thought to himself.

"Why's that, I haven't done anything." Dave said, taking a step back and getting slightly defensive at the accusation, it was bad enough to be punished for the antics that he had already done, now he was being punished for things that hadn’t even happened yet. But Alan raised his hand to finish.

"Not yet. But you must do something for me. And I'm afraid you are going to blamed for it." Alan said, sitting up in his bed as Dave sighed deeply.

"What do you want me to do?" Dave said almost exasperatedly but agreeing to go along with this plan.

"You're going to help me escape." Alan said simply.

"Escape. You're not in prison." Dave said looking around at the medical lab confused and Alan smiled, he was technically right but what he had said still rang true.

"No, I'm not." Alan said smiling and agreeing before looking back at the two bots standing by the door. "Or maybe I am. I must leave this place and head out, alone." Alan concluded.

"Vernon and Charlie wouldn't want you making this trip, never-mind the fact that you intend on going alone." Dave said in a tone that indicated that he was now regretting his sudden decision to go along with the plan. Why in the gods name was he the one that always ended up getting himself into these situations.

"That's why I asked for your help. Disobeying orders seems to be your speciality." Alan said smiling at his son whilst getting out of the bed and picking up his staff before limping over towards the door, at the far end of the room.

"Where are you going?" Dave said as Alan approached the door and the two bots loom at each other, until one of them put out a metal hand to stop Alan in his tracks.

"I need some fresh air. If you will let me pass." Alan said to the Bot who looked at Alan, its red eyes scanning up and down before responding.

"Sorry sir. I can't let you out." The bot said simply. Alan looked like he was about to retort so Dave, sighing to himself knowing the amount of trouble he was going to be in when Vernon found out. Got up and walked up to the doors himself.

"It's alright, he's with me. I'll make sure he comes back." Dave said to the Bot, who looks at his comrade before standing aside and letting Alan and Dave pass through the doors. Once out of earshot however Alan can hear Dave say. "I hope I don't regret this." to himself.

The two arrive in the large hanger bay, an open room that sat directly behind the fissure in the mountainside. Dave looks around the room spotting the small jet that was always stationed there in case of emergencies.

"There's your ride. But Charlie and Vernon are going to notice that your gone any minute now though. So, I suggest you hurry." Dave said as Alan nodded and limped as quickly as he could and gets into the plane and begins to take off leaving Dave alone until the doors open and Vernon, Jack and Charlie come rushing through. As the plane leaves through the open cave wall and out into the open country.

"Where's Alan, what have you done?" Vernon asked, looking ready to explode, but Dave only shrugs.

"Hey, this plan was not my idea for once." Dave said before exiting the room.

“You did what!?” Vernon bellowed at Dave who stood in front of him, they were back in the medical lab, Charlie and Jack, along with the two Bot’s were also there. Charlie whilst also looking mad, didn’t look like she was quite at Vernon’s level just yet. His older brother sat on one of the bed’s, looking more bored than anything else.

“Like I said. It wasn’t my idea.” Dave replied trying to keep his cool. Between this and the hell that was his school life, this week was certainly turning out a lot worse than he could ever have envisioned.

“Why?” Vernon asked, trying to regain control of his temper.

“Dad asked me to help him out.” Dave said. he was wondering why this was such a big deal for them. Afterall it was a free country. “Can I go now?” Dave said gesturing at the door. He was so exhausted and just wanted to go and lie down.

“Fine.” Charlie said, before Vernon could begin to rail at the kid again. She knew that it would only cause more problems. Dave nods and leaves, also intending to get out of there before the old butler blew his top off.

“What am I going to do with him?” Vernon said, what with Alan gone and Jack still underage, he was the lad’s legal guardian, but Dave was becoming more and more reckless and hostile nowadays and he was struggling to understand why. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him?” Vernon finished.

Jack remained silent through all of this; he knew exactly what had been happening with his younger brother. Not three days after arriving at his school, he had gotten into a fight with the biggest piece of work in the school. Howard Godfrey, the son of Harper Godfrey, although neither boy knew it at the time. Since then, however, Howard had been making Dave’s life a living hell, like he did with everyone else. But he seemed to have something against his little brother. The fact that he stood up to that human ape was the reason for it. But what he did know that not a day had gone by that Howard hadn’t beaten on him, for some reason or another.

“Maybe talk to him.” Charlie said. she had also seen a change in the kid’s attitude but had for the most part assumed it was just early onset teen angst. She looked at Jack, as if to confirm her suspicions.

“I guess.” Jack said, shrugging and leaving the medical lab himself. As he leaves Vernon turns to Charlie, as he had just come to realise something.

“How long does it take for scars to heal completely?” Vernon asked, leaning heavily on his cane.

“Two weeks tops. Why?” Charlie replied.

“Well, it’s been way longer than two weeks, and the cut on Dave’s cheek is still there.” Vernon said. “As if someone else is keeping the wound from healing.” He finished, this wasn’t a certainty, but it did strike him as odd. The only other explanation was that Dave himself was purposely keeping the wound from healing, which even for someone as reckless as Dave would be too moronic to do.

Already twenty miles out from the manor. Alan sets the plane to auto pilot, destination. The mountain fortress of Normanguard, home of the dwarves. He knew that this was a massive detour, but all the same. He knew that an outsider would be unwise to wander around in the north without the express permission of Fierhand Kazburn, the king under the mountain. At any rate, he really had nothing to fear. Whilst most dwarves were highly suspicious of foreigners in their lands, he had built up a semi-good relationship with the Fierhand and his advisors.

As he walked into the compartment area of the small jet, he suddenly realises that he wasn’t alone. In his haste to take off, he had failed to notice the ten Bot’s that had been stored inside the fuselage.

“Ah.” Alan said, this was a problem. Whilst he knew that the Bot’s would not perform a munity and turn the plane around, he knew that they all had trackers on them. He walked amongst them, trying to remember where Dmitri had fitted the trackers to.

“Commander Wolfrick.” A Bot spoke from behind him. Obviously triggered by him passing by.

“Yes.” Alan said, reading himself for a fight.

“What are your orders sir.” The Bot said. those words were a relief to Alan’s ears. The fact that these robots seemed to, well maybe not trust him, but were willing to go on either way, was music to his ears.

“Guard the plane.” Alan said as he returned to the cockpit. “And deactivate your trackers.” He said over his shoulder. ‘Try and track me now.’ Alan thought to himself. Completely unaware that something was coming that would prevent any form of tracking at all.