The Hunt (TFP Book 2)

Chapter 20

A little later Silas smirked as he heard a car drive up the tunnel. His men surrounded it and pointed their guns at the driver. Rachet tried to see but the car wasn't close enough. He heard the door open and men tell someone to get out. A moment later his eyes widened when he saw June.

The nurse glared as she followed the men. She looked up and saw Silas at the computer. Then she gasped quietly when she saw Rachet. He looked terrible. Her heart ached to go to him, but she had to wait. She looked back at the floor, it seemed as though they had beaten him a couple times. They turned the corner and she gasped again when she saw Optimus. Despite the guns she ran over to the leader, his head was slumped to his chest. She quickly checked for a pulse and was relieved when she found one.

"Optimus?" She whispered, he groaned weakly in response. She glared up at the men then looked at the bruises on his face.

"What did you do?" She asked angrily.

"This isn't your patient." One of the men growled as he pulled her away and yanked her to her feet. They pushed her to the berth and her eyes grew wide.

"Bulkhead." She gasped. The nurse ran over and quickly checked for a pulse, it was very faint. She quickly got to work getting everything she needed and hooking him up. She turned to the men.

"I need help." She said. They looked at each other in confusion. "I need help!" She shouted.

"We don't know enough to help you." One man scoffed. She was tempted to punch him.

"Then get me the doctor!" June yelled as she pointed to Rachet. They looked at her again. "NOW!!" She practically screamed.

The men looked up at Silas who glared but nodded. Some of his men walked up to the medic and freed him. They drug him down the stairs and over to the berth. The men shoved him to the ground and he grunted.

"Get up!" One man said as he kicked the medic in the side. He winced and another man kicked him.

"STOP IT!!!" June yelled as she shoved the men back. She grabbed one of the doctors arms and put it over her shoulder. She grabbed him around the waist and helped him up as he gripped the end of the berth.

"June..." Rachet muttered as he smiled a little. She smiled sadly and helped him to the side of the berth next to the wall.

"Can you operate?" She whispered. He looked at her and smiled weakly.

"Then let's save Bulkhead." She said as she leaned him against the wall. The nurse made sure he was steady then prepared for surgery. She looked over at Silas and glared at him before starting.

~~

After an hour had passed Bulkhead was stabilized and they put him in one of the berth rooms so he could rest. Most of the men had wandered off when the operation began, only a few remained. Once she was confident he would live, she returned to the main room. After a major argument with the men and Silas, she proceeded to tend to Optimus with the help of Rachet. As she was carefully cleaning a cut on the side of the mans face, he woke up.

"Mrs Darby...?" He rasped as his eyes focused. She smiled sadly at him and he winced as he looked around. Rachet sat next to June and smiled when he saw the Prime was okay.

"Optimus." The medic said, his friend looked at him and relaxed a little. "What do they want?" He whispered.

The leader stared at them for a moment, then looked at the computer. The other two followed his gaze and saw one of the men trying to break the Cybertronian code. The man got frustrated and banged the console. Rachet scoffed.

"What's on there that they think they need?" June asked quietly.

"Nothing. It's not their business." Rachet muttered. He looked back at his friend and furrowed his brow.

"Are they trying to get the codes out of you?" The medic asked. The Prime just looked at him. "You don't even know them. I'm the one that encrypted the files." The doctor whispered angrily.

"They don't know that...." June whispered as she realized the Prime was trying to protect his friend.

"I won't let you do this." The medic hissed angrily.

"Oh good you're awake." They turned to see Silas and his men walking over.
Some men stepped forward and yanked the doctor and nurse to their feet. The men held on to their captives as they struggled. Silas walked over to the Autobot leader. The Prime glared up at the man as he approached.

"Silas-" one of his men punched the medic.

"Your turn will come." The villain muttered as he bent down to look at his prisoner. "Now tell me the codes." He said.

"Silas -"

"Shut up Doctor!" The villain yelled. Optimus remained silent, and the room was deathly still for a moment. "That's fine. I'll just make you talk." Silas growled and he started punching him.

"Stop!" June yelled as she watched, Rachets eyes widened. The villain continued to hit the Autobot leader as hard as he could.

"STOP IT YOU'LL KILL HIM!!" June screamed as she watched the Prime start to go limp. The villain didn't let up as he punched him.

"HE DOESN'T KNOW!!!" Rachet yelled, Silas stopped and looked at him. The medic glared as he saw the blood on the mans hand.

"...Rachet......." Optimus groaned as he weakly looked up at him. His tone was more warning than anything else.

"I put up the encryption, and I'm the only one who can break it." Silas straightened up. "If you need to beat on someone, hit me. Just leave Optimus alone." He growled angrily.

Silas stood in front of the medic and glared. Rachet glanced at the blood on the villains fist and his eyes narrowed. The man punched the medic hard in the stomach and he grunted in pain.

"Take him back up to the computer." Silas growled angrily.

The men drug the medic back to the stairs. June watched as they got to the top and shoved him to the floor. The men then put him against a rail and cuffed his hands behind him. June looked at Optimus who seemed to be fading fast, the men let her go.

"Fix him up." Silas growled as he walked away. June clenched her fists and glared after him.