The Summer Strikes Back, Part 18

It was nearly quarter of 8 when the Imperials lead them to the back of the club. The area that had once housed the processing machines was now mostly used for storage, except for a few dusty old tanks that took up the back of the room. Leia, Hank, Charlie, and Chip all had their hands bound behind their backs. They climbed the rusty catwalks over the remaining tanks. Most of the tanks were large enough and deep enough to keep multiple fish until they were ready to be cleaned and gutted. All but two were dusty and empty.

Hank glared at Lance as they stopped over the larger of the two tanks. “What's going on, buddy?” he sneered.

“Don't look at me like that.” Lance seemed imperturbable, but his lips twitched nervously. “This wasn't my idea. They thought this was the best way to get you to Jasper Hutt.”

“What?” Hank stepped back as they stopped over the larger of the tanks. “Are you guys fucking insane? What do I look like, a mermaid?”

“You ain't gonna send me pal to no Hutt!” Charlie gave one of the Imperials holding Hank a solid kick in the nuts, but he was outgunned.

“No, stop!” Chip waved his hands as three Imperials smacked the beefy boy back. “He doesn't mean it! He's just upset!”

“Charlie, don't. There'll be another time.” Hank nodded at Leia. “After all, someone's gotta keep an eye on Leia and Luke while I'm gone.”

“Hank, don't let them do this.” Charlie's blue eyes overflowed with tears. It was the first time Leia had ever seen the big fisherman cry. “Don't let them win. We can beat them.”

“Maybe later, buddy.” He turned to Chip. “And you take care of Arturro for me, Goldenrod. Don't let him do anything too crazy.”

Chip gulped, his glasses wet with tears. “You can count on me, brave Captain. I'm sorry I ever doubted you.”

Leia elbowed the Imperial who held her long enough to rush to Hank. He leaned down and kissed her, kissed her hard and deep. Kissed her like he would never see her again.

When Bobby Fett and the Imperials finally yanked them both away, they were totally breathless...and only had eyes for each other. “I love you,” Leia called out. She meant every word.

Hank only nodded. “I know.”

“This is so sappy,” Vader hissed as his men untied Hank's wrists. He yanked away the old railings, then roughly shoved Hank off the metal grate. He toppled into the tank below, sending water slopping over the sides. Leia was just able to see him come up for air before a glass partition slid over all but a few inches on the of the top of the tank. Hank turned his concerned face to Leia, watching her and Vader through the wavy glass.

Vader grabbed Leia's arm before she could jump over the side after Hank. “He's all yours, Fett. I'll keep the girl. Take the geek and the human ape to my car.”

“Wait,” Lance started, “you said that...”

“Duke, I'm altering the deal.” Vader's hiss managed to snap. “If I have to alter it further, you're dead.”

Lance just glared at him. “This deal is getting worse all the time,” he muttered under his breath. While the Imperials shoved Charie and Chip back down the catwalk, he managed to duck away from the crowd and make a beeline for Larry Botts' DJ booth. He should never have agreed to any of this...and now, he was going to take back his club and his life, before the deal got any worse.

“Let go of me!” Leia kicked as hard as she could at Vader's knees. “You cold, heartless bastard! How could you do that?”

“Forget him, chick.” Vader grabbed her arm, propelling her to the grimy metal stairs. “He peddles dope, among other things. You want to go out with a guy who works for the biggest mob boss in New Jersey?”

“What do you know about love?” Leia spat the words like they were rotten fruit. “You've never been in love in your life. You're a robot. You wouldn't know love if it hit you in the face!”

She screamed as Vader yanked her arm harder. “Never say I don't know anything about love! I've loved more deeply than some bimbo like you could every dream of!”

“Stop it!” She tried to kick at him. “You're hurting me!”

“I'm doing this for your own good.” His hiss dropped several octaves. “I don't want my little sister dating some gangster's flunky. You deserve a real man.”

“My...what?” Leia was so shocked, she went slack in his arms. “You're...I'm...but I can't be...he's dead! Everyone said Adam was dead!”

