Chapter V
The Hub
The river down by this part of the city didn’t look much like a river anymore, more like a toxic dump to Dmitri’s eyes, missing only the green colour to it. But as he crests the rise in the terrain, he comes face to face with the warehouse lot, not that he could have missed it, the old buildings stretched for miles around, and he wondered to himself why The Mayor had kept these old buildings standing when he ordered so many others destroyed.
Dmitri takes up his position overlooking the warehouse in question which did appear to be in slightly better condition than the others, but not by a lot. He watches over the main doors to the transport hub behind the shell of an old train carriage along with three Bots.
Five hours later Vernon voice comes over the coms.
“Mission report.” Vernon said over the com link, it was the first time Dmitri had heard a human voice in hours and he jumped slightly at the sound, but quickly went back to the mission at hand and raises his own communication device to his mouth.
“Well, it looks well and truly abandoned. Looks like...” Dmitri said but quickly stops as he sees a black car drive up to the building and the doors start to open. ‘This is it.’ He thought but before he could do so much as get up a vision crosses his mind.
He was eleven again and being dragged out of the car boot and taken into what looked like a large holding area, the sound of screams coming through locked doors towards the end of the room. He looked up to see someone rummaging through his pockets, removing anything and everything they found, smashing the collection of items on the ground in front of him. Before dragging his younger self towards the sound of the screams.
Dmitri came to at the sound of Vernon’s voice once again. He couldn’t say that he was at all disappointed by this and picked up his com link.
“Come in Dmitri.” Vernon said, Dmitri thought he heard concern in the voice underneath the desperation for an update.
“I've got movement. Black car heading into the target building now.” Dmitri said and started to get up, to follow the car inside the warehouse which he guested was its intended destination, but as if the butler could see him, his voice came over the com link once more.
“Return to base immediately, that's an order.” Vernon said, this time the concern was in full effect. Dmitri continues to get up as the car drives in but lies back down. As the doors to the hub close, he slams his hand against the ground before getting back on comms.
“Returning to base. Over and out.” Dmitri said, he didn’t want to give up, but something was telling him to wait as much as it annoyed him. He gets up and looking at the building, he turns around and heading back to the gunship with his Bots following close behind him, their red eyes the only light in this darkened part of the city.
Dmitri's gunship flies through the entrance to the cave and lands on the platform as Dmitri strides out and walks to the table where Alan and Charlie are waiting for him, slamming his fist so hard that it dented the surface.
“I should have gone in.” Dmitri said, it was all he had thought about on the ride back to the manor, he knew that it probably would have been suicide to do so, but he didn’t care.
“That would have achieved nothing other than your death more likely than not.” Alan said.
“What was in the black car?” Charlie asked, she had been present when Dmitri had reported to Vernon and was curious as to what he suspected about the vehicle.
“Most likely, a kid. That's how they transport them. Snatch them up of the street and take them to an undisclosed location.” Dmitri said, he had known, he had known ever since the car had first appeared in his field of vision what it was carrying. But he had done nothing to prevent it. Alan put his hand on his brow of his head.
“We're going to need a plan then. How long were you kept before being transported?” Alan said, he had feared as much, having listened to Dmitri’s backstory and he guested that Dmitri’s theory was correct.
“I don't know, bout a month I guess.” Dmitri said. “That’s how long I was kept for I think, but I could be wrong, the last thing they were going to do was tell me how long I was in there for.” Dmitri said, they had smashed his watch along with everything else when he first arrived other than the necklace.
“Then we still have time.” Charlie said with a sense of relief, which was not shared by Dmitri in the slightest.
“For that kid, maybe. But what about any others that may be down there.” Dmitri said, wondering why the others were not taking this as seriously as he was.
“We can't just go charging in there.” Alan said.
“Why not!” Dmitri shouted, before gaining control of himself. “I've got the firepower and the manpower now.” He finished, that was the truth, he had almost sixty bots at his disposal more than enough to liberate the warehouse.
“That ain't the problem, it's that we don't know what it is like down there. For all we know it could be a complete maze.” Alan said.
“As much as I hate to admit it, he's right Dmitri, we know nothing about the place. You could be walking right into a trap if you go now. We would be navigating on your childhood memories alone, which you’ve admitted are scattered.” Charlie said, if they had reliable data, she would have gone in there herself, but they didn’t know enough about the place on the outside, never mind what the interior was like. Dmitri stands there silently for a minute before turning and heading back towards the manor leaving Alan and Charlie alone.
“Do you think he'll listen.” Alan said, whilst he didn’t want Dmitri to do anything rash, he wouldn’t entirely blame him if he through caution to the wind and attacked the warehouse. Charlie shook her head in response.
“The gods only know what he's going to do next. I reckon he'll stay though.” Charlie said, she had no way of backing that statement up, the only thing she did know was that Dmitri might be reckless, but he wasn’t stupid. “It will all depend whether or not he gives into his desire for revenge.” Charlie finished.
Alan sighed, he knew that they would most likely be alright for a short time, but if they didn’t get any more information soon, then Dmitri would more than likely decide to attack the compound with or without their support.
