*All characters copyrighted to Poseidon Simons

Chapter 10

Near

Escape

 

                "Voices...someone's coming!!!"  Don hadn't moved where he'd been put.  He couldn't calm down...everywhere he looked, something always brought a new, horrifying memory back.  He could barely breathe without wanting to scream.

                "Sir!  One of them escaped!"  Someone shouted.

                "What?!"  Another, much lower voice answered.

                "At least...I think it did...it's just sitting there."

                The lower voice laughed, "I see...his chip is holding him there.  He won't get away, I can assure you...but I wonder how he managed to get this far..."

 

                Beremin gave out the order for his men to take it back inside.  They approached it, calm, certain that the creature now posed no threat.

                Actually, Beremin was just testing something...as it turned out, he'd been right.  As soon as the men got within five feet of the thing, it screamed.  The two men that had gone foward were suddenly lifted up into the air and thrown back the way they'd come.  The men landed almost directly at Beremin's feet, "We have to get into the control room."  He told those who were standing, "The computer must have shut down last night during the power outage.  It would explain how he managed to leave his room, and why he seems to have regained control of his chip."

                One of the people near the back of teh group asked, "How will we get around it?  It's blocking the door and WON'T move!"

                Beremin grinned, "Simple enough...get Griffin to help."  He lifted up a sort of walkie-talkie device.  With it he could speak directly to Griffin's mind and issue his orders...this, of course, depended on whether or not Griffin was awake, but Beremin had no doubt Griffin was walking about.  He only wondered how such a pitiful specimen could have bested Griffin, "Griffin, can you hear me?"

                This device was used rarely, and GRiffin answered sounding startled, "Father?  Where are--how...oh...the unit."

                "Yes Griffin, the unit.  We have a situation outside and can't get in."

                "What do you mean, Father?  Why not use another door?  You had over ten built into the place."

                Beremin sighed, "Yes, but the power is off, Griffin.  If it had been working properly, you'd still be in you sleeping chamber, waiting for us to wake you.  We can't open the doors from the outside unless the power is on, and the power failure last night shut everything off.  We need you to open the door manually and pick up...Poseidon."  He said the name slowly, not quite sure he wanted to admit that he considered the creature more than an animal.

                The reply was garbled, "Poseidon?..can't have...certain--go--I know--did...are you sure it's him?"

                "Yes.  He's holding us off from entering the front door...the only one that isn't operated electronically.  Get him out of the way so we can get inside.  Any questions?"

                "No sir..."  Griffin answered, but Beremin wondered...there had been a note of sadness in Griffin's voice.  What exactly had happened last night?

 

                Griffin glanced about wildly, "You guys HAVE to get out of here!  Father's back!  If you're not in a cell he'll--"

                James shook his head, "I am NOT going back in one of those!  I'll fight you again and WIN to stay out of those rooms!"

                Johnny sighed, "But I promised I'd stay if Don was let go..."

                Griffin winced, "But I was JUST told to take him back in!  He didn't LEAVE!  I did everything I could to help him get out and he didn't go!"

                James snorted, "Whatever.  C'mon Johnny, we should leave.  NOW."

                Johnny glanced between Griffin and James; debated with himself.  Finally, after a moment that made Griffin nervous, he spoke, "Griffin, come with us."

                "WHAT?!!  But Father will--"

                "How will HE stop YOU?!  Look at you!  You're as strong as JAMES!  You've got unbelievable control of your chip!  HOW will that maniac stop YOU from leaving if you want to?!"

                "But..."

                "Listen, Don doesn't stand a CHANCE out there by himself!  Grab him, fly off, and no one will be able to stop you!  You KNOW you can do this, why WON'T you?!"

                "I--my father...I can't..."

                "You can and you know it!  PLEASE."  Johnny forced Griffin to look at him.  An impressive task, considering how large Griffin was compared to him, "It fits perfectly.  You want to see Dragon Isle, Poseidon can't get out without help, and you already said you'd help him escape...you have a kind heart...Nino and Crystal trusted you enough to let you pick them up while they were injured...and they hadn't seen you before.  Can't you see how easy it would be to get away?  I'll ride on James' shoulder while you and he fly out from the entrance.  Don isn't that heavy for someone your size to lift.  Why, I'll bet that--"

                James suddenly cut in, "Look, I don't see why HE has to do everything.  I could get us all out without a problem!  You KNOW I can--"

                "Shut up!"  Johnny shouted.  Griffin glanced at the two of them, wondering what they were talking about.  James blanched and kept silent.  Johnny continued, glaring at James every now and then, "C'mon Griffin...you could help us, and see Dragon Isle!  Don't you want to?"

