Chapter 3- Rescue Plans

Morning sun rose over again and Shadow’s eyes opened again, this time not to darkness but the suns opening light. He slid out the cave opening yawning. The cold morning air made his nose twitch like a needle lightly poking the skin. The snow slowly had melted over the night and the warm air blowing in made him shiver off the cold. Crystal came up behind him and licked his ear. “Were going to find Luna today”. Shadow turned to look at her. “How do you figure we find her”? Crystal smirked. “She knows when we need her”. Shadow snorted a little. “Yes well we needed her for like two days”. Crystal shrugged. “She’s a bit slow I guess”. Now Sarina had awoken and was standing behind them. “So you’re leaving today”? Shadow looked back and walked up to her. “I’ll be back mom”. Sarina sniffled. “I can’t loose you again”. Shadow smiled. “Mom, I’m bringing dad back and I’m coming back”. Sarina sobbed again. “That’s what I thought when I went to save him”. Shadow wiped her eyes with his paw and sat. “I promise you I’ll return”. Sarina embraced him holding him in her arms. “I remember the day you were just a puppy, we never wanted this for you”. Shadow sighed. “But I managed to survive all I’ve been through; it wouldn’t have been if it wasn’t for you”. Sarina released her son and stared into his eyes. “I will be back”. Sarina nodded and swiped away the tears washing down her face. Shadow walked out into the sunshine morning with Crystal standing next to him. A large white light shined over the ground revealing a dark black spot inside. It opened up into a large circular portal like structure. Shadow looked at Crystal. “She takes request quite willingly”. Crystal nodded and past Shadow stepping close to the portal. “Come on”. Shadow followed Crystal as she stepped through the portal and it slowly began to close. The two were again standing in the large rocky cave. Luna’s distant humming rang in the distance. Shadow looked about the rock walls; his eyes shined as small light seeped through the ceiling. Shadow looked over and saw Luna come fluttering down from the high wall. She landed softly on Crystal’s back who jumped. “Oh it’s you Luna, you startled me”. Luna giggled playfully. “Ah it’s nice to see you both again and so I wonder what made you need me”? Shadow began to speak but stopped. “Silent? Hmm”. Shadow looked at Crystal who sat down and licked her paw. “I was wondering if you could help me er us Luna”. Crystal said. Luna hoped off Crystal’s back and stared. “Oh? And what can I do for you”? Shadow hesitated but slowly spoke in high hopes Luna had the answer. “My father has been taken and- “And you wish to save him”. Luna interrupted. “Yes I have seen your misfortune and I believe I can assist you”. Shadow raised his eyes. “You can”? Luna nodded and smiled brightly at him. “I saw where the humans took your father; he’s high up north”. Shadow waged his tail. “Then let’s go, send us there”. Luna waved her wing chuckling. “There is much we need to discuss young Shadow before I can send you on your way”. Crystal looked over at Luna. “Like what”? “The humans have taken him to a heavy defended building, the harsh cold is intense and the humans guard the facility in high force”. Shadow snorted confidently. “Nothing we can’t handle”. Luna laughed. “I admire you optimistic attitude but that won’t get you far”. Shadow watched Luna fly up into a crack in the wall. She climbed inside and a low shuffling could be heard inside. Shadow stared. Suddenly Luna plopped back out with several light blue glowing rocks wrapped in her wing. She drifted down and dropped the rocks at their feet. “These are moon dust rocks, they smell rather odd but the aroma causes victims to be rendered unconscious for hours”. Crystal pulled back about to sniff the rock curiously. “Just throw them at the ground to erect the smell but be careful not to breathe it in yourself”. The light blue rock puffed a small dust cloud that shined neon blue as it rolled on the ground. “What about carrying them”? Luna grabbed a leathery pack from behind her. “With this, I saw a human drop it”. She hoisted the bag over Shadow’s neck and it hung open and loose. “It fit perfect. Shadow commented shrugging his shoulders. Crystal pushed the bag over onto his back. “I’ll just put them in there for safety”. She fluttered up and shoved the rocks into the pack. Shadow looked back at her. “What’s the danger”? Luna stared at him and shook her head as though he had said something very stupid. “If they fall to the ground they will shatter, we don’t want that now”. Shadow nodded. “Yeah I suppose that would be bad”. Luna giggled and hovered up into loft cut into the rocky ceiling. Shadow stared up at her. “How do we get to were my father is”? Luna laughed again. Shadow wasn’t sure why she laughed so much. “Simple, ill just open up a portal outside the human compound, it should make sense from there”. Shadow twitches his ears a little confused. “Why not inside”. Luna made a strange tsk like noise. “Because there are many humans inside and they will surely spot you if I open a portal inside”. Shadow looked off to his left to see a large open hole in thin space. Glimmering inside it was a snowy mountain with a large human structure built into a rocky cliff. “But wait”! Shadow called but Luna pushed him along through the portal with Crystal. “No time, no time go”! Suddenly Shadow dropped into a cold snowy bank and shivered. The large portal snapped shut behind him and he stared up to look up at the large window to the facility. “So your fathers in there? How we getting in”? Shadow surveyed the window and noticed a large metal tube leading from its side. It was vent that was coming from the buildings side. “That’s our ticket in”. Shadow said gesturing to the vent. Crystal turned her head to look. “Were climbing in that thing? It doesn’t look safe”. Shadow shrugged. “Well it’s our only way inside so let’s take it”. Shadow turned and began clawing at the metal grate until it snapped off. Shadow pushed the clawed grate aside and climbed in. Crystal followed behind and looked back. The gusty winds howl made her quiver and she turned back climbing inside the metal vent.

