Waking Nightmares(Lined Bullets)- A GMD Fiction

Chapter 14: Meeting Death Once Again

       My head and leg were throbbing when I awoke. I was in a cell, much like the one I had found Able in. Locked from the outside.
       I looked for anything that could be used to escape, but there wasn't even a vent to try and crawl through. Leaning somewhat against the back wall, I awaited what fate had in store for me.
       I was standing up with a bit more pressure on my left leg than my right when I heard someone coming. My mind whirred as possibilities tried to formulate into reality.
       Was I scared? Most definitely, but I was not going to be a victim of such fear. Instead, I used it to further my search to assist at least in my escape from Rattigan, if not the cell I was being held in.
       Suddenly, I noticed discarded chains in the far corner that I had not noticed before. Then, a plan further formed inside my mind's eye, and I swiftly acted upon it.
       There were iron beams lined horizontally against the ceiling. I threw the chain up and made sure I had a tight grip on them before scaling towards the ceiling. There was a large enough gap between the ceiling and the beams that I could fit in. I dropped the chains so as to make it look like there had been no one there and slid myself to the edge of the door way.
       Rattigan could be heard yelling from down the way until he finally reached the door. He slammed it open and trudged in angrily with Fidget hobbling by his side. He looked around hastily, and when he didn't see me he whipped around to Fidget.
       "Fiiiidget," he yelled. His composure slightly calmed as rubbed his temples and grinned an insincere grin. "Did I not here from your mouth that you had Basil locked up?"
       "W-why, yes. Yes I did," the bat replied uneasily. "He was unconscious... r-right there."
       He pointed to the far left corner where I had awoken at and then looked for any inkling of proof that I had been there. Nothing could be found, of course.
       "My dear Fidget... HE IS DEAD," Rattigan yelled. "The poison was already making its course through his body when I left with the --... Fidget where is the child now?"
       I... I don't know he he. No one reported grabbing him..."
       Able wasn't caught? Brilliant!
       Rattigan and Fidget were now both far in the back of the cell. I could dive out into the hallway and escape.
       I listened one last time... still bickering. This was probably my only chance! I positioned myself slowly and leapt.
       I landed into a tumble and stood up quickly. When I looked back, Fidget and Rattigan stared at me in shock. Smirking slightly, I walked towards the cell and closed it. They tried to get out, but they were too late and I closed it (admittedly on purpose) on Fidget's already crippled wing. Then, I walked nonchalantly away from the cell and began searching for Byron.
       It did not take long, for, as I walked to the largest part of the factory, I found a single large vehicle chugging along the floor. I tried signaling to show where I was and was able to make its movement slow down.
       When it came to a complete stop, the first head that popped out was Able's! Never had I ever been so happy to see a child. He jumped out of the motorcar and ran towards me, broken wrist and all.
       Suddenly, I heard Rattigan yelling, coming towards me with the full force of a maelstrom. My eyes widened in fear as I yelled for Able to stay back. I knew that with my leg I wouldn't be able to escape Rattigan's attack, so I braced for the impact that was coming...
       Wham!
       I was knocked with such a force that I couldn't breathe until the force ran me into a wall. I gasped for air and held my rib cage tightly. Rattigan was standing several centimeters from me with the same look of insanity, as if his nonchalant manner had snapped into unattainable pieces.
       His breathing was intense and his eyes were bulging in anger.
       "How did you survive," he asked through clenched teeth.
       "It seems that you're not the only one in London that can escape death," I replied as I slowly pushed myself up.
       His rage rose higher and landed his fist against a conveyor belt, which was demolished on impact. He looked around wildly, possibly trying to find something to be used against me.
       Then, he noticed the motorcar near the exit of factory, which Able and the other children had been hiding.
       He attained a malevolent grin as he regained a bit of his composure and chuckled.
       "You know, Basil," he said as he neared the vehicle. "These fabulous machines... they're not run by steam. You see, it's now petroleum that fuels the world . And you know the best part?"
       He held out a lighter and lit it.
       "It can be extremely flammable!"
       With that, he threw the lighter directly underneath the vehicle and I watched in horror as parts of it began to catch fire. I tried to run and help, do anything I could, but my leg gave out under my weight and fell to the ground.
