The LAB

Chapter 5

            The clanking of glass and loud chatter filled the bar like any other night. It was a routine, Friday nights was drinking night since it was the one night the prison yard was closed off. Nick slumped over sipping a drink, wishing to forget everything he's seen. His body was so used to the drinks he wasn't even here to get drunk, just too numb the pain in his mind. It had been four years already in that hellhole, and there was so much he had already seen he was close to just driving off a bridge already.

"You even gonna head home tonight?" Nick looked up with heavy eyes to the bartender, who just gave an annoyed glance.

"Yea, I'll be fine. Only had enough to get me to smile so we're good." The bartender nodded and drove off to serve other guests. Nick sighed heavily, it wasn't near enough to get him near smiling. He huffed, left a tip for the overworked vehicle, and groaned as he heaved himself out the door. He had hope still, there was still something that could work out a smile onto his front, and it was his last try.

The door swung open and he slowly drove into his home. It was oddly dark, and way too silent. His eyes went wide and searched the home, panic taking over as he darts through the home. Nearly slamming a door open but freezing halfway seeing what was inside. A small vehicle wrapped up in a blanket with a note gently resting on top. Nick drove over, glad to know his daughter was still here and safe, and dreading the note but reading it anyways. The words hit hard, and there was literally nothing he could do about it. His constant drinking and inability to speak about his troubles had driven her to be fed up and leave. His bank account cleared and half their items scheduled for pickup later in the week, all that he had left was his horrid job and his daughter. Every part of him wanted to scream, shout, and throw everything out the window, but the peaceful tiny car kept him still and silent. Tears rolling down his front and placed his front against the sleeping child.

"I can't put her through that. I have to leave, somehow. I can't let her grow up knowing what I've helped create. Only a few months old but so much can happen. I have to stop it." Nick ordered himself, looking down to his daughter and holding back every sound of sobbing he could.

"For her... for them all..."

"YOU WHAT?!" All workers ducked behind their machines, all eyes were on a green Honda and a white Humvee who was cowering before the smaller car.

"I-I'm sorry sir! It was an accident!" Devan snarled, his hide scared and fangs enlarged with a beastly growl.

"An ACCIDENT?! You forgot one letter in a line of code and now we have several dead test subjects! This is far from an accident! This is where you END!" The Honda spat and caused the larger Humvee to whine and try to hide away in a corner. Devan turned away and snarled, storming out the room with fire in his pipes. Two four legged beasts resembling Dodge Rams mixed with wolves, marched into the room with jaws open and growling. Both looked to each other then snapped their jaws on the Humvee, picking the machine up easily and walking out. The poor SUV screaming in pain as metal tearing fangs punctured its body, and fear took over, not knowing where it was being taken by the beasts. The doors closed, ending the sounds of screams, before everyone hurriedly got back to work. Nick watched and frowned, "I hate hounds." He looked to a few of the workers and nodded, "I'll be checking up on some of the subjects, I'll be back in later." The workers nodded and the Nissan quietly left the room.

"I know what I have to do now," Nick spoke softly, looking through cell bars at a blind Mustang. He smiled and reached a tire through the bars, "I hope you can forgive me if I never come by again." The Mustang smiled, his clouded blue eyes spoke calmer than any voice, reaching a tire to give physical support.

"Nick, I may be blind, but I know your soul. It's good, and I won't hold it against you for doing the right thing, even if I never hear from you again." Nick felt horrid, this blind Mustang had taken the place of his friend, a blind SUV. He smiled and gave a light chuckle, "Larry, my old friend." The Mustang nodded, "I know that name means a lot to you, and I'm honored you gave me that name. An old car like myself will always remember this, friend." Nick looked down the hall at the sound of a Hound snarling, looking back to the Mustang with sad eyes.

"We will meet again someday, I promise. For now though, farewell. I'm going to do everything I can to stop this." Larry nodded as Nick left the bars and darted down the hall.

"Take care my friend." Larry looked down the hall to the fading noise of the small engine.

Nick frantically typed into the console, his eyes darting between the computer and the mother of all machines in this lab. He took some codes onto a flash drive but wanted to save any vehicle he could with one last keystroke.

"NICKOLAS!" Nick froze, jaw opening slightly at the voice as he slowly turned to face the car behind him. Devan stood with half a snarl, a lower fang poking past his lip with a glare.

"You aren't cleared for this room. What could you possibly be doing in here?" Nick hit enter on the keyboard, making the large machine whine and whir before it shut down, sparks flying from the red hot coils and fans. The Nissan smirked as the Honda stood shocked.

"I'm exposing this place and you. What you do here should never be supported and I will right every lie you've made me say!" Devan snarled, "And why so sudden, young Sir?" Nick glared to the Honda.

"You took my friend from me, my wife and my life. It's time I get even!" Devan let out a feral bark as two hounds charged into the room followed by a Humvee, black in color. Nick panicked and tried to flee from the beasts, but it was not enough as they both slammed their fangs into his body and frame. Nick cried out in pain as the two beasts carried their trophy to their alpha, holding the car still and pinning it against the ground.

"W-wh-what are y-you going... t-t-to do?!" Nick coughed, looking to the Honda with a new glare. Devan looked to the Humvee and nodded, "Do your thing, old friend." Nick went wide eyed as he watched the Humvee drive closer, pulling out a knife and prying the Nissan's jaws open. This was the SUV Devan used to replace the SUV he once called friend, his new hitman, and now he was going to suffer by its tires. The Humvee slashed the knife past Nick's teeth and slowly made its way to the side of the jaw. The poor Nissan screamed out in pain the best he could as his tongue was cut out, trying to pull away and managing finally, inwardly hissing in pain as the blade cut through his tongue, throat, and the side of his mouth. The Humvee backed away, holding the tongue before tossing it aside.

Devan smiled and tapped the Nissan on the hood with a tire, "How do you expect to tell the world without a voice?" Nick chocked and hissed through his teeth, only managing a grunt.

"Get him out of here. Oh and Nick, you're fired." Devan snorted as the hounds picked up their prize and trotted off through the halls. Nick wheezed and sobbed as he was carried past the cell which held his friend. Coughing as he passed was the only form of speech he could manage. The Mustang could hear the screams long before, but the scent of such actions made him look through the bars at the sound of the cough with saddened eyes. With a grunt the Nissan was dropped outside the gate, having his permit plates ripped off him by the hounds before they galloped back inside the lab. He staggered to his tires before slowly driving away, grinning through the pain as he pulled out the flash drive.

"I can talk in more ways than one, bastard." Nick told himself before picking up speed and heading back to the city.

The Mustang stood in his cell, turning to the cell next to him and placing a tire on the neighbor car's side.

"It has started, it's going to be alright now." The beaten up Chevy Tahoe looked to him with a shaky breath, her brown eyes speaking words she couldn't.

"Let go now, I'll watch over them from now on," Larry smiled. The Tahoe placed her tire on his, "BlindBat, please, take care of them. I trust you." Both looked down to the bottom of the cell bars, as the squeaks silenced from a huddle of small vehicles.

"It's up to them to pick off where we left off."