“Only on the inside, sis.” Vader finally let her go as they made it to the floor. “They lied to both of you. Uncle Owen never did like that I wouldn't be a good boy and jump into the hardware biz with him.”

Leia pulled away, her pale face twisted in fury. “Then why did you hit on me when we first arrived?”

“I didn't find out until a few weeks ago!” Vader put up his gloved hand. “Trust me, I wouldn't have done it if I'd known you were my sister. You're cute, but I'm not into that.” His voice lowered. “You remind me a lot of...a girl I used to know.”

The growl of a motor drowned out the argument for the moment. Her eyes widened in horror as a large truck pulled into the back of the club. Bobby Fett jumped out of the truck to supervise loading Hank into the cab.

“Leia!” Hank swam to the side of the tank, pressing against the glass in horror. He pounded on the thick panes, then attempted to climb them. His efforts only resulting in him sliding back down into the clear water. “Vader,” he screamed in a muffled voice, “I'm gonna rip your ears off if you hurt her!”

“Forget it, Fish Breath. You're not getting out of there.” The man in the motorcycle helmet wrapped his arms around Leia. “Besides, she's too good for you.”

Leia flailed in her brother's arms like a fluke caught in a net. “I hate you, Vader!” Her shrieks echoed through the loading docks. “You're no brother of mine! I love Hank. I don't care what you think. I love him!”

“Sorry, sis.” He threw her into the arms of one of his men in white and black. “Take her to my car. I'll meet you later. I've got an appointment to keep.”

Hank's eyes never left Leia's as the Imperial dragged her to the back of the building, even through the glass.

~*~*~*~*~*~

It was almost 8 when Luke and Arturro pulled in to the parking lot at Cloud City. The lavender twilight of late summer was just deepening over the bay, lit by the orange glow of streetlights on Ocean Avenue. “Any ideas on where exactly we're supposed to meet them?” Arturro shrugged. Luke felt uneasy, even as he and Arturro got into line. “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” blared from outside the doors, a shadowy blue under the bright neon Cloud City sign.

The club was still fairly busy as Luke and Arturro made their way around the crush of bodies. “Do you see Leia or Chip?” he asked the shorter boy. Arturro settled for shrugging and shaking his head again.

The DJ was just starting “Freeze Frame” by The J. Gelis Band when Arturro tapped his shoulder and pointed towards the back. Luke saw a familiar figure in gray dragging Leia down by the mural. “Luke!” she managed to scream over the music. “Luke, get out of here! It's a trap!” One of the men clamped his hand over her mouth, dragging her to the exit.

“Lad, no!” Charlie was being held by at least three men. “Are you bloody stupid? Get the fuck out of here, and take Arturro with you!”

“Arturro,” Chip wailed, “I told you not to come here!”

Even as they made their way to the door, Leia could hear the hint of a police car siren over the music. It had just switched to “She Blinded Me With Science” by Thomas Dolby as the police stormed in. Lance rushed into the DJ's booth, cutting off Dolby before the song was even mid-way through. “This club is now closed for the night. Everyone please evacuate the building. The police need to do their jobs. We're having some gang difficulties. Everyone please evacuate through the front door or the “Exit” signs to the right and rear of the building. Those who just arrived will get a refund at the door.”

“Damn it to hell.” Needa exchanged looks with a taller man in a slightly worn gray Holly Beach t-shirt. “Veers, I think we just got busted.”

“No kidding. Good thing the boss is busy.” Veers shoved Leia towards the kitchen. “Let's get these guys outta here, before Vader hears him and we all end up choked in the bay with Ozzie.”

“Leia!” Luke was caught in the mad scramble to the nearest exits after the black man's announcement. It was all he could do to not be squeezed to death. He managed to elbow his way around a few people and over to where he'd seen Leia. The area was empty now. Peering into the kitchen only revealed an empty industrial room that looked like it had been in the midst of making more snacks for the crowd.

A hand tapped on his shoulder. “Yiii!” Luke jumped a mile before he realized who it was. “Arturro, damn it!” He groaned. “You probably scared me out of at least six years of my life! Did you find the others?” The shorter man shook his head. His big, dark eyes showed almost as much worry as his best friend's gold ones usually did. “Yeah, I haven't, either.”

