The Loud House - Wild Card

Chapter 15 - Righting a Wrong

Lynn approached the abandoned building before her. This was the location her time-thingy watch that Lisa gave her was telling her Lincoln was. She instinctively reached to her side to draw her gun, but realized quickly it wasn't there. She felt completely naked without it. The gravity of the situation started to weigh on her: she was about to fight a deranged madman unarmed on his home turf. She had to be cautious. There was no telling what could happen, and she would not let anything bad happen to her brother.

Not again. Never again.

She entered through a broken window, being careful not to make a lot of noise. It looked like it used to be some sort of medical center, due to old gurneys and medical equipment being strewn haphazardly about the place. There was quite a bit of fire damage, which explains why it was abandoned. The neighborhood that it was located in was notoriously bad, filled with gang violence, drug trades and robberies of all kinds. It didn't take a lot of guesses to determine that this medical center was destroyed by criminal activity, but it also made it a perfect place to hide.

Lynn continued through the medical center, stopping at an old directory. Schroder would most likely have to keep Lincoln somewhere secure and hidden away to prevent him from escaping, as well as away from prying eyes. The most logical place for this would be the basement. She saw the room number that would lead her to the boiler room, and decided to start looking there.

She felt her apprehension grow as she descended the stairs to the basement. She needed to find a weapon - a gun, a crowbar, anything to turn the tide in her favor. She did some research on Dr. Schroder after Lincoln killed himself. The man is an ex-Green Beret. Despite her age advantage, it would be foolish of her to underestimate him.

She was shaken from her thoughts when she heard a sudden scream. Her blood ran cold as she realized it was the scream of a child. "Lincoln!" She whispered, horrified. She ran in the direction of the scream. She could see a light at the end of the hallway. The light was coming from a door that was slightly ajar. She peeked into the room and had to put her hand in her mouth to muffle her scream.

She was looking into some sort of makeshift laboratory, but it seemed more to her like a torture chamber. There was a movable tray filled with grotesque surgical instruments, a large bathtub of water that Lynn saw he used to force Lincoln underwater. Next to it was a large safe, which he used for sensory deprivation. Bloody clothes and bandages were strewn across the floor, along with several hypodermic needles, the contents of which Lynn couldn't bear to think about. But the true horror was in the middle of the room.

Lincoln was strapped in a surgical chair, a cage connected to the headrest covered his face, restricting his head movements. His legs and arms were strapped down so tight that his bare feet and hands were purple and swollen. One of his hands was wrapped in a blood-stained bandage where his finger was removed. Fresh cuts and burns lined his bare chest and face. His eyes were swollen and puffy, and he looked like he was on the verge of passing out. Sitting on a stool in front of him was the madman behind his misery, Dr. Schroder.

"It's been almost a week, Lincoln," he said in a low voice. "All you have to do is answer the questions correctly, and you can eat." He held up a playing card, the Queen of Diamonds. "Now, please tell me what this card is."

"Q-queen of. . . diamonds," Lincoln said weakly.

"No, Lincoln," said Schroder, replacing the card. "You are wrong."

"B-but it is!" Said Lincoln, eyes growing wide in fear. "Why do you keep doing this?! It's the queen of –" he let out a blood curdling scream as Schroder placed a hot brand to his chest. Tears streamed down his face as he continued to hold it there. Lynn felt herself tremble with boiling anger.