FicWad

"Reid and Liam aren't back yet, Captain." Bepo commented, sniffing the air to try to find their scents. He couldn't pick out either of them, and he started to worry. Law glanced at the bear and leaned back in his chair. The clock on the wall read 4:45. It was unlike his head medic and mechanic to be late like this. He glanced at the map on the table, showing the city divided up into multiple sections.

"What area were Liam-ya and Reid-ya sent to?" Bepo pointed to a block on the in the very heart of the city, almost straight in the middle. Frowning, Law found the section where Shachi and Penguin had been assigned. The direction they said the red-haired woman had been going was directly towards the area his two missing crewmen had gone. It was quite a coincidence.

Law, however, didn't believe in coincidences.

One look at the clock told him it was almost 5. Kat would be awake soon and the second part of their mission would begin.

Casper had stalked into the kitchen at about 5:10. Summer followed him a few minutes later, giving Law a yawn and a small wave in greeting. Several men meandered through the door at the smell of eggs and bacon drifting through the submarine. Kat finally made her appearance after most of the men had fully eaten. By this time, it was 6:00 and Law was beginning to get antsy.

As discreetly as possible, he gestured for Summer to come to him. She made one more trip into the kitchen before emerging with his food, using it as an excuse to talk to him without looking suspicious.

"What? Is something wrong?" She asked, noticing the grave expression he wore.

"Liam-ya and Reid-ya haven't returned." Her eyes widened slightly but she kept her face blank, aware that Kat was only a few tables down.

"What are we going to do?"

"I'm working on it."

Summer gave a worried look and left to continue serving the meal. There wasn't much he could do to help her worry besides getting them back.

"Kat-ya, I have a job for you to do today." Law said, watching as the girl's face lit up enthusiastically.

"Ooh! What is it? What is it?" She was practically jumping up and down from excitement and the captain had to resist from rolling his eyes.

"I need you to assist Casper-ya in the back room today. We need to do inventory to see what supplies we are low on."

"Awesome! I can do it, I promise!" Casper stood waiting in the kitchen doorway, watching as Kat ran into the room behind him. Catching the older cook's eye, Law nodded slightly. Casper responded likewise and followed behind the girl.

The rest of the crew was watching their captain carefully. He looked around and nodded, silently ordering them outside. They all rose and left the sub, stopping a few paces away to wait for Captain's orders.

"There has been a small adjustment to the plan." Murmurs went up through the men before Law continued. "Reid-ya and Liam-ya did not return from last night. Therefore, several teams will be sent to find and rescue them. The rest will find the Winslow mansion." He nodded to Bepo, who tossed a map on the ground. The men gathered around it.

"Thanks to Shachi-ya and Penguin-ya's information, we can assume the mansion is somewhere in this region." He said, indicating a couple of blocks highlighted with red. "I'm confident Reid-ya and Liam-ya's capture is the Winslow woman's doing. Those sent to find them will also be instructed to look in this area, as well as the surrounding sections in case they are being held in a different location." There was a blue highlight around the area Reid and Liam had searched the night before.

"Shachi-ya, and Penguin-ya. You will look for the missing two." Law continued to list off names and assignments, sending them off as soon as they were given. He didn't want to waste any more time.

"Summer-ya, you will accompany Bepo and I." She nodded, stepping forward and checking to make sure her daggers were in their sheaths.

"We're going after Reid and Liam, right?" She asked.

"No." She stopped dead and glared at him.

"Are you kidding me? I need to be out there looking for them!" She narrowed her eyes, clenching her hands into fists. He glared back with equal strength, angry over the fact that she was questioning his decisions.

"There are plenty of other men looking for them. We need to focus on our main task as well."

"I can't believe-"

"Do you not trust that the others will find them?" She looked down and scowled. Struggling internally for a few moments, she sighed and crossed her arms.

"Fine. Let's just get this over with." She mumbled. Satisfied she would continue without any more arguing, he nodded and headed off in the direction of the city.

