Drawn To You: A Tintin Fanfiction

Chapter 8

Back at the police station, Thompson and Thomson informed Emma and Haddock that the criminal they brought in was an infamous crime lord named Felix Black, better known as "Black Cat." The police had been trying to catch him for years for smuggling drugs and weapons. As they were talking, a short man with a green coat and round spectacles came barging into the room.

"How incredibly dreadful!" the newcomer cried. "When I heard the news I came at once."

"Professor! What are you doing here?" the captain asked.

"My greatest fear?" the professor questioned. "I wouldn't go that far, Captain, but Tintin's kidnapping is quite alarming. Do you know who it was?"

Quite surprised and obviously a bit irritated, the captain sputtered out, "Black cat."

"No, my hat is green," the professor replied calmly. "But the kidnapper was a man named Felix Black. I'm surprised you didn't know considering I heard you helped to bring him in. Did he perhaps give you any useful information?"

"Just something about 'Green.'" He was clearly annoyed by the professor's inability to hear him properly.

"Mean? Well, I suppose it was rather mean of him to kidnap Tintin. Since he didn't seem to tell you anything I suppose I'll have to. You remember Green Co. the weapons manufacturer? It turns out that he's been smuggling weapons for them for years. Can you believe it? Such a highly regarded company using their power to make money illegally."

"I'm sorry, but what does any of this have to do with Tintin?" Emma inquired.

"Ah, you must be Emma. I am Professor Calculus. So sorry we had to meet under such dreadful conditions. As for how Tintin is involved, it stands to reason that since Black worked for Green Co. and kidnapping is far from his regular criminal activities..."

"Green Co. was behind Tintin's kidnapping."

"You are quite bright aren't you?"

"Wait just one second," Captain Haddock barked. "You can understand her just fine?" He waved his arm angrily in Emma's direction as he yelled in the professor's face.

Professor Calculus gave him a glare. "Captain, how rude! I insist you apologize to Miss Emma at once!" He turned to Emma, seemingly oblivious to the captain's protests behind him. "I'm sorry you had to hear such language. I'm afraid he can be a bit careless with his words at times. I suppose it's from being a captain for so long, though that's no excuse for poor manners on land."

Emma suppressed a laugh as Haddock muttered insults under his breath. She caught a few words: thundering, landlubber, and vegetarian of all things. She smiled to herself, organizing the information she'd just received in her mind.

"Well, we know where we're going," she said, happy to finally have a lead. "Let's go find Tintin!"

***

(IMPORTANT! So far this has been a pretty light story, despite the fact that a main character was kidnapped. That may be about to change. I'm not going to go into a great amount of detail, but I know some people get triggered pretty easily. Again, I didn't elaborate on anything too violent, but I wanted to put the warning out there just in case.)

When Tintin woke up, he was no longer tied to the chair. Instead, he found his hands were tied to a hook above him, his feet dangling inches from the ground. He failed to suppress a wave of panic. What had happened?

Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down, Tintin went over the last thing he remembered in his mind. The man had been upset with his message in the video. He had stood to leave and then... The wall had exploded. Another wave of panic washed over him, and he swallowed hard to keep down the bile rising in his throat. As little sense as it made, it appeared he had been kidnapped from his kidnapper.