Luke ducked into a closet in the kitchen, emerging with two mops, one with a blue handle, one with yellow. He handed the yellow-handled broom to Arturro. “Here. The Imperials are probably armed. This is the best I can do on short notice.”

He stepped aside as Arturro tried demonstrating some of the moves he'd seen in Bruce Lee movies, nearly knocking over two platters of sandwiches and a carafe of iced tea. The blond boy ducked aside. “Uh, how about we go back out to the dance floor and look for them, where there's more room?” Arturro nodded, holding up his broom handle like a lance.

They were still evacuating people when Luke and Arturro arrived, though the crush wasn't nearly as heavy as it had been moments before. It was also a great deal quieter. The music had flown away into the night; the DJ booth was empty. Luke stuck to the side, figuring Vader wouldn't take the chance of getting lost in all those bodies. Arturro followed him, lashing out at every shadow with his makeshift sword.

The boy's eyes went to his Casio watch. “It's 8 now. You think the cops might have gotten Vader?” Arturro smirked. “I almost hope so, too. If he hurt Leia, he deserves it.”

Luke was just about to suggest they leave when he caught sight of a light in the shadows...the black lights reflecting off of a shiny dark motorcycle helmet. “I see him, Arturro! Come on!”

The boy ducked into the door in the back, under the catwalk. Arturro tried to go after him, but the door slammed in his face. As he turned the knob, he heard scraping and felt the door rattle. When he shoved again, he heard scraping, but the door still didn't open. He moved back, then took a long run into the door...which only resulted in him being thrown back into the floor. He debated going to the police, but he was certain they wouldn't understand a word he said.

“Nice try, Geekzilla, but you ain't coming in,” Vader hissed through the door, sounding entirely too smug. “I have business to take care of with your buddy here.”

“What the hell are you doing?” Luke grabbed at his arm, but Vader shoved him away. He wedged a heavy wooden chair under the door to the back area. “Arturro's my friend. He doesn't know his way around, and he doesn't speak English. I can't let him wander around out there by himself.”

“Stop breakin' my heart, kid. This is between you and me.” Vader lifted a flaming red bat off his shoulder as Luke raised his blue mop. “Ready to dance?”

~*~*~*~*~*~

The lavender twilight had deepened into a ripe plum night by the time the Imperials shoved Cedric, Charlie, and Leia out to the employee parking lot behind the Cloud City Club. The cracked blacktop rectangle had once been where the warehouses loaded the trucks that would take their wares all over the Mid-Atlantic. It was now home to several cars, including two older Mustangs, two motorcycles, and Lance's shiny Lincoln Continental. One of the Imperial members in gray was just starting to shove her into a black Mustang when three figures stepped out of the shadows.

“Ok, buddy, you can let her go now.” Lance stepped slowly out the shadows, a gun in his hands. “None of you are going anywhere.”

Larry Botts, still wearing his DJ headset, and a tanned youth with shining dark eyes and a hang-dog face, surrounded the gang members. They were followed by the Bespin Island police squad. “Sorry boys,” smirked Lance, “but you're under arrest.”

“You double-crossed us, you yuppie creep!” Needa snarled. “We're gonna mash that mustache of yours into those big white teeth!”

A cop yanked him back. “Whoa, kid. Last I checked, kidnapping and threats are illegal in this state.”

“Besides,” Lance crossed his arms, “I had nothing to do with this. I didn't call the police, and neither did any of my employees. We're just cooperating with them.”

Another officer managed to get Motti on the ground and snap cuffs on him. “We got an anonymous tip from some old guy down the road in Ocean View that there was gonna be gang violence at the Cloud City Club on Bespin Island tonight. Thought it might be worth it to check it out.”

Another officer gently put his hand on Leia's shoulder. “Are you all right, hon? We're gonna need to get a statement from you, if you're up to it.”

Leia sniffled, but nodded. “Officer, these men sent my...my good friend to a gangster up in Atlantic City. You might have heard of him. Jasper Hutt.”

“Cruel and unusual punishment, it was,” Charlie snarled. “They dunked 'im in a fish tank in the back room!”