"Dammit…" Liam muttered, his consciousness slowly returning to him. He opened his eyes a crack, only to find darkness in front of him. It was the thickest darkness he had ever come to encounter, unable to even see his own body in the stuff. Something from above dripped onto his shoulder, and Liam only hoped it was water. When he flinched at the cold liquid, he noticed his ankles and wrists were restrained to a chair.

Slowly regaining cognitive ability, he put together the pieces of information he knew. Wherever he was, it was probably underground. He was restrained, most likely to a chair from the feel of the wood on his back. He couldn't hear anyone else down here…

Reid! He almost forgot his friend had been there with him!

"Reid?" He croaked out. His throat was dry, making it difficult to talk.

"Ugh…" A low groan and the rustling of fabric came from directly in front of him somewhere. It wasn't too far but not right in front of him. "Liam?"

"Yeah, it's me. You ok?" Reid broke into a coughing fit. The noise was uncomfortably loud in the dark confines of the room. He glanced to the right as if worried they would alert whoever it was who kidnapped them that they were awake.

"Yeah...I'm fine. Just got a huge headache."

"Did you get a look at the guy?" Liam asked, pulling uselessly at the ropes around his wrists. "Shit…" He said when the thick cord dug deeply into his skin.

"Nah...It happened too fast." He could hear Reid struggling with his own bonds.

A door on top of some stairs to their left burst open, flooding the room with light and blinding the two occupants. They couldn't do anything as they were forced to shut their eyes. Several footsteps came down the stairs and towards the two pirates.

"Hey, they're awake, huh?" A man's voice said, stalking closer to Liam.

"Damn. I wanted to smack 'em around a little before they realized what was happening." Another man's voice chuckled behind the first.

Liam's chin was jerked upwards and to the left, caught in the firm grip of one of the men. Cracking open an eye, he stared into the masked face of a brute of a man. He towered over the chair Liam was tied to, but he couldn't see what he looked like or what sort of expression he wore.

Glancing over in Reid's direction, he saw another masked man grab his friend's neck and squeeze. Reid's eyes began to bulge and he struggled against his restraints.

"Let...him go!" Liam forced his head free, glaring at his antagonist with as much venom as he could muster in his pathetic state. The other man turned to look at him, slowly letting go of Reid's neck, much to his relief.

"So...we got ourselves a little hero, haven't we Raz?" The man taunted, stepping closer to him. Setting his jaw, Liam stared straight ahead and stayed silent, determined not to be affected by the taunt.

The one he assumed was Raz took a fistful of his hair and pulled sharply backwards, wrenching his neck. "Ah!" He let slip a grunt of pain, only egging on the two brutes. Raz smirked.

"What says you? Should we give him a little taste of what's in store?" The other one cracked his knuckles and brought his fist back for a punch. Liam prepared himself for the blow, but it never came.

"Raz! Lupis! Enough!"

The two men paused, looking up at the very commanding feminine voice in the doorway. The pirates looked up at the silhouette of a woman, arms crossed and hip cocked to one side. She slowly took steps down the stairs, long legs flashing through the slit of her black dress as she descended. It was silent except for her heels hitting the wood.

"We don't want our guests to feel threatened now, do we? As a proper host, I'm obliged to make them feel comfortable." She purred, leaning down towards Liam when she was only a pace away. Her slim fingers gently ran up his neck, flicking upwards when they grazed his chin.

"Such a handsome face...It's quite a shame you waste your good looks being a petty criminal." Her lips twitched upwards in a smug smile as Liam narrowed his eyes.

"Who are you?" Reid called out from the other side of the room, glaring at the woman from his confined position. She turned and grinned at him.

"Oh! How rude of me. Allow me to introduce myself." Standing, she tossed her red hair until she was satisfied with it and placed one hand on her hip.

"I am Scarlet Winslow. Welcome to my home!"