Death After Death (#2)

Chapter Thirty-Three

"Okay, Daws, you take Rodney and scout out those shops over there, see if you can find anything useful. The twins can take the shops on the opposite side, and I'll keep watch out here," Max instructed.  

"This would be a whole lot easier if there were more of us," Karl grumbled.

Max sighed, "We've been through this a thousand times, Karl. You can't expect someone to lay down their lives for a cause in which they have nothing invested. We've been on our own for months, we can handle it, just like always."

"Fine, I'm just saying, a couple of extra hands would have been good," Karl moaned as he dragged his feet towards a nearby charity shop.

"Don't worry, I'll talk him round," JJ nodded before following his brother.

Dawson waited for the younger boys to get out of earshot before she whispered, "Do you really think we can take that castle on our own?"

"I don't know," Max said honestly. "But we aren't about to get any help doing it."

"What I'm saying...is should we be doing it at all?"

"Are you kidding?" Max hissed in disbelief. "They might have Han in there...hell they have my daughter!"

"I know, I know," Dawson agreed calmly. "But we're no use to them dead, let's just think it all the way through is all I'm saying."

"We have to go," Rodney chimed in.

Max and Dawson halted their back and forth argument, and slowly turned their heads towards their usually silent companion.

"You what?" Dawson gawped.

"I think we should do it," Rodney repeated. "Han and that little girl don't have anyone else looking out for them. Not a soul in the world. If we don't break them out, it is one hundred percent certain that they'll be left to rot in there. If we try, maybe it's only ninety eight percent."

"And that's worth it, for that extra two percent?" Dawson question.

"It has to be. Otherwise what are we now? If we aren't the kind of people who risk it all to save our own family, then what humanity is there left?"

Max patted him on the back, "Thank you, Rodney."

"Okay, let's do it. But we do it right," Dawson urged.

Max nodded, then gulped, "agreed."

***

"Well there's a face I didn't think I'd ever see again. I was sure that the little rat would skulk far away from the sinking ship after The Pit fell," Joey grinned menacingly.

"Yeah, well I didn't think I'd be back either. I'm only here to make another...deal," Paulo explained, nervously shifting in Joey's presence.

He was well aware of what Joey had done, and what he was capable of doing. With a snap of his fingers he could have Paulo in chains, his fingernails plucked, and his kneecaps smashed. The fear-drenched sweat dripped from every inch of his body as he strived to keep eye contact with the maniac before him.

"Ah, the rat wants to make a deal, that makes more sense. What is it this time? Willing to sell you mother for a can of beans, or perhaps your son for new pair of pants?" Joey giggled, enjoying the pure terror oozing from Paulo's body.

"I want you to leave my people alone," Paulo spurted.

"Your people?" Joey enquired.

"Y...yes," Paulo stammered. "A collection of us who survived The Pit, and a few others we've met on the road."