 

The clang from the metal banged in Shadow’s ears. “You ok back there Crystal”? Crystal gripped her head. “Besides looking at your butt the whole way through I’m fine”. Shadow laughed heartily. He stopped at another grate sitting on the bottom. He looked through and down to white bright floor. He felt Crystal bump into him from behind. “Hey, what did you stop for”? Shadow stared down into the floor and a familiar red glow shined in the floor. “Shadow”? Crystal called but Shadow didn’t answer he didn’t even react. The shiny glow suddenly vanished. Shadow shook his head. “Oh nothing just something caught my eye”. Crystal growled. “Well keep moving”. Shadow continued crawling along. The red glow flashed in his mind. He forced himself to shake it off and moved his head to look up. Shadow saw a dim spinning thing in front of him. It waved strangely like a wheel. “What’s that”? Shadow asked. Crystal squeezed her head past Shadow. “I’m not sure”. The spinning metal began to spin faster. The vent around them began to heat and the metal was like an oven’s metal surface. “Shadow, things are getting a bit hot”! Shadow jumped; the heat burned his paws. “We got to get out of here”! Shadow yelped as the heated metal began burning more. “Backtrack; we’ll bust out that grate thing”. Crystal backed up and Shadow did the same. Shadow could hear a loud banging behind him. “It’s stuck”. She shouted. Shadow growled in panicked worry. “Kick it harder”! Another bang and then a loud crash erupted around the vent. “Got it”! There was a thud as he heard Crystals paws hit the ground. Shadow backed up and slipped through the fresh hole. He dropped on the ground right beside Crystal who was looking around the room. The room was dark with small lights overhead. There were small glass jars and such lined across several shelves and a few tables in the middle of the room. “Let’s go this way”. Crystal said quietly. She began walking down a small hallway leading into a bright room. “Stop”! She cried in a hushed voice. Shadow stopped and cocked his head. “What is it”? Crystal gestured around the wall. “Humans, lots of them”! Shadow peeked around the corner. Humans by the dozens were walking around and sitting at several tables some appearing to be chewing on something. “We can sneak by but we need to be careful”. Shadow nodded. “Lead the way”. She slowly creped around the corner and Shadow followed. “We can slip through that back room over there”. Crystal whispered waving her paw over to a metal door. Crystal shoved her head past the door and Shadow continued to follow her. They both crouched close down behind a counter. “Hey Tom”? A humans voice boomed from somewhere nearby. “Yeah”? “You heard that Greg’s team caught another wolf”? Shadow slipped his head over a counter. A large human in a white apron was talking with a skinny man in a blue suit. “Yeah I did; nice silvery looking one right”? The large human nodded and smiled. “He was knocked out when they got him”. The large human chuckled and leaned against the tiled wall. “It’s a pain rounding up them wolves ain’t it”? The man in the blue suit shrugged and scratched his nose. “I’m just the janitor; I never went out on the field”. Crystal was tugging at Shadow’s side. “Come on”! She hissed under her hushed voice. Shadow slowly ripped his gaze from the two men who seem to be saying their goodbyes before being pulled away and stashed back behind the counter. He peeked up one last time just to see the blue suited human walk off into another room. “I’ll make my way passed the human, stay with me”. Shadow watched Crystal slide her way around the tight counter corner. Shadow slowly tip-toed behind her. His soft pads made his footsteps absolutely silent among the chattering humans. The large human turned back to the large room; He gave a great snort and spit on the floor. Shadow winced at the sight. “These humans are thilthy”. He whispered to Crystal. Crystal glared. “Shh we need to stay silent”. Shadow almost said sorry but stopped himself and continued behind her. They both slipped along a counter side. “The door over there”. Crystal whispered. “Head that way ill follow”. Shadow saw the door she was referring to; it was a sleek silvery metal door that was loosely hanging open. Shadow walked forward listening for the human to make sure he didn’t spot him. The human was to busy messing around with something on his counter and making frustrated noises. Shadow pushed passed the door into an open hallway. The sound of distant footsteps echoed off the walls and chatter rang with it. Shadow looked down the long and thin hallway. It seemed empty until two forms came around the corner approaching quickly.