“Don't worry there, son.” The detective in the jacket and short-sleeved shirt shoved his notebook in his back pocket. “If he's still back there, we'll get him out. We promise.”

The moment the cops left with their captives, Charlie wheeled around, his rage now focused on Lance. “You bloody fuckin' arse! How could you turn on your own mate like that?” He grabbed the preppy around the neck and squeezed. “I ought to wring your neck and drop you in a tank, I ought!”

Lance's knees buckled. “Charlie...sorry...” His eyes flicked to Leia. “Little help here...”

“Oh no. You're not getting any sympathy from me!” Leia only glared at him. “You deserve this. With friends like you, who needs Imperials?”

The little hang-dog fellow grabbed Charlie's arm, trying to pull him away while going a mile a minute in Spanish. Larry Botts' imperturbable pale-blue eyes actually looked a little worried. “He means it, ma'am,” Botts mumbled. “They were gonna burn the club down, with people in it.”

“Fine, but what about Hank? What about your friend?” Leia's eyes were filled with amber fire, and her teeth gritted together. “We don't need any of your help.”

“No...still a chance to save Ha...ha...” Lance gasped in Charlie's grip.

“Stop! Oh Charlie, stop! This won't do at all!” Chip whined. “We have to trust him. He knows this area better than we do. That sounds like the Captain he's talking about!”

Larry Botts nodded quickly as their friend continued in Spanish. “They're loading Hank into Fett's truck now. If we hurry, we may be able to stop them.” He leaned over as the Mexican continued, big black eyes shining. “Nino says he saw that Vader guy with some blond kid in the back, too. They were fighting.”

“Luke! We have to save both of them.” She nodded quickly. “Charlie, let him go!”

Charlie did so without a word, stomping after Leia and the two Club employees. Lance grabbed hold of the bumper of the Lincoln Continental and tried to regain his breath. Chip helped him to his feet, dusting him off with the palm of his hand.

“I'm so sorry about this, Mr. Callahan,” Chip apologized. “After all, he's only a fisherman!”

“That's...all...right...Goldie...” Lance gasped. “Let's...catch up...with...the others...before Fett...drops them all in tanks.”

Even as they dashed around the side of the warehouse, a screechy creak and the roar of a truck engine blared across the bay. Leia got to the loading docks just in time for an old gray tanker truck to barrel past the cop cars and onto Bay Street. It roared past three more cars, sending them spinning into each other, before disappearing over the Bespin Island Bridge.

“Did anyone get the license plate number of that truck?” Leia demanded from the nearest detective.

“Probably not.” The man in the rumpled beige suit frowned. “They were going too fast. We're lucky it's late. They could have run someone over, at the rate they were going. It's gonna take us forever to clean up the mess on the street as it is.”

“Damn it! We've got to stop them!” She pushed past the detective and ducked around two cars, down the street until she was almost at the bridge. Her eyes followed the silhouette of the truck as it sailed over the bridge and out of site. “Oh Hank...” She bit her lip, wiping fiercely at her dark eyes. “Damn these assholes! Damn them!”

“Lass, there's nothin' you can do.” Charlie gently took her arm. “Come on. Remember, Luke's still back there. We'll give the coppers their statement, then go after your brother.”

Lance managed to jog after them. “Leia, I'm truly sorry about all this. Trust me, I reget every single thing. If there's anything I can do to help you...”

“You want to help us?” She turned on him, the fire back in the wide, velvet orbs. “Help me rescue my brother Luke. Vader has him in the club.”

Lance frowned. “But what about Vader and the Imperials?”

Charlie's glare was nearly as withering. “The coppers got most of his boys. We'll lead 'em right to Vader. We ain't gonna let you go back on us again, you bloody knobhead.”

“All right, I get the point.” He turned to Larry. “Looks like I'm going to be out of town for a while. You're in charge of the Club while I'm gone.” Larry only gave him his silent, robotic nod. “Nino, you stay with Larry. I'll call you guys when I need you.”

“Right.” Leia raced back to the club, the others following her. I hope I'm not too late. I may have lost Hank, but I sure as hell won't let them take my brother from me!