                "Yeah...but Father..."

                "What is HE going to do?!  All you have to do is change into animal form and there won't be a thing able to keep up with you!"

                Griffin jerked, "Animal what?"

                "Animal form?  The four-legged creature you can turn into?"

                Griffin stared at him, confused.

                Johnny shook his head, "You have no idea what I'm talking about?"

                "None..."

                Johnny slapped himself, "Oh, for the love of...look, we don't have any time to waste.  Just grab Don and fly away with us...it'd be so easy..."

                Griffin gazed out a nearby window...he suddenly felt a deep longing to leave...to see this place that Johnny spoke of..."Alright...I'll help."

                They quickly discussed what they'd do, and then, once the plan was complete, began.

 

                Beremin paced back and forth restlessly.  What was taking Griffin so long?!  He jerked his gaze toward the door when he heard a slight woosh sound.  Griffin's hand's appeared and hauled the creature inside.  They started forward, knowing that they could now enter without problems.  A few seconds before the first man reached the door, Griffin and the large green dragon shot out the window, taking flight almost instantly.  Beremin cursed and ran past everyone.  He reached the main computer and started it up, cursing it for moving slower than he liked.  By the time he had the program back up, Griffin was almost out of range.

                ...but not quite.  He activated the program, watching with pleasure as Griffin's signal stopped for a brief moment.  Good...even though Griffin wasn't in his control, the other one was...if he couldn't stop Griffin, he'd use the other, older version they'd gotten Griffin from.

 

                Poseidon spasmed as they carried him high over the ground.  In his state, he'd drop to the ground below before he could save himself.  He hoped they wouldn't drop him...he relaxed more and more as they left that nightmarish place behind.  It was wonderful, knowing they were on their way back home.  He'd ask Bill to get rid of the chip once they got back.

 

                "What's taking so long?!!"  Beremin slammed a fist into the computer, "He should have reacted by now!  Why hasn't he turned?!"

                Another at the computers answered him, "Interferance sir.  Griffin's chip is somehow interfering with the signal."

                "Boost the frequency then!  I want them back NOW!!"

 

                "Hey...I think I can move again..."  Poseidon called up.  James had flown ahead and, by the looks of things, was already back at Christina's.  Don flapped his wings experimentally, "Griffin, I think I can move again!"

                Griffin looked down at him, "Are you sure?  Did you do what I told you?"

                "No..."

                "Really?"  Griffin seemed puzzled, "That's not how it works...you're supposed to break out by yourself.  My father never lets me go the easy way..."

                "Well, I'm fine!"  Poseidon laughed and pried Griffin's fingers loose.  He flew by himself.  It felt GOOD to be in control again...his headache suddenly spiked, "AUGH!!!!"  Don clutched his head, forgetting to flap his wings with the pain.  He started falling...

                "Poseidon!  Poseidon, start flapping!!!!!"  Griffin called from above.  Don forced tear filled eyes open and saw, to his horror, that he was falling to the ground...if he didn't stop himself soon...His wings spread out and caught the air.  He shifted into a glide so that he wouldn't have to think about his wings as much.

                Griffin came down beside him, "You okay?"

                "My head...it's the chip in my head...it hurts..."

                "Can I help with tha--Oaf!!!"  Poseidon's elbow was suddenly in Griffin's stomach.

                Don stared at himself in horror, "I...I didn't do that!  I'm not trying to do that!!!"  He suddenly flipped in the air, bringing his knee to the spot his elbow had been.

                Griffin grunted and held his stomach, "How the hell did you hit me so hard?.."

                "I don't know!  I'm not doing this!!!"  He suddenly did something he couldn't even describe!

                When it was over, Griffin, moaning, asked, "Where did you learn that?..I haven't seen that move before..."

                "I don't know!!!  I--it's them again!  They must be controlling me again!!!!"

                "What?.."  Griffin looked back, "My father?..I--"  Griffin didn't get to say much more.  Don had somehow hit him in just the right spot that he knocked Griffin out!  He grabbed griffin and glided back the way they'd come.

                "I don't want this..."  Poseidon thought sadly, "I didn't want any of this..."