 

 

 

The wolves in Chanoue’s group stared at Kanoue with revolted and horrified looks. “What is with that thing”!? One wolf hissed to another. “Look at its skin, its all rumpled”. Another wolf commented and then another simply laughed with amused joy. “That’s not a wolf that’s a rat”! Kanoue hid his face behind Chanoue. Chanoue angrily gave a kick to Kanoue’s face and growled at the others. “Why we taking that thing”? Lupus demanded. Lupus had decided to come along wanting to gain forgiveness. “Because he knows where the crystal is”. Lupus looked again at the misshapen wolf. “But he’s so ugly”! Kanoue buried his face in his paws. “Well we need him, looks do not matter”. Lupus made a noise showing dissatisfaction. Kanoue took his tear wet face out of his protective paws and looked at Chanoue. “We... we need to head north”. He stuttered in utter terror. Chanoue sighed. “It will be a long journey, last chance to give up and not come”. The wolves chattered but were quieted as Chanoue spoke up again. “Fine, let’s go”. Chanoue turned and began walking. Kanoue walked along his side. “Master, are you sure the others will not hurt me”? Chanoue turned his sour eyes on Kanoue with anger. “I’ll see to it your kept safe for now”.

 

The approaching humans lingered close. Crystal in fast thinking darted underneath a dark metal cart to her side. Shadow turned his head and she was motioning him to join her. He slid in next to her just in time. The two humans were too busy looking around to notice them. They walked by almost completely unaware. Shadow gave a relived breath, but suddenly the human stopped. “You smell that”? Shadow felt pulsing fear rush through him. “Smell what”? The other human asked stopping as well. “It smells like… a wolf or something”. Shadow looked to Crystal. She was absolutely still and not moving at all. “There are wolves all over this place, you know that”. The human sighed. “You’re right”. The human had been standing over the table but turned and strode away with the other human. “So what about those new cages huh”? Their voices vanished along with them as they rounded another corner. Crystal climbed out from the cart and Shadow pulled out as well. “Okay, we best start looking in these rooms, come on”. Crystal walked to a closed door. “It’s shut”. Shadow commented staring at the shiny metal door. Crystal reached up and pulled the door open, “And”? She said smiling. A horrible odor released out the door. “What’s that smell”? Shadow said pinching his nose in disgust. “I haven’t the faintest idea”. She moved forward through the open door and Shadow followed. Crystal turned and shut the door behind them. Shadow stared into the room with his jaw hanging ajar. Crystal turned. “Okay, that should keep them from…” Her words were completely lost at the sight. Wolf bodies lay all along metal counters and several shiny cages lay open with corpses hanging out of them. Blood stained the walls covered and tools lay about. Knives and scissors coated in blood could be seen. Torn open wounds could be seen among the bodies in mass piles. Several others had tools sticking out of them. Crystal barely could speak but fought words from her mind. “It’s… it’s a massacre”. She said almost speechless. They both walked along the blood stained floor. The corpses were torn and had cuts and some even had bullet wounds all over them. “These aren’t humans”. Crystal said slowly. “These are monsters”. Shadow looked at her. Her face was curled into that of a snarl. “Their monsters think they can just kill us like this”?! Her paw swung widely and slashed several beakers and cups on to the ground shattering them. “Throw us in cages and then throw us out like were trash”!? Her sharp claws slashed against a cage wall. “Calm down Crystal”! Shadow demanded grabbing her arm. “Shadow, look what they have done to our kind”! Shadow nodded slowly. “But we need to stay quiet”. Before Crystal could respond, a voice began calling out. “Is someone there? Help me please”! Shadow recognized the voice just barely. “Who’s there”? Shadow asked peeking past the mass of tables and bodies. “Come on”. Crystal said jumping over the tables and carts. The two came to an enclosed cage. Its shiny metal was coated in dried blood that