       I looked up to see that the fire was growing at a swift pace. It would soon reach the tank and would combust in a matter of seconds.
       Rattigan came over and grabbed me by the throat.
       "Look at what you've done Basil. All those children... your brother... all your loved ones will perish in fire. All because you wouldn't stay dead."
       Is it really my...
       "No," I said strongly contradicting my physical weakness.
       I felt strong, as if I could conquer anything in my path. It was not anger, but the confidence that I had been searching for after every failed case.
       "Excuse me," he asked.
       "No, these acts are those of your twisted mind. I can not be blamed, you insidious sewer rat!"
       His anger grew at my defiance and slammed me against a wall. I gasped for air, but my confidence wouldn't falter.
       Suddenly, my eye caught movement from near the vehicle... it was Byron and Angelina! They almost had all the children out. Lillian and Able were the last to get, but everyone was safe. Byron looked up towards me with concern.
       He mouthed the words, "Will you be okay?"
       I nodded and gave a sad smile. I actually was not sure if I would make it this time, but I couldn't tell Byron that. He would never leave, and then he would perish as well.
       Soon, all the children, Angelina, and Byron had escaped to the outside of the factory and hopefully far away.
       I closed my eyes and sighed. Rattigan's grip tightened and brought me back to reality.
       "Are you ready to meet death once again Basil," he asked menacingly.
       Fear gripped my heart at the question. I felt as if I had done so little for those I cared for. I never thanked Dawson enough, never talked enough to Byron, never appreciated Olivia's character, and I never had the chance to be that good of a father to Able.
       Then, I remembered all the times they took care of me, talked to me, encouraged me, inspired me, and how much they sacrificed for me.
       "Yes," I said boldly. "I would sacrifice everything, for so many have sacrificed so much for me."
       Tears welled up in my eyes, but a calm swept across me. I was sure there was nothing I could now to save me.
       Suddenly, a thunderous boom filled the room as the fire had finally reached the fuel tank. Rattigan let go of me as he realized that he was trapped with me.
       He ran this way and that, but there was no exit.
       Embers began to fall on more flammable equipment and soon the entire factory was ablaze. Rubble began to fall. As Rattigan scavenged around for some type of exit, large pieces of rubble fell from the ceiling and crushed Rattigan where he stood.
       I looked up, slightly dazed and looked around at the damage. The fire had spread across the whole floor and was close to reaching the other motorcars. Once they were lit, there would be countless explosions, no doubt resulting in my death.
       Despite knowing that there would be nothing to save me from my demise, I looked around for anything. To my surprise, there was a weighted tarp a mere three centimeters from where I stood. There was no guarantee it would protect me but it was worth a shot. I began to move towards it, but rubble from the ceiling continued to fall and pinned my right leg to the floor. I couldn't reach!
       Pulling on it roughly, I wasn't even able to budge it. I fell to my stomach and stretched as far as possible. My fingers barely skimmed by the fabric.
       With a final push, I grabbed a hold of the tarp and pulled it close. Carefully wrapping the tarp around me and covering every part of my body, I was soon cocooned into the tarp.
       The air had gotten warmer and thicker and dryer. It was getting harder to breathe.
       Suddenly, as I had predicted, a series of explosions erupted around the holding area of the other vehicles.
       The heat intensified and the entire building shook. More rubble fell, coming entirely too close to my body.
       Many moments passed, but it seemed as though the tarp had actually protected me from the initial blast, yet I knew that I wasn't out of the woods yet.
       More rubble fell the longer I laid there. I tried moving my leg, hoping that if I could free it, I could escape, but it was lodged in tight.
       My breathing was rapid in fear of being stuck in that crumbling fortress, but I slowed it as Dawson would have told me at that moment.
       It will turn out okay, I told myself. Just think, soon you will be at home with Able, Dawson, and Byron. They are safe and will live. All the children are going to be reunited with their parents and they will recover.
       My body shook. Tears fell down my cheeks as my consoling made me upset, for I knew not whether I would live or die through the raging fire around me.
       The ceiling soon lost its stability and crumbled onto me, with a large piece falling upon my head. The last I heard before my concussion caused me to pass out was the continuous roar of the flames around me.