Fairly Normal People

-Chapter Twenty Three-

Andy woke up to Lucy inches from his face and her smile widened.

"He's awake, grundle!" Lucy called out quietly.

Krundle grunted roughly in response.

"Lucy." Andy said calmly, he had also taken her hint and spoke quietly.

"Yeah, boss?" She replied.

"Why am I wet?" Andy asked bluntly.

"You know it started raining while we were driving and we tried to make the roof come up but the dang button wouldn't work. Then the rain just went away. Crazy right?" Lucy said.

Andy looked her up and down and noticed that she was dry as a bone.

"Krundle." Andy said calmly.

"We try to wake you like ten minutes ago with hose we found but it did nothing so we wait longer." Krundle admitted from his seat behind the wheel.

Lucy's smile turned sheepish.

"How long have we been here?" Andy asked as he sat up proper.

"Half hour." Krundle said.

"So what about it, Ands? You get the dirt?" Lucy asked excitedly.

"More than I wanted but less than I needed I think." Andy patted Howard on the shoulder. "I don't think he's going to wake up. And if he does..."

"Is okay, unconscious hostage is still good hostage." Krundle said emotionlessly. "Is definitely quiet hostage at least."

Andy heaved out a deep sigh. Krundle moved over and hefted Howard onto his shoulder, winced at the sudden pressure on his bruised shoulder and then hefted the man onto his other shoulder.

"He's trapped in a prison of his son's design. Blocked in by walls made of guilt and windows boarded up with bars made of denial." Andy said wistfully.

"Good thing shakespeare is here for this." Lucy said as she hooked a thumb towards him. "Let Houston know they don't need to send that poet."

Andy groaned in response while Lucy chuckled to herself.

"Well I suppose we should get inside and do this..." Andy said as he climbed out of the vehicle.

"You know if you say it less like an old man and more like an eighties action star, you might just sound cool." Lucy said.

"Let's do this." Andy said in his best old man voice.

"That was perfect, thank you Andy." Lucy said dryly as she turned to Krundle, imitated that her hand was a gun, held it against her head and fired then mouthed 'am I right?'.

Krundle grunted amused and Lucy held her hands out and mouthed 'am I right?' again. Andy stopped and Krundle and Lucy similarly stopped behind him.

"Didn't this building manage to get the fire sprinklers in before the money ran out?" Andy asked.

"Uh... Yeah actually." Krundle asked.

"It just gives me an idea for a backup plan... You two stay here." Andy said as he stalked off in the direction of the tank.

Krundle turned to Lucy and shrugged and she returned the shrug in earnest. It wasn't too long before Andy returned, coughing weakly under his breath.

"You good?" Lucy asked as she patted his back.

"I will be." Andy said with another raspy cough.

He swallowed hard and stood up straight. Rain had started to patter around them.