had been dripping from the inside. Shadow peered in and a black wolf stepped forward. “Raves”?! Shadow shouted in surprise. Raves’ eyes were bloodshot and droopy. “It’s me, not in my best state”. Shadow looked over Raves’ body which was cut across the back and appeared torn on his paws. “I’ve been sticking my paws through the cage door for days, the metal is extremely sharp”. Shadow stared silently before speaking again. “How long have you been here”? Raves sighed in a depressed tone. “Months, not sure really”. Shadow looked to Raves’ right side. “What’s… that…”? Raves’ followed Shadow’s gaze. “My cell mate, he chewed his own wrist out”. Shadow twitched terrified. “He didn’t last long, just dropped dead two minutes later. He bled for a long time but they didn’t bother to clean it up”. Shadow was speechless. Crystal glared at Raves. “He helped Chanoue; we shouldn’t trust him”. Shadow nodded. “Chanoue? That pathetic coward? He’s the reason I’m here”. Shadow looked confused cocking his head at Raves. “How so”? Raves sat up against the metal wall. “He abandon me after I was wounded in a battle, we went out to human town I think it was”. Shadow listened with interest. “I was supposed to help kill any humans in sight but we became overwhelmed. I was shot in the leg twice before they downed me and caught me. I just watched Chanoue run off right after we both looked one another in the eyes”. Shadow thought slowly to himself. Raves burst out in annoyance. “Chanoue; bah, I should have known I meant nothing to him”. Shadow looked at the lock tightly secured on Raves’ cage. “Then you’ll help us”? Raves looked up as his head had dropped down to stare at the cage floor. “Maybe, it depends”. Shadow looked scornfully. “We will let you out if you agree to help us”. Raves turned and leaned into the metal wall again. “With what”? Shadow banged on the metal to get his attention. “My father is here too, help us get him out and you can escape with us”. Raves’ ears twitched and his tail flicked. “Your dad huh? Silver”? Shadow was confused then understood. “Yeah, he’s silver”. Raves smirked. “I know where they took him”. Shadow glared through the bars. “You swear to help”. Raves nodded still smiling. “Let him out”. Crystal said with a sigh. Shadow pulled the metal rod gripping it with his big paws. “Lift it up”. Raves commented nudging the rod. Shadow pulled upward. Raves’ smile grew and he pushed the cage door open slowly. “We can trust him, right”? Crystal asked eyeing the black wolf with suspicion. “I guess we will find out”. Shadow narrowed his eyes. Raves’ sleek black fur shined in the dimly lit room. “Take us to him”. Shadow commanded. Raves looked up and sneered. “Give me a break; it’s not easy being confined for months”. Crystal turned back and surveyed the bodies pilling the floor. “What happened to all these wolves anyway”? Raves shook his shoulders. His eyes dripped tears from being exposed to light. “Tortured, brought to the tables here and just tortured and injected with these… needles”. Crystal shuddered. “I guess it’s some kind of test”. Shadow hopped down from the table they had been standing on. “Come on”. Raves hoped down and proceeded to the door. “It feels good to walk again”. Crystal stayed behind with Shadow. “What test requires killing wolves”? Raves shrugged ahead of them stopping at the doorway. “I’m not sure, who cares, humans are evil anyway. It comes as no surprise”. Raves tucked his head around the doorway corner pushing the door open with his nose. “You disposed of the humans”? Shadow made an annoyed snort. “Yeah we disposed of them alright”. Raves turned and glared. “I don’t need any sarcasm; I guess we will have to avoid them”. Shadow thought back to the moon dust rocks. “The rocks”. Shadow whispered to Crystal leaning to her ear. She shook her head. “Tell him and he might use them against us”. She turned away quickly just as Raves turned back to them. “Any ideas”? Shadow just stared at him a bit confused. “Oh, just avoid them like you said”. Raves sighed and stepped out the door. “Come on, he’s down this way”. Shadow stepped out back into the hallway. Crystal followed before turning back to the corpses in the room. “Rest in peace my brothers”. The door closed silently behind her.